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Tuesday 25 May 2021
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced an Atlanta man for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Kareem Jamal Young, 38, of Atlanta, Ga., to 188 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a SCCY 9mm pistol in March 2017. Young pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2021.
“Prosecuting career criminals who continue to possess firearms is an important part of reducing violent crime in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Convicted felons with guns, especially those individuals involved in promoting violence or drugs, will be held accountable in a federal prison.”
“It is imperative to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons who use them in the furtherance of violent crimes,” ATF SAC Mickey French. “ATF will continue to work in conjunction with law enforcement agencies and the community to remove the criminal element that have a negative impact to our communities.”
Young was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which provides a sentencing range of fifteen years to life for individuals who have been convicted of federal gun crimes and have at least three prior felony convictions for crimes of violence and/or serious drug offenses. Young was convicted on August 25, 2009, in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, for Robbery and Distribution of a Controlled Substance. He was also convicted on January 4, 2002, in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County for Robbery and Escape.
ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Jonathan Cross prosecuted the case.
Ammunition Smuggler Sentenced to Almost 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Jorge Armando Lopez-Espinoza, 42, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 46 months in prison for attempting to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico.
In May of 2020, Lopez-Espinoza conspired with others to smuggle 8,000 rounds of ammunition in his tractor trailer from Nogales, Arizona to Mexico. Law enforcement agents were able to intercept the shipments of ammunition before Lopez-Espinoza acquired them. On May 14, 2020, Lopez-Espinoza picked up the boxes he believed contained the 8,000 rounds of ammunition, hid them in his tractor trailer, and attempted to enter Mexico through the Nogales Port of Entry. Lopez-Espinoza later admitted he believed he was smuggling ammunition in the boxes, expected to be paid for doing so, and had previously smuggled ammunition into Mexico in exchange for payment.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 20-2715-001-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021- 033_Lopez-Espinoza# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ th
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.ACJ Inmate Charged with Possessing Prohibited ObjectsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An inmate of the Allegheny County Jail has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of possessing contraband while in prison, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The two-count Indictment named James Byrd, age 45, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Byrd was charged with possessing a cell phone, cigarettes, a JUUL vape pen, and a red cigarette lighter, while in custody, prohibited object for inmates, on July 22, 2020.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 1 year in prison, a fine not to exceed $100,000.00, a term of supervised release of not more than 1 year, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monday 24 May 2021
‘Dark web’ heroin dealer sentenced to 5 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 31-year-old ‘dark web’ heroin dealer was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Zachary Madding of Mill Creek, Washington, was arrested at a long-stay hotel in Mukilteo, Washington after a horrific assault on his estranged girlfriend. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “The person who is before me is not a good person. He is a common criminal who is engaged in the most serious behavior…. On the dark web you have no idea who you are dealing with… Because of your actions, there are 1,600 families out there who are going through the pain of addiction.”
“This defendant put thousands of people at risk of death by anonymously sending his potent heroin to all corners of the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “He knew all too well the destruction his drugs inflicted, having critically injured two young pedestrians while driving under the influence of narcotics. Dealing on the dark web spreads the destruction from heroin abuse to a far larger geographic area with callous disregard for how communities and addicts are damaged.”
According to records filed in the case, Madding first came to the attention of law enforcement in May 2018, when he attacked his estranged girlfriend by forcing Xanax down her throat and forcibly spraying a fentanyl up her nose. Fortunately, medics were able to use Narcan to revive the victim. Madding was arrested. In his hotel room, law enforcement discovered false identification documents, shipping labels, drug ledgers, crushed Xanax tables and the fentanyl spray. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that from as early as 2016 Madding was selling heroin on dark web websites – these are an extensive network of computers that conceal the true Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of computing devices. Even as different marketplace sites were seized by law enforcement and shut down, Madding moved on to different sites. He took care to avoid detection by being paid in bitcoin, encrypting communications, and shipping his drugs in such a way to avoid detection by drug detecting canines.
In all, Madding made more than 1,600 sales on the dark web and pocketed $72,000 in bitcoin.
“Madding’s rein of violence and drug dealing is over,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “The law enforcement partnerships we have in Washington are stronger than criminals who hide behind computer screens peddling poison in our communities.”
“Without question this is a major step in shutting down large scale Dark web drug dealers. Madding alone was responsible for over 1600 shipments of illegal and deadly narcotics to communities around the country. The sentencing of a vendor like him disrupts a truly deadly supply chain and his removal from the community will undoubtedly save lives,” said Inspector-in-Charge Anthony Galetti, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is tasked with investigating any criminal use of the U.S. Mail, and the shipment of illegal narcotics remains one of our highest priorities. We thank Mukilteo Police Department and HSI for their assistance in bringing Madding to justice.”
Madding’s dark web dealing accelerated after he was released from a state prison sentence for vehicular assault. In that case, in August 2014, Madding drove under the influence of heroin and struck two teen-agers as they walked on the side of the road. Both were badly injured, and one suffered a critical and life-altering brain injury.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Mukilteo Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Dalton.
Upshur County man sentenced for methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Rodney Allen Rowan, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 151 months of incarceration for a methamphetamine charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Rowan, 26, pleaded guilty in January 2020 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least 50 Grams of Methamphetamine.” Rowan admitted to having more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in November 2019 in Upshur County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, West Virginia State Police, and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Two Postal Service Employees Plead Guilty to Using EDD Debit Cards to Illegally Purchase Thousands of Dollars in Postal Money OrdersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two United States Postal Service (USPS) employees pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges accusing them of unlawfully buying and cashing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Postal money orders with unemployment benefits fraudulently obtained with false claims of COVID-related job losses.
Christian Jeremyah James, 31, of South Los Angeles, who worked in the Culver City Main Post Office, and Armand Caleb Legardy, 32, of Inglewood, who worked in the La Tijera Post Office on Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles, each pleaded guilty in separate hearings to one count of use of unauthorized access devices.
According to their plea agreements, from August 2020 to February 2021, James and Legardy used debit cards that the California Employment Development Department (EDD) had issued to other people for unemployment insurance benefits – cards that were obtained by other unidentified individuals using stolen identities and false information.
James and Legardy admitted they used the EDD-issued debit cards in other people’s names to purchase or cash money orders from the USPS and to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash from bank ATMs. The defendants also admitted that they deposited multiple fraudulently purchased Postal money orders directly into their own bank accounts.
Between September 3 and September 19, 2020, James deposited more than $27,000 worth of USPS money orders into his bank account, according to his plea agreement. Legardy deposited more than $10,000 in USPS money orders that had been illegally purchased with California EDD cards in other people’s names, his plea agreement states.
James admitted to knowingly using at least eight EDD debit cards in other people’s names and causing a loss of approximately $142,652. Legardy admitted to illegally using nine EDD cards and causing a loss of approximately $160,879.
United States District Judge George H. Wu has scheduled sentencing hearings of October 7 for James and September 30 for Legardy, at which time each defendant will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Employment Development Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting these cases.
Two Novus Doctors, One Nurse Found Guilty of Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
Three medical professionals who helped a local hospice agency scam Medicare have been convicted of healthcare fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
On Monday, a federal jury found Novus Health Services Medical Directors Dr. Mark E. Gibbs and Dr. Laila Hirjee, along with Novus RN Tammie Little, guilty of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
Additionally, the jury found Dr. Gibbs guilty of two counts of healthcare fraud and one count of obstruction of justice, Dr. Hirjee guilty of three counts of healthcare fraud and one Title 21 drug offense, and Ms. Little guilty of three counts of healthcare fraud. (Dr. Gibbs was acquitted of one of the three health care fraud counts brought by the government.)
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants helped Novus CEO Bradley Harris defraud Medicare by submitting materially false claims for hospice services, providing kickbacks for referrals, violating HIPAA to recruit beneficiaries, and destroying documents to conceal the fraud from Medicare.
Mr. Harris, who pleaded guilty prior to trial, testified against his former employees.
He told the jury that instead of relying on the expertise of licensed medical professions, he and Novus nurses, including Ms. Little, determined which patients would be admitted to or discharged from hospice care, as well as which drugs and dosages they would receive.
They relied upon Novus doctors, including Dr. Gibbs and Dr. Hirjee, to certify that they had examined these patients face-to-face, when no such examinations had occurred, Mr. Harris testified.
Witnesses also testified that Dr. Hirjee and Dr. Gibbs engaged in the prescription of Schedule II controlled substances, such as morphine and hydromorphone, by pre-signing blank C2 prescriptions and giving those to Brad Harris and others at Novus to let them prescribe controlled substances without any physician oversight.
As Director of Operations Melanie Murphey testified on day five of trial, “I was the doctor.”
Mr. Harris and the nurses used pre-signed prescription pads, prepared by Dr. Gibbs, Dr. Hirjee, and other Novus doctors, to dispense medications like morphine to patients. Mr. Harris paid also Dr. Gibbs and Dr. Hirjee kickbacks – disguised as medical directory salaries – to induce them to refer patients to his facilities.
When Medicare suspended payment to Novus over concerns about billing, Mr. Harris, Dr. Gibbs, and others moved patients and employees to a new hospice company and continued to bill Medicare for hospice services.
In total, Medicare and Medicaid paid the Novus entities approximately $40 million dollars for hospice services before the companies were shut down.
“With today’s guilty verdicts, we are one step closer to bringing this sordid case to a close,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shah. “These medical professionals behaved unconscionably, allowing Mr. Harris – an accountant – to dictate end-of-life care for suffering patients. The Northern District of Texas will not stand for this sort of misconduct.”
Dr. Hirjee now faces up to 60 years in federal prison, Dr. Gibbs faces up to 35 years, and Ms. Little faces up to 40 years.
Twelve of their codefendants – Novus CEO Brad Harris, his wife, Novus Vice President of Patient Services Amy Harris, Novus Director of Operations Melanie Murphy, Novus Medical Director Charles Leach, Novus Medical Director Reziuddin Siddique (deceased), Novus Medical Director Syed Aziz, Novus Vice President of Marketing Samuel Anderson, Novus Director of Marketing Slade Brown, Novus RN Jessica Love, Novus triage RN Patricia Armstrong, Novus LVN Taryn Stewart, and Ali Rizvi, the owner of a separate physician home visit company – pleaded guilty to various offenses prior to trial. Dr. Aziz has been sentenced to probation, and the remaining defendants are facing between two and 14 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Strittmatter Max, Marty Basu, and Chad Meacham are prosecuting the case with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Gilstrap, Gail Hayworth, and Brian McKay. Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn presided over the trial.
Three people charged for hostage taking of foreign nationals in ChaparralRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ricardo Arce, Vicki Sowell and Jonathan Gonzalez have been charged in federal court with hostage taking.
Arce, 40, of Chaparral, New Mexico, and Sowell, 35, of El Paso, Texas, were arrested on April 28. Sowell was charged in court and ordered detained on May 5. Arce was charged in court and ordered detained on May 7. Both will remain detained pending trial. Gonzales, 34, of Chaparral, was arrested on May 12 and made a first appearance in court on May 21. A detention hearing for Gonzalez is scheduled for May 26.
The defendants allegedly participated in an alien smuggling organization that held victims hostage for money and assaulted the victims.
According to a criminal complaint, on April 4 a citizen of the country of Georgia entered the United States from Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso. The victim later met people who allegedly were a part of an alien smuggling organization and paid them to transport him to New York where his family lives. They allegedly transported the victim to an unknown location and would not allow him to leave. They allegedly assaulted the victim by punching, kicking and hitting him and threatened that unless they received more money they would kill him. After the victim provided contact information for his family in Georgia, the defendants allegedly sent videos of the victim being assaulted and told the family that they would continue to harm or kill the victim if they did not pay.
On approximately April 25, the family contacted law enforcement in Georgia, who then contacted the FBI. On April 27, law enforcement recovered the victim at a barbershop in the El Paso area.
On approximately April 13, a citizen of Honduras entered the United States from Juarez. On approximately April 14, this second victim was taken to a trailer where approximately 14 other individuals allegedly were held. The victim was then taken to another trailer and later to a house where he encountered the victim from Georgia. The defendants allegedly assaulted the second victim multiple times on video and threatened his life if he did not pay them. On approximately April 17, the defendants allegedly contacted the victim’s family in Dallas, Texas, and demanded money for the victim’s release. On April 27, law enforcement recovered the victim at a pizza restaurant in the El Paso area.
“Anyone targeting and seeking to extort money from individuals who illegally cross the United States’ border should take heed that our office will vigorously prosecute all manner of violence and threats of violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Fred J. Federici.
“Those who seek to exploit and prey upon the vulnerable will be held accountable for these heinous crimes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge for FBI El Paso Jeffrey L. Coburn. “I want to thank our FBI El Paso Violent Crime squad, FBI SWAT, our local law enforcement partners, and victim services for their help and support. It takes incredibly special people willing to put his or her life on the line to hold these violent criminals accountable for the emotional and physical harm they caused the victims and their families. And to do this day after day is the true definition of being a public servant.”
A complaint is only an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
The FBI El Paso Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Las Cruces Resident Agency, El Paso Police Department, Las Cruces Police Department, Otero County Sheriff's Office, Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector and Border Patrol El Paso Sector Special Operations Detachment BORTAC. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Ramirez, Luis Martinez and Rachel Feuerhammer are prosecuting the case.
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Third Defendant Sentenced to Almost 19 Years in Fentanyl Overdose Death of Longtime Rugby PlayerRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Larry Casper (619) 546-6734
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 24, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Andrew Samuel Daniel Gossai was sentenced in federal court today to 226 months in prison for supplying the fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of 45-year old Derrick Hotchkiss, a longtime rugby player for the San Diego Old Aztecs Rugby Football Club.
Gossai, the last of three defendants to plead guilty in the case, admitted to distributing the fentanyl that caused the death and to selling in excess of 400 grams of fentanyl.
At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia noted the “severe costs the crime has brought to the community” and that the defendant was “up the chain of distribution and had a long history of selling drugs.” The defendant was “clearly aware of the risks” posed by fentanyl yet continued distributing the drug.
Gossai, who has a history of drug sales convictions dating back more than a decade, sold fentanyl despite recognizing the dangers associated with the drug. Upon his arrest, Gossai admitted to law enforcement that, despite his sales of fentanyl, he was “scared” by the drug. Upon executing a search warrant at Gossai’s residence, law enforcement seized fentanyl in powdered and pill form; a digital scale with powdered residue; drug paraphernalia; and other illicit narcotics.
“Fentanyl continues to plague our community, and tragic deaths such as that of Derrick Hotchkiss are increasing exponentially,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and community outreach partners to reverse this terrible trend.”
“Justice has finally been served in the death of Derrick Hotchkiss due of the hard work of the men and women on DEA's NTF Team 10 and our law enforcement partners,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. “This case is a stark reminder to people selling drugs: If the drugs you sell cause someone to die, we will bring you to justice.”
Previously, defendants Christopher Emison and Jeffrey Alden Blair were also sentenced in connection with Hotchkiss’ death to 168 and 188 months in custody respectively. According to the government’s sentencing papers, Gossai sold the fatal dose of fentanyl to Blair who made the purchase for both Emison and himself. In turn, Emison sold the fatal dose directly to Hotchkiss shortly before his overdose death.
Acting U.S. Attorney Grossman praised prosecutor Larry Casper as well as the agents from Narcotics Task Force Team 10, a multi-agency team housed by DEA that was created in July 2018 to address drug overdose deaths in San Diego, for their efforts on these cases.
For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 19cr3253-AJB
Andrew Samuel Daniel Gossai Age: 33 San Diego, California
Case Number 19cr3252-AJB
Jeffrey Alden Blair Age: 34 San Diego, California
Christopher Glenn Emison Age: 33 El Cajon, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Andrew Samuel Daniel Gossai and Jeffrey Alden Blair:
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21 U.S.C. Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)
Maximum Penalties – Mandatory minimum of 10 years, and maximum of life in prison and $10 million fine.
Christopher Glenn Emison
Sentenced to 168-months on Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21 U.S.C. Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) with maximum penalties – mandatory minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years in prison and $5 million fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Homeland Security
California Department of Healthcare Services
San Diego Police Department
(The above-listed agencies are represented on DEA NTF Team 10)
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Texas man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to commit wire fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Russell Hearld, 45, of Katy, Texas, participated in a scheme to defraud involving investments in Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs). Investors were promised that they could receive a portion of the value of an SBLC, worth millions of dollars, for a much smaller initial investment. Investors were promised returns equal to many times the amounts of their initial investments in a matter of weeks. They were also promised that their money would remain in the attorney trust account of a co-conspirator—who at the time was a licensed attorney in Florida—until confirmation was received that the SBLC had been issued.
Contrary to these representations, Hearld routinely directed the co-conspirator attorney to withdraw investor funds as soon as they were deposited into the attorney’s trust account. For example, in March 2017, an investor wired $500,000 from his bank account in Maine to the attorney’s trust account in Florida. On the previous day, Hearld had sent the attorney an email, directing the attorney to disburse the investor’s funds. At Hearld’s direction, the attorney wired $200,000 to Hearld’s bank account; $150,000 to the account of the attorney’s law firm; $100,000 to the account of another co-conspirator; and $40,000 to the attorney’s personal account.
Hearld faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The FBI investigated the case.
St. Louis man pleads guilty to carjacking and gun brandishing chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Lorenzo Young, 21, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Young appeared, today, before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross.
On June 7, 2020, Young and a co-defendant approached a victim in the 7300 block of Hazelcrest in St. Louis County to take a 2013 Chrysler 200 at gunpoint from that victim. Young was armed with a loaded Charter Arms .38 caliber firearm as he and the co-defendant approached the victim. Young brandished the firearm and demanded the victim’s car keys. The victim complied with the demand. Young and the co-defendant entered the Chrysler and drove away.
The victim called Hazelwood Police to report the carjacking. As the victim talked with police at the scene, the victim observed the stolen Chrysler drive past the 7300 block of Hazelcrest and the victim alerted police. Officers from multiple jurisdictions pursued the stolen Chrysler at high speeds for approximately 10 miles. Young was driving the stolen Chrysler.
Young crashed the vehicle while fleeing police near the intersection of New Halls Ferry and Riverview in the City of St. Louis. Officers took Young and his co-defendant into custody, and recovered the firearm used in the carjacking.
Judge Ross has set Lorenzo Young’s sentencing for August 25, 2021.
Young’s co-defendant is awaiting trial and is presumed innocent of the charges.
The Hazelwood Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.
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Seattle man convicted of drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 51-year-old Seattle man was convicted late Friday, May 21, in U.S. District Court in Seattle of drug and gun crimes following a five-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The conviction of Clyde McKnight resulted from a 6-month investigation in 2017 by the Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration, of significant drug trafficking in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. The jury deliberated for a day before finding him guilty of Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute. U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly scheduled sentencing for McKnight for August 26, 2021.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Clyde McKnight was arrested outside a Portland, Oregon motel in January 2018. The arrest followed the seizure of 2.6 kilos of cocaine, 1.5 kilos of heroin, 607 grams of crack cocaine, 42 grams of methamphetamine and 180 grams of fentanyl from McKnight’s vehicle in Seattle. At the time of his arrest, MCKNIGHT had $39,000 and a handgun with him.
McKnight had been observed by law enforcement using a Chrysler 300 sedan as a storage location for drugs – crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. McKnight parked the vehicle in various locations in the Mount Baker neighborhood. On the night of January 2, 2018, the Seattle Police Department impounded the car and obtained a search warrant. In the early morning of January 3, 2018, McKnight made numerous panicked calls to 9-1-1 to report the vehicle stolen. Ultimately, he was informed the vehicle had been impounded and was in the police evidence yard. McKnight immediately tried to flee the state, traveling to Portland, Oregon where he was arrested.
A search of McKnight’s apartment in downtown Seattle turned up another firearm – a loaded Glock. McKnight is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions – including one for attempted murder. The jury reached separate verdicts following the drug conviction, finding that McKnight was also guilty of being a felon in possession of the two firearms.
Four other conspirators were charged, convicted, and sentenced as part of the case:
Patrick Tables, 56, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Jonathon Rushing, 42, was sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison.
Michael Turner, 52, was sentenced to 5 years in prison
Marvin Traylor, 52, was sentenced to one year in prison.
After multiple requests by the defendant for delays in the trial, McKnight’s trial was scheduled for April 2020. The pandemic closure of the U.S. District Courthouse to in-person appearances delayed the trial further. The case was the first one scheduled for trial as the courthouse returned to limited jury trials.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police Department and the FBI crime lab at Quantico, VA.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Casey Conzatti.
Russian Hacker Sentenced to 30 Months for Running a Website Selling Stolen, Counterfeit and Hacked AccountsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Alexandra F. Foster (619) 546-6735
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 24, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Kirill Victorovich Firsov, a Russian citizen, was sentenced to 30 months in custody for his role as the administrator of a website that catered to cyber criminals by virtually selling items such as stolen credit card information, other personal information and services to be used for criminal activity.
The now-defunct online platform DEER.IO started operations as of at least October 2013, and, as of Firsov’s arrest in March 2020, the platform hosted approximately 3,000 active shops with sales exceeding $17 million. Although Firsov maintained that the bulk of the sales on DEER.IO were Russian accounts, the parties agreed that the government could show that shop owners on the DEER.IO platform sold at least $1.2 million in U.S.-based stolen information, to include the gamer accounts identified in the plea agreement.
At sentencing, the prosecutor noted that Firsov built the DEER.IO platform in 2013 and maintained it for almost seven years. Further, the prosecutor asserted that Firsov knew DEER.IO was selling stolen and counterfeit accounts, because he built the platform, which included a number of icons for U.S.-based companies that anyone setting up a store on DEER.IO could click on to then sell stolen accounts from those U.S. companies. Also, DEER.IO was easily searchable, so anyone --including Firsov-- could search the platform for stolen U.S. accounts and information. Even though it sold stolen accounts, DEER.IO was not cloaked in secrecy and required no special password for access, because everything was run out of Russia, and American law enforcement could gain no foothold.
DEER.IO sold not only stolen accounts, like the gamer accounts identified in the plea agreement, but also Americans’ personal information, to include names, current addresses, telephone numbers and at times Social Security numbers. On March 4, 2020, the FBI purchased 1,100 gamer accounts, and on March 5, 2020, the FBI purchased the personal information for over 3,600 Americans. On March 7, 2020, Firsov was arrested by the FBI in New York City when he flew into JFK Airport from Moscow.
In sentencing Firsov to 30 months, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant acknowledged that he had been incarcerated in the United States for 15 months, while the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world and, very specifically, the American jail system. She also recognized that Firsov had been incarcerated in the United States, far from his support system of family and friends in Russia. Finally, she noted that once released, Firsov would likely be incarcerated as he underwent deportation proceedings back to Russia. Nonetheless, she noted that without Firsov’s involvement, there would be no DEER.IO, and that facilitated the sale of stolen property on a large scale. Balancing these factors, Judge Bashant sentenced Firsov to 30 months.
“This platform provided cybercriminals with easy access to the personal accounts and information of people around the world, including Americans,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Stopping that flow of stolen information to criminals is critical to addressing the cybercrime threats facing our country, and we will prosecute those who are responsible.” Grossman commended the excellent work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra F. Foster and the FBI agents on this case.
“The FBI will pursue cyber-criminals across the globe,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner. “Today’s sentence sends a message – conducting criminal activity from outside the United States does not mean you are out of reach. The FBI will identify and pursue criminal actors in the cyber-sphere, regardless of where they operate, and work to bring them to justice in a United States court.”
If victimized in a cyber security incident, the FBI encourages companies to immediately contact the FBI. Specialized cyber agents will work with companies to protect company information and the personal data of its customers. Please contact the FBI San Diego's cyber program by calling our field office at (858) 320-1800 or submitting tips at Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
DEFENDANT Case Number 20cr1182-BAS
Kirill Victorovich Firsov Age: 30 Moscow, Russia
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Unauthorized Solicitation of Access Devices (18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(6))
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
FBI
Rosebud Woman Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter and PerjuryRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and Perjury was sentenced on May 17, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Kaylee Spotted Elk, age 29, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Spotted Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 2, 2020, for Involuntary Manslaughter and on June 16, 2020, for Perjury. She pleaded guilty to both charges on March 1, 2021.
On January 12, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Spotted Elk killed a man while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of methamphetamine.
On November 6, 2019, Spotted Elk knowingly lied about a material fact at a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, while she was under oath and sworn to tell the truth.
The investigations were conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk W. Albertson and Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the cases.
Spotted Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on May 17, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Adam Moran, a/k/a Cante Moran, age 27, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on March 1, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on the evening of May 19, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services (RSTLES) responded to a call for service in Rosebud indicating that Moran had taken a vehicle without permission. RSTLES officers located the vehicle a short time later and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Moran refused to stop, however, and led officers on a high-speed pursuit from Rosebud to Mission, South Dakota, during which he forced multiple RSTLES vehicles off the road. Moran ran his vehicle off the roadway near Mission and exited the vehicle. When officers approached him, he physically confronted one of the officers before being placed under arrest and taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the RSTLES. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Moran was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Jason Kimmel, Sr., age 39, was indicted on April 13, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on May 18, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Kimmel was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in 2005. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between February 10, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Kimmel, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Kimmel is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Kimmel was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Robbery spree earns convicted felon decades in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA – A previously convicted felon whose crime spree ended when he was shot by a store employee will spend nearly four decades in federal prison for a string of armed robberies and carjackings across Georgia and South Carolina.
Demetrius Lamar Jackson, a/k/a “Meechy,” 31, of Savannah, was sentenced today (Monday, May 24) to 444 months in prison after pleading guilty to Discharging and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence; Carjacking and Attempted Carjacking; Interference with Commerce by Robbery; and Conspiracy to Use and Carry Firearms During Crimes of Violence, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Jackson to pay restitution to nine victims in the case, and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Meechy Jackson is the epitome of a violent, armed criminal, and providence prevented his stolen gun from firing when he attempted to shoot his final victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The legal gun owner then used his own weapon to defend himself, bringing an end to Jackson’s crime spree. He’ll have a long prison term to contemplate his errors – and to be thankful that he’s still alive.”
During sentencing, Jackson repeatedly disrupted the proceedings and was restrained by members of the U.S. Marshals Service after he lunged toward the prosecutors’ table.
According to court statements and filings, in November 2018, Jackson perpetrated a two-and-a-half-week crime spree across Georgia and South Carolina, including:
- Nov. 6, 2018: Jackson robbed an employee of a Boost Mobile store in Savannah at gunpoint while the employee was transporting cash for the store. Jackson shot the store manager in the abdomen when she came to assist, and fled the scene in a car driven by his accomplice, Nautica Morgan, 23, of Savannah.
- Nov. 12: Jackson approached a young couple who was washing a Nissan sedan at a midtown Savannah carwash. Jackson pointed a gun at them and twice pulled the trigger, but the gun malfunctioned. Jackson then sped away in the victims’ car.
- Nov. 13: Jackson robbed a Valdosta, Ga., Boost Mobile employee and his girlfriend at gunpoint. The getaway car was the one stolen at the Savannah car wash.
- Nov. 19: Morgan attempted to steal merchandise from a beauty store in Augusta, Ga. When the store manager followed Morgan, Jackson pointed a gun at the manager. Jackson and Morgan later carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint from a woman at a nearby CVS. Later that day, at a Walgreens pharmacy in Conyers, Ga., Jackson held a man at gunpoint and attempted to steal his car, then stole a purse.
- Nov. 20: Jackson robbed a Boost Mobile store in East Point, Ga. Armed with a pistol, Jackson ordered the store’s employees to empty the cash register and safe. He then demanded the employees kneel on the floor of a back room and surrender a key to the store and their personal cell phones, debit cards, and cash before he fled.
- Nov. 21: Jackson carjacked a 73-year-old woman in Athens, Ga., while she was vacuuming her SUV. Jackson threatened to shoot her and then pistol-whipped her in the head. Later that same day, Jackson walked into a Boost Mobile store in Aiken, S.C., pulled out a gun and demanded money. Before he left with the store’s cash, Jackson seized an employee’s cellphone and smashed it.
- Nov. 23: Jackson attempted to rob a Boost Mobile store in Columbia, S.C., and his pistol jammed when he tried to shoot a store employee. The employee produced his own legal firearm and shot Jackson, and Morgan then drove Jackson to a hospital emergency room in a Chevrolet Tahoe that the two of them had carjacked in Georgetown, S.C., a few hours earlier.
Jackson and Morgan were both arrested shortly after the Columbia shooting, and a search of the Tahoe revealed bloody clothes, the stolen .22 caliber pistol used in the crimes, and numerous stolen items.
Jackson’s charges stem from two separate indictments brought by grand juries sitting in the Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia. The Northern District’s indictment was transferred to the Southern District. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Middle District of Georgia and District of South Carolina were important in bringing these cases to resolution.
For her role in the crime spree, Morgan was sentenced in February 2020 in the District of South Carolina to 144 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Use and Carry a Firearm During Crimes of Violence, and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
“Quick, effective collaboration between state and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors throughout Georgia and South Carolina has brought Demetrius Jackson to justice,” said Kurt R. Erskine, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “This office is fully committed to tackling violent crime and protecting the community from violent criminals.”
“Jackson brutally inflicted a reign of terror against innocent victims across two states,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “His lengthy prison sentence is a deserving result, and our communities will be safer with him behind bars.”
“Jackson terrorized innocent victims in two states in a crime spree that lasted more than two weeks, leaving those victims with emotional and physical scars for life,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentence won’t wipe away those scars, but thanks to an alert citizen and our many law enforcement partners, they won’t have to worry about him hurting anyone else for a long time.”
“This case is the product of a concerted collaborative effort on the part of ATF and its local partners to investigate and eliminate the perpetrators of violent crime,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the ATF. “These sentences will ensure the incarceration of dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace in the Southern District of Georgia.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Savannah Police Department, the Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Department, the Valdosta Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the East Point Police Department, the City of Conyers Police Department, the Aiken (S.C.) Department of Public Safety, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Georgetown (S.C.) City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of Georgia and Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted Jackson’s cases for the United States.
Registered Sex Offender from California Going to Prison for More Than 12 Years for Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051Buffalo, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Carlos Francisco Lopez, 32, of Los Angeles, CA, who was convicted of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempting to transport a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity, was sentenced to serve 147 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that on January 16, 2018, the City of Tonawanda Police Department received a request to conduct a welfare check on a 15 year old girl (victim) who was reported to have run away from home and gotten on a bus. Police officers located the bus in Tonawanda, stopped it, and located the victim who was a passenger. The victim told officers she was running away from home and intended to travel to California to visit family, claiming that her uncle purchased the bus ticket for her.
Subsequent interviews revealed that the victim met an unknown individual, with the username “playfulchaos,” on the internet application Kik in a group for runaway youth. In addition to discussing the victim running away, the two also discussed having sex. According to the victim, the two continued to communicate on the internet application Text Free, making plans for the victim to travel to California.
On January 18, 2018, an undercover law enforcement (UC) officer posed as the victim to continue to communicate with Lopez. The UC wrote, “hey u there... this bus ride sucks.” The UC stated she was due into California around 10:00 pm on January 19, 2018, and asked what to do upon arrival. The defendant replied, “call me or text me. Wait at the station, and ill send an uber.” Lopez was arrested after the UC sent a message that the bus had arrived and the defendant ordered an Uber.
In 2011 and 2012, Lopez was convicted of sexual offenses against minor children in the State of California. He is a registered sex offender. The defendant was released from prison in 2016 and is an active parolee.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Sliwinski; and the City of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Strassburg.
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Pilot of Boat that Capsized 7.5 Miles West of Mission Bay Sentenced in Drug and Human Smuggling EventRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Charlotte E. Kaiser (619) 546-7282
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 24, 2021
SAN DIEGO – The pilot of a boat that capsized during a drug and human smuggling event was sentenced in federal court today to 50 months in custody.
Henrry Javier Garcia Valle pleaded guilty in September 2020 to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel, in violation of Title 46, United States Code, Section 70502(a)(1).
At the hearing, U.S. District Judge John Houston admonished the defendant: “Tell the other fishermen – ‘Don’t do it.’ . . . You are placing everyone in danger. The smugglers don’t care. Tell your friends don’t do this.”
“Maritime drug and human smugglers repeatedly engage in dangerous tactics to avoid law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “In this event, 14 individuals including the defendant almost lost their lives due to the defendant’s conduct. We will continue to hold accountable those who engage in these dangerous tactics.” Grossman praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlotte Kaiser and law enforcement partners for their excellent work on this case.
“We’re encountering more smugglers who attempt to avoid detection by navigating their ill-equipped vessels farther out to sea,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “It cannot be overstated—dangerous smuggling operations like these could potentially result in lives lost at sea.”
“Smuggling attempts like these oftentimes lead to tragic consequences, which fortunately were avoided this time,” said Rear Adm. Brian Penoyer, Eleventh Coast Guard District commander. “Today, justice has been served, and the Coast Guard will continue to work with our maritime partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, on July 25, 2020 at 11 p.m., air interdiction agents spotted a vessel using no navigational lights headed towards the United States from Mexico. At approximately 3:58 a.m. on July 26, 2020, the U.S Coast Guard attempted to interdict the vessel containing 14 individuals, who later were determined to be non-citizens without legal status to be in the United States. The location was approximately 7.5 miles west of Mission Bay. Reports from law enforcement and information from fellow defendants indicated that the defendant gave chase for several minutes and then the boat stopped. At that point, law enforcement saw certain individuals toss bags from the boat. Three of the bags subsequently were recovered and contained approximately 37.2 kilograms of methamphetamine. On further testing, the amount came to 35 kilograms of actual methamphetamine, and was deemed 100 percent pure.
At the time the boat stopped, it began to take on water. The occupants shifted and the boat began to capsize. U.S. Coast Guard officials were able to rescue all 14 occupants including defendant and three co-defendants identified as crew members. Two of those other codefendants – Faustino Dominguez Padilla and Ivan Ramirez Guzman - pleaded guilty to human smuggling and were sentenced to approximately 7.5 and 10 months in custody, respectively. Another co-defendant – Joel Lopez Burgos – pleaded guilty to the same charge as defendant and will be sentenced in June 2021.
As part of his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that he was pilot or captain of the vessel that contained 14 occupants including himself, all of whom lacked lawful status to enter or remain in the United States, as well as the 37.2 kilograms of methamphetamine. The defendant admitted that he conspired to bring the occupants and the drugs into the United States illegally. He further admitted that the boat not only had no navigational lights on during the overnight journey but also that it had engine problems and that none of the defendants was wearing life vests. He additionally recognized that the boat capsized after a pursuit.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 20CR2524-JAH
Henrry Javier Garcia Valle Age: 38 Sinaloa, Mexico
Joel Lopez Burgos Age: 35 Sinaloa, Mexico
Faustino Dominguez-Padilla Age: 37 Jalisco, Mexico
Ivan Ramirez Guzman Age: 27 Sinaloa, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
For Defendants Henrry Javier Garcia Valle and Joel Lopez Burgos:
Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel – Title 46, United States Code, Section 70502(a)(1) – Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine.
For Defendants Faustino Dominguez-Padilla and Ivan Ramirez Guzman:
Attempted Bringing in Without Presentation and Aiding and Abetting – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(iii) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, and $250,000 fine.
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Coast Guard
Owner of third cockfighting venue admits participation in illegal animal fighting operationRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: An Emanuel County man has admitted operating an animal fighting venture, representing the third owner of a cockfighting operation in the Southern District to enter a guilty plea to federal charges.
Wendell Allan Strickland, 67, of Swainsboro, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture; two counts of Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business; and one count of Possession and Transport of an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture, all felonies; and one misdemeanor charge of Attending an Animal Fighting Venture, said Acting U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. In addition to forfeiture of the property on which illegal cockfights were held, Strickland faces a possible statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and significant financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Animal fights are illegal and barbaric, and also are magnets for other criminal activity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to shut down these operations and hold the organizers accountable.”
The investigation into animal fighting operations in the Southern District, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and in cooperation with multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, determined that Strickland operated a cockfighting venue called The Red Barn on his Swainsboro property. Multiple law enforcement agencies raided the site in September 2020, seizing cockfighting gear and arresting Strickland.
Cockfights were held at The Red Barn on alternating weekend schedules with those at Little Sunset, a larger venue in nearby Midville, Ga., owned by William Shannon Scott, 49. Scott was arrested on federal charges as part of Operation Sunrise, a multi-agency raid of a cockfighting tournament at his property in June 2020 in which nearly 200 possible defendants were identified. Scott pled guilty to Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture and is awaiting sentencing.
A third cockfighting venue owner, Lanier Augustus Hightower Jr., 65, of Lincolnton, Ga., also pled guilty to Sponsoring and Exhibiting an Animal in an Animal Fighting Venture and is awaiting sentencing. Hightower and more than three dozen other defendants were indicted after a December 2019 raid during a cockfighting tournament on his farm.
Both Scott and Hightower face forfeiture of their farms, along with up to five years in prison, substantial financial penalties, and up to three years of supervised release. Most of the other defendants charged in the cases have been sentenced after entering guilty pleas.
“The gruesome ritual of animal fighting has no place in a civilized society and will not be tolerated,” said Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG. “Our agency has prioritized dismantling animal fighting ventures as we continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who would take pleasure in inflicting misery and death upon these defenseless creatures.”
The cases are being investigated by the USDA-OIG and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro V. Pascual IV and Xavier A. Cunningham, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Rock and Edwin Caban Jr.
Overbrook Woman Pleads Guilty to Obstructing a Court OrderRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of obstruction of a court order, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman today.
Janine Lanese, 47, Pittsburgh, PA 15234 pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Lanese obstructed a court order by lying to law enforcement officers present at her home to effect the lawful arrest of her husband.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2021 at 2:15 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than one year in prison, a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s existing bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration - Pittsburgh Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Pittsburgh Division, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Agency - Santa Rosa, California Division conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lanese.
Oakland Man Pleads Guilty to Destroying Letter BoxesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Oakland man pleaded guilty in federal court today to destruction of letter boxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, in October 2018, law enforcement officers were called to the Oakland neighborhood of Jonathan Charles Michaud, 43. Investigators found that a fire had been set in the mailbox at a residence there. In addition, handwritten messages had been written on bills addressed to different residences. One of these handwritten messages contained the telephone number of Michaud’s mother, with whom Michaud resided. Investigators learned that several other mailboxes in the neighborhood had also been vandalized. In addition, a handwritten note was found in one mailbox stating, “Jonathan Charles is dead at my home, will find me dead in my room, bye mom and dad.” A state search warrant was obtained for Michaud’s residence, and investigators found evidence linking him to the vandalized mailboxes, including fingerprint and handwriting matches.
Michaud faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also faces up to a year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
O Departamento de Justiça Entra em Acordo com o Novo Distrito Escolar de Hampshire para Proteger os Alunos Aprendizes de InglêsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — hoje, o Departamento de Justiça anunciou um acordo com o Distrito Escolar de Nashua para resolver a investigação do departamento sobre os programas do distrito escolar para seus alunos aprendizes de inglês. A investigação do departamento encontrou falhas generalizadas no fornecimento a esses alunos da instrução e do apoio de que precisam para aprender inglês e participar plenamente da escola. A Divisão de Direitos Civis e o Gabinete do Procurador dos EUA para o Distrito de New Hampshire conduziram a investigação de acordo com a Lei de Oportunidades de Igualdade na Educação de 1974.
“Os distritos escolares devem intensificar e oferecer aos alunos aprendizes de inglês serviços e suportes linguísticos aos quais têm direito de acordo com a lei federal. Este acordo é um lembrete de que os professores não podem proporcionar suporte e serviços sem treinamento e recursos de seu distrito”, disse Pamela S. Karlan, Subprocuradora Geral Adjunta da Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça. “O Departamento de Justiça aplicará vigorosamente a lei para abrir as portas de oportunidades para todos os alunos das escolas do nosso país. Parabenizamos o Distrito Escolar de Nashua por abrir essas portas para seus alunos de inglês ao celebrar este acordo.”
“Estamos comprometidos em proteger os direitos civis de todos os alunos, incluindo os que estão aprendendo inglês”, disse John J. Farley, Procurador dos EUA para o Distrito de New Hampshire. “Tornamos nossas comunidades melhores quando nossas escolas locais atendem às necessidades de todos os alunos e pais. Este Acordo ajudará a garantir que as escolas de Nashua sejam lugares onde todos os alunos tenham a chance de aprender e crescer, e todos os pais tenham a oportunidade de acompanhar o progresso dos seus filhos.”
O Distrito cooperou em todas as fases da investigação e está empenhado em melhorar as suas práticas por meio deste acordo abrangente. Nos termos do Acordo, o Distrito:
- Identificará alunos aprendizes de inglês e os matriculará nas aulas apropriadas;
- Fornecerá instrução de inglês como segunda língua a todos os alunos aprendizes de inglês, incluindo alunos com deficiência, e garantirá que o Distrito tenha professores certificados suficientes para ensinar inglês como segunda língua;
- Treinará professores de disciplinas acadêmicas básicas como matemática, ciências e estudos sociais sobre como ajudar os alunos aprendizes de inglês a compreender o conteúdo de seus cursos de nível escolar;
- Treinará diretores de escolas sobre como avaliar professores de alunos aprendizes de inglês e apoiará estratégias de ensino eficazes;
- Comunicará informações essenciais relacionadas à escola em um idioma que os pais com proficiência limitada do inglês possam entender para que seus filhos possam acessar todos os programas escolares; e
- Monitorará o progresso dos alunos e avaliará a eficácia de seus programas de aprendizes de inglês ao longo do tempo.
O Departamento de Justiça monitorará a implementação do Acordo pelo Distrito por três anos letivos completos.
A aplicação da Lei de Oportunidades de Igualdade na Educação de 1974 é uma das principais prioridades da Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça. Informações adicionais sobre a Divisão de Direitos Civis do Departamento de Justiça estão disponíveis no site www.justice.gov/crt, e informações adicionais sobre o trabalho da Seção de Oportunidades Educacionais estão disponíveis em https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Os membros do público podem denunciar possíveis violações dos direitos civis em https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Minnesota Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on May 17, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Ron Carlo Carter, age 48, was sentenced to 30 days in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, a fine of $5,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on November 23, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on April 9, 2020. On that date, Carter was stopped for speeding near Mobridge, South Dakota. Carter was found in possession of a loaded 9 mm pistol, and he admitted to being an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine, making it illegal for him to possess firearms. Carter will forfeit ownership of the pistol and ammunition to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Standing Rock Agency, and the Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Miamisburg man who solicited more than 170 minors online sentenced to 25 years in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Miamisburg man was sentenced in federal court in Dayton today to 300 months in prison for attempting to coerce a minor while registered as a sex offender.
Steven Shawn Smith, 48, pleaded guilty to the crime in January 2021.
According to court documents, Smith created nine online dating profiles with the names “Sammy” and “Shaw.” From April 2020 through October 2020, Smith communicated with an undercover FBI agent posing as a minor online and by text messages. Smith requested nude images from the undercover agent on multiple occasions. The defendant also sent images of his nude genitalia to the undercover agent.
In one communication, when the undercover agent refused to send nude photos, Smith said, “I know that you don’t want to send me those pictures but I was hoping that you would understand just how much it would mean to me and how close it would bring us.”
Court documents detail that Smith discussed meeting with the purported minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and sent the officer $75 via Cash App so that the purported minor could buy a one-way bus ticket to Ohio. Smith was arrested in October 2020, shortly after sending the money to the undercover agent.
In addition to communicating with the undercover agent, Smith messaged more than 170 other online users who identified themselves as minors. He received sexually explicit images from at least 21 of the purported minors and sent nude images of himself to at least 70 users.
Smith was convicted in 1994 in Athens County Common Pleas Court of one count of rape of a child, and as a result, is required to register as a sex offender.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura I. Clemmens and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
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Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Steal Trade Secrets from Nevada Defense CompanyRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to attempting to steal trade secrets belonging to his employer, a Nevada-based defense contractor.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Peter James Cariani, 58, of Boston, was employed as a systems engineer by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC). On April 7, 2015, without authority to do so, Cariani downloaded tens of thousands of electronic files from SNC’s computer network. The files contained trade secret information related to SNC’s Radar Enhanced Vision System: a unique onboard aircraft radar sensing system that displays digital images of the ground for pilots flying in zero-visibility conditions. Cariani transferred the files to a personal external hard drive, and later transmitted information derived from the files to others for potential economic benefit. When entering his guilty plea, Cariani admitted that he knowingly downloaded trade secret information from SNC’s network and he knew his actions would harm SNC. An investigation was initiated by the FBI’s Reno branch after SNC detected (and reported) that an unauthorized electronic device had been used to download files from its computer network.
“Theft of trade secret information is a federal crime and economically destructive, depriving companies of the fruits of their creativity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Our office will continue to work closely with the FBI and Nevada businesses to hold accountable anyone trying to steal trade secret information from the innovative companies in our district, and to protect their sensitive business and technical information.”
“This case reminds all of our business partners of the need to be vigilant to prevent the insider threat from robbing them of their success,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI. “The FBI stands ready to protect businesses from those who would profit from stealing trade secrets as this case clearly shows.”
Cariani pleaded guilty to one count of attempted theft of trade secrets. U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 31, 2021.
Cariani faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Reno Resident Agency of the Las Vegas Division of the FBI with assistance from the FBI's Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Myhre and Randolph St. Clair are prosecuting the case.
A private sector entity that is a victim of a cyber incident can receive assistance from government agencies, which are prepared to investigate the incident, mitigate its consequences, and help prevent future incidents. Federal Government agencies work together to leverage their collective response expertise, apply their knowledge of cyber threats, preserve key evidence, and use their combined authorities and capabilities to minimize asset vulnerability and bring malicious actors to justice. Private sector entities are encouraged to report a cyber incident to the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
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Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mahsa Azimirad, 41, of Rockville, Maryland, pled guilty on May 24, 2021, to a federal charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme where she was paid over $813,000 by defrauding the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal Division; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C.; and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Azimirad was indicted in January 2019, along with Bilal Ahmed, the dentist who ran the dental practice, on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud, and five counts of wire fraud. Azimirad pled guilty to health care fraud, the second count of the indictment, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The remaining charges will be dismissed at sentencing. Health care fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Azimirad faces a likely range of 24 to 30 months in prison and a fine of up to $95,000. The plea agreement also calls for Azimirad to pay $813,184 in restitution and agree to entry of a $813,184 forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2021.
According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Azimirad, she was the marketing and operations manager for Universal Smiles, a dental practice, in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Through Universal Smiles, Azimirad and Ahmed, engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by defrauding D.C. Medicaid, a health care benefits program jointly funded by the federal government and the District of Columbia to provide health care services to residents who meet the income qualifying requirements. As part of the scheme, Ahmed applied to be a Medicaid provider. Once approved to bill Medicaid, Azimirad and Ahmed then billed D.C. Medicaid for thousands of provisional crowns, a significant number of which were not provided to the Medicaid patients. From August 9, 2012, through February 26, 2014, D.C. Medicaid paid Universal Smiles approximately $5.4 million for provisional crowns. Of the $5.4 million that D.C. Medicaid paid for provisional crowns, Azimirad received approximately $813,184.
The FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who defraud the D.C. Medicaid program.
The government counts on the public for tips and assistance in helping stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at (800) HHS‑TIPS [(800) 447-8477.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Dawson, Special Agent in Charge Dixon, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialist Chad Byron and Forensic Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar. Finally, they commended the work of Criminal Division Trial Attorney Gary Winters, Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise A. Simmonds, Michelle Bradford, and Lionel Andre, who prosecuted the case.
Local Man Admits Setting Fire to Pittsburgh Police Vehicle and Interfering with Law Enforcement during May 30, 2020 ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Allegheny County pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to set fire to property of an organization that receives federal funding and unlawful interference with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Christopher West, 26, of Pittsburgh, PA 15210 pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that West attended a protest march held on May 30, 2020, in the downtown Pittsburgh area. The march was related primarily to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The march in Pittsburgh began at approximately 2:30 pm on Liberty Avenue in the downtown area, and eventually finished at approximately 4:30 pm on Centre Avenue near the intersection with Washington Place above the PPG Paints Arena. At that time, many of the participants were agitated, and one of them began vandalizing a marked Pittsburgh Bureau of Police vehicle ("Unit 3212") on Centre Avenue. The crowd was thereby incited to join in vandalizing and destroying that vehicle, and eventually set fire to that vehicle. West and co-defendant Da’Jon Lengyel climbed onto Unit 3212, and then jumped up and down on the roof of the vehicle. West also sat on the roof and attempted to kick out a window of Unit 3212. Shortly thereafter, Lengyel and West, along with two white males who have not yet been identified ("WM1 and WM2") began efforts to set fire to Unit 3212. WM1 attempted to open the hood to the engine compartment but had difficulty with it. He was then joined by WM2 and West. As they were doing this, another vocal member of the crowd, who used a megaphone throughout the destruction of Unit 3212, announced to the crowd that "they are going to light the vehicle." Finally, West was able to disengage the hood’s locking mechanism. The hood of Unit 3212 was lifted, thereby exposing the engine compartment. At that point, WM1 lit a small flame with a lighter and then tossed that lighter inside the engine compartment. However, WM1’s attempt failed, and the engine compartment did not catch fire. A few minutes later, West, Lengyel, WM1 and WM2 placed pieces of cardboard and crumpled paper into Unit 3212’s passenger compartment. WM2 then leaned into the backseat area and ignited the combustible materials that had been placed there. After the fire got going, both Lengyel and WM2 continued to add more paper products to the fire, which eventually spread throughout Unit 3212 and destroyed it.
Da’Jon Lengyel is scheduled to change his plea to guilty on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for October 5, 2021 at 10:00 am The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the defendant is being detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Christopher West.
Lander Woman Sentenced for Making False Accusations of Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that RACHAEL MYLA STAGNER, of Lander, Wyoming, age 36 was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Johnson sentenced her to 21 months of imprisonment. Stagner was indicted on September 16, 2020 and later pled guilty on January 4, 2021 for making false accusations that she was sexually assaulted by a white male on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Stagner willfully reported being sexually assaulted by a white male suspect on the Wind River Indian Reservation, initiating an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Because the alleged crime happened on the Wind River Indian Reservation, the FBI has jurisdiction. During the course of the investigation, Stagner continued with her false allegations in an effort to extort money from the victim.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI take any allegation of sexual assault seriously,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray. “The resources our offices have to investigate and prosecute crimes on the Wind River Indian Reservation are limited, and false reports hinder and delay other investigations. Not to mention how actions like this belittle the crime of sexual assault and those who are true victims,” concluded Murray.
"The FBI and our law enforcement partners take seriously acts of violence and sexual assault targeting our Native American community. False claims of such crimes, in this case meant to extort the alleged perpetrator, result in the diversion of valuable law enforcement and victim service resources away from actual victims," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. "The FBI thanks our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Wind River Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff's Office, and Montana Department of Corrections - Adult Probation & Parole for their work in this matter."
Upon completion of her prison sentence Stagner will serve 36 months of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The investigation into this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry Jacobson.
Justice Department Settles with Georgia-Based Staffing Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
Note: A full copy of the settlement agreement can be viewed
here.This press release is also available in
Spanish.WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement with Pyramid Consulting Inc., an IT staffing company based in Georgia.
The settlement resolves claims that Pyramid Consulting discriminated against a new employee when it rejected his valid employment authorization documentation and requested an unnecessary extra document because he is an asylee, then fired him because he refused to comply with the company’s unlawful request.
“Employers cannot discriminate against employees based on their citizenship or immigration status by restricting the types of valid work authorization documents that employees can present, or by firing them for refusing to comply with illegal document requests,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are pleased that Pyramid Consulting will compensate the charging party for lost wages and work with the Department of Justice to ensure that the company does not impose unlawful discriminatory barriers on employees when verifying their eligibility to work.”
The department’s investigation began after an asylee filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division against Pyramid Consulting. Based on its investigation, the department concluded that during the process of verifying his employment eligibility through the Form I-9, Pyramid Consulting rejected the worker’s driver’s license and Social Security card, which are sufficient documentation for the Form I-9. The department also determined that Pyramid Consulting requested that he provide an Employment Authorization Document instead. After the worker refused, and even after he directed Pyramid Consulting to the relevant law prohibiting unfair documentary practices, Pyramid Consulting terminated his employment. Following the department’s initiation of its investigation, Pyramid Consulting rehired the worker, but only after he lost several weeks of pay.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary to establish eligibility to work based on employees’ citizenship, immigration status or national origin.
Under the terms of the settlement, Pyramid Consulting will pay a civil penalty to the United States of $5,204 and back pay of $13,920 to the worker. It will also revise its policies and procedures, ensure that relevant employees participate in training on the requirements of the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, and be subject to departmental monitoring over the term of the agreement.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation. Like U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, asylees and refugees may have several kinds of valid Form I-9 documents, and employers that request specific documents from them for the Form I-9 may be violating the law that IER enforces.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public also may contact IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688; call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with New Hampshire School District to Protect English Learner StudentsRead the Press Release
Note: A full copy of the settlement agreement can be viewed
here.This press release is also available in
Spanishand
Portuguese.
WASHINGTON – Today the Justice Department announced a settlement agreement with the Nashua School District to resolve the department’s investigation into the school district’s programs for its English learner students. The department’s investigation found widespread failures to provide these students with the instruction and support they need to learn English and participate fully in school. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire conducted the investigation under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.
“School districts must step up and give English learners the language services and supports they are entitled to under federal law. This agreement is a reminder that teachers cannot deliver those supports and services without training and resources from their district,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the law to open the doors of opportunity for all students in our nation’s schools. We commend the Nashua School District for opening those doors to its English Learners by entering into this agreement.”
“We are committed to protecting the civil rights of all students, including English language learners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley for the District of New Hampshire. “We make our communities better when our local schools serve the needs of all students and parents. This agreement will help ensure that Nashua schools are places where all students have a chance to learn and grow and all parents have an opportunity to follow their children’s progress.”
The district cooperated at every stage of the investigation and is committed to improving its practices through the comprehensive agreement. Under the agreement, the district will:
- Identify English learners and enroll them in appropriate classes;
- Provide English as a second language instruction to all English learner students, including students with disabilities, and ensure the district has enough teachers certified to teach English as a second language;
- Train teachers of academic core subjects like math, science and social studies on how to help English learner students understand the content in their grade-level courses;
- Train school principals on how to evaluate teachers of English learner students and support effective teaching strategies;
- Communicate essential school-related information in a language that Limited English Proficient parents can understand so their children can access all school programs; and
- Monitor students’ progress and evaluate the effectiveness of its English learner programs over time.
The Justice Department will monitor the district’s implementation of the settlement for three full school years.
The enforcement of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 is a top priority of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available here. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations here.
Jury Convicts Two Men for Series of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal jury convicted two men on May 21, of committing four armed robberies, including two banks and the same Starbucks coffeehouse twice.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edwin Arnold Jr., 25, of Las Vegas, and Shamariae Marshon Jones, 25, of Pasadena, Calif., robbed two banks and a Starbucks coffeehouse between December 2016 and January 2017. They stole a total of $14,280. During each robbery, Arnold brandished a handgun at employees, demanding money and threatening to shoot if they did not comply. Jones helped Arnold commit the robberies. On January 26, 2017, the FBI's Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Arnold and Jones when the two drove back to Arnold's residence immediately after committing their latest robbery.
After a five-day jury trial, Arnold and Jones were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, two counts of bank robbery, and three counts of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence. Arnold was found guilty of an additional count of interference with commerce by robbery and of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the jury trial and scheduled sentencing for August 25, 2021. Arnold and Jones each face the statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Reese and Shaheen Torgoley are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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Judges sentences Bureau of Prisons inmate busted in gun-selling sting operationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Keith Delmas Thomas to 70 months in prison today. The 30-year-old St. Louis County, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In February 2020, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information from a source that Thomas, a Bureau of Prisons’ inmate, and his brother (Leonard Thomas) were attempting to purchase fully automatic firearms. The brothers negotiated a deal to purchase multiple firearms and Glock switches from undercover ATF agents in exchange for cash and methamphetamine. Thomas arranged a deal via telephone and his co-defendant met with agents. Both were arrested and multiple firearms and drugs were seized. Leonard Thomas pleaded guilty, last week, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“The ATF has no greater mission than keeping firearms out of the hands of violent criminals. This case not only demonstrates the lengths to which criminals will go to acquire firearms, but more importantly, ATF’s expertise and commitment to investigating such violations of federal law,” said Frederic Winston, Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division, ATF. “In partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those who disregard the safety of our communities to justice.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Behrens is handling the case.
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Houston Man Sentenced for Tyler County ATM Burglary AttemptRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Aaron Lakeefe Rubins, 33, pleaded guilty on Jan. 14, 2021 to bank burglary and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale. Rubins was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,729.66.
“As if attempting to rob an ATM was not bad enough, the high-speed chase that this defendant and his co-conspirators engaged in endangered the lives of law enforcement and the public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Thankfully, law enforcement was able to bring the situation to a conclusion without any injury or loss of life.”
According to information presented in court, on March 4, 2020, law enforcement officers were alerted to an attempted theft of an ATM at the First National Bank in Woodville. A 911 caller reported a passenger car parked at an intersection just east of the bank with its hazard lights on and another car blocking an intersection just west of the bank. Additionally, a truck pulled into the bank’s parking lot and proceeded to back up to an ATM machine. Bank surveillance video shows the truck dragging a chain and three subjects exiting the truck, one with a crowbar.
Although the subjects were able to open the ATM and attach a chain to it, the truck was not able to drag away the ATM. The subjects then got into a getaway car and a high-speed chase ensued that continued into Polk County, where spike strips were deployed. The car struck a tree as it attempted to avoid the strips and two of the passengers ran away. However, the rear seat passenger was taken into custody and identified as Aaron Lakeefe Rubins. Rubins was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 3, 2020, and charged with federal violations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.
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High-Ranking Nuestra Familia Gang Member Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Leading a Drug Trafficking Ring from Inside Pleasant Valley State PrisonRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Salvador Castro Jr., 51, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 17 years and six months in prison for conspiring to sell over 500 grams of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Castro was one of more than 50 individuals charged in June 2019 as part of Operation Red Reaper, a federal, state, and local law enforcement operation targeted at dismantling the criminal activities of the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang in the counties of Kings and Tulare. At the conclusion of the operation, federal charges were brought against 23 of those defendants, with the remaining being charged by the local District Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, Castro is a high-ranking Nuestra Familia prison gang member, who was serving a 26-year-to-life sentence for a third-strike offense. In 2019, from inside his cell in Pleasant Valley State Prison, Castro used contraband cellphones to organize and lead a group of Norteno street gang members in Kings and Tulare Counties. Castro recruited gang members, encouraged them to commit robberies, and coordinated the transportation, delivery, and resale of pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 12, 2021. Judge Drozd ordered that his federal sentence be served consecutive to the state sentence he had been serving when he committed the offense.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kings County Gang Task Force, the Special Operations Unit of the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio, Katherine E. Schuh, and Kimberly A. Sanchez are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Harrison County men admit to meth distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Edward Denkenberger, Jr., of Shinnston, West Virginia, and James Lee Audia, II, of Reynoldsville, have admitted today to drug charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Denkenberger, 35, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute of Fifty Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” He admitted to having 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in October 2019 in Harrison County.
Audia, 51, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Audia admitted to selling five grams or more of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in November 2019 in Harrison County.
Denkenberger faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and fine of up to $10,000,000. Audia faces at least five and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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 Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Harrison County man admits to his involvement in bank robberyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Blaine Allen Ash, of Bristol, West Virginia, has admitted to his involvement in the robbery of Summit Community Bank in November 2020, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Ash, 37, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Accessory After the Fact – Bank Robbery.” Ash admitted to assisting Clinton Monroe Utter with concealing his involvement in the robbery of the bank. Utter is accused of robbing the Summit Community Bank in Salem, West Virginia, of $69,100 on November 17, 2020. (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/harrison-county-man-indicted-bank-robbery)
Ash is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $125,000. 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 Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grant County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jay Jay William Hedrick, of Petersburg West Virginia, was sentenced today to 25 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Hedrick, age 44, pleaded guilty in December 2020 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Hedrick, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol, and a .17 caliber rifle in June 2020 in Grant County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grant County man sentenced for firearms and fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Aaron Roy, of Maysville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to a total of 120 months of incarceration for firearms and drug charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Roy, 36, pled guilty in December 2020 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Roy, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, is also accused of having a .380 caliber pistol in January 2020 in Grant County.
In a separate case, Roy pleaded guilty in December 2020 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least Forty Grams of Fentanyl—Aiding and Abetting.” Roy admitted to working with others to distribute as least 40 grams of fentanyl in January 2020 in Hardy County. A fatal dose of fentanyl is between two and three milligrams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated the firearms case. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated the drug case. The task force includes the FBI, West Virginia State Police, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grand Jury - May 2021Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan W. Sharp announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 20 unsealed Indictments charging 21 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Andrew Isaac Abrams, age 41, of Tucson, Arizona, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Counts one through four charge the defendant with transmission of an interstate communication containing a threat to injure the person of another on or about April 23, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Alberto Inocente Argueta Cordova, age 29, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about April 19, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Bobby Joe Baer, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Baer with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about January 13, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, a four-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with use and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about January 13, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Tyler Caudill, age 19, of Phillips, Nebraska, is charged with unlawful user in possession of a firearm on or about May 4, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Elmer Moises De La Rosa-Juares, age 42, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about September 4, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Matias Garcia-Paiz, age 49, is charged in a six-count Indictment. Count I charges Garcia-Paiz with aggravated identity theft on or about June 5, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ consecutive imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with bank fraud, on or about June 5, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years’ imprisonment, $1,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Garcia-Paiz with false claim of citizenship on or about September 2, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 3 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges the defendant with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about September 2, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Garcia-Paiz with use of immigration document not lawfully issued on or about September 2, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges the defendant with reentry of a removed alien on or about April 30, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Leslie J. Graber, age 33, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Graber with felon in possession of a firearm on or about August 13, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with possession of a stolen firearm on or about August 13, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Amber Lewis, age 38, of Pawnee City, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Lewis with forgery, counterfeiting in relation to money orders beginning on or about June 5, 2020, and June 17, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count. Count II charges the defendant with forgery, counterfeiting in relation to money orders beginning on or about June 5, 2020, and June 24, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count. Count III charges the defendant with forgery, counterfeiting in relation to money orders beginning on or about June 29, 2020, The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Antonio Lopez Paiz, a/k/a Eduardo Garcia Zayas, a/k/a Eduardo Jose Garcia Zayas a/k/a Anthony Alexander Lopez age 33, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about April 28, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Juan Carlos Lopez-Balbuena, age 42, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about September 4, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Paw Moo, age 28, of Omaha, is charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods or services beginning on or about October, 2020, and continuing to on or about March 23, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $2,000,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count. There is also an allegation to forfeit United States currency seized on or about February 23, 2021.
* Brandon L. Parmentier, age 31, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Parmentier with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about September 11, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with possession of a firearm by a felon on or about April 2, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Arash Patrick Rasti, age 36, and Rodolfo Perez, age 24, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the Rasti and Perez with conspiracy to distribute to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 17, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendants with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 17, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendants with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime on or about February 17, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Eric C. Saul, age 37, of Omaha, is charged with possession of a ammunition by prohibited person on or about May 3, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Juan Manuel Serrano-Romo, age 42, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about May 6, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Lawrence A. Smith, age 27, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about August, 2020 continuing to on or about May 19, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, life term of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and $5,000 additional special assessment.
* Prince L. Spellman, age 37, of Omaha, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Spellman with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, PCP and fentanyl on or about March 9, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, $1,000,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about March 9, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 9, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Robert Sullivan, age 44, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Sullivan with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about January 26, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, a four-year term of supervised release, $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with felon in possession of a firearm on or about January 26, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* David Wesley Swanson, age 36, of Wahoo, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about July 7, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $20,000,000 fine, an eight-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Shaquille A. Thornhill, age 27, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with coercion and enticement of a minor beginning on or about April 15, 2021 through on or about May 11, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Granby Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Granby man was sentenced on Friday, May 21, 2021 in federal court in Springfield for child exploitation offenses.
Jonathan Monson, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 40 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. In October 2020, Monson was convicted by a federal jury of four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
At trial, the evidence established that Monson produced sexually explicit images and videos of a child on four occasions in 2017 and 2018. The images and videos were later found on his cell phone. In addition, in June 2017, Monson distributed additional child pornography files to a group on social media. In fact, Monson was trading child pornography videos on social media at 3:30 in the morning with another user, just a few hours before federal agents executed a search warrant at his home. Agents found additional child pornography files on Monson’s phone as a result of the search.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Kurt R. Erskine; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Granby Police Chief Alan Wishart made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Brandon Quane Hudson, 36, of Macon, Georgia was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as crack, and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hudson will serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, on August 20, 2019, members of the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Hudson’s residence in Huntington and located approximately 17.41 grams of cocaine base, also known as crack, and four grams of methamphetamine. Hudson, also known as “Blade” and “Blazer,” admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and crack for money. Officers also located a Ruger EC9s, 9mm pistol and 8 rounds of 9mm ammunition, which Hudson admitted were in his possession. Hudson knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Cremeans handled the prosecution.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
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. 3:20-cr-00093.
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Gardena Man Sentenced to 13½ Years in Prison for Defrauding Lenders by Setting up Sham Companies with Bogus ‘Directors’Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Gardena man was sentenced today to 162 months in federal prison for running a multi-year scam in which he fraudulently obtained nearly $1 million in business loans by setting up shell corporations – complete with people paid to pose as fake corporate “officers” – that deceived small business lenders into believing they were legitimate companies.
Troy Rustill Stroud, 54, of Gardena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who also ordered him to pay $968,169 in restitution.
Stroud pleaded guilty in August 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He has been in federal custody since his arrest in this matter in May 2020.
Stroud created several corporations that purported to be in business, but in fact did none. The sham businesses included kitchen remodeling companies Glorious Oak Company and Glossy Grape Investments Inc., and Polished Pine Group, an audio-visual company, according to court documents. Stroud applied for business loans from at least 22 financial institutions and used the names of 14 companies in doing so, court documents state.
Stroud conducted a series of transfers from bank accounts in some of his corporations’ names to those held in other names to make it appear that the sham corporations were engaging in business.
Stroud paid other people to pretend to be officers of his corporations, and then he used the names of those “officers” to apply online for business loans for his sham companies. Stroud falsely reported that the shell companies had substantial revenues when in fact they had none.
When Stroud received the loan proceeds, he used them to pay for his personal expenses, and defaulted on the loans immediately or after a payment or two. Stroud admitted that his scheme to defraud lenders caused $968,169 in actual losses.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Gabriel Mata, 27, of Fresno, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2020, Mata, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson .40‑caliber semi-automatic pistol. Mata has three prior felony convictions, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm: two 2017 Fresno County Superior Court felony convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle or vessel and a 2015 Fresno County Superior Court felony conviction for carrying a loaded firearm in public.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Jean Berger prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Disabled Veteran Out of Life SavingsRead the Press Release
A Fort Dodge woman who used a power of attorney to defraud an elderly disabled veteran out of more than $120,000 was sentenced May 21, 2021, to more than two years in federal prison.
Janice Kay Jurgensen, age 40, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 22, 2020 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
In a plea agreement and at the sentencing hearing, Jurgensen admitted that, in 2018 and 2019, she stole the life savings of an elderly resident of a nursing home. The victim suffered from significant cognitive and physical disabilities due to dementia and a severe stroke. The nursing home resident was a veteran who had served in the Army and was stationed in Germany for a time. The victim had lived frugally during his lifetime and was related to Jurgensen.
In 2018, Jurgensen hired a lawyer to draft a power of attorney for her victim, which purported to appoint Jurgensen as the victim’s attorney-in-fact with complete authority to manage his financial affairs. The victim ostensibly signed the power of attorney form despite his disabilities. The form stated Jurgensen was not entitled to any compensation and could not make any gifts to herself. After obtaining the power of attorney, however, Jurgensen used a debit card linked to her victim’s bank account to make purchases for her own benefit, including food, gas, teacher union fees, “wonder nails,” and a dating website. As a result of Jurgensen’s crime, her victim lost his life savings and was unable to pay for his nursing home care.
Jurgensen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jurgensen was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $122,351.93 in restitution to her victim’s conservator. She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Jurgensen callously stole her elderly victim’s life savings. The sentence she received reflects the seriousness of her crime,” Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry stated. “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who target the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
In 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of ten districts in the nation to form an Elder Justice Task Force (http://go.usa.gov/cSngj). The task force was assembled to foster a collaborative working relationship among all levels of government officials, advocacy groups for the elderly and the disabled, and others charged with the care and protection for these vulnerable groups. The goals include ensuring the integrity of all government expenditures by eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in health programs, and protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens from harm, whether it occurs in nursing homes or other institutions or involves financial fraud schemes. To learn more about the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/
Jurgensen was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal’s Service on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-3051.
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Former UC Davis Veterinarian Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jack Ray Snyder, 63, of Wellington, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to six months in prison, six months home detention, and a $30,000 fine for tax evasion, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Snyder was also ordered to pay $134,497 in restitution.
According to court documents, Snyder underreported his income in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and deducted items that were not deductible between 2011 and 2014, resulting in an additional tax liability of approximately $134,497.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
Former NGO Procurement Official Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former non-governmental organization (NGO) official was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for paying bribes to NGO officers in exchange for sensitive procurement information related to NGO contracts funded in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to court documents, from January 2011 through December 2016, Ernest Halilov, 43, a citizen of Turkmenistan, coordinated a bid-rigging scheme to bid on contracts procured by NGOs and funded by USAID, to support the agency’s response to various humanitarian crises. These contracts were for the procurement of food and supplies that would ultimately be provided to those affected by various humanitarian crises, including refugees displaced by the conflict in Syria. Specifically, Halilov bribed two NGO officers in order to obtain confidential procurement information, such as bid evaluation information, specifications and internal vendor rankings. In turn, Halilov would provide this information to his preferred companies in exchange for kickbacks, ensuring that the companies had an advantage over other bidders, thus increasing their ability to win NGO-procured contracts. Halilov also admitted that he instructed a witness to lie to law enforcement agents and destroy emails related to the investigation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; and Acting Inspector General Thomas J. Ullom for the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) made the announcement.
USAID-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Laura Connelly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical investigative assistance in securing Halilov’s extradition from Ukraine. The Department of Justice also appreciates the significant cooperation and assistance provided by authorities in the Ukraine.
Former NGO Procurement Official Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
A former non-governmental organization (NGO) official was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for paying bribes to NGO officers in exchange for sensitive procurement information related to NGO contracts funded in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to court documents, from January 2011 through December 2016, Ernest Halilov, 43, a citizen of Turkmenistan, coordinated a bid-rigging scheme to bid on contracts procured by NGOs and funded by USAID, to support the agency’s response to various humanitarian crises. These contracts were for the procurement of food and supplies that would ultimately be provided to those affected by various humanitarian crises, including refugees displaced by the conflict in Syria. Specifically, Halilov bribed two NGO officers in order to obtain confidential procurement information, such as bid evaluation information, specifications and internal vendor rankings. In turn, Halilov would provide this information to his preferred companies in exchange for kickbacks, ensuring that the companies had an advantage over other bidders, thus increasing their ability to win NGO-procured contracts. Halilov also admitted that he instructed a witness to lie to law enforcement agents and destroy emails related to the investigation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; and Acting Inspector General Thomas J. Ullom for the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) made the announcement.
USAID-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Laura Connelly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical investigative assistance in securing Halilov’s extradition from Ukraine. The Department of Justice also appreciates the significant cooperation and assistance provided by authorities in the Ukraine.
Former Erie City Council President Sentenced for Defrauding the Non-Profit She Founded to Cover Her Gambling and Personal ExpensesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - The former president of Erie City Council and founder of an Erie non-profit organization has been sentenced in federal court to one year and a day in prison on her conviction of wire fraud and false writing or document to the government, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Sonya Arrington, 54, of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Arrington diverted funds donated to Mothers Against Teen Violence (MATV), a non-profit organization she created to help prevent violence among teenagers, to pay for her gambling and personal expenses. Specifically, from December 2011 to March 2018, Arrington engaged in a scheme to defraud MATV of at least $70,000. She solicited donations from individuals and entities in person and by email; received donations to MATV in cash and checks payable to MATV and deposited a portion of the donations into MATV bank accounts and kept a portion in cash for herself; and did not deposit cash but kept cash donations for herself. She also used the debit card for the MATV bank accounts to make purchases unrelated to the organization’s purposes, for things like personal items of clothing, groceries, car washes and food at restaurants; used the debit card for MATV to pay personal bills for T-Mobile, State Farm, First Energy and others; and deposited checks to MATV into personal bank accounts and kept a portion for personal use.
Further, on at least 113 occasions from April 2012 to January 2018, Arrington used the MATV debit card to withdraw MATV funds at Presque Isle Downs & Casino. She would also on occasion leave the casino to travel to a nearby Sheetz for the purpose of using the MATV debit card to withdraw MATV funds and then immediately return to the casino to gamble with those funds. Arrington also fraudulently received approximately $29,558 in Social Security disability benefits and submitted a document to the Social Security Administration that contained a false statement which falsely claimed that she had submitted wage documentation to the Social Security Administration.
"Sonya Arrington solicited donations for a non-profit organization she founded, Mothers Against Teen Violence, only to steal over $70,000 of the funds to take vacations, pay her bills, and support her gambling habit," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. "We will continue to pursue and prosecute individuals, including those in positions of public trust, who steal money that doesn’t belong to them and divert it to personal use."
"Ms. Arrington treated her non-profit organization like it was her personal bank account," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. "Her greed and selfishness
shortchanged the community’s efforts to help prevent teen violence. Ms. Arrington knew the importance of this charity’s efforts in the community since she was a public servant and a mom who lost a child to violence. The FBI will always hold people accountable who are foolish enough to believe they are above the law and won’t get caught."
"My office will continue to aggressively pursue those who defraud or attempt to defraud the Social Security Administration’s benefit programs," Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General of the Social Security Administration. "I want to thank the FBI for their collaboration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of this investigation and its efforts."
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone noted the impact on other charitable giving because of her actions.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Arrington.
Essex County Man Charged with Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was charged in connection with possessing a firearm, several rounds of ammunition, as well as controlled substances with the intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
John A. Fuller, 31, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He made his initial appearance today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In August 2020, law officers observed Fuller conduct several narcotics transactions from his residence. On Oct. 3, 2020, law enforcement officers executed search warrants for Fuller’s residence and vehicle and recovered a handgun loaded with an extended magazine containing 31 rounds of ammunition, a box containing additional rounds of ammunition, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, packaging material, and $405.
The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison – which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited members of the Irvington Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Police Chief Francis Pignatelli; deputy marshals with the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of New Jersey, under the supervision of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest.
This case is a part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensured that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.