Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 21 May 2021
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Serve 220 Months for Child Enticement and Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Anthony Miceli, age 28, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced in United States District Court on May 19, 2021 to serve 220 months in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and traveling to engage in illicit sexual activity, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Thomas J. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Miceli admitted that from January 25, 2020 through February 3, 2020, he communicated with an undercover officer he believed was the parent of two young children, and that through the undercover officer acting as the parent of the children, he knowingly attempted to persuade, induce, entice or coerce an 8 year old female child and a 5 year old female child to engage in unlawful sexual activity with him. Miceli further admitted that on February 3, 2020, he traveled from Pennsylvania to the Northern District of New York to meet and engage in sexual acts with both children.
Senior United States District Court Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Miceli is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Miceli will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Grabowski.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Palatka Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of PharmaciesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Arsenio Dennis (31, Palatka) to 22 years in federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Dennis to pay $46,236 in restitution, and to forfeit a firearm and ammunition that were seized during the investigation.
Dennis had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2021.
According to court documents, between August 2017 and March 2018, several pharmacies in the Middle District of Florida were robbed in a similar manner. The robbers wore disguises or other clothing to conceal their identity, used firearms to rob the pharmacists, took prescription opioids, and used local drug dealers to sell the pills. Investigators determined that several coconspirators had planned and committed the robberies, and Dennis was involved in at least three of them.
In August 2017, Dennis robbed pharmacies in Tampa and Lakeland. On both occasions, he entered the pharmacy, jumped over the counter, pointed a firearm at the pharmacist’s head and demanded opioids. He then took bottles containing prescription opioid pills and put them in a bag. Dennis ordered the pharmacists to lay on the ground and count to 1,000, then walked out of the store.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Apopka Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Orchard Park Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man with ties to the Orchard Park housing development in Roxbury pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug trafficking charges.
Lyndon Scott, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Sept. 14, 2021. Scott was indicted in October 2019.
In September 2019, investigators conducted a search of Scott’s vehicle and recovered approximately 17 grams of crack cocaine packaged for sale and a Taurus 9 millimeter pistol loaded with 13 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition from a hidden compartment in the center console of his car. Additional drug trafficking paraphernalia was recovered from Scott’s apartment. At the time of his arrest, Scott was on supervised release for a 2017 federal conviction for cocaine distribution.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Pursuant to Scott’s plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of between 117 and 131 months in prison. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; and Acting Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Operation Second Wave Update: Four Defendants Appear in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Four men charged as a result of a long-term investigation known as “Second Wave” appeared in federal court this week. Jason Michael Terrell, 37, of Mount Carbon was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Ronald Lee Thomas, III, 29, of Charleston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Roger Jarea Drake, 32, of Charleston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and Craig Redman, 42, of Kimberly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records and statements made at plea and sentencing hearings in the case, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking organization operating in Charleston and the upper Kanawha Valley from at least August 2018 until the federal arrests on August 26, 2020. Terrell was identified as a multi-pound methamphetamine dealer operating in and around Montgomery. Larry Martin and Roger Drake were multi-pound methamphetamine dealers operating in and around Charleston. Martin also distributed large quantities of marijuana during the time of the conspiracy. Terrell and Drake, accompanied by Tonya Simerly traveled to Columbus, Ohio in March 2020 where they met Rashawn Miller who connected them with a supplier who sold them approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Martin had other sources of supply and provided methamphetamine or marijuana to Drake and Thomas, among others. Terrell supplied methamphetamine to dealers in the upper Kanawha Valley including Craig Redman, Carol Belton, and Jimmy Coleman.
When they are sentenced in September, Thomas faces up to five years, Redman faces up to 20 years, and Drake faces 10 years to life in federal prison.
Martin, Belton, and Miller have entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. Sammy Joe Fragale, Sr. pled guilty in December 2019 to distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing in June. Jimmy Coleman was sentenced last month to three years in federal prison. Gregory Woods was sentenced in February to 184 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and violating the terms of his federal supervised release.
Tonya Simerly and Steven Bumpus are scheduled to plead guilty to their roles in the drug trafficking organization next week.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of all the law enforcement agencies involved in the case. The long-term investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (CWVDTF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00045 (Miller), 2:20-cr-00153 (Woods), 2:20-cr-00184 (Fragale Sr.), 2:20-cr-00176 (Fragale, Jr.), 2:21-cr-00064 (Bumpus), and 2:20-cr-00154 (Terrell et al).
###
Ocala Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Corey Andrew Carnegie (34, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics, including 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Carnegie had been indicted on September 2, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on November 26, 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement officers searched a vehicle that Carnegie had been driving and found nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine. During the execution of a search warrant of Carnegie’s cellphone, agents found evidence that Carnegie had been operating a marijuana grow operation at another residence. When that home was searched pursuant to a search warrant in December 2020, agents located numerous firearms and ammunition and nearly half a kilogram of powder cocaine. Agents also located the marijuana grow operation in a shed behind the home.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Monongalia County man sentenced for role in firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandon J. Martino, of Wadestown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years of probation for his role in a firearms conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Martino, age 26, pled guilty in January 2021 to one count of “False Statement During Attempted Purchase of Firearm.” Martino admitted to falsifying documents to illegally purchase a 9mm pistol in May 2018 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Mexican Woman Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
Maria Manzo-Melchor, age 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on January 21, 2021, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony.
In a plea agreement, Manzo-Melchor admitted she had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Manzo-Melchor was deported in November 2008 following a conviction in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County for forgery, an aggravated felony, for using a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “Green” card. In September 2020, Manzo-Melchor came to the attention of immigration agents following her arrest for Domestic Abuse Assault and Reckless Use of Fire or Explosives in Black Hawk County, Iowa. These charges are still pending in state court.
Manzo-Melchor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Manzo-Melchor was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Manzo-Melchor is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2047.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican National Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. - A Mexican national was sentenced today to 10 months in prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi; Diane Witte, Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement & Removal Operations in New Orleans; and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Cano-Elvira, 34, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was being held by Jones County officials on a state charge after his arrest for felony domestic violence. On September 7, 2020, Jones County deputies had been dispatched to a domestic disturbance at Cano-Elvira’s residence. When deputies arrived, they were told Cano-Elvira had a rifle in the residence. Cano-Elvira fled on foot, and deputies found a Remington, Model 597, .22 caliber rifle, readily accessible in the unlocked closet of his bedroom. Deputies confiscated the firearm, and Cano-Elvira was arrested the following day when he surrendered to deputies at his residence. The Remington rifle later was turned over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
As part of the investigation, Cano-Elvira’s fingerprints were scanned into Homeland Security databases. A positive match of his fingerprints was made with prior immigration records including fingerprints and photographs, and he was identified as a removed alien. A removal order had been issued, and Cano-Elvira had been removed from the U.S. to Mexico in April 2014. Thereafter, he illegally reentered the United States and was encountered by Homeland Security officials, on May 3, 2014. His original order of removal was reinstated, and he was again physically removed from the United States to Mexico on May 31, 2014. At the time of his last removal in 2014, Cano-Elvira was prohibited from entering the U.S. for 20 years.
Cano-Elvira was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Taylor B. McNeel in Hattiesburg to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also may face Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings. He pled guilty to the charge on February 4, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca praised the coordination of ICE and the Jones County Sheriff’s Department who investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Financial Scams Using Online Dating SitesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Leonardtown, Maryland man pleaded guilty today to mail fraud in connection with an online dating site romance scam.
“Through his use of fictitious personas, the defendant’s fraudulent scheme preyed on members of our community who thought they were helping a servicemember with significant financial needs,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, we will continue to hold accountable those who use online forums to defraud victims.”
According to court documents, beginning in December 2014 and continuing through at least January 2018, Eugene Johnson Jr., 39, used online dating sites to establish romantic connections with various women. In these communications, Johnson used aliases and made other false claims about his identity, frequently describing himself as a U.S. Marine with a son whose mother had died. When purporting to establish a romantic relationship with his victims, Johnson claimed that he wanted to marry each victim, buy a house with her, and raise his son and any children they might have together.
Shortly thereafter, Johnson would ask the victims to send him money for various pressing financial needs. Although his claims varied, they generally involved some form of car, financial, legal, or health problems about which Johnson claimed to be very emotional. To bolster these claims, Johnson sent the victims text messages from different phone numbers in which he posed as individuals who could corroborate his prior claims. Johnson also falsely promised to repay the victims from income sources that he did not actually possess.
When victims agreed to send him money, Johnson directed them to do so via interstate wire transfers and bulk cash shipments. Thereafter, Johnson continued to ask the same victims for more money to meet other claimed needs until the victims exhausted their own resources, refused, or questioned the truth of his claims. In total, Johnson obtained at least $276,361 from at least eight women residing in three different states. Contrary to his claims and promises, Johnson used the victims’ money to pay personal debts and expenses and never repaid any of the victims.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather H. Mansfield and Kaitlin G. Cooke are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-45.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 252 Months for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Glen Lanchester, 53, of Manchester, was sentenced to 252 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2018, the Manchester Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. They seized various electronic devices that contained child pornography. The defendant later admitted that he had previously used spy cameras which he placed in the bathroom of his apartment to film minor girls using the bathroom and showering. He used these to create child pornography of at least two minor victims. Minor Victim #1, who is now an adult, viewed one of the images found on the defendant’s computer and identified herself as being approximately seven or eight years old at the time it was taken. The image of Minor Victim #1 constitutes child pornography.
Lanchester previously pleaded guilty on October 8, 2020.
“By filming young children to create pornography, this defendant committed a horrific crime that cannot be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Not only is the crime itself disturbing, but it can have a lasting impact on the young victims whose innocence was stolen. This lengthy sentence helps to protect other children from being victimized. This case also demonstrates the New Hampshire law enforcement community’s ongoing commitment to identifying and prosecuting child predators.”
“We welcome today’s sentence of Lanchester, whose actions represented a real threat to the community.” said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent In Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “There’s no crime more disturbing than the sexual exploitation of children, especially through production of pornographic materials, which only adds to the level of victimization in these cases. HSI is grateful for the solid teamwork of our partners in the Manchester Police Department and the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire for ensuring that a measure of justice for the victims was achieved in this case.”
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Boston and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
###
Man from Gallup arraigned on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Armando Segovia, 31, of Gallup, New Mexico, was arraigned today in federal court on an indictment charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child who had not attained the age of 12. A federal grand jury indicted Segovia on April 14. Segovia will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 24.
According to the indictment, on or about July 1, 2016, and Nov. 1, 2016, Segovia, who is non-Indian, allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the victim, identified in court records as Jane Doe, in Indian Country in McKinley County, New Mexico. The victim is an Indian by law.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Segovia faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI investigated this case jointly with the Gallup Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Van Deventer is prosecuting the case.
Man with a “Long-Term Relationship with Lawlessness” Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A man who has a lengthy criminal history and possessed a loaded gun and drugs was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Zaire Young, age 34, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 7, 2020 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Young admitted he possessed a firearm after felony convictions for possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute, drug tax stamp, and eluding. Evidence in the case showed that Young was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement in May 2020. Officers found a loaded gun inside the car. Young admitted possessing the gun. He also had marijuana in his pocket.
In a previous written order, the court described Young as having a “long-term relationship with lawlessness—spanning more than two decades.” The court also noted that prior to his federal charge, Young had “willfully flouted the law, disregarded authority, and disobeyed the orders of every court he has appeared before.”
Young was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Young was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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 /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Young is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-cr-2040.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced for Impersonating Homeland Security AgentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Holly Springs man was sentenced today to one year of probation for impersonating an agent of the Department of Homeland Security. On February 19, 2021, Allen David Reinemund pled guilty to a one count criminal information charging him with Impersonation of an Officer or Employee of the United States. Reinemund was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Allen David Reinemund, 58, was operating a 1965 Shelby Cobra on US 401 in Fuquay-Varina, when he was stopped by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for speeding 80-mph in a 50-mph zone. When asked for his license, Reinemund told the trooper he “was on the job” and stated he worked for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in an effort to avoid a speeding ticket.
The trooper ultimately arrested Reinemund for impersonation and speeding. Doubling-down, Reinemund presented the Wake County District Attorney’s Office a photograph of a HSI ballistic vest with his name and badge indicting that he was an agent of HSI, in an effort to have his state charges dismissed.
HSI agents were contacted and obtained sufficient information to obtain a search warrant for the residence of Reinemund. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized an HSI badge, a ballistic vest, and other law enforcement paraphernalia from Reinemund’ s home.
“Impersonating a federal agent is a serious crime, one that is not victimless and harms law enforcement officers’ ability to protect the public from scam artists and others who exploit people’s fear for no other reason than to enrich themselves,” said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“Playing cops and robbers is a game best left to kids, because impersonating a special agent is a serious crime that has even more serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina. “The officers and agents of HSI work hard every day to protect this country and imposters, committing crimes and ruining our reputation, will not be tolerated.”
Mr. Acker made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Homeland Security Investigations, HSI, Office of Professional Responsibility, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-15-M.
Man Pleads Guilty to Murder on Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians pleaded guilty today to the 2017 murder of a female tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and Michelle Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, on July 1, 2017, Stuart Brian Nickey, 37, of the Bogue Homa Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, beat his tribal member girlfriend in the face with his fists which resulted in her death.
A federal grand jury in September of 2017 indicted Nickey on the charge of murder in the second degree. Nickey pleaded guilty to the indictment and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Lynn Murray.
Macon County, Tennessee Resolves ADA Complaint over Courthouse Access for A Disabled Individual with A Service DogRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Macon County, Tennessee has resolved a complaint that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying a disabled individual accompanied by a service dog access to a public court proceeding, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The ADA prohibits disabled individuals with service dogs from being treated differently than non-disabled individuals in all manners of access to public facilities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stewart. “We appreciate the prompt attention by Macon County to resolve these issues and ensure that all individuals with disabilities have equal access to the courthouse and that Macon County complies with the ADA.”
In December 2020, an individual with a disability recognized under the ADA attempted to enter the Macon County Courthouse in Lafayette, Tennessee, with a service dog to attend a public court proceeding. The Macon County General Sessions Judge would not allow the service dog to be permitted in his courtroom. Although Macon County received a complaint about the incident, no resolution was reached. The complaint was then brought to the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate whether an ADA violation occurred.
To resolve the complaint, Macon County entered into a Letter of Resolution whereby it agreed to post signage in the entry area to the courthouse and on the court’s public website indicating that service dogs are permitted in the courthouse. Macon County also will provide training to courthouse employees on the ADA and distribute DOJ guidance on allowing access to individuals with service dogs.
The Letter of Resolution does not constitute a finding by the United States that Macon County is in full compliance with the ADA, nor does it constitute an admission by Macon County of fault or noncompliance with the ADA.
General information about the ADA, is available through the ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (voice), 800-514-0383 (TTY), or on the ADA homepage at www.ada.gov. If you believe your civil rights have been violated, including ADA rights, you may submit a report to the Department of Justice at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anica C. Jones and Kara F. Sweet represented the United States in this matter.
# # # # #
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms After Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lincoln man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Matthew Cole, 34, to time served and three years of supervised release. Cole has been in federal custody since November 19, 2020. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2021.
According to court records, in May 2020, law enforcement officers were called to Cole’s home after a family fight complaint. While on scene, officers learned that Cole had recently possessed two firearms—a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and a shotgun. After obtaining a search warrant, officers found the shotgun in Cole’s bedroom. Officers found Cole about two miles away from his residence. He admitted that he had thrown a handgun while he was walking and directed troopers to the gun on the ground. During a subsequent interview, Cole admitted that he owned the handgun. He stated that he purchased the gun two or three years earlier. Cole was prohibited from possessing firearms following a 2018 conviction for Domestic Violence Assault in Penobscot County.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Kemah Man Sentenced for Liberty County Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Kemah man has been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jimmy James Mamoth, Jr., 59, pleaded guilty on July 13, 2020, to attempted bank robbery and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Sep. 27, 2019, a witness observed Mamoth approach the entrance to the Texas First Bank in Hull, Texas, wearing a dark hooded jacket, gloves, a Halloween-style mask on his face, and carrying a duffle bag. The witness honked his vehicle’s horn to draw attention to Mamoth, who subsequently fled into the nearby woods. Law enforcement was able to locate and arrest Mamoth, and from him recovered an Airsoft-style replica gun meant to resemble a Beretta 9mm pistol. Mamoth was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 9, 2019.
As part of his plea agreement, Mamoth admitted his participation in a string of other robberies and attempted robberies, specifically, the robbery of the Arbor 8 movie theater in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2019; an attempted robbery of the Benchmark Bank in West Lake Hills, Texas, on June 4, 2019; the robbery of the Broadway Bank in Wimberley, Texas, on June 19, 2019; and the robbery of the First National Bank of Hughes Springs in Kilgore, Texas, on June 28, 2019.
“The brave actions of this witness not only stopped the bank robbery, but also put an end to the Defendant’s violent crime spree,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “We applaud this citizen’s courage and quick thinking and extend our sincere thanks on behalf of law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Beaumont Resident Agency, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Austin Police Department, the West Lake Hills Police Department, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Rapp and Rachel Grove.
###
KCK Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 2,600 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kansas, man who was a leader of a $56 million criminal enterprise was sentenced in federal court today for his role in the conspiracy that distributed more than 2,600 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area.
Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon, also known as “Uncle” or “Rambo,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Armendariz-Rascon to forfeit to the government more than $56 million, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
On Jan. 22, 2020, Armendariz-Rascon pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to money laundering. Armendariz-Rascon admitted that he purchased and distributed 10 to 15 kilograms of powder cocaine per week for a period of about four years.
Armendariz-Rascon was in charge of coordinating the transportation of loads of cocaine from the El Paso, Texas, area to the Kansas City metropolitan area for distribution. Armendariz-Rascon would then coordinate the collection of bulk cash that was sent back to El Paso as payment for the cocaine.
Armendariz-Rascon is among 13 defendants convicted in this case, of whom 12 have now been sentenced. Howard Christopher Walters, also known as “Chris,” 43, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was sentenced on April 21, 2021, to 25 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Co-defendant Otilio Zaragoza-Navarrette, 64, of El Paso, delivered cocaine to Jose Armendariz-Rascon as well as to co-defendants Miguel Armendariz-Rascon, 33, a citizen of Mexico residing in Olathe, Kan., and Jesus Salvador Campoy-Estrada, also known as “Chava” and “Chavita,” 26, of Kansas City, Kan. Zaragoza-Navarrette and Miguel Armendariz-Rascon have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. Campoy-Estrada pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
Zaragoza-Navarette also transported illicit drug proceeds from the drug-trafficking organization back to Texas and/or to Mexico. Zaragoza-Navarrette hid the cocaine and/or the cash proceeds inside of five-gallon gas cans and anti-freeze jugs on his commercial semi-tractor trailer.
In one instance, law enforcement officers seized nearly $500,000 from Zaragoza-Navarrette, who was transferring the illicit drug proceeds in an operation orchestrated by Armendariz-Rascon. On May 21, 2017, investigators were conducting surveillance at a residence in the 4700 block of North Mulberry Court in Kansas City as Campoy-Estrada was driving a white Chevrolet van with Miguel Armendariz-Rascon in the passenger’s seat. Investigators followed the van as it proceeded to the area of Candlewood Suites, 4450 Randolph Road, Kansas City, and pulled onto Corrington Road on the west side of Candlewood Suites. The van parked in front of a diesel tractor-trailer. Campoy-Estrada carried a white plastic jug from the van to the passenger side of the tractor-trailer. Campoy-Estrada then returned to the van with a red plastic gas can and placed the gas can into the rear of the van. Campoy-Estrada and Miguel Armendariz-Rascon then left the area.
Law enforcement officers continued to surveil the tractor-trailer, being driven by Zaragoza-Navarrette, as it left the Candlewood Suites and began to drive northbound on I-35. The Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop of the tractor-trailer at mile marker 68. Troopers searched the vehicle and found a red five-gallon plastic gas can and two white plastic jugs that contained a total of $491,211.
A confidential source has indicated the drug-trafficking organization purchased cocaine for approximately $27,000 to $27,500 per kilogram. Accordingly, $491,211 in illicit drug proceeds would convert to between 15 and 19 kilograms of powder cocaine.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Jury finds St. Louis County business owner guilty on two counts of tax fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury found Ramsey Windsor, 39, of St. Charles, Missouri guilty on two counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns following a four-day jury trial. United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig presided over the trial.
The evidence during the trial proved Windsor was the owner of a St. Louis County company that produced mass mailers for its customers. During the years 2013 and 2014, large sums of money, which were business receipts, were deposited into Windsor’s personal bank account. These funds were payments from only one client. All other business receipts from other company customers were deposited in Windsor’s business account. A majority of the sales which were deposited into Windsor’s personal account were not reported on his tax returns. This methodology caused the gross receipts to be underreported on Windsor’s tax documentation in years 2013 and 2014. Thus, Windsor assisted in the preparation of personal tax returns that were fraudulent.
"Windsor’s guilty verdict is a reminder to all of us that every individual must report all income and file an accurate tax return to the Internal Revenue Service,” said David Talcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the St. Louis field office. “IRS Special Agents will continue to serve the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes.”
The Internal Revenue Service investigated this case.
#####
Jury Convicts Norfolk Man on Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Norfolk man today on charges of participating in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, acetyl-fentanyl, and heroin in the Hampton Roads region. He was convicted of all five counts related to the drug conspiracy, including distribution of fentanyl resulting in a young woman’s death.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between early 2017 and May 2020, Daniel Carrington (a.k.a. “Eastside” and “E”), 27, traveled to Baltimore, Maryland and purchased heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl-fentanyl to resell in Chesapeake and throughout the Hampton Roads region. The drugs distributed by Carrington resulted in the December 27, 2019 overdose death of a Chesapeake woman, identified in court documents as D.J. Although Carrington was aware of D.J.’s death, he continued to sell fentanyl until his arrest in May 2020.
Evidence introduced at trial included a video of the defendant laughing at his “tester” while he was falling out of consciousness because of a fentanyl dose, and proudly declaring how strong his fentanyl was. Other videos introduced to the jury included large quantities of cash, a firearm, and illegal narcotics. Text messages introduced at trial showed the defendant knew that he was distributing pure fentanyl and that he was aware of its lethal effects. A medical examiner testified that the levels of fentanyl in the victim’s body were five times the minimum level considered to be lethal by forensic pathologists.
Carrington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on October 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of the Chesapeake Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Joseph E. DePadilla are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-106.
Interlachen Man Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Interstate Threats to Injure United States SenatorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Brian Christopher King (62, Interlachen) has pleaded guilty to transmitting communications in interstate commerce that contained threats to injure the person of another. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, in March 2020, King placed two telephone calls in one evening to a United States senator’s office in Washington, D.C. On both occasions, King left voicemails laced with profanity, threatening to cut off the senator’s head. Four days later, when interviewed by federal investigators, King agreed that it was his voice on a voicemail recording but denied any intent to travel to Washington or to harm anyone.
An FBI agent reminded King that, in 2018, he had interviewed him in connection with a similar incident, and again cautioned King that threatening elected officials was a serious matter. At the conclusion of that interview, King was not arrested. Despite the agent’s warnings, King’s continued making threatening calls. Specifically, in June 2020, King called a police department in California and stated that he had heard someone was going to cut the heads off a particular U.S. senator and a particular member of the House of Representatives.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on May 18 was:
Gregg Lawrence Haywood Sr., 54, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Haywood faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Haywood was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-32.
Appearing on May 20 and pleading not guilty was:
Elizabeth Marie Stephenson, 35, of Billings, on charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious fraud crime, Stephenson faces a maximum 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, Stephenson faces a mandatory minimum two years in prison consecutive to any other punishment. Stephenson was released pending further proceedings. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-28.
William Orville Deshaw III, 36, of Whitehall, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction. If convicted of the most serious crime, Deshaw faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Deshaw was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 20-35.
Appearing in Great Falls before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris and pleading not guilty on May 20 was:
Tasha Leigh Morsette, 33, of Havre, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and distribution of fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Morsette faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Morsette was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-35.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Individual Arrested for Firearms Offenses and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– United States Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López authorized a criminal complaint against Noel Ramán-Santiago, from Arecibo, charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in charge of the investigation of the case.
According to the information contained in the affidavit, on May 19, 2021, agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau assigned to the Arecibo special arrest unit went to execute a state issued arrest warrant for a fugitive at the Las Mesetas Public Housing Project in the municipality of Arecibo. When the agents arrived they observed Román-Santiago placing a firearm with a high capacity magazine inside a backpack he was carrying.
The agents placed the defendant under arrest and found one white pistol with a Glock slide and barrel, .40 caliber with one round in the chamber and no rounds in the magazine. There were two other empty Glock, .40 caliber magazines; one with 29 rounds capacity and the other with nine rounds capacity. The officers also found 66 small bags with marihuana inside, 58 small bags with crack, and five small bags with cocaine inside. The narcotics were for sale.
If convicted, Ramán-Santiago faces a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Pedro R. Casablanca is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Causing Misuse of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. - A Guatemalan national was sentenced to “time served” (effectively 9 months in prison), for the federal crime of causing misuse of a social security number, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Jack Staton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Angel Perez-Valezquez, 19, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and may face Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings. Perez-Valezquez was convicted after pleading guilty on March 31, 2021.
On August 25, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security, Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Gulfport, received information from the Hattiesburg Police regarding the arrest of Perez-Valezqez who had been working at the Mar-Jac Poultry Plant, under an assumed identity. Hattiesburg Police had been contacted by a victim living in another state who reported an Internal Revenue Service W-2 Form for 2019, in the victim’s name from Mar-Jac Poultry. The victim said he had never been to Hattiesburg and had never worked for Mar-Jac Poultry.
Homeland Security Investigations agents determined that Perez-Valezquez worked at Mar-Jac Poultry under the victim’s name. Perez-Valezquez wore and displayed an employee ID card bearing his photograph and the victim’s name. He knew that the card had been falsely made and that his wages were paid using his false identity. He also knew that the name and Social Security Number he used were key parts of the identity information, and that deductions from his wages were made each pay period for taxes and Social Security using the false identity. Each time Perez-Valezquez was paid, he caused his employer, Mar-Jac Poultry, to report false information to the Social Security Administration, using the victim’s name and Social Security Number.
Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca praised the investigative work and coordination of Homeland Security Investigations and the Hattiesburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – An Albany, Georgia resident has pleaded guilty to federal child sex trafficking in a case involving a run-away teenage victim.
Demetrius Hunter aka Red, pleaded guilty to one count sex trafficking of children before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Thursday, May 20. Hunter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least five years up to a lifetime of supervision. Hunter’s sentencing is scheduled for August 18. Co-defendant Tamara Taylor aka Coco, 30, of Albany, pleaded guilty to one count use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor on May 4. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least five years up to the possibility of a lifetime of supervision. Taylor’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Demetrius Hunter and Tamara Taylor will spend well deserved time in federal prison for the cruelty, manipulation and sexual abuse they inflicted on a runaway foster child in need. Our office will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served to predators who exploit and harm children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I am thankful to the FBI and local law enforcement for finding the victim and returning her to safety, as well as removing these child predators from our streets.”
“When most adults would have felt a responsibility to try to help a lost and helpless young child, Hunter and Taylor ruthlessly took advantage of her, selling her for sex,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Now they will spend time in prison while their innocent victim begins to recover from the emotional scars they left her with.”
On October 5, 2016, Taylor came across the victim, a 15-year-old female, at the Bridgeview hotel in Macon, Georgia. The day prior, the victim had run away from a group foster home and was at the hotel looking for her sister. The victim did not find her sister and had been abandoned by her ride. The victim informed Taylor of her age and that she had run away from a group home. Taylor invited the victim to her room where Taylor introduced the victim to Hunter, who knew her age and that she had run away. Hunter told the victim that they were traveling the world and invited her to stay with them, but told her that she would have to make money. The victim did not understand at that time how she would be expected to make money.
After staying one night at the Bridgeview, Hunter and Taylor took the victim to another hotel in Warner Robins, Georgia. The victim’s profile was placed on Backpage, a website commonly used for online advertisements for commercial sex acts. Records from Backpage verify that the victim’s profile had been posted by Taylor on Backpage. The advertisements included photographs of the victim in underwear and included a cell phone number to call that was provided by Hunter and Taylor. Hunter explained the victim would have to do “tricks” to get money and forced the victim to perform sex acts on him. The victim remained with Hunter and Taylor until October 18, 2016, when they were encountered by law enforcement, and the victim was returned to her group foster home. As a result of the advertisements posted on Backpage, the victim had to engage in two to five commercial sex acts. During her time with Hunter and Taylor, the victim relied on them for her shelter and food. She stated in her interview with law enforcement that when having to engage in one commercial sex act, she told herself “you gotta do this, you gotta get the money, that’s how you eat.”
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Ellis and Beth Howard are prosecuting the case.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Shawn Darnyel Matthews, 23, of Fresno, today to two years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Matthews on several felony warrants as well as a parole warrant. During the arrest, Matthews was found to be in possession of a firearm. Matthews is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a June 2017 felony conviction for assault with a firearm. He was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2021.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca 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.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A former officer with the St. Paul Police Department in St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced today to six years in prison after a jury found him guilty of a civil rights violation.
Brett Palkowitsch, 31, was sentenced on May 21 after being found guilty of using excessive force against an unarmed civilian. At the sentencing hearing, Palkowitsch waived the right to appeal his conviction and publicly apologized for his use of excessive force.
“Instead of lawfully carrying out his critical public safety responsibilities, Palkowitsch abused his authority by using excessive force,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute officers who engage in criminal misconduct.”
“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect the public,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “When an officer betrays that oath and violates a person's civil rights, that officer must be held accountable. Our community, and our profession, deserve no less.”
The evidence presented at trial established that the defendant and other officers responded to a 911 call alleging that an unidentified black male with dreadlocks and a white t-shirt had been involved in a street fight and was carrying a gun. Upon their arrival on scene, officers found no evidence of any street fight, but they noticed one man who matched that general description, sitting in his car talking on a cellphone. One of the responding officers, along with his police K-9, approached the man’s car and, without identifying himself as a police officer, yelled at the man to get out. The man, later identified as Frank Baker, got out of the car, as the officer yelled commands and the police K-9 barked loudly at him. Seven seconds later, the officer released the K-9, which took Baker to the ground and began mauling his leg. While Baker was on the ground, screaming in pain, the defendant arrived and kicked Baker three times in the ribs. The defendant’s kicks broke seven of Baker’s ribs and caused both of his lungs to collapse, putting him in critical condition. Officers found no gun at the scene and no evidence that Baker, a 52-year-old grandfather who lived in the neighborhood, had been involved in any fight.
Two veteran officers who witnessed the defendant’s actions that night, officers Joseph Dick and Anthony Spencer, reported the defendant to their supervisor. Dick and Spencer both testified at trial about the defendant’s use of excessive force and about the harassment and retaliation they suffered after stepping forward to report a fellow officer. They and other officers also testified that after the arrest, back at the police station, the defendant boasted to several officers about the force of his kicks and about having seriously injured Baker.
At the sentencing hearing, District Judge Wilhelmina Wright of the District of Minnesota told the defendant, who had been entrusted with a position of authority, “You flagrantly abused that trust.”
This case was investigated by the Minneapolis Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and former Trial Attorney Zachary Dembo of the Civil Rights Division.
Former Oconomowoc Investment Broker Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal Prison for $2,600,000 Scheme That Defrauded Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on May 20, 2021, Edward E. Matthes (age 51), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for carrying out a $2.6 million dollar investment scheme that defrauded 27 victims, most of whom were elderly. Matthes had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
The information presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Matthes was a prominent member of the Oconomowoc community who solicited family, friends, and community members to use his services as an independent broker-dealer for Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc. (“Mutual of Omaha”). Matthes previously worked in the same capacity for Thrivent in St. Louis, Missouri, and Pewaukee, Wisconsin. According to court records, over the course of six years, Matthes persuaded his clients, which included his own parents and a cognitively disabled individual, to invest in fictitious Mutual of Omaha accounts which he claimed would perform better for them. Instead, Matthes diverted over $2.6 million into his personal accounts to enrich himself. During his scheme, Matthes lulled his clients into believing their investments were performing well by manufacturing fake quarterly earnings statements for the non-existent accounts.
Several victims filed impact statements with the court prior to the sentencing. Two victims made in-person remarks during the sentencing hearing, explaining how Matthes betrayed their trust, causing them significant financial and emotional harm. Additionally, a representative of Mutual of Omaha spoke during the hearing and explained how Matthes’ actions caused the company to expend considerable resources to investigate the matter and to reimburse most of the victims for their losses.
In pronouncing sentence, United States District Court Judge Brett H. Ludwig described the defendant’s conduct as “aggravated,” noting how he “cultivated trust” and maintained a “veneer of friendship” with the victims while simultaneously robbing them of their retirement savings. He commented that the protracted nature of the offense conduct, the magnitude of loss, and Matthes’ betrayal of trust, required a sentence that both punished and deterred.
“Matthes betrayed the trust of family, friends, and others who simply were trying to invest their hard-earned savings to provide financial security for themselves in retirement. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice on behalf of victims of financial fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling.
“This fraudster took advantage of some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes. “Most of his victims were elderly, and he spent years gaining their trust, only to wipe out a lifetime of their savings. I commend the tireless efforts of our special agents and law enforcement partners who worked jointly to bring this case to justice.”
Jeffrey Monhart, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) commented, “EBSA will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to stop the financial harm caused by these types of schemes.”
This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Oconomowoc Police Department. The investigation was aided by representatives of Mutual of Omaha and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly B. Watzka prosecuted the case.
# # #
For further information contact: Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Former Local Doctor Going to Prison for 5 Years for Illegally Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead 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 James T. Keefe, 40, of Florida, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The defendant was also sentenced to serve five years supervised release to include six months home detention.
“This case highlights the powerful grip of addiction,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “The defendant was a medical professional and was well aware of the dangers of the illegal use of prescription medications, yet he created a web of accomplices which allowed him to obtain controlled substances and continue to fuel his addiction.”
“Now, more than ever, the public entrusts doctors with their health and well-being. Today’s sentence demonstrates that when a doctor betrays that trust and risks the welfare of others, there are very real consequences,” said DEA Special-Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan. “I applaud the hard work of our Buffalo District Office Diversion Investigators and Intelligence Analysts, as well as the fortitude of our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York, who saw this case through.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was a New York State licensed physician who was previously employed as a contracted physician at the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, and the Monsignor Carr Institute. Between January 1, 2014, and February 23, 2018, Keefe conspired to divert, and diverted, Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances by issuing fraudulent prescriptions to his co-workers, friends, and drug-dealing and drug-using associates, including, co-defendants Benjamin Rivera, Laura Ricotta, Takeya Rainey, and Phousavath Luangrath. These prescriptions were issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.
The defendant and co-defendant Rivera have been associates for several years. For nearly five years, Rivera sold cocaine to Keefe, who was active user of cocaine, Adderall, and prescription opiates. In January 2014, the defendant began issuing prescriptions in the names of Rivera and nine of Rivera’s relatives and associates to exchange for cocaine and for a share of the prescribed drugs. Neither Rivera nor any of his relatives or associates were patients of Keefe.
In April 2015, the defendant began issuing prescriptions to Rivera’s girlfriend, co-defendant Laura Ricotta. Keefe also used the names and personal information of six relatives and associates of Ricotta to issue fraudulent prescriptions. Neither Ricotta nor any of her relatives or associates were patients of the defendant. Keefe often drove Ricotta to a pharmacy to a pharmacy to fill the prescriptions, which the two then split.
In the summer of 2017, the defendant began issuing prescriptions to co-defendant Takeya Rainey. Rainey also provided the names of her relatives and associates to Keefe, none of whom were his patients. In exchange for the controlled substances, the defendant sometimes gave Rainey gift or Visa cash cards.
Beginning in January of 2017, Keefe and co-defendant Luangrath were involved in an intimate relationship. At some point, the defendant Luangrath agreed to allow the defendant to issue prescriptions in her name.
Between January 1, 2014, and February 23, 2018, the defendant issued 179 fraudulent prescriptions in his own name and the names of others, for Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances.
Defendants Rivera, Ricotta and Luangrath were previously convicted and sentenced. Rivera was sentenced to time served (28 months). Ricotta was also sentenced to time served (15 months). Luangrath was sentenced to serve one-year probation. Defendant Rainey was also previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan.
# # # #
Former Financial Professional Charged with Embezzlement from Jewish Federation and the Philly POPS!Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Cheryl Lutts, 42, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested and charged by Indictment on charges of wire fraud and mail fraud. These charges resulted from Lutts’ employment with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and its subsidiary, the Jewish Exponent, and later, the Encore Series, d/b/a The Philly POPS! Lutts is no longer employed by either non-profit organization.
The Indictment alleges that Lutts used her position as Director of Business Operations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and later as Controller at the Philly POPS!, to steal money from each non-profit and use it to pay her personal credit card bills, and for a wide variety of personal expenses charged to company credit or debit cards including rideshare services, airline tickets, entertainment, travel and lodging, healthcare and exercise services, utilities, education and career services, legal services, funeral and burial services, clothing, food and alcohol, and other items from retail stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, websites, restaurants, and delivery services. The defendant is also charged with routinely using her personal credit cards and her corporate credit and debit cards to transfer company funds to various individuals who were not vendors of either non-profit using, among other things, PayPal and CashApp.
The defendant allegedly went to great lengths to disguise her fraudulent activities from her employers. According to the Indictment, Lutts provided management at both organizations with financial statements that did not include a balance sheet, or that included a balance sheet or bank reconciliation that was later determined to be false because it did not match the account balances and/or the transactions reflected on the bank statements.
The Indictment seeks forfeiture of $1,443,375.57, which represents the total amount of money Lutts allegedly embezzled from both former employers.
“This defendant allegedly swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from not one, but two former employers” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Non-profit organizations exist for the people and constituencies they serve, not as personal piggy banks for those entrusted with managing their funds. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who steal from non-profits.”
“The usual reward of nonprofit work is personal fulfillment, not financial enrichment,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Lutts, however, allegedly treated these organizations like her very own ATM, shortchanging their efforts and the community in the process. The FBI will pursue and hold accountable anyone foolish enough to engage in this kind of fraud.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 480 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, at $6,000,000 fine, and a $2,400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Chairman of Massachusetts Latin Kings Crown Council Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the Boston-based Devon Street Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced yesterday on racketeering charges.
Angel Rodriguez, a/k/a “King Ace,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 5, 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
Named for its origin on Devon Street in Boston, the Devon Street Kings or D5K Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately a dozen members. The Devon Street Kings, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. During the investigation, various meetings were covertly recorded where members of the Devon Street Kings discussed the business of the racketeering enterprise.
Evidence developed during the investigation, including a video depicting Rodriguez bagging up crack cocaine for distribution, proved that Rodriguez conspired with other members and leaders of the Latin Kings to distribute controlled substances. In December 2019, Rodriguez served as Chairman of the Crown Council for the D5K Chapter. The Crown Council is a body that sits independently of the leadership and provides guidance to the leadership team and resolves disputes that arise.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Angel Rodriguez is the 25th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Foreign National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States and for Assaulting Federal Officers During ArrestRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Julian Salazar-Zavala (32, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison for forcibly assaulting and resisting immigration officers during his arrest and being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously deported.
Salazar-Zavala had pleaded guilty on February 4, 2021.
According to court documents and testimony, Salazar Zavala was the subject of an administrative arrest operation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that he was issued a traffic citation in Jacksonville after he had been deported from the United States in 2018. On the morning of September 22, 2020, officers from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) followed Salazar-Zavala as he drove from his home to a gas station in Jacksonville, where he stopped at a gas pump. After Salazar-Zavala got out of his vehicle, the ERO officers approached him and told him that he was being placed under arrest for immigration violations and instructed Salazar-Zavala to place his hands on the gas pump so that they could detain him. After initially complying, Salazar-Zavala removed his hands from the pump, pushed the officers out of the way—knocking one into a parked car—and fled on foot. The officers pursued Salazar-Zavala into an adjacent parking lot, then followed him as he doubled back and entered the convenience store at the gas station.
While inside the convenience store, Salazar-Zavala continued to resist arrest, struggling with the officers, and urging bystanders to fight the officers and film them. The officers eventually restrained Salazar-Zavala and placed him under arrest. Following his arrest, the officers confirmed that Salazar-Zavala was a citizen of Mexico who had been previously deported on December 27, 2018, and was unlawfully present in the United States.
“This criminal assaulted federal law enforcement officers who were working to keep our communities safe,” said Miami ERO Field Office Director Michael Meade. “He will now learn that lesson behind bars.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Federal Jury in Lafayette Returns Guilty Verdict following Week-Long TrialRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury seated in Lafayette has returned a guilty verdict against Jarvis Pierre, 38, of Houston, Texas, convicting him on firearms charges following a week-long trial before United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr., announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
Pierre was charged in a Second Superseding Indictment on April 28, 2021 with two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Evidence introduced at the trial revealed that Pierre was stopped by law enforcement officers on October 7, 2018 and December 27, 2018 for traffic violations.
On October 7, 2018, deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call outside of the Cloud 9 night club in Lake Charles, Louisiana. When deputies arrived, the crowd began to disburse and many patrons left the parking lot. Deputies observed a vehicle that remained in the parking lot with the driver acting suspiciously. Law enforcement officers followed the vehicle once the driver left the parking lot and observed the vehicle drift from the lane of travel several times and conducted a traffic stop. Pierre was the driver of the vehicle and as deputies approached the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. After a search of Pierre’s person, deputies found large amounts of cash, and a brown, powdery substance which was determined to contain heroin and fentanyl. While searching the vehicle further, deputies found a loaded FN57 handgun under the driver’s seat, as well as a loose 5.7mm round of ammunition, a rolled marijuana cigarette, and a baby bottle containing promethazine. Memo books containing writing that was determined to be prices for different amounts of narcotics with names and addresses were also found in the vehicle. The amount of cash found on Pierre’s person and in the vehicle totaled over $11,000.
When Pierre was stopped by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies for a traffic violation on December 27, 2018, they found him to have a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and center console of his vehicle, along with marijuana on his person and in the vehicle, and two cellular phones. Deputies determined at that time that Pierre had an active warrant out of Texas stemming from a traffic stop in February 2018 in Pearland, Texas by officers with the Pearland Police Department. During the Pearland, Texas stop, law enforcement officers found a loaded 9mm handgun, over 400 oxycodone pills and $11,629 in cash, as well as 4 cellular telephones.
Pierre has previous felony convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (2001); distribution of cocaine (2002); and aggravated assault with a firearm (2013). It is illegal for individuals with a prior felony conviction to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The defendant faces no less than 15 years nor more than life in prison on the two convicted felon in possession of a firearm counts of the indictment, a $250,000 fine, or both. He faces a statutory mandatory minimum of not less than 5 years and up to life on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime count in the indictment, to run consecutive to the other counts.
Sentencing has been set for September 23, 2021 at 10:00.
The ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Nickel and J. Luke Walker 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. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
# # #
FBI Employee Indicted for Illegally Removing National Security Documents, Taking Material to Her HomeRead the Press Release
Note: A full copy of the indictment can be viewed
here.WASHINGTON – An employee of the FBI’s Kansas City Division has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally removing numerous national security documents that were found in her home.
Kendra Kingsbury, 48, of Dodge City, Kansas, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday, May 18. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Kingsbury’s arrest and initial court appearance in the District of Kansas.
“As an intelligence analyst for the FBI, the defendant was entrusted with access to sensitive government materials," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Kingsbury is alleged to have violated our nation’s trust by stealing and retaining classified documents in her home for years. Insider threats are a significant danger to our national security, and we will continue to work relentlessly to identify, pursue and prosecute individuals who pose such a threat.”
“The breadth and depth of classified national security information retained by the defendant for more than a decade is simply astonishing,” said Alan E. Kohler, Jr. Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The defendant, who's well trained in handling classified information, put her country’s sensitive secrets at risk. The FBI will go to great lengths to investigate individuals who put their own interests above U.S. national security, including when the individual is an FBI employee.”
“Our community’s safety and our nation’s security were jeopardized by this criminal behavior,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Those entrusted with such grave responsibility must be held accountable if they violate their oath and betray their country. I appreciate the diligence and professionalism with which the FBI thoroughly investigated one of their own and brought the perpetrator to justice.”
“Every FBI employee swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “With that oath comes the obligation to protect classified information from unauthorized disclosure to safeguard our national security. Kingsbury’s actions are a betrayal of trust not only to the FBI but also the American people. They can be reassured that the FBI takes any and all allegations of wrongdoing by employees with the utmost gravity and remain committed to investigating these allegations to the fullest extent.”
The federal indictment alleges that Kingsbury improperly removed sensitive government materials – including national defense information and classified documents – from June 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury allegedly retained these materials in her personal residence.
Kingsbury worked as an intelligence analyst for more than 12 years in the Kansas City Division of the FBI, until she was placed on suspension in December 2017. She was assigned to several different FBI squads during that time, including squads that focused on illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs, and counterintelligence. Kingsbury, who held a top secret security clearance, had access to national defense and classified information.
The federal indictment charges Kingsbury with two counts of having unauthorized possession of documents relating to the national defense.
Count one of the federal indictment relates to numerous documents classified at the secret level that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to defend against counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cyber threats. The documents include details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific open investigations across multiple field offices. In addition, there are documents relating to sensitive human source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations, and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.
Count two of the federal indictment relates to numerous documents classified at the secret level that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents include information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there are documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.
According to the indictment, Kingsbury was not authorized to remove and retain these sensitive government materials, nor did she have a need to know most, if not all, of the information contained in those materials. Kingsbury knew the unauthorized removal of classified materials and transportation and storage of those materials in unauthorized locations risked disclosure and transmission of those materials, and therefore could endanger the national security of the United States and the safety of its citizens. She also knew that violating the rules governing the handling of classified information could result in criminal prosecution.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and David Raskin in the Western District of Missouri, with the assistance of DOJ Trial Attorney Scott Claffee with the Counterintelligence & Export Control Section of the National Security Division. It was investigated by the FBI Field Office in Omaha, Nebraska.
Drug User Sentenced to over Two Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
A Waterloo, Iowa, man that fired several shots into the air in a residential area was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Marcus DeShawn Harmon-Wright, age 35, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 16, 2020 guilty plea to one-count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence at sentencing showed that, on April 12, 2020, Harmon-Wright fired several shots into the air, striking his own residence, after observing individuals breaking into his partner’s car. Several minutes later, Harmon-Wright got into an argument with his neighbor, while he continued to possess the firearm. After officers arrived, Harmon-Wright was uncooperative, knocking off an officer’s body worn camera and spitting in that officer’s face intentionally. Harmon-Wright was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a drug user.
Harmon-Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Harmon-Wright was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Harmon-Wright is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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 /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-02044.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Sentenced for Fentanyl PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Jose Villar, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Villar will face deportation upon completion of his sentence. On Jan. 20, 2021, Villar pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
In November 2019, undercover investigators arranged to make a controlled purchase of fentanyl from a drug supplier. When agents arrived to the location, Villar motioned to them to pull over the car. As the agents exited their vehicle, Villar attempted to run, but was quickly apprehended. Agents subsequently seized 88 grams of fentanyl that Villar was observed throwing over a fence.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Delaware Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Thi Van Ho, age 51, of Bear, Delaware to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. Judge Bredar has also ordered Ho to pay $ 2,478,069.16 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from September 2015 to March 2019, Ho and four co-conspirators devised and executed a plan to defraud a beauty product manufacturer (“Victim Company 1”) by submitting fraudulent invoices in the names of shell companies for services and products that were never actually provided to Victim Company 1.
In September 2015 Co-conspirator 1, who was the Director of Planning, Logistics, and Control at Victim Company 1, was tasked with arranging vendors for the disposal of waste at two of Victim Company 1’s warehouses. In his position, Co-conspirator 1 had total autonomy in the approval process and payment of invoices.
Co-conspirator 1, Ho, and three co-conspirators created the shell entities of MPC II, LLC, Marka Warehouse System, LLC., and SMNI, LLC. The co-conspirators registered the shell entities in their names, listed themselves as president or resident agent, and rented PO Boxes in different States which served as the alleged business address for each of the shell companies.
Ho also admitted that the conspiracy cashed the fraudulently obtained checks that Victim Company 1 issued to pay for the false invoices at check cashing facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the checks were cashed, the co-conspirators would divide the cash proceeds among themselves. Ho received roughly 53% of each fraudulently obtained check and used the remainder of his proceeds for personal expenses.
In sum, Ho and his co-conspirators caused Victim Company 1 to issue approximately $2,527,234 for false and fraudulent services. Three of Ho’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin who prosecuted the case.
# # #
Delaware County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Collecting 22,000+ Images Involving the Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Ryan Davis, 24, formerly of Glen Mills, PA, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $15,000 restitution after a nearly 10-hour hearing by United States District Judge Gerald Pappert for his possession of more than 22,000 images and videos of child pornography that Davis concealed on his electronic devices and in his online accounts.
In July 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to transporting and possessing a collection of more than 22,000 extremely graphic and sadistic images and videos of children being raped, sexually assaulted, and depicted in sexually explicit positions. Most of the children depicted in his collection were prepubescent, and included infants and toddlers being sexually abused. An investigation into the defendant’s online Dropbox account revealed that the IP addresses used to access his child pornography were linked to various residences associated with the defendant, including his student account at West Chester University.
At the time he committed these child sex crimes, Davis was under court supervision and still serving his juvenile sentence for sexually assaulting two prepubescent boys who were just 6 and 9-years old at the time that Davis victimized them. Davis was also in sex offender treatment during the same time he committed these federal child sex crimes.
“Child pornography offenses victimize real children – they are first abused by those who produce these images, and re-victimized every time a child sex offender engages in these online crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Davis is very clearly a danger to children in the community as a previously adjudicated child sex offender, and he will now spend years behind bars to ensure he can no longer hurt any more children. Investigating and prosecuting these cases are a priority for our Office, as is ensuring that the offenders are held fully accountable.”
“Ryan Davis admitted to amassing many thousands of images of babies, toddlers, and children suffering horrific sexual abuse, and doing so while in treatment for sexually abusing two children himself,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Those photos and videos represent unimaginable pain forced upon utterly vulnerable victims, some too young to walk or talk. Know that the FBI will never stop looking for, and locking up, those involved in the sexual exploitation of children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Convicted Sex Offender Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Task Force for suspected child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents, Timothy Swensen, Jr., age 29, is charged by information with violations related to the alleged production, distribution and possession of child pornography. Swensen was previously convicted of sexual assault in the second degree by the State of Alaska in 2011.
As detailed in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint initially filed in this matter, the case first came to the attention of the FBI following a report to the Anchorage Police Department (APD) of a suspected sexual assault of a vulnerable adult woman. During the interview with detectives, the alleged adult victim shared text messages allegedly sent by Swensen that included a series of images depicting the sexual abuse of a female toddler.
If the public has any further information regarding Swensen’s activities, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441.
The FBI and APD, as part of the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Task Force, conducted the investigation leading to Swensen’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint or information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Louis Butler, III, age 40, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison, following his convictions for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court also sentenced Butler to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on September 2, 2020, law enforcement officials executed a valid search warrant on Butler’s residence in Baton Rouge. During the search, officials located approximately 244.6 grams of methamphetamine, three digital scales, baggies, packaging material, cutting agents (quinine), empty pill capsules, a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol, and $2,040 in cash.
During a post-Miranda interview, Butler admitted knowledge and possession of these items. He further admitted that the substance recovered from his residence was, in fact, methamphetamine and that he sells methamphetamine to supplement his income. Prior to possessing the firearm, Butler had two felony convictions: In January 2008, Butler was convicted of illegal use of a weapon, and in November 2008, he was convicted of possession of cocaine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Travis stated, “Keeping guns out of the hands of violent felons is one of my office’s top priorities. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to protect our district from chronic offenders. I want to thank our prosecutors, the ATF, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.”
“One of ATF’s primary missions is to investigate illegal possession of firearms by violent individuals,” said New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF works with our law enforcement partners to ensure that violent criminals are held accountable for their actions.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with critical assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Xavier Sims (36, Ocala) to nine years and seven months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
A federal jury had found Sims guilty on February 23, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in February 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a residence. The victim and her three children had been sleeping when multiple gunshots hit their home. Sims, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, had threatened to “shoot up” her house earlier that day during an argument. Following the shooting, deputies observed Sims’s vehicle near the scene—he was the driver and sole occupant. During a search of the vehicle, deputies recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol from the trunk along with 10 spent .40 caliber shell casings and 20 live rounds. Subsequent forensic analysis confirmed that the casings and a bullet fragment found at the scene of the shooting matched the firearm from Sims’s vehicle. DNA analysis also confirmed the presence of Sims’s DNA on the live .40 caliber rounds. Sims, a multi-convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Michael P. Felicetta.
This case is 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 and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Company’s Vice President Pleads Guilty to Negligently Releasing AsbestosRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty today to negligently releasing asbestos and thereby exposing victims to an increased risk of death or serious bodily injury.
Roger Osterhoudt, 58, of Saugerties, New York, entered a guilty plea to a Clean Air Act violation before the Hon. Judge McAvoy sitting in Binghamton. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Sept. 28. Osterhoudt faces up to a year in prison, five years’ probation, a $50,000 criminal fine, and will likely be held liable for providing restitution to any victims.
"Operators of asbestos demolition and renovation projects are responsible for how this dangerous material is handled," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Negligently placing people in grave danger from air pollution is a crime that this Division will investigate and, when appropriate, prosecute. This is one of those cases."
According to court documents, between 2015 and 2016, Osterhoudt, negligently permitted abatement workers to remove asbestos from a former IBM site in Kingston, now known as TechCity. As Osterhoudt, knew, the facility in question contained over 400,000 square feet of regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM), as well as an additional 6,000 linear feet of RACM pipe wrap. Osterhoudt, as the Vice President of Property Management for TechCity, hired an asbestos abatement contractor and a project monitoring company to remove all the asbestos from the facility prior to its renovation and/or demolition.
Between 2015 and 2016, Osterhoudt was made aware that these abatement and project monitoring companies were violating asbestos regulations related to the safe containment, handling, and disposal of asbestos wastes. These regulations are intended to protect workers and prevent releases into surrounding communities and the environment. New York State issued notices of violation (“NOVs”) as a result of many of these infractions. Nonetheless, Osterhoudt not only permitted the work to continue, but further pressured asbestos abatement supervisors and workers to expedite the removal of asbestos at the site to meet contract deadlines. At times, A2ES’s owner, Stephanie Laskin, and other A2ES supervisors, including Gunay Yakup (both of whom have previously entered guilty pleas), instructed workers to remove RACM dry—leading to visible emissions of asbestos—and directed work to proceed in areas that were not properly sealed off with “critical barriers” intended to prevent the escape of asbestos contamination into the surrounding community and environment.
Osterhoudt admitted that he was aware of the numerous NOVs, and that he should have known that by permitting the asbestos abatement and project monitoring companies to continue their illegal practices, he negligently permitted the release of asbestos contamination into the environment and placed others at an increased risk of death or serious bodily injury. Asbestos has been determined to cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, an invariably fatal disease. The EPA has determined that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.
Special agents of the EPA and individuals from the New York Departments of Labor and Environmental Conservation investigated the case. Todd W. Gleason and Gary N. Donner of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Chloe Harris.
Colorado Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that a Federal Grand Jury has returned an indictment charging Jimmie Lucero with eight counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns.
According to the allegations in the indictment, between 2016 and 2018, Lucero prepared individual tax returns for clients that Lucero knew included materially false amounts of reportable taxable income. The false tax returns were then submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.
Each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Sibert is handling the prosecution.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case Number: 21-cr-0166-DDD
# # #
Visit our website http://www.justice.gov/usao/co | Follow us on Twitter @DCoNews
Sign up for new releases [email protected]
Collinsville Man Pleads Guilty to Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – A Collinsville man pled guilty today to a Federal Grand Jury Indictment
charging him with distributing methamphetamine in East St. Louis, Illinois.According to plea documents filed in United States District Court, Deonta J. Thomas, of
Collinsville, Illinois, sold 442 grams of methamphetamine during a Drug Enforcement Administration
undercover operation in East St. Louis, Illinois.Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced in United States District Court on August 18,
2021. At sentencing, Thomas faces a period of incarceration from 10 years to life imprisonment.
In addition, Thomas faces 5 years of supervised release following release from prison and could be
fined up to $10,000,000.The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.Clackamas County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Boring, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing illegal narcotics in and around the Portland Metropolitan Area.
Thomas Lewis Ogden, 55, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on several occasions investigators from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office completed controlled buys of illegal narcotics from Ogden at his residence in Clackamas County. On December 11, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant on Ogden’s residence and seized a kilogram of methamphetamine, 150 grams of heroin, and approximately 35 pounds of marijuana. While searching Ogden’s truck, the investigators found a. 38 caliber revolver in the driver’s seat as well as drug paraphernalia, packaging materials, digital scales, and a stun gun.
On December 18, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 5-count indictment charging Ogden with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
On January 15, 2021, Ogden pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kemp L. Strickland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
California Resident Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Facilitating Telemarketing Conspiracy that Defrauded Thousands of Vulnerable U.S. ConsumersRead the Press Release
A California man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for partnering with call centers in Peru that defrauded Spanish-speaking U.S. residents through lies and threats.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will vigorously pursue and prosecute fraudsters who prey on others through international telemarketing schemes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Consumer Protection Branch, working alongside the Postal Inspection Service and our U.S. Attorney’s Office partners, will bring to justice those who threaten and defraud consumers, including immigrants who may be vulnerable to schemes that involve false threats to their liberty and ability to remain in the United States.”
According to court documents, Angel Armando Adrianzen, 46, partnered with a series of Peruvian call centers that contacted U.S. consumers, many of whom were vulnerable recent immigrants, using internet-based telephone calls. Those callers claimed to be attorneys or government representatives, and falsely told victims that they had failed to pay for or receive delivery of products. The callers also falsely threatened victims with court proceedings, negative marks on their credit reports, imprisonment, or immigration consequences if they did not immediately pay for the purportedly delivered products and settlement fees. Many victims made payments based on these baseless threats. Adrianzen received the victims’ payments and shipped products to the victims for these call centers, knowing that the call centers used fraudulent and extortionate means to extract money from vulnerable victims. Adrianzen was also convicted of and sentenced for two counts of possession of child pornography, found on his laptop computer and cell phone when search warrants were executed upon those devices.
As part of his guilty plea, Adrianzen admitted that from April 2011 until at least September 2019, he was the owner and operator of AAD Learning Center (AAD). Adrianzen operated and oversaw AAD from California and worked in partnership with call centers in Peru to contact Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States, including in the Southern District of Florida. At AAD, Adrianzen participated in a fraudulent telemarketing scheme that offered various products to Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States to obtain payments from vulnerable victims.
“Today’s sentence serves not only as just punishment for this defendant, but also as notice to others who may prey on vulnerable victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “The Justice Department and its partners will aggressively investigate such criminal activity. We will find you and ensure you are held accountable for your crimes.”
“In this international telemarketing scheme, deceptive scare tactics were used to threaten thousands of vulnerable U.S. consumers into purchasing undelivered products by falsely purporting to use America’s legal system against them and coercing them out of millions of dollars,” stated Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “Today’s sentencing hopefully brings relief to U.S. residents and immigrants who were victimized by this transnational fraudulent scheme. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are committed to holding individuals who use the U.S. Mail to defraud consumers accountable.”
In pleading guilty, Adrianzen admitted that he assisted his co-conspirators in Peru in setting up and staffing call centers that contacted victims in the United States and, at times, provided the call centers with lists of consumers to contact and call scripts to use when doing so. The scripts incorporated various false statements, including directing callers to falsely claim to be attorneys with the U.S. Department of Education. In other scripts, the callers were directed to falsely claim to be associated with Spanish language television channels, radio stations, or toothpaste companies.
Adrianzen further admittd that his co-conspirators falsely claimed that they were lawyers, sometimes calling from a “legal department” of a company, or from a supposed “minor crimes court.” Adrianzen’s co-conspirators falsely threatened to have victims deported, arrested, and charged with crimes, and to have negative marks placed on their credit reports if they failed to pay the hundreds of dollars of demanded fees. Ultimately, Adrianzen processed over $3,500,000 in payments as part of the scheme.
Adrianzen was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., to be followed by fifteen years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution payments to victims of his offenses. Adrianzen was arrested on Sept. 16, 2019, and has remained incarcerated. On Nov. 21, 2019, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Phil Toomajian and Joshua Rothman of the Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez of the Southern District of Florida assisted with the prosecution of the child pornography charges.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Click to view the Spanish language version of this press release.
California Resident Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Facilitating Telemarketing Conspiracy that Defrauded Thousands of Vulnerable U.S. ConsumersRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida -- A California man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for partnering with call centers in Peru that defrauded Spanish-speaking U.S. residents through lies and threats.
According to court documents, Angel Armando Adrianzen, 46, partnered with a series of Peruvian call centers that contacted U.S. consumers, many of whom were vulnerable recent immigrants, using internet-based telephone calls. Those callers claimed to be attorneys or government representatives, and falsely told victims that they had failed to pay for or receive delivery of products. The callers also falsely threatened victims with court proceedings, negative marks on their credit reports, imprisonment, or immigration consequences if they did not immediately pay for the purportedly delivered products and settlement fees. Many victims made payments based on these baseless threats. Adrianzen received the victims’ payments and shipped products to the victims for these call centers, knowing that the call centers used fraudulent and extortionate means to extract money from vulnerable victims. Adrianzen was also convicted of and sentenced for two counts of possession of child pornography, found on his laptop computer and cell phone when search warrants were executed upon those devices.
As part of his guilty plea, Adrianzen admitted that from April 2011 until at least September 2019, he was the owner and operator of AAD Learning Center (AAD). Adrianzen operated and oversaw AAD from California and worked in partnership with call centers in Peru to contact Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States, including in the Southern District of Florida. At AAD, Adrianzen participated in a fraudulent telemarketing scheme that offered various products to Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States to obtain payments from vulnerable victims.
“Today’s sentence serves not only as just punishment for this defendant, but also as notice to others who may prey on vulnerable victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “The Justice Department and its partners will aggressively investigate such criminal activity. We will find you and ensure you are held accountable for your crimes.”
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will vigorously pursue and prosecute fraudsters who prey on others through international telemarketing schemes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Consumer Protection Branch, working alongside the Postal Inspection Service and our U.S. Attorney’s Office partners, will bring to justice those who threaten and defraud consumers, including immigrants who may be vulnerable to schemes that involve false threats to their liberty and ability to remain in the United States.”
“In this international telemarketing scheme, deceptive scare tactics were used to threaten thousands of vulnerable U.S. consumers into purchasing undelivered products by falsely purporting to use America’s legal system against them and coercing them out of millions of dollars,” stated Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “Today’s sentencing hopefully brings relief to U.S. residents and immigrants who were victimized by this transnational fraudulent scheme. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are committed to holding individuals who use the U.S. Mail to defraud consumers accountable.”
In pleading guilty, Adrianzen admitted that he assisted his co-conspirators in Peru in setting up and staffing call centers that contacted victims in the United States and, at times, provided the call centers with lists of consumers to contact and call scripts to use when doing so. The scripts incorporated various false statements, including directing callers to falsely claim to be attorneys with the U.S. Department of Education. In other scripts, the callers were directed to falsely claim to be associated with Spanish language television channels, radio stations, or toothpaste companies.
Adrianzen further admitted that his co-conspirators falsely claimed that they were lawyers, sometimes calling from a “legal department” of a company, or from a supposed “minor crimes court.” Adrianzen’s co-conspirators falsely threatened to have victims deported, arrested, and charged with crimes, and to have negative marks placed on their credit reports if they failed to pay the hundreds of dollars of demanded fees. Ultimately, Adrianzen processed over $3,500,000 in payments as part of the scheme.
Adrianzen was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., to be followed by fifteen years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to make restitution payments to victims of his offenses. Adrianzen was arrested on Sept. 16, 2019, and has remained incarcerated. On Nov. 21, 2019, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Phil Toomajian and Joshua Rothman of the Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez of the Southern District of Florida assisted with the prosecution of the child pornography charges.
###
California Man Sentenced to Nine and a Half Years for Trafficking Fentanyl and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that on Thursday, May 20, 2021, Brandon D. Hibler, 35, of California, was sentenced by U.S. Judge Donald C. Nugent to 115 months imprisonment. Hibler pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug tracking crime and felon in possession of a firearm in January of 2021.
According to court records, on the night of April 26, 2020, while conducting a routine patrol, an officer with the Peninsula Police Department observed a vehicle parked overnight in a parking lot area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The officer investigated the vehicle due to the park’s closure and discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen. At this time, additional police officers with the Richfield Police Department arrived to assist the officer. The officers then approached the vehicle and discovered a man, later identified as Hibler, and an adult female sleeping in the rear.
Shortly thereafter, a Park Ranger with the National Park Service arrived to conduct a search of the vehicle and assist with the investigation. During the search, the Ranger located numerous personal drug use and drug trafficking items, including digital scales, hypodermic syringe needles, a Naloxone spray cartridge, multiple fentanyl test strips and a loaded .44-caliber revolver. An additional 9mm-caliber pistol containing Hibler’s DNA was later discovered in the area near where the vehicle was parked.
The Park Ranger then searched Hibler himself and found a plastic bag containing a substance later determined to consist of a fentanyl mixture. After Hibler's identity was established, he told the law enforcement officers present that he believed he had an existing warrant from the state of California and that he sells heroin to make money. Hibler is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions for assault and child abuse in the Superior Court of California.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Park Service, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Peninsula Police Department and Richfield Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Damoun Delaviz.
Bulgarian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Exports to Russian Military and Space ProgramRead the Press Release
DENVER, Co. – A Bulgarian national was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by seeking to export controlled electronic equipment from the United States to the Russian military and space program under false pretenses.
Tsvetan Kanev, 49, of Sofia, Bulgaria, pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in March 2021. According to court documents, the defendant inquired with a U.S. manufacturer about purchasing radiation hardened integrated circuits that are commonly used in satellites. Because those circuits are controlled American technologies under the Export Administration Regulations, they require a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export them to certain countries including Russia. The defendant told the U.S. manufacturer that the circuits were sought by the Bulgarian Academy of Science, but the manufacturer was suspicious of the defendant’s claim and referred the matter to agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Counter-Proliferation Investigations Center (CPIC) in Colorado Springs.
Acting in an undercover capacity, HSI agents engaged with the defendant and offered to sell the controlled parts that he sought. In extensive communications with the defendant, HSI agents learned that the defendant intended to transship the exports from Bulgaria through Finland to an end user in Russia. Specifically, after shipping the technology to Finland, the defendant planned to reexport them to Russia in a suitcase to avoid documentation of their ultimate destination. The defendant later confirmed that the end users of the controlled American technology were the Russian military and space program.
The defendant engaged the undercover HSI agents in two transactions, and he acknowledged the illegality of each during negotiations. In October 2015, the defendant transferred $234,938.00 to the undercover agent to purchase clock driver and random-access memory programmable multi-chip modules. In December 2015, the defendant transferred $122,323.00 to the undercover agent to purchase a multiple analogue-to-digital converter. The particular technologies he sought are designed for aerospace applications and controlled under U.S. Department of Commerce regulations for national security reasons.
The defendant acknowledged to the HSI agents that exporting these technologies to Russia is illegal under U.S. law. He structured payments to avoid triggering scrutiny from banking authorities. He completed fraudulent end user statements to deceive U.S. Customs authorities and he encouraged the HSI agents to create additional fraudulent paperwork. The defendant paid the undercover HSI agents extra fees of $25,172.00 and $31,550.42 to compensate them for taking risks and violating U.S. laws. All monies transferred from the defendant to the undercover HSI agents were seized and forfeited to the United States.
The defendant was arrested in Germany in January 2020 and then extradited to Colorado.
“Because a U.S. manufacturer alerted the government to a suspicious foreign inquiry, transfers of American technology to the Russian military and space program were thwarted and this defendant was brought to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “This kind of public-private partnership is key to protecting American technology and national security.”
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Martinez, Wayne Paugh and David Tonini handled the prosecution of the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.
# # #
Boca Raton Man Sentenced to 50 Years’ Imprisonment for Production, Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Boca Raton man convicted of producing, distributing, and possessing sexual abuse material of children, including a toddler, was sentenced yesterday by a West Palm Beach federal district judge to 50 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution to his victims.
Robert Solove, 29, used social networking applications on his cellular telephone to communicate with children and to solicit and distribute child sexual abuse material. Solove created illegal photos and videos of an 18-month-old child in his care and shared them in chat rooms using his smartphone’s social networking application and with individuals. Solove also developed an online relationship with a 13-year-old girl in a different state. He directed the 13-year-old to take pornographic photographs and videos of herself and send them to Solove through a second smartphone application. In addition, Solove acquired sexual abuse material of other children from several internet platforms and stored them on his cellular telephone. In connection with this matter, officers rescued an 18-month-old girl.
Solove pled guilty to producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks on March 4, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), West Palm Beach investigated the case with assistance from the HSI Chattanooga and HSI Detroit field offices, PBSO, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. Victim services were provided by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-80025.
###