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9 June 2021
Akwesasne Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tevin Terrance, age 28, of Akwesasne, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Terrance admitted that on August 20, 2020, he and a co-conspirator used two pickup trucks to transport 10 hockey bags containing approximately 200 kilograms of marijuana through the Northern District of New York with the intent to distribute the drugs in the New York City area.
As a result of his conviction, Terrance faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2021 before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Airline passenger charged with interfering with flight crewRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Asiel Christian Norton, 43, of Venice, California, made an initial appearance in federal court on June 8 for a charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Norton will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for June 10.
According to a criminal complaint, on June 4 Norton was a passenger on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Nashville. After takeoff, Norton allegedly rushed to the front of the aircraft and began pounding on the door to the flight deck. When a flight attendant attempted to intervene, Norton allegedly pushed the attendant. Other passengers then assisted the attendant in subduing Norton. The situation caused the flight to be redirected into Albuquerque, where Norton was arrested.
It is a violation of federal law on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States to interfere with a flight attendant in the performance of their duties or to lessen their ability to perform those duties by assault or intimidation. If convicted, Norton faces up to 20 years in prison. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“We take all threats to the safety of air travelers very seriously, and we will vigorously enforce the laws intended to protect air travelers and others placed in danger by breaches in flight security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Fred J. Federici. “I am also grateful for the actions of those involved in this incident who helped ensure a safe outcome for the travelers on the airplane.”
“The FBI has no tolerance for individuals who interfere with flight operations and endanger the safety of passengers and airline personnel,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office. “I am pleased many people aboard the flight felt the same way, judging by the courageous attendants and passengers who sprang into action to restrain this person. As more Americans return to the skies, the FBI reminds travelers that misbehavior on board aircraft will not be tolerated and, if warranted, will be thoroughly investigated and referred for prosecution.”
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Stephen White are prosecuting the case.
ADT Technician Sentenced for Hacking Home Security FootageRead the Press Release
A home security technician was sentenced today to 52 months in federal prison for repeatedly hacking into customers’ video feeds, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Prerak Shah.
Telesforo Aviles, a 35-year-old former ADT employee, pleaded guilty to computer fraud in January. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
“This deliberate and calculated invasion of privacy is arguably more harmfrul than if I had installed no security system and my house had been burglarized,” a female victim told the court in an impact statement. "This sick and corrupt individual's actions will have a lasting emotional and mental toll on me."
According to plea papers, Mr. Aviles admits that contrary to company policy, he routinely added his personal email address to customers’ “ADT Pulse” accounts, giving himself real-time access to the video feeds from their homes. In some instances, he claimed he needed to add himself temporarily in order to “test” the system; in other instances, he added himself without their knowledge.
Mr. Aviles took note of which homes had attractive women, then repeatedly logged into these customers’ accounts in order to view their footage for sexual gratification, he admits. Plea papers indicate he watched numerous videos of naked women and couples engaging in sexual activity inside their homes.
Over a four and a half year period, Mr. Aviles secretly accessed roughly 200 customer accounts more than 9,600 times without their consent, he admits.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sid Mody prosecuted the case.
ACJ Correctional Officer Indicted for Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Lewis Bagnato, 32, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about May 20, 2021, Bagnato was found to be in possession of an unregistered firearm. The weapon was discovered by the Allegheny County Police Department while executing a search warrant on Bagnato, a correctional officer, for alleged distribution of controlled substances.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (10) years in prison, and a fine not to exceed $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Allegheny County Police Department, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
8 charged in fentanyl distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged eight individuals in a narcotics conspiracy involving at least 14 kilograms of fentanyl destined for resale in Clark, Greene, Hamilton and Montgomery counties.
The indictment was returned on June 8 and unsealed today.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
The 13-count indictment alleges that between December 2020 until June 2021, the defendants used a network of sellers in southern Ohio to distribute kilogram quantities of opioids from supply sources in Mexico and the western United States. The co-conspirators allegedly used a series of properties throughout southern Ohio to process, store, and distribute controlled substances and their resulting cash proceeds.
As part of the conspiracy, one defendant, under the guise of her profession as a truck driver, transported thousands of dollars in cash to sources of drug supply in Mexico and the western United States.
Those charged include:
Name
Also Known As
Age
Residence
Clemente Quezada
38
Fairborn, Ohio
Isai David Navarro-Rivas
Pollo
44
Calexico, Calif.
Juana Elvira-Arrechea Gilbert
60
San Diego
Edson Cruz-Medina
32
Springfield, Ohio
Tiun Todd
Tito Todd
37
Cincinnati
Jonathan Lopez
31
Cincinnati
Mark Turner
42
Xenia, Ohio
Erick Collins
Erick Johnson
36
Cincinnati
“This is a sophisticated, alleged drug trafficking organization that stretched from the Mexican border to southern Ohio. We believe this group, and others who we are working to bring to justice, are responsible for trafficking a significant amount of fentanyl into southern Ohio,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “Fentanyl remains a significant threat to this region. DEA and our law enforcement partners are intensifying efforts to go after those who exchange the suffering of thousands for their own personal gain.”
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard S. Fambro; and Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak announced the charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith 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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8 June 2021
Wrongful billing results in $2.6M settlement and 10-year exclusion from federal health care programsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 46-year-old chiropractor and her medical group have agreed to pay in order to resolve allegations of fraudulent billing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Suhyun An owns and manages Campbell Medical Group PLLC and Johnson Medical Group PLLC dba Campbell Medical Clinic in the Spring Valley area of Houston.
In March 2021, the United States filed a civil complaint against An alleging she fraudulently obtained over $3.9 million from the Medicare and TRICARE programs by billing for the implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. These are surgical procedures usually requiring use of an operating room for which Medicare pays thousands of dollars An’s staff did not perform surgery. In fact, nurses at the clinic were trained to use the devices in part by watching YouTube videos.
An knew the devices were not billable or recklessly disregarded that fact. She and her staff ignored warnings and specific guidance from Medicare contractors and her own outside billing companies, including warnings that the devices were being labeled as “possible fraud.”
In addition to the $2.6 million financial settlement, An and her medical entities have agreed to a 10-year-period of exclusion from participation in any federal health care programs.
To date, the Southern District of Texas has resolved three other settlements with a Katy anesthesiologist, a Houston pain doctor and a Rockport chiropractor involving similar allegations of false billing.
The Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Defense Criminal Investigation Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Westinghouse Director During Nuclear Debacle to Plead Guilty Thursday to Making False Statement to Federal AuthorityRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced that Carl Dean Churchman, Former Westinghouse Electric Corporation Vice President and Project Director of the V.C. Summer Nuclear project, is scheduled to plead guilty on Thursday, June 10, in federal court to making a false statement to an FBI agent during the investigation of the failed nuclear project at the V.C. Summer site. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse, 901 Richland Street, Columbia, before the Honorable Mary Geiger Lewis.
Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart will be available for media questions after the hearing.
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Virginia man sentenced for role in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles Jackson, of Winchester, Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months of incarceration for his role in a drug distribution operation, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Jackson, 53, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone and Cocaine Base.” Jackson admitted to working with others to distribute eutylone and cocaine base from October 2019 to April 2020 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/west-virginia-and-virginia-residents-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-berkeley-and
USP Lee Inmate Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Kill Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An inmate at United State Penitentiary- Lee County (USP Lee) pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to kill a fellow inmate, attempting to commit murder, and being an inmate in possession of a prohibited object in relation to an assault that occurred in January 2020.
According to court documents, Moris Flores, 32, and four fellow inmates - Carlos Almonte, Julio Chavez, German Hernandez, and Angel Guevara - entered a cell occupied by victim “AZ” on January 15, 2020, with the intent to commit murder. Flores, a member of MS-13, admitted today that he and Guevara entered the prison cell to attack AZ, a member of the Mexican Mafia, while Almonte, Chavez, and Hernandez surrounded the cell and held the door closed, preventing others from interfering with the attack.
Today Flores admitted that inside the cell he and Guevara attacked victim “AZ” with metal shanks and closed fists. Victim “AZ” sustained multiple stab and puncture wounds. Flores faces up to life in prison on the conspiracy to commit murder charge.
“Violence within our federal prison system simply will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to continue to closely partner with the FBI and Bureau of Prisons to investigate and prosecute those who continue to break the law inside such facilities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar said today. “I appreciate the hard work of the investigative team, which brought Flores to justice.”
“The FBI will aggressively investigate and work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia, to prosecute violations of an individual’s civil rights and bring those responsible to justice,” Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.
Almonte, Chavez, Hernandez, and Guevara have all been charged for their roles in the assault.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Danny Murphy are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Pleads Guilty to Participating in Multi-State Anabolic Steroid Trafficking NetworkRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Today, a Jacksonville, Florida man was the sixth and final defendant to enter a guilty plea for his role in a multi-state anabolic steroid conspiracy that operated in multiple states across the country.
According to court documents, law enforcement received information in February 2020 that Erik Eckert, 34, a Petty Officer with the U.S. Navy, was distributing anabolic steroids to an individual in Norfolk. The investigation revealed that Eckert was receiving wholesale quantities of anabolic steroids from a drug trafficking organization run by his co-conspirator, Michael Lambert, who pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges earlier this year. Eckert then sold the steroids to others, including fellow servicemembers.
Eckert is one of six members of the trafficking network, led by Michael Lambert, who have been charged in this case. In early 2020, Lambert and his wife, Laura Lambert, rented a residence in Surry County, where they used raw materials received from China to manufacture liquid and pill-form steroids for wholesale distribution. Lambert’s products were advertised on various underground internet forums and, with the assistance of his co-conspirators, the group shipped wholesale quantities of steroids through the U.S. Postal Service to various states for further distribution.
The organization concealed its activities by using false names and identity information, encrypted messaging platforms, and cyber-currency accounts. The Lamberts used the proceeds from the conspiracy to purchase luxury vehicles, jewelry, and a horse, among other items.
The following defendants involved in the organization have pleaded guilty to the crimes listed below:
Name, Age
Charges
Total Maximum Penalties
Sentencing Date
Michael Steven Lambert, a/k/a “Christopher DeCamillo,” 36
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances; Possession with the Intent to Distribute; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm
50 years
July 13, 2021
Laura Frances Lambert, a/k/a “Laura Purcell,” 31
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances; Possession with the Intent to Distribute=
20 years
Sept. 23, 2021
Adam Morin, 35
Making an Unregistered Silencer
10 years
Aug. 31, 2021
Hamdy Sayed, 36
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
10 years
Sept. 9, 2021
Clyde Edward Peele, a/k/a “Bo,” 45
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
10 years
Oct. 5, 2021
Erik Eckert, 34
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
10 years
Oct. 12, 2021
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bird and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-112.
Three Russian Men, One U.S. Citizen Indicted for $11 Million Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Russian men and a naturalized U.S. citizen have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns and send much of the illegal proceeds to their co-conspirators in Russia.
Alexander Pavlov, 37, and Dmitrii Shenke, 35, citizens and residents of Russia; Anton Vikharev, 29, a citizen of Russia; and Stanuslav Lukyantsev, 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Kyrgyzstan residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged in a 25-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 23, 2021. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrest and initial court appearance of Lukyantsev in Philadelphia. Vikharev was arrested in Canada on June 4, 2021.
The federal indictment alleges that all four defendants participated in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities. The tax returns claimed fraudulent refunds, the indictment says, which were deposited into accounts controlled by the conspirators at several banks in the United States. Co-conspirators allegedly withdrew the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme in cash from ATMs, then deposited the cash into other bank accounts. They allegedly wire transferred much of the money to Pavlov, Shenke, and Vikharev in Russia.
According to the indictment, co-conspirators filed 7,167 false and fraudulent tax returns for the tax years 2011 to 2016. The returns claimed $11,178,361 in fraudulent refunds. The Internal Revenue Service paid at least $2,020,569 in fraudulent tax refunds, of which conspirators wire transferred at least $1,411,082 to bank accounts in Russia.
In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment charges various defendants in 19 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney and Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Three Men Arrested on Charges Alleging They Collected Ransom Payments as Part of Cross-Border Kidnapping ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement officials have arrested three men allegedly involved in a ring that kidnapped at least six people near the U.S.-Mexico border, later demanding ransom for their release, and often refusing to release them after payments were made.
Edgar Adrian Lemus, 23, of Vernon; Francisco Javier Hernandez Martinez, 20, also of Vernon; and Junior Almendarez Martinez, 23, of Watts, have been charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy. Lemus and Hernandez were arrested Monday evening on a federal criminal complaint. Almendarez was arrested – also on Monday evening – on a separate complaint. The three defendants are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, each of the kidnapping incidents targeted victims who were waiting or attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the United States. In each incident, the kidnappers offered to assist in smuggling the victims across the border from Mexico, but instead would hold them for ransom. The kidnappers insisted on ransom payments from the victim’s family members to release the victim, the affidavit states.
The kidnappers allegedly used specific sections at Walmart and other stores in Southern California to meet with the family members to collect the ransom payments. After the payments were made, however, the kidnappers demanded additional money rather than releasing the victim, according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement has identified Lemus, Hernandez and Almendarez as individuals that either picked up or received ransom payments from the victims’ family members, the affidavit alleges. Specifically, the defendants allegedly match the individuals captured on video surveillance footage during the ransom drops.
Lemus allegedly picked up a $19,000 ransom payment on April 20 at a Walmart store in South Gate from the husband of a victim in Mexicali who had been promised she would be smuggled into the United States, but who had been kidnapped instead. After delivering the payment, the kidnappers allegedly refused to release the victim and demanded additional payment. After the victim’s husband told the kidnappers that they had made him crash his car and he was in the streets begging for more money, they stopped calling him. The victim was released on April 22.
Hernandez allegedly picked up a $15,000 ransom payment on May 26 at a Walmart in Paramount from the husband of another kidnapping victim who was being held in Mexicali. After the ransom payment was made, the kidnappers allegedly demanded an additional $16,000 because the victim purportedly broke a package believed to contain narcotics, the affidavit states. All three allegedly were seen together on May 31 at a shopping center in Pico Rivera for another ransom payment pickup.
Almendarez was observed with Lemus and Hernandez after Lemus picked up a ransom payment at a Target store in South Gate, an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint charging him alleges. From February 9 to June 2, Almendarez allegedly made 10 cash transfers – all but one sent to individuals in Mexico – totaling $14,720 at a MoneyGram store in Lynwood. Several of the transfers were sent to a receiving MoneyGram agent in Mexicali, where the kidnappings occurred, the affidavit alleges.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter. The South Gate Police Department and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Six Men Sentenced for Meth and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that six Defendants convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, have been sentenced to federal prison terms by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Matthew Thomas Houff, age 25, from Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on June 3, 2021, to 360 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Dominic Shawn Walberg, age 20, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced on June 3, 2021, to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Sameer Eugene Gentry, age 34, from Pasadena, California, was sentenced on May 17, 2021, to 330 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Cody Lee Jackson-Duimstra, age 25, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced on October 19, 2020, to 180 months of federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Mycah Jayden Burns, age 31, from Crooks, South Dakota, was sentenced on September 14, 2020, to 168 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Zachary Alanjon Trippler, age 27, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced on August 26, 2020, to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Trippler, Houff, and Burns were indicted on December 17, 2019; Jackson-Duimstra was indicted on January 7, 2020; Gentry was indicted on March 10, 2020; and Walberg was indicated on August 17, 2020.
Trippler pled guilty on June 3, 2020; Houff pled guilty on March 22, 2021; Burns pled guilty on August 17, 2020; Jackson-Duimstra pled guilty on July 20, 2020; Gentry pled guilty on February 24, 2021; and Walberg pled guilty on March 1, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning at an unknown date and continuing until on or about October 6, 2020, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, when Defendants knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, with others known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, which is a Scheduled II controlled substance.
Houff and Gentry wired funds derived from the sale of methamphetamine by utilizing various phone applications. They wired the money for the purpose of concealing the fact that the money they were sending was acquired from the sale of the methamphetamine on behalf of the conspiracy.
“Now that Mr. Gentry, Mr. Houff and the other defendants are being held accountable for their involvement in the methamphetamine distribution and money laundering conspiracy, the public is safer,” said Amanda Prestegard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to dismantling and disrupting drug and money laundering organizations.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.
All Defendants were turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their sentencings.
Sex Offender Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a South Dakota man convicted of failure to register as a sex offender was sentenced on June 7, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol.
Jeremiah Calvin Rederth, age 39, was sentenced to 15 months in custody, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Rederth was indicted for failure to register as a sex offender by a federal grand jury on March 2, 2021. He pled guilty on April 8, 2021.
According to court documents, Rederth was convicted in 2010 of fourth degree rape, a Class 3 Felony, in the 3rd Judicial Circuit, South Dakota. He was sentenced to 10 years, and two years of the sentence were suspended with conditions. As a result of his prior conviction, Rederth is classified as a Tier II sex offender, which requires him to register two times per year and update the sex offender registry within three days of any change of address, school, or place of employment. Rederth knew of his obligation to register as a sex offender and to update his registration but failed to do so.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Rederth was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Selling 104 Pounds of Methamphetamine Results in 230 Months of Federal Prison TimeRead the Press Release
A man who distributed pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced June 4, 2021, to nearly two decades in federal prison.
Henry Wilke Eilders, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 6, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
During a search of Eilders’s residence in March 2020, officers located over 800 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, and $63,151 in cash. Eilders later admitted selling 104 pounds of methamphetamine during the previous year.
Eilders was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Eilders was sentenced to 230 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Eilders is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-27.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
Maurice “Mo” Wilford, age 34, was sentenced on June 4, 2021, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stems from Wilford, a previously convicted felon, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, unlawfully possessing four rifles and a pistol in August 2017 during a traffic stop at Rapid City.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Wilford was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Project Monitor and Abatement Supervisor Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Asbestos RegulationsRead the Press Release
Two individuals pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate federal and New York State regulations intended to prevent human exposure to asbestos.
According to court documents, between 2015 and 2016, Kristofer Landell, 36, and Madeline Alonge, 27, both permitted, and in some cases directed, abatement workers to use illegal methods to remove asbestos from a former IBM site in Kingston, now known as TechCity. The facility in question contained over 400,000 square feet of regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM), as well as an additional 6,000 linear feet of RACM pipe wrap. Alonge, then a supervisor for the asbestos abatement company operating on the TechCity site, oversaw multiple crews of abatement workers who were illegally removing asbestos. Landell held a New York license to work as a person responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state asbestos regulations and had been hired as the “project monitor” on site. Landell was also responsible for conducting air monitoring to ensure that asbestos fibers were not released into the surrounding environment.
According to court documents, Alonge and Landell failed to fulfill their responsibilities. As a result, New York State issued numerous notices of violation (NOVs). Notwithstanding those NOVs, A2 owner Stephanie Laskin, as well as abatement supervisors Alonge and Gunay Yakup, instructed workers to remove asbestos illegally. For example, they removed RACM dry, produced visible emissions of asbestos, and directed work to proceed in areas that were not properly sealed off with “critical barriers,” which are designed to prevent asbestos emissions outside a work area. Their co‑conspirator Landell not only permitted such practices to continue, but also failed to conduct requisite air monitoring, falsified compliance records, and failed to properly conduct “final air clearances,” as required by New York regulations. Final air clearances are intended to ensure areas are safe to be reinhabited following abatement activities. All of the defendants charged as co-conspirators had received training in proper asbestos removal and regulatory requirements.
“The pleas entered today are especially important because they address not only criminal violations of the Clean Air Act, but also the criminal circumvention of the third party project and air monitor systems designed to ensure compliance,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “I would like to take this opportunity to thank New York State inspectors for their support of this prosecution.”
“Today’s plea agreements again reflect the serious consequences of the failure of these defendants to comply with EPA’s regulations that protect public health from asbestos, a dangerous human carcinogen,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division. “These criminal acts endanger workers and the community and cost the taxpayers substantial monies in cleanup costs. EPA commends the Justice Department prosecutors for vigorously prosecuting this environmental crime case.”
Because of the defendants’ and others’ actions, asbestos was released into the surrounding environment, as admitted by co-defendant Roger Osterhoudt. Although not charged with conspiracy, Osterhoudt took responsibility last month for his criminal negligence in re-hiring A2 Environmental Services after having been made aware of numerous NOVs and other evidence of illegal practices. According to Osterhoudt’s plea, his negligence caused a release of asbestos into the environment that placed others at an increased risk of death or serious bodily injury. Asbestos has been determined to cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, an invariably fatal disease. The EPA has determined that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.
Landell and Alonge entered guilty pleas to violating the federal conspiracy statute before Hon. Judge McAvoy in Binghamton, New York. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Oct. 6, and Oct. 19, respectively. Both individuals face up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, a $250,000 criminal fine, and may be held liable for providing restitution to any victims.
These charges are related to conspiracy pleas previously entered by Laskin, who owned A2 Environmental Solutions, and Yakup, who — like Alonge — worked for Laskin as an abatement supervisor.
Special agents of the EPA and individuals from the New York Departments of Labor and Environmental Conservation investigated the case.
Todd W. Gleason and Gary N. Donner of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Chloe Harris.
Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Christopher Dubry, age 25, of La Plata, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Dubry must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence 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 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
Dubry was convicted for four counts of attempted sex offense fourth degree and five counts of possession of child pornography in November 2018. He was sentenced to a total of three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised probation. Dubry was registered as a Tier I registered sex offender in the State of Maryland.
According to his guilty plea, in February 2019, Dubry accessed child pornography while on work release from the Charles County Detention Center.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 26, 2019, an online file storage application sent a cybertipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report stated that the user account associated with Dubry’s email address uploaded eleven files to the account, including two video files depicting sexual abuse of prepubescent children. The IP address used to access the user account four times on February 14, 2019 between 9:08 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. related back to a cell phone registered to Dubry. Dubry’s account contained approximately 33 images and 33 videos of child pornography. Dubry admitted that from April 2019 to September 12, 2019, he accessed child pornography on his cell phone on multiple occasions while on work release.
A subsequent forensic analysis of Dubry’s cell phone revealed approximately 250 images and 3 videos of child pornography, including the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. At least one video depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct. In total, Dubry received and possessed the equivalent of 600 images of child pornography on his cell phone.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s priorities regarding Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood. For more USAO-MD information about internet safety for children, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes who prosecuted the federal case.
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Pennsylvania Man Charged with Using Identities of Then-President’s Family Members to Perpetrate Online Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging JOSHUA HALL with fraud and identity theft offenses for impersonating family members of the then-President of the United States on social media to fraudulently raise funds for a fictitious political organization.
HALL was arrested this morning and will be presented later today in Harrisburg federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Joshua Hall allegedly impersonated family members of the then-President of the United States on social media to fraudulently induce hundreds of victims to donate to a political organization that did not exist, and then pocketed those funds for his own use. We thank the FBI for their partnership in the investigation of this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., said: “Hall led hundreds of people to believe they were donating to an organization that didn’t exist by pretending to be someone he wasn’t, as alleged. As we continue to investigate fraud in all its many forms, we urge the public to remain aware of the prevalence of online scams and exercise due diligence when making donations online.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
HALL defrauded hundreds of victims by making false representations in the course of raising funds for a purported political affinity organization (“the Fictitious Political Organization”), for the ostensible purpose of supporting the reelection of the individual who was at that time serving as President of the United States (“the President”). However, the Fictitious Political Organization did not exist and HALL used the funds for his own personal living expenses.
Central to the scheme was the impersonation by HALL of members of the President’s family, including the President’s minor child, among others, through his creation and use of social media accounts bearing those family members’ names and photographs. HALL used those accounts to amass more than 100,000 followers on social media and obtain media coverage, a public platform he then exploited to confer on himself and the Fictitious Political Organization a false imprimatur of close ties with the President’s family and to encourage victims to make monetary contributions to the Fictitious Political Organization.
In total, the scheme devised and executed by HALL yielded thousands of dollars from hundreds of victims located throughout the United States, including in the Southern District of New York.
* * *
HALL, 22, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years of imprisonment. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Sobelman is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Passaic Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig announced.
Narcisco Ramirez, 46, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence via videoconference today.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Ramirez was part of a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine in and around Passaic County in 2017. In November 2017, law enforcement officers observed Ramirez and a conspirator meet at a location in Passaic and exchange a package containing cocaine. Later that day, officers stopped Ramirez’s car and found one kilogram of cocaine on the front seat and two additional kilograms hidden in his right pant leg and waist band. A search of Ramirez’s residence revealed another two kilograms of cocaine and $89,000 in cash. Law enforcement officers also discovered over $296,000 in cash in two different safety deposit boxes controlled by Ramirez. In total, law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 kilograms of cocaine and over $1.3 million in drug proceeds from Ramirez and his conspirators.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Ramirez to five years of supervised release and order him to forfeit over $384,000 in drug proceeds.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Operation False Haven: Moore County Man Sentenced for Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today, in federal court, Antonio C. Paz, age 70, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Portugal, residing in Moore County, was sentenced by United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, to three years’ probation with a $1,000 fine following a guilty plea to naturalization fraud. Moreover, Paz’s naturalization as a United States citizen was criminally revoked.
According to court records, on November 15, 2013, Paz fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by making a false statement under oath regarding his naturalization application. In response to the question, “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested,” he answered, “No,” when in fact he had embezzled thousands of dollars from a North Carolina retirement community where he was employed as a director.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00299-1D(3).
Oil City Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation Charge; Judge Detains Him Pending SentencingRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Oil City, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Brent Lockwood, 63, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Lockwood received computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Court was also advised that Lockwood repeatedly expressed, during Facebook chats, his desire to travel to the Philippines for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with minor females.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Lockwood be detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lockwood.
Nun Who Ran Catholic School in Torrance Will Plead Guilty to Federal Charges after Embezzling $835,000 to Finance Gambling HabitRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors today filed charges against a now-retired nun who was the principal of a Catholic elementary school in Torrance and who has agreed to plead guilty to fraud and money laundering charges for stealing more than $835,000 in school funds to pay for personal expenses, including gambling trips.
Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, of Los Angeles, was charged today with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In conjunction with the criminal information, prosecutors filed a plea agreement in which Kreuper agreed to plead guilty to the two charges that carry a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in federal prison.
For a period of 10 years ending in September 2018, Kreuper embezzled money from St. James Catholic School. As principal – a position she held for 28 years – Kreuper was responsible for the money the school received to pay for tuition and fees, as well as for charitable donations. Kreuper controlled accounts at a credit union, including a savings account for the school and one established to pay the living expenses of the nuns employed by the school.
Kreuper, who as a nun had taken a vow of poverty, diverted school funds into the St. James Convent Account and the St. James Savings Account and then, as she admitted in her plea agreement, used the diverted funds “to pay for expenses that the order would not have approved, much less paid for, including large gambling expenses incurred at casinos and certain credit card charges.”
Kreuper further admitted in her plea agreement that she falsified monthly and annual reports to the school administration to cover up her fraudulent conduct and “lulled St. James School and the Administration into believing that the school’s finances were being properly accounted for and its financial assets properly safeguarded, which, in turn, allowed defendant Kreuper to maintain her access and control of the school’s finances and accounts and, thus, continue operating the fraudulent scheme.” The criminal information also alleges that Kreuper directed St. James School employees to alter and destroy financial records during a school audit.
Kreuper admitted that, over the course of the scheme, she caused losses to St. James Catholic School totaling $835,339.
Kreuper has agreed to appear in United States District Court for an arraignment on July 1.
The Torrance Police Department, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G. Kumar of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case.
North Dakota Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Bismarck, North Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
John James Moran, age 49, was indicted on May 4, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 3, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Moran, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime and required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, failed to do so between August 17, 2020, and May 4, 2021.
The charge is merely an accusation and Moran is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Moran was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
North Carolina Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Kinston, North Carolina, woman was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to file false tax returns for her clients.
According to court records, from at least January 2016 through March 2016, Hildares Kinkesha Parker-Greene managed a tax return preparation business in Kinston. Parker-Greene conspired with another return preparer to fraudulently inflate clients’ tax refunds by claiming false wages, federal income tax withholdings, and dependents. This fraudulent conduct caused clients to receive refunds to which they were not entitled. To profit from the false returns, Parker-Greene printed client tax refund checks, directed clients to cash the refund checks, and pay her additional cash fees. Additionally, between 2017 and 2018, Parker-Greene operated a tax preparation business out of her home and continued to prepare false returns for clients. In total, the false returns prepared by Parker-Greene and her co-conspirator sought to defraud the IRS of more than $550,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever III ordered Parker-Greene to serve three years of supervised release and pay $442,576 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker III for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Michael Jones and William Guappone of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Nigerian National Arrested for False Claim to United States CitizenshipRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a Nigerian national was arrested on June 4, 2021, at the Cyril E. King Airport on criminal charges related to her alleged misrepresentation that she was a United States citizen.
According to court documents, Ifeoma Inneh, 40, appeared at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection checkpoint at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on June 4, 2021. She was a ticketed passenger on a flight traveling to Newark, New Jersey. In primary and secondary inspection, Inneh told CBP officers that she was a citizen of the United States. The CBP officers determined that Inneh was not a citizen of the United States.
Inneh is charged with knowingly making a false claim to United States citizenship in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 911, and making material false statements to CBP Officers in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). If convicted, Inneh faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a charging document and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.New Haven Man Sentenced to 2 More Years in Federal Prison for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RODNEY SNAPE, 40, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2013, Judge Arterton sentenced Snape to 105 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing crack cocaine. In February 2015, Snape’s sentence was reduced to 88 months of imprisonment due to a change in the federal crack cocaine sentencing guidelines. He was released from prison in June 2019.
On February 20, 2020, Snape was arrested by New Haven Police for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. He pleaded nolo contendere in state court and, in January 2021, was sentenced to a suspended three-year term of incarceration and two years of probation.
On May 5, 2021, Snape was again arrested by New Haven Police after he was found in possession of approximately eight grams of cocaine, items used to package narcotics for street sale, and more than $4,500 in cash. The case is pending in state court.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
New Britain Man Charged with Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joshua W. McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that STEVEN KNOX, 45, of New Britain, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with theft of government property.
Knox appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the complaint, in the early morning hours of May 19, 2021, the tire shed at a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicle maintenance facility in Hartford was burglarized and approximately 43 tires were stolen. The facility’s surveillance video showed a pickup truck pulling up to the tire shed at approximately 1:30 a.m. Knox and another individual then broke into the shed, loaded tires into the bed of pickup, and then drove off. Knox was formerly employed by a USPS towing contractor and possessed a key card to access the vehicle maintenance facility’s gate.
The charge of theft of government property carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
McKees Rocks Woman Sentenced for Role in Crack Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A local woman has been sentenced in federal court to time served and five years’ supervised release on her conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Mardeja Chapple, 26, of McKees Rocks, PA.
According to information presented to the court, in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Mardeja Chapple conspired to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine.
Prior to imposing sentence, Senior Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Chapple.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Maxton Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Maxton man was sentenced today to 132 months in prison and five years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm. On December 9, 2020, Jonathan Wayne Clark, 28, pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on July 20, 2019, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a shooting that occurred at a party in Red Springs. Upon arrival, officers located a deceased victim. During the processing of the crime scene, law enforcement located .40 caliber and 7.62 caliber spent shell casings and a Glock 23, .40 caliber pistol. A crime scene witness advised that she observed an Indian male covered in tattoos shoot a firearm. Further investigation revealed that Clark attended the party and possessed a Draco AK-47 style pistol. While at the party, a fight broke out amongst the attendees and guns were drawn.
Law enforcement interviewed Clark, and he admitted to possessing the Draco AK-47 style pistol and shooting it into the air during the altercation. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office examined the shell casings and determined that the recovered Draco AK-47 style pistol fired the rounds. During the interview, Clark also admitted to being a gang member and associated with the Folk Nation. He acknowledged that he was a convicted felon and previously served multiple years in prison. Clark also admitted to possessing two additional guns on prior occasions.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Rhoades prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-00094-FL.
Maryland man sentenced for fentanyl distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Lamont Brinkley, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 58 months of incarceration for distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Brinkley, age 34, pleaded guilty in October 2019 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Brinkley was found in a motel in Spring Mills, West Virginia, in November 2018 with 30 grams of fentanyl, 39 grams of a synthetic opiate known as U47700, and a cutting agent, as well as digital scales and plastic baggies. The amount of fentanyl seized was enough to kill more than 10,000 people. Other drugs were also found in the room, along with $9,600 in cash.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy D. Helman and Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Charles Town Police Department; and the Ranson Police Department investigated. The United States Marshals assisted.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Find the original case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/33-indicted-heroin-cocaine-and-fentanyl-distribution-operation-berkeley-and-jefferson
Martinsburg woman sentenced for role in drug trafficking enterpriseRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Barbara Jean Feltner, of Martinsburg West Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 months of incarceration for her role in a drug distribution enterprise, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Feltner, 32, pleaded guilty in December 2020 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl.” Feltner admitted to working with others to sell heroin and fentanyl in February 2020 in Berkeley County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office assisted.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/22-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-enterprise-spanned-several-states
Martinsburg man facing child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandon Cody Sabol, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in May 2021 on child pornography charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Sabol, 32, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Child Pornography” and one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.” Sabol is accused of distributing child pornography in May 2020 in Berkeley County. He is also accused of having an image of child pornography containing a child under the age of 12 in October 2020 in Berkeley County.
Sabol faces at least five years and up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the distribution charge. He faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the possession charge. 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 Kimberley L. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Pleads Guilty After Arriving at Cyril E. King Airport with Nine Vacuum Sealed Packages of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced on Tuesday that Kharim Moore pled guilty yesterday in federal court to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were conducting screenings of arriving passengers at the Cyril E. King Airport on November 4, 2020 when Moore disembarked a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta, GA. He was selected for inspection and his carryon backpack was searched.
Officers discovered nine vacuum sealed packages with a green leafy substance inside that weighed approximately 3.48 kilograms. The substance tested positive for marijuana.
The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Moore will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum term of up to five years imprisonment.Man Indicted for Sending Threatening Text Message to Social WorkerRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment on May 27, 2021, charging Daniel Devaty, 49, of Elyria, Ohio, with influencing a federal official by threatening a family member.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on March 24, 2021, it is alleged that the Defendant sent a text message to the government-issued cell phone of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Social Worker threatening to kill his daughters. Law enforcement officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated the alleged threat and determined that the VA social worker previously worked with the Defendant on a HUD-VA program that offered support services to homeless Veterans and their families to help find and sustain permeant housing.
According to the affidavit, the Defendant was admitted to the HUD-VA program in March of 2014 and was removed in January of 2021 after numerous complaints of physical threats and public intoxication. The Defendant stated to law enforcement investigators that he sent the threatening text message to the cell phone of the VA social worker and a non-threatening message to another social worker after learning of his removal from the program.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the Defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the Defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the Defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Cleveland VA Medical Center (VAMC) Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryson Gillard.
Lumberton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Lumberton man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possessing a firearm while being a prohibited person. On January 20, 2021, Ledger Lynn Hammonds, Jr. pled guilty to a Criminal Information, which charged Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hammonds, 44, was the subject of multiple investigations from 2013 through 2017, including several incidents where buffalo belonging to a relative were found deceased after being shot. On June 28, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at Hammonds’ residence and recovered two firearms from the bedroom that Hammonds identified as his. Due to an extensive criminal history that includes qualifying predicate convictions, Hammonds was determined to be an armed career criminal and thereby subject to an enhanced sentence under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 924(e).
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:18-cr-00050-FL.
Long Island MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 25 Years’ Imprisonment for Racketeering and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Ronald Catalan, a former leader of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (BLS) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco to 25 years’ imprisonment. The sentencing follows Catalan’s guilty plea to racketeering charges, including predicate acts relating to a June 23, 2009 shooting in Brentwood and an October 21, 2015 shooting in Bay Shore that collectively left three victims wounded. Catalan also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana as predicate racketeering acts, as well as illegally using firearms in connection with crimes of violence. Catalan, who was the leader of the BLS clique from 2015 until his federal arrest in July 2017, pleaded guilty in October 2018.
Mark J. Lesko, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Stuart Cameron, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Catalan will deservedly spend decades in prison for the violent and brutal acts he committed and directed others to carry out as a leader of the MS-13. His ruthless and retaliatory attacks on his so-called ‘rivals’ to enhance his own status in the MS-13 demonstrate his complete and callous disregard for human life,” stated Acting United States Attorney Lesko. “Working with our partners on the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, this Office will continue its relentless pursuit of justice for the victims of the MS-13 and will not rest until the threat they present to the communities in our district is eliminated.”
“Thanks to the relentless efforts of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and Eastern District of New York, Catalan will be held accountable for his vicious crimes that nearly claimed three lives,” stated Acting SCPD Commissioner Cameron. “The SCPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put an end to gangs in our communities and their senseless violence while continuing to seek justice for MS-13 victims.”
On June 23, 2009, Catalan and two other MS-13 members, all of whom were new members of the BLS clique, armed themselves with handguns and drove through Brentwood, hunting for rival gang members to attack and kill in order to increase their standing in the MS-13 gang. They observed a group of males on Barleau Street whom they believed to be members of the Bloods street gang. The MS-13 members got out of their car, approached the group and started firing. John Doe #1 was struck in the armpit and back as he tried to run. John Doe #1 underwent surgery and ultimately survived the attack.
In addition to shooting John Doe #1, Catalan admitted to participating in the October 21, 2015 attempted murders of two men that occurred on Bancroft Road in North Bay Shore. Catalan and other MS-13 members decided to retaliate against suspected members of the rival Latin Kings gang for the assault of an MS-13 member earlier that day. The MS-13 members, who were armed with two .38 caliber revolvers, drove around Brentwood and Bay Shore and observed a group of people they believed to be Latin Kings. Catalan directed two newer MS-13 members to carry out the shooting and gave them the .38 caliber revolvers. The MS-13 members fired multiple shots before running back to the car and fleeing the scene. Two victims were struck by gunfire, but survived their wounds. Catalan further admitted that, between January 2015 and February 2016, he and other members of the BLS clique conspired to distribute cocaine and marijuana to help finance the MS-13’s operations.
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 60 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RONALD CATALAN (also known as “Stranger” and “Extrano”)
Age: 30
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-6)(JFB)
Lawrence County Attorney Indicted for Wire Fraud and Federal Program TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - In a newly unsealed federal indictment, the County Attorney for Lawrence County and his legal secretary have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and federal program theft.
On Thursday, June 3, a federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging Michael T. Hogan, 53, and his wife, Joy M. Hogan, 41, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and charging Michael Hogan with nine counts of wire fraud, and five counts of federal program theft.
The indictment alleges that the Hogans conspired with each other to commit wire fraud by issuing checks from a second delinquent tax account for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office, the statements for which went to their personal residence. It is alleged that Michael Hogan and Joy Hogan would routinely prepare “bonus” checks issued to Joy, and signed by Michael, paid with delinquent tax funds that should have been used on operating expenses for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office. The Hogans deposited these checks in Joy’s personal account and the couple’s joint accounts and spent the funds on personal expenses. The indictment alleges that, between March 8, 2013 and April 30, 2020, Michael Hogan paid Joy Hogan more than $365,000, from the Lawrence County Delinquent Tax Account.
The indictment also alleges that Michael Hogan defrauded the Lawrence County Child Support Enforcement Office, part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. It is alleged Hogan billed the program for far more hours than he actually worked. It is also alleged Michael Hogan paid employees working for his private law firm with funds from the Child Support Enforcement office.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith.
Michael Hogan’s initial appearance is June 9 at 11 a.m., and Joy Hogan is scheduled to appear on Friday, June 11, at 1 p.m. On the wire fraud charges, they face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000 or twice the amount of gain or loss. On the federal program theft charges, Michael Hogan faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Documents to USCISRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARASH VAKHSHOURI, 42, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to submitting false documents to a government agency.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and May 2017, Vakhshouri drafted and sent a total of seven fraudulent letters to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Connecticut purporting to be from two individuals who had applied to USCIS to become legal residents of the U.S. in March 2016. The letters, which included the victims’ names, passport numbers, application numbers and alien file numbers, fraudulently requested the withdrawal or cancellation of the victims’ applications for legal permanent resident status in the U.S.
Vakhshouri was arrested on June 20, 2019.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2021, at which time Vakhshouri faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Vakhshouri is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Conor M. Reardon.
Lake Andes Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Lake Andes, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender was sentenced on June 2, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Ambrose Arlen Rouse, age 48, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Rouse was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 17, 2020. He pled guilty on March 22, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on or about June 11, 2020 in Lake Andes, South Dakota. Rouse and his wife were in their residence drinking. At some point Rouse and his wife began arguing, and Rouse struck his wife in the head with her own walking cane and caused bodily injury to her. The assault was not done in self-defense, nor was it otherwise legally justified. At the time of this domestic assault, Rouse had at least two final convictions for offenses involving assaults against a spouse or intimate partner.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Rouse was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kittery Man Sentenced for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Kittery man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for transporting images of child exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge John D. Levy sentenced Thomas Stewart, 32, to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Stewart was also ordered to pay a total of $30,500 in restitution to 11 victims whose images he possessed. He pleaded guilty on October 30, 2019.
According to court records, in September 2018, Stewart uploaded numerous images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to a Dropbox cloud storage account he controlled. After Dropbox reported the uploading of child exploitation images using its service, investigators determined that the IP address used to log into the Dropbox account was assigned to Stewart’s residence in Kittery.
In December 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at Stewart’s residence and seized several electronic devices, including a Samsung tablet. In an interview with investigators, Stewart admitted using the tablet to access child pornography. He also admitted storing hundreds of child pornography files in his Dropbox account.
The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the U.S. Secret Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated this case. The 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Claims Against 19 Building OwnersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it reached a single agreement with 19 building owners* who rent space in their buildings to stores and restaurants.
The agreement requires the owners to fix their buildings so that people with mobility disabilities, like wheelchair users, can get in the door to shop or eat. Physical barriers, like steps at an entrance, can keep people with disabilities out and cause discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Justice Department inspected three buildings on 14th Street N.W., in Washington, D.C., to see if people with disabilities could enter the businesses renting space there. Two of the buildings had steps at the entrances and one did not have enough space at the entrance for wheelchair users to open the door and go in on their own.
The building owners agreed to hire an architect to check their 19 buildings in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to make sure the buildings can be used by people with disabilities. The owners agreed to fix any problems by the end of next year. Possible fixes are adding a ramp where there are steps or putting in an automatic door opener when there is not enough space for wheelchair users. Fixing the buildings is an important step toward providing people with mobility disabilities an equal opportunity to shop and dine at the stores and restaurants inside.
The ADA requires stores and restaurants located in new buildings to make sure the spaces their customers use in those buildings are useable by people with disabilities, such as those who use wheelchairs. If a business is located in an older building, the business must make sure barriers to people with disabilities are removed when it is easy to do. And if a business makes changes to a building, those changed areas must be made useable as much as possible. These rules also apply to the companies that own the buildings that they rent to businesses like stores and restaurants.
“Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 to stop discrimination against people with disabilities caused by the way a building is designed, built, or changed,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s agreement calls attention to the obligations of building owners to ensure that the space they rent to a store or restaurant follows the rules of the ADA. We welcome the owners’ cooperation with us in today’s agreement to make their buildings more usable for people with disabilities.”
This matter was handled by the Disability Rights Section of the department’s Civil Rights Division. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
*The 19 building owners, all managed by companies that are managed by J.C. Reger Interests Inc., doing business as JCR Companies, are:
- Hillwood SRR 1324 14th Street Investors LLC
- 1526 14th Street Investors LLC
- 1529 14th Street Investors LLC
- 601 King Street Investors LLC
- 1723 Conn Ave Investors LLC
- JCR Silver Hill Investors LLC
- 1519 Wisconsin Ave, Investors LLC
- JCR Pinefield South Investors LLC
- JCR Westview Corner Investors LLC
- 1515 Unit C-3 and C-9 Investors LLC
- JCR Lorton Station Investors LLC
- JCR Rutherford Crossing Investors LLC
- JCR Signal Hill Investors LLC
- JCR 916 G Street Investors LLC
- JCR Bel Air TC Investors LLC
- JCR Woodley Investors LLC
- JCR Krispy Korner Investors LLC
- JCR Innovation Investors LLC
- JCR Riverton Investors LLC
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Macon Division, seeking to bar an Irwinton, Georgia, tax return preparer from preparing tax returns for others.
The civil complaint against Shondre D. Pitts alleges that, since 2014, he has operated through a business named “First Choice Tax Services.” The complaint further alleges that Pitts has a long history of preparing fraudulent returns, including returns that claimed false itemized deductions, false income and business expense deductions, and fabricated business losses in order to fraudulently reduce the customer’s liability or claim improper tax credits. The complaint further alleges that returns prepared by Pitts falsely claimed earned income tax credits, residential energy credits, additional child tax credits, and education credits. As a result of Pitts’ conduct, the complaint alleges, his customers may face large income tax debts and may be liable for penalties and interest.
Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury Convicts Woodbridge Man of Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Woodbridge man yesterday of illegally possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on March 22, 2019, Marc Allen Williams, 34, was staying at an apartment in Triangle rented by an acquaintance. Williams, who previously was convicted of a felony, had in his possession a nine-millimeter handgun. Later that afternoon, FBI agents and officers from the Prince William County Police Department executed a search warrant at the apartment in connection with a separate investigation.
When law enforcement knocked and announced their presence, Williams ran into the back bedroom of the apartment and into the bathroom. There, he stashed the firearm in the bathroom’s flush tank. Despite his efforts, law enforcement located the loaded gun.
When the defendant was arrested following the search warrant, he provided a false last name to law enforcement. The last name he provided matched the last name of the original purchaser of the firearm. Further, the FBI recovered DNA from the firearm. A sample of the defendant’s DNA, taken pursuant to a search warrant, was a match for the DNA on the firearm.
Williams faces a maximum of ten years in prison when sentenced on September 17. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Rachael C. Tucker are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 1:20-cr-242.
Jury Convicts Springfield Man for Attempted Child EnticementRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury convicted a Springfield, Ill., man, Rafael Mercado Berrios, aka Jose Berrios, 42, of the 1200 block of N. 4th St., on June 4, of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and using the internet and cell phone to attempt to transmit information about a minor. The jury deliberated for nearly 90 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough. Sentencing for Berrios is scheduled on Oct. 15, 2021.
During two and a half days of trial, beginning on June 2, the government presented evidence that in late August 2020, Berrios used a social media application to engage with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. In addition, evidence was presented that Berrios went to a Springfield residence on Aug. 28, 2020, where he believed he would be meeting a 15-year-old girl to have a sexual encounter.
Berrios has been detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Aug. 28, 2020. At sentencing, Berrios faces a statutory penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison.
The charges are the result of investigation by the FBI – Springfield Division with the assistance of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and, the Illinois State Police with the assistance of the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Gregory K. Harris represented the federal government at trial.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jamaican Man Admits Smuggling 2.8 Kilos of Cocaine into United States through Newark AirportRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jamaican man today admitted that he smuggled approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Perez Omar Gibbs, 38, of Trelawny, Jamaica, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of importation of controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gibbs arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport aboard a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Law enforcement officers discovered that Gibbs possessed approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside two bags of coffee and four picture frames.
The count with which Gibbs is charged carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a potential maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Marty Raybon, Acting Director of Field Operations, New York Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Hospital Pharmacist Sentenced for Attempt to Spoil Hundreds of COVID Vaccine DosesRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin man was sentenced today to three years in prison for tampering with COVID-19 vaccine doses at the hospital where he worked.
Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury. According to court documents, Brandenburg purposefully removed a box of COVID-19 vaccine vials manufactured by Moderna — which must be stored at specific cold temperatures to remain viable — from a hospital refrigeration unit during two successive overnight shifts in late December 2020. According to his plea agreement, Brandenburg stated that he was skeptical of vaccines in general, and the Moderna vaccine specifically, and had communicated his beliefs about vaccines to his co-workers.
Brandenburg acknowledged that after leaving the vaccines out for several hours each night, he returned the vaccines to the refrigerator to be used in the hospital’s vaccine clinic the following day. Before the full extent of Brandenburg’s conduct was discovered, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials.
“The purposeful attempt to spoil vaccine doses during a national public health emergency is a serious crime,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue working with its law enforcement partners to safeguard these life-saving vaccines.”
“Ensuring access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is critical to the well-being of everyone in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard G. Frohling for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with its federal, state, and local partners to hold individuals who seek to tamper with these vaccines fully accountable. Today’s sentence was the direct result of that shared commitment and the underlying hard work and collaborative efforts of all involved in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Brandenburg.”
“The FDA has ensured that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine meets the agency’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality,” said Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Those who knowingly tamper with this vaccine place American patients’ health at risk. Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that this kind of illicit tampering activity will not be tolerated.”
“The FBI, together with our local law enforcement and private sector partners, are committed to upholding laws designed to protect our health care system from harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes of the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office. “By illegally tampering with these doses, Brandenburg threatened the health and safety of an entire community. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to individuals who intentionally violate these laws that they will be vigorously prosecuted.”
In addition to the term of imprisonment, the U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig ordered Brandenburg to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $83,800 in restitution to the hospital.
This matter was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI, and the Village of Grafton Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorney Rachel Baron of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
Hospital Pharmacist Sentenced for Attempt to Spoil Hundreds of COVID Vaccine DosesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on June 8, 2021, Steven R. Brandenburg (age: 46) of Grafton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for tampering with COVID vaccine doses at the hospital at which he worked. Brandenburg will also be required to spend three years on supervised release following his prison sentence and was ordered to pay approximately $83,800 in restitution to the hospital.
Brandenburg pleaded guilty on February 9, 2021, to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury.
According to court documents, Brandenburg purposefully removed a box of COVID-19 vaccine vials manufactured by Moderna—which must be stored at specific cold temperatures to remain viable—from a hospital refrigeration unit during two successive overnight shifts in late December 2020. According to his plea agreement, Brandenburg stated that he was skeptical of vaccines in general and the Moderna vaccine specifically. Court documents indicate that Brandenburg had communicated his beliefs about vaccines to his co-workers for at least the past two years.
Brandenburg acknowledged that after leaving the vaccines out for several hours each night, he returned the vaccines to the refrigerator to be used in the hospital’s vaccine clinic the following day. Before the full extent of Brandenburg’s conduct was discovered, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials.
“The purposeful attempt to spoil vaccine doses during a national public health emergency is a serious crime,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue working with its law enforcement partners to safeguard these life-saving vaccines.”
“Ensuring access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is critical to the well-being of everyone in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with its federal, state, and local partners to hold individuals who seek to tamper with these vaccines fully accountable. Today’s sentence was the direct result of that shared commitment and the underlying hard work and collaborative efforts of all involved in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Brandenburg.”
“The FBI, together with our local law enforcement and private sector partners, are committed to upholding laws designed to protect our health care system from harm. By illegally tampering with these doses, Brandenburg threatened the health and safety of an entire community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Robert Hughes. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to individuals who intentionally violate these laws that they will be vigorously prosecuted.”
The FDA has ensured that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine meets the agency’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Those who knowingly tamper with this vaccine place American patients’ health at risk,” said FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that this kind of illicit tampering activity will not be tolerated.”
This matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI, and the Village of Grafton Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorney Rachel Baron of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
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Harrisburg Restaurateur Charged with Fraud and Money Laundering Offenses in Connection with Misuse of Pandemic-Related LoansRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Scott Levy, age 58, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged on June 7, 2021, in a criminal information with bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with federal loans he obtained on behalf of the Hershey Road Family Restaurant, a Harrisburg-area restaurant Levy owned and operated until closing the business at the end of July 2020.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the criminal information alleges that in Spring 2020, Levy applied on the restaurant’s behalf for $227,500 in loans that the federal government made available to support qualifying businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also alleges that Levy spent the majority of those loan proceeds on personal expenditures and other non-qualifying goods and services, and transferred $125,000 of the proceeds to his mother who placed the cash in safe deposit boxes.
On November 24, 2020, Levy pled guilty to tax fraud and related offenses relating to the Hershey Road Family Restaurant. Levy admitted that he failed to pay more than $230,000 in federal income and payroll taxes from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018, and agreed to make full restitution of this amount. Sentencing in that case has been continued pending the resolution of the investigation into Levy’s new fraud and money laundering offenses.
Both of Levy’s cases will be consolidated for purposes of sentencing, which is expected to take place later in 2021 in front of United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
Both of the cases against Levy were investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Levy faces a maximum penalty on up to 90 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,610,000, and a term of supervised release of up to five years on the charges in both of his cases. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offenses; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Four Bloods Gang Members Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting 15-Year Old Boy and Carving Gang Name into Boy’s ChestRead the Press Release
FLINT - Doniel “50” Heard, 38 of Canton, Talasha “First Lady Red” Willis 31 of Flint, Kimberly “Boss Lady Red” Perryman, 34 of Mt. Morris, and Alina “Mimi Red” White, 23 of Flint were sentenced for the vicious beating of a 15-year old boy, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division (FBI), Phil Hart, Chief of Police of the Genesee Township Police Department, and David S. Leyton, Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney.
Heard, Willis, Perryman, and White previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering before United States District Judge Linda V. Parker. Willis also pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery.
According to court documents, Heard, an admitted leader of a Michigan set of the national Bloods street gang, Perryman, Willis, and White believed the 15-year old boy had disrespected two fellow gang members. As a result, the group punched, kicked, and stomped the 15-year old boy. They then beat him with a broom stick and robbed him. After the beating, Perryman, Willis, and White held the boy down while Heard used a large knife to carve the name of the local Bloods set, “MOB 662,” into the boy’s chest. After carving MOB 662 into the boy’s chest, Heard placed video calls via his cell phone to other gang members bragging about the assault and showing them his “artwork.” The 15-year old victim suffered permanent bodily injury as a result of the assault.
Willis was sentenced by Judge Parker on May 20, 2019, to 100 months in federal prison.
The remaining defendants were sentenced today. Heard, who Judge Parker determined to be a career offender based upon this prior record, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. Judge Parker sentenced Perryman to 80 months in federal prison, and White to 36 months in federal prison.
“This brutal and senseless act of violence on a 15-year old boy by gang members is appalling, and it is precisely the type of crime that we are committed to rooting out,” stated Acting United States Attorney Mohsin. “We intend to bring the full force of federal law upon gang members who are harming our youth and destroying our communities.”
"The FBI is dedicated to working with all of our partners to most effectively target gang violence no matter the form it takes,' said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Our focus is on disrupting and dismantling the criminal enterprises who are increasingly emphasizing committing extremely violent criminal acts such as those conducted by the individuals sentenced in this case. Neighborhood gangs pose the biggest threat to communities across the United States. With continued effort and resources focused on mitigating that threat, law enforcement can deliver justice for crimes committed in our communities and against U.S. citizens."
The case was investigated by the Genesee Township Police Department and special agents of the FBI, with assistance from the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Rawsthorne, Ann Nee, and Anthony Vance.