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13 May 2021
Gunna Gang Affiliate Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
DES MOINES – Today a federal judge sentenced Dreshon Rene Frazier, age 25, of Des Moines, to 20 years in prison for drug and gun crimes. Frazier had previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
At sentencing, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger found over the course of 2019 to 2020, Frazier repeatedly acquired and dealt marijuana. During that year, Frazier, a known Gunna Gang affiliate, also possessed numerous firearms, including those with high capacity magazines. A search of Frazier’s residence on February 26, 2020, revealed two loaded pistols, drug-related items, and ammunition.
In December 2019, Frazier was involved in a gang-related shooting in Des Moines. During that shooting, Frazier and two other Gunna Gang members shot at the occupied residence of a rival gang member. Frazier pleaded guilty in the Iowa District Court for Polk County to charges related to that shooting. Frazier, a convicted felon, has an extensive criminal history that categorizes him under the United States Sentencing Guidelines as a career offender. He was serving two terms of parole when he committed both the shooting and the federal crimes.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging 21 Individuals Running Narcotics Distribution Ring involving Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 32-count indictment charging 21 individuals for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine across the Wasatch Front. The charges follow joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operations conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, Wasatch Metro Narcotics Strike Force, Davis County Metro Narcotics Strike Force, West Valley Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
Law enforcement officers seized more than 27 pounds of methamphetamine, four pounds of fentanyl, two pounds of heroin, 22 pounds of cocaine, two firearms, and more than $415,000 during the course of the operation.
The grand jury charged 18 individuals with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; 14 individuals are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; five individuals are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin; 18 individuals are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The indictment also includes 12 counts of distribution of methamphetamine; three counts of distribution of cocaine; one count of distribution of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; four counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin; one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of using a cellular phone to facilitate the distribution of methamphetamine.
Charged in the indictment are:
- Melvin Bladimir Andrade, aka “The Trucker,” 32, of Roy;
- Jesus Antonio Hernandez Guerrero, aka “Tonio,” 35, of North Ogden;
- Francisco Javier Quezada Aguirre, aka “el Negro” aka “Poncho,” 27, of Mexico;
- Pedro Ignacio Mendoza Ibarra, 28, of Mexico;
- Hector Ramses Blasco Cota, aka “Winnie,” 25, of Salt Lake City;
- Jose Luis Hernandez, aka “Chepe,” 60, of Ogden;
- Troy Rivera, aka “Vecino” aka “Gonzo,” 48, of Farr West;
- Hector Holguin Barrios, aka “Viejo,” 57, of Midvale;
- Hugo Morales Chavero, 30, of Salt Lake City;
- Victor Noe Martinez Portillo, 31, of West Jordan;
- Josiel Rogelio Morales Lopez, 21, of Lehi;
- Isaac Celaya Almanza, aka “Chupa” aka “Flaco,” 50, of Ogden;
- Victor Guzman, “Chiste,” 46, of Ogden;
- Erick Garcia Rivera, 40, of West Valley City;
- Mario Moreno, 40, of Ogden;
- Rubi Rosario Almenta Sanchez, 33, of Westminster, California;
- Edwin Alberto Espino Alfaro, aka “Gordito,” 33, of Ogden;
- Juan Carlos Rosas Rosas, 37, of Ogden;
- Carlos Enrique Canos Gutierrez, aka “Kike,” 26, of West Valley City;
- Marissa Perez, 22, of Torrance, California;
- Andrea Islas, 24 of, Salt Lake City.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case. Special Agents from the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and investigators from the Wasatch Metro Narcotics Strike Force, Davis County Metro Narcotics Strike Force, West Valley Police Department, and Deputies from the United States Marshals Service, conducted the investigation.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Defendants charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
Georgia Man Indicted on Charges of Wire Fraud Involving the CARES ActRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Georgia man was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Rockford on fraud charges involving unemployment compensation claims and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”).
ROBERT CARTER, 27, of Hampton, Ga., was charged with three counts of wire fraud. Arraignment is set for May 14, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen in Rockford.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; and William Hedrick, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
As alleged in the indictment, from June through August 2020, Carter and others schemed to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance for claimants whom Carter knew did not work or live in Maryland and were not entitled to benefits. Carter caused the unemployment claims in his name and others to be sent from Homewood, Ill., and DeKalb, Ill., and he opted to have the benefits paid via debit cards and mailed to residences connected to Carter and others involved in the scheme. Funds were then withdrawn from the debit cards at financial institutions and ATMs in Illinois. The fraud scheme resulted in more than $506,000 paid in unemployment benefits, the indictment alleges.
The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act created several benefit programs, including the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program, and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
General Contracting Company Admits Causing Death of Employee who Fell Off Roof During Residential Roof InstallationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A general contracting company based in Newark today admitted violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, leading to the death of an employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Trustworthy LLC, d/b/a “Trustworthy Roofing and Siding,” (Trustworthy) via its owner, Derico Ferreira, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court to an information charging it with one count of willfully violating OSHA standards by failing to provide fall protection to employees engaged in the construction of a residential home, which caused the death of an employee.
According to court documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 15, 2016, Ferreira and four employees began installation of a new roof on a two-story residential home located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Trustworthy did not use or provide to its employees any personal fall protection equipment, such as safety harnesses, lanyards, tie-off ropes, guard rails, safety nets, or other feasible means of fall protection, while they were working on the roof.
During the installation of an ice and water shield, one of Trustworthy’s employees (Employee 1), fell off the left corner of the roof. Employee 1 was not wearing any fall protection gear at the time. Ferreira had the required equipment in his truck, and could have also installed a guard rail system around the perimeter of the roof from a ladder, prior to the start of roofing work, but failed to do so. Trustworthy LLC was previously cited by OSHA during an inspection in 2014 for failing to provide fall protection to its employees.
If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Trustworthy will be sentenced to five years of probation and will pay restitution to the estate of Employee 1 in the amount of $305,275. The plea agreement also includes specified conditions that Trustworthy must follow, including providing training procedures to all its employees and a requirement to follow enhanced safety provisions for future construction jobs. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nikitas Splagounias; Daniel Hennefeld, Counsel for OSHA Office of the Solicitor, Region 2, and OSHA Compliance Officers with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason P. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Frisco Attorney Sentenced for Defrauding ClientRead the Press Release
TEXARKARNA, Texas - A Frisco lawyer has been sentenced to federal prison in connection with a wire fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
David A. Krueger, 52, pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, 2021, to federal wire fraud violations and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III. He was also ordered to pay $350,000 in victim restitution.
“As an attorney in Texas, this defendant took an oath to act honestly and with integrity. He then violated that oath by scamming his client out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The Eastern District of Texas will continue to hold accountable those who exploit positions of trust to defraud others.”
According to information presented in court, from February 2014 to September 2015, Krueger, an attorney licensed to practice in the state of Texas, devised a scheme to defraud current and former clients of his law practice by soliciting them to invest in and fund his outside business ventures. Krueger represented to his clients that they would be receive guaranteed annual returns at rates of approximately ten percent of their investments. To facilitate the scheme, Krueger persuaded a client to transfer $400,000 the client received from a legal settlement to Krueger himself for the purpose of funding a misting fan business. Krueger used those investment funds not only for this misting fan business, but also other unrelated business ventures, as well as for his own personal benefit. Krueger was not licensed to sell securities. Krueger was indicted on federal charges on August 21, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations – Texarkana Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coan and Jonathan Hornok.
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Former Owner of a Temporary Employment Agency Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Failure to Pay IRS Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Crystal Powell-Jones, age 54, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to failure to pay to the IRS employment taxes withheld from employees’ wages and to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud at least four victim lenders.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to her guilty plea, from August 2012 to October 2017, Jones operated and was the managing partner of JAG Professional Resources (“JAG”), a temporary staffing agency that provided hourly labor to municipal governments and agencies. As JAG’s managing partner, Jones exercised control over all of JAG’s business affairs, including JAG’s finances and bank account. Individual 1 was a silent minority partner in JAG.
Between at least October 2012 and August 2017, Jones devised a scheme to defraud Victim Lender 1, a factoring company; Victim Lender 2, an automobile financing service; Victim Lender 3, a mortgage banking company; and Victim Lender 4, a personal finance company.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Jones obtained factoring services from Victim Lender 1 for JAG from February 2013 to October 2016. Factoring is a means by which cash intensive businesses, like JAG, could obtain cash quickly and reliably by leveraging accounts receivable. JAG was a cash intensive business because JAG had to pay its temporary employees weekly or biweekly, but typically did not receive payment from its clients until at least 30 days after services had been rendered. Specifically, JAG sold its account receivables to Victim Lender 1 and, in return, JAG received cash advances from Victim Lender 1 totaling approximately 90% of JAG’s accounts receivables. Upon receiving payments from JAG’s clients on the outstanding invoices, Victim Lender 1 sent JAG the remaining 10% of the invoice that had been purchased, less fees Victim Lender 1 charged for its factoring services.
From March 2016 to about May 2016, Jones caused JAG to sell Victim Lender 1 fraudulent invoices totaling more than $350,000 for services that JAG had purportedly provided to a City in Ohio. The City in Ohio had contracted with JAG for temporary employment services beginning in February 2013, but JAG’s relationship with the City in Ohio ended in about February 2016. In total, Victim Lender 1 paid at least $347,993.13 to JAG as a result of fraudulent invoices Jones caused JAG to sell Victim Lender 1.
In October 2012, Jones and her co-borrower, financed the purchase of a 2012 Ford Fusion. To obtain financing, Jones falsely stated she had been employed as JAG’s accountant for four years on an Applicant’s Credit Statement. Jones also submitted a fraudulent bank statement for financing which listed Jones and another individual when, in fact, the bank statement solely belonged to Individual 1.
Subsequently, Victim Lender 2 provided Jones and Individual 1 with financing of $19,657.50 toward the purchase of Jones’s car. Victim Lender 2 suffered a loss of $5, 422.60 after Jones declared bankruptcy and failed to satisfy the debt.
The plea further details that in November 2015, Jones submitted a Uniform Residential Loan Application to Victim Lender 3 in the effort to finance a Laurel, Maryland residence. Jones provided false and misleading information, including that she had been employed with JAG for two years as an accountant, that she was not self-employed, and listed a bank account with a balance of $44,435.26. In fact, Jones’s bank account had a balance of $4,425.26 at the time. Relying on the false documents provided by Jones, Victim Lender 3 provided $417,302 in financing for the purchase of Jones’s residence.
In addition, Jones admitted that in October 2016, she submitted a loan application in the name of Individual 2 to Victim Lender 4. The contact information was an email address and phone number controlled by Jones. The loan application falsely listed that Individual 2 was a JAG employee who earned an annual salary of $75,000. In furtherance of the scheme, Jones completed an employment verification form in which Jones stated that Individual 2 was employed for two years with the salaries of $75,000 and $68,000, respectively. Jones also provided a fraudulent paystub that stated JAG had paid wages to Individual 2 in September 2016. In fact, Individual 2 received no wages from JAG in 2016. Victim Lender 4 approved the loan application and wired $66,708 into a bank account in Jones’s name. In 2017, Jones conducted a similar scheme to defraud with Individual 3 and received at least $29,000 in loan proceeds.
Lastly, from January 2014 to October 2016, JAG Professional Resources paid wages totaling approximately $3,851,994.00. During this period, Jones willfully failed to pay employment taxes to the IRS and failed timely to pay state unemployment and workers’ compensation duties. These failures resulted in additional tax losses to the state in which JAG operated and prevented JAG’s employees from collecting unemployment and worker’s compensation benefits to which they may have otherwise been entitled.
Jones admitted that she did not maintain reliable or accurate business records, including payroll and tax withholding documentation. JAG employees often received incorrect payment for labor and were not paid for all hours worked, including overtime hours. When JAG issued wages, correct or incorrect, it did so while purportedly withholding employment taxes on the employees’ behalf. Additionally, at Jones’s direction, JAG annually issued IRS Form W-2s to its employees that stated employment taxes, including FICA, Social Security, and Medicare, were withheld from the wages paid to the employee. In fact, Jones failed to file a single Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Return for the 2014 Tax year, an IRS Form 941. As a result of failing to pay the IRS employment taxes from January 2014 to October 2016, Jones caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $523,244.38.
As a result of Jones’ criminal activity, the United States and victim lenders sustained a total loss of at least $1,196,085.35 ($225,516.28 to the victim lenders and the remainder to the United States).
Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of five years in prison for failure to pay to the IRS employment taxes withheld from employees’ wages. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting this case.
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Former Neopit Man Sentenced for Burglary and Firearm Offenses on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on May 6, 2021, Austin A. Kaquatosh (age: 28), formerly of Neopit on the Menominee Indian Reservation, was sentenced to a total of 24 months in federal prison for burglary and being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to a written plea agreement filed in the case, Kaquatosh, a previously convicted felon, stole electronics and four firearms from a relative’s home on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
At sentencing, Senior United States District Court Judge William Griesbach noted that because Kaquatosh’s “opportunistic” offense was “traumatic” and “disruptive” to the victims, his sentence needed to send a message to the defendant, as well as others who might consider similar conduct, that such behavior was unacceptable. After serving his 24-month prison sentence, Kaquatosh also must spend three years on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police, and the Green Bay office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
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For further information contact: Public Information Officer
414-297-1700
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Former Marathon County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A former teacher with D.C. Everest Area School District in Marathon County, Wisconsin has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Madison to producing child pornography, according to Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Travis C. Greil, 39, Wausau, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to producing video files that depict minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and is obscene. Greil admitted that he used an iPad to make videos and take photos under students’ clothing, a practice called “upskirting.” The investigation began in February 2020 when a student reported to the school liaison officer that she believed Greil had filmed up her skirt while she was standing near Greil’s desk.
Greil will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on August 12 and 13, 2021. The offense to which he has pleaded guilty has a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. In the plea agreement with the United States, the parties have agreed that a sentence of at least 6 years in prison is the appropriate disposition of the case.
The charge against Greil is the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services; Everest Metro and Wausau Police Departments; Marathon County Sheriff’s Office; Marathon County District Attorney’s Office; and the Wausau Police Department – Victim Resource Unit, with the assistance of the D.C. Everest Area School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Altman and Chadwick Elgersma are handling the prosecution.
Former IRS Tax Examiner Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Directed Refund Amount to Herself as Compensation for Tax PreparationRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Linda I. Williams, 52, has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing false tax returns for various taxpayers in the Memphis area. Acting U.S. Attorney, Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the guilty plea today.
According to the information presented in court, Linda I. Williams, former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax examiner, prepared fraudulent returns seeking refunds for taxpayers and who, in some cases, directed part of the refunds as compensation to herself without the taxpayers’ knowledge. The false returns included fabricated deduction in order to claim higher refunds. Williams claimed over $500,000 in false deductions for these taxpayers.
Williams is also accused of failing to report any of her return preparation income on her own returns and sought to have taxpayers lie to investigating Treasury and IRS-CI Agents concerning her receipt of return preparation income.
Williams was a Tax Examiner of the Internal Revenue Service at the time of the alleged fraudulent activity and was under an obligation to truthfully report income received on her own income tax return.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. On February 25, 2021, Williams was charged with filing ten (10) false tax returns. She faces up to three years in federal prison for this offense and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean DeCandia is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Former Erie Resident Admits Distributing Drugs that Resulted in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Damon Dupree Henderson, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, Henderson acknowledged that he sold the fentanyl and cocaine that caused the death of R.R.T. on June 15, 2017. The indictment alleged that on June 15, 2017, Henderson unlawfully distributed mixtures of drugs containing fentanyl and cocaine.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office County Detective Bureau, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force, and the Erie Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Henderson.
Former Boston Police Sergeant Charged with Overtime Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Boston Police Sergeant George Finch has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an ongoing investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse.
Finch, 59, of Franklin, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Finch will make an appearance via videoconference in federal court in Boston at a date to be set by the Court.
According to charging documents, members of Boston Police Department’s Evidence Control Unit (ECU), were responsible for, among other things, storing, cataloging and retrieving evidence at the warehouse. ECU officers were eligible to earn overtime pay of 1.5 times their regular hourly pay rate for overtime assignments. It is alleged that, beginning in at least March 2015, members of the ECU routinely departed overtime shifts two or more hours early, but submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips claiming to have worked the entirety of each shift.
One such shift, called “purge” overtime, was focused on reducing the inventory of the evidence warehouse. The shift was supposed to be performed from 4-8 p.m. on weekdays. According to charging documents, on days during which Finch and other members of the ECU claimed to have worked until 8:00 p.m., the warehouse was closed, locked and alarmed well before 8:00 p.m., and often at 6:00 p.m. or earlier. Despite this, Finch and, allegedly, other members of the ECU routinely submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips, claiming to have actually worked until 8:00 p.m. It is alleged that supervisors such as Finch, who also left early from this shift, submitted their own false and fraudulent slips and knowingly endorsed the fraudulent overtime slips of their subordinates.
Another shift, called “kiosk” overtime, occurred once a month on Saturdays and involved collecting materials from kiosks located in each of the city’s police districts and transporting it to an incinerator in Saugus. It is alleged that Finch and other officers performing this overtime shift routinely submitted overtime slips claiming to work eight-and-one-half hours. However, officers frequently completed the necessary work early, often within four hours, and falsely and fraudulently claimed to actually work eight-and-one-half hours.
According to charging document, between March 2015 and September 2016, Finch personally collected approximately $11,310 for overtime hours he did not work. In sum, the loss to BPD as a result of the criminal conspiracy is alleged to be in excess of $150,000.
From 2015 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.
Finch is the 11th officer to be charged as a result of the investigation of overtime at the evidence warehouse. Three, including Finch, have now pleaded guilty or have agreed to do so.
The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida men sentenced for conspiring to transport stolen campers across state linesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Taylon Batista Garcia and Yankier Gaston Garcia, of Florida, were each sentenced today for their involvement in the theft of campers from a business in Elkins, West Virginia, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Taylon, 35, was sentenced today to 20 months of incarceration. He pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Offense against the United States.” Garcia admitted to driving a heavy-duty pickup truck into Elkins, West Virginia, and stealing a 2020 Jayco North Point Camper valued at $96,365, from Roy’s RV Supercenter in July 2020.
Yankier, 32, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration. He pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Offense against the United States.” Garcia admitted to driving a heavy-duty pickup truck into Elkins, West Virginia, and stealing a 2021 Grand Design Reflection camper, valued at $48,895.00, from Roy’s RV Supercenter in July 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Florida Woman Apprehended at the Cyril E. King Airport is Convicted of Smuggling Marijuana to St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that Raquel Rivera was convicted at trial yesterday after smuggling marijuana into St. Thomas.
According to evidence presented at trial, Rivera was stopped on April 22, 2020 at the Cyril E. King airport after arriving on St. Thomas from Miami, FL. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers then searched the luggage she was carrying, including one suitcase checked in Rivera’s name and one checked in the name of someone else. Inside, officers found 12 identical, vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana concealed in various items of clothing, including jeans, towels, and a Hello Kitty blanket. In total, Rivera had nearly six kilograms of marijuana in both suitcases, and when interviewed by officers that day she gave conflicting accounts of what was in the suitcases and who packed them.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natasha Baker and Nathan Brooks, and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Rivera will be sentenced at a later date.
Five Brazilian Nationals Charged in Nationwide Identity Theft Ring that Exploited App-Based Rideshare and Food Delivery Companies and CustomersRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari (619) 546-8402
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 13, 2021
SAN DIEGO – Five Brazilian nationals were charged today by criminal complaint with engaging in a nationwide conspiracy to establish fraudulent driver accounts with multiple internet- and app-based rideshare and food-delivery service companies, including by using identities stolen from the very customers of those same companies.
Four of the five defendants—Gustavo De Avila Moreira Farinha, Tatiane Pereira Arantes, Natalia Magalhaes Rocha and Leonardo Trulsen De Oliveira—were arrested early this morning by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and other state and federal agencies. A fifth defendant remains a fugitive. The arrested defendants are due to make their initial appearance tomorrow morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt.
According to the complaint, the alleged scheme involved obtaining images and information from victims’ driver’s license and Social Security numbers; creating accounts to drive for the rideshare and delivery companies using those stolen identification documents; using, renting and selling those accounts, including to people who might not otherwise qualify to drive for these companies; incurring IRS Form 1099s for victims’ whose identities were stolen; and using fake driver accounts to collect referral bonuses. To date, agents have identified close to 100 victims in California and across the United States.
As alleged in the complaint, this scheme began in approximately 2018, initially with rideshare companies. In Spring 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and Californians in lockdown, the conspirators shifted away from the rideshare companies, which saw a dramatic decrease in traffic, to food, grocery and other delivery companies, which saw a corresponding and precipitous increase in demand.
During deliveries using these fraudulent accounts, including when verifying IDs, some of the conspirators used the fraudulent accounts to further perpetuate the scheme by stealing additional identities and thereafter creating additional fraudulent accounts in a perpetuating cycle of identity theft.
“Identity theft is a special kind of misery for victims who often are forced into a years-long legal morass of confusion and frustration to reclaim their good names,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Today’s arrests are the first strike back on behalf of those victims.” Grossman praised the extraordinary efforts of prosecutor Kevin Mokhtari and agents from Homeland Security Investigations to achieve justice in this case.
Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego, stated, “HSI San Diego remains dedicated to protecting our communities from technology-enabled consumer crime and identity theft.” Special Agent in Charge Morant further noted the assistance of local, regional, and federal partners on this investigation.
Anyone who may be a victim of this crime or who thinks they may have information that may be relevant to this investigation is asked to call HSI San Diego at (760) 901-1004.
This investigation is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari and, prior to his departure from the office, was initiated and investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis A. DiGiacco.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21MJ1891-JLB
Gustavo De Avila Moreira Farinha Age: 29 Brazil
Tatiane Pereira Arantes Age: 37 Brazil
Natalia Magalhaes Rocha Age: 29 Brazil
Leonardo Trulsen De Oliveira Age: 29 Brazil
Defendant 5 - Fugitive Brazil
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 - Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., 1349
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fineCount 2 – Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), (b)(i), and 1956(h)
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instruments
Counts 3-17- Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., 1028A
Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, to run consecutively to the specified felony.
AGENCIES
Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations
Federal Jury in Lafayette Convicts New Iberia Man of Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana has found Eric Etienne, 33, of New Iberia, Louisiana, guilty of illegal possession of firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. The two-day jury trial took place in Lafayette before United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau.
Evidence at the trial revealed that on December 18, 2018, officers with the New Iberia Police Department discovered a video on Instagram showing Etienne possessing what appeared to be an AR-15 rifle, two AK-47’s, and a Glock handgun. Law enforcement officers were familiar with Etienne, who is a convicted felon, and were able to determine the location in New Iberia where the video had been taken. Later that day, officers responded to the scene where the video was taken. Upon arrival, Etienne was found standing near a silver sedan which was seen in the video and wearing the same clothes he was wearing in the video. Officers found the AR-15 and Glock handgun in plain view in the sedan. A search of a nearby residence recovered one of the AK-47’s.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 3, 2019 charging Etienne with being a convicted felon in possession of firearms, specifically, the AR-15 rifle, AK-47, and Glock handgun. He was previously convicted of attempted manslaughter in 2006 and is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
Etienne faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for August 13, 2021.
The ATF and New Iberia Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
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Federal Authorities Announce 11 Cases Charging Alleged Drug Dealers with Providing Opioids that Led to Fatal OverdosesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities today announced 11 criminal cases against alleged drug dealers who sold or provided narcotics to users who suffered fatal overdoses from opioids such as fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.
As a result of the operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, each of the 12 defendants named in the 11 cases is charged with distribution of narcotics resulting in death. If convicted, each defendant would face at least a 20-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a potential maximum sentence of life without parole in federal prison.
“These charges are the first steps in bringing justice to the families of victims who often died without knowing they were ingesting some of the world’s most powerful opioids,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “The conduct alleged in these cases demonstrates the grave threat people face now that fentanyl is widespread and is commonly hidden in a variety of illicit narcotics. The danger posed by opioids is real – both for unwitting users who risk death and for the dealers who face decades in prison for spreading deadly poison in our communities.”
“The collaborative work to build these cases demonstrates our shared commitment to go after individuals who push fentanyl within our communities and further the opioid crisis, devastating families across the nation,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. “Drug dealers who market and sell counterfeit pills via online marketplace and social media platforms may think they can hide behind technology and are absolved from responsibility, but they are not. While our actions can’t bring back a loved one, we hope that we can save other lives by putting these individuals behind bars so they can’t continue to distribute dangerous opioids in the community.”
The cases are the result of investigations by the DEA’s Overdose Justice Task Force, which was created to address opioid-related deaths in the greater Los Angeles area, most of which are caused the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Under the Overdose Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents collaborate with local law enforcement to analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution, and, if so, proactively target the drug trafficker. Since the start of the Overdose Justice program in 2018, the DEA has worked with an ever-expanding list of local police agencies to obtain approximately one dozen federal indictments that specifically charge death resulting from narcotics trafficking. The 11 cases announced today add to that list of prosecutions. The Task Force is currently investigating other incidents and expects to file additional criminal cases in federal court.
The 11 cases announced today include seven new cases that were filed this week and one case in which prosecutors this week filed special allegations that would lead to a mandatory sentence of life without parole in federal prison if the defendant is convicted. The cases are summarized below.
U.S. v. Fulton
William Vaughn Fulton, 39, of Torrance, was named in a five-count indictment filed Tuesday that accuses him of distributing fentanyl that caused two deaths on consecutive days in Redondo Beach hotel rooms. In addition to the two charges of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, Fulton is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The indictment alleges that Fulton distributed fentanyl on October 10, 2020 to a person who died, and the next day he allegedly distributed fentanyl at another hotel where another person died after ingesting the drug. When he was arrested on October 13 by the Redondo Beach Police Department, Fulton allegedly possessed more than two ounces of fentanyl and over 2.5 ounces of methamphetamine. Police also seized two 9mm “ghost guns” and 12 rounds of ammunition Fulton allegedly illegally possessed because, from 2004 through 2017, he previously had been convicted of 24 felony offenses.
Fulton is currently in state prison after pleading guilty to related charges. The United States is seeking a writ to bring him into federal custody.
The DEA and the Redondo Beach Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jenna Williams of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Wilson
Alexander Declan Bell Wilson, 20, of Rolling Hills, was arrested Wednesday after being indicted on Tuesday on one count of distributing pills containing fentanyl that led to the death of a 15-year-old boy on May 15, 2020. Law enforcement reviewed Snapchat conversations between the two that show the victim thought he was buying oxycodone, a commonly used and widely abused semi-synthetic opioid.
Wilson is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon.
The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Marina A. Torres of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. McLaughlin
Sean Robert McLaughlin, 47, of Aliso Viejo, the former security manager at the American Junkie nightclub in Newport Beach, was arrested this morning pursuant to an eight-count indictment alleging he distributed furanyl fentanyl, an analogue to fentanyl that has a nearly identical chemical makeup. During the early morning hours of November 18, 2016, the indictment alleges, McLaughlin provided a powdered drug to nightclub guests that resulted in three overdoses, one of which was fatal.
In the indictment filed Wednesday, McLaughlin also is charged with possessing hydrocodone, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy for distribution on the same night as the overdoses. McLaughlin is further charged with distributing cocaine in September 2016.
McLaughlin was initially charged in December 2017 by Orange County District Attorney’s Office, which has agreed to allow the United States Attorney’s Office to take over the prosecution.
The DEA and a task force officer from the Seal Beach Police Department are investigating this matter. The Newport Beach Police Department referred the case to federal authorities last year. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Soheili
Jason Amin Soheili, 26, of Laguna Hills, was arrested Wednesday pursuant to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Santa Ana. Soheili is charged with mailing fentanyl to a man in Fillmore, Utah, who died after taking the drugs on February 21.
The affidavit in support of the complaint outlines evidence that Soheili sent a parcel containing fentanyl “blues” to his friend, who moved to Utah from Orange County to participate in a drug rehabilitation program. Law enforcement recovered the actual package with Soheili’s fingerprints at the victim’s residence. A search of Soheili’s home on April 20 resulted in the seizure of items indicating drug trafficking activity, including various narcotics, several of which tested positive for fentanyl, the complaint states.
At his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon, Soheili was ordered held without bond, and an arraignment was scheduled for June 1.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, which worked with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Millard County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Vib Mittal of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Boukhanian
Michael Boukhanian, 42, of Northridge, was arrested late this morning after a grand jury named him in a one-count indictment filed on Wednesday. Boukhanian allegedly sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl on August 27, 2020 to a Woodland Hills man who died soon after receiving them. Boukhanian is expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon in federal court in Los Angeles.
The DEA and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jehan M. Pernas of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Wood
Tobin Oliver Wood, 49, of Costa Mesa, was arrested on April 7 pursuant to a grand jury indictment that charges him with distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a 32-year-old San Clemente man, who died on the morning of October 2, 2018. Wood allegedly posted an ad on Craigslist offering “Roxy board short,” which is a street term for oxycodone pills.
Wood, who has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond, is scheduled to go on trial on March 22, 2022.
The DEA, the Huntington Beach Police Department and the Costa Mesa Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Chi
Calvin Chi, 28, of Hacienda Heights, has agreed to surrender Friday morning to face charges related to the death of a 29-year-old woman who overdosed on oxymorphone on October 10, 2018. Investigators uncovered text communications between Chi and the victim that allegedly show Chi sold the oxymorphone, along with alprazolam (also known as Xanax), to the victim hours before her death. The victim was found dead, slumped over in the front seat of her car, parked about a half mile from Chi’s San Gabriel Valley residence. Chi was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday.
In the fall of 2019, Chi was convicted in state court of unrelated drug trafficking charges and sentenced to probation. In July 2020, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted a probation compliance check of Chi’s residence and found evidence of drug sales, including scales, baggies, a variety of pills, and more than five grams of methamphetamine. In addition to the charge of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, Chi is charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maria Jhai of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Lopez
Edwin Lopez, 21, of Riverside, was arrested this morning on a grand jury indictment that charges him with one count related to a May 17, 2020, transaction in which he allegedly sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a 20-year-old Fontana man who suffered a fatal overdose two days later. The evidence in the case indicates that Lopez used Snapchat to negotiate the drug deal, and possibly other transactions, with the victim.
Lopez is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.
The DEA and the Fontana Police Department are investigating this matter. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance. The Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Nobar and Ziafathy
Saied Ziafathy Nobar, 57, of the Rancho Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, and his nephew, Amir Ziafathy, 33, of Granada Hills, face charges of distributing fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death on December 30, 2019. The defendants allegedly sold the victim two counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. Nobar and Ziafathy were arrested in this case on March 16, and they are currently scheduled to go on trial on July 27.
The FBI, the DEA and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Ali Moghaddas and Kathrynne Seiden of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Rodriguez
Marcos Isaac Rodriguez, a.k.a. “Kumar,” 27, who resided in Costa Mesa, but recently relocated to Escondido, was arrested today pursuant to a two-count indictment that alleges distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl. The indictment, which was filed on April 28, charges Rodriguez with distributing fentanyl in two transactions, the second of which resulted in the death of a 33-year-old Costa Mesa man on December 26, 2019. Rodriguez allegedly sold the victim counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl.
Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
The DEA and the Costa Mesa Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Shepley
Last year, a Westlake Village man was indicted on federal charges of participating in a conspiracy that allegedly distributed heroin to a Ventura County man who suffered fatal overdose, and this week federal prosecutors filed a new document that would bring a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted.
Bradford Shepley, 35, is charged with distribution of heroin resulting in death and with participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in relation to the overdose of a 26-year-old man who died in his Oak Park residence on November 6, 2017. On Tuesday, prosecutors filed a two-count information alleging that Shepley was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in June 2017 of two felony narcotics offenses. If convicted in federal court of the heroin charge, and if prosecutors can prove he was previously convicted of narcotics offenses, Shepley would face a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole in federal prison.
Shepley, who is being held in custody without bond, has pleaded not guilty to the offenses alleged in the indictment, and he is currently scheduled to go on trial on November 2.
The DEA and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Ellison of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and criminal complaints contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ex-Elementary School Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography with Former StudentRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former elementary school teacher who produced pornographic images of his 15-year-old ex-student was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison.
Sean David Sigler, 56, of Burbank, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who described Sigler’s conduct as “inexcusable,” and further said, “Ruining the lives of minors is unspeakable.”
Sigler, who pleaded guilty in September 2019 to two counts of production of child pornography, previously taught fifth-grade students at Bret Harte Elementary School in Burbank and at Gardner Street Elementary School in Hollywood.
Sigler was the victim’s fifth-grade teacher and kept in contact with her after she left his classroom, using his position as former teacher and mentor to gain the trust of the victim and her parent. Sigler then exploited that trust to gain sexual access to the girl. Over the course of 15 months, Sigler regularly transported the victim to his home, where he gave her alcoholic beverages and pills.
Sigler began having sex with the minor victim when she was 15 years old, and he created multiple sexually explicit videos of the victim and took sexually explicit photographs of her. The illicit conduct took place between September 2016 and May 2017.
He also created child pornography by modifying a pornographic image of the minor victim’s body and digitally superimposing the face of a different underage former student, according to a January 2018 law enforcement search of Sigler’s digital devices. The devices contained numerous images and videos of his sexual acts with the victim, as well as more than 5,000 images of child pornography depicting unknown and previously identified pre-pubescent minors.
Sigler agreed to forfeit $271,506 in cash seized by the government, which constitutes the proceeds from the sale of the home where he produced child pornography.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Burbank Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Damaris Diaz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, Devon Myers of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, and Jonathan S. Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section prosecuted this case.
Essex County Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of WeaponRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man with a previous felony conviction was arrested yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Farrakhan Lovett, 24, Belleville, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He made his initial appearance today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant on a vehicle that Lovett was observed driving in Belleville. They found a Taurus model G3 9x19mm firearm loaded with 18 rounds in a high-capacity magazine. Lovett was previously convicted of felonies in Essex County Superior Court.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon and ammunition carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers of the ATF, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, and the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the East Orange, Orange and Newark police departments for their assistance.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensured that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Naazneen Khan of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Essex County Man Admits Conspiring to Steal Mail and Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal check books and credit cards from the postal system, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Tashon Ragan, 21, of Hillside, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February 2019 to May 2020, Ragan conspired to fraudulently obtain money from victim financial institutions by depositing counterfeit checks and checks stolen from the mail into accounts at victim financial institutions and withdrawing funds from those accounts before the fraudulent checks were identified and further withdrawals were blocked. Ragan and his conspirators arranged for USPS employees to steal credit cards and blank check books from the mail in exchange for cash payments. USPS employees provided the checks to Ragan and his conspirators. Ragan and his conspirators forged the signatures of the accountholders and negotiated the checks by making them payable to individuals, some of whom were New Jersey high school students and who had given Ragan and his conspirators access to their accounts, also in exchange for cash. It was also part of the conspiracy that Ragan and his conspirators created counterfeit checks, including counterfeit pandemic relief checks. Ragan and his conspirators deposited the fraudulent checks online and at various bank ATMs throughout New Jersey and later withdrew funds from the bank accounts before the victim financial institutions identified the checks as fraudulent and blocked further withdrawals. Ragan and his conspirators obtained and attempted to obtain approximately $280,000 from victim financial institutions.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; special agents with IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. She also thanked the Summit Police Department, the New Providence Police Department, the Piscataway Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the South Orange Police Department, and the Little Falls Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Elaine K. Lou in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Conspiring to Defraud Banks of over $250,000 Using Credit Cards snd Blank Checks Stolen from Postal SystemRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to defraud two banks of more than $250,000 using stolen credit cards and blank checks, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Qshaun Brown-Guinyard, 27, of Newark, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2018 through January 2020, Brown-Guinyard and his conspirators engaged in a scheme to use stolen credit cards and checks to fraudulently make purchases and withdraw money from two banks, leaving the banks to bear the losses of the scheme. The credit cards were stolen from facilities used by the U.S. Postal Service in Pine Brook and Warren, New Jersey. Because the cards were stolen, they never reached the intended cardholders. After obtaining the stolen cards, Brown-Guinyard and his conspirators used them to make unauthorized purchases at various retail stores and withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) in New Jersey and elsewhere.
The blank checks were also stolen from various New Jersey-based post office facilities, and never reached their intended recipients. Once obtained, Brown-Guinyard and his conspirators altered the date, payee, and amount of the stolen checks prior to deposit. He and his conspirators would then fraudulently withdraw money at various ATMs from the third-party account holders’ accounts.
Four of Brown-Guinyard’s conspirators – Nasheed Jackson, Alexander Varice, Dashawn Duncan, and Allen Varice – pleaded guilty over the past two months to identical informations, and they are due to be sentenced in July and August 2021.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited 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 guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Des Moines Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Several VictimsRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Marlin Santana Thomas, age 45, of Des Moines pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to sex trafficking six victims by force, fraud, and coercion announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2021, before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.
Thomas pleaded guilty to sex trafficking six adult victims and admitted to trafficking a 14 year-old victim. Thomas admitted in his plea agreement to trafficking victims beginning in 2009, and as recently as February 28, 2018, when he was arrested as part of a separate federal drug investigation, for which he is currently serving a term of federal imprisonment. Thomas admitted to posting online escort advertisements of victims, transporting them to hotels and motels within and outside of Iowa to engage in commercial sex acts, and taking proceeds of the commercial sex acts. Thomas admitted to using physical violence towards all six adult victims, and admitted to providing heroin to one victim to keep her engaging in sex acts. Thomas also admitted in his plea agreement to arranging for a 14-year-old to engage in commercial sex acts, knowing that she was not yet 18 years old.
Thomas is subject to a fifteen-year mandatory minimum prison term for each count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, up to life imprisonment. The terms of imprisonment may be imposed consecutive to or concurrent with one another.
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances. Individuals who purchase sex from minors or from those who are otherwise exploited for commercial sex are also subject to prosecution for sex trafficking under federal law, if they knew or were in reckless disregard of the fact that they were under the age of 18, or that force, fraud, or coercion was used.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. If anyone has information about this defendant, they are urged to call the Des Moines Police Department Vice/Narcotics Office at 515-237-1516, or call the Hotline.
This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting His Girlfriend on the Colville Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Silas James Enick, age 31, an enrolled member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, was sentenced today after pleading guilty on February 10, 2021, to Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner in Indian Country. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Enick to a time-served sentence of 376 days imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, this case arose in February 2020 when Enick struck his girlfriend’s face at their residence on the Colville Indian Reservation. Enick’s girlfriend, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, suffered a broken jaw requiring her to undergo surgery and have her jaw wired shut for almost two months.
Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington works closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to ensure that Native American women and families are protected from violence such as this.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael L. Vander Giessen, Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OMRYS DELGADO, 33, of Windsor, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service into Delgado and others, who were receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California, and distributing the drug in and around Hartford. The investigation revealed that a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier was facilitating the shipment of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine through the USPS to addresses that were on his delivery route in Hartford. The letter carrier distributed cocaine to his own drug customers, and also delivered parcels to Delgado and other cocaine traffickers in the Hartford area.
Delgado was arrested on May 21, 2019. On June 4, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment Delgado and 18 co-defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and related offenses. On January 12, 2021, Delgado pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Delgado, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 18, 2021.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Cleveland man found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that on Wednesday, May 12, a federal jury found Ronald Sharp, 42, of Cleveland, Ohio, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, in 2006, Sharp was convicted of gross sexual imposition and kidnapping with a sexually motivated specification in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Following his release from prison in 2015, Sharp was placed on post-release supervision with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority (APA) and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
As part of his release from prison, Sharp agreed to certain parole conditions, including being subject to warrantless searches and obeying federal, state and local laws and ordinances. On September 25, 2019, the supervising parole officer for Sharp became aware that Sharp may have been in violation of the terms of his release. Sharp was then taken into custody, and his residence searched. During the search, parole officers found a loaded, 9mm semi-automatic pistol under a bedroom pillow. In addition, officers located a set of camouflaged body armor inside the bedroom closet.
Sharp was then transported to the Cuyahoga County jail on an active hold order for parole violations. DNA samples from the firearm were later matched to DNA taken from Sharp.
Sharp is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1, 2021. This case was investigated by the ATF and APA. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret Kane and Andrea Isabella.
California man arraigned for his role in a phone trade-in schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - David Shemtov has been arraigned after being charged with eight counts of wire fraud for his role in a scheme to fraudulently inflate the reimbursement value of more than 1,400 electronic devices that he submitted for trade-in.
“The ability to trade in electronic devices for cash value or gift cards allows users to recover some value for devices they no longer need,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Shemtov allegedly found a way to exploit this process to recover many times the value of the actual devices he traded in.”
“This alleged fraud scheme not only hurt the victim company, but potentially hurt consumers,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The courts will now decide Shemtov’s fate for allegedly choosing his own self-interest and greed over legitimate business transactions.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From approximately October 2019 through January 2020, Shemtov allegedly participated in a scheme to submit more than 1,400 fraudulent electronic device trade-in requests online. On Internet trade-in request forms, the trade-in requests purported to have newer, higher-valued devices, typically an iPhone XS Max, to trade in. The trade-in requests provided multiple different post office box locations as the addresses where the shipping boxes should be sent and used more than a dozen fictitious names. In reality, Shemtov never intended to trade in the higher-valued devices identified in the trade-in requests. Instead, substantially less valuable devices–typically iPhone 6s and 7s–were sent in.
The device trade-in process was handled by a third-party provider (the victim company) that oversaw the mailing and receipt of the devices, and the reimbursement payments, typically in the form of Apple gift cards. The victim company paid substantially more than the true value for the devices sent in as part of the scheme. For instance, more than 900 of the trade-in requests claimed to have iPhone XS Max with 64 gigabyte capacity, for a value of $545, but the devices mailed in were various versions of iPhone 6’s, with a trade-in value of $30.
After the victim company detected the scheme, from about March 2020 through December 2020, Shemtov submitted more than 1,000 additional trade-in requests using more than 100 fictious names. The victim company flagged these requests and did not complete the trades.
David Shemtov, 28, of Los Angeles, California, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher C. Bly. Shemtov was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 6, 2021. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison B. Prout is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Browning man admits kidnapping, strangling womanRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man accused of kidnapping a woman and strangling her in two separate assaults in 2020 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Nash Devine Angel Ingraham, 19, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and to strangulation of a dating partner. Ingraham faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. A plea agreement in the case calls for a term of between 135 months to 168 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release to be imposed if the federal district court judge accepts the agreement at sentencing. The judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Sentencing was set for Aug. 26, and Ingraham was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 10, 2020, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, met up with Ingraham in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe left Ingraham’s house and went to a friend’s place to sleep. Ingraham arrived at the friend’s house the next morning, jerked the victim out of bed, forced her out of the house and then force-marched her across Browning, assaulting her along the way. Ingraham took Doe to his house where he continued to assault her. Law enforcement officers went to Ingraham’s house multiple times looking for Doe, but the family refused to open the door. Officers responded to the house a third time, and Doe exited the house. Officers observed injuries on Doe.
The government further alleged that Ingraham strangled Doe to near unconsciousness on Dec. 17, 2020 during an assault at a Browning residence, where he had held her for about four days. Doe went to a hospital in Browning and reported the assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Brothers Who Ran Farming Operation Together Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Two brothers who ran a farming operation together while also farming their own land were sentenced today to federal prison for evading taxes.
Scott Stecher, age 61, and Doug Stecher, age 58, from Clarion, Iowa, received the prison terms after each pled guilty to tax evasion on December 9, 2020.
At the guilty pleas, each brother admitted that each took steps to hide income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to evade paying income taxes. Information from their plea agreements and from their sentencing hearings showed that, for tax years 2011 through 2013, each brother diverted income from their farming operations into bank accounts that their accountant did not know about. The accountant then prepared tax returns for each brother, which they then signed knowing that the tax returns were false because the returns did not report each brother’s full income. During those three tax years, Doug Stecher hid $718,995 of income from the IRS and paid $240,053 less in income tax than he should have paid. Scott Stecher hid $448,059 of income from the IRS and paid $183,785 less in income tax as a result.
The Stechers were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Each was sentenced to one month of imprisonment and fined $30,000. They must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our federal income tax system requires taxpayers to be honest,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry. “These sentences show that hiding income from the IRS to avoid paying taxes is a crime with significant consequences. In this case those consequences include federal prison.”
“Today’s sentencings of Scott Stecher and Doug Stecher show that enforcement of our tax laws is vital to maintaining a fair and honest system,” said David Talcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “There are consequences for individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes that includes going to jail and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”
Both Scott and Doug Stecher were released on the bond previously set and are to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 20-CR-3049 and 20-CR-3050.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Boston Police Officer to Plead Guilty to Overtime FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston Police officer has agreed to plead guilty in connection with committing over $16,000 in overtime fraud while assigned to the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse.
Michael Murphy, 61, of Hyde Park, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.
In September 2020, Murphy and eight other Boston Police officers were arrested and charged for their roles in an overtime fraud scheme that is alleged to have collectively embezzled over $250,000 between May 2016 and February 2019.
Between September 2016 and February 2019, Murphy submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that he did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The first, called “purge” overtime, was a 4-8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The second shift, called “kiosk” overtime, involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.
For the “purge” shift, Murphy claimed to have worked from 4-8 p.m., but he routinely left at 6:00 p.m., or before. For the kiosk shift, Murphy submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, but he only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts.
From 2016 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.
As part of the ongoing investigation, two additional officers from the evidence warehouse have recently been charged. Former Boston Police Captain Richard Evans was indicted in April 2021, and former Sergeant George Finch was charged today and has agreed to plead guilty.
The charge of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Russell W. Cunningham, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in connection with surreptitiously filming boys in the restrooms at Boston Latin School (BLS).
Eric Tran Thai, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William G. Young to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Jan. 12, 2021, Thai pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography.
On Feb. 6 and Feb. 27, 2018, two separate Boston College students reported to the police that they had been videotaped without their knowledge or consent while were using the men’s restrooms on the Boston College campus. Following the Feb. 27, 2018, report, police located and spoke with Thai on campus. Thai was placed under arrest on state charges related to his surreptitious recording of the students and his bag was subsequently searched; in it, police found several covert camera devices, including faux smoke detectors, a water bottle containing a small cube recording device and a pair of sunglasses outfitted with a built-in camera. The state charges related to those offenses are currently pending in Middlesex County Superior Court.
Following Thai’s arrest, a search of his home was executed where dozens of devices including computer hard drives, thumb drives, covert and regular cameras, computers, iPads, cell phones and multiple SD and Sim cards were recovered. Investigators found several electronic folders labeled BU, MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, Bunker Hill, Boston Latin High School, and several different malls, airports and foreign country locations. Thai was charged federally for the child pornography located in the Boston Latin folders, which contained approximately 45 surreptitiously-recorded videos of male students in various states of dress using the urinals and stalls in the boys’ bathroom. The videos appear to have been created on approximately 10 separate dates between February and December 2017, all after school hours.
In general, the videos show Thai sitting in a bathroom stall at Boston Latin High School recording individuals in adjacent stalls or at the urinals through various secret recording methods. In some videos, Thai holds a camera over the top of the partition between the bathroom stalls and videotaping from overhead. In other instances, he hides a small camera inside his backpack, places the backpack on the bathroom floor and videotapes individuals in the adjacent bathroom stall from under the stall’s partition. While recording, Thai simultaneously viewed what the camera was recording on a cellphone or a tablet device in his possession.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Boston College Police Chief William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Mendell’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Elvis R. Abinader, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf who scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5, 2021. Abinader was indicted in October 2019.
Abinader possessed a Ruger .380 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number and three rounds of ammunition on June 24, 2019, at the Mt. Pleasant Play Area, a playground in Boston. Federal law prohibits Abinader from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction for a narcotics distribution offense.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Mendell’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Bluefield Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison on Misbranding ChargeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A family medicine physician in Bluefield, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to one month in prison on a charge of misbranding Schedule II controlled substances to three individuals, two of whom his office staff called “back door patients.”
According to court documents, between December 2014 and January 2016, Phillip Peterson, 64, was a family medicine physician at Bluefield Family Medicine in Bluefield, Va. During this time, Peterson saw several patients who did not check in with the receptionist but rather entered through a side door. Office staff called these patients “back door patients.” These patients came through the side door to pick-up Schedule II controlled substances prescriptions, which they had received from Peterson. These “back door patients” were not actually examined by Dr. Peterson each time they picked-up prescriptions and did not pay for office visits. Evidence showed that each of the prescriptions listed for the “back door patients” was issued outside the usual course of professional practice.
Dr. Peterson also had one patient who brought lists of prescriptions to the front desk of Bluefield Family Medicine for the receptionist to give to Dr. Peterson or his nurse. Dr. Peterson authorized those prescriptions, including prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, on occasion without the patient actually being seen or evaluated by Dr. Peterson. Evidence showed these prescriptions were issued outside the usual course of professional practice.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was conducted by Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad. Assistant United States Attorneys Lena L. Busscher, Whit D. Pierce and Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Bank Robber Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Charo Stone, 43, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for bank robbery. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on July 10, 2019, a man entered the First South Financial Credit Union on Winchester Road, wearing a white polo shirt and carrying a blue folder. He then approached a teller's window with a note that read "Gun, No Dye Pack, All 50s and 100s." The teller complied and provided $8,150 in cash. The suspect placed the money in the blue folder and fled the scene.
The robber was described on video surveillance as a black male, medium build, 5’5’’ with facial hair and a goatee and mustache combination. Photographs from the robbery were shown by media outlets.
On July 11, 2019, a crime stoppers tip identified Charo Stone. The teller identified Stone as the robber in a 6-person lineup. Stone confessed to committing the robbery to law enforcement.
The Memphis Police Department and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case.
On May 11, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Stone to 46 months in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Crow and Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Bakersfield Man Indicted for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Marcus Randall, 37, of Bakersfield, charging him with distribution of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 16, 2020, Randall sold fentanyl pills to a victim who later ingested the pills, resulting in her overdose death.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Probation Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Randall faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Armed Carjacker Sentenced to over 20 Years as a Career OffenderRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Cody Davis, 29, has been sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm. Acting U.S. Attorney, Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, at approximately 4:00 a.m. on December 21, 2018, the victim, J.G., was asleep in his vehicle in the parking lot of a business on White Station Road, when the suspect approached him and pointed a gun. The suspect took the victim's cell phone, ordered him out of the car, told him to walk around the corner, and then drove off with the victim’s Audi A4. The armed robbery was captured on surveillance video.
The Audi A4 was recovered several days later. In the vehicle was a cell phone that did not belong to the victim. Fingerprints on the cell phone belonged to Davis.
On January 4, 2019, detectives conducted surveillance at the defendant’s residence. While there, detectives observed Davis depart the residence and enter a vehicle. Davis disregarded several traffic signals and was stopped by law enforcement. Detectives recovered a tan Century Arms 9mm pistol under the driver's seat, loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition.
The defendant later waived his Miranda rights and admitted to being a convicted felon, committing the carjacking, and possessing the firearm found in his vehicle.
Further investigation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the Century Arms 9mm caliber pistol and the Audi A4 were manufactured outside the State of Tennessee.
As a result of his prior felony convictions, including robbery and aggravated burglary, Davis is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition. Further, Davis' prior convictions qualified his status as a Career Offender.
Davis pled guilty on August 19, 2020.
On May 12, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Davis to 262 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department – Violent Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for the purpose of prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Acting U.S. Attorney recognizes police week, honors law enforcement who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in 2020Read the Press Release
DAYTON – In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
“We join the nation in honoring the selfless men and women who sacrificed their lives or were injured in the line of duty. To them, we owe our deepest gratitude and respect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patel.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60% succumbed to COVID-19.
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
“Today, with heavy hearts, we join the nation and our law enforcement partners as we pay tribute to fallen heroes whose names will be read during a virtual candlelight vigil – including Kaia Grant and Adam McMillen of the Southern District of Ohio – who were killed in the line of duty in 2020. And we continue to honor Dayton detective and DEA task force officer Jorge Del Rio, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019,” Patel said.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil today, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”
“Each day, law enforcement officers work hard to keep our citizens safe, and we want to take this opportunity to honor their service during National Police Week,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “We also want to recognize the brave men and women in law enforcement who have been injured or lost their lives to protect our communities. My office is extremely grateful for the continued commitment and sacrifices they make for our communities.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19. Here in the Northern District of Georgia, seven officers died in the line of duty.
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlelight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.
To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Accountant admits to providing false information to IRSRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Ronald R. Geesner, 66, of Cincinnati, Ohio pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to providing a false statement to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
According to court documents, since March 2017 Geesner has served as the in-house accountant/bookkeeper at two Cincinnati businesses. When questioned about his role as the internal accountant/bookkeeper of the businesses, Geesner lied to IRS agents to conceal his true earnings. As a result of his concealment the Social Security Administration (SSA) had paid Geesner $31,525 in SSA benefits to which he was not entitled.
False Statement or Representation to an Agency of the United States carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“When bookkeepers and accountants are interacting with the IRS, it is important for them to provide accurate and honest information,” said Lisa B. Mendelsohn, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Those who provide false information will be held accountable.”
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Lisa B. Mendelsohn, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, announced the plea entered before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration.
12 May 2021
Virginia Man Sentenced for Defrauding Export-Import Bank of $1.6 MillionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Glen Allen man was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for defrauding both a Pennsylvania-based bank and the Export-Import Bank of the United States in connection with a $1.6 million loan.
“For over two years, the defendant deliberately deceived financial institutions to fraudulently obtain a $1.6 million government-backed loan,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As this case demonstrates, those who defraud American taxpayers and seek to undermine the integrity of our financial system will be held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
According to court documents, Tae Il Lee, 41, was the Managing Director of New World Group, a Richmond-based company engaged in the business of exporting American snacks and other food stuffs to international buyers (typically South Korean companies). In April 2016, Lee sought what eventually became a $1.6 million loan from First National Bank of Pennsylvania, relying on the “Working Capital Program” offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank). Under the program, EXIM guaranteed to provide financial backing for the loan in the event that New World Group defaulted.
Over the next two years, Lee regularly provided First National Bank, and the bank’s auditing firm, with financial documents that purported to show New World Group’s accounts receivable, banking statements, and financial statements. These documents reflected that New World Group was a growing, thriving export company, grossing more than $6 million in export sales in 2017 and another $6.3 million in just the first few months of 2018.
Those financial documents, however, were false. Specifically, Lee had created fictitious accounts receivable and financial statements, and doctored New World Group’s actual bank statements to show non-existent, high-dollar transactions that never took place. During the course of his fraud scheme, Lee also created a fictitious intermediary—a purported employee of New World Group—in order to account for delays in Lee’s communications with First National Bank.
In the spring of 2018, First National Bank issued a demand letter for the $1.6 million loan to New World Group. New World Group never completed any payments to First National Bank, which requested that EXIM cover the defaulted loan. EXIM did so, absorbing the $1.6 million loss.
Lee pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud and making false statements to a federally insured bank.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jennifer Fain, Acting Inspector General for the Export-Import Bank of the United States, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Kaitlin G. Cooke prosecuted the case.
This matter was investigated by the EXIM Office of Inspector General (OIG). EXIM is the official export credit agency of the United States and assists in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets. Complaints and reports of waste, fraud, and abuse related to EXIM programs and operations can be reported to the OIG hotline at 888-OIG-EXIM (888-644-3946) or via email at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-2.
United States Attorney's Office Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
May 9-15 is National Police Week
May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial DayTALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021.
“This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the line to make our communities safer. To members of law enforcement and your families: we know that not a single day, nor a single week, is enough to recognize your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, you have our unwavering support and eternal gratitude.”
“Every day our brave law enforcement officers face dangerous and difficult situations without reservation or expectation of thanks,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “These courageous individuals serve, not for fame or fortune, but act selflessly to protect their fellow citizens and keep our communities safe. It is fitting and proper to express our unwavering support and appreciation to our law enforcement officers and their families, while remembering those among their ranks who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities that they have sworn to serve.
During the Roll Call of Heroes, a ceremony coordinated by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), more than 300 officers will be honored. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), of the law enforcement officers who died nationwide in the line of duty in 2020, nearly 60 percent succumbed to COVID-19.
Two officers from the Northern District of Florida were added this year:
- Detention Deputy Charles Otis Pugh, II, Santa Rosa County, Sheriff’s Office, contracting COVID-19 following a confirmed exposure in the Santa Rosa County Jail.
- Captain William Thomas Etheridge, Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Police Department, died in December of 1908 after being injured while patrolling on his horse.
Additionally, according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 46 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts and 47 died in accidents in 2020. LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.
The names of the 394 fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Thursday, May 13, 2021, during a Virtual Candlight Vigil, which will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 pm EDT. The Police Week in-person public events, originally scheduled for May, have been rescheduled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns to October 13-17, 2021. An in-person Candlelight Vigil event is scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Those who wish to view the Virtual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, 2021, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF. The FOP’s Roll Call of Heroes can be viewed at www.fop.net. To view the schedule of virtual Police Week events in May, please view NLEOMF’s Police Week Flyer.
To learn more about National Police Week in-person events scheduled for October, please visit www.policeweek.org.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Union County Man Admits Role in Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jose A. Rivera Jr., 48, of Union Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rivera is a leader of a drug-trafficking and money laundering organization. Law enforcement officers learned that Rivera utilized various locations to conduct narcotics trafficking and money laundering on behalf of the organization, including his residence and a stash location in Union.
On Nov. 6, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted lawful searches of the residence and the stash location and recovered over $1 million in cash, financial paperwork and notations related to narcotics proceeds and transactions. On Nov. 7, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a lawful search of Rivera’s vehicle and recovered 191 grams of cocaine in a hidden compartment within the glove box of the vehicle.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a statutory maximum fine of $1 million, or twice the amount involved in the offense. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 29, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan in New York; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; and 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 guilty plea.
The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The New York Strike Force is a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The New York OCDETF Strike Force is housed at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; the NYPD; the New York State Police; HSI; IRS-CI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; New York National Guard; the Clarkstown Police Department; U.S. Coast Guard; Port Washington Police Department; and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Repole of the Economic Crime Unit and Alexandra Tsakopoulos Saker of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
U.S. District Court Appoints Neil Barofsky to be the Independent Monitor over the United Auto Workers UnionRead the Press Release
DETROIT– Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin announced that U.S. District Judge David Lawson has issued an order today appointing Neil Barofsky to be the Independent Monitor over the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) pursuant to the terms of the Consent Decree entered by the Court.
U.S. District Judge Lawson has previously entered a Consent Decree following the filing by the United States of an anti-corruption and anti-fraud civil lawsuit against the UAW in federal district court seeking equitable relief to bring about reform and oversight of the union. Under the Consent Decree, the United States proposed attorney Neil Barofsky to act as the Independent Monitor providing oversight of the UAW for a period of six years. The Monitor has the power to oversee the operations of the UAW, to investigate possible fraud or corruption within the union, and to impose discipline on UAW officers and members before an Independent Adjudications Officer also appointed by the Court. The Monitor will oversee, in conjunction with the Department of Labor, a binding and secret-ballot referendum of the UAW’s membership to determine whether to change the UAW’s election method from the current delegate system to a direct election model, also known as “one member, one vote,” where the entire UAW membership could vote for the UAW President and the other members of the UAW’s International Executive Board. The referendum will take place within six months of today.
Neil Barofsky is a partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block, where he leads the firm’s monitorship practice. Mr. Barofsky was a federal prosecutor for thirteen years in the Southern District of New York. Mr. Barofsky was also appointed and served as the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, an anti-fraud investigative agency that Mr. Barofsky built from scratch. In addition, Mr. Barofsky has previously served as the Independent Monitor of Credit Suisse Securities LLC and Credit Suisse AG, following billion dollar settlements. Mr. Barofsky’s team includes Jenner & Block partner Reid J. Schar, who previously served as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, where he prosecuted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Mr. Barofsky will also be assisted by Glen McGorty, a partner in the law firm of Crowell & Moring and a former federal prosecutor. Mr. McGorty has served as the Independent Monitor overseeing the New York City District Council of Carpenters labor union, which included oversight of direct union elections.
“The men and women of the UAW deserve honest and faithful leaders dedicated to serving the best interests of the membership,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Mohsin. “We believe that oversight by an Independent Monitor will help to ensure that the rights and interests of the UAW’s membership are protected. I am confident that Neil Barofsky will provide tough but fair oversight of the UAW.”
Two Individuals Charged for their Roles in Massive Cattle Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Colorado returned an indictment that was unsealed Tuesday charging an Illinois woman and a Georgia man with running a Ponzi scheme that raised approximately $650 million from investors across the country.
According to court documents, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 69, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 57, of Buford, Georgia, were charged with running a Ponzi scheme, along with a third co-conspirator, Mark Ray, from late 2017 until early 2019. Ray was previously charged by criminal information for his role in the Ponzi scheme in the Central District of Illinois in February 2020.
According to the indictment, Stachniw, Throgmartin, and other co-conspirators solicited hundreds of millions of dollars from victim-investors throughout the United States. Most often, the conspirators fraudulently represented to victim-investors that their investments were backed by short-term investments in cattle. They also used false and fraudulent pretenses to solicit money from victim-investors for the conspirators’ Colorado-based marijuana business, Universal Herbs LLC. Other victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that investment money would be used for legitimate business activity related to cattle or marijuana, without having the investment money linked to specific investment opportunities.
In all three variations of the conspirators’ investment fraud scheme, victim-investors were promised returns of approximately 10% to 20% over periods as short as several weeks. At no point did Stachniw, Throgmartin, or Ray tell victim-investors that they were primarily using their money to repay other investors in a Ponzi-style investment scheme, or to enrich themselves. Stachniw and Throgmartin allegedly received millions of dollars from the scheme, despite putting little to none of their own money into it.
Stachniw and Throgmartin are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to engage in money transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Stachniw and Throgmartin made their initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. If convicted, Stachniw and Throgmartin face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to engage in money transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge John Crawford of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Chicago Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Michael P. McCarthy of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section is 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.
Two Indicted for $2 Million Scheme that Defrauded over 20 InvestorsRead the Press Release
An indictment charging a District of Columbia man and Connecticut woman with perpetrating an advance fee and investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 20 victims of more than $2 million was unsealed today in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, Paul Maucha, 56, of Washington, D.C., and Melisa Shapiro, 63, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, conspired to engage in a scheme through a shell company they controlled, American Eagle Services Group (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations about AESG, its assets and its access to money and capital.
As alleged in the indictment, Maucha and Shapiro enriched themselves by falsely promising to provide victims with financing, surety bonds and investing opportunities through AESG and AESG related entities in exchange for advance fees. Maucha and Shapiro falsely claimed that AESG could make multimillion-dollar loans to victims and would convince the victims to pay a refundable “commitment fee” or “due diligence deposit” before the loans would be made. Because Maucha and Shapiro themselves spent the fees paid by the victims, they did not have the funds to issue refunds when they failed to fund the promised loans.
In addition, Maucha and Shapiro induced victims to give AESG money for placement in a high-yield investment program and then misappropriated large portions of the victims’ investments. Maucha and Shapiro also borrowed funds from at least one victim based on false representations about how the funds would be used and AESG’s ability to repay. Maucha and Shapiro concealed their scheme by lulling victims with false assurances about their promised financial services, AESG’s access to capital, and AESG’s ability to provide refunds.
Maucha and Shapiro are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Maucha and Shapiro each face a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; and Special Agent in Charge J. Chris Hacker of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief William E. Johnston and Trial Attorney Kyle W. Maurer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia 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.
Two Indicted for $2 Million Scheme That Defrauded over 20 InvestorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment charging a District of Columbia man and Connecticut woman with perpetrating an advance fee and investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 20 victims of more than $2 million was unsealed today in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, Paul Maucha, 56, of Washington, D.C., and Melisa Shapiro, 63, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, conspired to engage in a scheme through a shell company they controlled, American Eagle Services Group (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital.
As alleged in the indictment, Maucha and Shapiro enriched themselves by falsely promising to provide victims with financing, surety bonds, and investing opportunities through AESG and AESG related entities in exchange for advance fees. Maucha and Shapiro falsely claimed that AESG could make multimillion-dollar loans to victims and would convince the victims to pay a refundable “commitment fee” or “due diligence deposit” before the loans would be made. Because Maucha and Shapiro themselves spent the fees paid by the victims, they did not have the funds to issue refunds when they failed to fund the promised loans.
In addition, Maucha and Shapiro induced victims to give AESG money for placement in a high-yield investment program and then misappropriated large portions of the victims’ investments. Maucha and Shapiro also borrowed funds from at least one victim based on false representations about how the funds would be used and AESG’s ability to repay. Maucha and Shapiro concealed their scheme by lulling victims with false assurances about their promised financial services, AESG’s access to capital, and AESG’s ability to provide refunds.
Maucha and Shapiro are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Maucha and Shapiro each face a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for each count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; and Special Agent in Charge J. Chris Hacker of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
Three Gang Members Arrested on Complaint Alleging Armed Robbery and Shooting at Beverly Hills RestaurantRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three members of the Rollin’ 30s Crips street gang have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging they committed an armed robbery at a Beverly Hills restaurant’s crowded outdoor dining area on March 4 in which one restaurant patron was held at gunpoint and another was shot and wounded.
The complaint, which was unsealed on Tuesday, charges the following three men – all South Los Angeles residents and documented members of the Rollin’ 30s Crips – with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery:
- Malik Lamont Powell, 20;
- Khai McGhee, a.k.a. “Cameron Smith,” 18; and
- Marquise Anthony Gardon, 30.
The defendants were arrested on Tuesday and are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, during the afternoon of March 4, an armed robbery occurred at Il Pastaio restaurant in Beverly Hills. During the robbery, a restaurant patron was held at gunpoint while he was robbed by three men for his Richard Mille wristwatch, worth approximately $500,000. A struggle for the gun ensued, during which approximately two rounds were discharged from the firearm, striking another restaurant patron in the leg. Ultimately, the handgun was dropped to the ground during the struggle with the victim. The robbers fled the scene with the victim’s watch.
Based on a review of video surveillance footage and witness statements, a total of five individuals are believed to be involved in the robbery crew that committed this robbery, the affidavit states. Law enforcement has identified Powell and McGhee as two of the three robbers, and Gardon has been identified as a driver of the robbery crew’s getaway car, according to the affidavit.
Powell’s car – a black BMW – allegedly was used to transport the robbery crew to and from the robbery, and his cell phone allegedly was present near Il Pastaio at the time of the robbery. Powell’s social media accounts allegedly contained images of various guns and high-value wristwatches.
McGhee’s DNA was found on the robbery victim’s clothing following the struggle for the gun, the affidavit states. Surveillance camera footage allegedly shows Gardon getting out of the rear passenger seat and into the driver’s seat of the getaway car just before the robbery at Il Pastaio, and his cell phone was present near the restaurant at the time of the robbery.
Surveillance camera footage allegedly shows the robbers scouting the area prior to the robbery.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter with the Santa Monica Police Department providing assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph D. Axelrad and Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Texan sentenced for attempting to smuggle over 70 people in one trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 24-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to transport illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Francisco Benavides pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered him to serve a 48-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted his lengthy criminal history and the number of aliens he was hauling.
On Oct. 14, 2020, Benavides arrived at the US-83 Border Patrol checkpoint driving a semi-truck and trailer. A K-9 alerted to the presence of contraband in the trailer. Authorities cut the seal and found 74 illegal aliens, including an unaccompanied minor.
Benavides claimed he traveled to Laredo from Corpus Christi to work as a trucker, despite not having a commercial license or any training as a driver. He also said he thought the trailer was full of frozen meat and expected to be paid $250 to drive it to Eagle Pass.
At the time of his plea, Benavides admitted he knew aliens were inside the trailer.
Benavides will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Harrison prosecuted the case.
Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty in False Returns SchemeRead the Press Release
A Georgia woman pleaded guilty today to preparing false tax returns for clients.
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2017, Candace Roberts worked as a return preparer and manager at Rogers Tax Service, a tax preparation business located in Albany, Georgia. Over a five year period, Roberts inflated her clients’ tax refunds by fraudulently claiming American Opportunity Credits, education credits, and business income. In total, Roberts caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $700,000.
Roberts will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys William Montague and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Crane of the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
Tax Preparer Arrested for Stealing from His Clients and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), and Amanda Hiller, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“DTF”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging CARLOS DE LA TORRE with wire fraud, mail fraud, and filing false income tax returns in connection with a years-long scheme to steal from the clients of his tax preparation business and defraud the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“NYSDTF”). DE LA TORRE was arrested today and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Carlos De La Torre defrauded the clients of his tax preparation business by converting to his own use money the clients had been told they owed the IRS and New York State. Further, De La Torre allegedly defrauded the IRS and the State by seeking refunds for overpayments of his taxes that were actually the funds he stole from his clients, and by failing to report those stolen funds as income. Now Carlos De La Torre is facing multiple federal felony charges.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said: “With the tax filing deadline only days away, the arrest of Mr. De La Torre is a timely reminder to taxpayers to do their due diligence when selecting a tax preparer. Not only is the defendant accused of violating the trust placed in him by his clients, he also allegedly profited nearly half a million dollars in this years-long scam. IRS-CI special agents are working tirelessly to protect taxpayers from fraud and investigate potential unscrupulous tax return preparers.”
Acting DTF Commissioner Amanda Hiller said: “Tax preparers are expected to operate with honesty and integrity. Those who instead defraud their clients – and New York State – for personal gain must be held accountable. We’ll continue to work with all levels of law enforcement, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, to bring dishonest tax preparers to justice.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
DE LA TORRE is a tax preparer and the sole proprietor of a bookkeeping and tax preparation business in New York, New York. From at least in or about 2014 through at least in or about 2020, DE LA TORRE represented certain small businesses based in New York City and their owners (the “Victims”) in connection with the preparation and filing of their personal and business federal and state tax returns. During that time period, DE LA TORRE told the Victims how much they allegedly owed in state and federal personal and business taxes, and the Victims gave DE LA TORRE checks in those amounts.
Instead of submitting the Victims’ checks as payments to be applied toward the Victims’ federal and state tax liabilities, DE LA TORRE fraudulently altered the checks and mailed them to the IRS and the NYSDTF as estimated tax payments to be credited against his own personal tax liabilities. Those payments greatly exceeded DE LA TORRE’s own tax liabilities each year. At the end of each tax period, DE LA TORRE fraudulently sought and received refunds from the IRS and the NYSDTF for the total amount of the altered checks he submitted to each agency, less any amount DE LA TORRE actually owed in taxes. Refunds from the IRS and the NYSDTF were wired by the U.S. Treasury and New York State, respectively, directly into DE LA TORRE’s personal bank account. In total, DE LA TORRE stole at least approximately $455,000 from the Victims through this scheme.
DE LA TORRE also filed false tax returns with the IRS in connection with this scheme. He failed to report the money he stole from the Victims on his federal tax returns. Had DE LA TORRE reported that income, as he was required to do, his total federal tax liability each year would have been much greater than it was, and he would not have been entitled to the refunds that he claimed. As a result, DE LA TORRE defrauded the IRS of at least approximately $48,000 in tax liabilities (including interest).
* * *
DE LA TORRE, 79, of Little Neck, New York, is charged with one count of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, and one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and five counts of subscribing to false individual tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1), each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS-CI and NYSDTF.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah L. Kushner is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint 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 Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Swampscott Financial Advisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Former Client’s Retirement AssetsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Swampscott financial advisor pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding an elderly victim and her bank by stealing the victim’s retirement assets.
Felix Gorovodsky, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 14, 2021.
Gorovodsky served as a financial advisor for the victim. In or about July 2019, the victim terminated that advisor relationship and revoked the power of attorney she had previously granted him. Approximately nine months later, Gorovodsky accessed and liquidated the victim’s bank account, transferring more than $250,000 into his own bank account. Gorovodsky then used the victim’s stolen retirement funds for personal expenses, including paying off more than $100,000 in federal student loans. As part of the scheme, Gorovodsky forged the victim’s signature on a purported “gift letter,” which he sent to the bank in an attempt to legitimize the fraudulent transfer.
Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, the parties have agreed to a sentence, subject to the Court’s approval, of 33 months in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution of at least $318,000.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. The Department of Education, Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Stearns of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Supplier to Drug Trafficking Organization and Member of Organization each Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that sold illegal drugs in Mercer County, New Jersey, and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Jawaan Foreman, 37, of Trenton, was sentenced today to five years in prison. Foreman previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
Duane Paulino-Escalera, 28, of Philadelphia, was sentenced May 7, 2021, to five years in prison. Paulino-Escalera previously pleaded guilty before Judge Shipp to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Paulino-Escalera and Foreman are the ninth and 10th defendants to be sentenced in conjunction with this investigation. Judge Shipp imposed both sentences in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2018 through May 2019, the defendants and others engaged in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the areas of Stuyvesant, Hoffman, and Highland avenues in Trenton, and around Barbary Road in Philadelphia.
Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Robert M. Gbanapolor obtained regular supplies of “bricks” of heroin (approximately 50 smaller, individually packaged glassine envelopes or baggies containing heroin) from Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi.”
Members of the conspiracy distributed the heroin supplied by Paulino-Escalera to other conspirators, distributors, sub-dealers, and end users in and around Trenton. Law enforcement officers intercepted numerous discussions among the conspirators regarding issues such as heroin quality and availability, branding, quantity, and customer satisfaction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; and task force officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked detectives and officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christine Hoffman; detectives and officers of the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Earle; members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives and officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Pesce; and special agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai.
These sentencings are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric A. Boden and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Gbanapolor was charged Feb. 25, 2021, in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. That case remains pending. The charges and allegations against the him are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.