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19 May 2021
Monmouth County Man Admits Possessing with Intent to Distribute More Than 40 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Derrick Norwood, 58, of Neptune, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 18, 2019, Norwood knowingly possessed 39 bricks, or 1,982 individual glassine bags, of heroin mixed with fentanyl inside a safe in his residence in Neptune. Norwood admitted that he possessed the heroin-fentanyl mixture for the purpose of distributing it to others in and around Monmouth County.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a fine up to $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
Missouri and Tennessee Residents Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography as Part of Operation Kick BoxerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on May 18, 2021, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment alleging that Joshua A. Gama (age: 35) of Bridgeton, Missouri, distributed child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
Later that morning, the same grand jury handed down a separate indictment alleging that David J. Dexter (age: 43) of Lebanon, Tennessee, also distributed child pornography in violation of federal law.
Gama is charged with two counts of distributing child pornography. Dexter is charged with a single count of distribution. Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years of incarceration in federal prison upon conviction.
Each man’s indictment is a direct result of Operation Kick Boxer, a collaborative effort involving the Milwaukee Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office https://go.usa.gov/xHzJp.
Both Gama and Dexter utilized a popular internet messaging platform to access chat rooms in which they each are alleged to have distributed child pornography. Each man was investigated separately and there is no known connection between the two.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Milwaukee, Green Bay, Memphis, Nashville, and St. Louis Offices, as well as the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Luis Galvan-Borbolla, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 17, 2021 by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Galvan-Borbolla received a sentence of 180 months with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On June 25, 2020, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration were monitoring Galvan-Borbolla and Ignacio Palma after receiving information that both were involved in the distribution of methamphetamine. Palma was followed from his residence to the Element Hotel. Palma was confronted by special agents at the Element Hotel and was in possession of 5 pounds of methamphetamine.
While special agents had Palma detained, Galvan-Borbolla arrived in the parking garage of the Element Hotel. When contact was made with Galvan-Borbolla, he admitted that he was supposed to meet Palma to receive the methamphetamine. Galvan-Borbolla was in possession of $10,733 and a 9mm rifle that was located in the vehicle in which he arrived.
Palma has plead guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy with sentencing scheduled on June 14, 2021, in Omaha, Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Metropolitan Police Department Employee Sentenced for Accepting More than $40,000 in Cash Bribes in Exchange for Personal Identifying Information of Traffic Crash VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron Willis, 38, of Maryland, was sentenced today to a term of 36 months’ probation, 6 months’ of intermittent incarceration and six months’ home confinement for accepting more than $40,000 in bribes in exchange for unlawfully providing information contained in non-public police paperwork identifying individuals involved in traffic accidents, announced Channing D. Phillips, Acting U.S. Attorney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Willis pled guilty in October 2018, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of bribery of a public official. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan.
According to the government’s evidence, dating back to at least 2015, Willis, a Customer Service Representative with Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), conspired with two independent “runners” who worked, in return for referral fees, to connect people in need of legal representation or medical services with providers of those services. Willis used his official position to obtain MPD Traffic Accident Reports, or “PD Form 10s,” which contained the names and contact information of individuals involved in traffic accidents. Beginning in 2015, however, MPD General Order 401.03 limited the distribution of these reports to individuals involved in traffic accidents and their representatives. Willis admitted that, beginning at that time and continuing into 2017, he accepted cash bribes in the amount of $80 per week from one “runner and $80 to $200 per week from another “runner” to violate the General Order and provide the confidential reports, which they used to contact and solicit potential clients. Between June and October 2017, alone, Willis accessed approximately traffic accident reports 28,252 times and exported these reports more than 12,206 times. Over the two years he engaged in the scheme, Willis received more than $40,000.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips commended the work of those who assisted the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division. He also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein and Veronica Sanchez, who prosecuted the case.
Meth trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Billings man who admitted selling methamphetamine in parking lot deals from his BMW or Range Rover was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and to five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Todd William Weidler, 52, pleaded guilty on Jan. 5 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in July 2019, law enforcement learned that Crossroads Correction Center inmate, James McPhail, a co-defendant, was in contact with Weidler and another co-defendant, Angie Krogstad, to arrange for Krogstad to deliver meth to Weidler in Billings. Krogstad was picking up meth in California for delivery to Weidler. Investigators also learned that Weidler always had meth on hand, could usually sell ounces in a matter of minutes and conducted all of his business from his BMW or Range Rover in parking lots.
The government further alleged that in August 2019 outside of Three Forks, law enforcement intercepted Krogstad, who had about two pounds of meth she was bringing to Weidler. In September 2019, law enforcement conducted searches of Weidler’s residence, vehicles and storage units and recovered meth and approximately $11,900 in currency. Law enforcement estimated Weidler distributed at least 1,153.3 grams, or about 2.5 pounds, which is the equivalent of about 9,060 doses. Krogstad and McPhail have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Department of Corrections, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Mercer County Man Admits Interfering with Law Enforcement Officers During Civil DisorderRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man today admitted attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder when he attempted to set fire to a police vehicle during a riot in the City of Trenton, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Kadeem A. Dockery, 29, of Trenton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd. Although the protest in Trenton was peaceful earlier in the day, violence erupted later. A group of individuals proceeded down East State Street in downtown Trenton and began to riot, smashing store fronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police Department vehicles parked on the 100 Block of East State Street.
A City of Trenton street camera and other video footage taken by an individual present on the street captured Dockery light an explosive device and throw it through the open front driver’s side window of a Trenton Police Department vehicle. Dockery then removed his shirt and handed it to Killian Melecio, who then attempted to stuff the shirt in the gas tank of the police vehicle and ignite it. Melecio was then assisted by Justin Spry in attempting to set fire to the police vehicle. Spry was arrested on scene, but Dockery and Melecio fled. Law enforcement later identified Dockery and Melecio through analysis of street camera and other video footage. They were arrested on Aug. 5, 2020.
The charge of attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder – to which Dockery, Spry and Melecio have now pleaded guilty – carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Commissioner Marcus O. Hicks, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Francis Harrington, 38, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 22, 2019, a Manchester police officer responded to a report of two males “passed out” in a parked vehicle at a restaurant. Harrington was the passenger in the vehicle. After being engaged by medical personnel, the officer observed Harrington moving slowly and reaching around the console and floor area of the vehicle. Harrington was ordered out of the vehicle and to put his hands on his head. The officer performed a protective pat search and located a large bulge in the waistband of Harrington’s pants. When the officer asked Harrington about the object, Harrington replied “drugs.” The officer then removed the object, which was a bag containing 198 grams of fentanyl. He was arrested at the scene.
Harrington is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2021.
“Fentanyl traffickers continue to pose a serious threat to public health and safety in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Through Operation SOS, we are targeting the drug dealers who are endangering the public by selling this very dangerous substance. I am grateful to the Manchester Police for preventing this significant amount of fentanyl from jeopardizing lives in the Queen City.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Manager of Pain Clinic, Her Boyfriend, and Customers Facing Federal Charges for a Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging the manager of a pain clinic, her boyfriend, and several customers with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including oxycodone and oxymorphone. The defendants charged in the criminal complaint are:
Monica Raynette Clark age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland; Michael Tyrone Scott III age 28, of Waldorf, Maryland; Larry Nathaniel Waller age 48, of Williamson, West Virginia; Mildred Taylor age 67, of Stephenson, West Virginia; Jason James Johnson age 41, of Kermit, West Virginia; and
Lisa Ann Lewis age 41, of Smithsburg, Maryland.The complaint was filed on May 17, 2021 and unsealed today upon the arrest of five defendants. The sixth defendant, Larry Nathanial Waller, is in West Virginia state custody on pending charges.
The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“State and federal authorities are working to shut down ‘pain clinics’ that are really just fronts for criminals who divert pharmaceutical drugs and hook a new generation of addicts” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Those who irresponsibly write opioid prescriptions are acting like street-corner drug pushers. We are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths here in Maryland.”
“The operation of a drug trafficking network peddling prescription drugs for profit under the guise of a medical practice not only violates the law, it undermines the public confidence in the healthcare profession,” said James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to combat the illegal distribution of opioids, at all levels, through our investigations of those who seek to profit from this activity.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement obtained evidence that drug trafficking was occurring at two pain clinics—Memorial Care Center, located in Woodbridge, Virginia (“Memorial Care”) and Washington DC Spine Center (“WDC Spine”), which closed in August 2019. Clark was employed as the office manager of Memorial Care and was previously the office manager of WDC Spine. Clark was not a physician and did not have a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration number. The criminal complaint alleges that, since Clark was not authorized to prescribe controlled substances, she forged prescriptions for opioids using prescription pads from the clinics’ doctors, then illegally sold the forged opioid prescriptions to opioid users and diverters, including customers who live in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, such as Waller, Taylor, Johnson, and Lewis. Clark is allegedly in a romantic relationship with Scott, who assists Clark in selling the forged prescriptions.
As detailed in the criminal complaint affidavit, investigation revealed that Waller, Johnson, Taylor, and Lewis are customers of Clark who purchase opioid prescriptions for themselves and for others. Law enforcement allegedly discovered text messages between Clark and Waller, Johnson, Taylor, and Lewis arranging for the purchase of forged opioid prescriptions. For example, the complaint alleges that from July 2019 to April 2021, more than 40 prescriptions were filled in Johnson’s name that were purportedly signed under the name of a Memorial Care and/or WDC Spine doctor.
The affidavit alleges that in an effort to evade scrutiny by law enforcement, Clark used several different phones to sell prescriptions and instructed customers to use specific pharmacies to fill prescriptions. For example, Clark allegedly advised Taylor to fill prescriptions at a pharmacy “in Woodbridge… as long as everybody has a West Virginia ID or Virginia ID” as Clark was purportedly aware that pharmacies had begun to refuse opioid prescriptions from Memorial Care. The criminal complaint further alleges this was in relation to an order of prescriptions for more than 20 individuals.
The criminal complaint further alleges that Clark instructed an undercover agent to claim a fictious work injury in order to receive a professional recommendation for opioid use. For example, Clark allegedly stated “When you get a free second, go to the emergency room. Tell them you had an accident at work… tell them you are having numbness and tingling in your leg and your foot. That warrants.” Further, the complaint alleges that Clark later arranged to sell forged prescriptions to the undercover agent. Clark and the undercover agent exchanged conversations in which Clark details meeting dates and times, the price for forged prescriptions, and a deviance in sales methodology as clients began to be compromised by police.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The overdose crisis continues to devastate our states and local communities. If you believe you may need substance use disorder treatment or recovery services, please call 1800-662-HELP (4357). You may also visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for further information and resources on opioid awareness at /media/1138691/dl?inline.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation and thanked Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General, the Prince William County Police Department, the Fairfax County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Police for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins who is prosecuting the case.
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Man Traveling from Georgia to St. Croix Arrested on Federal Charges for Marijuana in LuggageRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Ra’Kheel Velasquez of Georgia was arrested May 14, 2021 on a warrant signed by District Court Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr. for the charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance With the Intent to Distribute and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute by Person on Board Aircraft.
According to court documents, Velasquez, age 23, is accused of traveling on March 10, 2021 to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands from Georgia with approximately four pounds of marijuana in his luggage.
Per the affidavit in support of criminal complaint, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents were contacted March 10, 2021 by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers regarding an in inbound airline passenger in possession of approximately four pounds of marijuana at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. CBP officers conducted a physical examination of a large red suitcase, later claimed by Velasquez, and discovered suspected marijuana which weighed approximately 1.76 kilograms. The suspected marijuana was field tested by CBP officers and yielded a positive result for marijuana.
Per the affidavit, Velasquez informed CBP that he had about four (4) pounds of marijuana in the bag, which he brought from Atlanta and planned to sell on St. Croix, since he heard that the marijuana prices were higher in the USVI. In addition, agents said Velasquez told them he traveled to St. Croix to attend a family member’s funeral.
An initial appearance and bond hearing occurred on Saturday, May 15, 2021 with a preliminary hearing to be scheduled by the court.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Robbery of ATMRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TYRIK SCOTT, age 20, a resident of Chalmette, pled guilty on May 18, 2021 to conspiracy to commit bank larceny, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. SCOTT faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2021 before the Honorable Susie Morgan.
According to court records, on or about February 5, 2020, SCOTT and others attempted to break into an ATM located in the drive-through of a Capital One Bank using sledgehammers, crowbars, chains, and a truck. Just prior to this robbery attempt, SCOTT and others were observed in the same truck attempting to break into an ATM at Hancock Whitney Bank.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Robbery of ATMRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRISHUN GARY, age 19, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on May 17, 2021 to conspiracy to commit bank larceny, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. GARY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2021 before the Honorable Susie Morgan.
According to court records, on or about February 5, 2020, GARY and others attempted to break into an ATM located in the drive-through of a Capital One Bank using sledgehammers, crowbars, chains, and a truck. Just prior to this robbery attempt, GARY and others were observed in the same truck attempting to break into an ATM at Hancock Whitney Bank.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
Jury convicts Billings woman of illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A federal jury convicted a Billings woman on Tuesday for illegally possessing a firearm that was pawned in Billings, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
After a two-day trial that began on May 17, a jury found Kaycee Nicole Kolka, 26, guilty of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm as charged in an indictment. Kolka faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters set sentencing for Sept. 22 and ordered Kolka detained pending further proceedings.
“Felons who possess firearms are a threat to community safety and will be held responsible. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie R. Patten and Thomas K. Godfrey and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for investigating and prosecuting this case,” Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
In court documents and at trial, the government presented evidence alleging that in November 2018, Kolka was sentenced for a felony in Powder River County and acknowledged she was prohibited from possessing firearms. The government alleged that on Jan. 19. 2020, Kolka pawned a 9 mm revolver, which had been reported stolen in November 2018, at a Billings pawn shop. The pawn shop provided a pawn slip signed by Kolka, who declared she owned the gun. The government further alleged that Kolka told an investigator that she handled the pawn because she was the firearm’s owner.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie R. Patten and Thomas K. Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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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Judges sentences St. Louis County man for sex traffickingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Carron Primus to 38 months in prison today and ordered Primus to pay more than $87,000 in restitution. The 41-year-old Maryland Heights, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking.
On November 25, 2018, Primus met his victim through an online application installed on his and her phones. At the time of meeting Primus, the victim was physically located at a Panera Bread Company restaurant in St. Louis County.
Primus planned, through communications on the app, to meet his victim at the Panera Bread and for her to travel with him to Farmington, Missouri where Primus had to complete a drug test for his federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) supervision requirements. During the drive to Farmington, Missouri, Primus and his victim talked about the victim engaging in prostitution. Specifically, they discussed the victim would need a phone number, advertisements, and a location.
Upon return from Farmington, Missouri, Primus stopped at his mother’s house to get a cell phone. Primus then took his victim to a local AT&T store to activate the cell phone. Primus informed his victim the cell phone would be used to talk to her clients. An advertisement for sexual services to be performed, by the victim, was posted online. Primus learned his victim was currently on her menstrual cycle and discussed with his victim oral sex with clients. Primus then drove his victim to Walmart to purchase tampons.
After Walmart, Primus drove his victim to hotels around the Saint Louis Lambert International Airport to check nightly prices. Primus selected the St. Louis Airport Inn located in St. Louis County. Primus put the hotel room in his name, but informed his victim he had no intention of staying in the room because he was on federal BOP location monitoring.
Primus left his victim alone in the hotel room where she was going to provide sexual services to clients. In Primus’ absence, the victim ultimately left. The St. Louis County Human Trafficking Task Force was later alerted to this matter and responded.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis County Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins is handling the case.
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Husband and Wife Are Indicted for Stealing $200,000 from A High School Booster ClubRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The president of a Charlotte high school Booster Club and his wife have been indicted on federal charges for stealing more than $200,000 from the organization. The husband is also charged with fraudulently obtaining over $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to cover up the theft, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees Charlotte, and Mona Passmore, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the eight-count indictment, between 2017 and June 2020, Anthony Sharper, 39, and Deana Sharper, 45, both of Charlotte, executed a scheme to defraud and embezzle at least $200,000 from a Charlotte-area high school Athletic Booster Club by writing checks to themselves for purported reimbursement, wiring funds directly to their personal bank account, and using the Booster Club’s debit cards and credit card to pay for personal expenditures. The indictment further alleges that, Anthony Sharper, who is a certified public accountant, also committed tax fraud by failing to to report any of the embezzled funds on the couple’s joint 2018 and 2019 tax returns filed with the IRS.
As alleged the indictment, to cover up the theft and to enrich himself, between March and May 2020, Anthony Sharper submitted three fraudulent applications for federal COVID-19 relief funds, including two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications, one in the name of the Booster Club and one in the name of his accounting firm, A. Sharper CPA, PLLC, and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of his CPA firm. All three applications contained false information, including fake revenues and fake payroll and employment data. As a result of the fraudulent applications, the indictment alleges that Anthony Sharper obtained more than $236,000 in COVID-19 relief funds intended for existing businesses harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. After receiving the loan proceeds, Anthony Sharper used the funds to pay for personal expenditures and to cover up the couple’s theft of the Booster Club’s funds.
Both Sharper and his wife are charged with wire fraud which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Anthony Sharper is also charged with two counts of making false statements to a financial institution, which carry a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine per count; making a false statement to SBA, for which the maximum statutory penalty is 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine; two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, which carry a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $500,000 fine per count; and two counts of filing a false tax return, which carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.
The criminal indictment also contains a notice of forfeiture, which gives notice that the defendants must forfeit to the United States all of the property, currency and monetary instruments involved in the offenses charged in the indictment. The government will pursue a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of at least $436,000, which the government contends constitutes the proceeds of the violations alleged in the charging document.
Anthony and Deana Sharper will be ordered by the U.S. District Court to appear on a summons for their initial appearance, which will be scheduled by the Court. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the case. The prosecution is handled by Assistant United States Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina are also encouraged to call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Heroin Trafficker from Mexico Sentenced to 5 YearsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Uriel Frederico Romero-Rodriguez, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin.
Romero-Rodriguez pled guilty to the charge in January of 2021. On February 11, 2020, United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package originating from Arcelia, Guerrerro, Mexico. The package purported to be a wheel of cheese addressed to a residence in Foley, Alabama. However, officers discovered approximately 443 grams of heroin concealed inside the wheel of cheese. On February 13, 2020, the package was delivered to the address in Foley. Romero-Rodriguez arrived shortly thereafter to pick up the package. Officers immediately arrested Romero-Rodriguez when he picked up the package. As part of his plea agreement, Romero-Rodriguez admitted he and his co-defendant made an agreement to distribute the heroin.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a mandatory sentence of 60 months imprisonment. The judge also ordered Romero-Rodriguez to serve a four-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Moorer ordered that Romero-Rodriguez pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Kopf.
Hartshorne Resident Sentenced to Nine Months, $80,000 Restitution for Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal FundsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Meredith Dawn Dunkin, age 47, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $80,083.35 for Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Information alleged that from on or about May 23, 2013, and continuing through August 6, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Meredith Dawn Dunkin, being an agent of the City of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, said organization received benefits in excess of $10,000 under a Federal Program involving a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other form of Federal Assistance for the calendar years of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, obtained by fraud, embezzlement, and otherwise without authority, property worth at least $5,000 owned by the City of Hartshorne.
The Honorable David Cleveland Joseph, U.S. District Judge out of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, temporarily assigned to the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Doug Horn represented the United States.
French Medical Device Manufacturer to Pay $2 Million to Resolve Alleged Kickbacks to Physicians and Related Medicare Open Payments Program ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that Medicrea International, a French medical device manufacturer, and its American affiliate Medicrea USA Inc., have agreed to pay:
- $1 Million to the United States and participating states to resolve civil whistleblower allegations that the companies, by entertaining U.S.-based physicians during a 2013 conference in France, violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and, through resulting claims to federal healthcare programs, the False Claims Act and similar state statutes; and
- an additional $1 Million to the United States to resolve related allegations that the companies violated the physician Open Payments Program (formerly known as the “Sunshine Act”) by failing to fully report those physician-entertainment expenses to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits medical device manufacturers from directly or indirectly offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services, such as device orders or purchases, covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or other federal healthcare programs. The federal settlement resolves allegations that Medicrea (which Medtronic USA Inc., recently acquired) provided items of value in the form of meals, alcoholic beverages, entertainment, and travel expenses to U.S.-based physicians at events surrounding the Scoliosis Research Society’s September 2013 Congress in Lyon, France. The United States alleged that Medicrea provided the benefits to induce the physicians to purchase or order Medicrea’s spinal devices, and that this resulted in false payment claims to federal healthcare programs.
This settlement also resolves Medicrea’s liability under CMS’s Open Payments Program. As part of the Affordable Care Act, Congress created the Open Payments Program: (1) to provide greater transparency and protection to consumers, by requiring medical device manufacturers and others publicly to disclose certain payments and other transfers of value to physicians; and (2) with the goal of preventing, through such disclosures, payments and benefits from being used to induce physicians and hospitals to prescribe or buy products.
This is among the first settlements to resolve allegations under both the False Claims Act and the Open Payments Program. The settlement follows the Senate Finance Committee’s March 2019 request that HHS-OIG and CMS investigate Open Payments Program non-compliance and pursue enforcement. Manufacturers must ensure accurate and timely Open Payments Program reporting to CMS of all applicable payments or transfers of value, including indirect payments.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act statute. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The suit was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and is captioned United States of America, et al., ex rel. Dory Frain v. Medicrea USA Corporation, Civil Action No. 16-1986. The whistleblower’s Philadelphia-based attorneys are Michael A. Filoromo, III of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, and Ryan Allen Hancock of Willig Williams & Davidson.
“Kickbacks undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs and increase costs to taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “This case demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring that medical device manufacturers do not use improper relationships to influence physician decision-making and are transparent about the benefits that they provide to physicians.”
Williams added: “We thank the relator and relator’s counsel for their contributions. Without information from citizens like the relator, detecting fraud and conserving government program funds would be much more difficult.”
“Allegations of kickbacks are concerning as patients rely on their medical professionals to make health care decisions based on their individual medical needs,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “We will continue working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, CMS and our Medicaid Fraud Control Units to protect patients and taxpayers.”
The United States’ investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates its focus on combating healthcare fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
The settled claims are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, as well as the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (NAMFCU). For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Landon Y. Jones III and Gerald B. Sullivan, and Auditor Dawn Wiggins.
- $1 Million to the United States and participating states to resolve civil whistleblower allegations that the companies, by entertaining U.S.-based physicians during a 2013 conference in France, violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and, through resulting claims to federal healthcare programs, the False Claims Act and similar state statutes; and
Four Ohio Individuals Charged with Gambling and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, returned a superseding indictment on May 13, 2021, that was unsealed yesterday, charging three Ohio men and one woman with conspiring to operate illegal gambling businesses and to defraud the IRS, among other criminal offenses.
According to the superseding indictment, from 2010 through 2018, Jason Kachner, his spouse Rebecca Kachner, and Ronald DiPietro conspired to operate Skilled Shamrock, an illegal gambling business in Canton, Ohio, and to defraud the IRS in connection with income generated by that business. From 2012 through 2017, patrons at Skilled Shamrock allegedly wagered more than $34 million, producing more than $4 million in net income.
The superseding indictment further charges that from 2013 through 2018, both of the Kachners and Thomas Helmick conspired to operate another Canton-based illegal gambling business, Redemption Skill Games 777 (Redemption). They allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS by filing false tax returns that concealed a substantial portion of Redemption’s gross receipts and concealed Redemption’s true ownership.
In addition to the conspiracy charges, DiPietro, a Certified Public Accountant, was charged with assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for the Kachners for the years 2013 through 2017. The returns allegedly did not report the Kachners’ true income from Skilled Shamrock. The Kachners were also charged with filing false individual tax returns for the same years, and Helmick was charged with filing his own false individual income tax returns for the years 2014 through 2016 that allegedly underreported Redemption’s gross receipts.
The defendants were arrested on Tuesday, May 18, and made their initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Greenberg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. If convicted, Jason and Rebecca Kachner, DiPietro, and Helmick each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each conspiracy count and five years in prison for each illegal gambling business count. The Kachners and Helmick also face three years in prison for each false tax return count, and DiPietro faces three years in prison for each count of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. 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 Bridget M. Brennan for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General, the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission – Major Crimes Tax Force are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard Rolwing and Sam Bean of the Tax Division, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Patton and David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort McCoy Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of Homemade SilencerRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. has sentenced Gary Dewayne Martin (31, Fort McCoy) to 24 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered silencer. The court also ordered Martin to forfeit the silencer and a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle. Martin had pleaded guilty on January 6, 2021.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2019, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were called to Martin’s residence. Witnesses said that Martin was walking around wearing body armor and wielding a shotgun, threatening to kill himself and others. Witnesses further stated that Martin had discharged his shotgun into a nearby campfire. While investigating the campfire, deputies found the shotgun, two spent shotgun shells, and a .22 caliber rifle with an attached homemade silencer secured to the barrel. The silencer was not registered as required by federal law. Pursuant to a risk protection order, deputies then searched the residence and seized a total of 37 firearms and large amounts of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Former coach from Pecos arraigned on charges of coercing minors onlineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Rico, 25, of Pecos, New Mexico, was arraigned today in federal court on a five-count indictment charging him with coercion and enticement of minors. A federal grand jury indicted Rico on May 12. Rico will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 21.
According to the indictment and other court records, beginning as early as January 2018, Rico allegedly used multiple profiles on the social media platform Snapchat to coerce minor girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos and engage in sexual acts. Using his position as a high school basketball coach to target girls he knew, Rico allegedly used fictitious profiles under the names “Chris Lujan” and “Erik Romero” as well as a profile in his own name to threaten, coerce and manipulate at least four minor victims. Rico allegedly sent photos of his own genitalia, requested explicit photos and videos from the victims, and threatened to expose compromising photos and videos to extort sexual acts for his own gratification.
The New Mexico State Police, the FBI, and the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory investigated this case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. PSC is an initiative designed to help law enforcement and community leaders develop a coordinated strategy to prevent, investigate, and prosecute sexual predators, abusers, and pornographers who target children through the internet. The ICAC program is a nation-wide network of task forces consisting of federal, state and local law enforcement dedicated to this issue and are key partners in Project Safe Childhood.
“Cases like this remind of us the importance of vigilance,” said Fred J. Federici, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “We must stress, especially to minors, the risks of electronically sharing material of a sensitive or compromising nature. But law enforcement must also be vigilant in our duty to investigate and prosecute those who exploit new and emerging technologies to target unsuspecting victims. It is the perpetrators, not the victims, who are responsible for their crimes and manipulation.”
“Protecting our children, and ensuring they are safe is one of the most important things we do in law enforcement” said Robert Thornton, Chief of the New Mexico State Police. “As access to technology increases, so does the means for those who would do harm to our kids. The New Mexico State Police is proud of our working relationship with the FBI and Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory that allows us to investigate these offenses.”
“Online predators seeking to exploit children unfortunately are becoming more common,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The FBI hopes these charges send a warning to perpetrators there is nowhere in cyberspace they can escape justice. We also want to urge young people to be careful with their online communications and to be thoughtful about the content they share.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Rico faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Mease and Jaymie L. Roybal are prosecuting the case.
Former Senior City of Philadelphia Official Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for Fraud and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Leo Dignam, 61, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine by United States District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno for a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia of approximately $150,000 over the course of several years.
In November 2020, Leo Dignam pleaded guilty to wire fraud and embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds. At the time of the charged offenses, the defendant was an Assistant Managing Director in the City of Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office and, prior to serving in that position, was a long-time employee of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (“PPR”) Department, having risen through the ranks to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Programs. In these positions, he oversaw the administration of major events in the city, such as the Philadelphia Marathon, the Broad Street Run and the Mummers Parade. Mr. Dignam worked for the City of Philadelphia for approximately 38 years.
Over the course of several years, from 2012 through 2019, Leo Dignam misused two bank accounts he controlled on behalf of the City that existed to support the work of PPR, namely, recreational activities for citizens. In particular, he opened a bank account purportedly to support the activities of PPR in connection with a non-profit organization, the Junior Baseball Federation (“JBF”). The JBF partnered with the Philadelphia Phillies to raise most of its funds through the sale of tickets for Phillies games. The defendant converted funds from this account to pay for personal expenses he incurred on a credit card associated with the JBF account for purchases from retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, online retailers, and service providers. Dignam also admitted to misusing another account that was created for the benefit of PPR and the citizens of Philadelphia, the Program Advisory Fund Account. The defendant used this account to pay personal expenses by transferring funds directly to a personal bank account, and by using it to pay personal expenses on a Verizon wireless account.
Leo’s brother, Paul Dignam, 58, also of Philadelphia and formerly the Regional Manager for the South Region of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, also pleaded guilty in November 2020 to charges of mail fraud and embezzlement from a program receiving federal funds in connection with similar misuse of public money, and will be sentenced next week.
“This defendant abused the considerable level of trust placed in him by his superiors and the citizens of Philadelphia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “His inexcusable behavior, stealing money from public programs designed to serve city youth and Parks and Recreation supporters, has now been met with swift and serious consequences in federal court. Our Office will continue to hold public employees, especially those in leadership positions, responsible for this type of fraud.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
Former New York City Department of Buildings Inspector Pleads Guilty in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Francesco Ginestri, a former New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Inspector, pleaded guilty to solicitation and receipt of a bribe in exchange for his agreement to ensure that DOB would not issue a fine in connection with a stop work order. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara.
Mark J. Lesko, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, Ginestri admits to selling his position as a building inspector in exchange for cash and to violating the public trust to ensure the safety of city construction sites,” stated Acting United States Attorney Lesko. “This Office will vigorously prosecute corrupt employees who put their official positions up for sale and endanger the safety of their communities.” Mr. Lesko thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the New York City Department of Investigation, for their investigative work on the case.
In late July 2020, Ginestri, who was employed as a New York City Department of Buildings Inspector, conducted a re-inspection of a construction site located in Queens that had received a stop work order for safety violations earlier in the month. During the re-inspection, Ginestri learned that construction had continued despite the pendency of the stop work order. Instead of seeking to impose a penalty on the company for violating the stop work order, Ginestri solicited a $1,200 cash bribe in exchange for his agreement to ensure that the DOB would not issue a $25,000 fine to the company. Ginestri resigned from the DOB on February 10, 2021, the day he was arrested.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Alicia N. Washington are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
FRANCESCO GINESTRI
Age: 37
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-263 (ERK)
Former Georgia Supervisory Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offenses for Assaulting InmatesRead the Press Release
A former supervisory correctional officer at the Valdosta State Prison (VSP) in Valdosta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to violating the civil rights of two inmates during two separate incidents.
According to court documents and admissions made during the hearing, on Sept. 24, 2018, Patrick Sharpe, 30, while on duty as a correctional officer at VSP, assaulted a handcuffed inmate in retaliation for an earlier interaction between the inmate and a female officer. Specifically, while escorting the inmate across the prison grounds, Sharpe wrapped a pair of handcuffs around his fist and punched the inmate three times – twice to the inmate’s face and once to the back of his head. As a result of the assault, the inmate briefly lost consciousness and suffered lacerations to his face and head. The inmate was restrained and compliant at the time of the assault.
In the second incident, on Dec. 29, 2018, Sharpe, while on duty as a supervisory correctional officer at VSP, instructed his subordinate officers to assault a handcuffed inmate in retaliation for an earlier altercation between that inmate and a different female officer. Specifically, Sharpe, along with several other correctional officers — including officers Jamal Scott and Brian Ford, both of whom have previously pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to this incident — escorted the handcuffed inmate to an outdoor area on the grounds of the prison for the purpose of assaulting the inmate. Scott and Ford, carrying out a directive from Sharpe, took the inmate to the ground and struck him multiple times in the body. The inmate was handcuffed and compliant at the time of the assault.
“The defendants committed two retaliatory, injurious, and unjustified assaults while acting as a corrections officer,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the civil rights of all individuals are protected and will vigorously prosecute individuals who betray their oath of office and violently abuse the power entrusted to them as officers of the law.”
“Our office is committed to protecting the civil rights of all people, and we will prosecute all those who violate the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter Leary of the Middle District of Georgia. “Law enforcement and correctional officers will be held to the highest standard, as well they should, since they are entrusted with a great degree of authority over the liberty of those they are sworn to protect.”
“Correctional officers at prisons face difficult conditions trying to keep prisons safe for incarcerated felons and staff, but it is never acceptable for them to violate their oath by violently abusing their power,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “The FBI makes civil rights offenses a high priority to protect inmates against such abuse and to protect the hard-working officers who uphold their oaths on a daily basis.”
Sharpe faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Katherine G. DeVar and Nicole Raspa of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from Criminal Chief Michael Solis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Former Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $1.1 Million in Government FundsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Eddie Ray Johnson, Jr., age 60, of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2021, to the federal charge of theft of government property, in connection with a scheme to use his government-issued travel credit card to obtain more than $1.1 million in cash advances.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Brigadier General Terry Bullard of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI); Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“Eddie Johnson betrayed his position of trust for his personal gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Corrupt public employees rip off the taxpayers and undermine everyone’s faith in the government.”
According to his plea agreement, from January 2003 to February 2018, Johnson was a civilian Air Force employee, most recently as a travel coordinator in the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Legislative Liaison, where he planned congressional travel and reviewed and approved accounting packages submitted by trip escorts, among other duties. Johnson admitted that from March 2014 through September 2017, he used his government-issued travel credit card to obtain more than $1.1 million in cash advances, at least $774,000 of which he diverted to his own personal use.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Johnson frequently deposited the stolen funds into a non-interest bearing account opened in his name at a bank branch in the Pentagon. Employees in the Office of Legislative Liaison were instructed to open such accounts so that they could more easily deposit and withdraw government funds for official use without accruing interest. After depositing the stolen funds, Johnson wrote checks to himself, which he deposited into his personal bank accounts, and spent the money for his personal benefit, including on living expenses, a baby grand piano, loan payments for a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and family vacations. Johnson also admitted that he provided cash to his family members, including his spouse.
During execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s residence in Brandywine, Maryland on November 6, 2019, law enforcement recovered approximately $15,1740 in cash from Johnson’s residence. Johnson agrees that at least $4,000 of the funds seized were the proceeds of his offense.
In all, Johnson’s conduct caused a loss to the U.S. government of $1,157,540.69, which includes $26,506.02 in banking and service fees that the Air Force paid monthly in connection with the cash advances Johnson obtained. As part of his plea agreement, Johnson has agreed to the entry of a restitution order in the full amount of the victim’s losses.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the OSI, the DCIS, and the IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the case.
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Foley Woman Sentenced for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Ashley Nicole King, 30, of Foley, Alabama, has been sentenced for her participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018. In August of 2019, King pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 90 month sentence in King’s case, and ordered that King serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody. King was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. No fine was imposed.The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Foley Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Christopher Ryan Snider, 37, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for his participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018. In May of 2020, Snider pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 168-month sentence in Snider’s case, consisting of 120 months on the drug charge to be served consecutively to 60 months on the gun charge. The judge ordered that Snider serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from custody. Snider was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $200. No fine was imposed.The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Federal and State Law Enforcement in Maryland and DC Announce New Regional Carjacking Prosecution Task Force to Address Spikes in Carjackings over the Past YearRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner announced the formation of a regional carjacking task force designed to promote cross-border coordination in the prosecution of carjacking cases. Mr. Lenzner was joined in making the announcement by the other members of the prosecution task force: Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. They were also joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement officials from agencies in Maryland and D.C. that are involved in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.
The carjacking prosecution task force was created to ensure the prosecution of individuals who engage in carjacking and robberies in multiple jurisdictions, which can create challenges to holding the perpetrators accountable for the full extent of their criminal conduct. The task force of federal and state prosecutors are working together to ensure that law enforcement agencies in the region work together to build thorough investigations that encompass all of a perpetrator’s crimes, even if they are committed in multiple jurisdictions. Through real-time collaboration, the members of the task force are able to gather evidence from multiple jurisdictions and share information about specific individuals responsible for these crimes. The federal and state prosecutors in the task force collaborate to decide the jurisdiction in which a particular defendant should be charged, in order to ensure they are adequately held accountable for their crimes. This cross-border partnership between federal and state prosecutors’ offices mirrors similar collaboration among the police departments in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Washington, D.C., and among the FBI and ATF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lenzner also announced that a federal grand jury has returned the first federal indictments filed in Maryland resulting from the collaborative work of the new carjacking task force. The two separate indictments charge three men with committing carjacking and related firearms offenses that occurred in February 2021. The indictments were both returned on May 12, 2021, and are discussed in greater detail below.
“The regional carjacking prosecution task force will ensure that the perpetrators of these violent crimes will not escape justice when they cross jurisdictional borders,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “By working with our federal and local law enforcement partners here in Maryland and in Washington, D.C., we can coordinate our response, remove violent criminals from our communities, and obtain justice for the victims of these violent crimes. The spike in carjackings in the area is simply unacceptable, and we are all committed to working together to counter with a robust law enforcement response.”
“The crimes resulting from these carjackings pose a serious public safety danger. Our office is committed to ensuring that the residents of the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions will see justice from the prosecution of the individuals who commit these alarming acts,” said Acting United States Attorney Channing D. Phillips. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uphold the law and provide a viable solution in order to make our communities safer.”
“The rise in carjackings in and around Prince George’s County and the region has become a very serious issue. This task force will enable us to address these crimes in a regional fashion and we stand ready to work with our state and federal partners to get these very serious and dangerous crimes under control,” said Prince George's County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
“Crime doesn’t stop at the border of one jurisdiction to another neither should justice. Violent criminals who commit carjackings wreak havoc all around the DMV and this joint task force will hold them accountable for their horrible acts against unsuspecting residents no matter where it happens or where they’re from,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Two Carjacking Indictments Announced Today
The first indictment charges Elijah Greene-Parker, age 19, and Rashaun Onley, age 21, both of Washington, D.C., with armed robbery and with carjacking two victims on February 5, 2021, and with three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Greene-Parker and Onley each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery; a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for each of the two carjacking counts; and a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in federal prison for each of the three counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm. The defendants have had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court and were ordered to be detained pending trial. This case is being investigated by the FBI – Baltimore Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the City of Alexandria Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner thanked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the case.
The second indictment charges Mikye Dione Speaks, age 22, of Glenarden, Maryland, with a carjacking that occurred on February 15, 2021, during which he allegedly stole a 2020 Ford Edge from a victim at gunpoint. If convicted, Speaks faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for carjacking and a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in federal prison for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Speaks is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on May 21, 2021. He is currently detained on related state charges. The case was investigated by the Prince George’s County Police Department and FBI – Baltimore Field Office. Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/priorities and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Federal Grand Jury Issues Indictment in Latest Case in Investigation into DMV Employees Who Took Bribes to Issue Driver’s LicensesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today indicted alleged “brokers” accused of scheming to illegally obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants by paying bribes to corrupt employees of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Carlos Alberto Zea Londono, 58, of Granada Hills, and Eudelia Lopez Martinez, 50, of South Los Angeles, were charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Also charged in today’s indictment are Rogelio Zazueta, 52, of Huntington Park, and Arestakes Khachikyan, a.k.a. “Aries,” 54, of Granada Hills, who each face one count of aiding and abetting the illegal production of identification documents, which carries a 15-year statutory maximum prison sentence. The superseding indictment adds two new charges and three additional defendants to a June 2020 indictment that charged only Zazueta with the aiding and abetting count.
Today’s indictment alleges that, from April to October 2016, Londono and Lopez negotiated the price that ineligible driver’s license applicants would pay in cash to fraudulently receive passing scores on the written test and/or driving test needed to obtain a California driver’s license. The cash payments ranged from $400 to $1,400, according to the indictment.
The brokers then contacted the scheme’s ringleader – Antanacio Villegas, a.k.a. “A.T.,” 46, of Portales, New Mexico, but who previously lived in Long Beach and who worked as a license registration examiner at the DMV office in Torrance. Londono and Lopez allegedly paid Villegas cash bribes for the issuance of a validly issued California driver’s licenses without applicants taking the necessary tests to legitimately obtain it. The brokers allegedly also provided Villegas the personal identifying information for the driver’s license applicants.
Villegas then solicited the services of different California DMV employees who also took cash bribes to make fraudulent entries in the DMV’s computer database to indicate that an applicant had passed the necessary written or driving tests – even though the applicant never actually took or passed the required tests to obtain a California driver’s license. Based on the fraudulent entries, the corrupt DMV employees then unlawfully issued instructional permits or driver’s licenses to the applicants, the indictment alleges.
As a result, the California DMV prepared and mailed a California driver’s license to applicants that they were not lawfully entitled to receive. Law enforcement believes that more than 100 driver’s licenses were illegally issued because of the scheme.
Zazueta allegedly aided and abetted the unlawful production of a California identification document in July 2016 on behalf of an individual. According to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case, Zazueta told the individual that he had connections at the Torrance DMV and could get a license for the individual for $1,200. The individual was issued a driver’s permit even though the individual had not taken a written test, the affidavit states.
The indictment further alleges that Khachikyan aided and abetted the unlawful production of California identification document in July 2016 on behalf of an individual for whom a corrupt DMV employee entered passing scores on a test required for an instructional permit, then issued the permit without the individual taking or passing the required tests.
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.
Villegas is scheduled to plead guilty on June 21 to a seven-count information charging him with honest services mail fraud. In his plea agreement, Villegas admitted that he and other DMV employees accepted cash bribes at least several times per week, and otherwise ineligible drivers would be directed to the window of a corrupt DMV employee with an “identifier” such as a red hat, in order to fraudulently obtain their licenses.
In a related case, Jovana Tameka Nettles, 44, of Norwalk, pleaded guilty on May 17 to three counts of honest services wire fraud. Nettles, a former manager at the DMV office in the Lincoln Park area of Los Angeles, admitted to fraudulently entering passing scores for applicants and issuing instructional permits for applicants who had not taken or passed the required tests in exchange for bribes. Nettles’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 23.
In another related matter, Taliesha Shunte Ratliff, 37, of Gardena, a former DMV employee in Torrance, pleaded guilty in August 2020 to a single-count information charging her with soliciting and accepting bribes. She is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
Also, Otto Escobar, Sr., 63, of Granada Hills, pleaded guilty in November 2020 to one count of aiding and abetting concerning programs receiving federal funds. Escobar, who formerly operated the Van Nuys-based OK Driving School, admitted in his plea agreement that, from 2015 to 2017, he charged his customers a fee for obtaining a fraudulent passing DMV score, and to facilitate the fraud, and he collected money used to bribe DMV employees to commit the fraud. Escobar’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 7, at which time he will face 10 years in federal prison.
The United States Coast Guard Investigative Service and the California Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Internal Affairs is investigating this matter. This matter is a spin-off investigation of CGIS Operation Buzzkill, an investigation to protect maritime safety and security involving the use of fraudulent identification documents by truckers to gain access to secured and restricted areas of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. That investigation resulted in 16 convictions and also resulted in the identification of several corrupt DMV employees who were fraudulently issuing California driver’s licenses.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda M. Bettinelli and Erik M. Silber of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – David Daniel Thomas was sentenced today to 71 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for arson. In addition, he received 33 months on a supervised release revocation from a prior federal conviction that is to be served at the expiration of his arson sentence. Thomas will also pay $6,000 in restitution. On February 25, 2021, Thomas pled guilty to an indictment charging him with arson.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Thomas, 24, was living with the victim in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in December 2019. In the early morning hours of December 14, 2019, the defendant and the victim began arguing. The defendant attempted to set the victim’s car on fire by inserting a rag into the fuel filler and lighting it, however, he was unsuccessful in starting a fire. The argument resulted in the victim leaving the apartment with her son and calling law enforcement. When the officers arrived, the victim came back to her apartment. The officers were unable to contact the defendant, who had left the area. The victim spoke to law enforcement and then left the apartment complex again.
After the victim and law enforcement left, the defendant returned to the apartment. He removed his belongings from the apartment and then started a fire in the closet of the victim’s bedroom. The fire quickly spread throughout the apartment and destroyed all the victim’s personal belongings. Law enforcement and fire investigators found the defendant’s belongings in a wooded area nearby and retrieved the surveillance footage of the apartment complex. The surveillance footage showed the defendant removing his personal belongings and going in and out of the apartment right before it was engulfed in flames.
The Fayetteville Fire Department was able to contain the fire to one apartment. Thankfully no one was injured during the fire. The occupants of the surrounding apartments were notified by other residents of the apartment complex and were able to get out of their homes safely.
The Fayetteville Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the fire. They determined the fire was intentionally set and originated in the closet of the master bedroom.
Thomas was arrested two days later and confessed to trying to set the victim’s car on fire. He initially denied setting the apartment fire but ultimately admitted to lighting a pair of the victim’s jeans on fire and said the fire got out of control.
At the time of the arson, Thomas was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of marijuana. Thomas’ supervised release was revoked for the new criminal conduct.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fayetteville Fire Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-374.
East Hills Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Oronde Shelton, 48, formerly of the East Hills area of Pittsburgh, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, on or about March 17, 2021, Oronde Shelton, a convicted felon, possessed ammunition. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
At each count, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Drug User and Felon Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who illegally possessed firearms, was sentenced May 13, 2021, to more than three years in federal prison.
Yoni Duenas, 23, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 21, 2020, guilty plea to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user.
Evidence presented by the United States at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed Duenas unlawfully possessed two firearms on two separate occasions. Counting Duenas’ past criminal history and his instant conduct, he has been disarmed by law enforcement four times.
Duenas was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Duenas was sentenced to 40 months’ and five days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sioux City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4031. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Drug Trafficker Who Caused Three Fentanyl Overdoses Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Marvin Lee Carter, Sr. (41, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, which caused serious bodily injury. Carter had pleaded guilty on March 1, 2021.
According to court documents, Carter sold fentanyl to an acquaintance, who used the fentanyl and suffered an overdose. That same day, Carter also sold fentanyl to another individual. That individual and a co-worker both used the fentanyl and also overdosed. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and found additional fentanyl. All three individuals who had used the fentanyl received medical attention and survived.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Leonard.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Covington Woman Sentenced for FEMA FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KELLY GAUTHIER, age 49, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 15 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to one count of Theft of Government Funds in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to the Bill of Information to which GAUTHIER pled guilty, she filed an application with the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on or about March 14, 2016, following severe storms and flooding across Louisiana. GAUTHIER claimed that she needed assistance due to her ownership and occupancy of a home where she was living. In order to show her purported ownership of the home, GAUTHIER submitted fraudulent supporting documentation showing that she was the owner of the home when, in fact, she was not. GAUTHIER was issued a total of $29,075.56 in FEMA assistance, including assistance for home repairs, rental assistance, transportation, and personal property.
The Honorable U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman sentenced GAUTHIER to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Judge Feldman also ordered GAUTHIER to pay restitution in the amount of $20,946.54 to FEMA.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, for its work in investigating this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh.
Convicted Impersonator Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Involving Elderly Victims and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ST. CROIX – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Yamini Potter pled guilty today in federal court to wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343 and witness tampering/obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1512.
According to court documents, between approximately May 2019 and October 23, 2020, Potter, acting as himself, or others persons, including Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller; former Virgin Islands Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter; Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George; and former federal District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez, contacted victims M.M. and P.M. and requested money to purportedly pay for lawyers and legal fees associated with various fictitious lawsuits, which Potter knew did not exist. M.M. and P.M. paid Potter via cash, check, or wire transfer for expenses associate with these non-existent lawsuits. The total amount paid to Potter by the victims was $120,650.
After Potter was arrested and incarcerated for the above-described criminal conduct, he continued to use the Bureau of Corrections’ phone to contact his victims on a recorded line. Potter pretended to be Judge Miller on four separate calls; former Judge Gomez on nine different calls; Attorney General George on 78 calls; and former Lieutenant Governor Potter on 47 calls. During the fraud scheme, and after Potter was arrested on the federal charges, he instructed victims M.M. and P.M. not to cooperate with the federal authorities in his federal criminal case. On one occasion, he advised the victims to delete text messages between himself and the victims.
Potter will be sentenced on September 17, 2021 by Senior District Judge Timothy J. Savage and faces a maximum term of not more than 20 years imprisonment per count, three years of supervised release per count and a maximum $250,000.00 fine per count. As part of his plea agreement, Potter agreed to pay $120,650 in restitution to P.M.’s estate.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alessandra P. Serano.
United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert encourages anyone, and especially elderly victims, who may be a victim of fraud – or of any other crime - to come forward and make a report to the FBI at (340) 777-3363.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents, Andrew Troy Tanner, 38, admitted that on September 17, 2018, he met with a confidential informant to sell methamphetamine. Tanner contacted his supplier while he was with the confidential informant to obtain the methamphetamine. Tanner admitted that he facilitated the distribution of approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant.
Tanner pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on August 25, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Cremeans is handling the prosecution.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-0152.
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California Woman Arrested for Fraudulently Selling over $700,000 Worth of Counterfeit Retail Store CouponsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A California woman was arrested and charged with fraudulently selling over $700,000 worth of counterfeit Catalina coupons used at various retail stores across the United States for the purchase of household items, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Tong Lor, aka “Mandy Carr,” 33, of Modesto, California, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of mail fraud. She is expected to make her initial appearance by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney in the Eastern District of California.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2020 to May 2021, Lor was involved in a large-scale operation to produce and sell fraudulent, counterfeit Catalina coupons using the U.S. Postal Service. She printed coupons with fake bar codes and then mailed them to purchasers in New Jersey and elsewhere for use at participating retail stores for discounts on household items such as diapers, laundry detergent, and toiletries.
Lor sold the counterfeit coupons via invitation-only internet groups – associated with her businesses: Mandy’s Treasure Box, Mandys Knitting Club, and Mandy’s Treasure Chest – that were accessible via the Internet site Telegram Messenger Inc. (Telegram), a cloud-based, mobile instant communications service. The purchasers who were invited into the groups were provided with access to an order form containing a list of numerous counterfeit coupons that had associated prices and volume designations. Purchasers would electronically select the counterfeit coupons they wanted and submit the form to Lor through the Telegram application.
Lor then falsely coded and printed the counterfeit coupons and mailed them to the purchasers, almost exclusively using the USPS mail system. USPS records show that from in and December 2017 through the present, Lor mailed over 13,000 parcels using USPS.
The charge of mail fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins, in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Coppotelli and Heather Suchorsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brownsville man learns fate after attempting to smuggle drugsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 35-year-old local man has been sentenced following his conviction of attempting to deliver cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Isaac Martinez pleaded guilty June 2.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Martinez to serve an-84 month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release.
“Today’s sentence not only holds Martinez accountable for his crimes, but serves as a warning to those who are contemplating drug trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI will continue to use every resource available to identify smugglers like Martinez, who distribute this poison to the citizens throughout the United States.”
On July 7, 2019, Luigui Ortiz-Rosales attempted entry into the United States from Mexico driving a Mercury Villager minivan at the Brownsville Veterans International Bridge. During inspection, authorities removed four rectangular packages of suspected narcotics from the natural void of the rear quarter panels.
The packages field tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 4.70 kilograms with an estimated street value of $94,000.
The investigation ultimately led law enforcement to Martinez. They had observed an F-150 pickup truck circling the parking lot of a shopping center location in Brownsville. Martinez was the driver. He stopped the vehicle, exited and approached the location where law enforcement had already arrested Ortiz-Rosales. The investigation revealed Martinez was to pick up the narcotics and deliver them to a grocery store parking lot in Brownsville.
Ortiz-Rosales, 38, of Mexico, ultimately pleaded guilty and was later sentenced to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release.
Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HSI and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
Birmingham Woman Sentenced in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Gabrielle Danielle Goss, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced for her participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy which occurred in Baldwin County during 2016 through 2018. In May of 2020, Goss pled guilty to the conspiracy charge.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a 96-month sentence in Goss’ case and ordered that Goss serve a five-year term of supervised release when she is released from custody. Goss was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. No fine was imposed.The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Baldwin County Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Armed Robber Sentenced to over 24 Years for Committing Multiple Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Joshua Beason, 26, has been sentenced to 293 months in federal prison for committing multiple business robberies and brandishing a firearm. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on June 28, 2019, Beason and two co-defendants robbed multiple Memphis-area gas stations in what was described in court as a "night of terror."
At approximately 1:10 a.m., Beason and co-defendant 1 approached a store clerk outside of the Mapco Express on Raleigh Millington Road, armed with semi-automatic handguns with extended magazines. They threatened the clerk, forced her inside, and removed money from the register.
Less than an hour later, the suspects proceeded to the Murphy Express on Summer Avenue. Beason and co-defendant 2 placed a handgun to the side of a store clerk, forced him inside the store, and threatened the lives of both store clerks. They then took money from the register and fled the scene.
Approximately thirty minutes later, the suspects robbed the Exxon on Summer Avenue. As Beason and co-defendant 2 entered the business, the clerk ran to the back of the store. While running, he heard Beason and co-defendant 2 yell "don't move or I will shoot" and "shoot, shoot." The group removed the cash drawer and fled the scene.
Minutes later, the suspects participated in a home invasion in the 2000 block of West Barbara Circle. The resident, as well as the co-defendants were shot. All three survived. Beason and his co-defendants were apprehended at a local emergency room.
On November 2, 2020, Beason pled guilty to three counts of robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
On May 14, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Beason to 293 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Beason's co-defendants are scheduled for trial in July 2021.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Whitmore and Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Arizona Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Importation and Distribution of Methamphetamine from Mexico to IowaRead the Press Release
A woman who imported approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and a half pound of cocaine, over a two-year period was sentenced on May 11, 2021, to almost 9 years in federal prison.
Brisa Paniagua-Trejo, 40, from Casa Grande, Arizona, pled guilty on December 8, 2020, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Paniagua-Trejo coordinated shipments of several pounds of methamphetamine, and cocaine, from 2018 through early 2020 to the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere. On February 5, 2020, after conducting active surveillance for suspected drug activity, a Woodbury County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Paniagua-Trejo was operating. Upon conducting a search within the vehicle, law enforcement discovered approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 30 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, several phones, and four rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Paniagua-Trejo was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, and drug possession in the Minnesota District Court for Faribault County.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Paniagua-Trejo was sentenced to 107 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Paniagua-Trejo remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she is transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4054. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Alleged Manhattan Drug Dealer Arrested for Causing Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging EDWARD NAVEDO, a/k/a “Eddy Bolsas,” with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 41-year-old man (the “Victim”) on or about December 19, 2020, in New York, New York. NAVEDO was arrested this morning, presented and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger this afternoon, and ordered detained. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Analisa Torres.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Edward Navedo sold fentanyl, and a dose he sold resulted in a victim’s death. Today’s arrest is part of our ongoing commitment to confront this serious public health crisis.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “Today’s arrest is another example of the NYPD’s commitment to holding accountable those allegedly responsible for causing overdose deaths and our continued close partnerships with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. Anyone who deals in illegal narcotics should understand that the nation’s best investigators will stop at nothing to fight crime and keep safe all the people we serve.
According to the allegations in the Indictment and information in the public record[1]:
On or about December 19, 2020, the Victim died due to a drug overdose and was found to be in possession of, among other things, a packet stamped with a distinctive red marking. Following an investigation, the NYPD identified NAVEDO as the dealer who sold the Victim the drugs that resulted in his death. The NYPD subsequently made several undercover purchases of additional narcotics from NAVEDO – including heroin and fentanyl – some of which NAVEDO sold in packets that bore the same distinctive red stamp as that recovered from the Victim.
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NAVEDO, 60, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress, and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman Announces HIDTA Designation for Erie CountyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today that Erie County has been officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. Erie joins four other western Pennsylvania counties - Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, and Westmoreland - in receiving dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state and local governments to fight drug trafficking and abuse.
"Through this designation, Erie County will receive critical resources and support to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the county," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman, Erie County has been used by drug traffickers as a waypoint for the large-scale distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into Erie and the surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New York. Drug dealers exploit Erie’s easy access by train, bus and interstate highway to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, and Chicago by utilizing the county as a repackaging hub for further distribution of their product and to funnel drug proceeds back through the supply line.
"The HIDTA designation and award of funds is most welcome here," said Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri. "While local law enforcement has unitized its resources efficiently fighting drug trafficking in our region, it seems like there’s always more to be done. Federal funding gives us the opportunity to increase the fight against the harm we’ve all seen done by drugs in our community."
"The Pennsylvania State Police has participated in other HIDTA designated counties in Western Pennsylvania with great success," added the Pennsylvania State Police. "Our agency looks forward to working with other local, state, and federal partners through the HIDTA program to disrupt drug trafficking organizations affecting Erie County and all of Pennsylvania."
"The Erie Police Department is pleased to learn of the Erie-area’s HIDTA designation," said City of Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny. "We have supported the application for HIDTA and look forward to the continued close cooperation of all law enforcement in our area. The extra resources that HIDTA brings to the table will help greatly."
"The designation of Erie as a HIDTA county will bring federal funding, increased sharing of intelligence, analytical support, enhanced training opportunities, and a cooperative effort between the local, state and federal partners," said Derek M. Siegle, Executive Director of the Ohio HIDTA.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman thanked Pennsylvania’s United States Senators Robert Casey and Pat Toomey, Governor Tom Wolf, Rep. Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as local law enforcement who supported and worked in concert to receive this designation.
Erie County is the most northwestern county in the Western District of Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 280,566. The County borders Lake Erie and consists of the City of Erie, surrounding suburbs, and outlying municipalities. Erie County joins the program’s Ohio HIDTA region.
Accountant for Pizza Restaurants Sentenced for Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES G. GUERRA, 59, of Dix Hills, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first two months of which Guerra must spend in home confinement, for a felony tax offense. Judge Bolden also ordered Guerra to perform 100 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Guerra worked as an accountant for Bruno DeFabio, an owner of several pizza restaurants in Connecticut and New York, including Pinocchio Pizza LLC, doing business as Pinocchio Pizza in New Canaan, Connecticut; Top Oven Restaurant Corp., doing business as Pinocchio Pizza in Wilton, Connecticut; DiFabio Brothers Pizza Corp., doing business as Amore Pizza in Scarsdale, New York; Odell Pizza, Inc., doing business as Amore Cucina and Bar in Stamford, Connecticut; Nepperhan Restaurants Group, Inc., doing business as ReNapoli Pizza, in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and Homefield Restaurant Corp., doing business as Pinocchio Pizza in Pound Ridge, New York.
DiFabio and his businesses engaged in a practice whereby cash was removed from the cash registers and not deposited into the restaurants’ operating bank accounts, and Guerra knew that DiFabio had a practice of paying his employees in cash. Although Guerra was aware that DiFabio was failing to collect required withholding taxes from his employees and, in turn, not paying over these taxes to the IRS, Guerra reviewed and approved DiFabio’s quarterly tax returns that DiFabio subsequently signed and filed with the IRS.
On January 25, 2021, Guerra pleaded guilty to one count of assisting the willful failure to collect and pay over withholding taxes.
On October 25, 2018, DiFabio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false income tax returns and payroll tax returns. On May 6, 2021, he was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment and ordered to pay $816,954 in restitution.
On September 24, 2018, DiFabio’s business partner in some of his restaurants, Steven Cioffi, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. On April 27, 2021, Cioffi was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment and ordered to pay $122,177.59 in restitution.
On June 4, 2019, Idalecia Lopes Santos, the businesses’ bookkeeper, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. On March 30, 2021, she was sentenced to three years of probation.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
18 May 2021
United States Marine and Brother Indicted for Attempted Carjacking of Off-Duty Police Officer in YabucoaRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 13, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging brothers Jonathan Amill Peña and Yosef Ricardo Cruz Peña with an attempted carjacking of an off-duty police officer, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the Government’s allegations, on March 10, 2021 around 5:00 a.m., a female police officer leaving her shift stopped to assist Yosef Ricardo Cruz Peña with an apparently broken-down vehicle on a bridge in Yabucoa. Cruz Peña was a United States Marine on leave in Puerto Rico. Once the police officer stopped her car to help Cruz Peña, his brother Jonathan Amill Peña approached her car from behind with a gun. The police officer and carjacker exchanged gun fire, with over 19 shots being fired. One of the carjackers, Jonathan Amill Peña, was injured, and his cohorts fled to take him to the hospital. The police officer was not physically injured.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Valentin of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in charge of the investigation. If convicted, the defendants face a sentence in excess of ten years in prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two New Bedford Men Charged with Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two New Bedford men were indicted by a federal grand jury last week on fentanyl and firearm offenses.
David Acosta, 25, and Marquise Thompson, 34, were indicted on one count each of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Acosta was also charged with one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime. Following an initial appearance on Friday, May 14, 2021, Acosta and Thompson were detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 19, 2021.
According to the indictment, on Oct. 22, 2020, Acosta and Thompson possessed more than 40 grams of fentanyl, intending to sell those narcotics. Additionally, Acosta was allegedly in possession of a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol during and in relation to his fentanyl possession.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $4 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in relation to or in furtherance of drug trafficking provides for a mandatory minimum sentence five years and up to life in prison, five 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 Mendell; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Task Force Releases Child-Focused Video to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative operated locally by a community task force, released a public service video today to bring attention to combating violent crime. Today’s video emphasizes that, among 751 people who have been murdered in Kansas City, Missouri, in the last five years, 28 victims have been children.
“Violent crime takes a terrible toll on the families who are directly impacted and on the wider community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “The toll is heaviest when children are victims of violence. By focusing on children, this public service video underscores the need for our community to work together for safer neighborhoods.
“The Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force hopes that this video will be widely seen and shared over social media, and will inspire its viewers to action against violent crime,” Moore added, “because every kid deserves to be a kid.”
The public service video can be viewed online at:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/video/project-safe-neighborhoods
The video will also be promoted through the social media accounts of task force members.
“The unacceptable level of violence in our city is hurting our children and so many others,” said Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith. “We work closely with federal and community partners to hold accountable those who carry out violent acts. Every Kansas Citian - especially children - deserves to feel safe.”
“Every person should be able to live where they feel safe and free from harm and our children deserve to have the opportunity to grow, learn and play without fear of violence,” said Timothy Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Kansas City Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to working together to combat violent crime, to protect our community, protect our children and protect our future.”
“Our children deserve safe streets, parks and playgrounds, free from the constant threat of gun fire,” said Frederic Winston, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kansas City Field Division. “While every day, ATF uses our expertise to battle gun violence, it is only with the community’s help that law enforcement can make every neighborhood a safer place to live, work and play.”
Today’s public service video promotes the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline. The anonymous TIPS Hotline is operated by the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, a member of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force and the fiscal agent to channel federal funding for the public service video and other initiatives of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
“Since the inception of the TIPS Hotline, over 159,250 anonymous tips have been taken by our program and more than $1.5 million in cash rewards paid,” said Barry Mayer, vice president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission. “Tips have resulted in over 11,450 felony arrests, 25,462 cases cleared, $36,555,571 in recovered property and narcotics, 3,899 fugitives arrested, and 1,848 firearms recovered.
“Our program is credited with 662 solved homicides,” Mayer added. “Included in that is 20 homicides in Kansas City, Mo., that have been solved since we increased our KCMO homicide reward to $25,000 on June 21, 2019.”
Tips can be submitted 24/7 via phone (816-474-8477), mobile app and web at www.KCCrimestoppers.com. Tips are completely anonymous. The identity of a tipster has never been discovered. Rewards are also paid completely anonymously.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Department of Justice initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement with community partners to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, members of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force include the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Independence Police Department. Federal partners on the task force include the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Tacoma woman sentenced to 6 years in prison for molesting child left in her care and making a video for her boyfriendRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 52-year-old Tacoma resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 6 years in prison for distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Gail Lynn Burnworth, 53, and her boyfriend Michael Kellar, 59, were arrested in August 2017, after an alert passenger on a July 31, 2017, flight to San Jose, California, noticed disturbing texts between Kellar, who was on the plane, and Burnworth, who was in Tacoma. The investigation revealed the two had produced and shared sexually explicit images of children placed in Burnworth’s care. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “You exercised your free will and ultimately put your needs ahead of the needs of children.”
“This defendant committed unspeakable acts, claiming to be under the evil influence of her boyfriend,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The harm she inflicted to those left in her care is deserving of prison and supervision that keeps her away from children.”
According to records filed in the case, after the witness reported her concerns to the airline flight attendants, the flight crew arranged for law enforcement to meet the plane. Kellar was questioned by police and ultimately arrested. A review of his electronic devices showed graphic explicit exchanges with Burnworth discussing drugging and raping the children in her care.
The Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force was alerted and obtained a Court-authorized search warrant for Burnworth’s residence and electronic devices. Investigators found sexually explicit images on Burnworth’s devices and found several hundred images of child pornography on Kellar’s laptop.
Writing to the court, prosecutors noted that Burnworth’s claims that she acted under the sick control of Kellar does not mean she should be returned to the community. Burnworth “is no different than a loaded firearm sitting on a counter: in the wrong hands, something terrible could happen. And like that firearm, Burnworth lacks both the ability and the fortitude to intercede to prevent that harm. Just as the safest place for a loaded weapon is a locked safe, the safest place for Burnworth is a prison,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
“Protecting children is one of the FBI's most noble missions. In this case, the mission included local partners as well as a vigilant private citizen which led to the rescue of two children from unspeakable abuse. Thanks to this work, Ms. Burnworth will be able to reflect on her choices from behind bars,” said Donald Voiret, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Seattle Field Division.
On September 25, 2019, Kellar pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and access with intent to view child pornography. In February 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Following his prison term, he will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Burnworth will be on 10 years of supervised release following her prison term and will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Both defendants have been in custody since their arrests in August 2017.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the San Jose, California, Sheriff’s Office and the Seattle Police Department Internet Crimes against Children Task Force (ICAC).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Marie Dalton.
St. Louis man arrested in sting operation pleads guilty to federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Leonard Elliston Thomas, 36, of St. Louis Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas appeared, today, before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk.
In February 2020, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information, from a source, Thomas and a co-defendant were attempting to purchase fully automatic firearms. The co-defendant was a Bureau of Prisons inmate at the time.
Thomas and his co-defendant negotiated a deal to purchase multiple firearms and Glock switches from undercover ATF agents in exchange for cash and methamphetamine. The co-defendant arranged a deal via telephone and Thomas met with agents. Both were arrested and multiple firearms and drugs were seized.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Behrens is handling the case.
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Sanford Woman Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine—A Sanford woman was sentenced today in federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Jennifer Adams, 40, to 12 years in prison and four years of supervised release. Adams pleaded guilty on December 18, 2019.
According to court records, between August 2017 and April 2018, Adams and others acquired fentanyl in Massachusetts for distribution in York County. Two people who received fentanyl from members of the conspiracy died and another person suffered serious bodily injury.
On April 11, 2018, law enforcement officers seized approximately 150 grams of fentanyl from members of the conspiracy. A later search of Adams’ residence resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, a digital scale, approximately $2,500 in cash and a “finger press” designed to compress fentanyl for further distribution.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Biddeford and Sanford Police Departments.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sanbornville Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - James Coughlin, 38, of Sanbornville, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Coughlin conspired with individuals in California to have quantities of “ice” methamphetamine shipped to him at his Sanbornville residence. During the investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted a package containing approximately 460 grams of “ice” methamphetamine intended for Coughlin. In 2019, an individual who was cooperating with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force made seven controlled purchases of “ice” methamphetamine from Coughlin at his Sanbornville residence. On January 14, 2020, federal and state law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Coughlin’s residence and seized approximately 61 grams of “ice” methamphetamine, cash, firearms, and ammunition. Because Coughlin previously had been convicted of a felony, it was unlawful for him to possess the firearms and ammunition.
Coughlin previously pleaded guilty on February 4, 2021.
“Methamphetamine trafficking poses a significant risk to communities throughout New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “The risk to public safety is further heightened when drug traffickers are armed. Thanks to the hard work of a team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, this individual will no longer be able to endanger the citizens of the Granite State.”
“Coughlin presented a danger to the public in many forms, the Court’s sentence ensures he will not be able to continue his crimes”, said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent In Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “We credit the strong commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Hampshire and our numerous local, state, and federal partners for their contributions to this investigation.”
“Drugs and guns are a deadly combination,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “DEA is committed to bring to justice methamphetamine traffickers like Mr. Coughlin. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Investigation Unit and Mobile Enforcement Team, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force the Dover Police Department, the Portsmouth Police Department, the University of New Hampshire Police Department, the Somersworth Police Department, the Hampton Police Department, and the York, Maine Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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