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Thursday 6 May 2021
Former employee at Sandia National Laboratories pleads guilty to mail fraud and theftRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Cordova, 39, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 5 to mail fraud and theft of federal funds. Cordova was indicted on Dec. 17, 2019.
From approximately 2010 to December 2018, Cordova was employed by Sandia Corporation and later National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, which were contracted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to operate Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Cordova’s duties included providing training to military, law enforcement and emergency response personnel in the use of equipment developed at SNL. Beginning in late 2012, Cordova applied for and was issued a purchasing card funded by DOE for the limited purpose of procuring equipment and materials necessary for Cordova to perform his duties at SNL.
In the plea agreement, Cordova admitted that from at least September 2014 through September 2018 he fraudulently used his purchasing card to procure items for the personal use of himself and his family and associates. These items included: jewelry; watches, clothing; shoes; golf clubs and golf accessories; exercise equipment; toys; barber equipment, furnishings and supplies; building materials; and home appliances.
To conceal the fraudulent use of his purchasing card, Cordova made misrepresentations and false statements, claiming in his monthly reconciliation reports the purchases were legitimate items. For example, in August 2017, Cordova purchased a diamond ring for $944 from Amazon.com that was shipped to his home. In his monthly report, he represented the purchase as “2 carbon fiber Manfredo 510 tripods.”
A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Cordova faces up to 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez is prosecuting the case.
Former Wind Farm Manger Pleads Guilty in $550,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a $550,000 embezzlement scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Arturo Salazar III, 41, a former site manager for a Vestas-American Wind Technologies wind farm, pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of unauthorized transactions with access devices.
According to court documents, Mr. Salazar admitted that he teamed up with Keith Krier, a conspirator, to create a sham business, BT Machine, with the sole purpose of creating fraudulent invoices. From 2016 to 2019, while Salazar worked as site manager for Vestas Wind, the conspirators presented hundreds of bogus invoices for services that BT Machine purportedly provided to Vestas.
Following payment of the invoices, Mr. Salazar the other individual would then split the money.
Mr. Salazar also used Vestas company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases totaling approximately $80,000. These personal purchases included a dump trailer, a skid steer loader, a universal terrain vehicle, and products from Amazon.
From 2016 to 2019, Mr. Salazar admitted to defrauding Vestas’ of more than $550,000.
Mr. Salazar now faces up to 60 years in federal prison. His sentencing will be set in late summer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
Former Waterbury Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JESSICA PICKERING, 27, formerly of Waterbury, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to distributing child pornography through the Kik social media application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, Pickering joined a Kik group geared toward those with a sexual interest in children and then corresponded with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was monitoring the group. Pickering stated that she had access to three minors, aged 7 and younger. On October 20, 2020, Pickering posted two live videos to the Kik group that depicted child pornography of a male toddler. Pickering later sent the OCE two additional videos that depicted child pornography of the same child. The next day, Pickering withdrew from the Kik group, stating that she “felt an immense amount of disgust for [her]self after what [she] did the other night.”
Pickering was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 27, 2020.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2021, at which time Pickering faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Pickering is released on a $100,000 bond and residing with family in Queens, New York, pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Wolcott Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Former Treasurer and Comptroller of the Universal Ballet Foundation Pleads Guilty in $1.5 Million Bank Fraud MatterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sophia Kim, a/k/a “Sophia Kim Sebold” and “Sookyeong Kim Sebold”, 60, the former Treasurer and Comptroller for the Universal Ballet Foundation, which operated the Kirov Academy of Ballet, pled guilty today to a charge stemming from her embezzlement of $1,501,285.13, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.
Kim, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to Bank Fraud. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for September 15, 2021. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to thirty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.
“For nearly a year, this defendant used her trusted position to fleece her nonprofit employer for 1.5 million dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We have no tolerance for offenders raiding the coffers of the businesses and institutions that make our District great.”
“Kim treated her company’s funds as her own personal bank account, even using it to fund a gambling spree,” said Timothy Thibault, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “The FBI is committed to rooting out and bringing to justice those who commit this kind of unconscionable financial fraud that harms our communities’ businesses.”
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Kim was employed as the Treasurer and Comptroller for the Universal Ballet Foundation, which operated the Kirov Academy of Ballet (“KAB”), a 501(c)(3) organization located in the District of Columbia. Kim admitted that, between approximately January 2018 and September 2018, she misappropriated approximately $1,501,285.12 from KAB’s bank accounts through unauthorized check, debit, and credit card transactions. This consisted of: (1) 68 unauthorized checks to “Cash” or to “Sophia Kim,” in whole-dollar amounts ranging from $500 to $12,000, totaling approximately $377,200; (2) 197 unauthorized debits and cash withdrawals, totaling approximately $479,283; and (3) 139 unauthorized credit card transactions, totaling approximately $681,751. Notably, 120 unauthorized debits and withdrawals and 120 credit card charges at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD, totaling approximately $1,068,026.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips acknowledged the work of Paralegal Angeline Thekkumthala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and David Kent, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Former Postal Worker Fined for Failing to Deliver over 700 Pieces of Mail Which Included Three Absentee BallotsRead 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 Brandon Wilson, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who pleaded guilty to delay or destruction of U.S. Mail, was fined $200.00 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that on November 3, 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers encountered the defendant, an employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS) at the time, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. In the trunk of Wilson’s vehicle, officers found 701 mailings, and a USPS employee uniform and employee identification badge. The mailings included three (3) official absentee ballots mailed from the Board of Elections to voters, 218 first class mailings, 106 political mailings, 36 regular nonprofit mailings, 305 regular standard mailings, and 33 magazine/catalogue mailings. The mailings were destined for addresses located in the following zip codes: 14227, 14211, 14214, with a majority destined for 14215. The cancellation dates on the first class mailings were between September 16 and October 26, 2020.
When asked by officers about the mailings in his trunk, the defendant initially stated they belonged to him and his mother. When confronted with the destination names and addresses, Wilson admitted that he was a USPS postal carrier who kept custody of the mailings after failing to complete his delivery route.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, Pittsburgh, PA, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations, Rose Brophy.
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Former Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – An Oconee County, Georgia, resident and former eighth grade teacher has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Ira New, III, 56, of Watkinsville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Wednesday, May 5. New faces a maximum twenty years of imprisonment to be followed by at least five years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime. Child victims are manipulated and harmed each time the images are viewed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend both GBI and Yahoo investigators who teamed up to quickly stop a child predator who, as a teacher, had easy access to children.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims. No child should be subject to online exploitation. As we work with internet service providers and other law enforcement agency partners, we are ensuring that predators like this defendant are held accountable,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds
On August 7, 2019, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) received a cyber tip from Yahoo investigators regarding approximately 27 images of children at nudist colonies. Yahoo determined that the account belonged to New, who was an eighth-grade teacher at the time, and the cyber tip was escalated to the GBI. GBI discovered New taught at Malcolm Bridge Middle School in Watkinsville and had recently self-reported to the school administration for displaying an image of a topless female to his class. Subsequently, New resigned from his teaching position at Oconee County Schools and consented to a Professional Standards Commission sanction of reprimand regarding his teaching certificate.
On September 5, 2019, the GBI conducted a knock and talk at his home. New consented to allow forensic agents to view his phone, and they found it contained child pornography. A supplemental forensic review revealed New’s phone contained approximately 94 images of child pornography, including images of 12 to 14-year-old girls. When asked when he started to take an interest in children, New responded that it had been in the “past couple of years.” New also stated that he never sent the photographs to anyone, but he emailed the photographs to himself.
The case was investigated by the GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker is prosecuting the case.
Former Manager Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Mascoutah Trucking Company Out of More Than $600,000Read the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – This morning, Timothy P. Mayer, 41, of Waterloo, Illinois, appeared in
federal court in East St. Louis and pled guilty to defrauding his former employer, Jung Truck
Service (“Jung Truck”) of Mascoutah, Illinois, out of more than $600,000.
In addition to operating its own trucks and warehouse facilities, Jung Truck also provides
maintenance services for other trucking companies. Mayer was the manager of Jung Truck’s East St.
Louis location.Beginning in July 2019, Mayer started charging expensive tires to Jung Truck’s accounts at a local
tire supplier. Mayer then sold the tires on the side and pocketed the cash. The value of the tires
that Mayer fraudulently charged to Jung Truck exceeded $590,000. Mayer also stole tires and brakes
from Jung Truck’s inventory and sold those items on the side. Mayer’s scheme lasted until he was
caught in May 2020.Mayer will be sentenced on August 11, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. The mail fraud charge to which Mayer pled
guilty carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a
period of supervised release of up to 3 years. Mayer will also be ordered to pay full restitution
to Jung Truck.The case was investigated by agents from FBI-Springfield. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.Former IRS Service Center Employee Sentenced for Filing Hundreds of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former employee of the IRS Service Center in Andover was sentenced today for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of over 400 false tax returns for herself and other individuals.
Jennifer Beth True, 44, of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to twelve months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000. True was also ordered to pay $689 in restitution to victims who were charged interest and penalties based on the false returns she prepared for them, and $1,056,781 in restitution to the IRS. In September 2020, True pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return and four counts of filing a fraudulent tax return by an employee of the United States.
True was employed by the Internal Revenue Service for over 22 years. In her position as a Lead Contact Representative, she assisted team members in responding to difficult and complex taxpayer inquiries. Throughout her employment, True was trained in tax law, ethics, information protection and disclosure, privacy, identity theft and identity protection.
True electronically filed over 500 tax returns for herself and other taxpayers between 2012 and 2018, in violation of IRS rules prohibiting employees from “[e]ngaging in the preparation of tax returns for compensation, gift, or favor.” True admitted that between approximately February 2012 and April 2018, she prepared or assisted in preparing and filing of at least 70 IRS Forms 1040 – U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns – for herself and other taxpayers that True knew contained false items such as false individual retirement account deductions, false medical expenses, false and inflated unreimbursed business expenses and/or false tax preparation fees. Some returns also included false child and dependent care credits. As a result of the false deductions claimed on the returns, the tax obligations of True and those individuals whose false returns she prepared was reduced.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; William Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, New York Field Office; and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Claims Processor of a Travel Insurance Company Sentenced to 47 Months for Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - A McCordsville man was sentenced to 47 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Wesley A. Smith, 31, was employed by Seven Corners, a travel insurance business located in Carmel. His duties included processing travel insurance claims of Seven Corners clients. One of the clients is Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA). FMCA was an organization of RV owners whose members received travel insurance coverage for their RVs. Included in that coverage was reimbursement for necessary towing of a damaged RV.
Beginning December 2015 and continuing through December 2017, Smith devised a complex fraud scheme to steal money from his employer. He recruited three of his friends, who were not employed by Seven Corners to participate in his scheme. Using his position in the company, Smith created and approved fraudulent travel insurance claims purportedly submitted by FMCA claimants. He used the names of actual FMCA members on the claims without their knowledge and indicated that a claimant's RV was towed by a towing company which sought reimbursement for that service. Smith then caused payment to be made for the fraudulent claims to each of his co-conspirators who were identified as officials of the towing companies named on the fraudulent invoices. After the co-conspirators received the proceeds, they sent approximately one-half of the funds back to Smith by wire transfer. Smith sent over $394,000 in proceeds to the co-conspirators and they sent over $194,000 back to Smith. Additionally, on 38 separate occasions between December 2015 and April 2018, Smith sent over $105,000 directly to himself. This scheme resulted in loss to Seven Corners of over $499,000.
Smith undertook other fraud schemes during his employment in which his co-conspirators were not involved. Between March 2015 and April 2018, Smith created false scenarios to submit claims through the FMCA program. He used the company credit card for 235 fraudulent transactions to purchase airline and hotel purchases for himself, family, and friends. This resulted in loss to Seven Corners of over $221,000. Between May 2015 and April 2016, Smith caused six medical service overpayments to be directed into his personal bank account. This resulted in over a $37,000 loss. The total loss to Seven Corners caused by Smith was over $758,000.
“Stealing from your employer or any corporate business, not only affects that business, it eventually affects us all,” said Acting U. S. Attorney John E. Childress. “Smith was placed in a position of trust to make honest decisions, instead he allowed greed to dictate his decisions and he is now being held accountable.”
“Mr. Smith’s actions were fueled by nothing more than pure and simple greed and this sentence demonstrates how such fraud ends – with time in federal prison,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue those who engage in these illegal business practices in an attempt to enrich themselves at the expense of their employer.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Warden and Bradley P. Shepard who prosecuted the case for the government said Smith must pay $758,164.90 in restitution and serve 2 years on supervised release after his imprisonment.
Former Buffalo Resident Pleads Guilty to Selling Crack Cocaine in Salamanca AreaRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Emmanuel Humphrey, 33, of Atlanta, GA, (formerly of Buffalo, NY), pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between July and December of 2018, the defendant conspired with co-defendant Erin Cameron a/k/a Al, to sell crack cocaine. On December 30, 2018, Humphrey, Cameron, and another individual drove from Buffalo to Salamanca in the defendant’s vehicle so that Cameron could sell narcotics in and around the Salamanca area. In the trunk, Cameron carried a pistol with six rounds of ammunition. On March 6, 2019, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a federal search warrant on Humphrey’s vehicle and a quantity of crack cocaine was recovered from a rear compartment in the vehicle’s trunk.
Erin Cameron was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, under the direction of Deputy Bureau Director Charles Addington; the Southern Tier Drug Regional Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Ronald Lott; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Troy Westfall.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 7, 2021, before Judge Sinatra.
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Federal Indictment Issued Charging Spokane Man with Setting Fire at St. Charles Parrish and SchoolRead the Press Release
Spokane – Today, Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury in Spokane returned an Indictment charging Rio A. Mirabal, 23, of Spokane, Washington with arson of the St. Charles Parrish and School in Spokane, Washington.
The Indictment alleges that, on March 18, 2021, Mirabal maliciously damaged, by means of fire, the building and real property known as the St. Charles Parrish and School, located at 4515 North Alberta Street, Spokane, Washington. The alleged crime is a federal offense in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). If proven, the offense is punishable by a minimum 5-year, but not more than a 20-year, term of imprisonment; a $250,000 fine; and a 3-year term of court supervision following release from federal imprisonment.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Spokane Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Russell E. Smoot, Criminal Chief / Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
mirabal_indictment.pdfFayette County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, on December 3, 2015, Eddie McKinney, 33, of Mt. Hope, distributed child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software on his computer. He also admitted that he knowingly possessed and distributed to others images depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 23, 2016, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of images of child pornography, including prepubescent child pornography, from his home. McKinney pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White handled the prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-00142.
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Endicott Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register Email AccountsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas J. Redeker, age 72, of Endicott, New York, pled guilty yesterday to failing to update his sex offender registration by maintaining unregistered email accounts in violation of the law, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and United States Marshal David L. McNulty.
As part of his plea agreement, Redeker admitted that in 2004 he was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York of production of child pornography and crossing a state line to engage in a sexual act with a person under the age of 12. Those convictions required Redeker to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and to keep that registration current with personal identifying information, including email accounts. Redeker admitted that although he maintained registration as a sex offender in the State of New York he did not register three different email accounts that he created despite knowing he has an obligation under law to do so.
As a result of his conviction, Redeker faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2021 before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Redeker’s case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service Sex Offender Investigation Branch with assistance from the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
East Haven Resident Who Stole from Town's Board of Education Child Care Program is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CATHERINE FINKLE, 58, of East Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first six months of which Finkle must spend in home confinement, for stealing more than $38,000 from East Haven’s Board of Education child care program. Judge Underhill also ordered Finkle to pay a $20,000 fine, and to perform 50 hours of community of service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2000 to November 2018, Finkle was the East Haven Board of Education Program Director for the School Age Child Care Program, commonly called the Little Jackets Program. As the program director, Finkle had access to the Little Jacket Program’s bank accounts and received tuition payments on behalf of the program. From January 2011 to November 2018, Finkle defrauded the East Haven Board of Education by taking more than $38,000 in tuition payments, in the form of money orders and cash, that had been made for students in the Little Jackets Program. She then diverted the payments for her own benefit.
Judge Underhill ordered Finkle to pay restitution of $38,554.50.
On February 11, 2021, Finkle pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Doctor Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Soliciting Sexual Favors from Patients in Exchange for OpioidsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A New York doctor was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for distributing opioids without a legitimate medical reason and soliciting sexual favors from patients in exchange for opioid prescriptions, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Joseph Santiamo, 65, of Staten Island, New York, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a controlled dangerous substance. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Jan. 1, 2012, through May 3, 2018, Santiamo owned and operated a medical practice in Staten Island focused on internal medicine and geriatric care. He prescribed large quantities of oxycodone outside the ordinary course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. For some of his patients, there was no medical necessity for Santiamo to treat them with oxycodone, nor to prescribe the large quantities that he did. In addition, Santiamo solicited sexual favors from certain of his younger patients in exchange for unlawful oxycodone prescriptions. These patients were all under the age of 40 at the time Santiamo provided them with prescriptions and thus would not typically be treated by a geriatric care physician like Santiamo. In some instances, Santiamo did this despite evidence that certain patients were abusing opioids.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Santiamo to three years of supervised release and fined him $30,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents, diversion investigators and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Chad Michael Oxley, age 38, of Davenport, to 144 months in prison for Receiving Child Pornography announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Oxley was ordered to serve seven years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $9,000.00 to the victims of his crime.
The investigation of Oxley began in January of 2019 when the Davenport Police Department received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a video containing child pornography that had been uploaded to Google in December of 2018. Information from the CyberTip traced back to Oxley. Officers conducted a search warrant at Oxley’s known residences in February of 2019 and several cellphones were located. A review of the cellphones revealed many images and videos containing child pornography as well as chat sessions wherein Oxley was purporting to be a female and exchanging child pornography with others. At the plea hearing on November 16, 2020, Oxley agreed he received more than 600 images and/or videos of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. 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.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Monday, May 3, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Darvill Jimmy Joseph Bragg, age 26, of Davenport, to 240 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Bragg was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. On August 26, 2020, following a jury trial, Bragg was found guilty of illegally possessing a Taurus Judge revolver.
On October 25, 2019, law enforcement received multiple 911 calls regarding shots fired in the area of the 1300 block of East 37th Street in Davenport. The Davenport Police Department responded and located multiple fired shell casings, as well as damage consistent with bullet holes in a nearby apartment building. The target of the shooting informed law enforcement Bragg and another man shot at him as he drove through the parking lot—Bragg with a revolver and the other man with an automatic pistol. Officers observed damage consistent with bullet holes in the target’s vehicle. Later that same night, law enforcement encountered Bragg as the front passenger in a vehicle in the area of the earlier shooting. A Taurus Judge revolver was in the door bin next to his seat. At the time of the offense, Bragg had been convicted of Willful Injury in the Iowa District Court for Scott County.
At sentencing, Bragg was subject to Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(e) (the Armed Career Criminal Act). He was subject to the Act due to prior convictions for armed robbery in 2011 in Rock Island County, Illinois, and Willful Injury in 2015 in Scott County.
This matter was investigated by the Davenport Police Department and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Couple Sentenced to Prison in Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A convicted felon and his girlfriend were sentenced today to prison for their roles in a scheme to buy firearms in Georgia and transport them to New Jersey for resale, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Anthony Doyle, 30, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release; Anastacia Thomas, 28, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Doyle and Thomas, both of Fayetteville, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph Rodriguez to conspiring to illegally traffic firearms. Doyle also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentences today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 25, 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Thomas and occupied by Doyle in Deptford, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers observed in plain view a Glock handgun, which was loaded with 14 hollow tip bullets. A search of the car and a backpack revealed four additional handguns and three firearm boxes.
The investigation revealed that from Nov. 30, 2017, to Jan. 25, 2018, Doyle and Thomas conspired and worked together to deal firearms without a license. Doyle, who was a convicted felon and therefore could not legally purchase firearms, was the driving force behind the conspiracy. He was responsible for selecting the firearms, transporting them up to New Jersey, finding buyers, and selling the firearms at a profit. Doyle used his social media accounts to advertise the firearms for sale, negotiate pricing, and arrange the sales. Doyle’s online discussions regarding illegal firearm trafficking are documented in hundreds of pages of online messages that were analyzed by law enforcement.
Thomas’ role in the scheme was to purchase firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers because Doyle could not do so as a convicted felon. She also purchased firearms from pawn shops, helped Doyle transport the firearms to New Jersey for resale and handled the profits from the resales.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the U.S. Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Christina O. Hud of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Firearms Offenses and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to a variety of charges in connection with stealing 17 firearms from a West Springfield gun shop and making false statements to federal agents.
Fernando Rivera, 24, of New Britain, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count each of theft of firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee; being a felon in possession of a firearm; interstate transportation of a stolen firearm; receipt, possession, concealment, storage, barter, sale, or disposition of a stolen firearm in interstate commerce; and making false statements to a federal official. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2021.
In September 2020, Rivera was charged by criminal complaint with co-defendant Christian Castro, who agreed to plead guilty yesterday.
Rivera was a felon on state probation for a prior narcotic charge in Connecticut. Shortly after midnight on or about Aug. 29, 2020, Rivera and Castro engaged in a crime spree in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts that included seven ATM thefts and culminated in the theft of 17 firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in West Springfield, Mass.
On Sept. 18, 2020, federal agents arrested the two men at their homes in Connecticut.
The firearms charges each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield, Hadley, West Springfield, New Britain (Conn.) and Middletown (Conn.) Police Departments; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; and Connecticut Judicial Branch Adult Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Columbus man admits to his role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Dominic McCall, of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
McCall, age 29, pled guilty to three counts of “Use of Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense.” McCall admitted to using a phone to sell methamphetamine in Marshall County and elsewhere in November and December 2018 and February 2019.
McCall faces up to four years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Child Pornographer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Carlos Manuel Marquez-Pierce, age 23, of Plummer, Idaho and an enrolled member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty in two cases, first on January 25, 2021, to production of child pornography, and second on February 25, 2021, to sexual abuse of a minor. United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Marquez-Pierce to a 23-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Marquez-Pierce committed sexual offenses against three minor victims, ages 11 and 12, over nearly two years. Marquez-Pierce recorded sexually explicit conduct with one of his victims and distributed some of the produced images to others. One of Marquez-Pierce’s victims was an enrolled member of the Coeur d’ Alene Indian Tribe.
Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, “With the sentence imposed today, a dangerous child predator has been removed from the community. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to prosecuting anyone who may sexually exploit our most vulnerable population, children. I commend the hard work of our federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement partners who investigated this case.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
and click on the tab "resources."
This case was investigated by the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Resident Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Tribal Police Departments, and the Spokane Police Department, with assistance from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Social Services. This case was prosecuted by Ann Wick, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, in cooperation with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
Chicago Woman Sentenced to One Year and One Day of ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Janette Ingram, 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody to twelve months and one day of imprisonment following her guilty plea to conspiracy to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell.
According to documents in the case, in February 2020, multiple defendants were charged in the federal criminal case of United States v. Manuel Diaz, et al, which alleged violations of federal criminal law, including racketeering conspiracy, against members and associates of the Latin Dragon Nation street gang. On February 17, 2020, at the Hammond City Jail, Janette Ingram visited one of these defendants, where she was shown and photographed names of cooperating defendants in the Diaz case. Later that day, Ingram caused photographs of the names of the cooperating defendants to be posted on social media with the intent to discourage and intimidate cooperators and potential cooperators from testifying at trial in the Diaz case.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; and the Calumet City Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office, the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff, Maria N. Lerner and Michael J. Toth, with prior assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Cooley.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 13 Years for Robbing Two BanksRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mario Edward Roane, 56, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison on federal bank robbery charges, plus an additional five months in prison for violating his federal supervised release by committing the bank robberies, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. also sentenced Roane to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $6,350 in restitution to the banks and a $200 special assessment to the court.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on March 18, 2020, Roane robbed the First Citizens Bank branch located at 128 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Upon entering the bank, Roane approached a bank teller and told her “this is a robbery…I have a gun.” The teller handed Roane $1,700 from the cash drawer and Roane fled the scene. Filed court documents show that five days later, on March 23, 2020, Roane robbed the Wells Fargo Bank branch located at 301 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Roane entered the bank and waited in line for a teller. Once he arrived at the teller’s window, he demanded money and told the teller “Give me all your money, or I’ll blow your head off.” The teller complied and Roane left the bank with $4,650 in cash. According to court records, law enforcement identified Roane based on surveillance video from the banks. He was arrested on March 31, 2020. Court records show Roane has twice previously been convicted of federal bank robbery charges in the Western District of North Carolina and served two separate federal prison terms for those convictions. When Roane committed the two robberies in March 2020, he was on federal supervised release for his most recent federal bank robbery conviction.
On August 17, 2020, Roane pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery. He is currently in federal custody and upon designation of a federal facility he will be transferred into custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force and CMPD investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Stout of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Carl Junction Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Transporting a Minor for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carl Junction, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting a Kansas minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Nathan Roger Belcher, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Belcher to serve 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
On Oct. 2, 2019, Belcher pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Belcher admitted that he transported a child victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1” with a date of birth in 2003, from Kansas across the state line into Missouri. They engaged in criminal sexual activity on two occasions, once at a residence in Missouri and once near a creek outside Neosho, Missouri, in 2017.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbus, Kan., Police Department, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Camdenton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Camdenton, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Stephan D. Samons, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 28, 2019, Samons pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene, Laclede, and Newton counties from March 1, 2018, to Jan. 22, 2019. The conspiracy distributed more than 13 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Samons is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Neal A. Norles, 31, of Blue Springs, Mo., was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Brent A. Tribble, 31, of Kirbyville, Mo., was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison without parole. April E. Luke, 32, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
Norles transported the methamphetamine from California to Kansas City, Mo., Samons purchased methamphetamine from Norles and it was transported to the southwest Missouri and Lebanon, Mo., areas by vehicle. Samons sold methamphetamine to both Luke and Tribble. Samons admitted to buying methamphetamine from Norles on five occasions.
During the investigation, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper seized nearly 2.4 kilograms of methamphetamine from a Dodge Charger in which Norles was a passenger during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Newton County, Mo., on Jan. 22, 2019. During a search of the Charger, a trooper found five vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine, weighing approximately 2,384 grams, hidden in the rear-windshield-deck trim. The traffic stop was made while Norles was returning from a trip to Los Angeles, California. Norles possessed firearms in connection with his drug-trafficking activities and exchanged methamphetamine for firearms.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
California Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Scheme to Smuggle Endangered and Vulnerable Turtles from the U.S. to ChinaRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A Chinese national residing in Los Angeles pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to purchase hundreds of endangered and vulnerable turtles in the U.S. and smuggle them via U.S. mail and commercial airline flights to China.
Yuan Xie, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the U.S.
According to court documents, beginning in at least May 2017 and continuing until October 2018, Xie conspired with another Chinese national, Xiao Dong Qin, 35, of Shanghai, China, to purchase more than 769 live turtles from reptile dealers in Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, and South Carolina. All of the turtles purchased and smuggled by Xie are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
A two-year investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) revealed that in an 18-month period, Xie facilitated the purchase and transportation of approximately 134 Florida box turtles, 178 eastern box turtles, 127 North American wood turtles, 220 spotted turtles, 77 diamondback terrapins, 25 three-toed box turtles, seven yellow-blotched map turtles, and one Blanding’s turtle from his former residence in Eugene, Oregon. USFWS investigators determined the cost of the turtles involved in this investigation exceeded $150,000 and estimated the market value was more than double that amount in the Chinese pet trade.
In November 2018, Xie was arrested by USFWS agents at his residence in Los Angeles.
Xie faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 12, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
As part of the plea agreement, Xie has agreed to pay $2,233 in restitution to a rehabilitation facility near Chicago and The Turtle Conservancy near Los Angeles for costs associated with the care of turtles intercepted by law enforcement.
Qin was sentenced on February 27, 2020 to two years’ probation and paid nearly $8,000 in restitution.
This case was investigated by USFWS with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Turtles 01 Turtles 02 Turtles 03 Turtles 04Cheyenne Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Along with an Illegal Alien Co-ConspiratorRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that KEITH RICHARD GARCIA, age 35 of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and ROGER ENRIQUE SANDRES ORELLANA, age 32 of Tegucigalpa, Honduras were convicted and sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal related to their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute heroin. Garcia was sentenced to 70 months on the heroin charges and to a consecutive 60-month sentence for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sandres Orellana was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment, and was convicted of illegally entering the United States, for which he received a sentence of time served of approximately 9 months.
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation revealed that Garcia was distributing heroin that he had obtained from a Honduran source of supply in Denver. Subsequent investigation led to law enforcement identifying Sandres-Orellana as the heroin distributor and drug runner. Sandres Orellana initially gave officers a fake ID but when questioned later, admitted to lying about his identity, to being in the country illegally and to being a drug runner for an unknown male he met online.
Law enforcement recovered approximately 59 grams of heroin, items related to the distribution of controlled substances, and a firearm.
“This case combines two of the top priorities of the Department of Justice: illegal drug trafficking and criminal immigration enforcement. We work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute all suppliers that distribute illegal drugs in Wyoming,” said Acting United State Attorney Bob Murray. “At the same time, we work to identify, prosecute, and remove persons who violate our sovereign immigration laws. These offenders posed a significant danger to public safety in Laramie County, Wyoming with their distribution of heroin and I am pleased to see justice was served.”
“This investigation is a great example of law enforcement efforts in Wyoming to protect our communities from drug trafficking organizations which are polluting our neighborhoods with dangerous narcotics,” said DEA Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “The fact that this organization was also using firearms in furtherance of their crimes is a reminder to all of us just how dangerous these groups are. I am very proud of another great example of the hard work and dedication of our agents and law enforcement partners in Wyoming.”
This crime was investigated by the DEA and Cheyenne Police Department. The drug-related charges were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher and the illegal immigration charges were prosecuted by Jonathan C. Coppom.
Braggs Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Unregistered Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John Leroy Pruitt, III, age 44, of Braggs, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Possession Of Unregistered Firearm (Destructive Device), in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d), 5841 and 5871, punishable by not more than 120 months’ imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 8, 2020, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly possess a destructive device, which is a firearm, as defined in Title 26, United States Code, Section 5845, not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris and Assistant United States Attorney Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Billings man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on meth trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man convicted by a jury of trafficking crimes for his role in a large drug organization that brought hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into Montana was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison and to five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
During a three-day trial, a jury found Nicholas John Montano, 35, guilty on Feb. 12, 2020 of conspiracy to possess meth with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents and evidence presented at trial, the government alleged that in the spring and summer of 2018, Montano received meth from Joshua Clause, who headed a large drug trafficking ring that imported hundreds of pounds of meth into Montana. Clause pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. After meeting Montano through another person, Clause contacted Montano, who began to receive meth from Clause for redistribution.
Clause told law enforcement that he supplied Montano with a quarter pound to one pound of meth each time he restocked. Clause and Montano also traveled once together to Bakersfield, California, where Clause got meth from a supplier. Clause supplied Montano with approximately 10 to 15 pounds of meth during their association. Fifteen pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 54,360 doses. Law enforcement officers arrested Montano in Billings on a federal warrant on Aug. 19, 2018 after he fled in a stolen vehicle and was tracked to an apartment complex.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich and Thomas K. Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Billings Police Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bergen County Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Stealing Millions of Dollars from Lenders and Corporations in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for defrauding lenders and corporations of $4.9 million by impersonating two bank executives interested in funding syndicated loans for global companies, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Matthew O’Callaghan, 43, of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton via videoconference to count one of an indictment charging him with wire fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through 2019, O’Callaghan defrauded at least two global financial services groups and four global companies of millions of dollars by deceiving them into believing that “Bank A” was agreeing to commit funds to revolving credit facilities. He contacted the victim-lenders and victim-companies using the aliases “Edward Tierney” and “Michael Nash,” whom he falsely represented were executives at Bank A. O’Callaghan induced the victim-lenders and victim-companies into agreeing to pay Bank A to take on a commitment to fund revolving credit facilities.
O’Callaghan submitted numerous fraudulent documents to the victim-lenders and victim-companies that were designed to deceive them into believing that Nash and Tierney were legitimate representatives of Bank A, when in fact they were not. O’Callaghan created email addresses to resemble legitimate Bank A email addresses, false email signature blocks for Tierney and Nash that bore the Bank A logo and listed the business address for Bank A, fraudulent wiring instructions bearing Bank A’s logo and address, and a tax form bearing a tax identification number for Bank A.
O’Callaghan directed the victim-lenders and victim-companies to wire funds to a bank account at Bank A that O’Callaghan controlled and then converted the money for personal expenses, the purchase of an automobile, gambling, travel, and payments to a private club.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced O’Callaghan to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Beaverton Woman Charged in April 13, 2021 Arson at Portland Police Association BuildingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging a Beaverton, Oregon, woman with arson after she allegedly set fire to the Portland Police Association building during a riot on April 13, 2021.
Alma Raven-Guido, 19, has been charged with one count of arson.
According to the indictment, Raven-Guido maliciously damaged the Portland Police Association building on North Lombard Street in Portland with fire.
Raven-Guido was arrested without incident by the FBI on May 5, 2021, and made her initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered released pending further court proceedings.
Arson is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Gabriel and Jaclyn Jenkins are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baltimore Drug Trafficker Who Fled Police and Injured Recently-Discharged Hospital Patient Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Terrell Tomlin, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on December 4, 2019, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers observed Tomlin driving his vehicle back and forth through three lanes of traffic without signaling as well as accelerating and braking quickly and aggressively. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on the road leading towards Sinai Hospital’s emergency room entrance.
As detailed in the plea agreement, before approaching the vehicle, officers observed Tomlin making furtive movements in the vehicle and lowering his head towards the right side of the car. During the traffic stop, a BPD officer asked Tomlin for his driver’s license and registration and noticed Tomlin’s hands shaking excessively and his eyes were opened extremely wide. Based on Tomlin’s furtive movements and excessive nervousness, a BPD officer asked him to step out of the vehicle.
Instead, Tomlin admitted that he attempted to flee, crashing his vehicle into a stationery vehicle, in which Victim 1, who was recently discharged from the hospital after surgery, was the driver, and Victim 1’s child (Victim 2) was a passenger. After the crash, Tomlin got out of the car and fled on foot, carrying a blue duffel bag. Items were falling out of the bag as Tomlin fled. Before he was apprehended by a BPD officer, Tomlin threw the bag in the air, causing items to scatter.
BPD officers recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia along the route that Tomlin ran as he fled from them, including the area in which they apprehended him. Among the items recovered were a blender containing fentanyl and tramadol residue; packaging material, some of which contained cocaine residue; and a clear plastic bag containing approximately 38 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. During a search of Tomlin’s vehicle, BPD officers recovered a container of Inositol, a cutting agent for heroin; a bottle of ammonia, typically used to clean heroin mixing equipment; and a measuring cup.
During the crash, the steering wheel struck Victim 1’s surgery wound, and Victim 2’s head hit a window of the vehicle. Both victims received treatment for, and subsequently recovered from, the injuries caused by Tomlin crashing into their vehicle.
Tomlin and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, they will jointly recommend a sentence of 46 months in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who is prosecuting the case.
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Bella Vista Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Bella Vista man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Stewart Anthony Carr, 41, was stopped on or about June 3, 2019, after officers with the Lowell Police Department witnessed him run a red light while operating a moped. Officers attempted to stop Carr, but he initially refused to stop. While following Carr, officers witnessed him throw various objects into a ditch from his moving moped. Carr was stopped, arrested, and searched. During the search Officers located a small blue plastic container containing what appeared to be methamphetamine residue in his backpack. While searching the side of the road where Carr was seen dropping items, Officers located drug paraphernalia and a black case containing a large amount of suspected methamphetamine. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the DEA crime lab, who determined the substance was 84.2 grams of actual methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Lowell Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges prosecuted the case.
Annapolis MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy and to Discharging a Firearm Related to a Murder and Two Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, a/k/a Sicopita, age 23, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities, including a murder and two attempted murders.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from about March 11, 2016, Reyes-Canales was a member and associate of MS-13, and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. Specifically, Reyes-Canales admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis. In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Reyes-Canales and other MS-13 members/associates sold marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used for, among other purposes, the purchase of more narcotics, weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Office.
“The violence perpetrated by Reyes-Canales and his fellow MS-13 members was brutal and tragic and is totally unacceptable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove these violent gang members and to keeping our communities safe from the violent threat of MS-13,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “We continue to work with our counterparts here and abroad to bring to justice these transnational gangs. We need the continued help of members of our communities in order to carry on our work against MS-13.”
“Reyes-Canales and his co-defendants committed murder, attempted murders, and other violent crimes on behalf of MS-13, causing lasting harm to victims and the Annapolis community,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through the diligent efforts of law enforcement and department prosecutors, these defendants will no longer harm and intimidate the Annapolis community. We will continue our relentless pursuit of MS-13 gang members, both in the United States and internationally.”
“This case illustrates that gang organizations are driven by greed and profit no matter the cost to innocent lives or our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso for the HSI Baltimore Field Office. “It is HSI’s priority to investigate crimes related to transnational gang violence, a duty we diligently and systematically discharge with the help of our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners.”
“ATF is committed to focusing our efforts on identifying and investigating those who use violence and firearms to intimidate and brutalize others,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones. “The strong partnerships ATF has with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as prosecutors, are crucial in targeting these offenders and dismantling the violent gangs who try to take over communities.”
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Reyes-Canales admitted that on March 11, 2016, he and other MS-13 members and associates planned and agreed to murder Victim 1, whom the gang suspected of being a rival gang member. Prior to the murder, Reyes-Canales received authorization to commit the murder from MS-13 leadership. Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez and another MS-13 member/associate lured Victim 1 to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, and once Victim 1 arrived at the park, members of the gang struck Victim 1 in the head with a branch or stick. Reyes-Canales, co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, and other members and associates of MS-13, then stabbed Victim 1 repeatedly, killing him. Reyes-Canales directed everyone during the murder. While Reyes-Canales and other members of the gang stabbed Victim 1, Co-conspirator 1 and other MS-13 members/associates stood watch outside of the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police presence, so that the gang could complete the murder of Victim 1. During this time, Co-conspirator 1 communicated by phone and through text messages with Reyes-Canales and Cruz-Flores inside the park, to let them know no one entered the park and they could complete the murder. After Victim 1 was killed, Gomez-Jimenez left the park to stand watch, so that other MS-13 associates could enter the park help bury Victim 1 in a shallow grave inside the park, at the direction of Reyes-Canales. Law enforcement did not locate Victim 1’s body until August 28, 2017, when it was exhumed by law enforcement
As detailed in their plea agreements, on October 23, 2016, Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, and other members and associates of the MS-13 Hempstead clique in Annapolis, devised a plan to murder Victim 2, an unlicensed taxi driver. Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, Cruz-Flores, co-defendant Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, and other members and associates of MS-13, met at Quiet Waters Park to discuss the plan to murder Victim 2. At the meeting, each member of the conspiracy was assigned a task to complete the murder and dispose of the evidence. The group planned to use machetes, knives, and guns to kill the victim. Reyes-Canales and Cruz-Flores each had a firearm and all the members of the conspiracy were aware that guns would be used in the murder.
A co-conspirator called Victim 2 using another member’s cell phone to arrange for an unlicensed taxi ride. Victim 2 arrived with another passenger, Victim 3. Cruz-Flores asked Victim 2 to drive to the area of the 700 block of Annapolis Neck Road in Annapolis. When they arrived, Reyes-Canales approached the vehicle and pointed a gun at the victims and Cruz-Flores also produced a gun and pointed it at the victims. Victim 3 attempted to run away and Cruz-Flores shot Victim 3 in the leg, while another MS-13 member repeatedly attacked Victim 3 with a machete. Victim 2 also tried to run. Reyes-Canales attempted to shoot Victim 2, but his gun failed to discharge. Co-defendant Martinez-Aguilar and another MS-13 member took Victim 2’s vehicle and attempted unsuccessfully to run him over with the car. Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, and other conspirators chased Victim 2 and Gomez-Jimenez repeatedly stabbed Victim 2 with a knife. The conspirators fled when they heard police sirens. A short time later, police arrested Gomez-Jimenez nearby with Victim 2’s blood on his hands and clothes. A surveillance camera in the area captured Gomez-Jimenez assaulting Victim 2 and the attempt to run over Victim 2 with Victim 2’s vehicle. DNA subsequently confirmed that the blood on Gomez-Jimenez’ hands matched Victim 2’s blood. Both victims were transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with life threatening injuries. Both victims survived but have permanent injuries as a result of the attack.
Reyes-Canales and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Reyes-Canales will be sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Reyes-Canales on September 17, 2021, at 9:30 a.m.
Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 25, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, a/k/a “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” age 22, both of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge. Cruz-Flores was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison. Co-defendant Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 23, of Annapolis, Maryland pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and David Diaz-Alvarado, age 20, also of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his MS-13 gang activities. Co-defendant, Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, age 23, of Annapolis was convicted on October 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering after a nine-day jury trial for the murder of Victim 1. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. All of the defendants remain detained.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and commended HSI, the ATF, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Lenzner and Mr. McQuaid thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig, and Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Samantha Mildenberg Loiero of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the case.
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Allen Park Tax Preparer Arrested in Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
An Allen Park resident was arrested today in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with obtaining unemployment benefits authorized by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by means of false and fraudulent pretenses and representations, by using the personally identifiable information of others that he had unlawfully obtained, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Irene Lindow, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Douglas Zloto, U.S. Secret Service, and Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).
Charged in the criminal complaint is Christopher Dominic Niebel, 43, of
Allen Park, Michigan. The affidavit supporting the complaint states that Niebel was responsible for or associated with over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance accounts. The total amount of unemployment benefits paid through those fraudulent accounts by the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) from March through August 2020 was approximately $849,000.00. Niebel was the accountholder on at least 28 of the bank accounts to which the unemployment benefits were electronically transferred. These benefits included regular unemployment benefits but were mostly pandemic-related unemployment benefits provided through the CARES Act.
The complaint affidavit also relates that Niebel held himself out as a tax preparer under the name “Tax Guy Chris” with an office in Allen Park.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hiyama. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Michigan UIA.
Alleged Bank Robber Arrested, Charged Following Fingerprint AnalysisRead the Press Release
A Dallas man has been arrested and charged with bank robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah.
Michael Wilmer Wilson, 34, was arrested by the FBI at his residence in Dallas on Thursday morning, charged via criminal complaint with bank robbery. He is slated to make his initial appearance in federal court on Friday.
According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Wilson is allegedly connected to multiple recent bank robberies across north Texas. The incidents were repeatedly caught on surveillance camera.
During a robbery at a bank in Dallas on Feb. 9, Mr. Wilson allegedly flashed a demand note that read, “This is a robbery. I have a gun.” After grabbing several thousand dollars from the frightened teller, he fled with the money and demand note -- but left a deposit slip on the counter.
Investigators lifted a latent fingerprint off of the slip. They ran the print through a police department database, but failed to turn up a match.
During another robbery at a bank in Ennis on April 29, the suspect allegedly displayed a handwritten demand note that read, “THIS IS A ROBBERY. 30K. DON’T BE A HERO.” He instructed the victim teller to place cash into a folder, then fled, on foot, towards a nearby grocery store.
Investigators collected surveillance video from the grocery store, which showed a silver Dodge Challenger pulling out of the parking lot approximately three minutes after the robbery. The footage later showed the vehicle crossing paths with a police department vehicle, which happened to record the car’s license plate on its dash cam.
A search of the license plate number in the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ database revealed that the silver Dodge was registered to Mr. Wilson, whose driver’s license photo matched witnesses’ descriptions of the bank robbery suspect.
A forensic fingerprint examiner compared the latent print collected during the Feb. 9 robbery to prints collected by the Texas Department of Public Safety in March 2020 when Mr. Wilson applied for his license, and determined the prints were a match.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Wilson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Violent Crimes Taskforce conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, the Ennis Police Department, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Briggs is prosecuting the case.
36th Street Bang Squad Member Sentenced for Gang-Related Murders and ShootingsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to multiple life sentences for his role in a gang-related racketeering conspiracy that engaged in multiple murders, attempted murders, and drug trafficking.
“As the evidence demonstrated during a seven-week trial, the defendant’s actions displayed a chilling neglect for human life, safety, and the rule of law,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our Office is grateful to our law enforcement partners and trial team, who worked for years to bring the defendant and his co-conspirators to justice and stop them from further threatening our communities with violence.”
According to court documents, Martin L Hunt, 24, along with members of the 36th Street Bang Squad gang, were involved in multiple violent crimes in Hampton and Newport News between March and June 2015. On April 6, 2015, Hunt and three other members of the 36th Street Bang Squad drew firearms and began shooting at people outside a Newport News home. Two teenagers were killed during this incident.
Casings collected from the April 2015 double-murder scene matched a 9 mm firearm that Hunt had obtained from a family member in March 2015. Those casings also matched the gun used during a March 15, 2015 shooting of P.D. and A.J. in Newport News. That shooting left both victims with serious and life-threatening injuries. Hunt bragged afterwards to other gang members that he had gone “op shopping,” which meant shooting at rival gang members.
On June 5, 2015, Hunt and co-conspirators Shaquone Ford, 26, of Newport News, Jamaree Green, 24, of Hampton, and Corey Sweetenburg, 24, of Newport News, drove to a Hampton high school looking for a rival gang member suspected of murdering a 36th Street Bang Squad member two days prior. Once at the location, other 36th Street members and associates joined the group and followed a Hampton City school bus in two vehicles, waiting for their target to get off at a stop. When the target exited the bus, the defendants and other gang members and associates chased him into an apartment complex. The defendants carried loaded firearms and planned to kill the target if he was found, which he was not.
According to court documents, Hunt used social media to taunt rival gang members, acquire firearms, and brag about the exploits of the 36th Street Bang Squad.
On December 10, 2019, after a seven-week jury trial, Hunt was convicted on eleven counts of crimes in aid of racketeering, including two murders, three attempted murders, and using a firearm in each crime. He was sentenced today to life in prison, followed by two consecutive life sentences and an additional twenty-five years.
In addition to Hunt, six co-defendants were convicted by a federal jury in the same trial for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy. Those six co-defendants currently are scheduled for sentencing in the next three months from June 10 through August 2.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Kenneth Ferguson, Interim Chief of Hampton Police; and Anton A. Bell, Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Hampton, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Brian Samuels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross from the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Chad McHenry from the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted 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. 4:17-cr-52.
Wednesday 5 May 2021
Wood County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County man, Evan Rockwell McEwuen, 24, of Vienna, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun charges.
According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at McEwuen’s residence in Vienna on August 5, 2020. McEwuen was located in the residence at the time of the search and law enforcement officers found 149 grams of methamphetamine, over $14,000 in United States currency, plastic baggies, digital scales and four firearms in the room where McEwuen was located. One firearm was loaded and was equipped with a device designed to convert the firearm into a machine gun. A subsequent inspection confirmed that the firearm was successfully converted into a machine gun and was capable of fully automatic fire. Officers also found approximately 143 grams of additional methamphetamine along with a sawed-off shotgun, plastic baggies and digital scales in a truck and construction trailer parked outside of McEwuen’s residence. In total, officers located over 2000 rounds of ammunition during the execution of the search warrant. McEwuen admitted to possessing all the evidence located in the residence and also admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others. He was not legally permitted to possess firearms due to a 2016 felony conviction in the Circuit Court of Wood County for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
McEwuen pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of firearms and faces between 15 and 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 18, 2021. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Joshua C. Hanks are handling the prosecution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Vienna Police Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Parkersburg Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., 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-00166.
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Waubay Woman Sentenced for Federal Program TheftRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced today that a Waubay, South Dakota, woman convicted of Federal Program Theft was sentenced on May 4, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Dawn Block, age 53, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $222,801.72, with $68,569.78 being paid to the U.S. Department of Labor, and $154,231.95 being paid to the governing entities that formerly comprised the United Sioux Tribes of South Dakota Development Corporation (USTDC).
Between October 2018 and May 2019, while she was employed as an agent of USTDC, Block did embezzle, steal, obtain by fraud, and intentionally misapply property of USTDC, an organization receiving Federal funds, and intentionally misapplied property worth at least $5,000, by way of payroll advances, cash withdrawals, awards and bonuses, duplicate pay, and additional unsupported payments.
The case was brought as part of The Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about The Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
The investigation was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Block was released following sentencing but was ordered to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on May 18, 2021.
Virginia Businessman Sentenced for Bribery of FBI OfficialRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Robert Bailey, 63, of Centreville, Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for paying a bribe to a public official, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also imposed a $100,000 fine and a term of three years of supervised release to follow Bailey’s prison sentence.
“When private individuals perform contracts for the government, they effectively become public servants who must uphold a public trust,” said Gonzalez. “Mr. Bailey breached that trust and now faces the consequences of his actions. The Court’s 18-month sentence sends the appropriate message to Mr. Bailey and other similarly-situated government contractors: take the public trust seriously or wind up behind bars.”
“Bailey bribed an FBI Contracting Officer Representative in order to gain personal advantages in the contracting process. Today’s sentencing shows that those who seek advantages through disingenuous means like bribes will be held accountable,” said Douglas B. Bruce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Denver Field Office.
According to court records, in 2001, Bailey purchased L-1, a construction management and operations company located in Chantilly, Virginia. In 2008, Bailey became a business acquaintance of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee when they worked together on an FBI construction project. The FBI employee, who held the position of Management and Program Analyst, was responsible for managing construction and services contracts for FBI buildings across the country.
According to court records, in 2017, the FBI broke ground on the construction of a data center in Pocatello, Idaho (the Pocatello Data Center project). The Pocatello Data Center project involved construction of a two-building, 140,000 square-foot complex that would accommodate data halls containing computer equipment and office space. The purpose was to consolidate multiple FBI data centers from across the country and improve efficiency and cyber-security. In 2017, the FBI employee became the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the Pocatello Data Center project. In that position, the FBI employee had management and oversight responsibilities over the construction of the Pocatello Data Center.
According to court records, in 2016 through 2018, Bailey and L-1 made payments, and gave items of value, to the FBI employee. These payments included 18 deposits totaling $120,000 into a bank account controlled by the FBI employee. From this account, the FBI employee made payments on a personal loan, home mortgage, car, credit card, and vacation travel costs, among other personal expenditures at retail stores, such as a pair of diamond earrings that cost $5,300. In addition, Bailey and L-1 provided the following items of value to the FBI employee: a fiftieth birthday party in Dallas, Texas, including first-class airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game; a beach house rental in Nags Head, North Carolina; first-class Amtrak train tickets; invitations to a L-1 company holiday party; and tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball game, among other gratuities. The total value of the payments and gratuities was $128,128.
According to court records, Bailey and L-1 made these payments, and gave these items of value, to the FBI employee with the intent to influence the FBI employee in performing official acts at FBI to benefit L-1 on the Pocatello Data Center project. These official acts included the following: the FBI employee seeking and receiving authorization for approximately $16,000 monthly per diem payments from the FBI to Bailey for L-1 employees who stayed at Bailey’s house instead of a hotel; the FBI employee soliciting and including Bailey’s edits in the statement of work to a $12.2 million construction and services bridge contract (related to the Pocatello Data Center project) that the FBI later awarded to S-1 (as general contractor) and L-1 (as subcontractor); and the FBI employee convincing his FBI superiors to pay L-1 for its work on the bridge contract at higher Washington, D.C. metropolitan-area labor rates, rather than lower Idaho labor rates.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
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Union County Man Charged with Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was indicted today for illegal possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Kevin Cordeiro, 34, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing ammunition after having been previously convicted of a felony offense.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 27, 2021, Cordeiro fired multiple gunshots toward an occupied vehicle that was parked on Westfield Avenue in Elizabeth. Law enforcement recovered eight .45 caliber shell casings from the shooting scene. After the shooting, Cordeiro fled to Florida and was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on March 29, 2021. Cordeiro was previously convicted of second-degree robbery in New Jersey Superior Court, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.
The charged offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Cordeiro was first charged by federal criminal complaint and had an initial appearance in the District of New Jersey before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa via video conference on April 29, 2021. He was detained without bail.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation leading to this charge. She also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr., for their assistance with this investigation.
This case is a part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensured that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Frazer and Samantha C. Fasanello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney's Office Joins in Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, May 5, 2021Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On May 4, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. proclaimed today, May 5, 2021, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.
The proclamation reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to solving all missing and murdered Indigenous persons cases and addressing the underlying causes of these crimes, including sexual violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, violent crime, systemic racism, economic disparities, and substance use and addition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its Tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of supporting Tribal crime victims and synthesizing investigative leads and information across government and law enforcement agencies.
“The first step in seeking justice for missing and murdered Tribal victims is acknowledging the historical indifference to and neglect of these tragic cases. A lack of data and jurisdictional gaps have caused many solvable cases to go unsolved” said Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug. “Today’s commemoration reminds us of the hard work still to be done. We must not stop until we give every missing and murdered Tribal victim a voice and bring some degree of peace and comfort to their families.”
In June 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the hiring of its first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) program coordinator. In February 2021, the office released its first annual MMIP program report, summarizing what is known about missing and murdered Indigenous people in Oregon and outlining the office’s plans and goals for the year ahead. The report was the first of its kind produced by a U.S. Attorney’s Office. Recently, the office began working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to develop a Tribal Community Response Plan as part of a Department of Justice pilot project.
MMIP is an important and sensitive issue to Tribal communities. Addressing MMIP in Indian Country is particularly challenging due to jurisdictional issues, lack of coordination and inadequate resources. However, for the first time in U.S. history, a national federal strategy—formalized by legislation, executive order, and departmental directive—is in place to address MMIP issues.
If you or someone you know have information about missing or murdered Indigenous people in Oregon, please contact the FBI Portland Field Office by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.
If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please contact MMIP program coordinator Cedar Wilkie Gillette by emailing [email protected] or by calling (503) 727-1000.
U.S. Attorney's Office Commemorates Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness DayRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed a proclamation designating today, May 5, 2021, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. The proclamation reaffirms our country’s commitment to solving missing and murdered Indigenous persons cases and addressing the underlying causes of these crimes, including sexual violence, violent crime, economic disparities, and substance use and addiction.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada joins our Tribal, state, local, and federal law enforcement partners in commemorating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, and taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of supporting Tribal crime victims.
“Native Americans, especially women and children, suffer from disproportionately high rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou. “Today, we reaffirm our commitment to finding the missing and seeking justice for the murdered. In partnership with the FBI, community organizations, and Tribal Nations, our District — one of the first in the country to recruit a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) program coordinator — has made strides in addressing the lack of data, lack of coordination, and jurisdictional gaps that caused many cases to go unsolved. Work remains to be done but, by working together, I believe we can end the MMIP crisis and bring some degree of peace to the families of missing and murdered Tribal victims.”
If you or someone you know has information about missing or murdered Indigenous persons in Nevada, please contact the FBI Las Vegas Field Office by calling (702) 385-1281, or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please contact MMIP program coordinator Tom Ross by calling (775) 784-5438.
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Two New York Men Charged with Scheme to Steal Checks and Defraud BanksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two New York men were arrested today for their participation in a scheme to steal and alter checks from the mail and engage in bank fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Nigel Lynch, 19, of Yonkers, New York, and Alique Jordan Clarke, 20, of Bronx, New York, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They are scheduled to appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward Kiel.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2020 to November 2020, Lynch, Clarke, and others conspired to steal checks from mailboxes in Morris, Essex, Somerset, and Passaic counties, alter the stolen checks, and deposit the altered checks into bank accounts controlled by Lynch, Clarke and their conspirators. The investigation has identified over 294 checks with a face value of over $1.3 million that have been stolen, altered, and deposited in accounts controlled by Lynch, Clarke, and their conspirators.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vijay Dewan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Cincinnati men charged federally with 2015 cold-case murderRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged two Cincinnati men with using a firearm to commit a murder during the commission of a crime of violence.
Jordan Wimberly, 32, and Ryan Carter, 28, allegedly killed Lerois Harris during a robbery on January 29, 2015.
Wimberly was transferred into federal custody from state incarceration on March 12, 2021; on March 18, 2021, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie K. Bowman ordered him detained pending trial. Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Cincinnati Police officers arrested Carter yesterday. He appeared in federal court at 1:30pm today, and his case was unsealed at that time.
A conviction for killing someone with a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and is punishable by up to life in prison or the death penalty.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Three San Jose Residents Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in Automobile Resale SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court charging Seymur Khalilov, Ramil Heydarov, and Orkhan Aliyev with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair.
According to the complaint, between 2016 and the present, Khalilov, 32; Heydarov, 31; and Aliyev, 31, all of San Jose, conspired to purchase high-mileage vehicles, roll back the odometers, and falsify documentation to make the vehicles appear newer. The co-conspirators then allegedly sold the vehicles on Craigslist at significant profits. The complaint alleges defendants fraudulently sold at least a dozen vehicles in this way for a total of at least $300,000. In addition, the complaint states that the number of cars and amount of money at issue will likely change as the ongoing investigation into the scope and extent of the scheme continues.
The complaint describes the multiple steps taken by the coconspirators to defraud purchasers of the cars. For example, the complaint describes how defendants purchased high-mileage or old-model vehicles and then, with the assistance of other co-conspirators, rolled back the odometers of the vehicles. Further, the defendants altered documentation related to the vehicles, including titles and registrations, to reflect the lower mileage amount and other fraudulent information. The complaint alleges the fraudulent alterations were made with the goal of increasing the prospective sale price of the vehicles. In addition, when selling the vehicles, the defendants portrayed themselves as the prior owners of the vehicles, including by altering California identification cards, so that the defendants’ true names would not appear in the vehicles’ transaction history.
Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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 imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The defendants each made their initial federal court appearance earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson. Aliyev’s next court date is May 6, 2021, and Khalilov and Heydarov’s next court date is May 7, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ankur Shingal is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk and Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Division in Vallejo, the San Ramon Police Department, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations.
Three Plead Guilty, Face 5-40 Years in Prison in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Three people charged in a wide-ranging FBI drug and firearm trafficking investigation face between 5-40 years in federal prison after admitting to a judge today that they participated in a conspiracy that distributed significant quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl in Woonsocket and elsewhere.
Angel Aviles, 20, of Cranston, and Juan Batista, 35, and Natalie Cassidy, 27, both of Woonsocket, are among nearly two-dozen individuals charged during an expansive investigation begun in January 2020 by the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force targeting sources of supply for drugs and firearms. The investigation determined that Aviles, Batista, and Cassidy worked together to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine.
According to information presented to the court, Aviles often brokered the sale of fentanyl and crack cocaine supplied by Batista, who, at times, brokered his own drug deals. On several occasions, Cassidy delivered crack cocaine and fentanyl purchases, collected payment from the buyer, and offered to be a point of contact for drug purchases.
Between February 26, and June 23, 2020, members of the FBI Task Force surveilled at least six occasions when drug purchases were requested from and delivered by members of the conspiracy. The transactions included deliveries of between 7.4 and 36.2 grams of crack cocaine and 5.3 grams of fentanyl, for between $360 and $1,800.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Juan Batista pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 or more grams of cocaine base, distribution of 28 or more grams of cocaine base, and possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl; Angel Aviles pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 or more grams of cocaine base and distribution of 28 or more grams of cocaine base; Natalie Cassidy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 or more grams of cocaine base, distribution of cocaine base and fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl.
At sentencing, the defendants face statutory penalties of between 5-40 years of incarceration in federal prison.
Angel Aviles, Juan Batista, and Natalie Cassidy’s guilty pleas are announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell.
The FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug Related OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Matthew Burgess, Jr., 33, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced Friday to ten years imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Methamphetamine and a sawed off shotgun in the hands of a convicted felon is a menacing and potentially deadly combination, and the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to making sure such dangerous criminals are sentenced appropriately,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our law enforcement partners at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office did an outstanding job in concert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to bring this armed drug trafficker to justice.”
In January of 2020, Burgess was wanted by local authorities based on outstanding warrants. Leon County Sheriff’s Deputies located and arrested Burgess at a hotel in Tallahassee. During the arrest, deputies noted the presence of drugs and obtained a search warrant for the hotel room, which led to the discovery of methamphetamine, and a sawed off 12-gauge shotgun hidden under the mattress of the bed.
After Burgess’s arrest, his case was adopted for federal prosecution by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) as part of the Tallahassee Gun Violence Initiative.
“Our law enforcement partnerships play such a vital role in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Craig W. Saier, “This sentencing is another example that working jointly with our partners is making our communities safer.”
In December of 2020, Burgess pled guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This sentencing resulted from the collaborative efforts of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Substitute Teacher Charged in “Sextortion” CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Mitchell James Ottinger, 25, of Carver, Minnesota, was arrested yesterday on criminal charges for alleged production of child pornography related to sextortion and threats of extortion. A detention and preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 7, 2021, at 2:00 pm before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.
According to court documents, Ottinger created and used multiple Internet accounts to encourage and direct minors and an adult to create sexually explicit images and videos of themselves to send to Ottinger. Ottinger posed as a young female using aliases including “Taylor Malek” or “Rachel Meyer,” in order to obtain the images and videos. If a victim later blocked or ignored “her,” Ottinger would contact the victim—through the alias or other accounts—and threaten to publish the victim’s sexually explicit image(s) to others unless additional demands for sexually explicit images were met. This conduct is sometimes referred to as “sextortion.”
Law enforcement was alerted to the sextortion when one of the victims contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and reported the threats. Based on the evidence obtained in this investigation, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at 763-569-8000.
Ottinger is charged with two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and two counts of making extortionate threats. If convicted, Ottinger faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk of the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Dugi is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Statement of Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson commemorating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 2021Read the Press Release
BILLINGS -- "Native American women and children suffer disproportionally high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault and too often go missing or are murdered. In recent years, Montana has had several tragic cases, and the Montana U. S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing its part to address this crisis,” Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
“In the last year we have continued to work closely with the Montana MMIP State Task Force to identify the root causes of this problem and to develop solutions. In April, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes announced the completion of their tribal community response plan (TCRP), which identifies how tribal law enforcement, working with local, state and federal law enforcement and community partners, will respond when someone goes missing. This work was done in partnership with my office, the FBI, local and state law enforcement agencies and community organizations as part of the Department of Justice’s MMIP Initiative. It was the first such plan completed in the United States. Currently, several other tribes have begun developing similar response plans to address missing persons in their communities.
“Although we have made marked progress in the last year, we recognize that there is still much work to do. Today, we remember all those who have been murdered or have disappeared. We remain committed to finding the missing and seeking justice for the murdered. By all of us working together, I believe we can end this crisis."
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