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19 July 2021
Jury Convicts Former IRS Employee of FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On Saturday, a federal jury convicted a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee of access device fraud.
“As the evidence at trial showed, the defendant engaged in a scheme involving fraudulent purchases and payments, including by using a fictitious charity website, for his own benefit,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We thank the trial team and our partner agencies for ensuring that the defendant has been held accountable for inexcusably committing this crime while he was serving as a federal employee.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a former Information Technology Specialist for the IRS, Kwashie Senam Zilevu, 37, of Woodbridge, operated a fraud scheme in which he used a line of credit in a victim’s name to make hundreds of purchases totaling more than $58,000, for his own benefit. In connection with this scheme, identity information was obtained from the Dark Web. Ultimately, a credit card in the victim’s name was mailed to the defendant’s home in Woodbridge.
Zilevu’s purchases included international plane tickets, expensive hotel rooms, interior decorating services, and construction materials used to remodel his home, among other goods and services. Evidence presented at trial also demonstrated that Zilevu made fraudulent payments to himself using financial instruments belonging to other people, including routing charitable donations to a fictitious African charity website he created, controlled, and used to further his criminal activity, and by receiving payments from a PayPal account associated with the credit card opened in the victim’s name.
Zilevu faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when sentenced on November 10. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and Daniel A. Adame, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald P. Fiorillo II and Jamar K. Walker are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-356.
Jefferson County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Aaron Patrick Stamets, of Charles Town, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Stamets, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Stamets, a person prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to having two firearms in August of 2020 in Jefferson County.
Stamets faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This charge is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Charles Town Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for brandishing a firearm in the commission of a business robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court records, on August 27, 2020, Timothy Dante Alexander, 28, robbed the Jackson Ice Company gas station on Jefferson Street at gunpoint. Surveillance video shows Alexander entering the store with a gun and walking behind the counter. Alexander pointed the gun at the store clerk and took approximately $1000 cash from the register. Alexander was later apprehended wearing the same clothing in the surveillance video, a backpack as seen in the video, a gun and approximately $1000 in cash.
Alexander was charged in a federal criminal indictment and pled guilty on April 13, 2021. He was sentenced on July 15, 2021 by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to 84 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Inmate at USP Lee Pleads Guilty to Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Lee County in Jonesville, Virginia pleaded guilty last week to possessing contraband in prison.
According to court documents, Antoine Biggs, 37, pleaded guilty to one possessing contraband in prison and one count of possession with the intent to distribute buprenorphine. He will be sentenced on October 6, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Debbie Stevens prosecuted the case for the United States.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime. Christa Dawn Ravenscroft, 44, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on March 8, 2019 at a residence on Baer Street in Huntington after law enforcement received multiple reports of drug sales and drug activity at that location. A search of the residence found approximately 1.55 grams of methamphetamine along with multiple ledgers and a digital scale. In a Mirandized interview, Ravenscroft admitted to selling drugs to support her own habit. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the substance as methamphetamine.
Ravenscroft faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on October 25, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00181.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Jonathan Baker, 36, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on March 2, 2021 at an apartment on 26th Street in Huntington. During a search of the residence, officers found a firearm on top of a nightstand. Baker admitted to officers that he had possessed the firearm and he knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a 2011 felony drug conviction in Bibb County, Georgia.
Baker faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on October 25, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00056.
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Halfmoon Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kevin J. Nugent, age 43, of Halfmoon, New York, pled guilty today to attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct with him. 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, Nugent admitted that in August 2019, he exchanged multiple sexually explicit messages via an online social networking application with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old child, in an attempt to coerce and entice the child into having sex with him. Nugent further admitted that on August 27, 2019, he traveled in order to meet with the child at a location in Albany County. Nugent was arrested after arriving at the location, and has been in custody since that date.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2021 in Albany, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Nugent faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.
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. Nugent also will 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, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Grant County man admits to fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Allen Hinkle, of Cabins, West Virginia, has admitted to a fentanyl charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Joshua Allen Hinkle, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute at Least 40 Grams of Fentanyl.” Hinkle admitted to working with others to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2020 in Grant County and elsewhere.
Hinkle faces at least five years and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the conspiracy charge. Hinkle also faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the possession of fentanyl charge. 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated. The Task Force consists of members from the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the FBI, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Gloucester County Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
James Thiel, 34, of Williamstown, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to an information charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2019 through August 2019, Thiel used an email account and a file sharing site to send images and videos of child sexual abuse to other individuals. Thiel produced and appeared in several of these images and videos along with a pre-pubescent child.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Thiel to a lifetime term of supervised release, ordered him to pay restitution of $5,000 to victims, and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christine Hoffman, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Four Chinese Nationals Working with the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information, Including Infectious Disease ResearchRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Fred Sheppard (619) 546-8237
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging four nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China with a campaign to hack into the computer systems of dozens of victim companies, universities, and government entities in the United States and abroad between 2011 and 2018.
Click to see the INDICTMENTThe indictment, which was returned in May and unsealed on Friday, alleges that much of the conspiracy’s theft was focused on information that was of significant economic benefit to China’s companies and commercial sectors, including information that would allow the circumvention of lengthy and resource-intensive research and development processes. The defendants and conspirators at the Hainan State Security Department (HSSD) sought to obfuscate the Chinese government’s role in such theft by establishing a front company, Hainan Xiandun Technology Development Co., Ltd. (“海南仙盾”) (Hainan Xiandun), since disbanded, to operate out of Haikou City, Hainan Province.
The two-count indictment alleges that Ding Xiaoyang (丁晓阳), Cheng Qingmin (程庆民), and Zhu Yunmin (朱允敏), were HSSD officers responsible for coordinating, facilitating, and managing computer hackers and linguists at Hainan Xiandun and other Ministry of State Security (MSS) front companies to conduct hacking for the benefit of China and its state-owned and sponsored instrumentalities. The indictment alleges that Wu Shurong (吴淑荣), was a computer hacker who, as part of his job duties at Hainan Xiandun, created malware, hacked into computer systems operated by foreign governments, companies, and universities, and supervised other Hainan Xiandun hackers.
The conspiracy’s hacking campaign targeted victims in the United States, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Targeted industries included, among others, aviation, defense, education, government, healthcare, biopharmaceutical, and maritime. Stolen trade secrets and confidential business information included, among other things, sensitive technologies used for submersibles and autonomous vehicles, specialty chemical formulas, commercial aircraft servicing, proprietary genetic-sequencing technology and data, and foreign information to support China’s efforts to secure contracts for state-owned enterprises within the targeted country (e.g., large-scale high-speed railway development projects). At research institutes and universities, the conspiracy targeted infectious disease research related to Ebola, MERS, HIV/AIDS, Marburg, and Tularemia.
As alleged, the charged MSS officers coordinated with staff and professors at various universities in Hainan and elsewhere in China to further the conspiracy’s goals. Not only did such universities assist the MSS in identifying and recruiting hackers and linguists to penetrate and steal from the computer networks of targeted entities, including peers at many foreign universities, but personnel at one identified Hainan-based university also helped support and manage Hainan Xiandun as a front company, including through payroll, benefits, and a mailing address.
Lead defendant Ding Xiaoyang accepts an award for young leaders from China’s Ministry of State Security in May 2018 while he and other MSS intelligence officers were allegedly hacking and stealing sensitive intellectual property from around the world.“These criminal charges once again highlight China continues to use cyber-enabled attacks to steal what other countries make, in flagrant disregard of its bilateral and multilateral commitments,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The breadth and duration of China’s hacking campaigns, including these efforts targeting a dozen countries across sectors ranging from healthcare and biomedical research to aviation and defense, remind us that no country or industry is safe. Today’s international condemnation shows that they world wants fair rules, where countries invest in innovation, not theft.”
“This indictment alleges a worldwide hacking and economic espionage campaign led by the government of China,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The defendants include foreign intelligence officials who orchestrated the alleged offenses, and the indictment demonstrates how China’s government made a deliberate choice to cheat and steal instead of innovate. These offenses threaten our economy and national security, and this prosecution reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment and ability to hold individuals and nations accountable for stealing the ideas and intellectual achievements of our nation’s best and brightest people.”
“The FBI alongside our federal and international partners, remains committed to imposing risk and consequences on these malicious cyber actors here in the U.S. and abroad,” said Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate of the FBI. “We will not allow the Chinese government to continue to use these tactics to obtain unfair economic advantage for its companies and commercial sectors through criminal intrusion and theft. With these types of actions, the Chinese government continues to undercut its own claims of being a trusted and effective partner in the international community.”
“The FBI’s San Diego field office is committed to protecting the people of the United States and the community of San Diego, to include our universities, health care systems, research institutes, and defense contractors,” said Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “The charges outlined today demonstrate China’s continued, persistent computer intrusion efforts, which will not be tolerated here or abroad. We stand steadfast with our law enforcement partners in the United States and around the world and will continue to hold accountable those who commit economic espionage and theft of intellectual property.”
The defendants’ activity had been previously identified by private sector security researchers, who have referred to the group as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 40, BRONZE, MOHAWK, FEVERDREAM, G0065, Gadolinium, GreenCrash, Hellsing, Kryptonite Panda, Leviathan, Mudcarp, Periscope, Temp.Periscope, and Temp.Jumper.
According to the indictment, to gain initial access to victim networks, the conspiracy sent fraudulent spearphishing emails, that were buttressed by fictitious online profiles and contained links to doppleganger domain names, which were created to mimic or resemble the domains of legitimate companies. In some instances, the conspiracy used hijacked credentials, and the access they provided, to launch spearphishing campaigns against other users within the same victim entity or at other targeted entities. The conspiracy also used multiple and evolving sets of sophisticated malware, including both-publicly available and customized malware to obtain, expand, and maintain unauthorized access to victim computers and networks. The conspiracy’s malware included those identified by security researchers as BADFLICK aka GreenCrash; PHOTO, aka Derusbi, MURKYTOP aka mt.exe; and HOMEFRY aka dp.dll. Such malware allowed for initial and continued intrusions into victim systems, lateral movement within a system, and theft of credentials, including administrator passwords.
The conspiracy often used anonymizer services, such as The Onion Router (TOR), to access malware on victim networks and manage their hacking infrastructure, including servers, domains, and email accounts. The conspiracy further attempted to obscure its hacking activities through other third-party services. For example, the conspiracy used GitHub to both store malware and stolen data, which was concealed using steganography. The conspiracy also used Dropbox Application Programming Interface (API) keys in commands to upload stolen data directly to conspiracy-controlled Dropbox accounts to make it appear to network defenders that such data exfiltration was an employee’s legitimate use of the Dropbox service.
Coinciding with today’s announcement, to enhance private sector network defense efforts against the conspirators, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory Joint Cybersecurity Advisory containing these and further technical details, indicators of compromise, and mitigation measures.
The defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the assigned judge.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section, and the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. The FBI’s Cyber Division, Cyber Assistant Legal Attachés and Legal Attachés in countries around the world provided essential support. Numerous victims cooperated and provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred Sheppard and Sabrina Feve of the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21cr1622
Ding Xiaoyang Age: 35 Henan Province
aka Ding Hao
aka Manager Chen
Cheng Qingmin Age Unknown Unknown
aka Manager Cheng
Zhu Yunmin Age: 37 Hainan Province
aka Zhu Rong,
Wu Shurong Age: 39 Hainan Province
aka goodperson,
aka ha0r3n,
aka Shi Lei
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Damage Protected Computers – Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. 371, 1030(a)(2)(B) and
(C), 1030(c)(2)(B)(i) and (iii), 1030(a)(5)(A), and 1030(c)(4)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
Conspiracy to Commit Economic Espionage – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1831 ( 5)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $5 million fine
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 982(a)(l) and (b)(l)
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Four Chinese Nationals Working with the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information, Including Infectious Disease ResearchRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in San Diego, California, returned an indictment in May charging four nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China with a campaign to hack into the computer systems of dozens of victim companies, universities and government entities in the United States and abroad between 2011 and 2018. The indictment, which was unsealed on Friday, alleges that much of the conspiracy’s theft was focused on information that was of significant economic benefit to China’s companies and commercial sectors, including information that would allow the circumvention of lengthy and resource-intensive research and development processes. The defendants and their Hainan State Security Department (HSSD) conspirators sought to obfuscate the Chinese government’s role in such theft by establishing a front company, Hainan Xiandun Technology Development Co., Ltd. (海南仙盾) (Hainan Xiandun), since disbanded, to operate out of Haikou, Hainan Province.
The two-count indictment alleges that Ding Xiaoyang (丁晓阳), Cheng Qingmin (程庆民) and Zhu Yunmin (朱允敏), were HSSD officers responsible for coordinating, facilitating and managing computer hackers and linguists at Hainan Xiandun and other MSS front companies to conduct hacking for the benefit of China and its state-owned and sponsored instrumentalities. The indictment alleges that Wu Shurong (吴淑荣) was a computer hacker who, as part of his job duties at Hainan Xiandun, created malware, hacked into computer systems operated by foreign governments, companies and universities, and supervised other Hainan Xiandun hackers.
The conspiracy’s hacking campaign targeted victims in the United States, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Targeted industries included, among others, aviation, defense, education, government, health care, biopharmaceutical and maritime. Stolen trade secrets and confidential business information included, among other things, sensitive technologies used for submersibles and autonomous vehicles, specialty chemical formulas, commercial aircraft servicing, proprietary genetic-sequencing technology and data, and foreign information to support China’s efforts to secure contracts for state-owned enterprises within the targeted country (e.g., large-scale high-speed railway development projects). At research institutes and universities, the conspiracy targeted infectious-disease research related to Ebola, MERS, HIV/AIDS, Marburg and tularemia.
As alleged, the charged MSS officers coordinated with staff and professors at various universities in Hainan and elsewhere in China to further the conspiracy’s goals. Not only did such universities assist the MSS in identifying and recruiting hackers and linguists to penetrate and steal from the computer networks of targeted entities, including peers at many foreign universities, but personnel at one identified Hainan-based university also helped support and manage Hainan Xiandun as a front company, including through payroll, benefits and a mailing address.
“These criminal charges once again highlight that China continues to use cyber-enabled attacks to steal what other countries make, in flagrant disregard of its bilateral and multilateral commitments,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The breadth and duration of China’s hacking campaigns, including these efforts targeting a dozen countries across sectors ranging from healthcare and biomedical research to aviation and defense, remind us that no country or industry is safe. Today’s international condemnation shows that the world wants fair rules, where countries invest in innovation, not theft.”
“The FBI, alongside our federal and international partners, remains committed to imposing risk and consequences on these malicious cyber actors here in the U.S. and abroad,” said Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate of the FBI. “We will not allow the Chinese government to continue to use these tactics to obtain unfair economic advantage for its companies and commercial sectors through criminal intrusion and theft. With these types of actions, the Chinese government continues to undercut its own claims of being a trusted and effective partner in the international community.”
“This indictment alleges a worldwide hacking and economic espionage campaign led by the government of China,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The defendants include foreign intelligence officials who orchestrated the alleged offenses, and the indictment demonstrates how China’s government made a deliberate choice to cheat and steal instead of innovate. These offenses threaten our economy and national security, and this prosecution reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment and ability to hold individuals and nations accountable for stealing the ideas and intellectual achievements of our nation’s best and brightest people.”
“The FBI’s San Diego Field Office is committed to protecting the people of the United States and the community of San Diego, to include our universities, health care systems, research institutes, and defense contractors,” said Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “The charges outlined today demonstrate China’s continued, persistent computer intrusion efforts, which will not be tolerated here or abroad. We stand steadfast with our law enforcement partners in the United States and around the world and will continue to hold accountable those who commit economic espionage and theft of intellectual property.”
The defendants’ activity had been previously identified by private sector security researchers, who have referred to the group as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 40, BRONZE, MOHAWK, FEVERDREAM, G0065, Gadolinium, GreenCrash, Hellsing, Kryptonite Panda, Leviathan, Mudcarp, Periscope, Temp.Periscope and Temp.Jumper.
According to the indictment, to gain initial access to victim networks, the conspiracy sent fraudulent spearphishing emails, that were buttressed by fictitious online profiles and contained links to doppelgänger domain names, which were created to mimic or resemble the domains of legitimate companies. In some instances, the conspiracy used hijacked credentials, and the access they provided, to launch spearphishing campaigns against other users within the same victim entity or at other targeted entities. The conspiracy also used multiple and evolving sets of sophisticated malware, including both publicly available and customized malware, to obtain, expand and maintain unauthorized access to victim computers and networks. The conspiracy’s malware included those identified by security researchers as BADFLICK, aka GreenCrash; PHOTO, aka Derusbi; MURKYTOP, aka mt.exe; and HOMEFRY, aka dp.dll. Such malware allowed for initial and continued intrusions into victim systems, lateral movement within a system, and theft of credentials, including administrator passwords.
The conspiracy often used anonymizer services, such as The Onion Router (TOR), to access malware on victim networks and manage their hacking infrastructure, including servers, domains and email accounts. The conspiracy further attempted to obscure its hacking activities through other third-party services. For example, the conspiracy used GitHub to both store malware and stolen data, which was concealed using steganography. The conspiracy also used Dropbox Application Programming Interface (API) keys in commands to upload stolen data directly to conspiracy-controlled Dropbox accounts to make it appear to network defenders that such data exfiltration was an employee’s legitimate use of the Dropbox service.
Coinciding with today’s announcement, to enhance private sector network defense efforts against the conspirators, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory containing these and further technical details, indicators of compromise and mitigation measures.
The defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the assigned judge.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section, and the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. The FBI’s Cyber Division, Cyber Assistant Legal Attachés and Legal Attachés in countries around the world provided essential support. Numerous victims cooperated and provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred Sheppard and Sabrina Feve of the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Charged in Multistate Pharmacy Burglary ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that four men were indicted by a grand jury on federal charges for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to break into pharmacies to steal controlled substances.
The indictment alleges that Keonta Anthony (22 years old), William Anthony (24 years old), Dajohn Davis (22 years old), and Donald Beauchamp (33 years old) broke into, and attempted to break into, pharmacies on at least 14 occasions in 2020 and 2021 in order to steal controlled substances, including fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, and others. The pharmacies were in Michigan, West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa, and Minnesota. All four defendants are from the Detroit metropolitan area.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000) and conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances (punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000).
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties provided by law. Upon conviction, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These charges are part of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Squad, Ingham County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Eaton County Sheriff’s Department, Grand Ledge Police Department, Livonia Police Department, Michigan State Police, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and several other out-of-state police departments.
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Fort Hall Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Montey Curtis Moon, 46, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty on July 19, 2021, to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced today. Moon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on February 10, 2021. Sentencing is set for October 12, 2021, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
According to court records, Moon admitted that he was convicted of Rape, in Bannock County, Idaho in 1996. As result of his conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
On multiple occasions in 2018, Moon was informed of his requirement to register or update his sex offender registration while residing on the Fort Hall Reservation. After those warnings, Moon lived on the Fort Hall Reservation from August 21, 2020, until October 8, 2020. While residing there, the Defendant did not register with the Idaho Sex Offender Registry. When interviewed, Moon admitted he knew he had to register and failed to.
The charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and at least five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Fort Hall Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service, which led to the charges.
Moon was prosecuted for a violation of SORNA passed by Congress in 2006. The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside. Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.
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Former bookkeeper of a St. Louis accounting firm pleads guilty to $670K fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Paula Smith, 68, of O’Fallon, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on today’s date and pleaded guilty to a federal information charging her with three counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.
Smith was a bookkeeper at an accounting firm that managed a lucrative trust account for a client (the D.E.W. Trust). The D.E.W. Trust, which was at one time valued at $8.6 million, had over twenty named beneficiaries, including twelve charitable organizations in St. Louis, Missouri. Between October 2013 and June 2018, Smith defrauded the D.E.W. Trust and its beneficiaries by writing numerous checks totaling $670,000 from the D.E.W. Trust to herself. None of the funds should have gone to Smith.
In an attempt to conceal her scheme, Smith manipulated the accounting records for the D.E.W. Trust by mislabeling the aforementioned fraudulent checks as being advance payments to a trustee and as payments to a vendor. As a result of these fraudulent transactions, there were less available funds to be properly distributed to the intended charitable organization beneficiaries of the D.E.W. Trust.
Smith used the funds to personally enrich herself, including to buy a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 and a 2018 Keystone Hornet Hideout 26RLS Travel Trailer.
Smith will be sentenced for the above offenses at 10:00 a.m. on October 21, 2021.
The above case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montgomery Bank Anti-Money Laundering Team. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle T. Bateman is handling the matter.
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Former Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –West Kinioki Mpetshi, 38, formerly of Jacksonville, Ill., was sentenced on July 16, 2021, to 33 months in federal prison, to be followed by a year-long term of supervised release, for filing false income tax returns and aiding the filing of false tax returns.
At Mpetshi’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Sue Myerscough found that Mpetshi immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo and shortly thereafter engaged in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service of hundreds of thousands of dollar as a tax preparer by claiming false moving expenses and educational credits for himself and others on federal income tax returns. Mpetshi, who was able to speak and write in English, prepared tax returns for other immigrants of the Democratic Republic of Congo living in the Jacksonville area who could not read or write in English.
Mpetshi, who was convicted of 30 counts of tax fraud after a 2-week jury trial, also was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $86,601. In addition, Mpetshi was ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution in the case, which totaled $74,507.77. Prior to sentencing, Mpetshi resided in Kirksville, Missouri. He is presently on bond prior to reporting to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence.
“There is a misconception that people convicted of tax crimes do not cause real harm and do not serve long sentences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “This case shows the opposite. Our tax system is based upon voluntary compliance and those who knowingly violate the rules and short-change the United States Treasury, especially tax preparers who have a duty to assist their clients in filing accurate tax returns, will be prosecuted and held accountable.”
“Return preparer fraud erodes trust in the entire American taxation system; it affects not only the preparer, but the individuals who have filed false information with Internal Revenue Service,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “It is our hope that the sentence sends the strong message that tampering with the integrity of our nation’s tax system will result in jail time.”
Agents from the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris represented the government in the prosecution.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of Property in Burning of Banner Taken from ChurchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 37, of Miami, Fla., pleaded guilty today to charges in two cases, including one involving the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a downtown Washington church, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Tarrio pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of destruction of property and one count of attempted possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device. Each offense carries a maximum sentence of 180 days’ imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23, 2021, before the Honorable Harold L. Cushenberry, Jr. While pending sentencing, Tarrio must continue to abide by a court order to stay away from the District of Columbia.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at today’s hearing, on the evening of Dec. 12, 2020, a group of individuals affiliated with the “Proud Boys,” including Tarrio, were in the area of 11th and K Streets NW, near the location of Asbury United Methodist Church. Unidentified members of the group stole the banner from the church’s property. The banner had lettering that read “#BLACKLIVESMATTER.” The banner also contained the Church’s logo and website address.
The group then walked southbound on 11th Street NW and took the banner to the intersection of 11th and E Streets NW. At the intersection, the group burned the banner, using lighter fluid and lighters. Numerous unidentified individuals crouched down and applied lighters to the edges of the banner. Tarrio posted a picture to his “Parler” social media account depicting himself holding an unlit lighter, inches from the ignited lighters in two other individuals’ hands.
In the days that followed, Tarrio admitted to burning the banner on social media and in comments to numerous media outlets.
Tarrio returned to the District of Columbia from Florida on Jan. 4, 2021, and he was arrested on a warrant charging him with the Dec. 12, 2020, destruction of property offense. In a search of his book bag, conducted at the time of his arrest, police recovered two high-capacity firearm magazines. Each magazine bars the insignia of the “Proud Boys.” In an interview with police, Tarrio told detectives that he had intended to transfer the magazines to a customer who was also going to be present in the District of Columbia.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Philips and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as those who are prosecuting the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal Prosecutors in Big Bend Area Battle Human Smuggling and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALPINE – Federal prosecutors have secured indictments against 89 defendants this month in cases involving human smuggling, illegal reentry into the U.S., and drug trafficking.
“Our Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Alpine work exceptionally hard to help protect our West Texas border communities from crime occurring in this remote transnational corridor,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “The incredible caseload demonstrates our commitment to vigorously enforcing the law alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
Of the 89 defendants charged, two dozen are charged with human smuggling. Sixty-seven are charged with illegally reentering the U.S. after having previously been deported. Some of these defendants have prior convictions in the U.S. for serious offenses, including rape, lewd and lascivious acts with children, transporting firearms, distribution of drugs, human smuggling and domestic violence.
“The serious charges detailed here reflect the significant dangers human and narcotic smugglers place on vulnerable people and communities,” said Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin. “We have to provide robust consequences for criminals while removing their profits.”
Other indictments involved violations of federal smuggling and drug importation laws.
U.S. v. Javier Jaquez – During a vehicle inspection at the Presidio, Texas Port of Entry on June 11, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents discovered 15.8 kilograms of cocaine in wrapped bundles. The 14 bundles were hidden in an aftermarket compartment spanning the entire front of a pickup driven by Jaquez. Jaquez was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of importation of cocaine. If convicted, he faces up to a minimum of 10 years to life in prison on each count.
U.S. v. Ernesto Alvarez-Zubia – On June 14, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Van Horn Border Patrol Station stopped a pickup towing a horse trailer driven by Alvarez-Zubia. Agents discovered 41 undocumented non-citizens (UNCs), including Alvarez-Zubia, in the trailer. All the UNCs are Mexican citizens. Alvarez-Zubia is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Alvarez-Zubia remains in federal custody since his arrest on June 14.
U.S. v. Marco Antonio Mendoza-Bejarano and Victor Adrian Lujan-Garcia – On June 17, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Van Horn Border Patrol Station stopped Mendoza-Bejarano driving a truck towing a horse trailer. Lujan-Garcia was in the passenger seat. Agents saw 39 other individuals in the truck and trailer. All 41 individuals are UNCs from the various countries, including Mexico, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Ecuador. Both Mendoza-Bejarano and Lujan-Garcia were charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison on each of the transportation counts and five years in prison on the aiding and abetting count. Mendoza-Bejarano and Lujan-Garcia remain in federal custody since their arrests on June 17.
U.S. v. Pedro Ramirez-Urbina – On June 27, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Van Horn Border Patrol Station responded to a call from a concerned citizen about a deceased male found on the side of the road. Agents located the decedent along with another male waiting beside the body. Both UNCs came from Mexico. Approximately an hour later, another concerned citizen alerted U.S. Border Patrol agents to seven males walking north on Chispa Road near Needle Peak. They were arrested and transported to Van Horn Border Patrol Station for processing where agents determined all UNCs, including the decedent, were all part of a group being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. Pedro Ramirez-Urbina was identified as the foot guide in charge of the group and is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years of in prison on each count. Ramirez-Urbina remains in federal custody since his arrest on June 27.
U.S. v. Stephen Ray Pinson and Pablo Emilio Vinas-Gonzales – On June 21, a Brewster County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a recreational vehicle (RV) for traffic violations. The RV was driven by Pinson with Vinas-Gonzalez as passenger. During the stop, the deputy identified 48 UNCs in the RV who were citizens of Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Honduras and Ecuador. Pinson and Vinas-Gonzales are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison on each count. Pinson and Vinas-Gonzales remain in federal custody since their arrests on June 21.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Border Patrol, and local law enforcement authorities to ensure public safety by prosecuting individuals who violate federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Convicts Nashville Man in Music City Pawn RobberyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Nashville man was convicted Friday of federal crimes relating to his role in the robbery of Music City Pawn in June 2018, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Herbert Marsh, 31, was convicted on six counts, including conspiracy, robbery, theft, possession of stolen firearms, being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and witness tampering. The jury acquitted Marsh of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Two others, also charged in the robbery, James Horton, 27, and Hakeem Mannie, 32, previously pleaded guilty to the charges. Mannie was sentenced in January 2019 to 176 months in prison and Horton is awaiting sentencing.
On June 26, 2018, the trio robbed Music City Pawn on Nolensville Pike, taking 11 firearms and nearly $8,000 in cash. The trio entered the store wearing masks and gloves and one was armed with a handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a weapon-mounted light. Two employees were then ordered to the ground and bound with cable and one employee was dragged to the rear of the store and ordered to open the safe. After taking the firearms and cash, the assailants fled the store in a U-Haul van.
Metropolitan Nashville police officers later stopped a BMW at the intersection of 24th Ave. N. and Rosa Parks Blvd. for a traffic violation. Officers identified James Horton as the driver and Mannie and Marsh as two of the three passengers. During the subsequent investigation, five stolen firearms were recovered from the vehicle, four of which were taken during the robbery at Music City Pawn. Video surveillance and witness statements also linked the trio to the robbery as well as the recovery of the U-Haul van at Marsh’s sister’s house, which was used during the getaway.
Marsh faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke K. Schiferle and Juliet Aldridge prosecuted the case.
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Detroit Woman Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit woman who was caught in Wayne County with oxycodone in 2016 was sentenced today to three years in federal prison. Tuniesia Monique Adams, 43, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court documents, Adams admitted that on November 29, 2016, she transported 382 30mg oxycodone pills from Detroit to Fort Gay, Wayne County, where she intended to sell the pills with the help of another individual. When Adams met with the individual, they were approached by investigators who discovered and seized the pills. Adams admitted that she intended to sell the oxycodone pills and that she had made previous trips from Detroit to sell pills in Wayne County.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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 No. 3:17-cr-00059.
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DOJ Formally Adopts New Policy Restricting Use of Compulsory Process to Obtain Reporter InformationRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today formally adopted a new policy that restricts the use of compulsory process to obtain information from, or records of, members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering activities. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the new policy, effective immediately, in a memo to Department leadership.
The Attorney General also reiterated his support for the durability of these policy changes. To further protect members of the news media in a manner that will be enduring, he asked the Deputy Attorney General to undertake a review process to further explain, develop, and codify the policy announced today into Department regulations. He also reaffirmed the Department’s support for congressional legislation to protect members of the news media.
Correctional Officer, Two Inmates Among Five Charged in Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility correctional officer, two detainees, a defendant released from the Wyatt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and another person have been charged by way of federal criminal complaints for their alleged participation in a scheme to smuggle Suboxone into the Central Falls facility, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
It is alleged in court documents that, in early and mid-February, two inmates housed at the Wyatt Detention Center, Emmanuel Nolasco, 34, and Matthew Pizarro, 32, communicated with former detainee Roosevelt Dale, 32, of Providence, and Yahaira Cristina Contreras, 29, of Providence, to arrange to provide Suboxone strips to correctional officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones, 25, who then smuggled the Suboxone inside the facility. Dale had been released from the Wyatt in May 2020, after claiming he was at heightened risk to contract Covid-19.
According to Court documents, on February 15, members of the Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit searched Nolasco’s cell and seized approximately 70 loose strips and a “brick” of 100 strips of Suboxone. Later that day, Almeida-Falcones was placed on paid leave and told by Wyatt Detention Center administrators not to return to the facility until advised to do so.
Kaii Almeida-Falcones, Emmanuel Nolasco, Matthew Pizarro, Roosevelt Dale, and Yahaira Cristina Contreras are charged by way of federal criminal complaints with drug trafficking and providing contraband in prison.
Almeida-Falcones, Contreras, and Dale were arrested Friday morning by members of the FBI and United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan. Dale was ordered detained. Almeida-Falcones and Contreras were released on conditions.
Emmanuel Nolasco remains detained at the Wyatt Detention Center awaiting trial in an unrelated matter. Matthew Pizarro is currently incarcerated at United States Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, VA. Both will have court appearances at a later date.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. McAdams and Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Cocaine, Firearms, $1.6 Million Cash Recovered in Drug BustRead the Press Release
Federal and local law enforcement recovered more than a kilogram of cocaine, half a kilogram of methamphetamine, 14 firearms, and nearly $1.6 million dollars in cash during a drug bust at a two-bedroom home in southeast Dallas last week, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
The agents also arrested Hector Manuel Castro-Quirino, 47, and his girlfriend Vanesa Ann Cervantes, 38. Charged via criminal complaint with drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute, they made their initial appearances in federal court on Friday.
“Far too often, gun and drugs are a lethal combination. We are thankful to the tenacious agents who took these dangerous items, and their owners, off our streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “The law enforcement community will not rest until we’ve made a real dent in violent crime in Dallas.”
“Mr. Castro and Ms. Cervantes were allegedly involved in more crimes than a Hollywood script. Fortunately for the people of Dallas, their criminal escapades came to a crushing end last week. ATF and our partners remain committed to Chief Garcia’s plan to reduce violent crime in Dallas. These arrests were another win for the good guys” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to the complaint, the investigation began in June, when law enforcement was tipped off about drug dealers operating out of a home on South Acres Drive in Dallas. Later that month, agents with ATF, the Dallas Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety completed a series of undercover drug buys from the individuals living in the home.
On July 13, they raided the residence . Mr. Castro allegedly fled to the attic before surrendering; Ms. Cervantes was confronted in the kitchen.
During a search of the home, agents found five gallon-sized plastic bags containing bulk quantities of drugs stashed in the master bedroom alongside distribution-sized plastic baggies of assorted colors. They also found drug ledgers containing customer and payment information, as well as 14 firearms, some of them loaded. Inside tube socks, shoe boxes, and a large trash bag, agents found large sums of U.S. currency.
After his arrest, Mr. Castro allegedly admitted to trafficking drugs, saying he received roughly one kilogram of cocaine and one kilogram of meth each month. Ms. Cervantes allegedly admitted that she maintained the drug ledgers.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Castro-Quirino and Ms. Cervantes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Departments’ Narcotics and SWAT units, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.
Carl Junction Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carl Junction, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old victim.
Damion Spillman, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the sexual exploitation of a child.
By pleading guilty today, Spillman admitted to enticing a 14-year-old victim to give him a pornographic video and photos of herself. Spillman received the nude images and video from Jane Doe between late November 2019 and January 2020. Spillman admitted to threatening the victim when she reported to the authorities that Spillman was making her give him nude images.
Under federal statutes, Spillman is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 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 Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Homeland Security Investigation.
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."
Bond Denied for West Palm Beach Man Charged with Federal Gun and Cocaine Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – On July 16, 2021, a South Florida federal magistrate judge ordered pre-trial detention for 37- year-old Lazaro Alfredo Ramirez-Alvarado, finding that he presents a risk of flight and danger to the community if released. Pursuant to the order, Ramirez-Alvarado will remain in jail, without bond, pending his trial on charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to sell cocaine.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint affidavit, Ramirez-Alvarado sold cocaine to others between March and July 2021. Law enforcement arrested Ramirez-Alvarado on July 8, after one such attempted sale. In connection with the arrest, law enforcement seized more than 500 grams of cocaine, two firearms and a suitcase filled with over $870,000 cash.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, La Verne J. Hibbert, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami made the announcement.
DEA Miami and FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Brian Ralston are prosecuting this case.
A criminal complaint is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-mj-08270.
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17 July 2021
Statement of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Anniversary of the Death of Congressman John LewisRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued the following statement today commemorating the life of Congressman John Lewis:
“One year ago today, the nation lost Congressman John Lewis. Throughout his life, Congressman Lewis fought fearlessly to ensure people’s freedom, equality, and other basic human rights. Nowhere was his impact greater than on strengthening the foundation of our democracy – the right to vote.
“Congressman Lewis often spoke about getting into ‘good trouble, necessary trouble,’ and his ‘trouble’ got results. In 1965, he and other civil rights leaders were attacked by state troopers as they peacefully marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Their act of protest paved the way for the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and an exponential increase in Black voter registration.
“In 2013, the Supreme Court’s Shelby County decision effectively eliminated the preclearance protections of the Voting Rights Act, which had proved to be one of the nation’s most effective tools for safeguarding voting rights. During the half-century it was in effect, the Justice Department relied on the preclearance provision to object to more than one thousand discriminatory voting changes. Since 2013, there has been a dramatic rise across the country in legislative efforts that make it harder for millions of citizens to vote. This increase accelerated after the 2020 elections.
“The recent further narrowing of voting protections only underscores the need for legislative action. The Department of Justice is using all the tools at its disposal to protect the voting rights of all citizens, but that is not enough. We need Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would provide the Department with important tools to protect the right to vote and to ensure that every vote is counted. There is no more fitting way to honor the profound legacy of Congressman Lewis.”
16 July 2021
Woman Sentenced for Intimidating Sex Trafficking VictimRead the Press Release
An Amarillo woman was sentenced today to 34 months in federal prison for harassing a sex trafficking victim in an attempt to dissuade her from testifying against her trafficker, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Deziree Lujan, 29, pleaded guilty to witness tampering in March. She was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
According to plea papers, Ms. Lujan admitted that she threatened to beat a sex trafficking victim for cooperating against defendant Tremont Blakemore, who was charged in September 2019 with operating a large-scale human trafficking operation.
Mr. Blakemore, aka “Macknificent,” allegedly forced multiple women into commercial sex and slapped, punched, choked, and kicked victims he believed were not being honest or making enough money for him. He is slated to go to trial on August 23. (Like all defendants, Mr. Blakemore is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)
Ms. Lujan, a member of Mr. Blakemore’s alleged trafficking organization, admits she outed one of Mr. Blakemore’s alleged victims on social media, calling her “a snitch,” and “a rat.”
Ms. Lujan threatened the victim with physical harm, warned the victim that she would post law enforcement reports about the victim online, and reached out to known pimps to reveal the victim’s identity and cooperation.
The defendant admitted she acted intentionally to harass the victim in order to dissuade her from testifying against Mr. Blakemore.
Homeland Security Investigations’ North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation into Ms. Lujan. They also led the investigation into Mr. Blakemore, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith prosecuted the case.
Virginia Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Just over 12 Months for Evading Her Own TaxesRead the Press Release
A Richmond, Virginia, tax return preparer was sentenced yesterday to one year and a day in prison for evading her own taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Willette J. Holland owned Tax Professionals, a return preparation firm located in Richmond, Virginia. In August 2014, the IRS contacted Holland because she had not filed personal tax returns for the years 2010 through 2013. Holland then presented false returns to an IRS Revenue Agent for those years, which substantially underreported her gross receipts and taxes due. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Holland again did not file tax returns despite being required to do so by law. To further conceal her earnings from the IRS, in 2014, Holland deposited almost all of her tax preparation business’s gross receipts into a bank account held in the name of a nominee. In all, Holland caused the IRS to suffer a tax loss of approximately $177,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne ordered Holland to serve three years of supervised release.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Francine Davis and Assistant Chief Michael Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Cooke for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Violent felon convicted for crime spree that included a carjacking, attempted robbery, and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A U.S. District Court jury found a previously convicted felon guilty on all charges for a violent 2019 crime spree across south Georgia.
Alfred Wisher, 39, faces a minimum sentence of 14 years in prison after jurors convicted him on all 11 counts in a federal indictment related to a July 2019 series of violent crimes and firearm offenses in the Savannah and Waycross areas, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Wisher remains in custody, and sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker is set for October.
“Alfred Wisher and his accomplice are dangerous, violent criminals who are being held accountable for terrorizing innocent citizens,” said Acting U.S. Estes. “Thanks to the diligent, patient, and thorough work of our law enforcement partners, our communities are now safer with these men behind bars.”
As described in the evidence presented to the jury, Wisher was previously convicted of a series of violent armed robberies in New York. He then came to Savannah, began a relationship with a juvenile, and, during an argument on July 10, 2019, he fired a pistol into the bed she was in. Days later, Wisher struck his roommate in the head and stole a firearm. Wisher then gave that stolen firearm to Samuel Renardo Chisholm, a/k/a “Chilly Willy,” a/k/a “Pooh,” 29, of Savannah, also a convicted felon. On July 25, 2019, Wisher and Chisholm carjacked at gunpoint a mother visiting Savannah, stealing her Ford Escape.
Wisher and Chisholm drove the stolen Escape to Ware County the next day, where Wisher attempted to rob a preschool teacher as she walked into the TJ Maxx store in Waycross, Georgia, to shop. Chisholm drove Wisher away from the attempted robbery. Chisholm then stole another vehicle before crashing it; he then attempted to carjack an elderly couple in Ware County before being apprehended by law enforcement.
U.S. Marshals arrested Wisher in Savannah on July 29, 2019, after finding him standing near the stolen Ford Escape.
Chisholm previously pled guilty to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during the attempted carjacking in Ware County and conspiring with Wisher to use and carry a firearm during the Savannah carjacking and attempted robbery outside of the TJ Maxx in Waycross. Chisholm faces up to life in prison and awaits sentencing related to the crime spree.
“Without the partnerships with our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, this crime spree would not have ended when it did, and many more innocent citizens could have been terrorized,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hopefully, that team effort will result in a sentence that will ease the trauma to those who were victimized.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Savannah Police Department, the Ware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waycross Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Vallejo Man Indicted for Flying to the Philippines with the Intention of Engaging in Sexual Conduct with a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Balbino Sablad, 79, of Vallejo, charging him with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and conspiring to do the same, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2019, Sablad flew to the Philippines with the intention of engaging in sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16. Sablad had engaged in sexual chats with the intended victim over Facebook and had sent her at least $1,800 prior to his travel to the Philippines. He had also discussed with a co-conspirator his plan to sexually abuse the victim in the Philippines.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mira Chernick is prosecuting the case.
Sablad was arrested on July 1, 2021.
If convicted, Sablad faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Two Men Convicted for Roles in $4.5 Million International Telemarketing SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted two men Wednesday for their roles in a $4.5 million telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Manuel Chavez, 30, of Miami, Florida, and Mark Oman, 36, of Long Beach, Washington, participated in a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as U.S. government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, the co-conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize, purportedly for items such as taxes, customs duties and other fees. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, including Voice over Internet Protocol technology, which made it appear as though they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other locations in the United States. Chavez helped to transmit victims’ payments from the United States to Costa Rica, while Oman worked at the fraudulent call center soliciting victims and also collected victim funds in Costa Rica, according to the evidence presented at trial. Chavez, Oman, and their co-conspirators stole approximately $4.5 million from victims, the evidence showed.
Chavez and Oman were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering and six counts of international money laundering. Sentencing has not yet been set by U.S. District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina, who presided over the trial. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. 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 William T. Stetzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina; Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Atlanta Division; Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Wells of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The USPIS, IRS-CI, and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Della Sentilles and Joshua DeBold of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Two Charged with Conspiracy in Scheme to Attack Democratic Headquarters in SacramentoRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the federal court in San Francisco unsealed an indictment charging two California men with conspiracy to destroy a building affecting interstate commerce, and related crimes, in a scheme to attack the John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters in Sacramento.
According to court documents, Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa, and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo, began planning to attack targets they associated with Democrats after the 2020 Presidential election and sought support from an anti-government militia group. According to the indictment, the defendants planned to use incendiary devices to attack their targets and hoped their attacks would prompt a movement.
“Firebombing your perceived political opponents is illegal and does not nurture the sort of open and vigorous debate that created and supports our constitutional democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds. “The allegations in the indictment describe despicable conduct. Investigation and prosecution of those who choose violence over discussion is as important as anything else we do to protect our free society.”
“The FBI’s highest priority has remained preventing terrorist attacks before they occur, including homegrown plots from domestic violent extremists,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair. “As described in the indictment, Ian Rogers and Jarrod Copeland planned an attack using incendiary devices. The FBI and the Napa County Sheriff’s Office have worked hand-in-hand to uncover this conspiracy and to prevent any loss of life.”
The indictment describes how Copeland and Rogers used multiple messaging applications and discussed the attacks on numerous occasions. For example, in late December 2020, Copeland told Rogers he contacted an anti-government militia group to gather support for the movement and in January 2021, Rogers told Copeland “I want to blow up a democrat building bad.” Copeland agreed, saying, “I agree” “Plan attack”. The agreed to start with the Democratic Headquarters in Sacramento and to “see what happens.” In one exchange, Rogers wrote to Copeland, “after the 20th we go to war,” meaning that they would initiate acts of violence after the inauguration on January 20, 2021.
According to court documents, on January 15, just four days after that exchange and five days before the trigger that Rogers and Copeland identified as the start of their campaign of violence, law enforcement officers searched Rogers’s home and business and seized a cache of weapons from Rogers’s home, including 45 to 50 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and five pipe bombs. Copeland allegedly also attempted to destroy evidence of the plan; after Rogers’s arrest, Copeland communicated with a leader of a militia group who advised Copeland to switch to a new communications platform and delete everything he had. Copeland agreed and when law enforcement obtained Copeland’s devices on January 17, Copeland’s communications with Rogers were missing.
Additional documents filed by the government argue that the defendants understood they would be viewed as domestic terrorists and hoped that their violent acts might start a movement to overthrow the government. In November of 2020, Rogers allegedly used encrypted messaging applications to tell Copeland that he would “hit the enemy in the mouth” by using Molotov cocktails and gasoline to attack targets associated with democrats, including the Governor’s Mansion and the Democratic Headquarters Building in Sacramento.
Rogers and Copeland are both charged with conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive a building used or in affecting interstate commerce. Rogers is charged with additional weapons violations, including one count of possession of unregistered destructive devices, and three counts of possession of machine guns. Copeland is charged with an additional count of destruction of records. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge. In addition, Rogers faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for the weapons charge and Copeland faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the destruction of evidence charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Rogers also faces numerous state charges arising out of his possession of the pipe bombs and machine guns, and his possession of assault rifles prohibited under California law, and is being prosecuted for those offenses by the Napa County District Attorney’s Office.
Rogers has remained in state custody since his arrest on January 15, 2021. Copeland was arrested yesterday morning and made an initial federal court appearance this morning in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Copeland will appear next on July 20, 2021, for a detention hearing. Rogers will appear next on July 30, 2021, for a status conference.
Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds of the Northern District of California; Associate Attorney General Mark Lesko of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair for the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Riebli of the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Sacramento Field Office and Napa County Sheriff’s Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Bay County Men Convicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee has convicted Brian Joins, 51, and Joshua Webb, 38, both of Panama City, Florida for the offenses of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Webb was also convicted for the offense of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The guilty verdict returned today, at the conclusion of a four-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed that guns and drugs were seized by law enforcement during the execution of two search warrants from two different residences in Panama City, Florida. More specifically, during the execution of the first search warrant on August 7, 2020, law enforcement seized approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and a .25 caliber Beretta firearm from a Panama City residence and a vehicle parked outside. Both Joins and Webb were found near the methamphetamine, which had been divided into equal amounts of roughly one kilogram. Joins and Webb were arrested, and Webb was subsequently released on a state court bond. During the execution of the second search warrant on August 28, 2020, law enforcement seized a Hi-Point 9mm firearm from a different Panama City residence, occupied by Webb, and approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine from his vehicle which was parked outside.
Joins and Webb are scheduled to be sentenced before Chief District Court Judge Mark Walker on October 8, 2021, at 10:00 am and 11:00 am respectively, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. Both defendants face not less than ten years imprisonment to life and not less than five years on supervised release for the conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute convictions. Webb also faces not more than ten years imprisonment and not more than three years on supervised release for his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Aine Ahmed 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.
Treasurer of Law Enforcement Union Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Lying to Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN WHITTICK, the former treasurer of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (“LEEBA”) and an officer with the New York City (the “City”) Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), pled guilty today before United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel, to charges of conspiring to evade more than $250,000 in federal taxes, including payroll taxes owed by LEEBA and its employees, and his own personal income taxes. WHITTICK also pled guilty to lying to federal officers during the course of the investigation in this case. LEEBA is a labor union that represents certain law enforcement officers employed by the City, including officers from DEP, the City Department of Sanitation, and the City Department of Transportation.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Steven Whittick today pled guilty to charges that reflect a betrayal of his duties as a law enforcement officer, his legal obligations as a union official, and his responsibilities as a taxpayer. As a police officer, Whittick swore to uphold the law, not to obstruct it. As a union official, he betrayed the rank-and-file membership by paying himself off the books. As a taxpayer, Whittick evaded his legal obligation to pay what was owed. Now, Steven Whittick awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
According to the Indictment and the underlying complaints filed in this case, as well as other publicly available information and prior court filings, and recent court proceedings:
Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association
LEEBA is a labor union that has acted as the collective bargaining representative principally for law enforcement personnel at various City agencies, and has entered into agreements on behalf of those law enforcement employees, including agreements for insurance and retirement benefits. The City agencies whose employees LEEBA represented included, at various times, DEP, the Department of Sanitation, and the Department of Transportation.
WHITTICK
WHITTICK is a DEP police officer, the former treasurer of LEEBA, and a member of the board of directors of LEEBA and the boards of trustees of the LEEBA Annuity Fund and the LEEBA Welfare Fund. As LEEBA’s treasurer, WHITTICK had responsibility for LEEBA’s financial matters and accounts, including arranging for LEEBA to pay its payroll through an outside payroll processing firm (the “Payroll Processor”) starting in 2016. WHITTICK also held signatory authority over LEEBA’s main operating bank account.
The Tax Evasion Conspiracy
As charged in Count Two of the Indictment, to which WHITTICK pled guilty today, from at least in or about 2015 through 2019, WHITTICK participated in a conspiracy with Kenneth Wynder Jr.,[1] the president of LEEBA, to cause LEEBA to make payments to WHITTICK and Wynder, by check and in cash, and to conceal such payments from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). WHITTICK further conspired to ensure that such payments were made outside of LEEBA’s Payroll Processor. He then concealed these payments from the IRS – including off-the-books payments to himself of more than $100,000 and off-the-books payments to Wynder of more than $400,000 – in order to evade his own personal income taxes and the personal income taxes of Wynder, and to evade the payroll taxes that were owed by LEEBA and certain LEEBA employees.
WHITTICK’s False Statements to Federal Agents
In or about October 2019, while serving as LEEBA’s Treasurer and after learning of a federal investigation into LEEBA’s finances – including the investigation of an alleged embezzlement scheme that ultimately resulted in wire fraud charges against Wynder – WHITTICK repeatedly lied to federal agents in an effort to obstruct that investigation. WHITTICK did so despite personal involvement in some of the financial improprieties with which Wynder is charged. For example, as alleged, on at least two occasions, on or about February 1, 2018, and March 30, 2018, WHITTICK withdrew $16,000 in cash from a LEEBA bank account, and on each occasion deposited $15,000 cash into Wynder’s personal bank account and $1,000 cash into WHITTICK’s own personal bank account.
After the FBI executed a search warrant of LEEBA’s offices in September 2019, WHITTICK attempted to obstruct and to influence the ongoing federal investigation by making, in two different interviews with law enforcement agents, false statements about, among other subjects, cash withdrawals he made from LEEBA’s bank accounts, unauthorized withdrawals from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund and from the individual retirement accounts of Fund participants, and LEEBA’s payment for certain travel and entertainment expenses for union officers, including WHITTICK and Wynder.
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WHITTICK, 51, of Kingston, New York, pled guilty today to: (1) one count of conspiracy to evade personal and payroll taxes for the tax years 2015 through 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019; and (2) one count of lying to federal investigators. Each of those charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and an order of restitution. WHITTICK is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Castel on November 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.
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 outstanding work of the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Labor Office of Labor Managements Standards. Ms. Strauss also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Raymond Lewis and Eli J. Mark are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Wynder is charged in six counts of the same Indictment in which WHITTICK was charged. The charges against Wynder contained in the Indictment are accusations only. Wynder remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Todd County Man Indicted for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Todd County, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Alejandro Santistevan, age 21, was indicted on September 9, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 16, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 8 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 18, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Santistevan did assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with two law enforcement officers who were employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and that such conduct involved physical contact.
The charges are merely accusations and Santistevan is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Santistevan was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been set for August 31, 2021.
Three Men Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On July 13, 2021, a federal jury convicted three men, all originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in Burlington, and elsewhere, as a part of a drug conspiracy dating back to 2008.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kendrick Ramon Page, age 39; Tristan Kareem Davis, age 36; and Breon Raquon Armstrong, age 20; entered an agreement with each other, and others, to distribute crack cocaine and ice methamphetamine in Burlington and elsewhere. Page relocated from Shreveport to Burlington while he was still in school and had brought others, including Davis and Armstrong, from Shreveport to assist in Page’s drug trafficking activities. The evidence showed Page had been involved in trafficking drugs in Burlington since the early 2000s.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal made the announcement. “This case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and our prosecution partners at the Des Moines County Attorney’s Office, working together to bring a long standing drug organization to justice,” stated Westphal.
Des Moines County Sheriff Kevin Glendengin stated, “This was a long-term, collaborative investigation involving numerous investigators from many different agencies. The excellent work and tireless efforts of these investigators are a testament to their dedication to making our communities a safe place to live, work, and play. The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have worked together with all the law enforcement professionals involved in this investigation, and to get these dangerous narcotic distributors out of our communities.”
Donald Payton of the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 4 Commander remarked, “This investigation was a fantastic collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in a multi-state area. The number of arrests made during this investigation will make a significant impact on narcotic distribution in West Central Illinois, Southeast Iowa, and Northeast Missouri. The West Central Illinois Task Force will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in Iowa and Missouri to aggressively combat the illegal distribution of narcotics in the tri-state area.”
Page, Davis, and Armstrong were among eight defendants who faced federal charges as a result of an investigation in Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and elsewhere, which culminated in the execution of search warrants on November 19, 2019. Others charged as a part of this drug trafficking organization included Alphonso Edmond, Jr, who pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing; Frederrick Dewayne Reed, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 160 months of imprisonment; Lavelle Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment; Lamar Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment; and Michael Rees, who pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Other individuals associated with this drug trafficking organization have been charged federally in the Southern District of Iowa, the Central District of Illinois, and the Northern District of Texas.
These charges stem from a long-term investigation conducted by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including: the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce; Burlington Police Department; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; West Central Illinois Taskforce; Quincy, Illinois, Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; Mt. Pleasant Police Department; West Burlington Police Department; Keokuk Police Department; Ft. Madison Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa City Police Department; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; North Liberty Police Department; Coralville Police Department; Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Bettendorf Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth, Illinois, Police Department; Macomb, Illinois, Police Department; Galesburg, Illinois, Police Department; Adams County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office; and Fulton County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Three Men Arrested at Downtown Denver Hotel Charged with Being Prior Felons in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ricardo Rodriguez, age 44, Richard Platt, age 42, and Gabriel Rodriguez, age 48 (no relation), have each been charged with being felons in possession of firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Gabriel Rodriguez has also been charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii). The three will make their initial appearances in federal court in Denver at 2:00 today, where they will be advised of the charges against them.
According to the facts contained in the complaints, law enforcement officers responded to the Maven Hotel in downtown Denver on July 9th after receiving a report of suspicious activity from hotel staff. After officers obtained search warrants for the two rooms rented by Ricardo Rodriguez and Richard Platt, respectively, they located multiple firearms in each room. On the same day, officers contacted Gabriel Rodriguez in the hotel lobby. He was carrying a backpack which contained a loaded 9mm pistol as well as significant quantities of illegal narcotics. Each of the three defendants has multiple previous felony convictions.
As previously noted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there is currently no evidence of any intent or plan to disrupt or commit violence by these defendants in connection with the MLB All-Star festivities. State charges previously filed against these same defendants have been dismissed.
The charges in the criminal complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Case numbers: 21-mj-123-STV, 21-mj-124-STV, 21-mj-125-STV
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ricardo_rodriguez_complaint_21-mj-124-stv.pdf
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Three Individuals Facing Federal Charges for Participating in a Healthcare Fraud Scheme to Sell Fraudulent Nursing DegreesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging Patrick Nwaokwu, age 50, of Laurel, Maryland; Musa Bangura, age 62, of Manassas, Virginia; and Johanah Napoleon, age 45, of Wellington, Florida with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit false statements relating to health care matters, and false statements to health care matters, in connection with a scheme to produce and sell fraudulent nursing transcripts and diplomas.
The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Elton Malone of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.
According to affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Nwaokwu, Bangura, and Napoleon conspired with others to commit health care fraud by producing and selling fraudulent nursing transcripts and diplomas, which were used to indicate that various individuals completed necessary courses and clinical hours to obtain medical licenses and practice in the health care field.
As detailed in the affidavit, Nwaokwu and Bangura owned and operated a nursing school located in Virginia (Nursing School 1). In 2013, the nursing school was forced to close due to violations of Virginia board regulations. The criminal complaint alleges that after that time, Nwaokwu and Bangura operated the former nursing school as an entity where individuals could purchase backdated, illegitimate registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) transcripts and certifications. Nwaokwu, and his associates also allegedly coached otherwise unqualified individuals to pass nursing board exams. A number of these unqualified individuals allegedly obtained employment at various healthcare providers in the District of Maryland. According to the criminal complaint, approximately 175 of Nwaokwu’s nursing graduates have applied to the Maryland Board of Nursing.
According to the criminal complaint, Nwaokwu conspired with individuals in Florida to sell illegitimate nursing degrees from a second nursing school (Nursing School 2) established by Napoleon in July 2016. In 2017, the Florida Board of Nursing forced the school to cease operations due to a low National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) passing rate. The affidavit alleges that the cost of illegitimate degrees from Nursing School 2 included preparation classes solely designed to pass the NCLEX and not to provide a formal education.
The criminal complaint also states that investigators obtained a list of Nursing School 2 graduates who applied to take the New York State Board Examination. Some individuals whose transcripts were backdated are included in this list as having passed the New York State Board Examination.
Court documents also detail two separate FBI undercover operations in which the FBI purchased fraudulent degrees. For example, in 2020, a confidential source allegedly obtained a fraudulent RN degree from Nwaokwu from Nursing School 2 and in March 2021, an FBI undercover agent purchased a diploma from Nursing School 2 for approximately $16,000. The diploma from Nursing School 2 appears to be signed by Napoleon with a graduation date of June 29, 2018. Nwaokwu, Bangura, Napoleon, and their coconspirators allegedly sold illegitimate transcripts and degrees for between $6,000 and $18,000.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Catherine K. Dick, who are prosecuting the federal case.
If you have information to report regarding this case or any other case involving falsified medical degrees, please call the FBI hotline: (410) 277-6999.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possession of A Firearm by A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Chester Herbert, 41, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
Court documents reflect, on December 9, 2018, officers of the Tallahassee Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance and found Herbert loading belongings into a friend’s vehicle. Officers determined that Herbert had multiple outstanding warrants and arrested him. Witnesses advised that Herbert had placed a firearm into his friend’s vehicle prior to the officers’ arrival. The friend allowed officers to retrieve the firearm, which had previously been reported stolen. Herbert subsequently admitted his possession of the firearm, as well as a box of ammunition.
Herbert’s prior criminal history includes eleven felony convictions in both Georgia and Florida, several of which involve narcotics distribution and violence against law enforcement officers. Given the nature of his prior felony convictions, Herbert qualified as an Armed Career Criminal and was subject to increased Federal sentencing penalties.
"Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. "Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners and honest, law-abiding citizens, this armed felon has been called to account for his continued criminal conduct."
"Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is not only illegal, but it compromises the safety of our communities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Craig W. Saier. "This sentencing is another example that working jointly with our partners and citizens makes our communities safer."
This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Kaitlin Weiss prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Here in Tallahassee, the Sheriff’s ALLinLEON initiative has focused on enforcement, and also engaged community volunteers to regularly take at-risk youth to places of worship, activated Neighborhood Crime Watch programs, and conducted other activities to target neighborhoods that are perennial hotspots for violence. The effort also aims to help connect individuals who are reentering the community from incarceration with education, job skills and substance abuse treatment.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Sex Offender Found Guilty of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Timothy E. Caruso, 45, was found guilty on July 15, 2021 after a jury trial in Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of distributing of child pornography and accessing with intent to view child pornography. Caruso faces a sentence of imprisonment of not less than 15 years and up to 40 years. Chief United States District Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. will sentence Caruso on October 8, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Caruso was on federal supervision after a prior conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. In December 2018, Caruso uploaded an image of child pornography to a private section of Pinterest. Pinterest reported the upload to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The image was traced back to a Google account used by Caruso and sent from an IP address where he was staying. Further investigation discovered Caruso’s search terms indicating an interest in young girls. His messages on Pinterest included that he had lost his child pornography collection and was seeking to trade child pornography and acquire new images.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lecia E. Wright.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 90 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Deandre Bishop, 44, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 90 months in federal prison for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. Bishop pleaded guilty to this charge on May 4, 2021.
On August 3, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Waunakee, Wisconsin. During the search, Bishop was found in bed and was the only occupant of the bedroom. A search of the room uncovered 47 grams of crack cocaine, two digital scales, drug packaging materials, materials used to cook powder cocaine into crack cocaine, and $3,400. Upon his arrest, officers found $860 in Bishop’s pocket. At the time of this offense, Bishop was on supervised release for a 2007 federal conviction for distribution of crack cocaine.
In sentencing Bishop, Judge Conley emphasized Bishop’s lengthy criminal history and his failure to successfully complete numerous prior terms of community supervision.
The charge against Bishop was the result of an investigation conducted by the Waunakee Police Department. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Reinhard and Zachary Corey.
Remaining Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Felony Lane Gang-Type Criminal Activity in Baton Rouge and Across LouisianaRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Chief U.S. Judge Shelly D. Dick has sentenced the final two defendants to federal prison following their convictions for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.
The recent sentencings stem from a lengthy federal, state, and local investigation that began in 2017. The investigation spanned numerous jurisdictions across several states and led to convictions against ten (10) individuals for participating in a fraudulent scheme targeting victims across the Southeast, including more than 100 victims in Louisiana.
As the charging documents explain, and numerous defendants have admitted, from August 2016 through February 2017, the defendants traveled through numerous states, including Louisiana, where they would break into unattended vehicles, steal the victims’ licenses, checkbooks, and credit and debit cards, and then use the stolen items to conduct fraudulent financial transactions at the victims’ banks. As alleged in the Indictment, throughout the course of the conspiracy, in an effort to evade detection and capture, the defendants would monitor social media and other websites for reports of criminal activity attributed to the “Felony Lane Gang,” a term often used to describe criminals engaged in this type of scheme, and use the information to plot the courses of their trips. Across dozens of burglaries and fraudulent bank transactions, between August 2016 and February 2017, the group caused more than $350,000 in loss in Louisiana alone.
Last week, Chief Judge Dick sentenced Michael D. Gibbs, age 29, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 96 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. The Court further sentenced Gibbs to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, ordered him to pay $224,068 in restitution, and further ordered him to forfeit an additional $72,103.36 in proceeds from his crime. Gibbs joined the group in August 2016, and he often assisted the other members of the conspiracy by providing the female co-conspirators with stolen licenses and other stolen items so that the items could be used to conduct fraudulent bank transactions. At last week’s sentencing, Chief Judge Dick determined that Gibbs played a leading role as an organizer and leader of the conspiracy.
Yesterday, Geoffrey D. Green, age 37, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, was also sentenced to prison, marking the tenth defendant sentenced to federal prison as a result of this scheme.
Through this investigation, the following defendants were prosecuted:
- As mentioned above, on July 8, 2021, Michael D. Gibbs, a/k/a “BG,” age 29, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to serve 96 months in federal prison and pay $224,068 in restitution.
- Brandon J. Gassett, a/k/a “Boot Daddy” and “Twan,” age 30, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. On October 29, 2020, Gassett was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison and pay $224,068 in restitution.
- Raymond Mathews, a/k/a “Bo” and “Boot,” age 35, of Overland Park, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On June 9, 2021, Mathews was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison and pay $224,068 in restitution.
- Frank Jackson, age 27, of Oakland Park, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. On July 2, 2020, Jackson was sentenced to serve 33 months in federal prison.
- Geoffrey D. Green, age 37, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On July 15, 2021, Green was sentenced to serve 41 months in federal prison.
- Erin Brown, charged in Case 17-80-SDD-EWD, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On September 26, 2018, Brown was sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison.
- Natasha Hammett, charged in Case 17-81-BAJ-RLB, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On September 20, 2018, Hammett was sentenced to serve 4 months in federal prison.
- Tina Eggleston, charged in Case 17-136-JWD-RLB, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On August 23, 2018, Eggleston was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison and pay restitution, among other conditions.
- Johnny Jones, charged in Case 17-137-JWD-EWD, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of unauthorized access devices. On August 27, 2018, Jones was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison.
- Allen Clark, charged in Case 18-9-SDD-EWD, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of unauthorized access devices. On September 13, 2018, Clark was sentenced to serve 16 months in federal prison.
In addition, all of the defendants sentenced to date have been ordered to pay restitution for their crimes and serve terms of supervised release following their release from prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis stated, “The convictions and sentencings of these interstate criminals send a clear message that this type of organized crime will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to congratulate our prosecutors and all of our federal, state, and local partners around the country for their tireless efforts.”
“Today’s sentencing represents the culmination of a multi-year investigation of an organized ring of individuals who traveled across various states, including Louisiana, to prey on vulnerable citizens and exploit the integrity of our financial institutions. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle multistate identity theft rings that grossly impact the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams, Jr. “I would like to recognize the tremendous collaboration and assistance provided by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and the assigned prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.”
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph P. Lopinto, III stated, “This group preyed on victims across several states for months, but the coordinated efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies were able to identify and arrest them to stop them in their tracks. My thanks go out to our partners in federal law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who helped to bring this coalition of agencies together to bring these perpetrators to justice.”
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore stated, “This case represents the success that the criminal justice system can obtain through hard work and collaboration. The level of detail by the law enforcement agencies in the various cities affected as well as the prosecutorial collaboration by the counties and parishes involved made this effort possible and for justice to be served. The United States Attorney’s Office took the lead in organizing all of these crimes to be handled fairly and efficiently in one court.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Walker Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, Covington Police Department, Oxford (Mississippi) Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol and Asheville (North Carolina) Police Department. The investigation has received substantial assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service, 19th JDC District Attorney’s Office in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Johnson County, Wyoming Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the State Attorneys’ Offices for the 3rd and 17th Judicial Circuits in Florida.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan Stevens, who serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office, and former Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Dippel and Cal Leipold.
Previous Drug Offender and Cocaine Supplier Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Troy Lee Neal, age 42, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Neal has prior criminal convictions including a 2004 conviction for distributing controlled substances.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Superintendent Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams.
According to his guilty plea, the Maryland State Police, Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security identified Neal, Mark Williams, and another co-conspirator as suppliers of cocaine after an extended investigation dating back to 2019. The conspiracy members distributed crack cocaine to multiple customers in Elkton, Maryland.
During the investigation, the Cecil County Circuit Court issued an order to authorize the interception of wire and electronic communications of Neal and his co-conspirators. Intercepted text and telephone communications revealed Neal as a member of the drug distribution conspiracy.
Law enforcement also intercepted at least eight instances in which Neal, or his co-conspirators, conversed in coded conversations about drug activity. For example, on May 27, 2020, after a series of calls between a co-conspirator and a customer, police observed Neal and a co-conspirator visit a customer’s residence. Shortly after their arrival, two male customers entered the co-conspirator’s residence. After one of the two male customers left the residence, police conducted a traffic stop and seized 3.6 grams of crack cocaine.
As stated in his plea agreement, on June 13, 2020 law enforcement covertly observed Neal, Williams, and a co-conspirator depart from Neal’s residence and travel to the Bronx in New York, where investigators believe that Neal, Williams, and the co-conspirator obtained cocaine. The next day, on June 14, 2020, law enforcement observed the three men travel back to Neal’s residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Neal’s residence and recovered 497 grams of compressed suspected cocaine, several bags of suspected marijuana, a digital scale, and several cell phones.
Police arrested Williams, Neal, and Johnson. Each were charged in Cecil County with various drug-related crimes.
Other circumstantial evidence corroborates Neal’s involvement in drug trafficking. Neal has been unemployed and reported no legitimate income since 2018. Additionally, two witnesses would advise that they regularly purchased crack cocaine from Neal from February 2020 to May 2020.
Two other defendants, Kevin Johnson, and Mark Williams were indicted with Neal in 2020. Mark Williams pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on June 29, 2021. Johnson is pending trial on September 27, 2021. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Neal and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Neal will be sentenced to eight years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, the Maryland State Police Department, and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Kim Y. Oldham, who are prosecuting the case.
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President of ice cream manufacturer pleads guilty to $1.8 million fraud, tax crimeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Timothy L. Miller, 55, of Gahanna, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud and two counts of filing a false income tax return. Miller was charged by Bill of Information on April 26, 2021.
According to court documents, from July 2015 through December 2017 Miller was president of Big Drum USA LTD, an ice cream manufacturer located in Columbus, Ohio. Miller fraudulently withdrew $1,797,127.49 from a Big Drum bank account. The withdrawals consisted of the purchase of cashier’s checks made payable directly to casinos, debit card transactions involving hotels and casinos, and cash withdrawals in Ohio, Nevada, Utah, Iowa, Pennsylvania, California, and Ontario, Canada. Miller concealed his actions by logging the transactions as “petty cash” or “loans” in the ledgers of Big Drum.
In addition, Miller filed false tax returns for the 2016 and 2017 tax years that failed to report the funds that he fraudulently withdrew from Big Drum, which resulted in the loss to the IRS of $674,873.35.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000. Filing a false income tax return carries a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000. The plea agreement mandates that Miller pay restitution to Big Drum in the amount of $1,797,127.49 and $674,873.35 to the IRS.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the plea entered before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brenda S. Shoemaker and David J. Twombly. The case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Philadelphia Man and Woman Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal judge convicted two Philadelphia residents at a bench trial of conspiring to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 and 2013, Yolonda Thompson, also known as Qhama Al, and Albert Upshur, also known as Kelinde Jaha, attempted to obtain millions of dollars for themselves and other participants in a fraudulent debt-relief scheme. As part of the scheme, which they named the Debt Payoff Program, Thompson and Upshur formed the Yolonda Denise Thompson Living Trust. Participants in the Debt Payoff Program were told that if they paid money to Upshur and filed tax returns and other documents that Thompson prepared for them, they could access funds from the trust to pay off their mortgages and other debts. In reality, the tax returns that Thompson prepared and that participants filed with the IRS fraudulently claimed income tax refunds that the scheme participants were not entitled to receive. The false tax returns introduced into evidence at trial collectively sought tax refunds of more than $300 million.
The evidence at trial also established that after the IRS began to investigate the Debt Payoff Program, Thompson and Upshur attempted to obtain money from the IRS by other fraudulent means, including using checks drawn on closed bank accounts and fake financial instruments. Even after the IRS assessed civil penalties against Thompson and Upshur, and notified them that they were under criminal investigation, both defendants continued to file false returns and other tax documents for themselves and other.
Thompson and Upshur are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and three years in prison for each false return count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. He thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which provided support in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Kathryn D. Sparks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Onslow County Man Convicted on Weapon and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Jourden Tairee Shepard, 23, of Onslow County earlier this week on two counts of a three count indictment charging him with of (1) possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, (2) possession with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and (3) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Prior to trial, Shepard pled guilty to count two of the indictment.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on August 14, 2020, members of the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit were conducting surveillance on an open air drug market known to locals as “The Hill” when officers observed Shepard’s car pull into The Hill and engage in activity consistent with narcotic sales. Shepard’s vehicle was stopped for fictitious tags as he was leaving the area. A K9 sniff and subsequent search revealed crack cocaine, bundles of fentanyl, a loaded Glock 17 handgun, and $2246 in cash all in the center console of the vehicle. Shepard had been previously convicted of multiple felonies.
Shepard is set to be sentenced on October 12, 2021.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt accepted the verdict. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Crime Lab investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin 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.7:20-cr-00201-BR-1.
Ocala Neurologist Agrees to Pay $800,000 to Resolve Allegations of Prescribing Medically Unnecessary and Unreasonable DrugsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that Florida Neurological Center, LLC and its owner, Dr. Lance Kim (61, Ocala), have agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve allegations that Dr. Kim prescribed medically unnecessary and unreasonable prescription drugs, specifically, Acthar Gel®, which cost the Medicare program approximately $35,000 each time Dr. Kim prescribed a five-day supply.
The settlement partially resolves allegations made in a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act filed in Orlando by Michael Singbush, Andrea Herrera, and Harvey Kessler Meyer, IV. The Act permits private individuals, referred to as relators, to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. Relators will receive a total of $144,000 as their share of the recovery.
The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Singbush v. Florida Neurological Center, LLC, Case No. 5:19-cv-603-Oc-GPB-PRL (M.D. Fla.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with investigative assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ho coordinated the investigation.
Northeast Ohio Priest Pleads Guilty to Charges of Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Robert D. McWilliams, 41, of Strongsville, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court today to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count each of transportation of child pornography, receipt and distribution of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, beginning in 2017 and continuing to 2019, McWilliams solicited sexually explicit images of minors online and engaged in sexual acts with minor victims in exchange for alcohol and other things of value. McWilliams used multiple fake personas, including a teenage girl, and several social media mobile applications to contact his minor victims. McWilliams knew some of the victims through his time in the seminary with the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland at a parish where the children and their families were affiliated.
Posing as a female, McWilliams enticed three minor victims to send sexually explicit photographs and videos, sometimes threatening to expose embarrassing information McWilliams already knew about the victims if they did not send such images. When some victims refused to send additional images, McWilliams followed through on his threats and sent sexually explicit photographs to the victims’ mothers.
In addition, McWilliams used the social networking website Grindr.com to make contact with a minor victim for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex. McWilliams then enticed this minor victim to identify another minor victim with whom McWilliams could engage in commercial sex acts. McWilliams met the victims on multiple occasions for the purpose of engaging in sex acts in exchange for money and alcohol.
McWilliams was also in possession of an HP laptop computer and an external hard drive that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Further investigation revealed McWilliams had a Dropbox cloud storage account where he stored approximately 150 image and video files of child pornography. McWilliams downloaded these image files from the internet and stored them in various folders on his computer devices.
McWilliams is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2021 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Task Force. James Flaiz, the Geauga County Prosecutor, is an assigned Special Assistant U.S. Attorney on this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.
New Mexico Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Questa, New Mexico, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 15, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Holly Swallow, age 42, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison, five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims fund in the amount of $100.
Swallow was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2019. She pled guilty on April 26, 2021.
Between 2016 and 2019, in the states of South Dakota, New Mexico, and Colorado, Swallow knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. She supplied between 500 grams and 1,500 grams of the drug to individuals on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
The investigation was conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Swallow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Nearly three dozen charged in Middle Georgia methamphetamine-trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: Thirty defendants are charged in a Laurens County methamphetamine-trafficking indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Georgia.
The indictment in USA v. Monroe et. al charges 30 defendants with 56 felony counts, and includes forfeiture allegations listing 77 firearms, including a machine gun, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. All 30 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and if convicted face a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement partners have done outstanding work to identify, infiltrate and eliminate drug trafficking operations throughout the greater Dublin area,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “This continuing effort will make our communities safer by removing illegal drugs and illegally possessed firearms from our streets.”
“The men and women of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA and The ATF spent countless hours making this investigation such a huge success, and deserve our gratitude for their hard work and sacrifice,” said Larry Dean, Sheriff of Laurens County. “This operation could not have happened without the great partnerships of these agencies, along with the support of our community’s law-abiding citizens.”
“Strong law enforcement partnerships underscore the power of combined forces and strategic partnerships,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division. “These partnerships are vital in the war against ‘meth’ and other dangerous drugs. DEA and its law enforcement partners are in the business to save lives and protect communities from the perils of drug abuse.”
“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with crucial federal and local law enforcement partners to the pursuit of eradicating and forestalling criminal activity in the communities we serve in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed Operation Monroe Doctrine, identified a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy operating throughout Laurens and Telfair counties and beyond. As described in the indictment, the drug trafficking ring operated from at least January 2020 through January 2021. Initial appearance hearings have begun for the defendants named in the indictment, and all are in custody pending further court proceedings.
Those named in the indictment include:
- David Alex Monroe, 32, currently in custody at the Laurens County Jail, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs; Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun; and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm;
- Jorge Hernandez-Pena, 45, of Atlanta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and seven counts of Use of Communication Facility, a charge that refers to the use of telephones to facilitate the conspiracy;
- Fredi Ramirez-Garcia, 42, currently in custody in the Dekalb County Jail in Decatur, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Christopher Forbes, 31, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; five counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs; Possession of an Unregistered Firearm; and eight counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Robin Eberling, 34, of Soperton, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine;
- David Kates, 45, currently incarcerated at Rogers State Prison in Reidsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Carl Davis, 48, currently in custody in the Laurens County Jail, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and Use of Communication Facility;
- Wanda Phillips, 40, of Adrian, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 or More Grams of Methamphetamine;
- Timothy Bracewell, 53, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Jordan Gooch, 35, currently in custody at the John F. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Jacksonville, Fla., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Erica Brown, 41, of Jackson, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Rosario Cortez-Locenzo, 37, of Atlanta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and three counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Brooke Skipper, 48, of Alamo, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Chris Horne, 31, of Vidalia, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Cody Argo, 33, of Glenwood, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Frederick Perry Jr., 34, of Vidalia, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Jeremi Kole Pullen, 36, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Joshua Killingsworth, 34, of Dexter, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Tommy King, 59, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Steven Larsen, 55, of Glenwood, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Gary Moore, 41, of Cadwell, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Robert Anthony Justice, 38, of Chester, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Joshua Brown, 41, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Joseph Grubbs, 45, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Use of Communication Facility;
- Howard Johnson, 31, of Jacksonville, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Desaree Midyette, 27, of Jacksonville, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Alexis Weinhold, 23, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Justin Hobbs, 27, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility;
- Maranda Stroud, 28, of Dublin, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility; and,
- Brandie Grizzard, 35, of Rentz, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and two counts of Use of Communication Facility.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case is being investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III, Frank M. Pennington II, and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Mineral County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Mark Tillotson, of Burlington, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Tillotson, 24, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Tillotson, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior felony conviction, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number in January 2021 in Mineral County.
Tillotson faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.