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23 June 2021
Guatemalan man who was extradited to Ohio pleads guilty in Colombia-to-America cocaine conspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to charges related to a Colombia-to-America cocaine conspiracy.
In March 2020, Jose Luis DeLeon-Baltazar, 40, was extradited to Columbus from Bogota, Colombia. He is the second defendant to be extradited to the United States in this case.
As part of his plea, DeLeon-Baltazar admitted he conspired with others to ship hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, via sea and land, through Central America and Mexico to the United States.
DeLeon-Baltazar, also known as “Enano,” was indicted in September 2018. Specifically, DeLeon-Baltazar pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms or more of cocaine on the high seas, which is a federal crime punishable by at least 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, as part of the conspiracy individuals would use “load” coordinators to assist with logistics of cocaine shipments, locate drivers and boat operators for narcotic-laden vehicles and vessels, and secure shared investments from multiple co-conspirators in specific cocaine shipments. Fishermen and other commercial maritime laborers were allegedly recruited by conspirators to transport cocaine and refueling vessels.
Conspirators allegedly paid a “tax” or “fee” to send cocaine through areas controlled by a different drug trafficking organization or cartel.
Members of the conspiracy allegedly shared information on the activities and locations of law enforcement and military personnel assigned to interdict narcotics shipments. It is alleged co-conspirators also sheltered individuals who were at risk of extradition to other countries.
Low-level co-conspirators would allegedly take responsibility for an entire load of seized cocaine to free higher-level members.
Specifically, DeLeon-Baltazar received multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported on go-fast speed boats from Colombia into Guatemala. Once the cocaine arrived in Guatemala, DeLeon-Baltazar hid the cocaine in buildings in Tecun Uman, Guatemala until the cocaine was transported across Guatemala’s northern border into Mexico. On May 19, 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a go-fast boat that contained 880 kilograms of cocaine approximately 400 miles south of the Guatemal/Mexico. That shipment was to be received by DeLeon-Baltazar in Guatemala where he would store it until it was to be transported to Mexico.
Additional cocaine shipments seized in this case thus far include:
- 720 kilograms of cocaine seized by the United States Coast Guard northwest of the Galapagos Islands on Aug. 18, 2017; and
- 34 kilograms of cocaine seized by the Guatemalan Policia National Civil in San Marcos, Guatemala on or about Nov. 26, 2017.
Four defendants were transported to Ohio for prosecution in September 2017, following the 720 kilogram seizure near the Galapagos Islands. That seizure alone included more than 1,584 pounds of cocaine, equaling an approximate street value of $25 million.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard S. Fambro announced the plea offered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan J.C. Grey, Elizabeth R. Rabe, and Kelly A. Norris are representing the United States in this case.
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Grant County woman admits to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Christine Shook, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to child pornography charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Shook, age 32, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Production Child Pornography,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession of Child Pornography (Depicting a child under the age of 12),” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Production of Child Pornography.” Shook admitted to working with Jasper E. Shook to possess and produce images of child pornography that included images of a female under the age of 12 from 2015 to May 2019 in the Northern District of West Virginia and elsewhere. Jasper pleaded guilty in February 2020.
Shook faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy count and faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the possession count. She also faces not less than 15 years and up to 30 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the production count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Stealing Medical Treatment Using Veteran’s IdentityRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On June 23, 2021, Kristopher M. Voyles, 31, of Georgia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by three years’ supervised release, by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
As part of a negotiated plea agreement, Voyles pled guilty to theft of more than $1,000 of government property. Voyles will be required to make restitution of $20,502 to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
According to court records, Voyles is not a veteran and has never served in the United States military. On October 9, 2019, Voyles used the name, date of birth, and social security number of a United States veteran when receiving medical services at a hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. The next day, while still impersonating the veteran, Voyles obtained a transfer to the VA Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. Voyles used fraudulently obtained identification documents, and a fraudulently obtained Form DD214. For approximately a week, Voyles accepted medical goods, items, and services from the VA Medical Center. The value of the goods, items, and services Voyles stole was $20,502. When apprehended, Voyles still had the veteran’s identification documents with him, including the fraudulently obtained Form DD214.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Voyles had previously been prosecuted by Atlanta, Georgia authorities for using the same veteran’s identity to obtain prescription drugs from the VA Medical Center in Atlanta.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Police and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General ("VAOIG"). The federal investigation was led by Special Agent Charles Pack, VAOIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener represented the United States.
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Fulton Missouri Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Davenport, Iowa – A Missouri man was arrested June 16, 2021, in Missouri on criminal charges related to his alleged production of child pornography and sextortion of minor females in Muscatine, Iowa.
According to court documents, Chad Alan Craghead, age 44, of Fulton, Missouri, who is a teacher and coach, posed as a teenage boy online and obtained nude images of Minor Victim 1, a sixteen- year-old from Muscatine. After obtaining those images, he created a second false identity and demanded additional nude images of Minor Victim 1, threatening to disseminate the nude images he already had to her friends and family if she did not comply. Craghead extorted Minor Victim 1 over the course of several months.
Minor Victim 1’s sixteen-year-old cousin, Minor Victim 2, tried to help her. As a result, Craghead extorted Minor Victim 2, threatening to disseminate Minor Victim 1’s nude images if Minor Victim 2 did not comply with his demands for nude images and videos. Minor Victim 2 complied, sending Craghead sexually explicit videos of herself.
The FBI assisted the Muscatine Police Department in the investigation and, through several Snapchat accounts associated with Craghead, located a number of other minor females across the country, some as young as 13 years old, who either sent him nude images or from whom Craghead extorted or attempted to extort nude images.
Craghead is charged with two counts of Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Interstate Communications with Intent to Extort, and one count of Cyberstalking. If convicted, Craghead faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Fort Madison Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa — On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, United States District Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced George Freeman Cary, age 57, of Fort Madison, to 360 months in prison for Receiving and Distributing Child Pornography and Possessing Child Pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Following his prison term, Cary was ordered to serve twenty years of supervised release, as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Cary was caught distributing child pornography on the Kik messaging application. Cary has previous convictions for Indecent Contact with a Child, Lascivious Acts with a Child, and Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree. Cary also had two prior convictions for failing to comply with the sex offender registry.
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the
U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Former Richmond City Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Diverting Social Services BenefitsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman pleaded guilty yesterday to mail fraud for abusing her authority as a case worker at the Richmond Department of Social Services to divert income and food-related benefits to herself.
According to court documents, De’Nisha Juanita Wilson, 47, was a case worker for the Richmond Department of Social Services, where she assisted with and oversaw needy individuals’ receipt of financial benefits and had access to state and city systems containing beneficiaries’ personal information. In May 2019, one of Wilson’s clients, a young woman who was receiving benefits on behalf of five children, tragically died in a car accident. Following the woman’s death, Wilson accessed the deceased woman’s personal identifying information, caused the issuance of new prepaid benefits cards, and directed those cards to herself. Wilson then used the prepaid benefits cards issued under the deceased woman’s name for her own purposes. In total, Wilson diverted more than $13,000, spending approximately $8,000 on food, entertainment, and other personal expenses. The scheme was halted in January 2020.
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and James Osuna, Inspector General, City of Richmond Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Elliker 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. 3:21-cr-69.
Former Philadelphia Water Department Employee Indicted for TheftRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Thomas Staszak, 46, of Philadelphia, PA, a former employee of the City of Philadelphia Water Department (“PWD”), was Indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges of theft from a federally funded program and computer fraud.
The Indictment charges that, on multiple occasions from approximately April 2017 through at least November 2018, the defendant accessed PWD’s computerized inventory control system without authorization, using log-in credentials associated with PWD employees under his supervision at a PWD storeroom. Staszak is then charged with creating false entries in PWD’s electronic records to provide justifications for removing maintenance materials, for example bulk wire, from the storeroom. The Indictment further alleges that the defendant physically took the materials from PWD’s inventory, transported them to local scrap yards, sold the materials, and kept the proceeds. In this fashion, Staszak is alleged to have stolen items valued in excess of approximately $164,000 before he was caught. And according to the Indictment, PWD receives federal funds and assistance in excess of $10,000 annually.
“As alleged, Thomas Staszak used his public position to enrich himself to the detriment of all Philadelphians who expect and deserve honest services from City employees,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “The Philadelphia Water Department is charged with providing clean, safe water for millions of residents and businesses, and protecting the region’s water resources, all on a limited budget. The defendant’s alleged actions took money and resources directly out of the hands of taxpayers and into his own pocket.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 65 years imprisonment and $2,750,000 in fines.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Gibson.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Mexican governor sent to US prison for money launderingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A former Coahuila, Mexico, governor has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a money laundering scheme that includes offenses against a foreign nation involving bribery of a public official, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jorge Juan Torres-Lopez, 67, pleaded guilty June 16, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos handed Torres-Lopez a 36-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At a previous hearing, the court heard additional evidence from two witnesses who described their relationship with Torres-Lopez and detailed some of the financial transactions and illegal payments.
Torres-Lopez worked for the Mexican government from 1994 to 2011. His roles included general director of Promotion and Development while secretary of Finance for the state of Coahuila, municipal president of Saltillo as well as interim governor of Coahuila. In approximately December 2005, Hector Javier Villarreal-Hernandez was appointed as undersecretary of Program and Budget for the state of Coahuila. At the time, Torres-Lopez was his supervisor. In July 2008, Villarreal-Hernandez was appointed as secretary of Finance for Coahuila, where he remained until his resignation in August 2011.
Torres-Lopez admitted that during some of his time in office, he conducted financial transactions in the United States to conceal the bribes he received in return for road-building contracts for the State of Coahuila. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit a piece of property in the United States associated with the payments.
Law enforcement took Torres-Lopez into custody in Mexico Feb. 5, 2019, where he remained until his extradition to the United States Oct. 29, 2019. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Villarreal-Hernandez, 50, of Saltillo, Coahuilla, Mexico, has also been convicted in the Southern and Western Districts of Texas for money laundering offenses and currently pending sentencing.
The multi-agency investigation dubbed Operation Politico Junction included Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS - Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI and U.S. Marshals Service. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Mexico provided significant assistance. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Muschenheim and Lance A. Watt prosecuted the case.
Former KUMC Employee Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling $556,000Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Michael Tae Kim Ahlers, 50, of Lenexa, Kansas, was sentenced to two years in prison after stealing more than $556,000 from his former employer, the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), as well as from KUMC Research Institute and from KU Endowment. In February, Ahlers pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return. The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised released, and Ahlers is ordered to pay more than $680,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, from 2009 to August 2015, Ahlers abused his position as the administrative officer of the KUMC Occupational Therapy Education Department. While embezzling $526,000 from KUMC, he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal expenditures. Some of those expenditures include:
- approximately $87,000 on gambling;
- approximately $81,000 on travel to locations such as Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Myrtle Beach and Caribbean cruises;
- approximately $81,000 in cash withdrawals;
- approximately $36,000 on golf memberships and fees; and
- approximately $36,000 on sports tickets and on license or donor fees.
To conceal the fraud, Ahlers used a KUMC Credit Union bank account over which he had exclusive control. He created fraudulent invoices to prevent the discovery that he was using the account for his personal gain. Ahlers stole approximately $30,000 from KUMC Research Institute and KU Endowment by submitting falsified invoices for which he was paid. He then willfully failed to include the stolen funds on his federal tax returns which resulted in a tax loss of more than $104,000 from 2009 to 2015.
“It’s disappointing anytime someone in a position of trust misuses that authority for personal financial gain. As federal prosecutors, we work tirelessly to see perpetrators of fraud brought to justice and convicted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “It’s also our responsibility to advocate before the courts on behalf of victims so that they might recover as much of their losses as possible as restitution.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
“After multiple years of embezzling from the University of Kansas Medical Center and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on himself, Mr. Ahlers is now going to federal prison,” said Amanda Prestegard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Mr. Ahlers’ sentence further exhibits that IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals that participate in abusive criminal activity, and are duty bound to protect the integrity of the U.S. tax administration.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton prosecuted the case.
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Former Colorado Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former Colorado resident, Brendan Camous, 27, was sentenced Tuesday, to 51 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Court Judge Karen Caldwell, for failure to register as a sex offender and possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to Camous’s plea agreement, a 2014 conviction in Colorado required Camous to register as a sex offender. Camous last registered as a sex offender in January 2015 and never again updated his address in Colorado – or any other state, including Kentucky. In April 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service began investigating Camous for violations of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Evidence obtained from a rural property in Nicholas County, Kentucky indicated that Camous resided in a shack on the property with another sex offender, Clinton Peterson. Following an August 2019 criminal complaint against both Camous and Peterson, for violations of SORNA, a U.S. Marshals-led task force apprehended the two in Bath County, Kentucky, on September 17, 2020. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement located an unregistered sawed-off shotgun under Camous’s bed in the home that he shared with Peterson.
Camous pleaded guilty in April of 2021 to the SORNA violation and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Under federal law, Camous must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years, following his release.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Norman Euell Arflack, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr., Kentucky State Police (KSP); Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Jeff Sidles, Nicholas County Sheriff, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, KSP, and the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Mary Melton.
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Former City Honors Teacher Pleads Guilty to Two Child Pornography ChargesRead 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 Peter Hingston, 62, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to two counts of possessing child pornography. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.
“The defendant’s behavior in this case is the stuff of which parents’ nightmares are made,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Our schools are supposed to be safe havens where our children’s minds are nurtured. The defendant’s effort to exploit his student’s for his own gratification warrants federal prosecution and the significant sentencing exposure occasioned by today’s guilty pleas.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who is handling the case, stated that on June 17, 2019, Buffalo Police Officers were called to City Honors School, where the defendant worked as a middle school technology teacher, based on allegations that Hingston was taking inappropriate photographs of female students with a GoPro camera. Officers secured the GoPro digital camera from Hingston. A subsequent search of the camera resulted in the recovery of child pornography videos produced by the defendant, involving minor victims who were under his custody, care, and supervisory control when the sexually explicit images were produced. Investigators also searched an external hard drive possessed by Hingston, which contained additional videos of child pornography produced by Hingston, involving different minor victims, who were also was under his custody, care, and supervisory control.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2021, before Judge Arcara.
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Former Chief Operating Officer of Philadelphia Technology Start-Up Charged with Securities Fraud and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man has been charged with orchestrating a long-running securities offering fraud while simultaneously embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his employer’s bank account, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Joseph Geromini, 54, of Linwood, New Jersey, is charged in an indictment unsealed today with 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of securities fraud. He will have his initial appearance and arraignment by videoconference this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King.
According to the documents filed in this case:
Geromini was the chief operating officer (COO) for a technology startup headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which specialized in the development of point-of-care diagnostic testing of various diseases. Geromini controlled the company’s bank and debit card accounts, and was responsible for soliciting investments in the company through debt and equity fundraising.
From July 2018 through October 2018, the company raised approximately $2.25 million of investor funds. Geromini misrepresented to investors that he would invest their funds to pursue the company’s business plan, for example, by using the funds to further develop and commercialize its products and services, for lab expenses, and to pay employee salaries. Instead, Geromini diverted significant portions of their funds out of the company’s bank account for purposes inconsistent with its business operations, including to pay himself hundreds of thousands of dollars through unauthorized wire transfers, ATM cash withdrawals, and debit card transactions.
Geromini frequently misrepresented to the company that the unauthorized wire transfers were intended to compensate him for his employment. Geromini told the company’s chief executive officer that Geromini had twice secured contracts on behalf of the company with third parties and was, pursuant to his employment agreement, entitled to separate bonus payments.
The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The securities fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint against Geromini based on the allegations underlying the securities fraud charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden of the U.S. Attorney’s Trenton Office.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Asbestos Contractor Sentenced for Theft of Federal Program FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARC A. VICTORIANO “VICTORIANO”, age 46, of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced today before United States District Court Judge Lance M. Africk to five years probation with 8 months of home confinement for theft from a program receiving federal funds. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee and $212,618.00 in restitution to the victim, Terrebonne Parish School Board.
According to court records, from 2015 to 2017, VICTORIANO and his company, Professional Safety Consultants, LLC, ("PSC") provided asbestos inspections for the Terrebonne Parish School Board ("TPSB") as mandated by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act ("AHERA"). VICTORIANO submitted 56 invoices to TPSB with fraudulent asbestos laboratory reports including false air monitoring and false asbestos testing reports. VICTORIANO also submitted nine invoices to TPSB for AHERA reports with forged signatures and accreditation information. As a result, TPSB paid VICTORIANO approximately $212,618.26 to which he was not entitled, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).
“Financial Crime is a despicable felony that impacts many citizens, said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. “However, this scheme to defraud Terrebonne Parish Schools, that placed students and staff in a potentially dangerous situation and financially victimized taxpayers, exponentially aggravated this crime. Our office commits to continue our local, state and federal partnerships to seek justice for our community, especially our most vulnerable populations.”
“The defendant was responsible for the safe and legal removal of material containing asbestos,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Brooks of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Louisiana. “The defendant knowingly ignored regulations on the safe management of asbestos, putting workers, the general public, and most alarmingly school children, at risk. This resulted in the Terrebonne Parish (Louisiana) School Board being defrauded out of $212,618.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division; the Louisiana State Police; Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Criminal Investigation Section and the Louisiana Environmental Crimes Task Force, for their investigation of matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
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Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking in Endangered Species and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Steven Phillip Griffin, II (36, Palm Harbor) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, for receiving and transporting endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Griffin to forfeit two pairs of southern white rhino horns, four African elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, three leopard skulls, ten firearms, and ammunition.
Griffin had pleaded guilty on November 10, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, Griffin communicated with a United States Fish & Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement undercover special agent for more than two years to negotiate the sale and purchase of endangered and threatened wildlife. Throughout Griffin’s communications with the undercover agent, Griffin repeatedly stated that he collects skulls, full skeletons, and other parts of a variety of endangered and/or threatened wildlife such as lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, rhinos, and elephants. Griffin also sent numerous photographs of his personal collection, as well as items on his wish list, to the undercover agent via text message. In May 2019, Griffin drove to Texas, met with undercover agents, purchased, and illegally transported two Southern White rhino horns, four elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, and three leopard skulls to Palm Harbor, Florida. Griffin paid the undercover agent $9,750 in cash for the endangered and/or threatened animal parts.
Subsequently, agents executed a federal search warrant at Griffin’s residence and seized a variety of endangered and/or threatened animal parts, firearms, and ammunition. Griffin has been previously convicted of a felony and knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition due to his prior conviction.
“This sentence sends a clear message to wildlife traffickers that we and our law enforcement partners are in the business of identifying and apprehending those who exploit protected species for commercial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Land of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS-OLE).
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
Federal Jury Convicts San Jose Man of Methamphetamine Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Updated as of June 24, 2021.
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury today convicted Armando Daniel Calderon of four charges related to methamphetamine trafficking, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. The verdict follows a one and a half week jury trial before the Honorable William Alsup, Senior United States District Judge.
Calderon, 35 and most recently known to live in San Jose, was indicted with six co-defendants on October 11, 2018. The superseding indictment charged Calderon with the following four counts:
• possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), alleged to have occurred on August 20, 2018;
• carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), alleged to have occurred on August 20, 2018;
• conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, alleged to have occurred during the month of September 2018; and
• possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), alleged to have occurred on September 25, 2018.
According to the evidence presented to the federal jury at trial, on August 20, 2018, San Jose State University Police Department officers pulled over Calderon’s pickup truck in the vicinity of Keyes Street and South 3rd Street in San Jose. Calderon, who was the driver and sole occupant, had multiple outstanding arrest warrants and was placed under arrest. Officers found $5,363 in cash and six .40 caliber bullets in Calderon’s pants pockets and three bags inside his truck. One bag contained methamphetamine and .40 caliber ammunition, the second contained more methamphetamine, and the third contained a high-capacity pistol magazine loaded with 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Next to the driver’s seat, officers discovered a .40 caliber pistol loaded with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Calderon’s truck also contained a drug scale and multiple cell phones. The methamphetamine discovered in Calderon’s truck weighed approximately 1.83 pounds.
Further evidence at trial showed that in September 2018 Calderon conspired with at least one other person to distribute methamphetamine. During that month, Calderon repeatedly spoke on the phone and met in the San Mateo area with a buyer to negotiate the sale of 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of methamphetamine. The negotiations eventually resulted in an agreed-upon price of $4,700 per kilogram of methamphetamine, with a total price of $70,500 for 15 kilograms. Calderon guaranteed the quality of the methamphetamine and agreed to exchange it for additional methamphetamine if the buyer was dissatisfied with the product. On September 25, 2018, Calderon met with the buyer early in the day, ultimately agreeing to deliver the methamphetamine in the parking lot of a Menlo Park shopping center. Later that day, Calderon and two co-defendants were arrested near the shopping center following a short pursuit. Over 989 grams (more than two pounds) of pure methamphetamine was seized by law enforcement at the scene, and another 6,492 grams (over 14 pounds) of pure methamphetamine was seized from a nearby stash house. Agents also located documents bearing Calderon’s name inside the stash house.
Additional evidence at trial showed that on September 25, 2018, prior to his arrest, Calderon secreted methamphetamine inside a red Mustang parked outside the stash house. Law enforcement agents seized the methamphetamine and determined it weighed over 317 grams (over two thirds of a pound).
Senior United States District Judge William Alsup scheduled a sentencing hearing for Calderon on September 14, 2021, at 2 p.m. Calderon remains in custody pending sentencing.
Calderon faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life for each conviction of 21 U.S.C. § 841 and 21 U.S.C. § 846, and a fine of $10,000,000 for each conviction. For his conviction of 18 U.S.C. 924(c), Calderon faces a minimum sentence of 5 years consecutive to any other sentence and a maximum of life, along with a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Cornell and Sloan Heffron prosecuted the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney, Andy Ding, Hector Lopez, and Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Mateo County Sheriff, the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force, and San Jose State University Police Department.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Husband and Wife in Alleged Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man and his wife have been charged in federal court in Chicago with participating in a mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded financial institutions out of at least $2.5 million.
MARCO LURIGIO, also known as “Demetrio Cardone,” and SANDY LURIGIO, also known as “Janette Chavez,” owned several Illinois-based companies, including S&G Technologies Inc., O.C. Management Group Inc., Riverview Financial Inc., and Toro Management, Inc. According to the indictment, the Lurigios recruited buyers to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans for properties on Chicago’s South Side by making and causing to be made materially false representations in documents submitted to financial institutions. The false representations included documents and statements regarding, among other things, the buyers’ employment, income, assets, source of down payment, and intention to occupy the property as a primary residence, the indictment states. In some instances, the Lurigios fraudulently claimed to lenders that the buyers were employed by one of the Lurigios’ companies, even though they knew that was untrue, the indictment states. The alleged fraud scheme lasted from 2011 to 2014, the indictment states.
The indictment was returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges Marco Lurigio, 45, and Sandy Lurigio, 39, both of Downers Grove, Ill., with eight counts of financial institution fraud. Arraignments have not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael Powell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Yonan and Alejandro Ortega.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of financial institution fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Fairfield Man Sentenced to 75 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Fairfield man was sentenced today for being for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
United States District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Darrick Ansal Dunlap, 43, to 75 months in prison followed by three years’ supervised release. Dunlap pleaded guilty in February to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Too often, domestic violence ends in tragedy for both the family and the neighborhood. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that criminals who use firearms to commit acts of domestic violence will be held accountable,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Through Operation Safe Families, my office is focused on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.”
“ATF’s priority of enforcing federal firearms laws in domestic violence situations is clearly evident with this sentencing,” said SAC French.
According to the plea agreement, on March 30, 2020, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a shooting call at a residence in Fairfield, Alabama. Dunlap and one of the victims got into an argument at the residence regarding her contribution to family expenses. During the argument, Dunlap made a threat to kill the individual and then retrieved a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, which he shot toward the floor. The bullet ricocheted up, hitting both victims. Dunlap claimed that the “gun just went off.” One victim suffered from a gunshot wound to her right knee, and the other victim suffered from a gunshot wound to her left wrist. The gun was identified as stolen in Birmingham during the prior year.
ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.
Eleven-Time Felon Sentenced to 72 Months for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Almondo Baker, 40, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. Baker pleaded guilty to this charge on May 4, 2021.
The charge in this case stemmed from an individual reporting to law enforcement that Baker drove to the individual’s residence on June 22, 2020, displayed a handgun, and verbally threatened them. Law enforcement then located and searched the vehicle Baker was driving and found a loaded .45 caliber Ruger handgun with a bullet in the chamber. This handgun had previously been reported stolen.
Baker was previously convicted of 11 different felonies including illegal possession of a firearm as a felon. Judge Conley emphasized Baker’s criminal history and his threatening behavior in this case before imposing the 72-month sentence.
The charge against Baker was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary J. Corey.
Disbarred Columbus Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Mail FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former Columbus-based attorney has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after a U.S. Secret Service investigation revealed he had stolen a settlement fee from two clients in a personal injury case.
George W. Snipes, 68, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count mail fraud before U.S. District Clay Land. Snipes faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 19, 2021.
“Lawyers are bound by a sworn oath to act with utmost integrity for the good of their clients and the legal profession itself. Snipes not only violated his oath, he acted in a criminal manner by diverting funds intended for his injured clients for his own personal use,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Attorneys—and all business professionals—who lie and scheme their way to a profit while harming trusting citizens will be held accountable by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners.”
“The United States Secret Service along with its law enforcement partners remain committed to aggressively investigative those responsible for defrauding victims the way Snipes did. Not only did he violate the trust of his clients but the oath he swore to uphold as an attorney,” said Clint Bush, United States Secret Service, Resident Agent in Charge, Albany, Georgia, Resident Office.
According to court documents, Snipes was a licensed attorney in Georgia, representing clients in personal injury cases. Two clients, injured in an automobile accident in August 2017, retained Snipes to represent them on a contingency fee basis in connection with their injuries and wages lost as a result of the accident. In September 2017, without the clients’ authorization or knowledge, Snipes settled the case with an insurance company for $48,000, and the settlement checks were sent to Snipes per his request. Snipes used the money for his own personal benefit. Snipes now admits he willfully participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain money by materially false pretenses by placing in an authorized depository for mail a request for funds for the payment of the two clients’ medical expenses and lost wages, knowing that the expenses would not be paid to the intended recipients.
In addition, records obtained from Snipes’ Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (“IOLTA”) from the same general period show a pattern of illegal distributions to Snipes. Essentially, all attorneys are required to maintain IOLTA accounts that accumulate interest until such time as distributions are made to clients or otherwise authorized recipients. Attorneys are not permitted to withdraw funds from these accounts without consulting with and gaining permission from their clients. From at least January 2017 to January 2018, there were numerous unauthorized distributions from this IOLTA account, including personal distributions to Snipes, payments to a rental company he owned, distributions to Parent-Teacher Associations and storage facilities. During this same time period, withdrawals from the IOLTA account made to “cash” totaled $468,750. There were also numerous checks written to Snipes totaling $167,600.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Columbus Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin Hyde is prosecuting the case.
Defense Department Linguist Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Transmitting Highly Sensitive Classified National Defense Information to Aid a Foreign GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Mariam Taha Thompson, 62, formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for delivering classified national defense information to aid a foreign government. As part of her March 26 guilty plea, Thompson admitted that she believed that the classified national defense information that she was passing to a Lebanese national would be provided to Lebanese Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“The defendant’s decision to aid a foreign terrorist organization was a betrayal that endangered the lives of the very American men and women on the battlefield who had served beside her for more than a decade,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “Let today’s sentence serve notice that there are serious consequences for anyone who betrays this country by compromising national defense information.”
“Thompson’s sentence reflects the seriousness of her violation of the trust of the American people, of the human sources she jeopardized and of the troops who worked at her side as friends and colleagues,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “That Thompson passed our nation’s sensitive secrets to someone whom she knew had ties to Lebanese Hezbollah made her betrayal all the more serious. Thompson’s sentence should stand as a clear warning to all clearance holders that violations of their oath to this country will not be taken lightly, especially when they put lives at risk.”
“This case should serve as a clear reminder to all of those entrusted with national defense information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic; it is criminal,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “By knowingly distributing classified information that would be passed onto a designated foreign terrorist organization, Mariam Thompson put our national defense in danger. The men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to defeat hostile intelligence activities targeting the United States and to hold those who assist our adversaries accountable.”
“Thompson was entrusted with highly sensitive information, and she chose to betray her country by providing classified defense information to a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s significant sentencing shows the dedicated work of the FBI, the U.S. Intelligence Community and our global partners to work swiftly and diligently to safeguard our national security information and hold accountable those who break our nation’s trust."
According to court documents, Thompson worked as a contract linguist at an overseas U.S. military facility where she was entrusted with a Top-Secret government security clearance. Thompson admitted that, beginning in 2017, she started communicating with her unindicted co-conspirator using a video-chat feature on a secure text and voice messaging application. Over time, Thompson developed a romantic interest in her co-conspirator. Thompson learned that the unindicted co-conspirator had a family member who was in the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior and that the unindicted co-conspirator claimed to have received a ring from Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanese Hezbollah.
In December 2019, while Thompson was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force facility in Iraq, the United States launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq targeting Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed foreign terrorist organization. These airstrikes culminated in a Jan. 3, 2020, strike that resulted in the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Suleimani, as well as the founder of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Following Suleimani’s death, the unindicted co-conspirator began asking Thompson to provide “them” with information about the human assets who had helped the United States to target Suleimani. Thompson admitted that she understood “them” to be Lebanese Hezbollah, including an unnamed high-ranking military commander.
After receiving this request for information in early January 2020, Thompson began accessing dozens of files concerning human intelligence sources, including true names, personal identification data, background information and photographs of the human assets, as well as operational cables detailing information the assets provided to the U.S. government. Thompson used several techniques to pass this information on to the unindicted co-conspirator, who told her that his contacts were pleased with the information and that the Lebanese Hezbollah military commander wanted to meet Thompson when she came to Lebanon.
When she was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 27, 2020, Thompson had used her access to classified national defense information to provide her co-conspirator with the identities of at least eight clandestine human assets; at least 10 U.S. targets; and multiple tactics, techniques and procedures. Thompson intended and had reason to believe that this classified national defense information would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of Lebanese Hezbollah.
Today’s sentencing was the result of the significant cooperation between law enforcement, the Department of Defense and the intelligence community in the successful resolution of this investigation led by the FBI Washington Field Office.
National Security Division Trial Attorneys Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cummings for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Defense Department Linguist Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Transmitting Highly Sensitive Classified National Defense Information to Aid a Foreign GovernmentRead the Press Release
Mariam Taha Thompson, 62, formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for delivering classified national defense information to aid a foreign government. As part of her March 26 guilty plea, Thompson admitted that she believed that the classified national defense information that she was passing to a Lebanese national would be provided to Lebanese Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“Thompson’s sentence reflects the seriousness of her violation of the trust of the American people, of the human sources she jeopardized and of the troops who worked at her side as friends and colleagues,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “That Thompson passed our nation’s sensitive secrets to someone whom she knew had ties to Lebanese Hezbollah made her betrayal all the more serious. Thompson’s sentence should stand as a clear warning to all clearance holders that violations of their oath to this country will not be taken lightly, especially when they put lives at risk.”
“The defendant’s decision to aid a foreign terrorist organization was a betrayal that endangered the lives of the very American men and women on the battlefield who had served beside her for more than a decade,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “Let today’s sentence serve notice that there are serious consequences for anyone who betrays this country by compromising national defense information.”
“This case should serve as a clear reminder to all of those entrusted with national defense information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic; it is criminal,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “By knowingly distributing classified information that would be passed onto a designated foreign terrorist organization, Mariam Thompson put our national defense in danger. The men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to defeat hostile intelligence activities targeting the United States and to hold those who assist our adversaries accountable.”
“Thompson was entrusted with highly sensitive information, and she chose to betray her country by providing classified defense information to a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s significant sentencing shows the dedicated work of the FBI, the U.S. Intelligence Community and our global partners to work swiftly and diligently to safeguard our national security information and hold accountable those who break our nation’s trust."
According to court documents, Thompson worked as a contract linguist at an overseas U.S. military facility where she was entrusted with a Top-Secret government security clearance. Thompson admitted that, beginning in 2017, she started communicating with her unindicted co-conspirator using a video-chat feature on a secure text and voice messaging application. Over time, Thompson developed a romantic interest in her co-conspirator. Thompson learned that the unindicted co-conspirator had a family member who was in the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior and that the unindicted co-conspirator claimed to have received a ring from Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanese Hezbollah.
In December 2019, while Thompson was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force facility in Iraq, the United States launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq targeting Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed foreign terrorist organization. These airstrikes culminated in a Jan. 3, 2020, strike that resulted in the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Suleimani, as well as the founder of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Following Suleimani’s death, the unindicted co-conspirator began asking Thompson to provide “them” with information about the human assets who had helped the United States to target Suleimani. Thompson admitted that she understood “them” to be Lebanese Hezbollah, including an unnamed high-ranking military commander.
After receiving this request for information in early January 2020, Thompson began accessing dozens of files concerning human intelligence sources, including true names, personal identification data, background information and photographs of the human assets, as well as operational cables detailing information the assets provided to the U.S. government. Thompson used several techniques to pass this information on to the unindicted co-conspirator, who told her that his contacts were pleased with the information and that the Lebanese Hezbollah military commander wanted to meet Thompson when she came to Lebanon.
When she was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 27, 2020, Thompson had used her access to classified national defense information to provide her co-conspirator with the identities of at least eight clandestine human assets; at least 10 U.S. targets; and multiple tactics, techniques and procedures. Thompson intended and had reason to believe that this classified national defense information would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of Lebanese Hezbollah.
Today’s sentencing was the result of the significant cooperation between law enforcement, the Department of Defense and the intelligence community in the successful resolution of this investigation led by the FBI Washington Field Office.
National Security Division Trial Attorneys Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cummings for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IOWA – A Davenport man, Lelen Lee Bonds, age 42, was sentenced on Monday, June 21, 2021, by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 270 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Bonds was also on supervised release at the time he committed this offense and was sentenced to a period of 36 months in prison to run consecutive to the 270 month sentence. Following his imprisonment, Bonds was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release and immediately pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal made the announcement.
According to court documents, Bonds was involved in drug trafficking activities in the Quad Cities area beginning in September of 2019. A vehicle identified in the investigation was found to be owned by Bonds. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and installed a GPS tracker for the vehicle and noted it made a trip to the area of South 10th Street in Burlington, Iowa—which is known to law enforcement as a high drug trafficking area. Once back in the Quad Cities, Bonds would distribute the methamphetamine. Further surveillance revealed more trips to the Burlington area as well as additional instances of suspected drug distribution. On October 3, 2019, search warrants were conducted on Bonds, his vehicle, and a residence he was associated with. During a search of the residence officers found over four ounces of ice methamphetamine.
On January 28, 2021, a jury found Bonds guilty of the charge that was brought against him. The Davenport Police Department (DPD) investigated the case and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa prosecuted this matter.
Dallas Men Sentenced for Hate Crimes After Targeting Gay Men on GrindrRead the Press Release
Three Texas men were sentenced yesterday for violent crimes against users of the gay dating app Grindr, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Michael Atkinson, 28, Pablo Ceniceros-Deleon, 21, and Daryl Henry, 24, were sentenced to federal prison terms for their involvement in a scheme to target gay men for violent crimes. Atkinson was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison, Ceniceros-Deleon was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and Henry was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“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. “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.”
“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. “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.”
“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.
Coos Bay Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a 3-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Coos Bay, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for producing sexually explicit images and videos of a 3-year-old child.
Keith James Atherton, 33, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by a life term of supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2018, an undercover agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) viewed child sexual abuse material streamed on a video chat website. Less than 24 hours later, Atherton was identified as the perpetrator, located, and taken into federal custody. Further investigation revealed that Atherton had produced several sexually explicit images and videos involving a 3-year-old child. Investigators seized more than 10 digital devices from Atherton, containing at least 35,000 images and 8,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants, toddlers, and young children.
On July 18, 2018, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a three-count indictment charging Atherton with using or attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and possession and distribution of child pornography. On February 24, 2021, Atherton pleaded guilty to using or attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Coos Bay Police Department, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Sweet prosecuted the case with assistance from the Coos County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at www.ice.gov/tips.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Columbus man sentenced for role in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Milik I. Stanley, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 87 months of incarceration for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Stanley, also known as “Taco,” age 24, pled guilty in February 2021 to one count of “Distribution Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Stanley admitted to selling methamphetamine near Madison Elementary School on Wheeling Island in January 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The U.S. Marshal Service, Columbus Police Department Gang Crimes Unit, the Martins Ferry Police Department, and the Bellaire Police Department also assisted.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Original case indictment here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/26-charged-drug-conspiracy-involving-heroin-fentanyl-crack-cocaine-and-meth-wheeling
Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Jackson County Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about October 2018 until November 2019, Lewis Von Burks, Jr., 51, was selling black tar heroin to several individuals from Jackson County, West Virginia, and elsewhere. These individuals were regularly travelling to Columbus in order to meet Burks and complete the transactions. Burks had knowledge at the time that several of the individuals were taking the heroin back to Jackson County, and that at least one of the individuals was re-selling the heroin in Jackson County. During the period of the conspiracy, at least 100 grams of black tar heroin were re-sold within Jackson County.
Burks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and faces up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on October 7, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is handling the prosecution.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00114.
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Columbia Career Offender Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Anthony Earl Baxter, 37, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.
Evidence presented in court showed that on November 7, 2019, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched on a call for service related to a domestic assault with a firearm. The victim advised deputies that the suspect fled the scene, and deputies observed the suspect vehicle being driven by Baxter leaving the area. When the deputies tried to pull Baxter over, he pulled off the road and began a high speed car chase that reached over 90 MPH, with Baxter weaving in and out of traffic, driving into oncoming lanes of traffic, and jumping a center medium curb.
Baxter took marked patrol cars with lights and sirens activated on a car chase through business and residential areas of Columbia. The car chase ended with Baxter crashing his vehicle and then attempting to flee by foot with a backpack in hand onto a residential property. Deputies detained Baxter and discovered in the backpack: two 9mm handguns and ammunition, four digital scales, U.S. currency, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Federal law prohibits Baxter from possessing firearms and ammunition based on multiple prior felony convictions. Baxter’s prior convictions include for drug charges in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013; a weapons charge in 2004; and a criminal domestic violence charge in 2007. Due to his multiple controlled substance convictions, Baxter was considered a career offender within the meaning of the federal sentencing guidelines.
United States District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Baxter to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Carson Man Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Carson man was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Brad Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, Charles John Barrett, 37, of Carson, sold methamphetamine to an individual in Hattiesburg on multiple occasions between January and November of 2020.
Barrett was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 20, 2020. He pled guilty on March 23, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Bulldog,” which began as an operation targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in south Mississippi.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton prosecuted the case.
Canadian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Canadian man pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm as an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
According to court documents, on January 10, 2021, Dayne Adrian Sitladeen, 29, and his co-defendant were stopped by a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper near Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The defendants were traveling between 95-100 miles per hour in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Texas license plates. When the Trooper approached the vehicle, Muzamil Aden Addow, the driver, provided an Ontario, Canada driver’s license with a false name.
According to court documents, after detecting the odor of marijuana in the vehicle and receiving suspicious and inconsistent statements from Sitladeen, the Trooper searched the vehicle. As a result of the search, law enforcement officers recovered a total of 67 firearms and numerous pistol magazines, including 15 high capacity pistol magazines, from four bags in the truck—one pistol magazine was partially loaded with live ammunition rounds. Law enforcement later discovered a provisional federal arrest warrant from the United States Marshals Service for Sitladeen, which was based on a 2019 Canadian arrest warrant for first degree homicide, fentanyl distribution, and possession of proceeds of crime.
“Whether it’s dozens of illegal guns in greater Minnesota or a straw purchasing ring operating in the Twin Cities, federal law enforcement is committed to reducing violent crime and stemming the flow of illegal firearms in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minnesota State Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Bates.
California Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OSCAR ZAVALA, also known as “Manuel Garcia Martinez,” “Oscar Rangel Zavala” and “Oscar Zavala Rangel,” 43, of California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 45 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that the organization had a connection to Mexican drug cartel traffickers, and that members of the organization were eager to receive a steady supply of narcotics from the west coast of the U.S. On December 20, 2019, after members of the organization arranged to purchase a kilogram of heroin from a supplier, Zavala met an individual in a parking lot in San Diego and provided him with 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl in exchange for $27,000.
Zavala was arrested on February 10, 2020. On that date, a search of a storage locker in San Diego that Zavala had access to revealed approximately six kilograms of cocaine.
Zavala has been detained since his arrest. On February 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Lauren C. Clark through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
CEO of South Florida Armored Transport Company Charged in Multimillion Dollar Dirty Gold Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. – South Florida federal prosecutors have charged a Miami-Dade County business owner with facilitating a $140 million transnational illicit gold smuggling operation aimed at laundering cash with alleged ties to criminal activity.
According to the criminal complaint affidavit unsealed yesterday, Jesus Gabriel Rodriguez, Jr., 45, owned and operated Transvalue, a South Florida company that transported gold, cash, and other valuables by armored truck, both domestically and internationally. It is alleged that from about March 2015 to September 2016, Rodriguez used his industry experience and contacts to facilitate the importation of thousands of kilograms of illicitly-sourced gold being flown into the United States from Curacao. The sellers of the gold were co-conspirators based in the Caribbean. The buyers of the gold were co-conspirators based in South Florida and Latin America who earned volume-based commissions by procuring gold for NTR Metals (now, Elemetals LLC). NTR Metals was a U.S. precious metals refinery with policies in place to combat money laundering, including not buying gold from Curacao, a country with no gold mines that is commonly used as a waypoint for gold illegally mined in, and smuggled out of, South America. Rodriguez helped co-conspirators dodge NTR Metals’ anti-money laundering policy and get the gold past U.S. Customs by working to conceal the gold’s illegal origins and connections to Curacao, says the affidavit.
For example, it is alleged that Rodriguez coordinated transportation for the gold that routed it through different countries before reaching its final destination in Miami: from Curacao to the United States, to the Cayman Islands, and back to the United States. According to the charges, Rodriguez hired brokers to clear the gold through U.S. Customs at Miami International Airport (MIA), where customs documentation was introduced falsely identifying the gold as having originated in the Cayman Islands, not Curacao. Then, Rodriguez used his company’s armored trucks to transport the smuggled gold from MIA to NTR Metals’ precious metals refinery in Doral, it is alleged. To pay for the gold, “clean” money was wire-transferred to companies owned by co-conspirators.
The criminal complaint against Jesus Gabriel Rodriguez, Jr. charges him with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal district court on Thursday, June 24, at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra, who sits in Miami.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, and Tyler R. Hatcher, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the charges against Rodriguez.
FBI Miami, HSI Miami, and IRS-CI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from DEA-Miami and law enforcement partners in Curacao. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Walter M. Norkin and Andrea Goldbarg. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of this matter.
This prosecution was part of “Operation Arch Stanton,” which is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
Criminal complaints and affidavits contain mere allegations. Defendants are considered innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.
A copy of this and related press release appear on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Court documents and information on the case appear on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-mj-03160.
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CEO of Limited Liability Company Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – The chief executive officer of a private equity investment firm was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for defrauding an investor of $1.35 million dollars, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Karl James, 50, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information that charged him with one count of wire fraud. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
James was the CEO of Gore Capital LLC, which he told others was a private equity investment firm. In February 2016, James and the victim agreed to each invest approximately $1.5 million into a company that specialized in extracting and converting cannabinoids from marijuana. They further agreed to form an LCC as a conduit for their joint investment. In April 2016, James incorporated the LLC in Delaware.
On April 20, 2016, James instructed the victim to wire his investment funds into a bank account. James falsely told the victim that the victim also had access to the account. On April 22, 2016, the victim wired $500,000 into the account. On July 12, 2016, James instructed the victim to wire the remaining $1 million of his investment, which the victim did. To induce the victim’s payment, James told the victim that he would deposit his own money into the account. In reality, James never wired or deposited any of his own funds.
James later spent $1.35 million of the victim’s funds on personal and entertainment expenses for himself.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced James to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1.35 million in restitution.
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, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Feldman Nikic of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Brownsville man sent to prison for possessing 600 images of Sugar Land minorRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 23-year-old south Texas man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Gene Surf Silva pleaded guilty March 24.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced him to 121 months in federal prison. He will also serve 20 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Silva was further ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to five known victims and will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In September 2018, authorities learned Silva was addicted to child pornography. The investigation revealed he had possibly acted on his impulses and victimized a child.
Law enforcement executed a warrant on his residence and obtained his computer. Forensic analysis revealed 600 images and 11 video files of a minor from Sugar Land in his possession as well as 800 additional images of child pornography.
Silvah has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikki Piquette is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Boothbay Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Boothbay man pleaded guilty today in federal court to distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on October 8, 2019, Joseph Pinkham, 35, sent several text messages to an individual in Texas containing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The individual in Texas reported the conduct to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators identified the sender as Pinkham and obtained a search warrant for his residence in Boothbay. In an interview with investigators, Pinkham acknowledged sending sexually explicit images of minors to the individual in Texas.
Pinkham faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. 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 Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Bloods Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Two Murders in Newport NewsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday to the murders of two men in Newport News in June and July 2014.
According to court documents, Mark Anthony Skeete, a.k.a. Mark Brown, 33, was a member of the Nine Trey Gangsters, an offshoot of the California-based “Bloods” street gang. In June 2014, Skeete came to Virginia to assist in the prostitution of adult women in the Richmond area. On June 28, 2014, Skeete and others traveled to Newport News to assist in the prostitution of a female from New York. When a client was unable to pay, Skeete shot and killed him to maintain his position as part of the Nine Trey enterprise.
After the June 2014 murder, Skeete and others fled to North Carolina. Skeete and others then returned to Newport News and killed another man on July 16, 2014 during a drug transaction. Skeete also robbed the victim of money, drugs, and a cell phone. Shortly thereafter, Skeete returned to Richmond. On September 17, 2014, Skeete, a previously convicted felon, possessed a firearm in Richmond that was later forensically linked to the Newport News murders. Cartridge casings recovered from the June and July 2014 murder scenes revealed that the same Ruger .45 caliber firearm recovered on September 17, 2014 in Richmond was the weapon used in both of those murders.
Skeete is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1. He faces a maximum sentence of up to two life terms in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Peninsula Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership that includes the FBI, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police Division, James City County Police Department, and Newport News Police Department. This task force investigates the most violent criminal enterprises operating on the Virginia Peninsula. Tips regarding gang activity and other violent crimes in the region can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick, Lisa McKeel, and Brian Samuels are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-62.
Batavia Man Found with Thousands of Images and Videos of Child Pornography Pleads GuiltyRead 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 Matthew Barber, 53, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to possession of child pornography following prior federal and state convictions relating to sexual abuse involving a minor. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on May 20, 2020, officers with the U.S. Probation Department and New York State Parole conducted a search at the defendant’s residence. Officers seized a cellular phone, which was found to contain images and videos of child pornography. A flash drive containing child pornography was also seized. Barber possessed over 1,000 images and 200 videos of child pornography on the two devices, some of which depicted prepubescent minors, violence, and the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.
In April 2007, the defendant was convicted on a federal charge of possessing child pornography, and a state charge of sexual abuse in the 1st degree.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Sliwinski; the Batavia Police Department, under the direction of Chief Shawn Heubusch; and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2021, before Judge Skretny.
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Armed Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead 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 Willie J. Wofford, 45, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful drug user. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas E. Gregory and Charles E. Moynihan, who are handling the case, stated that on February 20, 2018, Rochester Police Officers were in the area of York Street and saw the defendant engaging in behavior that lead them to believe he was selling drugs from his vehicle. When officers stopped Wofford and spoke with him, they smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and could see marijuana in plastics bags in the rear, passenger area. The defendant argued with officers over the legality of the stop and refused to get out of his vehicle. Wofford finally exited his vehicle and was arrested after officers attempted to break the windows in order to remove him. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered cocaine and marijuana packaged for sale, along with a loaded semiautomatic handgun, in the center console. Officers secured more marijuana from the rear, passenger area, which was also packaged for sale.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Armed Career Criminal and Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Four Armed Robberies of Liquor Stores in Baltimore and Anne Arundel CountiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Donte Lamont Dingle, a/k/a Kane, Donte Dingol, Donta Dingle, and Dante Dingle, age 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for four counts of interference with commerce by robbery; a conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; four counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in connection with the robberies of four liquor stores. In each of the four liquor store robberies, Dingle brandished a gun and wore various costumes and disguises. A federal jury convicted Dingle on October 20, 2020, after a six-day trial.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
“Criminals like Donte Dingle who use firearms to commit robberies jeopardize lives, undermine communities and must be held accountable. Dingle committed these robberies in broad daylight and threatened the store employees at gunpoint,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Let this sentence send a strong message that these criminal actions cannot, and will not, be tolerated. If you commit a crime with a gun, you could face a lengthy federal prison sentence, and with no parole.”
“Donte Dingle was a walking crime spree, endangering the lives of employees and customers at the businesses he robbed, leaving many with emotional and even physical scars,” said Rachel Byrd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We hope today's sentence sends a clear message that the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to bring these offenders to justice.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, between June 6, 2018 and July 12, 2018, Dingle committed four armed robberies of liquor stores located in Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties. During each of these robberies, Dingle entered the store and brandished a pistol at the victims, forcing them to empty the money from the cash registers into his bag and often threatening the victims with death or serious bodily injury. After getting the money from the registers, Dingle forced the victims into a room in the rear of the store, and then fled to a waiting getaway car. During the robbery on July 12, 2018, in Reisterstown, Maryland, witnesses testified that Dingle racked the slide of his gun loading a bullet into the chamber, pointed the gun at the store clerk, and threatened to shoot the clerk in the head if the clerk didn’t comply with Dingle’s orders. In total, Dingle stole approximately $10,000 from the four stores.
According to trial testimony, DNA matching Dingle’s was recovered from a fake mustache that the robber had left on the floor behind the counter at the June 6th robbery. Dingle’s DNA was also recovered from clothing, wigs, glasses, and other disguises that matched items worn by the robber, as well as from a silver .380-caliber pistol, that were seized by law enforcement during the execution of a search warrant at Dingle’s residence. Dingle’s fingerprint was also recovered from a bag of chips that Dingle stole but then left at the scene of the July 12th robbery.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai N. Everett, who prosecuted the case.
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Ansonia Man Admits Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEVEN BARNES, 70, of Ansonia, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2017 and November 2018, law enforcement made five controlled purchases of 30mg oxycodone pills from Salvatore Perry of Shelton. Perry sold between 30 and 60 pills each transaction. The investigation revealed that Perry had purchased the pills from Barnes and others. Barnes had a prescription for oxycodone, and he received a total of approximately $18,000 for selling the pills.
When he is sentenced, Barnes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Barnes is released pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Perry previously pleaded guilty and, on January 22, 2020, was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment and six months of home confinement.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart Urges Public to Protect Seniors from Internet Crimes, After South Carolinians over 60 Years Old Lost More Than $10 Million in 2020 to CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2020 Elder Fraud Report, 1,350 South Carolinians aged 60 or over fell victim to cyber scammers. The report states that these South Carolinians reported losses of nearly $10 million in 2020.
Across the nation, there was over $1 billion in losses by victims aged 60 or over, representing 28% of all losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. The average dollar loss by those aged 60 or over nationwide was $9,175.
Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart urges the public to be vigilant of these crimes and to help older family members, so they do not become the next victim of elder fraud scams.
“Criminals often prey on those they believe are most susceptible to their schemes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Unfortunately, this means our elder neighbors are highly targeted by exploitative cybercriminals. It is critical that all South Carolinians, particularly those over the age of 60, be vigilant of such crimes and that, when and where able, family members assist in protecting their elders to prevent them from falling victim to such crimes. Know that the investigative work of the FBI and the prosecutorial efforts of the elder fraud division in our office will not end until such predatory cybercrimes come to a halt.”
The release of the annual report from the FBI comes in coordination with the annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, in which the entire Department of Justice echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
According to the annual report from the FBI, the most common scams against seniors in 2020 were extortion, non-payment/non-delivery, tech support fraud, and identity theft. Some of these crimes stemmed from the new use of digital purchasing of goods during the pandemic.
“Just as many seniors take extra precautions to protect themselves from physical crimes – be it through constant knowledge of what is going on outside their homes or by consistently keeping doors blocked, the same effort should be made to protect themselves from online scams,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Should one fall victim to these crimes or any other targeting seniors, they should immediately report it to the FBI and the Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11.”
Any victim of cybercrimes can contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
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The full 2020 Elder Fraud Report from the FBI can be found at: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf.
22 June 2021
Woodbury County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine while illegally possessing firearms pled guilty June 17, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Melvin Cloud, Jr. 43, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Cloud, Jr. had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, specifically, Assault While Participating in a Felony, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, in 2016 and Trafficking in Controlled Substance, First Degree, First Offense – Cocaine, in the Christian County Circuit Court for Kentucky, in 2007.
At the plea hearing, Cloud, Jr. admitted that on four separate occasions in 2020 in Sioux City, Iowa, he distributed a total of over 82 grams of methamphetamine to another individual. On February 25, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cloud Jr.’s residence and seized four guns, including a 12 gauge shotgun, .357 revolver, .45 caliber ACP, and .40 caliber pistol. As a drug user and felon, Cloud Jr. was prohibited from possessing guns.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cloud, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the drug distribution conviction, Cloud, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the gun conviction, Cloud, Jr. faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4018. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
United States Seizes Websites Used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union and Kata’ib HizballahRead the Press Release
Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of U.S. sanctions.
On Oct. 22, 2020, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated IRTVU as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for being owned or controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC). SDNs are prohibited from obtaining services, including website and domain services, in the United States without an OFAC license. OFAC’s announcement explained that components of the government of Iran, to include IRTVU and others like it, disguised as news organizations or media outlets, targeted the United States with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations. Thirty-three of the websites seized today were operated by IRTVU. The 33 domains are owned by a United States company. IRTVU did not obtain a license from OFAC prior to utilizing the domain names.
Three additional websites seized today were operated by KH. On July 2, 2009, OFAC designated KH an SDN, and the Department of State designated KH a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The announcements described KH as an Iraqi terrorist organization that committed, directed, supported or posed a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. OFAC further explained that the IRGC provides lethal support to KH and other Iraqi Shia militia groups who target and kill Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. The three domains operated by KH were owned by a United States company. KH did not obtain a license from OFAC prior to utilizing the domain names.
These website seizures were investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and the FBI. The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the seizure.
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Special Agent in Charge J.C. (Chris) Hacker, of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ariel Joshua Leinwand, of the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement’s Atlanta Office, made the announcement.
The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section is investigating this matter in coordination with the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Atlanta Field Office.
Union County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for $1.6 Million Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who owned and operated contracting businesses in Essex County, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for filing false tax returns that failed to report all his personal and corporate income, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Olger Fallas, 50, of Union, the owner and operator of Olger Fallas Painting (OFP) and Olger Fallas Properties (OFPROP) previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with two counts of tax evasion. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Fallas admitted that between 2013 and 2017 he owned OFP and OFPROP. He admitted that he attempted to hide personal and corporate income from the IRS by using a check cashing business to cash customer payments, which he did not report to the IRS. Fallas also admitted that he deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in customer payments into bank accounts that were not associated with his companies. Fallas admitted that he evaded paying approximately $1.7 million in personal and corporate income taxes during the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Fallas to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1.68 million in restitution.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamel Semper, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
UVM ER Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty to State and Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and the Chittenden County State’s Attorney announced that pursuant to plea agreements filed in federal and state court, Eike Blohm, 39, of South Burlington, Vermont, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography in federal court, and one count of Lewd & Lascivious Conduct, one count of Voyeurism (Circumstances – First Offense), and 19 counts of Voyeurism (Place – First Offense) in state court. Blohm, who has been in federal custody since May 22, 2020, is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court before U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss on July 8, 2021, and on July 13, 2021, in Vermont State Superior Court, Chittenden Unit.
According to court records and proceedings, an employee at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM MC) discovered a camera hidden in a unisex employee bathroom in the Emergency Department. Investigators with the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations (CUSI) recovered the camera and discovered approximately 1,300 videos on the camera. Approximately 900 videos depicted hospital employees in at least two bathrooms at UVM MC. Thereafter, CUSI investigators obtained a warrant to search Blohm’s residence in South Burlington, Vermont, and seized numerous digital devices. A search of those devices revealed the presence of child pornography, some of which depicted children under the age of 12 years old.
The federal plea agreement requires Blohm to plead guilty to an Information charging him with one count of Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). The parties agreed that Blohm should be sentenced within the range of 96-132 months imprisonment, or 8-11 years. The agreement also provides that approximately $39,785.32, the proceeds from the sale of Blohm’s former South Burlington residence that has been held by the Clerk of the Court in the Court’s Registry, will be used to pay restitution to the victims of his offense conduct. The government also agreed to dismiss the pending Indictment, which charges Blohm with Production of Child Pornography, at the time of sentencing.
The state plea agreement requires Blohm to plead guilty to one count of Lewd & Lascivious Conduct, in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 2601, one count of Voyeurism (Circumstances – First Offense), in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 2601(b)(2), and 19 counts of Voyeurism (Place – First Offense), in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 2605(b)(1). The parties agreed that Blohm would receive a sentence of 57-58 months imprisonment on the Lewd & Lascivious Conduct charge, 23-24 months imprisonment on the Voyeurism charges, for a total sentence of 80-82 months.
It is a condition of the federal plea agreement that Blohm plead guilty and is sentenced as provided in the state plea agreement. It is a condition of Blohm’s state plea agreement that Blohm plead guilty and is sentenced as provided in the federal plea agreement. If either the state or federal sentencing judges decline to impose the agreed-upon sentences, Blohm would be permitted to withdraw his guilty pleas in both courts. The parties further agreed that the state and federal sentences are to be served concurrently to each other.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt and Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George commended the investigative efforts of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and forensic examiners with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity section. Acting U.S. Attorney Ophardt and SA George highlighted this case as an example of the strong partnership between the state and federal governments in the investigation and prosecution of offenders who exploit children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are handling the federal prosecution of Blohm. Deputy State’s Attorney Dana Disano is handling the state prosecution of Blohm. Lisa B. Shelkrot of Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP, represents Blohm in both cases.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ophardt noted that this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Two Robeson County Drug Traffickers Sentenced to 8 Years and 12 ½ YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Two defendants were recently sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking in the area of Robeson County.
On June 9, 2021, Joel Armando Rodriguez of Maxton was sentenced to 150 months in prison for trafficking cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
On November 12, 2020, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of Cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented to the court, Rodriguez, 48, regularly trafficked drugs from Texas to North Carolina. On October 7, 2019, members of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of Rodriguez, and he was found in possession of approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
The investigation also determined that Rodriguez had distributed a significant amount of crystal methamphetamine in Robeson County.
Today, Tushombi Take Wallace of Lumberton was sentenced to 96 months in prison and five years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and crystal methamphetamine.
On December 16, 2020, Wallace pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, 280 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack), and 500 Grams or More of Cocaine (Count One); and Distribution of 100 Grams or More of Heroin and 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine (Count Four).
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Wallace, 45, sold cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, and crystal methamphetamine to a confidential informant on several dates from December 19, 2017 until January 29, 2020.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Lemmon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-57-D-1 and 5:20-CR-169-D-1.
Two Ex-O.C. Sheriff’s Deputies Plead Guilty to Charges, Admit to Fraudulently Obtaining Military Leave Paid for by County TaxpayersRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – Twin brothers – both former Orange County sheriff’s deputies – pleaded guilty today to federal charges and admitted that they defrauded Orange County taxpayers by submitting approximately two dozen fraudulent military orders to obtain military leave from the Sheriff’s Department so they would not be docked vacation days.
Taylor Morgan, 26, and Tyler Morgan, 26, both of Long Beach, each pleaded guilty in separate hearings to a single-count information charging them with unlawful possession of an authentication feature of the United States, a misdemeanor offense.
United States Magistrate Judge Autumn D. Spaeth sentenced each defendant to one year of probation. Taylor Morgan further was sentenced to six months of home detention and ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution while Tyler Morgan was sentenced to eight months of home detention and was ordered to pay $32,400 in restitution.
According to their plea agreements, Tyler Morgan was employed as a correctional service assistant and deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) from August 2015 to January 2021. Taylor Morgan had the same job titles with OCSD from January 2017 to January 2020. Both men also were in reserve units for the United States Marine Corps in Camp Pendleton.
As part of their employment with OCSD, the defendants received 30 days of leave per year that could be used for vacations, military leave and other personal reasons. In addition to such leave, the defendants received an additional 30 days of leave per year when they had to fulfill their active duty obligations with their reserve units with the Marine Corps, including annual training.
From June 2017 to November 2019, Tyler Morgan submitted 24 fraudulent military orders to OCSD to obtain military leave from the department. From May 2017 to January 2020, Taylor Morgan submitted 25 fraudulent military orders to OCSD to obtain military leave from the department. In fact, neither had been ordered by the Marine Corps to fulfill active duty obligations with their reserve units.
Both defendants admitted that they defrauded the County of Orange to obtain wages paid for military leave by committing wire fraud using the fraudulent military orders. The defendants altered orders that appeared to be official notices requiring them to serve active duty at Camp Pendleton. The fraudulent orders appeared to have been authorized by a Marine Corps official and had the Department of Defense’s seal on them.
The defendants submitted the fraudulent orders to OCSD’s Professional Standard Division so they would receive military leave from the county on the dates listed on the orders and their vacation days would not be used. In most instances, the defendants were at inactive duty training (also known as drill), which OCSD did not compensate for military leave.
In at least one instance, Tyler Morgan did not inform OCSD that he was at drill or that the dates of his drill duties had changed, causing the County of Orange to incorrectly compensate him as if he had been on active duty. Tyler Morgan admitted to submitting a fraudulent military order that appeared to be from the Marine Corps requiring him to be on active duty for one week in late July 2019. In fact, he was on active duty for only part of that time period. Tyler Morgan did not inform OCSD that, during that week, he was also on drill, took a trip to Las Vegas, and spent one day at home playing the “Call of Duty” video game.
In total, Taylor Morgan received 48 days of military leave to which he was not entitled, resulting in a loss of $14,000 to the County of Orange. Tyler Morgan received 64 days of fraudulently obtained military leave, resulting in a loss of $32,400 to the County.
The FBI and the United States Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Vibhav Mittal of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted these cases.
Two California Men Charged with Conspiring and Attempting to Distribute Sixteen Kilograms of Fentanyl and Fourteen Kilograms of Cocaine in the Milwaukee AreaRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on June 22, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Daniel
Rodriguez-Lara (age: 24) of San Bernardino, California, and Richard Chavez (age: 41) of Los
Angeles, California. The two-count indictment charges both men for conspiring to distribute and attempting to possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. If convicted, both men will face a mandatory minimum of ten years to a maximum of life in federal prison, at least five years of supervised release, and up to a $10 million fine.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2021, a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper conducted a traffic stop of a semi-tractor that was towing a car carrier trailer in Seward County, Kansas. The trailer was carrying several vehicles, including a 2013 Nissan Cube. Beneath the floorboards of the Nissan Cube, the Trooper discovered electronically controlled compartments.
Inside the compartments, the Trooper found packages that contained a total of 16 kilograms of fentanyl and 14 kilograms of cocaine. The packages were being transported to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Court documents further reveal that law enforcement agents seized the actual fentanyl and cocaine, placed replica kilogram-shaped packages in the compartments, and arranged the transport and off-loading of the Nissan Cube to the delivery location in a parking lot in
Milwaukee. In the early morning of June 17, 2021, agents saw two subjects enter the Nissan
Cube and drive it away. When officers attempted to stop the Nissan Cube, the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed and eventually crashed in Bayside, Wisconsin. Both occupants fled on foot.
Later that same morning, officers located and arrested both Rodriguez-Lara and Chavez.
“Opioid overdose deaths in Milwaukee County have continued to increase in 2021 and have caused lasting damage to families and our communities,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney
Frohling. “What the overwhelming majority of these deaths have in common is fentanyl -- as little as two milligrams of which can be lethal depending on the user’s size and past history.
Based on the collaborative work of federal, state, and local law enforcement, 16 fewer kilograms of fentanyl and 14 fewer kilograms of cocaine will be available to potentially devastate families in this district. Along with our law enforcement partners, the Department of Justice is committed to holding those who traffic in these substances accountable for their actions.”
“As this case demonstrates, drug traffickers utilize a variety of concealment methods to bring their deadly goods to our communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Milwaukee District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge John McGarry. “Due to the close working relationship with our law enforcement partners, these drug traffickers were identified, stopped in their tracks, and will face justice in federal court. This significant fentanyl seizure surely saved lives.”
"The Milwaukee Police Department is a proud member of the North Central High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Through this partnership, HIDTA recovered and removed a significant amount of very dangerous drugs from our community and the individuals arrested were indicted on very serious criminal charges. MPD is committed to working with our community, local, state and federal partners to continue to build sustainable neighborhoods free of crime,” said Acting Chief Jeffrey Norman.
This case was investigated by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Milwaukee Police Department, the
Kansas Highway Patrol, the Colorado State Patrol, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, the West Allis Police Department, the Mequon Police
Department, the Bayside Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Brown Deer
Police Department, the River Hills Police Department, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s
Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mario F. Gonzales.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, recovery is possible.
For information on support and resources, please call 2-1-1 or visit recoverywisconsin.com.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact: Public Information Officer
[email protected]
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on TwitterTurkish National Charged with Wire Fraud and Illegally Exporting Defense Articles to TurkeyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Turkish national was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently having various parts and machine components for the United States military made by a Turkish manufacturer in violation of arms regulations.
Arif Ugur, 52, formerly of Cambridge, Mass., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud, one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act and one count of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Ugur was arrested today in Virginia and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
The criminal complaint alleges that in approximately May 2015, Ugur founded and was the sole managing partner of the Anatolia Group Limited Partnership (Anatolia), a domestic limited partnership registered in Massachusetts. Beginning in approximately July 2015, Ugur bid on and acquired numerous contracts to supply the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) with a variety of machine parts and hardware items intended for use by the United States military. Many of these contracts required that the parts be manufactured in the United States. In his initial bids and in subsequent email communications with DOD representatives, it is alleged that Ugur falsely claimed that Anatolia was manufacturing the parts in the United States. In fact, Anatolia and Ugur had no manufacturing facilities in the United States or elsewhere. Instead, Ugur allegedly contracted with a Turkish manufacturer to make the parts and then passed them off to DOD as if they had been manufactured by Anatolia in the United States.
It is further alleged that Ugur shared technical specifications and drawings of various DOD parts and components with employees of the Turkish manufacturer so that they could produce the parts for Anatolia. Ugur also allegedly provided employees of the Turkish manufacturer and other Turkish nationals with access to DOD’s online library of technical specifications and drawings. Many of the parts that Ugur contracted to provide, and did provide to DOD, were designated as defense articles under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the United States Munitions List (USML). Thus, an export license was required to export the parts and related technical data (drawings, specifications, etc.) from the United States to Turkey. The complaint alleges that Ugur knew of these restrictions, but nonetheless exported technical data controlled under the ITAR and USML to employees of the Turkish manufacturer without an export license.
The charge of violating the Arms Export Control Act provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss of the offense. The charge of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss of the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation in Boston; and William Higgins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Timothy H. Kistner of Mendell’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case.
Details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tulsa Man Found Guilty of Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury today found a Tulsa man guilty of eight felony drug and firearms crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Corey Shamon McKinney, 44, was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; possession of heroin with intent to distribute; possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; maintaining a drug-involved premises (2 counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; and possession of an unregistered silencer. McKinney, an 8-time convicted felon in Tulsa County District Court, was previously convicted of drug, firearms, and robbery offenses.
“Corey McKinney is a felon with a history of drug dealing and firearm offenses. The jury has spoken, and McKinney was found guilty as charged,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The drug trafficking trade harms communities in northern Oklahoma and will not be tolerated. Today’s result is a direct reflection of the dedication of the Tulsa Police Department, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in investigating and prosecuting prohibited gun possessors who traffic in drugs. I applaud Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Morgan and Edward Snow whose work led to McKinney’s conviction.”
On Nov. 20, 2019, and on Jan. 9, 2020, the Tulsa Police Department’s Crime Gun Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed search warrants at McKinney’s residence. During those searches, officers found marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin for distribution. Also found was nearly $6,000 in cash, numerous ziploc-style baggies and a digital scale, all indicative of drug trafficking. Furthermore, law enforcement discovered a Sarsilmaz 9 mm Luger caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Sig Sauer .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle, 114 rounds of associated ammunition, and a silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan presided over the trial.
The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Morgan and Edward Snow prosecuted the case.
Tulsa Man Charged with Sending Emails Threatening President BidenRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man has been arrested and charged for sending threatening emails to KOTV Channel 6 directed at President Joseph Biden, unnamed members of the Congress, and their families, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
John Jacobs Ahrens, 58, was charged in federal court Monday by Criminal Complaint with making threats against the President.
“John Ahrens allegedly sent a series of emails to Newson6 threatening to murder the President, members of Congress, and their families if he did not receive money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Making online threats to murder public officials and their families has consequences. The arrest and filing of criminal charges is the first step in holding individuals accountable for their alleged actions.”
According to the affidavit, an executive producer from the station contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center to report the threatening emails dated between May and June 2021.
In his messages, Ahrens demanded money, and if it wasn’t sent, he allegedly wrote that he would kill the President, members of Congress, and their families.
On May 10, 2021, Ahrens sent a message stating, “Please go to my Facebook page and read what I sent to the men of the United States Congress. They have less than 48 hours to hand over my money or their children will start dying all over the country. I’m going to kill their children using the same law as the Government used to force our families on to the Trail of Tears.”
In a June 17 message, he wrote “You have until Monday morning 8:00 am sharp to hand a check over to the State of Oklahoma, the Muscogee Nation and my family in accordance with a signed agreement as set forth in the Treaty of 1866.”
Other messages included “America is going to get to see a sitting President get his head blown off right in front of them” and “…your families will start dying. After that is over, I’m going to come back here one more time and tell you to hand over my money.”
Ahrens was arrested at his Tulsa residence on June 18, 2021, by agents of the FBI and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and task for officers with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Ahrens allegedly admitted to sending the emails to KOTV during questioning.
A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging violation of the law. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which time the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt.
The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case.