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25 June 2021
Federal Jury Convicts Former Police Officer for Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual Activity and Soliciting the Production of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Andrew Christian Hammock (48, Boca Raton) guilty of attempting to entice a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and produce visual depictions of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hammock faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is set for September 20, 2021.
Hammock was arrested on March 17, 2020, at his place of employment, the Margate (Florida) Police Department, where he worked as a sworn police officer.
According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child made contact with Hammock, who was using the screen name “playful_guy,” and who later used the name “Florida Guy.” The undercover agent responded to Hammock’s online advertisement that read, “Feel like peeking and being peeked at by a younger girl.” Hammock and the undercover agent exchanged private messages for more than a month using a social media app. On February 16, 2020, Hammock told the “child” that he (Hammock) was employed as a police officer and sent the “child” a photo depicting the waist area of an individual wearing tactical clothing seated in what appeared to be a police vehicle. Between February 14 and March 15, 2020, Hammock sent more than 4,000 messages to the “child,” providing graphic descriptions of the sexually explicit images that he wanted the “child” to take and share with him. Hammock also described in detail the types of sexual activity that he wanted to engage in with the “child.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, with assistance from the Margate Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Eight Members of Stephen Crane Village Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charged in 37-Count Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Eight of the 12 people arrested for their roles as members and associates of a drug trafficking organization in the Stephen Crane Village Housing Complex in Newark were indicted today, including one defendant who was indicted for the murder of a conspirator, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
A federal grand jury returned a 37-count superseding indictment charging Gary Shahid, 61; Jose Lora, 23; Charles Mells, 37; Raquan Rawls, 22; James Wicker, 28; Dayquan Jordan, 26; Michael Mayse, 34, and Dayana Valderrama, 25, as follows:
Count
Charge
Defendant
1
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Shahid, Lora, Mells, Rawls, Wicker, Jordan, and Mayse
2
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
Jordan
3-5
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Mells
6-7
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Shahid, Rawls, and Lora
8
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Rawls, Jordan, and Mayse
9
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
Rawls
10-18
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Shahid
19-25
Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Lora
26
Causing Death Through Use of a Firearm
Mayse
27
Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Mayse
28
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Mayse
29
Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises
Shahid
30
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Shahid
31
Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Shahid
32
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Shahid
33
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Lora
34
Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Lora and Valderrama
35
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Lora
36
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Lora
37
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Wicker
In February 2020, Shahid, Lora, Mells, Rawls, Wicker, Jordan, and Mayse – all Newark residents – along with four other members of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Newark, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base. Jordan, Rawls, Williams, Hatcher, and Mayse were charged with an additional count for distribution of heroin and cocaine base. Mayse was charged with committing murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Lora, and his girlfriend, Valderrama, were charged by separate complaints with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On March 6, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Shahid for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ricky Terrell, 24; Nasir Williams, 23; Quadir Hatcher, 28; and Tyree Purkett, 24, who were previously charged by the same criminal complaint in February 2020, have each pleaded guilty to an information for their role in the drug trafficking organization.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Crane Village is a public housing complex near Branch Brook Park, on the border with Belleville. It consists of standalone buildings, with 354 apartments in total, all of which are accessible via exterior entrances. The buildings are clustered around courtyards and pedestrian walkways with roadways bisecting the complex. Given its location and its layout, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to surveil, Crane Village is the site of an open-air drug market. Between February 2019 and February 2020, law enforcement officers investigated the organization that controlled this drug market.
Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement determined that the defendants conspired to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base, in and around Crane Village.
The organization used a drug stash apartment in Crane Village to package and store drugs for distribution. On Dec. 15, 2019, Mayse entered the stash apartment and allegedly murdered a conspirator over a monetary debt relating to the distribution of narcotics.
The count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of at least $10 million. The count of conspiracy to distribute at least 28 grams of cocaine base and a quantity of heroin and fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of at least $5 million. The counts of distribution of, and/or possession with intent to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of cocaine base each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of at least $5 million. The counts of distribution of, and/or possession with intent to distribute, a quantity of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.
The counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and/or ammunition each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime each carry a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other punishment, and a fine of $250,000. The count of maintaining a drug premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. The count of causing death through the use of a firearm is eligible for the death penalty, or a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the ATF, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor; the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini; special agents and task force officers of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment. She also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Nutley Police Department, the Bloomfield Police Department, the West Orange Police Department, the Verona Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this case.
This case is part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. Federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
This case is also 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Agnew and Cassye Cole of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eight Members of Marion Gardens Jersey City Gang Indicted for Racketeering, Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Eight members of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex were charged by indictment today with racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
The indictment charges Jervon Morris, aka “Sticky,” 32; Jalil Holmes, aka “Broad Day,” aka “BD,” 21; Kevin Williams, aka “KK,” aka “Kay,” 27; Jakeem Gibson-Madison, aka “Beanz,” 27; K’shawn Jackson, aka “Lil Kay,” 21; Lakief Grayson, aka “Lala,” aka “La Greaz,” 30; Willie Williams, aka “Willz,” 30; and Terick Rogers, aka “Moot,” 29, all of Jersey City. (See chart below for specific charges/penalties.)
The charges are the result of a long-running investigation by the FBI, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Morris, Holmes, Kevin Williams, Gibson-Madison, Jackson, Grayson, Willie Williams, and Rogers, are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang routinely distribute crack cocaine and heroin, among other controlled substances, in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Members and associates of the gang also engaged in acts of violence, including numerous assaults, shootings, and murders, which targeted rival gang members and others, including the following:
- On July 28, 2011, Morris, Kevin Williams, and another member of the Marion Gardens street gang, murdered Victim A.C. in the area of Gifford Avenue and Bergen Avenue in Jersey City;
- On Nov. 5, 2017, members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang shot Victim C.C. in the area of Van Nostrand Avenue and Bergen Avenue in Jersey City;
- On Nov. 26, 2017, members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang shot victim T.C. in the area of Warner Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City;
- On Dec. 3, 2017, Holmes and other members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang murdered victim R.S. in the area of Warner Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City;
- On Feb. 7, 2018, Kevin Williams and another member of the Marion Gardens street gang assaulted victim R.B. in the area of Summit Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in Jersey City;
- On June 30, 2018, Holmes, Rogers, and Jackson shot five people – victim K.C., victim D.A., victim J.W., victim C.F., and victim R.H. – while celebrating “Meech Day” in honor of a deceased fellow gang member;
- On July 6, 2018, Holmes, Jackson, Gibson-Madison, and at least one other member of the Marion Gardens street gang traveled to the area of Wilkinson Avenue, at which time Victim A.W. and Victim R.H. were shot;
- On Jan. 9, 2019, Holmes and Gibson-Madison traveled to the area of Grant Avenue and Ocean Avenue to retaliate for the murder of a fellow gang member, at which time Holmes shot Victim M.G. and Victim T.S. and attempted to shoot Victim E.M; and
- On June 9, 2019, after being shot at by rival gang member, Victim K.G., brandished a firearm and attempted to shoot back at Victim K.G.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch, Jr., investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, for the investigation leading to the indictment.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace of the District of New Jersey’s Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Count
Defendant
Offense
Maximum Penalties
1
Morris
Holmes
Kevin Williams
Gibson-Madison
Jackson
Grayson
Willie Williams
Rogers
RICO Conspiracy
Life imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
2
Grayson
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
10 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
3
Grayson
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
20 years’ imprisonment;
$1,000,000 fine
4
Grayson
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Life imprisonment;
5-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
5
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
6
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
7
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
8
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
9
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
10
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
11
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
12
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
13
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
14
Holmes
Jackson
Rogers
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
15
Morris
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
20 years’ imprisonment;
$1,000,000 fine
16
Morris
Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
10 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
17
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
18
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
19
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
20
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
21
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
22
Holmes
Gibson-Madison
Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Life imprisonment;
10-year mandatory minimum;
$250,000 fine
23
Kevin Williams
VICAR Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
20 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
24
Kevin Williams
Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
20 years’ imprisonment;
$1,000,000 fine
25
Willie Williams
Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
10 years’ imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
Denison Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzlement of Nearly 1.5 Million from a Local Credit UnionRead the Press Release
A Denison woman who was involved in a scheme resulting in nearly 1.5 million being embezzled from a local credit union was sentenced today, June 25, 2021, to three years in federal prison.
Brenda Jensen, age 53, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to credit union embezzlement.
In a plea agreement, Jensen admitted that from at least May 2012 to March 2018, she embezzled money from Consumer Credit Union (CCU) in Denison, Iowa while working there as an employee. CCU serviced the following counties: Crawford, Carrol, Shelby, Ida, Monona, Sac, and Harrison.
Jensen and at least one other employee, including Jensen’s sister, Janine Keim, embezzled a total of nearly $1.5 million. Jensen, at times the credit union’s head teller, was responsible for all cash and cash counts at CCU during the relevant timeframe. Jensen successfully concealed her crime from auditors and CCU for years by overstating the change fund in the credit union’s general ledger balance and creating fictitious deposits into her personal accounts at CCU. This aspect of the scheme resulted in $922,480.29 in losses. After years of embezzling, the employees developed an internal kiting scheme. The kiting scheme caused CCU an additional $539,000 in losses. CCU’s total cash loss caused the institution to become insolvent, resulting in a forced merger with SAC Federal Credit Union. CCU’s assets had decreased by over a million dollars. This million-dollar decrease was a direct result of Jensen’s criminal activity.
Former board members from CCU submitted letters/victim impact statements to Chief Judge Strand setting forth the substantial harm Jensen’s crime caused the small community of Crawford County, Iowa. For some, CCU was the only institution willing to extend emergency credit. A former CCU board member recalled a story of a single mother with three children who could not get approval elsewhere to obtain an emergency loan, but who was helped by CCU. Jensen’s theft caused the insolvency of CCU and deprived the community of such financial services.
Jensen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jensen was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $1,461,480.29 in restitution. She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jensen was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal; Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4083.
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Cuban national charged with ramming FBI security gateRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Cuban citizen who resided in the Houston area is set to appear in federal court on charges of willfully injuring or committing any depredation exceeding $1000 against U.S. property, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Authorities took Nestor Mariano Vidal Batista into custody after allegedly damaging the FBI office in Houston. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy at 2 p.m. today.
The criminal complaint alleges that on June 23, Batista stole a Dodge Ram 2500 pick-up truck shortly before attempting to lodge an in-person complaint at the FBI office in Houston. Upon his arrival, security alleged referred him to local authorities.
According to the charges, Batista then re-entered the truck, circled the area and tried to force entry. He allegedly sped toward, and crashed the truck into, the front security gates of the FBI building. The complaint alleges, he caused considerable damage.
Shortly thereafter, he was allegedly able to exit the truck and enter the visiting area in the lobby. Authorities then subdued him and took him into custody.
If convicted, Batista faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Porto is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Connecticut Addiction Medicine Provider Pays $1 Million to Settle Improper Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, today announced that CONNECTICUT ADDICTION MEDICINE, LLC, and its owners DR. JAY BENSON and DR. MAHBOOB ASLAM, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which they will pay $1,002,481 to resolve allegations that they caused overpayments to be paid by the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.
Connecticut Addition Medicine (“CAM”) is a medical practice that provides behavioral health and addiction medicine services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries at its offices located throughout Connecticut. Benson and Aslam are physicians and the principals of CAM.
The allegations against CAM arise out of improper billing for urine drug tests. Urine drug testing includes drug screening tests (also known as “presumptive” tests), which determine the presence or absence of a drug or metabolite in a patient’s urine, and confirmation tests (also known as “definitive” tests), which are more precise and provide a numerical concentration of a drug or metabolite in a patient’s urine. CAM regularly tested their patient’s urine in-house, using a presumptive test, but also sent the identical urine samples out to an independent reference laboratory to conduct more detailed definitive tests on each and every specimen. In many cases, CAM received the results of the definitive test from the independent lab in four days or less.
The government alleges that CAM, Benson and Aslam submitted claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid for the in-office presumptive urine drug tests that the they knew, or should have known, were not medically necessary, because they also ordered and received, from the independent reference laboratory, the more detailed and reliable definitive urine drug test results on the identical urine samples, which were available to assess and treat their patients.
To resolve their liability, CAM, Benson and Aslam will pay $1,002,481 to the federal and state governments for conduct occurring between December 21, 2015, through August 31, 2017.
“Billing government health insurance programs for medically unnecessary testing diverts taxpayer money needed to pay for legitimate medical needs,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle. “The government will aggressively pursue health care providers who are overpaid by the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary tests.”
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and by Assistant Attorneys Gregory O’Connell and Karla Turekian of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Clearwater Drug Distributor Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Jorge Ramirez (41, Clearwater) to 15 years and 8 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Ramirez had pleaded guilty on August 25, 2020.
According to information presented during Ramirez’s sentencing hearing, in 2011, Ramirez was convicted in state court (Pasco County) for trafficking cocaine. After serving more than three years in state prison, Ramirez—also known as “Dientes,” “Cha-Ching,” and “Ching”—resumed selling large amounts of drugs, distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine for years before he was ultimately arrested in this case. By the time Ramirez’s Spring Hill, Florida-based, Mexican cartel-affiliated suppliers were arrested in April 2019, Ramirez had sold at least 40 kilograms of highly pure methamphetamine over the previous five months.
In December 2020, United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced each of Ramirez’s suppliers, Adan Barajas Maldonado and Juan Carlos Arias Castillo, to 25 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
Cherry Creek Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Assault and Tampering with EvidenceRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that Samuel Francis White Horse, age 33, of Cherry Creek, South Dakota, was found guilty of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding and Tampering with Evidence as a result of a three-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. White Horse was acquitted of charges of aiding and abetting Second Degree Murder, Voluntary Manslaughter, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The verdict was returned on June 24, 2021.
The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
White Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2020.
The jury found that on February 12, 2020, White Horse assaulted a man, who crashed his vehicle into White Horse’s yard while suffering from a medical emergency, by punching him in the head. Jerome White Horse, Jr., the defendant’s father, also used a garden hoe to strike the victim in the head multiple times. The victim died several days later after suffering from significant bleeding in his brain. Jerome White Horse, Jr., pled guilty to and was convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. After witnessing his father beat the victim with the garden hoe, the defendant took control of the weapon and hid it under the front porch of his home to conceal it from law enforcement. The garden hoe was recovered during the execution of a search warrant a couple days later, and found by the South Dakota Forensic Laboratory to have the victim’s DNA on the blade and Jerome White Horse, Jr.’s DNA on the handle.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Sentencing was scheduled for September 20, 2021. White Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the jury announced its verdict.
California Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute 50 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A California man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in December 2019, Francisco Calderon-Panduro, 33, and others participated in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. On December 17, 2019, law enforcement arranged with Calderon-Panduro’s co-conspirators to conduct a controlled purchase of three pounds of methamphetamine. When Calderon-Panduro arrived at the designated location with the methamphetamine in his trunk, the undercover law enforcement officers arrested him. Calderon-Panduro admitted to law enforcement that he had additional methamphetamine at his home. During a subsequent search of Calderon-Panduro’s residence, law enforcement seized an additional 47 pounds of methamphetamine stored in various locations within the home.
Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk for the District of Minnesota made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced the defendant.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Anoka-Hennepin Narcotics and Violent Offenders Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter.
Buffalo Man Going to Prison for More Than 22 Years for Selling Fentanyl That Led to Five DeathsRead 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 Robert Moore, 43, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of distribution of fentanyl causing death, was sentenced to serve 270 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
“Robert Moore admitted to selling heroin and fentanyl that cut short the lives of five individuals,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “This Office has been laser focused on targeting those who distribute drugs that kill others, and we will maintain that focus and use all available resources to serve as seekers of justice for those that are no longer with us and guardians for those that are. That's what law enforcers do.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that between February 2015 and March 16, 2017, the defendant worked with his brother Reese Moore, Kevin Abernathy, Joshua Levine, and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs. Robert Moore used cell phones to schedule meetings in and around Buffalo where he personally distributed quantities of heroin and fentanyl. When the defendant was not available, he sent co-defendants Reese Moore and Kevin Abernathy to sell the heroin and fentanyl to customers. Joshua Levine was a customer of Robert Moore who used the heroin and fentanyl, but also re-distributed quantities for profit to other users.
Robert Moore pleaded guilty to selling the heroin and fentanyl that caused the death of one individual, but he also admitted to selling the heroin and fentanyl that led to the overdose deaths of four other individuals.
• On May 15, 2015, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to another individual who used the heroin and fentanyl with J.J., and J.J. died as a result of ingesting the heroin and fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On March 12, 2016, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to others, who provided it to S.S. S.S. used the heroin and fentanyl and died as a result of using the heroin and fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On March 15, 2016, defendant Moore distributed fentanyl to others, who provided it to J.P. J.P. used the fentanyl and died as a result of using the fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On January 8, 2017, defendant Moore distributed fentanyl to another person, who provided it to C.G. C.G. used the fentanyl and died as a result of using the fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On February 18, 2017, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to Joshua Levine who distributed a quantity of the heroin and fentanyl to B.G. B.G. used the heroin and fentanyl and died as a result of using the heroin and fentanyl supplied by defendant Moore and Joshua Levine.On November 27, 2015, Robert Moore’s vehicle was stopped by Buffalo Police. Officers seized 15 bags of heroin and seven bags of butyryl and $1000 in U.S. currency. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers from the Amherst, Lancaster, and the Buffalo Police Departments, and the New York State Police and DEA, conducted 11 controlled purchases of fentanyl and butyryl fentanyl from Robert Moore.
Robert Moore was arrested on March 16, 2017, at which time law enforcement officers searched his residence on Glenwood Drive in Williamsville, NY. Investigators seized 202 bags of fentanyl and numerous cellular telephones, including the cell phone Kevin Abernathy used to make sales of heroin and fentanyl to Robert Moore's customers. The search also resulted in the seizure of items the defendant obtained as a result of his heroin and fentanyl distribution activities, including assorted valuable pieces of jewelry and a 2009 Audi S5 Quattro. Moore has forfeited the jewelry, valued at over $450,000, seized during the search of his residence, and the 2009 Audi Quattro. In addition, he will pay a $100,000 money judgment.
Reese Moore, Kevin Abernathy, and Joshua Levin were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott P. Chamberlin; the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Major Mary Clark, and Lieutenant Kevin Reyes; the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief William J. Karn, Jr.; the Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Squad, under the direction of Commissioner Byron C. Lockwood; the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott; the Depew Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Miller; the Niagara County Sherriff’s Office and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti; the Erie County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Kevin Kelly.
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Belgian Security Services Firm Agrees to Plead Guilty to Criminal Antitrust Conspiracy Affecting Department of Defense ProcurementRead the Press Release
G4S Secure Solutions NV (G4S), a Belgian security firm, has agreed to plead guilty for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids, allocate customers and fix prices for defense-related security services, including a multimillion-dollar contract issued in 2020 to provide security services to the U.S. Department of Defense for military bases and installations in Belgium. This is the first international resolution obtained by the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF).
“The Procurement Collusion Strike Force is committed to safeguarding public procurement at home and abroad from collusion that cheats American taxpayers out of the benefits of competition for critical goods and services,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division, along with our law enforcement colleagues, will hold security services providers and their executives accountable for conduct that targeted contracts to secure Department of Defense bases and installations abroad.”
“The FBI is committed to rooting out corruption and fraud against the United States wherever it occurs,” said Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the strength of our collaborative efforts to investigate and prosecute anticompetitive, fraudulent conduct that harms U.S. taxpayers.”
“Today’s plea agreement demonstrates the continued focus of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners on protecting the integrity of the military procurement process,” said Deputy Director Paul K. Sternal of DCIS. “DCIS is steadfast in its commitment to work with its law enforcement partners and the PCSF to hold defense contractors accountable for employing corrupt business practices that endanger the security and safety of our service members at home and abroad.”
“We will continue to pursue integrity in the contracting arena and work closely with the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies to prevent collusion and fraud, and bring those responsible to justice,” said Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Protecting the military and the United States taxpayer is paramount.”
The charge filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleges that G4S participated in the conspiracy from spring 2019 through summer 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, G4S and its co-conspirators participated in a conspiracy to allocate security services contracts in Belgium among themselves and to determine the prices at which contracts would be bid. The contracts affected by the conspiracy include those for the U.S. Department of Defense and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Communications and Information Agency, which is funded in part by the United States.
In addition to agreeing to plead guilty, G4S has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $15 million. The company began cooperating with the United States in April 2020 and will continue to cooperate in the ongoing investigation. The plea agreement is subject to court approval.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the FBI’s International Corruption Unit New York Field Office, the DCIS’ New York Resident Agency and the Transnational Operations Field Office, the U.S. Army CID's Major Procurement Fraud Unit, and other PCSF partners in Europe.
In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. In fall 2020, the Strike Force expanded its footprint with the launch of PCSF: Global, designed to deter, detect investigate and prosecute collusive schemes that target government spending outside of the United States.
To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging, and other anticompetitive conduct related to the security services industry, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland- U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Delonte Wheeler, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on April 30, 2019, law enforcement observed Wheeler and an associate working together to distribute narcotics through several hand-to-hand transactions on the block of 1600 Moreland Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland.
As officers approached Wheeler and his associate, Wheeler entered a vehicle and drove away from the area. Wheeler fled to a neighboring residential area where he attempted to discard two bags in a resident’s trashcan and his car keys at another resident’s garage. Soon after, Wheeler was detained by law enforcement.
A Baltimore Police Department officer retrieved the two bags Wheeler attempted to conceal. The BPD officer recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with 12 cartridges as well as 82 plastic bags of marijuana from the first bag. The second bag Wheeler attempted to conceal contained 23 plastic containers of marijuana. In sum, officers recovered approximately 459 grams of marijuana.
As stated in his plea agreement, Wheeler admitted that he possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey McCulley who prosecuted the case.
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Baltimore Career Offender Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Bernard Carolina, age 41, of Baltimore, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Judge Blake also ordered that Carolina forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement during the investigation, specifically, a .22 long rifle caliber revolver and six rounds of .22 caliber long rifle cartridges, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a matching magazine and 34 9mm rounds of ammunition.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to Carolina’s plea agreement and other court documents, on July 17, 2019, Baltimore Police Department units set up an operation in the 400 block of Robert Street to surveil and interrupt a high-volume drug shop. Before 7:30 a.m., a large group of people began to form a line. Jimmy Harper, carrying a black bag, exited from the rear of a basement apartment of a residence in the 1900 block of Eutaw Place. Harper gave several clear plastic bags that he took from the black bag to a man that officers believed was selling those drugs to customers nearby. Upon seeing the officers, Harper fled, but was located and arrested. Officers recovered approximately 124 gelcaps of a mixture containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl and a fully loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from Harper. From a vacant home along the path of Harper’s flight, which law enforcement believed served as a stash house, detectives also recovered a black plastic bag containing approximately twenty clear plastic bags, each with 25 gelcaps containing white powder (a “pack”), as well as another black plastic bag with approximately six packs.
As detailed in the plea agreement, the next day, BPD detectives saw Carolina, who they believed ran the drug shop, exiting from the same rear basement apartment and carrying a black bag. Officers attempted to arrest Carolina on outstanding warrants, but Carolina fled and threw the black bag into an adjacent backyard. BPD officers arrested Carolina and recovered the bag, which contained 20 packs and matched the bag detectives recovered from the vacant house the day before. Officers learned that an unknown individual informed the line of suspected drug buyers that someone had been arrested and that they would not be “up,” which referred to the fact that the shop would not have any drugs to sell.
The detectives executed a search warrant at the basement apartment and recovered drug packaging materials, a digital scale with a white, powdery residue, as well as a blue and black canvas bag that contained four black bags tied shut. Each of the black bags contained 20 packs and matched the bags thrown by Carolina and recovered from Harper’s flight path. Two loaded firearms were also recovered from the canvas bag, a .22 long rifle caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number, loaded with six rounds of .22 caliber long rifle cartridges; and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a matching magazine loaded with 34 rounds of 9mm ammunition. In addition, law enforcement found a plastic bag with six gelcaps with white powder.
The BPD Drug Analysis Unit tested the substances within the total of approximately 2506 gelcaps recovered by law enforcement and determined that they contained both fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. Carolina admitted that he intended to distribute those drugs.
Jimmy Harper, age 46, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Judge Blake sentenced Harper to 78 months in federal prison and ordered that he forfeit the firearm and ammunition seized by law enforcement upon Harper’s arrest.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie D. Podlesni and Jeffrey M. Hann, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.
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Augusta Man Sentenced for Robbing Businesses at KnifepointRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for a series of robberies in 2019, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Barry Grant, Jr., 39, to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Grant was also ordered to pay $1,878 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on October 28, 2019.
According to court records, on February 25, 2019, and on July 17, 20 and 23, 2019, Grant robbed four different Augusta businesses at knifepoint. On each occasion he fled the scene with cash from the register. Grant was arrested by Augusta Police while fleeing the July 23, 2019 robbery.
“Knifepoint robberies are serious crimes that have ripple effects throughout the community, affecting clerks who are physically threatened, store owners who lose revenue, and near-by residents who feel less safe in their neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clark. “The Project Safe Neighborhoods partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies is effective and the investigation of this case by the Augusta Police Department and the FBI is an excellent example of that effective partnership.”
The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
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.
Auburn Man Charged in Superseding Indictment with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Auburn man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on child pornography offenses.
Jesse Laino, 25, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of distribution of child pornography. The original indictment charged Laino with one count of possession of child pornography. Laino was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 22, 2020.
According to the charging documents, from about January 2019 to July 2020, Laino distributed child pornography. In July 2020, a search of Laino’s residence resulted in the seizure of electronic devices that contained images and videos of child pornography.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five and up to 40 years in prison, at least five and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Auburn Police Chief Andrew J. Sluckis, Jr.; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arkansas Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Sulfur Springs, Arkansas, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Jeffrey Alan Mosal, age 44, was indicted on April 6, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 23, 2021 and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Mosal, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime and required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, failed to do so between January 30, 2020, and April 6, 2021.
The charge is merely an accusation and Mosal is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Mosal was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited Resolves Foreign Bribery Case and Agrees to Pay Penalty of over $18 MillionRead the Press Release
Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited (“Amec Foster Wheeler,” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of John Wood Group plc (“Wood”), a United Kingdom-based global engineering company, has agreed to pay a penalty of more than $18 million to resolve charges stemming from the Company’s involvement in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign officials in Brazil in exchange for an approximately $190 million contract to design a gas-to-chemicals complex.
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Amec Foster Wheeler entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section in connection with the filing of a criminal information filed in the Eastern District of New York charging the Company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). In related proceedings, the Company has received provisional court approval for a settlement with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office and has settled with the Ministério Público Federal (“MPF”), the Advogado-Geral da União (“AGU”), and the Controladoria-Geral da União (“CGU”) in Brazil. A subsidiary of Wood has also agreed to resolve a related civil matter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office (FBI), made the announcement.
“Amec Foster Wheeler conspired to pay bribes to officials in Brazil as part of a corrupt scheme to obtain a $190 million government contract and generate millions of dollars in profits,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis. “The defendant’s lengthy DPA and agreement to pay a penalty of more than $18 million demonstrate the commitment of this Office to enforcing the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and holding companies like Amec Wheeler Foster accountable for its illegal conduct and corporate greed.”
“Amec Foster Wheeler has now admitted to paying bribes in Brazil to win a lucrative contract,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the pursuit of profits, the company resorted to corruption, which distorts markets and undermines the rule of law. Today’s resolution, including the financial penalty and agreement to enhance compliance, underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding companies accountable when they break the law and to rooting out criminal misconduct.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to work with our international partners in the global effort to hold individuals and companies accountable who believe corruption is the only way to do business,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge D’Antuono. “When companies like Amec Foster Wheeler attempt to cheat the system, it creates an uneven playing field for businesses who don’t pay bribes. This deferred prosecution agreement, which includes both a substantial criminal penalty and other provisions, should serve as a warning to companies that even using a third-party intermediary to pay bribes will not preclude them from being held responsible for international corruption.”
According to the Company’s admissions and court documents, between 2011 and 2014, Amec Foster Wheeler conspired with others, including an Italian sales agent affiliated with a Monaco-based intermediary company, to pay bribes to decision-makers at Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (“Petrobras”) in order to win a lucrative contract, worth approximately $190 million, from Petrobras to design a gas-to-chemicals complex in Brazil called Complexo Gás-Químico UFN-IV. The Company, through certain of its employees and agents, took acts in furtherance of the scheme while located in New York and Texas, and earned at least $12.9 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.
As part of the DPA, for a three-year period, Amec Foster Wheeler agreed to continue to cooperate with the U.S. government in any ongoing or future criminal investigations concerning Amec Foster Wheeler, its executives, employees or agents. In addition, Amec Foster Wheeler and its parent company, Wood, agreed to enhance their compliance programs and to report to the government on the implementation of those programs.
The government reached this resolution with Amec Foster Wheeler based on a number of factors, including the Company’s failure to voluntarily and timely disclose the conduct that triggered the investigation, the nature and seriousness of the offense, which spanned multiple years and involved a high level executive, and credit for the Company’s cooperation. The Company also engaged in remedial measures, including terminating the individuals involved in the misconduct and adopting heightened controls and anti-corruption procedures. Accordingly, the criminal penalty reflects a 25 percent reduction off the applicable U.S. Sentencing Guidelines fine for the Company’s full cooperation and remediation.
In related proceedings, the Company also has received provisional court approval for a settlement with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office and has settled with the MPF, the AGU and the CGU in Brazil. Under the DPA, the Department will credit up to 25 percent ($4,593,750) of the criminal penalty owed to the United States to payments the Company makes pursuant to the resolution with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office, and up to 33 percent ($6,125,000) of the criminal penalty owed to the United States to payments the Company makes pursuant to the resolution with Brazilian authorities.
In a related civil matter with the SEC, a subsidiary of Wood has agreed to pay the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling approximately $22.7 million for the conduct in Brazil.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Nestor of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody, Jr. and Trial Attorney Dennis Kihm of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office and Brazil’s MPF, AGU, and CGU provided significant assistance.
The Defendant:
Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-298 (KAM)
Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited Agrees to Pay over $18 Million to Resolve Charges Related to Bribery Scheme in BrazilRead the Press Release
Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited (Amec Foster Wheeler or the Company), a subsidiary of John Wood Group plc (Wood), a United Kingdom-based global engineering company, has agreed to pay $18,375,000 to resolve criminal charges stemming from a scheme to pay bribes to officials in Brazil in exchange for an approximately $190 million contract to design a gas-to-chemicals complex.
According to court documents, Amec Foster Wheeler entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Justice Department, Criminal Division, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in connection with the filing of an information charging the Company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
“Amec Foster Wheeler has now admitted to paying bribes in Brazil to win a lucrative contract,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the pursuit of profits, the company resorted to corruption, which distorts markets and undermines the rule of law. Today’s resolution, including the financial penalty and agreement to enhance compliance, underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding companies accountable when they break the law and to rooting out criminal misconduct.”
“Amec Foster Wheeler conspired to pay bribes to officials in Brazil as part of a corrupt scheme to obtain a $190 million government contract and generate millions of dollars in profits,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendant’s lengthy DPA and agreement to pay a penalty of more than $18 million demonstrate the commitment of this office to enforcing the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and holding companies like Amec Wheeler Foster accountable for its illegal conduct and corporate greed.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to work with our international partners in the global effort to hold individuals and companies accountable who may believe corruption is the only way to do business,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “When companies like Amec Foster Wheeler attempt to cheat the system, it creates an uneven playing field for businesses who don’t pay bribes. This deferred prosecution agreement, which includes both a substantial criminal penalty and other provisions, should serve as a warning to companies that even using a third-party intermediary to pay bribes will not preclude them from being held responsible for international corruption.”
According to the Company’s admissions in the DPA, between 2011 and 2014, Amec Foster Wheeler conspired with others, including an Italian sales agent affiliated with a Monaco-based intermediary company, to pay bribes to decision-makers at Petrobras in order to win an approximately $190 million contract from Petrobras to design a gas-to-chemicals complex in Brazil called Complexo Gás-Químico UFN-IV. The Company, through certain of its employees and agents, took acts in furtherance of the scheme while located in New York and Texas, and earned at least $12.9 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.
As part of the DPA, for a three-year period, Amec Foster Wheeler agreed to continue to cooperate with the U.S. government in any ongoing or future criminal investigations concerning Amec Foster Wheeler or its executives, employees or agents. In addition, under the agreement, Amec Foster Wheeler and its parent company, Wood, agreed to enhance their compliance programs and to report to the government on the implementation of their enhanced compliance programs.
The government reached this resolution with Amec Foster Wheeler based on a number of factors, including the Company’s failure to voluntarily and timely disclose the conduct that triggered the investigation; the nature and seriousness of the offense, which spanned multiple years and involved a high-level executive; and credit for the Company’s cooperation. The Company also engaged in remedial measures, including terminating an individual involved in the misconduct, and adopting heightened controls and anti-corruption procedures. Accordingly, the criminal penalty reflects a 25% reduction off the applicable U.S. Sentencing Guidelines fine for the Company’s full cooperation and remediation.
In related proceedings, the Company has received provisional court approval for a settlement with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office and has settled with the Ministério Público Federal (MPF), the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), and the Advogado-Geral da União (AGU) in Brazil. Under the DPA, the Fraud Section and the Eastern District of New York will credit up to 25% ($4,593,750) of the criminal penalty owed to the United States to payments the Company makes pursuant to the resolution with the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office, and up to 33% ($6,125,000) of the criminal penalty owed to the United States to payments the Company makes pursuant to the resolution with Brazilian authorities.
In a related civil matter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a subsidiary of Wood has agreed to pay the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling approximately $22.7 million for the conduct in Brazil.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. The United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office and Brazil’s MPF, CGU, and AGU provided significant assistance.
Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. and Trial Attorney Dennis Kihm of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Nestor of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
Alleged NCAA ticket fraudster taken into custodyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 46-year-old California resident has been charged in a nationwide ticket scam that included a Texas A&M football game, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A Houston federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Derrick Langford April 1, on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Authorities arrested him in California yesterday. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu in Oakland, California, at 1 p.m. (PST) today.
According to the indictment, Langford used email to obtain stolen credit card information from victims across the United States. He then allegedly used that data and false identities to buy tickets for sporting events, concerts and other entertainment venues across the United States which he then re-sold on internet-based ticket resale sites like Ticket Liquidator.
One such event tied to Langford was the Texas A&M football game against Clemson on Sept. 8, 2018, according to the charges. As part of the scheme, Langford had allegedly created false buyer accounts and used stolen credit card numbers to buy tickets to that game. According to the indictment, Langford then resold the fraudulently-purchased tickets on ticket resale sites to unsuspecting buyers.
Texas A&M discovered the fraud and invalidated the tickets, according to the charges. However, some had already been allegedly been sold to unsuspecting buyers which caused the university to incur a 100% loss on the fraudulent tickets.
As the scheme continued, Langford received stolen credit card information and personal identifying information of more than 75 victims in one of his email accounts, according to the charges.
If convicted of wire fraud or conspiracy to do so, Langford faces carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The identity theft carries an additional two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas A&M University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quincy Ollison and Belinda Beek are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.14 Defendants Indicted in Alleged $1 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka, Kansas, returned an indictment charging 14 people in connection to a kickback scheme involving more than $1 million in fraudulent customer refunds.
Kanesha Mercer, 32, Darius Polite, 27, and Rudy Hunt, 29, were indicted on Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Mercer, Polite, Hunt as well as Veronica Kilman, 31, were indicted for Wire Fraud.
According to court documents, Mercer, Polite, Hunt and Kilman are all former employees of Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACCT) in Junction City, Kansas. ACCT provides support services including processing refunds for AT&T Digital Life home security systems. Mercer, Polite, Hunt, and Kilman are accused of authorizing fraudulent refunds then directing the deposits into the bank accounts of other accomplices who agreed to return a percentage of the money.
A federal grand jury also indicted Sharika Pope, Erica Jackson, Caylon McCormick, Mercele Brooks, Shunqureau Gilbert, Fontelle Jolly, Kory Epps, Jr., Kiondra Armstrong, Anthony Charite, and Shenece Marryshow on Laundering of Money Instruments.
Each of the charges, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Laundering of Money Instruments, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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24 June 2021
Wilmington Gang Member Receives 30 Months for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On March 24, 2021, Xavier Jamar Hall pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hall, 28, illegally possessed a stolen 9mm handgun as a previously convicted felon. Hall is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang and former employee of TRU Colors Brewery in Wilmington. On June 19, 2020, Wilmington Police Department Officers attempted to stop a vehicle in which Hall was a passenger to serve him with outstanding warrants. The vehicle fled and Hall eventually jumped and ran through an abandoned lot. While running, Hall made a motion that led officers to believe that he threw something. A search of the area recovered a handgun. Forensic examination of DNA found on the gun confirmed that Hall had possessed it.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00190-D.
Vallejo Felon Indicted for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Jacob Harding-Abeyta, 28, of Vallejo, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2020, a parole search of Harding-Abeyta’s residence resulted in the discovery of a loaded .45-caliber Springfield XDS firearm in his bedroom. Harding-Abeyta is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has prior felony convictions in Solano County for attempted murder in 2014 and vehicle theft in 2011.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Adrian T. Kinsella are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Harding-Abeyta faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Two More Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Stage Automobile Accidents in Order to Defraud Insurance and Trucking CompaniesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES “CURTIS” WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 66 of Gibson, Louisiana, and RYAN WHEATEN (“WHEATEN”), age 53, of Lafayette, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty on June 23, 2021 to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans before United States District Court Judge Lance M. Africk.
According to today’s guilty plea, on March 27, 2017, WILLIAMS conspired with co-defendants-passengers Tanya Givens (“Givens”), John Diggs (“J. Diggs”), and Lois Russell (“Russell”) to stage an accident with a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road. Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”) and Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), who have pleaded guilty to staging other accidents, also participated in this accident. Hickman, while driving Russell’s car, intentionally struck the 18-wheeler and then fled the scene with Labeaud. Russell advised NOPD that she was the driver and she, along with WILLIAMS, Givens and J. Diggs, made claims for personal injuries. In total, the victim trucking and insurance companies paid out approximately $272,500.00 for these fraudulent claims. Today, WILLIAMS joins Hickman, Russell, Givens and J. Diggs in pleading guilty to this staged accident.
Also according to today’s guilty plea, on May 17, 2017, WHEATEN, along with participants Labeaud, Mario Solomon (“Solomon”), Henry Randle (“Randle”), and Dakota Diggs (“D. Diggs”), participated in a staged automobile accident in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 90 East and Calliope Street in New Orleans. Labeaud and Solomon fled the scene. Randle falsely reported to the NOPD that he had been driving and that the tractor-trailer had struck his vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Labeaud and Solomon went on to stage a second accident in the vicinity of Louisa Street and Chickasaw Street with Bernell Gale (“Gale”), Troy Smith (“Smith”), Marvel Francois (“Francois”), and another passenger. Labeaud, Solomon, Wheaten, Gale, Smith, and Francois were also charged. Labeaud, Solomon, Gale, Smith, and Francois already pled guilty. After the staged accident, Wheaten, Randle, and D. Diggs made claims for personal injuries. The victim trucking and insurance companies paid out approximately $10,000.00 for these fraudulent claims.
WILLIAMS and WHEATEN face a maximum sentence of five (5) years. Upon release from prison, WILLIAMS and WHEATEN also face a term of supervised release up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to each defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for October 27, 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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Tulsa Couple Found Guilty on Child Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a Tulsa couple guilty Wednesday for enabling and committing acts of child abuse against an Indian minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
The jury convicted Craig Allan Morrison, 37, of two counts of child abuse in Indian Country and Amanda Lyn Walker, 42, with two counts of enabling child abuse in Indian Country. During the trial the jury received evidence describing two separate instances of child abuse involving a then three-year-old child.
The first incident took place on or about December 20, 2019, when other family members observed and photographed a hand-shaped bruise on the child’s face. The second incident took place on or about February 18, 2020, when the child victim was taken to the Saint Francis Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room with injuries to the child’s head, back, shoulder, abdomen, buttocks, and leg. Laboratory testing showed elevated liver enzymes and elevated amylase. A pediatrician who treated the victim testified these laboratory tests indicated liver and pancreatic injuries and that the child’s injuries were caused by child abuse. These crimes took place within the Muskogee Nation Reservation. Tulsa Police Department later interviewed the couple and charged them with child abuse.
“Because of the team of committed investigators and prosecutors, Craig Morrison and Amanda Walker have been brought to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “It is heartbreaking when children suffer abuse at the hands of individuals who they should be able to trust for their care. My office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to prosecuting perpetrators of child abuse in Indian Country.”
Judge Heil presided over the trial. Walker and Morrison will be sentenced on January 24 2022.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Noble Nelson and Chantelle Dial prosecuted the case.
Three Texas Men Sentenced to Prison for Using Dating App to Target Gay Men for Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
Three Texas men were sentenced yesterday for violent crimes.
Michael Atkinson, 28, Pablo Ceniceros-Deleon, 21, and Daryl Henry, 24, were sentenced to prison terms for their involvement in a scheme to target gay men for violent crimes. Atkinson was sentenced to over 11 years in prison, Ceniceros-Deleon was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and Henry was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“These three men participated in and committed acts of violence against innocent victims because they believed the victims were gay men,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This type of bias-motivated violence runs contrary to our values and violates our federal civil rights laws. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target members of the LGBTQI community.”
“These defendants brutalized multiple victims, singling them out due to their sexual orientation. We cannot allow this sort of violence to fester unchecked,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah for the Northern District of Texas. “The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting hate crimes. In the meantime, we urge dating app users to remain vigilant. Unfortunately, predators often lurk online.”
“One of the FBI’s top priorities is to defend the civil rights of the communities we serve. We actively work with our law enforcement partners to investigate hate crimes and achieve justice for the victims impacted by these violent crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “The victims in this case were specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation. The FBI wants to reassure the public that we will pursue individuals who commit violent hate acts against any member of our community.”
According to documents filed in connection with this case, these three defendants admitted that they conspired to and then targeted as many as nine men in and around Dallas, Texas for violent crimes including kidnapping, carjacking, and hate crimes. Beginning on or around Dec. 6, 2017, members of this conspiracy used Grindr, a social media dating platform used primarily by gay men, to lure men to an apartment complex in Dallas. When the men arrived, the conspirators held the men at gunpoint and forced them to drive to local ATMs to withdraw cash from their accounts.
Atkinson and Henry admitted to joining this conspiracy to target gay men for violent crimes. On Dec. 11, 2017, the conspirators used Grindr to lure five men to a vacant apartment in Dallas where they held the men at gunpoint, kidnapped, carjacked, and assaulted them. As part of his plea agreement, Henry admitted that he used violence and threats of violence to hold the victims in the backroom and closet of the vacant apartment while other conspirators used the victims’ vehicles to drive to local ATMs to steal cash from the victims’ accounts. Atkinson and Ceniceros-Deleon admitted that they traveled in the carjacked vehicles to take cash from the victims’ accounts. While the victims were held at gunpoint, some were physically assaulted, at least one victim was sexually assaulted, and all of the victims were taunted with gay slurs.
In 2019, Atkinson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping and carjacking and one count of kidnapping.
Ceniceros-Deleon pleaded guilty in 2019 to one hate crime count, one count of carjacking, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Henry pleaded guilty in 2019 to one hate crime count and one count of conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping and carjacking.
A final member of the conspiracy will be sentenced on Oct. 6, 2021. This final conspirator, Daniel Jenkins, pleaded guilty on June 3 to a hate crime violation; conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping and carjacking; and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Under the plea agreement, Jenkins faces a maximum sentence of 26 years in prison.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the federal investigation; a separate criminal investigation is being conducted by the Dallas Police Department. Special Litigation Counsel Rose E. Gibson and Trial Attorney Kathryn Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, along with Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Dana, are prosecuting the case.
Stockton Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Steven Domingo, 37, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Domingo was on federal probation at the time of the offense. The weapon he is accused of possessing is a Fabrique Nationale (FN) Herstal FNS-40, a .40‑caliber semi-automatic handgun. Domingo has been convicted of several felonies.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Redding is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Domingo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is also a collaboration with Operation Ceasefire. As part of Operation Ceasefire in the city of Stockton, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and the Stockton Police Department to deliver on Ceasefire’s mission to establish a peaceful community by investigating and prosecuting members and associates of criminal groups who continue to commit serious and violent felonies in the city, including individuals who have previously been prosecuted for illegal gun and gang-related crimes.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Statement of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Investigation into the January 6th Attack on the CapitolRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s statement on the investigation into the January 6th Attack on the Capitol:
“The Department of Justice reached several benchmarks in our investigation into the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“We have now crossed the threshold of 500 arrests, including the 100th arrest of a defendant on charges of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. This morning, we arrested our first defendant on charges that include assaulting a member of the news media.
“I could not be more proud of the extraordinary effort by investigators and prosecutors to hold accountable those who engaged in criminal acts that day. Particular credit goes to those serving as prosecutors and agents in Washington, D.C., as well as those in FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, and with the Department’s National Security Division.
“Our efforts to bring criminal charges are not possible without the continued assistance of the American public. To date, we have received their more than 200,000 digital tips.
“I assure the American people that the Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts in this case and charge what the evidence supports to hold all January 6th perpetrators accountable.”
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The FBI continues to request the public’s assistance in identifying individuals sought in connection to the January 6th attack, and I encourage all of our citizens to visit https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence to view images and video of the crimes committed that day. Anyone with information to share can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are merely allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Southwest Virginia Man Sentenced for Dealing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Dickenson County, Virginia man, who illegally sold firearms without a license was sentenced last week to six months in federal prison.
Tommy Roger Dotson, 65, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of willfully engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license. As part of his plea, Dotson relinquished 59 seized firearms and more than $13,000 in cash.
According to court documents, in October 2019 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began an investigation of firearm sales at the Indian Mountain Trade Center to identify and monitor individuals who appeared to be in the business of dealing firearms without a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Investigators with the ATF observed Dotson, and others, regularly selling firearms to Trade Center attendees. Dotson sold numerous firearms from a sales booth, where he regularly displayed 25 to 50 firearms for sale. During the investigation, Dotson also instructed another unlicensed firearms dealer to the lie to the ATF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary T. Lee and Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case for the United States.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Carolina man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to interstate stalking, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, during the days leading up to July 25, 2019, Dustin Beach, 27, drove a woman in his truck from South Carolina to Maine. During the drive to Maine, Beach threatened the woman and injured her by physically assaulting her with his hands and other objects, including a hammer and metal chain. These assaults resulted in the woman being placed in fear of serious bodily injury and substantial emotional distress.
Beach faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the case.
Simpson County Man Convicted of Firearm and Controlled Substance OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green – A federal jury convicted a Simpson County, Kentucky, man yesterday of Distribution and Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Donavan Bell, 40, sold greater than five grams of methamphetamine to a confidential source on July 23, 2019. On that date a confidential source was given a recording device by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force. The confidential source then drove to Bell’s residence in Simpson County, Kentucky where they picked up Bell and drove him to meet with a methamphetamine dealer. Bell purchased additional methamphetamine and then sold more than five grams of methamphetamine to the confidential source for $250. The entire transaction was video recorded. During the transaction, Bell appeared to have a handgun sitting on the table in front him.
On August 7, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bell’s residence in Simpson County, Kentucky. As law enforcement surrounded the house, a Simpson County Sheriff’s Deputy saw an arm throw a bag out of a back window. The bag was recovered and contained greater than five grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also located digital scales, money, and two handguns hidden in an air vent. The air vent appeared to have been made to act as a hiding spot for items. The handguns were loaded, and one resembled the firearm seen on video during the controlled purchase conducted on July 23, 2019.
After the jury convicted Bell, they were presented with evidence that Bell had a prior federal conviction for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base in Western District of Kentucky case number 1:08-CR-00007. Due to this prior conviction, and Bell having served more than twelve months for that conviction, and his release from custody on that sentence within fifteen years of the new conviction, Bell will face enhanced penalties.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2021. Bell faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years imprisonment due to the enhanced punishments, with a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and HSI Special Agent in Charge Jerry C. Templet, Jr. made the announcement.
HSI, the South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, and the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II and Madison Sewell of the Bowling Green U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case with the assistance of Cristy Crockett, paralegal.
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Schuylkill County Woman Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Samantha Blume, age 30, formerly of Frackville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Blume admitted to aiding and abetting the distribution of highly-pure crystal methamphetamine in the Schuylkill County area in February 2019. Blume and her then boyfriend, Shaquane Scott, age 31, also of Frackville, were indicted by a grand jury in September 2019 for methamphetamine trafficking.
On June 23, 2021, Judge Mannion sentenced Shaquane Scott to six years’ imprisonment for methamphetamine trafficking.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Judge Mannion ordered that a presentence report be completed for Blume. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department 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 enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum sentence under federal law is up to forty years in in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Rochester Resident Who Posted Molotov Cocktail Recipe on Social Media During Protests Pleads Guilty to Civil DisorderRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Ryan Howe a/k/a Rylea Autumn, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to civil disorder. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that in September 2020, there were violent protests and riots in Rochester over the deaths of George Floyd and Daniel Prude. In addition, on September 23, 2020, the Kentucky Attorney General announced that a grand jury had declined to indict police officers in relation to the death of Breonna Taylor. In the wake of the Kentucky Attorney General’s announcement, several members of the public – including people and groups in Rochester – expressed their disagreement with the decision not to charge the officers and declared their intention to protest in the evening on September 24, 2020. Through social media, several of these individuals expressed, in sum and substance, a desire to burn down the City of Rochester. A group of approximately 250 people protested in the streets of Rochester in the evening on September 24, 2020. Rochester Police Department officers were present at the protest for the purposes of, among other things, ensuring the safety of protesters and the public, and protecting property from damage.
On September 23, 2020, the defendant posted a message to Facebook, which included a link to an article about the grand jury’s decision not to indict certain officers in the Breonna Taylor case and the statement, “Burn this shit to the (expletive) ground.” The next day, on September 24, 2020, Howe posted a message to Facebook, which read, “Good morning to everyone ready to burn this whole (expletive) country to the ground!” That same day, at approximately 8:32 a.m., the defendant also posted a message on his Facebook account that included a recipe for a Molotov cocktail and guidance on how to use one against police officers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 4, 2021, at 10:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Reno Man Pleads Guilty to Damaging Federal Courthouse During May 2020 Protest in RenoRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. — A Reno man today pleaded guilty to damaging the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Courthouse in the late evening of May 30, 2020, following a protest relating to the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Keith Moreno, 28, threw a cigarette receptacle (weighing about 23 pounds) and a rock through the first floor windows near the front entrance of the courthouse. Moreno broke at least one of the courthouse windows.
Moreno pleaded guilty to one count of Destruction of Government Property. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on September 16, 2021. Moreno faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Marshals Service.
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Portsmouth Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Benefits for Virginia Prison InmatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth woman pleaded guilty today to her involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain over $300,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits by using the personal identifying information of over 30 Virginia prison inmates.
“This scheme resulted in the deliberate theft of unemployment funds that were intended to serve as a lifeline for members of our communities who faced financial hardship during the pandemic,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As Attorney General Garland recently emphasized, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to use all available tools to protect these essential taxpayer-funded resources and hold accountable those who seek to illegally profit from the pandemic.”
According to court documents, Mary Landon Benton, 38, worked with inmates at three Virginia correctional institutions to collect the personally identifiable information of other inmates to fraudulently apply for Virginia unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Benton submitted successful applications for Virginia unemployment benefits for 31 inmates across three Virginia correctional facilities. Benton also attempted to file approximately ten to twenty other unemployment claims that were not approved because someone else had already filed a claim for that inmate. Each application that Benton submitted contained numerous false statements that made the application successful, such as the inmates’ contact information and last employer, and that they were ready and willing to work.
According to the Statement of Facts entered with her guilty plea, Benton took a portion of the successful claims and provided a portion of the proceeds to the inmate facilitators as well.
“Today’s guilty plea affirms the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s commitment to working with our federal and state agency partners to investigate fraud and identity theft that adversely impacts the integrity of the unemployment insurance program. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and the Virginia Employment Commission for their continued partnership,” said Derek Pickle, Special Agent-in-Charge, Washington, D.C. Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"Defrauding the U.S. unemployment insurance and FEMA’s Lost Wage Assistance program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is unconscionable,” said Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security. “This investigation and resulting guilty plea speaks to the strength of our law enforcement partnerships with the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Virginia Employment Commission which ensure these limited public funds go to the intended beneficiaries."
Benton was indicted for her role in the conspiracy on April 8, 2021, along with three other defendants. The criminal cases against Benton’s three co-defendants remain pending, and each individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Benton is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 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; Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security; Derek Pickle, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, D.C. Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; and Paul Haymes, Chief of Investigations, Virginia Department of Corrections, Special Investigations Unit, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt is 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. 2:21-cr-33.
Placerville Man Charged with Possessing 27 Dogs for Use in Dog FightingRead the Press Release
Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 27-count indictment today against Carlos Villasenor, 38, of Placerville, charging him with possession of dogs for use in an animal fighting venture, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 17, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Villasenor’s property and seized 27 pit bull type-dogs, one of whom had injuries to its face consistent with an attack from another dog. Many of the dogs also had untreated veterinary conditions. Numerous implements of the dog fighting trade were found on the property, including a breeding stand, treadmills, and veterinary supplies including skin staplers, antibiotics, syringes, and IV bags. Investigators also found paperwork indicating that Villasenor owned dogs used in dog fighting.
“This investigation and indictment should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals who traffic in inflicting pain and suffering on animals,” said Patricia Contreras, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. “We appreciate the commitment of our federal partners in pursuing these purveyors of death who operate animal fighting ventures.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mira Chernick is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Villasenor faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He may also be ordered to pay restitution for the care and rehabilitation of the dogs. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Pittsburgh-area Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Distributing Pornographic Images of ChildrenRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A suburban Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release on his conviction of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Scott Kaercher, 28, of Pittsburgh, PA (Whitehall).
According to information presented to the court, Kaercher was a member of a group called “Anything Goes” on the LIVEME application, and the members shared an interest in child pornography. The FBI had an undercover employee monitoring the application, and the undercover employee engaged in an online chat with Kaercher, who indicated he had a sexual interest in children. On December 10, 2019, Kaercher uploaded a child pornography video to the members of Anything Goes. A subsequent search warrant resulted in the recovery of Kaercher’s mobile phone, which contained thousands of images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children and sadistic and masochistic conduct. After imposing sentence, Judge Hardy revoked Kaercher’s bond and ordered that he be taken into custody to begin his sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kaercher.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 140 Months’ Imprisonment for Attempted Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Shane Kelly Torpey, age 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 23, 2021, to 140 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old minor female to engage in prohibited sexual activity.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, on January 27, 2020, after communicating online with the minor victim and, later, with a law enforcement officer posing as the victim, Torpey traveled from the Philadelphia area to a park in Kingston, PA in an attempt to coax the minor victim into engaging in prohibited sexual activity with him. Torpey was arrested on scene.
At sentencing, Judge Mannion also ordered Torpey to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted 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 Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc for more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Passaic County Residents Admit Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Passaic County, New Jersey, residents admitted to possessing contraband within a Paterson, New Jersey, home, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Roshiema James, 49, of Paterson, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging her with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base. On June 23, 2021, Matthew P. Peoples, 44, of Paterson, pleaded guilty before Judge Chesler to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 3, 2019, pursuant to a lawful search of James’ residence, at which Peoples was an overnight guest, investigators recovered a loaded .357 caliber Rossi revolver with a defaced serial number from a bedroom closet and fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and drug paraphernalia. Peoples, who knew he had previously been convicted of a felony, admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm and ammunition, and James admitted that she possessed the controlled substances with the intent to sell them.
The offense to which James pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The offense to which Peoples pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Oct. 27, 2021.
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 .
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora; and detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
Owner of Chicago-Area Restaurant Franchises Sentenced to More Than a Year in Prison for Underreporting $2.5 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owner of five Chicago-area Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant franchises has been sentenced to more than a year in federal prison for filing false corporate tax returns that underreported $2.5 million in gross receipts and sales.
JUAN C. HURTADO, 45, of Joliet, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of making a false statement in a tax return. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness on Wednesday sentenced Hurtado to 15 months in federal prison and fined him $45,000.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.
“Defendant engaged in this conduct solely out of greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He wanted more money for himself at the expense of other taxpayers who pay their fair share of taxes.”
Hurtado owned Pepe’s franchises in Chicago, Tinley Park, Hickory Hills, Matteson, and Chicago Heights. Hurtado admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2018 he caused the filing of eleven materially false corporate tax returns with the IRS, as well as materially false sales and income tax returns with the State of Illinois, that underreported the gross receipts and sales of his restaurants by a combined total of approximately $2.5 million. Hurtado further admitted that he created false sales reports and gave them to his accountants, knowing the reports would be used as a basis for underreporting the receipts and sales.
Nogales Man Sentenced for Drug Charge After Tunnel is Discovered Under His HouseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jovany Alonso Robledo-Delgado, 35, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 41 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Robledo-Delgado previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Heroin.
On December 17, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at the house Robledo-Delgado was renting in Nogales, Arizona. In the house, agents discovered a subterranean tunnel down to the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI). The IOI is a wastewater pipeline that begins at the Mexican border and flows north to a plant that treats wastewater from Nogales, Sonora, and cities in Arizona pursuant to an agreement between the United States and Mexico. Inside Robledo-Delgado’s residence, agents also found large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. Robledo-Delgado was discovered hiding under a bed in the house.
Robledo-Delgado told agents that he constructed the tunnel so he could breach the IOI and retrieve packages of drugs that floated through the IOI from Mexico into the United States. He was being paid $3000 for each smuggling attempt.
Homeland Security Investigations - Nogales conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Russell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-0253-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2021-040_Robledo###
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Nigerian National indicted in Washington State for fraud on COVID-19 economic relief programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Nigerian citizen has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and multiple counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Chukwuemeka Onyegbula, a/k/a Phillip Carter, is currently detained in Nigeria.
According to the indictment and an unsealed criminal complaint sworn June 6, 2021, law enforcement linked an email account belonging to Onyegbula but using the name ‘Phillip Carter’ to at least 253 fraudulent unemployment insurance filings in Washington, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin. Nearly $290,000 was paid out in unemployment claims. Additionally, the indictment alleges Onyegbula and his co-conspirators accessed the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) page on the Small Business Administration’s website and submitted applications for EIDLs using the stolen PII of residents of Washington and other states. Nearly $54,000 was paid out in fraudulent disaster loans.
Onyegbula allegedly used variations of a single e-mail address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems. By using this practice, Onyegbula made it appear that each claim was connected to a different email account. The email account used for fraud was linked to Onyegbula by various electronic evidence such as phone numbers and IP addresses. The email account contained information such as a visa application receipt, banking information and homework assignments by Onyegbula’s son. The cyber evidence also includes dozens of tax return information for U.S. citizens.
Evidence gathered indicates Onyegbula is employed as an IT engineer with Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are punishable by up to thirty years in prison when the offense relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two year sentence to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the other counts of conviction.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided substantial assistance. The Washington Employment Security Department is cooperating in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
New York Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Running Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 23, 2021, Charles Gibson, Jr., age 42, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for conspiring to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Gibson pleaded guilty to being the head of a drug trafficking organization that distributed kilograms of crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Luzerne County region from March 2015 through March 2017. Members of the drug trafficking organization possessed firearms and engaged in acts of violence.
Gibson was charged in June 2017 with 14 other individuals. All of his co-defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced:
- Victoria Kraynak, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment;
- Kassandra Martin of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Joshua Lenchick of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Kristyna Shotwell of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment;
- Tanay Jones of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to a time served sentence of 19 days’ imprisonment;
- William Waring of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- John Maybank of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 53 months’ imprisonment;
- Siobhan Daniels, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment;
- Luis Nevarez, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Adonis Smith, of New London, Connecticut, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment;
- Cara Dubaskas, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to a time served sentence of 7 months;
- Chad Eckrote, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 3 years of probation;
- Adam Gottstein, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment; and
- Amanda Romano, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and by the Kingston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been 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.
This case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case was further 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.
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New Orleans Man Selling Bitcoin Charged with Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MICHAEL YUSKO, III, age 46, a resident of New Orleans, was charged yesterday in a bill of information with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960.
Under federal law, any business that engages in “the acceptance of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency from one person and the transmission of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency to another location or person by any means” is deemed to be a money transmitting business. Such businesses include those that trade fiat currency, such as U.S. dollars, for cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. These companies must register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) as money transmitting businesses.
According to court documents, YUSKO was the owner and manager of Nervous Light Capital LLC. He used Nervous Light Capital, along with the bank accounts of four other companies, to sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to customers. YUSKO did not register any of these companies with FinCEN as money transmitting businesses, however. If convicted, YUSKO may receive a maximum of five years in prison, a maximum $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Field Office and the U.S. Secret Service New Orleans Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Consumer ProductRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Dover, New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of tampering with a consumer product, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, Nicholas Mitchell, 39, was an employee of a Maine company that manufactured pizza doughs that were sold to consumers through a supermarket chain in Maine and other states. In approximately June 2020, Mitchell’s employment was terminated.
On October 5, 2020, Mitchell entered a Saco supermarket that sold the pizza doughs. He proceeded directly to the pizza dough display case where he inserted razor blades in several of the pizza doughs and then returned the doughs to the display case. Three patrons purchased the tampered pizza doughs later that day. When the patrons subsequently opened the pizza doughs, they discovered the razor blades secreted inside the doughs.
When the store learned of the tainted product, store personnel removed the remaining pizza doughs from the display case. During this process, a store employee discovered another dough with a razor blade in it.
Mitchell faces a period of imprisonment of up to 10 years, followed by a period of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of the offenses. He will be sentenced following the preparation of a presentence report by the United States Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Saco Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the North Berwick and Dover, New Hampshire police departments.
New Federal Indictment Charges a Second Defendant for the 2015 Murder of a Woman and Her Seven-Year-Old Child During a Drug-Related RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a second superseding indictment that adds a new defendant, Kiara Haynes, age 36, of Baltimore, charging her with two counts of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old child. The second superseding indictment also restates the previous charges against Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a Poo, age 37, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, for conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to the drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The second superseding indictment was returned on June 23, 2021.
Haynes was arrested in Texas on June 18, 2021, on a related federal criminal complaint. She had an initial appearance on that charge and was detained pending her transport to Maryland. Briscoe remains in federal custody on his previous indictment and is expected to have an initial appearance on the new charges in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in the near future.
The second superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “The murders of Jennifer Jeffrey and her child were a tragedy. The loss of any life is tragic, and never more so than a child. This indictment should make crystal clear that we will not stop investigating until we bring to justice everyone involved in a murder. If you touch a witness, especially a child, the full weight of federal law enforcement will be harnessed to hold you accountable and bring you to justice.”
According to the second superseding indictment, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin. The second superseding indictment alleges that on May 27, 2015, Briscoe possessed with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. On that same day, in connection with Briscoe’s heroin distribution, the second superseding indictment alleges that Briscoe and Haynes committed an armed robbery and during the course of the robbery Jennifer Jeffrey and Jeffrey’s seven-year-old child were shot and killed. The second superseding indictment also alleges that Briscoe shot the child multiple times, including in the head and mouth, killing the child to prevent him/her from communicating with law enforcement.
If convicted of the murders, Briscoe and Haynes face a maximum sentence of death or life in prison. Briscoe also faces death or a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the witness tampering murder; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca, Sandra Wilkinson, and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.
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Morris County Man and New York Man Admit Roles in $4 Million Union-Related Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County man and a New York man today admitted their roles in defrauding a union-run health benefit fund of more than $4 million in connection with running unauthorized health and wellness events where thousands of medically unnecessary tests were performed on union members, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Alan Ajamian, 68, of Chester, New Jersey, and James Maginn, 64, of Bellerose, New York, each pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Ajamian bribed an official of a health care benefits fund for a service employees union to conduct health fairs for union members that the union did not authorize. The bribes – which included cash, cigars, Yankees tickets, and trips to Las Vegas – were paid to the official to gain access to union members who received health insurance benefits from the union fund.
Ajamian, Maginn, and others hired medical professionals, including doctors and nurse practitioners, to conduct various medically unnecessary exams and tests at the health fairs. These exams and tests included ultrasounds, vascular studies, dopplers, echocardiograms, allergy, and pulmonary function tests. Ajamian, Maginn, and others pressured and paid the medical professionals to perform as many tests on union members as possible, regardless of whether the tests were medically necessary. To deceive the union fund, Maginn and others falsely represented to the union that the medical tests were conducted at a physician’s office or an urgent care center. In fact, all the tests were administered at health fairs, which took place at the union members’ places of employment.
Maginn and others used several medical and billing companies to submit to the union fund the fraudulent claims stemming from the medically unnecessary exams and tests performed at the health fairs. Ajamian, Maginn, and others caused these companies to bill the union fund over $6 million for these claims. In turn, the union fund paid the companies associated with Ajamian, Maginn, and others over $4 million in connection with the fraudulent claims.
Two other individuals, Benjamin Iskhakov and Omawattie Dayaram, were previously charged by complaint on Aug. 24, 2020 in connection with their roles in the conspiracy, and those charges remain pending.
The conspiracy charge to which Ajamian and Maginn each pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross grain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Ajamian is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2021, and for Maginn, Oct. 26, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nikitas Splagounias.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Amore of the Government Fraud Unit, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Morris County Man Admits Conspiring and Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine from his residence, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Frederick Bailey, 61, of Denville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2020, Bailey agreed with another individual to distribute methamphetamine from his residence. On Jan. 8, 2020, law enforcement searched Bailey’s residence and located methamphetamine and packaging materials throughout the residence.
The conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute charges to which Bailey pleaded guilty carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Immigration and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, announced that LUCIANO SOLIS-SANCHEZ, 36, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to immigration and controlled substances offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Solis-Sanchez has never held legal status in the U.S. In April 2007, Solis-Sanchez was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in Arizona and was granted voluntary return to Mexico. In November 2017, he was again encountered by USBP and was removed to Mexico. Approximately one week after his removal, Solis-Sanchez was again encountered by USBP in Arizona while attempting to unlawfully enter the U.S. He was charged and convicted of illegal entry and was again removed to Mexico.
On two occasions in May 2019, Solis-Sanchez was encountered by USBP in Texas and was removed to Mexico.
On March 3, 2020, Solis-Sanchez was arrested by Waterbury Police on charges of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of drugs near a prohibited place, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He was released by the state on a promise to appear. Federal authorities subsequently learned the arrest and obtained an arrest warrant for Solis-Sanchez charging him with illegal reentry.
On January 8, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspected a UPS package that originated in Zapopan, Mexico, and was addressed to “Alfonso Perez, 39 Bucks Hill Rd, Waterbury, CT 06704 United States,” which was Solis-Sanchez’s residence. The package contained a handcrafted lamp that had two bundles containing approximately 498 grams of methamphetamine hidden behind a fiberglass panel.
On January 13, 2021, law enforcement made a controlled delivery of the package to 39 Bucks Hill Road, and then executed a search warrant at the residence. The search revealed a distribution quantity of cocaine. Solis-Sanchez was arrested a short time later. At the time of his arrest, he possessed an additional quantity of cocaine that he intended to sell. Solis-Sanchez admitted that he arranged for the delivery of the package containing methamphetamine, and also received cocaine shipments from the same supplier.
Solis-Sanchez pleaded guilty one count of reentry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 13, 2021.
Solis-Sanchez has been detained since January 13, 2021.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Connecticut State Police, Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Northwest. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Deborah R. Slater.
Mexican Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national was sentenced today to 14 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for unlawful reentry by an alien after deportation or removal, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
According to court documents, Sergio Rodriguez-Arevalos, 43, was arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate 10 by a deputy with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Patrol. Border Patrol agents were called in to assist and determined that Rodriguez-Arevalos was not lawfully present in the United States. Rodriguez-Arevalos was arrested and transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol station for processing.
Rodriguez-Arevalos’ fingerprints were scanned into DHS electronic databases and his identity was confirmed based on computerized fingerprint analysis and visual analysis of his prior immigration photographs, and other official information. Official records revealed that in 1998, a U.S. Immigration Judge ordered Rodriguez-Arevalos to be removed to Mexico, and he was physically removed in September, 1998. Rodriguez-Arevalos later reentered the U.S. and was removed an additional three times before reentering yet again and being arrested in December 2020. Further, Rodriguez-Arevalos had been convicted of multiple misdemeanor offenses, including driving under the influence, while illegally residing in the United States.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris.
Men Sentenced to Life Plus 240 Months in Federal Prison for Murder of Lincoln MotherRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Tawhyne M. Patterson, a Vice Lord gang member from Chicago, Illinois, and Damon D. Williams of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced today for their respective roles in a home invasion that resulted in the death of Jessica Brandon on July 31, 2018. Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced each to life imprisonment for commission of murder with a firearm during an attempted robbery. For their participation in a firearms conspiracy and a second attempted robbery at the same Lincoln home the day before the murder, they were sentenced to 240 months consecutive to the life terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
At their hearings, Chief Judge Gerrard stated, “The crime doesn’t get any worse than this one. Home invasions are among the most egregious crimes that this Court sees. This was a classic case of felony murder, and the punishment shall fit the crime. We are seeing way too many of these home invasions in Nebraska and anyone else who commits a home invasion resulting in death with a gun can expect the same result.” Judge Gerrard expressed his commitment that his Court would do what it takes to deter others from these crimes.
The evidence at trial established that Patterson, age 28, and Williams, age 29, were part of a crew that targeted a Lincoln marijuana dealer for robbery. They went to the home on July 30, 2018 and returned on July 31, 2018 intent on stealing drug money.
On July 31, 2018, Patterson forced open the door and was joined by two others claiming to be Lincoln Police Officers. The robbers zip tied and restrained three children, including a child there on a sleepover who had no family connection to the marijuana dealer. Jessica Brandon, mother of two of the children in the home at the time, was shot as she found herself between Patterson and a safe where the robbers expected to find cash and drugs. Brandon was brought to a hospital and was later pronounced dead. The children who were tied up and held at gun point were all female children ranging in age from 9 years old to 16 years old at the time of the crime. An elderly woman with a broken back was also zip tied and held at gunpoint. The evidence showed that Patterson gunned down Brandon in the stairwell to her home while Williams and his brother, Dante Williams, who is scheduled for sentencing next week, went through the bedrooms in the home taking the women and children hostage.
Video was recovered from the crime scene. Williams and Patterson were identified through tips from the public. They fled to Texas and were later arrested there in an attempt to evade justice for their roles in this crime.
Acting United States Attorney Jan W. Sharp said, “The United States Attorney’s Office continues to view the prosecution of violent crimes, especially those involving firearms, as a top priority. All gun crimes are disturbing, but home invasions are especially horrifying for the victims. Today’s life plus 240 months sentence sends a clear message to those who commit violent crimes: Use a gun and you are going to be looking at hard time.”
After today’s sentencing FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Tawhyne Patterson and Damon Williams terrorized a family in an attempted robbery that left them empty handed, and a young mother dead. Today’s sentence prevents them from committing another vicious crime. FBI Omaha will always assist our law enforcement partners to pursue and arrest those who prey on members of our community.”
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lincoln Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley Woods and Dan Packard.