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Wednesday 7 April 2021
Lewis County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Charles W. Whitcher, age 41, of Port Leyden, New York, pled guilty today to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Lewis County District Attorney Leanne K. Moser.
As part of today’s guilty plea, Whitcher admitted that between August 2019 and September 2019, he distributed methamphetamine he had manufactured in his home using the “one pot” method, which uses pseudoephedrine and other ingredients to produce methamphetamine that Whitcher would then distribute in exchange for cash or more pseudoephedrine.
Also as part of his guilty plea, Whitcher admitted he was previously convicted in federal court, in 2003, for his involvement in a conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 11, 2021, at which time Whitcher faces up to 30 years in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 6 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.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the Lewis County Drug Task Force, and the Lewis County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle.
Lee County Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Selling DrugsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Francis Medina (42, Lehigh Acres) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing cocaine and methamphetamine.
Medina had pleaded guilty on August 5, 2020.
According to court documents, in November 2019, Medina sold cocaine and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. When authorities later searched Medina’s home, they discovered a variety of drugs and a loaded gun in his bedroom.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
Leader of Neo-Nazi group ‘Atomwaffen’ pleads guilty to hate crime and conspiracy charges for threatening journalists and advocatesRead the Press Release
Seattle – Cameron Shea, 25, a leader of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, pled guilty earlier today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to federal conspiracy and hate crime charges for threatening journalists and advocates who worked to expose anti-Semitism, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Shea pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit three offenses against the United States: interference with federally-protected activities because of religion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 245; mailing threatening communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876; and cyberstalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A. He also pled guilty to one count of interfering with a federally protected activity because of religion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 245.
Shea and three co-defendants were charged with conspiring via an encrypted online chat group to identify journalists and advocates they wanted to threaten in retaliation for the victims’ work exposing anti-Semitism. The group focused primarily on those who are Jewish or journalists of color. The group created posters, which featured Nazi symbols, masked figures with guns and Molotov cocktails, and threatening messages, to deliver or mail to the journalists or advocates the group targeted. Shea messaged the group that he wanted Atomwaffen members in different locations to place posters on their victims’ homes on the same night to catch journalists off guard and accomplish a “show of force.” The posters were delivered to victims in Tampa, Seattle, and Phoenix. Shea mailed posters to several victims, including a poster sent to an official at the Anti-Defamation League that depicted a Grim Reaper-like figure wearing a skeleton mask holding a Molotov cocktail outside a residence, with the text “Our Patience Has Its Limits . . . You have been visited by your local Nazis.” Two of Shea’s co-defendants, Ashley Parker-Dipeppe and Johnny Roman Garza, previously pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and were sentenced. The fourth co-defendant, Kaleb Cole, pled not guilty and is awaiting trial in September 2021.
Shea will be sentenced on June 28, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the hate crime charge and 5 years for the conspiracy charge.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Tampa, Seattle, Houston, and Phoenix with assistance from the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer, with assistance from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, District of Arizona, and Central District of California.
Leader of Neo-Nazi Group Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime and Conspiracy Charges for Threatening Journalists and AdvocatesRead the Press Release
A Washington state man pleaded guilty today to federal hate crime and conspiracy charges in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Cameron Shea, 25, a leader of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, pled guilty to federal conspiracy and hate crime charges for threatening journalists and advocates who worked to expose anti-Semitism.
Shea pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit three offenses against the United States: interference with federally-protected activities because of religion; mailing threatening communications; and cyberstalking. He also pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with a federally protected activity because of religion.
Shea and three co-defendants were charged with conspiring via an encrypted online chat group to identify journalists and advocates they wanted to threaten in retaliation for the victims’ work exposing anti-Semitism. The group focused primarily on those who are Jewish or journalists of color. The group created posters, which featured Nazi symbols, masked figures with guns and Molotov cocktails, and threatening messages, to deliver or mail to the journalists or advocates the group targeted. Shea messaged the group that he wanted Atomwaffen members in different locations to place posters on their victims’ homes on the same night to catch journalists off guard and accomplish a “show of force.” The posters were delivered to victims in Tampa, Seattle, and Phoenix. Shea mailed posters to several victims, including a poster sent to an official at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that depicted a Grim Reaper-like figure wearing a skeleton mask holding a Molotov cocktail outside a residence, with the text “Our Patience Has Its Limits . . . You have been visited by your local Nazis.” Two of Shea’s co-defendants, Ashley Parker-Dipeppe and Johnny Roman Garza, previously pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and were sentenced. The fourth co-defendant, Kaleb Cole, pled not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Shea will be sentenced on June 28. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the hate crime charge and five years for the conspiracy charge.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Tampa, Seattle, Houston, and Phoenix with assistance from National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney David Smith and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Woods of the Western District of Washington with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, District of Arizona, and Central District of California.
As U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland recently stated: “[The Justice Department] will persist in our efforts to investigate and appropriately prosecute those who attack members of our communities, set fire to places of worship, or use the Internet to threaten bodily injury to other persons because of their real or perceived protected characteristics.”
For more information on the department’s commitment to serving the cause of justice and protecting the safety of all of our communities, please see: . For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes. If you believe you have been a victim of a civil rights violation, please visit https://civilrights.justice.gov/ to file a report.
Jury finds pair guilty on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On Wednesday, a jury convicted Oscar Dillon, 47, of St. Charles County, Missouri, guilty of drug conspiracy, attempted obstruction of justice and money laundering.
The same jury also convicted Michael Grady, 65, of St. Louis, Missouri, guilty of drug conspiracy, attempted obstruction of justice and money laundering. The jury found Grady not guilty on an additional charge of witness tampering.
United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey presided over the trial, which lasted more than two weeks.
The evidence at trial proved that Dillon and Grady provided long-term assistance to some of the area’s most prolific and violent drug traffickers in an effort to allow the drug trafficking to continue unimpeded by federal investigators. Among other things, Dillon and Grady routinely attempted to gain information about on-going federal investigations and prosecutions and the identities of cooperating witnesses so these organizations could continue their high-level drug distribution which generated significant proceeds and maintained prowess by violence. More specifically to the charged crimes, Dillon and Grady assisted in the flight of a known drug trafficker to Texas following federal indictment and concealed the source and ownership of drug proceeds.
“We are grateful the jury carefully considered the complex evidence presented in this case and arrived at the verdicts justice demanded,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “As was demonstrated throughout the trial, Defendants Dillon and Grady have each long provided vital assistance to the continued successful operation of violent drug distribution rings and have attempted to thwart federal prosecutions at every turn.”
The Court has scheduled sentencing for both Dillon and Grady on July 13, 2021.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Intelligence Section investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Reilly and Donald Boyce handled the case.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jeffrey Guzman Suarez, 30, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it. The charge carries carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that on October 2, 2019, during a review of outgoing mail, US Postal Inspectors were alerted to a suspicious parcel sent from Puerto Rico and addressed to the defendant. A Niagara Frontier Transit Detection K9 was brought in and gave a positive alert, indicating the presence of narcotics. During the execution of a search warrant on the package, inspectors discovered, concealed inside a small portable charcoal grill, an off-white chunky substance in brick form wrapped in multiple layers of plastic wrap, food storage bags, and cleaning wipes. The substance field tested positive for cocaine. On October 11, 2019, the defendant went to the Jamestown Postal Office and accepted the parcel which had been replaced with “sham” cocaine. As he attempted to exit the postal office, Suarez was arrested and taken into custody.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the United State Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Joshua McCallister, Acting Inspector-in-Charge, Boston Division, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Arson of Minneapolis Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk today announced the guilty plea of MATTHEW LEE RUPERT, 28, to one count of arson. RUPERT, who was initially charged on June 1, 2020, pleaded guilty today before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in U.S. District Court. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on May 28, 2020, RUPERT, a resident of Galesburg, Illinois, posted messages on his Facebook account referencing the public protests occurring in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd, including one that stated, “I’m going to Minneapolis tomorrow who coming only goons I’m renting hotel rooms.” On May 29, 2020, RUPERT posted a self-recorded cell phone video to his Facebook account indicating that he was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In his Facebook Live video, RUPERT announced that he came “to riot,” and is depicted encouraging violence against law enforcement officers, actively damaging property, breaking into buildings, and looting businesses.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, the video depicts RUPERT asking for lighter fluid before entering a boarded-up Sprint store located on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. RUPERT canvassed the store and eventually entered a backroom while telling others that he had located a store safe. RUPERT and others then knocked several boxes into a pile on the ground. RUPERT sprayed the pile of boxes with lighter fluid and another individual—at the time a juvenile and acting at RUPERT’S direction—lit the pile on fire. RUPERT fled the building and stated, “I lit it on fire!” The store sustained damage as a result of the fire.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the FBI Chicago Field Office, the FBI Springfield Field Office, and the Chicago Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz and Jordan L. Sing.
Defendant Information:
MATTHEW LEE RUPERT, 28
Galesburg, Ill.
Convicted:
- Arson, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Houston man pleads guilty to smuggling 119 aliens in trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old man has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On Jan. 12, Brodrick Keith Rhodes arrived at the Freer Border Patrol checkpoint driving a semi-truck and refrigerated trailer. He claimed he was hauling lettuce, but authorities noticed discrepancies with his bill of lading. They also noted he appeared nervous and that the trailer was set to 30 degrees but with an internal temperature of 68.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement ultimately found 119 aliens in the trailer’s cargo area.
Rhodes claimed he worked for a business in La Porte, but the bill of lading indicated he was transporting lettuce from a Laredo produce company to a location in Sugar Land. The business indicated Rhodes had never been employed with them nor do they even transport outside the Houston area. The other two companies confirmed they had no record of the shipment.
The aliens told authorities they had been taken to a truck and told to get in the trailer. It soon departed and did not stop until it reached the checkpoint.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 27. At that time, Rhodes faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
Harrison County man indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Carl David Davis, of Hepzibah, West Virginia, was indicted today on firearms charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Davis, 32, was indicted today on one count of “Possession of an Explosive by a Prohibited Person,” two counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.” Davis, who is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, is accused of having two electric explosive detonators (blasting caps) in November 2018. He is accused of having a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in September 2020. Davis is accused of having a .22 caliber rifle and four .32 caliber cartridges in October 2020. All alleged crimes took place in Harrison County.
Davis faces up 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each 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.
The indictment is also requesting the forfeiture of a 9mm pistol, 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a .22 caliber rifle, seven rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, one 12-gauge shotgun shell, and four rounds of .32 caliber ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Franklin County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Fitzgerald, age 83, of the Town of Waverly, New York, pled guilty today to possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In pleading guilty, Fitzgerald admitted that between February and April 2018, he engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor, and videorecorded that conduct. He further admitted to possessing these videos on August 9, 2019.
Fitzgerald faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. 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 has been set for June 9, 2021 in Albany before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shira Hoffman and Katherine Kopita.
Former Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to a Federal Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Lenore Gail Worthy, age 53, of Accokeek, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to Worthy’s plea agreement, Worthy obtained electronic tax return filing privileges from the Internal Revenue System (IRS). Worthy subsequently agreed to allow co-conspirator 1, who was not eligible to for admission into the IRS’s e-filing program due to a conviction for wire fraud, to use Worthy’s unique electronic filing identifiers, in exchange for a fee of $29 per tax return. Beginning in 2012, Worthy and co-conspirator 1 agreed to operate a business that would allow co-conspirator 1 to misrepresent his/her identity on the clients’ tax returns by using Worthy’s identifiers to prepare and electronically file fraudulent client tax returns with the IRS. In August 2015, the IRS expelled Worthy from its electronic tax return filing program due to a criminal investigation into fraudulent tax returns filed with her unique identifiers. At that time co-conspirator 3, who was also participating in the IRS’s electronic tax return filing program, agreed to allow Worthy and co-conspirator 1 to use co-conspirator 3’s unique identifiers in exchange for the use of Worthy and co-conspirator 1’s shared office space in Temple Hills, Maryland.
Worthy and co-conspirator 1 misrepresented their identities on their clients’ tax returns by using co-conspirator 3’s identifiers to prepare and electronically file the tax returns with the IRS. Co-conspirator 3 also joined in Worthy and co-conspirator 1’s practice of falsifying tax returns and fraudulently claiming refunds. Specifically, Worthy and her co-conspirators falsified tax returns by: fabricating, inflating, and improperly claiming deductions on the Schedules A that were attached to clients’ federal individual income tax returns; and engineering business losses by fabricating, inflating, and improperly claiming purported business expenses. As a result, Worthy, co-conspirator 1, and co-conspirator 3 artificially lowered their clients’ taxable income, thereby lowering the taxes that the clients owed to the IRS and inflating their refunds.
On December 15, 2017, co-conspirator 3 was also expelled from the IRS’s electronic tax return filing program due to a criminal investigation into fraudulent tax returns filed using co-co-conspirator 3’s unique identifiers. Co-conspirator 3 then misled a third-party electronic return originator (“ERO”) about the criminal nature of her issues with the IRS in order to obtain their assistance. The ERO allowed co-conspirator 3 to file tax returns using its unique identifiers, which co-conspirator 3 shared with Worthy and co-conspirator 1. Using the ERO’s identifiers, Worthy and her co-conspirators continued to prepare and file fraudulent federal tax returns through at least April 2019.
In total, the tax loss caused to the IRS as a direct result of Worthy and her co-conspirators’ conspiracy for the tax years 2012 through 2018 was $189,748. As part of her plea agreement, Worthy will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which the parties stipulate is at least $189,748.
Worthy faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy and three years in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for August 20, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
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Former Member of Violent Gang “11 Hunnit” Pleads Guilty to RICO Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of the City of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to a violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly known as RICO), Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Dionte Griffin, 25, formerly of the Hill District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, Mr. Griffin acknowledged that he was a member of the violent street gang known as "11 Hunnit," which operated in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Mr. Griffin acknowledged that he, along with alleged codefendants Sydney Pack, Richard Kelly, and others, conspired to conduct and participate in the conduct in the affairs of the 11 Hunnit gang through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting generically of acts involving murder, robbery, and the distribution of controlled substances. Mr. Griffin acknowledged his personal participation in certain overt acts that were done in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy, which included a January 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, an October 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, the unlawful possession of fentanyl and firearms, and his participation – along with other members of 11 Hunnit - in several publicly available rap music videos designed to intimidate rival gangs and enhance 11 Hunnit’s reputation as a violent enterprise.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2021, at 2:15 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine of not more than $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 remanded Mr. Griffin to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mr. Griffin. 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.
Former FBI Employee Sentenced for Receiving Bribes and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official James Heslep, 52, of Gainesville, Virginia, was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for receiving a bribe by a public official, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced today. Heslep was also sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release for making and subscribing a false federal income tax return. The sentences will run concurrently. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Heslep to forfeit $128,128 and pay $15,353 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. In the related case, Robert Bailey, 63, of Centreville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to paying a bribe to a public official. Bailey’s sentencing is set for May 5, 2021.
“A 39-month sentence is significant and sends the appropriate message to Mr. Heslep and other public officials entrusted with influence over government contracts,” said Gonzalez. “Public service is a public trust. The people of Idaho must be confident that when that trust is breeched, there will be severe consequences no matter who you are or where you work. This investigation, this prosecution, and this sentence delivers that message clearly and forcefully.”
According to court records, Heslep was a Management and Program Analyst with the FBI. In that position, Heslep was responsible for managing construction and services contracts for FBI buildings across the country.
According to court records, in 2001, Bailey, purchased L-1, a construction management and operations company located in Chantilly, Virginia. In 2008, Heslep and Bailey became business acquaintances when they worked together on an FBI construction project.
According to court records, in 2017, the FBI broke ground on the construction of a data center in Pocatello, Idaho (the Pocatello Data Center project). The Pocatello Data Center project involved construction of a two-building, 140,000 square-foot complex that would accommodate data halls containing computer equipment and office space. The purpose was to consolidate multiple FBI data centers from across the country and improve efficiency and cyber-security. In 2017, Heslep became the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the Pocatello Data Center project. In that position, Heslep had management and oversight responsibilities over the construction of the Pocatello Data Center.
According to court records, from 2016 through 2018, Bailey and L-1 made illegal payments, and gave items of value, to Heslep. These payments included 18 deposits totaling $120,000 into a bank account controlled by Heslep. From this account, Heslep made payments on a personal loan, home mortgage, car, credit card, and vacation travel payments, among other personal expenditures at retail stores, such as a pair of diamond earrings that cost $5,300. In addition, Bailey and L-1 provided the following items of value to Heslep: a fiftieth birthday party in Dallas, Texas, including first-class airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game; a beach house rental in Nags Head, North Carolina; first-class Amtrak train tickets; invitations to a L-1 company holiday party; and tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball game, among other gratuities. The total value of the unlawful payments and gratuities was $128,128.
“Heslep abused his position as a government contracting officer. He accepted bribes of cash, sports tickets, and other items of value in exchange for granting favorable contracting terms. This sentencing shows that this kind of fraud will not be tolerated,” said Douglas B. Bruce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Denver Field Office.
“This sentence sends a clear message that the law of the land applies to everyone, including paying your fair share of taxes, regardless of position or power,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge of IRS – Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office. “Heslep abused his position as a public official to obtain illegal payments which he used for his own personal gain. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to enforce the nation’s tax laws regardless of a person’s status or a person’s position as a public official.”
According to court records, Bailey and L-1 made these payments, and gave these items of value, to Heslep with the intent to influence Heslep in performing official acts at FBI to benefit L-1 on the Pocatello Data Center project. These official acts included the following: Heslep seeking and receiving authorization for approximately $16,000 monthly per diem payments from the FBI to Bailey for L-1 employees who stayed at Bailey’s house instead of a hotel; Heslep soliciting and including Bailey’s edits in the statement of work to a $12.2 million construction and services bridge contract (related to the Pocatello Data Center project) that the FBI later awarded to S-1 (as general contractor) and L-1 (as subcontractor); and Heslep convincing his FBI superiors to pay L-1 for its work on the bridge contract at higher Washington, D.C. metropolitan-area labor rates, rather than lower Idaho labor rates. The Washington D.C. labor rates were approximately 30 percent greater than the Idaho labor rates.
When pronouncing the sentence Judge Winmill stated, “this is a case of greed.” He emphasized the case involved “public trust and public funds and when there is an abuse of that, there have to be consequences.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
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Former College Track and Field Coach Charged in Cyberstalking, Extortion and Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former track and field coach at various universities was arrested and charged today in connection with a scheme to trick female student-athletes, through sham social media accounts, into sending him nude or semi-nude photos. The defendant also allegedly cyberstalked at least one female student-athlete.
Steve Waithe, 28, of Chicago, Ill., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking and one count of wire fraud. Waithe was arrested today in Chicago and will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois this afternoon. He will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to charging documents, Waithe was employed as a track and field coach at Northeastern University in Boston from October 2018 to February 2019. It is alleged that during that time, Waithe frequently requested to use female athletes’ cellphones under the pretense of filming their form at practice and at meets. At times, he was observed “scrolling through” the phones.
Beginning in at least February 2020, Waithe allegedly perpetrated a scheme to dupe female Northeastern University track and field athletes into sending him nude or semi-nude photos of themselves. Specifically, Waithe contacted the alleged victims through social media accounts, stated that he had found compromising photos of them online and offered to “help” get the photos removed from the internet. Under this pretense, it is alleged that Waithe requested additional nude or semi-nude photos that he could purportedly use for “reverse image searches.” He used various pseudonyms on social media including variations of the phrase “Privacy Protector,” “Katie Janovich,” and “Anon” followed by various numbers.
As detailed in court documents, from at least June 21, 2020 to Oct. 3, 2020, Waithe cyberstalked at least one female Northeastern student-athlete through messages sent via social media, an anonymized phone number and intrusion into her Snapchat account. The investigation revealed that internet search and browsing history tied to Waithe allegedly included searches for information on how to hack Snapchat accounts and visits to webpages with titles like, “Can anyone trace my fake Instagram account back to me?”
Under the purported premise of an “athlete research” or “body development” study, it is alleged that Waithe emailed prospective victims using the personas of “Katie Janovich” and/or “Kathryn Svoboda.” The emails described a phony study for athletes and requested information relating to height, weight and diet habits. The emails also included a request for the victims to send photos of themselves in a “uniform or bathing suit to show as much skin as possible” and suggested that the photos would not be shared or saved. The emails often included attachments of sample nude and semi-nude images of “Katie” to illustrate the types of photos that victims should send. According to court documents, investigators have identified more than 10 victims of the “body development study” scheme and over 300 related nude and semi-nude images of victims of the scheme in Waithe’s email accounts.
According to charging documents, Waithe previously worked as a track and field coach at several academic institutions, including Penn State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago.
If you believe that you may be a victim of the allegations in this case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/us-v-steven-waithe
The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The Northeastern University Police Department provided substantial assistance with the investigation; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Chicago Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Casino Employee Pleads Guilty to TheftRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Reginal Brown, 36, a former employee of the Pearl River Resort – Silver Star Casino pled guilty today to a federal indictment charging him with theft by an employee of a gaming establishment on Indian lands, announced Acting United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
Brown was a banquet server at the Silver Star Hotel & Casino in the Pearl River Resort. Between January 2016 and May 2016, Brown used his own password on multiple occasions, to take, for himself, approximately $10,800 from the cash recyclers in the facility. Casino management discovered the discrepancy in accounting and on video surveillance of the cash recycler area, then reported Brown to law enforcement. Choctaw Police Department investigators interviewed Brown, and Brown then admitted to taking the money, as charged, from the Casino. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2018.
Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca stated, “Federal law imposes severe penalties for crimes committed in licensed gaming establishments. The great potential for misconduct in these settings calls for constant vigilance and self-discipline of those entrusted with the casinos’ operation.”
Brown will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kristi H. Johnson on July 7, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore Cooperstein and Kevin J. Payne.
Five Charged with COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that five men were indicted by a grand jury on multiple federal charges for fraudulently obtaining and misappropriating Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan funds.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses through the PPP program, which was designed to provide small businesses with loans in order to keep employees on the payroll.
The indictment alleges that Jemar Mason and David Kurbanov, in concert with Andre Jackson and James Williams, received approximately $1.495 million through the Small Business Administration and the PPP for two shell companies. It is further alleged that, with the assistance of Dennis Lynn Cartwright, Jr., the defendants attempted to transfer the money to cover up the fact that it was fraudulently obtained. Investigators located and recovered approximately $1.123 million of the loan funds. Mason, Kurbanov, and Cartwright live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area; Williams and Jackson live in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
The charges and maximum penalties are as follows:
- Jemar Ahton Mason – conspiracy to commit wire fraud & wire fraud (each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000); conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000); and two counts of attempting to engage in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity (each punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000)
- David Kurbanov – conspiracy to commit wire fraud & wire fraud (each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000); conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000); and three counts of engaging in, or attempting to engage in, a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity (each punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000)
- Dennis Lynn Cartwright, Jr. – conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000) and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity (up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000)
- Andre Jackson – conspiracy to commit wire fraud & wire fraud (each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000); conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000); and attempting to engage in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity (up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000)
- James Williams – conspiracy to commit wire fraud & wire fraud (each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000); conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000); and attempting to engage in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity (up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000)
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties provided by law. Upon conviction, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These charges are part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by law enforcement officers in the Western District of Michigan and the Northern District of Georgia, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Michigan State Police, Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (KANET), and the Grand Rapids Police Department.
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Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Davron Igles (33, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Igles to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.
Igles had pleaded guilty on October 28, 2019.
According to court documents and testimony presented at the sentencing hearing, in May 2019, during an argument at a convenience store in Ybor City, Igles pulled up his shirt revealing a pistol. When law enforcement officers tried to arrest Igles, he attempted to flee and resisted their efforts to detain him and to remove the gun from his waistband. Officers eventually took him into custody and recovered the firearm.
Igles had previously been convicted of 13 felonies, including a conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As a result, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Federal Immigration Official Originally from Nigeria Charged with Illegally Obtaining U.S. Citizenship under Fake IdentityRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An immigration services officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was arrested this morning in Maryland on a federal charge that alleges he obtained U.S. citizenship under a false name.
The defendant is charged under the false name of “Karl Nwabugwu Odike Ifemembi,” but the criminal complaint in this case notes that his real name is Modestus Nwagubwu Ifemembi, originally of Nigeria. Ifemembi, 48, who previously resided in Aliso Viejo, but relocated to Rockville, Maryland, last year, has worked for USCIS for seven years. Ifemembi is charged in the complaint with one count of unlawfully procuring U.S. citizenship.
Ifemembi made false statements on various government forms to obtain U.S. citizenship, as well as employment with USCIS, according to the affidavit in support of the complaint, which was unsealed this morning.
Ifemembi first entered the United States in 2000 when he flew from France to Chicago with a British passport that had been issued to another person but had been altered to display Ifemembi’s photograph, according to the affidavit. While immigration officials in Chicago caught Ifemembi – who admitted his fraudulent use of the U.K. passport, the affidavit states – he ultimately was granted asylum after falsely claiming his real name was “Karlos Mourfy” and that he was a native of Sierra Leone.
After being granted asylum, Ifemembi attended the University of California, Berkeley, which granted him a bachelor’s degree in 2004, and then obtained J.D. from the University of Oregon, School of Law. Then, in late 2010, “Karlos Mourfy” applied for U.S. citizenship and asked to change his name to Ifemembi – requests that were granted in May 2011. Two years later, in 2013, Ifemembi was hired by USCIS, according to the affidavit.
During the investigation into Ifemembi, federal investigators traveled to Africa – including his hometown of Akuma, Nigeria – and searched his Orange County residence in 2019, obtaining evidence about his true identity, including baptism, school and financial records, the affidavit states.
Ifemembi is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charge of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and upon conviction, U.S. citizenship is automatically revoked.
The investigation into Ifemembi is being conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – Office of Investigations, and the United States Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Federal Grand Jury Charges Founder of Online Live Streaming Outfit with Wire Fraud in Connection with Bogus $14 Million Stock OfferingRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former Southern California resident was charged today with defrauding more than 100 investors out of $14 million by using boiler room tactics to fraudulently offer a “pre-IPO” investing opportunity in his online streaming and entertainment company, then using much of the funds to support his lavish lifestyle.
Ronald Shane Flynn, a.k.a. “Ronnie Shane,” 57, who formerly resided in Santa Monica and Orange County and is believed to be residing abroad, was charged in a federal grand jury indictment with 15 counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Flynn was the founder and operator of Vuuzle Media Corp., which purported to be a streaming media business with offices in New York, Las Vegas, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and other locations throughout the world.
From September 2016 to the present, Flynn falsely represented to investors that Vuuzle was a pre-IPO (initial public offering) investment opportunity that would provide high returns when it went public. To raise investor money, Flynn, through Vuuzle, hired a salesforce to solicit investors to purchase Vuuzle stock, according to the indictment. Although Vuuzle’s paperwork with federal securities regulators indicated Vuuzle would pay no commissions, Flynn allegedly paid large commissions to his salesforce and independent stock promoters.
Flynn also falsely told investors that their money would be used to operate and build Vuuzle’s online streaming business, as well as to take the company public, and he promised investors they would receive dividend payments from their investments in Vuuzle, according to the indictment.
Based on Vuuzle’s U.S.-based bank account and filed tax returns, Vuuzle never made a profit, and Flynn did not intend to conduct an IPO for Vuuzle, the indictment alleges. Because Vuuzle did not have audited financials, it could never make a public offering on any public stock exchange, and, since its inception in 2016, Vuuzle has never paid dividends to any investor, according to the indictment.
Out of the $14 million raised in investor funds, Flynn allegedly took a large portion of investor money to support his lavish lifestyle, including purchases at resorts and jewelry merchants, using an American Express credit card paid for by Vuuzle.
An indictment 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 of all charges, Flynn would face a statutory maximum sentence of 300 years in federal prison.
In January, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Flynn and Vuuzle in federal court in New Jersey, alleging violations of federal securities laws.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Federal Grand Jury A Indictments Announced -April (Partial Results)Read the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the partial results of the April 2021 Federal Grand Jury A. Grand jury continues through Friday.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Neil Anthony Burch. Assault by Strangulation in Indian Country; Cyberstalking. Burch, 26, of Oolagah, is charged with assaulting an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating the victim on July 28, 2020. He is further charged with cyberstalking the victim from July 12, 2020, through July 28, 2020. The FBI and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.
Benjamin Robert Cole Sr. First Degree Murder in Indian Country. Cole Sr., 57, is charged with murdering a Native American 9-month-old child on Dec. 20, 2002. He is currently housed in an Oklahoma Department of Corrections facility. The FBI and Claremore Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Douglas Lee Dixon. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Dixon, 28, of Tulsa, is charged with shooting and killing Stanley Watkins on Feb. 20, 2021. The FBI and Vinita Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Ryan Paul Franks. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition (Counts 1 and 4); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3). Franks, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing 13 firearms: a Glock G.m.b.H. .40 caliber pistol, a Ruger .44 magnum caliver revolver, a Baikal, 9X19mm caliver pistol, a Fratelli Tanfoglio .380 auto caliber pistol, an Omega . 32 caliber pistol, an Israel Military Industries 9X19mm caliber pistol; a Lorcin, .380 caliber pistol, an Iver Johnson .22 caliber revolver, a Frontier Scout .22 caliber revolver, a Frontier Scout .22 caliber revolver, a charter Arms .22 caliber rifle, an Anderson .223 caliber rifle, a Remington 12 gauge shotgun, and a Marlin .22 caliber rifle. He also possessed various rounds of ammunition. He is further charged with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Jason Wayne Gaghins. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug - Involved Premises. Gaghins is charged with intentionally possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. When agents and officers executed a search warrant on Gaghins’ residence, they allegedly discovered more than 20 kilos of methamphetamine. He is further charged with maintaining a drug involved premises. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements’ Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma City Police Department are the investigative e agencies.
Josiah Gammill. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Gammill, 18, of Tulsa, is charged with shooting and killing Hunter Allen Majors on March 21, 2021. He is further charged with carrying and brandishing a firearm during the crime. See the initial press release announcing charges by criminal complaint.The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Tulsa Police Department and Craig County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.
Andrew Gibbs. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 1-3). Gibbs, 63, of Sapulpa, allegedly sexually abused two children under 12 years of age. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Eugene Harris. Attempted Robbery in Indian Country. Harris, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with using force and violence to commit robbery outside a Quick Trip on Dec. 29, 2020. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are conducting the investigation.
Andrew Blake Hood. Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Hood, 24, of Bixby, is charged with breaking and entering into a residence with intent to steal property in the residence. The FBI and Bixby Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Jeremy Wayne Lewis. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity. From Feb. 1 through March 13, 2019, Lewis, 22, of Claremore, is alleged to have sexually abused a minor between 12 and 16 years of age. He is also charged with using his cell phone to entice the minor to engage in sexual activity. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Catoosa Police Department, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.
Sonny Ray McCombs, Chekota Leetaft Whitetree. Robbery in Indian Country; Theft in Indian Country; Eluding Police Officers in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country; Using, Carrying, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. McCombs, 30, of Tulsa, and Whitetree, 25, in Okla DOC facility, are charged with aiding and abetting one another when violently forcing a victim out of her 2015 Nissan Sentra in a carjacking on Dec. 15, 2016. The victim was drug approximately 20 feet while she tried to free herself from the vehicle when the defendants started driving away with her car.
In this superseding indictment, McCombs and Whitetree are also charged with theft for shoplifting clothes, face masks and two BB guns valued at $519.10 at Academy Sports the same evening. Later, Tulsa Police officers located the stolen Nissan from the carjacking and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Whitetree allegedly sped away, leading officers on a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, McCombs and Whitetree allegedly aided and abetted one another, discharging a firearm at officers. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Daniel Edrick Miller. Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country (Counts 1 and 2); Assault of an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Miller, 34, of Tulsa, allegedly raped a female victim from Feb. 26, 2021, through Feb. 27, 2021 (Counts 1 and 2). He threatened the victim with a firearm. He is further charged with strangling the victim during that time period. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Williams Dwayne Myers. Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Assault of an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Myers, 37, of Sapulpa, is charged with assaulting an intimate partner, by striking her with his head and hands and violently throwing the victim to the ground causing serious bodily injury on March 23, 2021. He is further charged with strangling the victim. The FBI, Sapulpa Police Department, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Michael Joseph Pointer. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country; Carjacking; Kidnapping in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Pointer, 42, of Sand Springs, is charged with kidnapping a former intimate partner using force and intimidation and driving her around Tulsa in her vehicle. At one point, the victim was able to break away from Pointer and run into a convenience store where she hid in a bathroom. A store employee called authorities. Tulsa Police officers responded to the call, located the vehicle and conducted a high-risk traffic stop. Officers allegedly located a 12-gauge shot gun and ammunition in the vehicle. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Terrance Dujuan Reed. Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangling, Suffocating, and Attempting to Strangle and Suffocate in Indian Country. Reed, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with strangling and suffocating an intimate partner on Feb. 16, 2020. See the initial press release announcing charges by criminal complaint. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Michael Joe Rice. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Rice, 58, in Okla DOC facility, is charged with killing the victim, Ruth Rice, by beating her about the head and body on Aug. 4, 2011, in Welch. During the assault, he is also alleged to have raped the victim. The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Craig County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.
Tosha Renee Walker, Robert Anthony Summers. Robbery in Indian Country (Counts 1 and 5); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Counts 2 and 6); Carjacking (Counts 3 and 7); Use or Carry a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (Counts 4 and 8). On Aug. 2, 2020 Walker, 34, of Wagoner, allegedly aided and abetted others when robbing a victim using violence and intimidation (Count 1). She is further charged with aiding and abetting others to kidnap the victim (Count 2). Walker and Summers, 33, of Tulsa, are both charged with aiding and abetting each other to commit a carjacking (Count 3). The pair allegedly drove around with the victim in her vehicle. The victim was eventually able to get away from the defendants who drove off with her Kia Forte. The two allegedly carried a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking (Count 4).
In a separate incident, Walker is charged with aiding and abetting others to rob a victim using violence and intimidation on Dec. 25, 2020, taking items from the victim’s apartment (Count 5). The victim was restrained with duct tape during the incident. Walker is also charged aiding and abetting others to kidnap the victim (Count 6). She is further charged with aiding and abetting another to carjack the victim, leaving the scene with the victim’s Subaru Impreza (Count 7). Finally, Walker is charged with aiding and abetting another when she carried a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking (Count 8). The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
East Hartford Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY FLORES, also known as “Cuz-o,” 37, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 136 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division into the trafficking of narcotics and associated violence in Hartford’s South End by members and associates of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation (“Latin Kings”). The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that that Flores and Nelson Ferry operated separate drug trafficking organizations that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. Both organizations used multiple locations to process, package, store and distribute narcotics, and possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities.
Flores’ organization primarily sold narcotics in the area of Hungerford Street and Park Street, and he used both his East Hartford residence and an apartment on Broad Street in Hartford to store and sell drugs. He also used firearms and acts of violence to further his drug operation.
Flores was arrested on June 19, 2018. On that date, investigators seized a handgun and various controlled substances that Flores stored at a family member’s residence in East Hartford, and a second handgun found at a barber shop Flores owned in Hartford.
Flores has been detained since his arrest. On March 12, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Ferry pleaded guilty to related charges and, on February 26, 2020, was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and Shooting Task Force have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Dominican National Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national who previously resided in Lawrence was sentenced today in connection with drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl.
Robinson Guzman, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Guzman will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.
In July 2020, Guzman pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Between November 2018 and March 2019, prior to his arrest, Guzman engaged in 10 separate drug sales of fentanyl powder and pills to an undercover law enforcement agent.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen, Lawrence and Melrose Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national previously residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fentanyl conspiracy charges.
Enmanuel Brioso Fabal, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more fentanyl, one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Aug. 4, 2021. Brioso Fabal and two co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint and arrested in November 2019. They were subsequently indicted in January 2020, along with a fourth co-defendant.
According to court documents, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brioso Fabal, who was working with a co-defendant: approximately 500 fentanyl pills on Aug. 5, 2019, and approximately 56 grams of suspected fentanyl powder on Sept. 26, 2019. On Nov. 2, 2019, a search was executed at a stash house in Lawrence associated with the drug organization where various drug distribution paraphernalia, including a mixing bowl containing suspected fentanyl, sifters and blenders were recovered.
The charges of distribution and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of distribution of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Graber of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Charged with Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with trafficking fentanyl.
Eric Encarnacion Medina, 33, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Medina was previously charged by criminal complaint and has been in federal custody since his arrest on Feb. 12, 2021.
According to court documents, a drug supplier based in the Dominican Republic arranged to sell one kilogram of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Massachusetts. The supplier arranged to have Encarnacion Medina transport the drugs from New York to Massachusetts. On Jan. 28, 2021, Encarnacion Medina allegedly drove to Massachusetts and sold the drugs to the cooperating witness in a parking lot in Watertown.
The charges of conspiracy and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chiropractor pays to settle allegations arising from electro-acupuncture device billingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The chief financial officer of Rockport Physical Medicine PA has agreed to pay $273,000 to resolve allegations she falsely billed Medicare for the use of acupuncture devices, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Stacy Hawkins, 54, is a licensed chiropractor in Rockport.
From Sep. 1, 2016, to Dec. 27, 2018, the company billed Medicare for the implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. Medicare pays thousands of dollars for this surgical procedure that requires the use of an operating room.
However, Hawkins and the clinic’s staff did not perform surgery. Instead, patients received devices used for electro-acupuncture. This involves inserting needles into patients’ ears with the neurostimulator taped behind them with an adhesive.
Medicare does not reimburse for electro-acupuncture devices as implantable neurostimulators.
To date, there have been two other settlements in this district - with a Katy anesthesiologist and a Houston pain doctor - involving similar allegations of false billing.
The Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 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.
Charges Announced for Credit Card Skimming Scheme that Targeted Fresno Gas StationsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Arman Mkhitaryan, 33, of Glendale, arraigned today on a 33-count indictment charging him with bank fraud and credit card fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Mkhitaryan installed credit card skimming devices at Fresno area gas stations and stole individuals’ credit card information. He then used that information to create counterfeit credit cards and purchase more than $160,000 in postage stamps via self-service kiosks at U.S. Post Offices.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente Tennerelli and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of bank fraud, Mkhitaryan faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. If convicted of the credit card fraud, Mkhitaryan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Canton Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
A Canton man pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Mohsin was joined in the announcement by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Shailesh Patel, 53, entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge George Caram Steeh. A sentencing date has been set for July 20, 2021.
“The sexual assault of children and the production of child pornography are heinous crimes and those who prey upon our children and commit these acts of violence will be vigorously prosecuted and brought to justice,” stated Acting US Attorney Mohsin. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal and local law enforcement partners involved with the SEMTEC Task Force to protect children from abuse and exploitation.”
“The women in this case were sexually assaulted for years by Shailesh Patel,” said Prosecutor Worthy. “They were children when the abuse began, and they were courageous to come forward as adults to report this behavior to the authorities. For their sake we are pleased that we were able to reach a global resolution with our state case and the Federal case.”
“It takes great partnerships from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to successfully investigate these cases,” said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Detroit. “The FBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from harm and exploitation.”
As part of his plea, Patel agreed that in approximately 2010, on at least one occasion, he gave a 10 year old female his cellular phone and instructed her to make a video producing a visual depiction that constituted child pornography.
Patel also pleaded guilty on March 19, 2021 in Wayne County Circuit Court to 15 to 35 years in prison for a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges, 9 to 15 years for two second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges, and probation for a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, conduct involving two minor female victims, one of which is the same victim in the federal case. He is expected to be sentenced in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office case on May 28, 2021.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the Canton Police Department and the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force (“SEMTEC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as a cooperative effort between the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office.
California Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Role in $1.3 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A California man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in a bank fraud scheme resulting in approximately $1.3 million in losses, Acting U.S.Attorney Rachael Honig announced.
Adam D. Arena, 44, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between 2016 and 2018, Arena conspired with Larry McGee and Dwayne Modeliste to execute a scheme to defraud Synchrony Bank. Arena obtained the personally identifiable information of others, most of whom were incarcerated individuals. Arena and his conspirators then used those individuals’ personal information to obtain credit cards from Synchrony Bank. Arena and his conspirators submitted to Synchrony Bank merchant applications so those enrolled merchants could accept Synchrony credit cards as a form of payment. After Arena and his conspirators enrolled the merchants with Synchrony Bank, they used the fraudulently obtained credit cards to conduct fraudulent transactions at the merchants. The fraudulent proceeds of those transactions were deposited into bank accounts controlled by Arena and his conspirators.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Arena to three years of supervised release. He also ordered Arena to make restitution to Synchrony Bank in the amount of $1.3 million and ordered forfeiture in the amount of $608,282.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine R. Murphy of the
U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.
California CEO Pleads Guilty in Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to employment tax fraud.
According to court documents, Michael Todd Lucas, CEO of i3 Brands Inc., controlled a number of inventory software development businesses from 2008 through 2017, including i3 Brands Inc., Trademotion Inc. (formerly known as Trademotion LLC), Intelligentz Automotive Corporation, and Intelligentz Corporation. Lucas had significant control over the finances of these companies and had a legal duty to account for and pay employment taxes to the IRS. Lucas caused these entities to withhold taxes from employees’ paychecks, but he did not fully pay the withheld taxes to the IRS. Rather, Lucas caused the businesses to spend thousands of dollars for his personal benefit. In total, from 2008 to 2017, Lucas’ entities failed to pay over more than $4.9 million in payroll taxes, penalties, and interest.
Lucas pleaded guilty to failing to account for and pay over employment taxes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman for the Southern District of California made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Charles A. O’Reilly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen K. Moulton, now of the Middle District of Alabama, prosecuted the case.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tyrell McDuffie, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha Coulson, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant maintained a residence on Wyoming Avenue in Buffalo to store and sell cocaine and crack cocaine to customers. On April 5, 2019, investigators surveilled the defendant as he conducted a drug transaction with a co-defendant outside of the Wyoming Avenue residence. Shortly afterwards, investigators stopped the co-defendant’s vehicle for a traffic violation and recovered an amount of a suspected crack cocaine. Investigators seized the co-defendant’s cell phone, which contained text messages from McDuffie setting up the drug transaction. In addition, on four different occasions between September 2018 and January 2019, McDuffie sold crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Bourbon County Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Paris, Ky., man, Johnathan Scott Mason, 27, was sentenced to 360 months on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for the production of child pornography.
According to his guilty plea agreement, in March 2020, law enforcement officers were made aware of Mason’s activity on the social media application, Kik. On this app, Mason expressed a sexual interest in children and said that he had sexually explicit images of minors, which he had produced. Mason admitted that he knew that the visual depictions were produced and transported using the Internet.
Mason pleaded guilty in January 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lt. Colonel Phillip Burnett, Acting Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; jointly announced the sentence.
Under federal law, Mason name must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
The investigation was conducted by Department of Homeland Security-HSI and KSP-Electronic Crimes Branch. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Bidder Pleads Guilty to Rigging Bids at Online Auctions for Surplus Government EquipmentRead the Press Release
A Missouri man pleaded guilty today to rigging online bids submitted to the General Services Administration (GSA).
According to court documents, Alan Gaines pleaded guilty to the one-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on Jan. 30, 2020. According to the indictment, Gaines conspired with others to rig bids at online public auctions of surplus government equipment conducted by the GSA from about July 2012 until as late as May 2018. Gaines is the third individual charged and the third individual to plead guilty in the investigation.
“For years, the defendant’s self-serving scheme stole from the government and robbed American taxpayers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. “I commend the team of GSA Office of Inspector General (OIG) agents and Antitrust Division prosecutors and paralegals for their dedication to safeguarding online auctions from collusion.”
“Competition is a fundamental component of any fair auction,” said Inspector General Carol F. Ochoa of the GSA. “GSA OIG will continue to investigate allegations of collusive activities that undermine the integrity of GSA Auctions and short-change the taxpayer.”
The GSA operates GSA Auctions, which offers the general public the opportunity to bid electronically on a wide variety of federal assets, including computer equipment that is no longer needed by government agencies. GSA Auctions sells that equipment via its online auctions, and the proceeds of the auctions are distributed to the government agencies or the U.S. Treasury general fund.
According to the indictment, the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and eliminate competition. The indictment further alleges that Gaines and his co-conspirators obtained the equipment by agreeing which co-conspirators would submit bids for particular lots offered for sale by GSA Auctions and which co-conspirator would be designated to win a particular lot.
Gaines pleaded guilty to a violation of the Sherman Act. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The GSA Office of Inspector General Great Lakes Regional Investigations Office in Chicago is investigating the case.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to GSA auctions should contact the Chicago Office of the Antitrust Division at 312-984-7200, the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or email the GSA Office of Inspector General at [email protected].
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Armed Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Richard Tingler, age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentence was imposed on April 6, 2021.
The sentence plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to his plea agreement, on January 23, 2019 and February 1, 2019, Richard Tingler and his co-defendant David Gollahon committed two-armed bank robberies in Baltimore, Maryland, with co-defendant Richard Adams serving as the getaway driver in each robbery. During each of the robberies, Tingler and Gollahon brandished firearms and threatened bank employees.
Specifically, on January 23, 2019, Adams drove Tingler and Gollahon in a gray Hyundai Accent car that he had rented two weeks earlier, to a bank located in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore. Tingler carried a loaded black .45-caliber firearm and Gollahon carried a loaded black .380-caliber firearm and both men wore ski masks to disguise their identities. Tingler also carried a black leather duffel bag.
After entering the bank, Tingler approached the victim teller, pointed his firearm at her and demanded $100 dollar bills and “loose bills” from the bottom drawer of the till. Meanwhile, Gollahon held the other bank employees and customers at gunpoint in the lobby area of the bank. He told the bank employees and customers, “don’t move.” Tingler took more than $7,000 in cash from the victim teller. Tingler and Gollahon then ran away, accidentally dropping more than $5,000 in cash as they ran through a parking lot. They got into the waiting gray Hyundai Accent car driven by Adams, and drove away.
On February 1, 2019, Adams drove Tingler and Gollahon in a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo, which was registered to Adams, to a bank located in the 2900 block of O’Donnell Street in Baltimore. Tingler and Gollahon each had the same firearm they had used in connection with the January 23, 2019 bank robbery, and their faces were covered. After entering the bank, Tingler and Gollahon approached the teller window. Tingler pointed his firearm at the teller and demanded $100 bills. The victim teller handed over cash from the till, but Tingler continued to demand more money. At the same time, Gollahon approached the teller line with his firearm pointed in the direction of the tellers and bank customers. In response to the demands for more cash, the victim teller and a co-worker went to the bank’s vault and removed more cash, which they provided to Tingler and Gollahon, along with a GPS tracker, which was activated.
Tingler and Gollahon then fled the bank and got into the 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Adams, who was waiting for them. Adams drove the Monte Carlo away from the bank. Law enforcement received GPS information concerning the location of the GPS tracker taken from the bank, which they relayed to Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
BPD officers stopped the vehicle. Adams, Tingler, and Gollahon were ordered out of the vehicle and arrested. At the time of his arrest, Gollahon had the same firearm he used during the robbery on his person. Law enforcement searched Adams’ car and recovered a blue backpack containing the cash taken during the robbery, the GPS tracker, and the firearm carried by Tingler during both bank robberies.
Later that day, law enforcement searched Adams’ residence in Essex, Maryland and seized Gollahon’s gray hooded sweatshirt and the black leather duffel bag carried by Tingler during the January 23, 2019 robbery.
Tingler was detained pending trial. During the period of his pre-trial detention, Tingler was heard on lawfully recorded jail calls stating that he “robbed a bank” and that it “didn’t work out.” On a separate call, Tingler admitted that the cash taken from the bank “had a GPS in it.” On another call, Tingler described in more detail the banks he robbed, stating that he robbed two banks in Canton, and that he wouldn’t have gotten caught if he hadn’t taken a GPS tracker.
Co-defendants David Gollahon, age 59, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Richard Adams, age 60, of Essex, Maryland, were sentenced to 13 years in federal prison and 90 months in federal prison, respectively.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the BPD, and the BCPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Daniel Loveland, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
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Armed robbery of Billings convenience store sends man to prison for more than 18 yearsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A man who admitted using a gun to hold up a Billings convenience store and to shooting the clerk in the arm was sentenced today to 18 years and nine months in prison and to five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Darren Samuel Whiteman, 37, a transient, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2020 to robbery affecting commerce and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that on Nov. 24, 2019, the Billings Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Gas n Go, located at 800 Jackson Ave. During the robbery, the suspect, identified through the investigation as Whiteman, shot the clerk in the arm with a handgun. The victim reported that Whiteman said, “Open the cash register. I’m robbing the place. Imma pop this bitch.” Whiteman then shot the clerk and fled in a pickup truck.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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Albuquerque woman pleads guilty to federal firearm and drug chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Elisha Muller, 36, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 7 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
A grand jury indicted Muller on Sept. 10, 2020. According to the plea agreement, Muller was arrested on Aug. 20, 2020, after law enforcement received information that she was selling drugs and executed a search warrant at her apartment in Albuquerque. Officers discovered three firearms, ammunition, 15 grams of methamphetamine, 5 grams of heroin and $1,800 in her apartment. Muller admitted to selling drugs and keeping drug sale ledgers of her transactions that officers also found at her apartment.
Muller is currently in custody and faces 20 years in prison for these offenses.
The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case.
Tuesday 6 April 2021
Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Coercing Members of Church Ministry into Forced LaborRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The self-appointed bishop of a Pennsylvania ministry has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for forcing church members to work certain jobs, pocketing their earnings, and directing them to defraud various hotels.
A jury in 2019 convicted TRACIE DICKEY, also known as “Tracie Williams,” 57, of Pittsburgh, Pa., on wire fraud and labor trafficking charges.
Dickey was a self-appointed bishop of Deliverance Tabernacle Ministries, an organization she founded that proclaimed to offer faith-based services in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. She also purported to operate a travel agency known as World Ambassador Travel. Evidence at trial revealed that Dickey recruited young women to become members of the ministry, and directed them to work multiple jobs, including as desk clerks at hotels. She instructed the members on how to have the hotels pay reservation-commission fees to Dickey’s travel agency, even though her agency never actually booked reservations on behalf of the hotel guests. The hotel scheme resulted in at least $66,525 in fraudulent proceeds.
Dickey also collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages earned by members of her ministry. Dickey emotionally and physically abused the members and coerced them into following her rules. Dickey’s tactics included starving and humiliating church members, forcing some of them into homelessness, and threatening that God would harm their families if they did not comply with Dickey’s rules. Several of Dickey’s victims testified at trial about their ordeals.
U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 12-year sentence Monday in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Northern District of Texas and Middle District of Florida, and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen E. Merin.
Wheeling residents indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Cordale Antonio Williams and Tina Soper, of both of Wheeling, West Virginia, was indicted today on drug charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Williams, 30, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Hydrochloride,” one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base,” one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.”
Soper, 43, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Hydrochloride,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride,” and one count of “Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise.”
Both are accused of working together to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride from the summer of 2020 to March 2021 in Ohio County. Williams, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior convictions, is accused of having two 9mm pistols, a .380 pistol, a semi-automatic rifle, and 105 rounds of various ammunition. Soper is also accused of maintaining a house for drug trafficking on Edgwood Street in Wheeling.
Williams and Soper each face at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000 for the conspiracy charge and face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the other drug possession charges. Williams is also facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms charge. Soper is also facing up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000. 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 Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
West Haven Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm and Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN MELENDEZ, 32, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for cocaine distribution and ammunition possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Melendez was arrested on January 7, 2020, after a court-authorized search of his West Haven residence and a car parked at the residence revealed a loaded .22 caliber pistol, a distribution quantity of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Melendez’s residence is located in proximity to the Washington Elementary School.
Melendez’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearms possession offenses in Connecticut and North Carolina. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On January 4, 2021, Melendez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine near a school.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Doherty.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to 21 years in prison in connection with a series of armed robberies that he conducted at multiple banks and a retail store in northern Virginia in 2018 and 2019.
According to court documents, Freddie Lee McRae, 35, committed a series of robberies in 2018 and 2019. On November 13, 2018, McRae robbed a Wells Fargo bank branch located in Alexandria. McRae handed a teller a note that demanded money, indicated he had a firearm, and threatened to “[k]ill [a]ll [b]ankers” if the teller did not comply. McRae pointed a firearm at two tellers before fleeing with approximately $8,750 in cash.
“This case involved a chilling armed robbery spree during which innocent community members were threatened with serious injury or death if they did not comply with repeated demands for money,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We are thankful to our law enforcement partners for their thorough investigation across multiple jurisdictions to bring the defendant to justice, including apprehending him after he jumped out of a moving vehicle prior to it crashing and sinking into the Potomac River.”
“The FBI, along with our partners at every level of law enforcement, are committed to protecting the public from the most egregious and violent criminals who terrorize the community,” said James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “Today’s significant sentence demonstrates the seriousness and threat McRae posed to businesses and people in our community. The sentence is the result of teamwork among our partners to hold him accountable and prevent future violence.”
On December 10, 2018, McRae robbed a Burke & Herbert bank branch located in Alexandria. McRae approached a teller, who asked if he wanted to make a deposit. McRae responded, “gimmie your money,” before lifting up his shirt and pulling a pistol from his waistband, which he pointed at the teller. As the teller gathered money, McRae racked the slide on the pistol and demanded all large bills. McRae fled with approximately $1,366 in cash.
On April 21, 2019, McRae robbed the Legend Kicks & Apparel store located in Arlington. McRae brandished a pistol and demanded that two store employees empty their pockets, which they did. McRae then ordered the employees to lie on the floor before taking approximately $2,160 in cash that belonged to the store. McRae fled the store on foot and the area by vehicle. When a law enforcement officer tried to pull over the vehicle, McRae stopped only briefly before leading law enforcement officers on a vehicle pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. McRae ultimately jumped out of his moving vehicle prior to it crashing and sinking into the Potomac River. McRae tried to flee law enforcement by jumping into the river, but officers pulled him out and placed him under arrest.
As part of his guilty plea, McRae also admitted to robbing a Bank of America branch in Springfield on October 27, 2018; a BB&T branch located in Alexandria on December 20, 2018; and a Capital One branch located in Bowie, Maryland, on January 2, 2019. McRae further admitted to attempting to rob a Capital One branch located in Arlington on February 11, 2019, and to obstructing justice following his apprehension.
The bank robberies that McRae admitted to committing were investigated by the FBI as part of the “Beltway Bank Bandit” series.
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; Acting Chief Andy Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police; Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police; and David M. Rohrer, Fairfax County Interim Chief of Police and Deputy County Executive for Public Safety, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Northern Virginia Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers from northern Virginia law enforcement agencies. Significant investigative assistance in this case was provided by the Arlington County Police and the Fairfax County Police. The task force is charged with identifying, investigating, and disrupting the most egregious and violent criminal actors within northern Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Alexander E. Blanchard prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-268.
Utah Pharmacist Sentenced for Receipt of Misbranded Drugs Imported from ChinaRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Daniel Kevin Richards, 37, of Sandy, Utah, was sentenced to three years of probation and a $10,000 fine in federal court on Monday after previously pleading guilty to receiving misbranded chloroquine from China with the intent to sell the drug in the United States.
In the plea agreement, Richards admitted that, in April of 2020, he imported and received over 50 kilograms of misbranded and mislabeled chloroquine from China. Richards admitted that the chloroquine was falsely mislabeled as “Boswellia Serrata Extract” and that the drug was not manufactured and prepared by an establishment registered as a drug manufacturer with the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, the labeling on the drugs failed to bear adequate directions for use as required by federal law. Richards has also been ordered to pay for the destruction of the drug by proper authorities with the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Special Agents of the Food and Drug Administration- Office of Criminal Investigations, the FBI, and investigators from the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation.
Union County Man Admits to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man pleaded guilty today to possessing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Andrew Chu, 30, of Garwood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2018, Chu downloaded approximately 90 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children from a website on the darknet.
The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah A. Sulkowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Seven Defendants for Kidnapping, Robbery, Firearms, and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the unsealing of a nine‑count superseding indictment charging FERNANDO RA, KENNY BATISTA, FERNANDO ROSARIO CRUZ, YONATHAN JUNIOR GARCIA VALDEZ, ANTTWAN CROSBIE, ELMER GILL, and MICHAEL ASHLEY with kidnapping, robbery, firearms, and narcotics offenses.
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today and other publicly available documents, the charges arise, in part, from an October 3, 2020 kidnapping and robbery during which certain of the defendants brandished a firearm and assaulted two victims in connection with the defendants’ trafficking of cocaine.[1]
RA was previously charged by indictment with firearms and narcotics offenses, based on his possession of an assault rifle, a loaded pistol, and approximately 700 fentanyl pills.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, the defendants were responsible for a brutal kidnapping and robbery in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking. Thanks to the extraordinary work of our partners at the DEA and the Special Agents and Investigative Analysts at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants now face federal charges for their crimes”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said: “As alleged, this investigation took us to the dark side of drug trafficking that includes kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault. These arrests make it poignantly clear that alleged traffickers disregard the rule of law and will stop at nothing to continue their illegal trade. I applaud the investigators and prosecutors whose exceptional work resulted in today’s announcement.”
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BATISTA, 25, ROSARIO, 27, GARCIA, 21, GILL, 36, and ASHLEY, 30, were arrested today, and CROSBIE, 26, was arrested yesterday. BATISTA, ROSARIO, GARCIA, GILL, and CROSBIE will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. ASHLEY will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy of the Western District of New York. RA was already in federal custody. The case is assigned to United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the New York Division of the DEA and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Strauss also thanked the DEA Buffalo Resident Office and the Paterson (New Jersey) Police Department for their assistance with the investigation, as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force New York Strike Force, Financial Investigation Team, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, NYPD, Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Fort Lee Police Department, Teaneck Police Department, Hillsdale Police Department, Northvale Police Department, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police, and Closter Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran and Benjamin Woodside Schrier are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
DEFENDANT(S)
MAX. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT
Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute More than 40 Grams of Fentanyl (21 U.S.C. § 846)
Fernando Ra
Anttwan Crosbie
40 Years; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Five Years
Count Two: Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2)
Fernando Ra
Life; Mandatory Consecutive Sentence of Five Years
Count Three: Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1))
Fernando Ra
10 Years
Count Four: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute More than Five Kilograms of Cocaine (21 U.S.C. § 846)
All Defendants
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 10 Years
Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping (18 U.S.C. § 1201(c))
Fernando Ra
Kenny Batista
Fernando Rosario Cruz
Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez
Anttwan Crosbie
Life
Count Six: Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery (18 U.S.C. § 1951(a))
Fernando Ra
Kenny Batista
Fernando Rosario Cruz
Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez
Anttwan Crosbie
20 Years
Count Seven: Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery (18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2)
Fernando Ra
Kenny Batista
Fernando Rosario Cruz
Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez
20 Years
Count Eight: Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), and 2)
Fernando Ra
Kenny Batista
Fernando Rosario Cruz
Yonathan Junior Garcia Valdez
Life; Mandatory Consecutive Sentence of Seven Years
Count Nine: Conspiracy to Use, Carry, and Possess a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. § 924(o))
Fernando Ra
Anttwan Crosbie
20 Years
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment and other publicly available documents set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Air Force Servicemember Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A senior U.S. Air Force servicemember assigned to Nellis Air Force Base pleaded guilty in federal court today to selling methamphetamine and engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel Neill for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Michael Reimers, 41, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson scheduled a sentencing hearing on July 13, 2021.
According to court documents and admissions Reimers made in court, beginning on or about July 9, 2019, and continuing to about September 4, 2019, Reimers — who was not a licensed firearms dealer — offered to sell numerous firearms to various buyers, including an AK-47, a .26 caliber handgun, and a 12 gauge shotgun. In addition, on July 23, 2019, Reimers sold methamphetamine to an individual for $800.
Reimers faces a statutory maximum sentence of a lifetime term of imprisonment, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a fine of $10,250,000.
The case was investigated by the DEA, along with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen Torgoley is prosecuting the case.
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Torrance Man and His Sister Charged in Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Scam Involving Fake Open Houses at Not-for-Sale HomesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Southern California brother-and-sister team were arrested today on federal charges alleging they orchestrated a $6 million real estate fraud scam in which they listed homes without the owners’ consent and collected money from multiple would-be buyers for each of the not-for-sale homes.
Adolfo Schoneke, 43, of Torrance, and his sister, Bianca Gonzalez, a.k.a. Blanca Schoneke, 38, of Walnut, each pleaded not guilty this afternoon to nine charges contained in an indictment unsealed after their arrests. The indictment charges Schoneke and Gonzalez with one count of conspiracy, seven counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Schoneke and Gonzalez, with the help of co-conspirators, operated real estate and escrow companies based in Cerritos, La Palma and Long Beach under a variety of names, including MCR and West Coast. The indictment alleges Schoneke and Gonzalez found properties that they would list for sale – even though many, in fact, were not for sale, and they did not have authority to list them for sale – and they then marketed the properties as short sales providing opportunities for purchases at below-market prices.
Using other people’s broker’s licenses, Schoneke and Gonzalez allegedly listed the properties on real estate websites such as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). In some cases, the indictment alleges, the homes were marketed through open houses that co-conspirators were able to host after tricking homeowners into allowing their homes to be used.
As part of the alleged scheme, the co-conspirators accepted multiple offers for each of the not-for-sale properties, hiding this fact from the victims and instead leading each of the victims to believe that his or her offer was the only one accepted. The co-conspirators allegedly were able to string along the victims – sometimes for years – by telling them closings were being delayed because lenders needed to approve the purported short sales.
The indictment also alleges that Schoneke and Gonzalez directed office workers to open bank accounts in the office workers’ names. Those accounts were used to receive down payments on the homes and other payments from victims who were convinced to transfer the full “purchase price” to these bank accounts after receiving forged short sale approval letters. Schoneke and Gonzalez also allegedly directed the office workers to withdraw large amounts of cash from these accounts and give it to them – a procedure that allowed Schoneke and Gonzalez to take possession of the fraud proceeds while hiding their involvement in the scheme.
Investigators estimate that several hundred victims collectively lost more than $6 million during the scheme.
During the arraignments this afternoon, a trial was scheduled for June 1. Both defendants will remain in custody at least until detention hearings scheduled for Friday for Schoneke and April 13 for Gonzalez.
An indictment 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 of all charges, Schoneke and Gonzalez each would face a statutory maximum sentence of 162 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General. The investigation was initiated by numerous complaints to the Long Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, both of which provided substantial assistance during the federal investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section.
Toledo man arrested and charged with selling fentanyl that caused two overdose deaths in Lucas CountyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that Gerald Isom, age 46, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested today and charged in a two-count indictment for allegedly distributing fentanyl that caused six overdose incidents, two of which were fatal.
The Defendant is charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Both counts carry a penalty enhancement due to death or serious bodily injury resulting from the use of the substance and a prior felony drug offense. If convicted, the Defendant potentially faces a mandatory life imprisonment sentence.
According to the indictment, from December 26 to December 27, 2019, it is alleged that the Defendant distributed a controlled substance mixture containing fentanyl that caused six people in Lucas County to overdose, two of which were fatal. In addition, prior to committing these alleged offenses, the Defendant was convicted of felony drug trafficking of cocaine in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.
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 a 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 case was investigated by the Lucas County Sheriff's Office and the Cleveland Division of the FBI – Toledo Resident Agency. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman and Robert Melching.
Three Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
Three defendants have pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges that resulted from an investigation conducted by the Tulsa Housing Authority Community Enhancement Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Albert Douglas Parker, 35, and Tina Marie Tankersley, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Charles Studie and others to distribute pure methamphetamine and to maintaining their public housing unit as a drug involved premises to use and distribute methamphetamine. Marty Jay Foster, 53, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises to use methamphetamine.
“The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and my office dismantled this methamphetamine distribution operation, and these defendants now face time in federal prison for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The law enforcement community remains committed to protecting families living within Tulsa’s neighborhoods from this deadly drug and from the violence that accompanies methamphetamine distribution.”
Parker and Tankersley admitted that they intentionally conspired with others to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug from June 2019 to August 2020. The two defendants’ involvement required the participation, direction, and action of others, and all parties worked together for their shared mutual benefit, including monetary profit and drugs. The two further admitted to maintaining their public housing unit for the purpose of distributing and using methamphetamine beginning on Nov. 15, 2019. Parker will be sentenced June 29, 2021, and Tankersley will be sentenced July 2, 2021.
Foster pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises for the purpose of using methamphetamine from June 2019 to August 2020. Sentencing is set for June 30, 2021.
Also named in the indictment is Charles Dean Studie, 36, of Tulsa, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2021, to drug conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He will be sentenced May 26, 2021.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Tulsa County Sheriff’s Deputies that make up the Tulsa Housing Authority Community Enhancement Unit pursued this investigation as part of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the families that live within the Tulsa Housing Authority complexes. The Community Enhancement Unit (CEU) was created through a partnership between the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and the Tulsa Housing Authority.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Nassar and Ryan Heatherman are prosecuting the case.
Suburban Chicago Tax Preparer Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago tax preparer has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly fraudulently assisting customers in obtaining millions of dollars in loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
HADI ISBAIH, 39, of Palos Heights, Ill., was charged in an indictment returned Monday in the Northern District of Illinois with four counts of wire fraud. An initial court appearance is scheduled for today at 2:15 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Sharon Johnson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Eichenseer.
“The relief programs provided by the CARES Act were designed to assist small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out abuse of these important programs and hold accountable anyone who seeks to fraudulently profit from them.”
“These programs were developed to help out small business owners survive the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s unfortunate someone thought to take advantage of these programs,” said FBI SAC Buie. “We are honored to work with our law enforcement partners to identify whom those perpetrators are and ensure they pay for their crimes.”
“This indictment is an important victory for America's taxpayers who play by the rules and have no tolerance for those who make up their own," said IRS-CI Acting SAC Cantu. "Those that use the CARES Act relief funds as a free money pot steal vital lifelines from those that need it the most during the COVID-19 crisis and could face criminal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences. IRS Criminal Investigation has committed our resources and provides our financial expertise to pursue COVID-19 fraud of all kinds, and those like Mr. Isbaih will be brought to justice.”
“Falsifying documents to fraudulently gain access to SBA program funds is unconscionable,” said SBA-OIG SAC Johnson. “SBA-OIG will aggressively pursue evidence of fraud against SBA’s programs aimed at assisting the nation’s small businesses struggling with the pandemic challenges. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Two sources of relief established by the CARES Act, which was passed in March 2020, were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL). The programs allowed qualifying small businesses to receive low-interest, government-backed loans to cover a temporary loss of revenue.
According to the indictment, Isbaih owned and operated Flash Tax Service Inc., a tax and investment consulting business in Bridgeview, Ill. From April to October 2020, Isbaih submitted on behalf of hundreds of Flash Tax customers PPP and EIDL applications that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the customers’ businesses, such as gross revenues, expenses, and number of employees, the indictment states. Isbaih’s false statements and misrepresentations caused millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL funds to be disbursed to those customers, the charges allege.
Isbaih charged Flash Tax customers an upfront fee of approximately several hundred dollars before he submitted the fraudulent applications on the customers’ behalf, the indictment states. If the customers received the PPP or EIDL funds based on those applications, Isbaih charged the customers an additional fee of approximately $1,000, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or completing a NCDF online complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield in connection with on an extension of credit by extortionate means.
Anthony J. Scibelli, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of collecting on an extension of credit by extortionate means. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3, 2021. Scibelli was indicted in July 2019.
In 2017, Scibelli provided a $5,000 loan to the victim, who made monthly payments of $1,300 until June 2019. Beginning in May 2019, Scibelli used threats as he attempted to collect on that line of credit. Specifically, on June 19, 2019, Scibelli threatened and beat the victim’s head and body for failing to make the monthly $1,300 payment. During the beating, the defendant threatened that the victim must have all the money “on the first,” referring to the 1st of the month.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Desroches of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
Sex offender and previous felon gets more prison time for meth possessionRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 43-year-old Laredo native has been ordered to federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute a large quantity of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Daniel Marco Garcia pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered him to serve 168 months in prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
At the hearing, the court heard that Garcia is currently serving a 57-month sentence for an unrelated firearms case, has a prior alien smuggling conviction and is a convicted sex offender. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted his extensive criminal record.
“Methvis a vicious poison that continues to cause horrific and long-term damage to the quality of life in many of our communities across our Nation,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. “In Laredo, and all across the Southwest Border, DEA and our partners continue to target drug traffickers and shut down their operations at all levels.”
On July 11, 2018, Garcia planned to transport meth within Webb County. However, authorities stopped him for a traffic violation during his trip, at which time they conducted a search of his vehicle. They soon found six bundles of meth hidden inside a black bag within the vehicle weighing approximately six kilograms.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $37,000.
He has been and will remain in custody.
The DEA conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Crystal Monkey with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Webb County Sheriff’s Office and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jennifer Day and former AUSA Chris dos Santos prosecuted the case.
OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States through prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task forces that leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Several indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Several people were indicted today by a Grand Jury sitting in Wheeling, West Virginia, on firearms charges, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Seth Richard Conrad, of Woodsfield, Ohio, was indicted today on one count of “False Statement to Firearms Dealer.” Conrad, 44, is accused of making a false statement on a firearms form required to purchase a gun. The crime allegedly occurred in March 2020 in Wetzel County.
Joshua Luke Hunter, of Sistersville, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Hunter, 42, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, is accused of having a .22 caliber rifle in September 2020 in Tyler County.
Lucas T. Kincade, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Stealing Firearm from a Dealer,” one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm,” and one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm.” Kincade, 28, a person who is prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, is accused of stealing a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Marshall County in December 2020.
Samuel Amos Minger, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Minger, 42, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, is accused of having a .327 caliber six-shot revolver in November 2020 in Tyler County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the Conrad and Kincade cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated the Conrad case. The Moundsville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated the Kincade case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer T. Conklin is prosecuting the Hunter case on behalf of the government. The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the Minger case on behalf of the government. The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.