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6 May 2021
Local President of "We Build the Wall" Faces New Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brian G. Kolfage, of Miramar Beach, Florida, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for crimes related to the filing of his 2019 income taxes, announced Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida today. Kolfage, who faces a separate federal indictment out of the Southern District of New York for fraud and money laundering related offenses, now also faces one count of filing a false tax return and one count of wire fraud related to the electronic filing of his tax return in Northern Florida.
The indictment alleges that between January 2019 and July 2020, Kolfage engaged in a scheme to defraud the government in relation to his 2019 federal income tax returns. The charges allege that Kolfage received hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple organizations during 2019, including We Build the Wall, Inc., which were deposited into his personal bank account. Kolfage is alleged to have failed to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service.
“The United States relies on the payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” stated Acting United States Attorney Coody. “We will investigate and prosecute those who falsely misrepresent their income – whether by traditional evasion or failing to disclose charitable contributions diverted to their personal gain.”.
“IRS-CI is working diligently to stop those who, regardless of their resume or social status, violate the integrity of our nation’s tax system,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “We take our mission seriously. IRS Special Agents are particularly interested in cases where someone for his own personal benefit has taken what belonged to others. We encourage everyone to practice due diligence when donating their hard-earned money.”
Kolfage will make his initial appearance on this indictment on May 27, 2021, at 2:00 pm Central Time, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Sates Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Lazaro P. Fields.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 24 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elm City man was sentenced today to 288 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine base (crack), and marijuana.
According to court documents, Marquavious Harold Carr, 31, was named in an 11-count indictment on June 13, 2018. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack), a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana (Count One); distribution of a quantity of heroin (Counts Two and Three); possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and aiding and abetting (Count Four); distribution of a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting (Count Five); and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting (Count Eight).
On February 5, 2019, Carr pleaded guilty to Counts One and Eight.
The investigation established that Carr was the leader of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and marijuana between August 2017 and June 2018 in Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties. Carr and seven other individuals were convicted in federal court for their participation in the conspiracy.
Carr, who was a high-ranking member of the Crips street gang, directed and controlled the activities of the drug trafficking organization even while he was incarcerated in the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections (NCDAC).
The investigation showed that on November 10, 2010, Carr was convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter in Wilson County and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 92 to 120 months. He was released to post-release supervision on May 20, 2017.
On September 13, 2017, agents observed a vehicle committing traffic violations. Officers initiated a traffic stop and smelled an odor of marijuana. Carr, who was driving, stepped out of the vehicle and dropped a digital scale. The scale had a small amount of white residue, which Carr attempted to wipe off with his t-shirt, but the residue tested positive for cocaine.
On November 28, 2017, officers went to a house on Mill Branch Road in Rocky Mount to execute a search warrant. Officers saw a cooperating defendant meeting with Carr outside. Upon seeing officers, the cooperating defendant threw a “brick” (approximately 1 gram) of heroin to the ground.
Carr drove away from the residence, and in the process, he struck a deputy with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office. Carr continued to flee at a high rate of speed, forcing at least one other vehicle off the road. Carr eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. Carr ran from the vehicle, but he was apprehended after a short chase.
A search of Carr’s vehicle revealed 500 bindles (7.37 grams) of heroin. Carr was also found in possession of $1,223.00. In the driveway where Carr and the cooperating defendant were meeting, officers located additional heroin, 13.7 grams of crack cocaine, 13.7 grams of cocaine, 17 grams of marijuana, as well as pills.
The Defendant’s post-release supervision was revoked, and he returned to NCDAC custody. But Carr then used recorded jail telephones to continue directing and controlling the drug trafficking organization.
Agents reviewed dozens of telephone calls in which Carr directed the distribution of drugs and the collection of thousands of dollars of currency. Carr also gave instructions to co-conspirators regarding firearms.
In total, Carr was responsible for the distribution of more than 400 grams of heroin, more than 850 grams of cocaine base (crack), more than two kilograms of cocaine, and more than 700 grams of marijuana. He received enhancements for leadership and reckless endangerment.
The Defendant’s co-defendants have all previously been sentenced.
- Rodney Durrell Thomas: 156 months’ imprisonment.
- Shaquandra McAllister: 42 months’ imprisonment.
- Travis Kwymaine Ruffin: 54 months’ imprisonment.
- Marcus Antwan Wiley: 57 months’ imprisonment.
- Marquice Quashawn McCoy: 70 months’ imprisonment.
- Michael Speight: 60 months’ imprisonment.
- De’Andre Anthony Lucas: 15 months’ imprisonment. This prosecution is part of Operation Tri County Hookup 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.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilson Police Department, and the State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena J. King and Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:18-cr-00235-D.
Latin Dragons Nation Member Sentenced to 240 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Jonathan Arevalo, 28, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 240 months imprisonment following his guilty plea to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity as a member of the Latin Dragons Nation street gang, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell.
According to documents in the case, Arevalo has been associated with the Latin Dragons Nation since approximately 2009, and he engaged in drug trafficking and possessed a firearm as a member of the gang. In 2012, Arevalo gave another Latin Dragon member access to a firearm, which was used to kill another individual in Chicago. In 2015, in Chicago, Arevalo was involved in a drive-by shooting incident which resulted in the death of a passenger in his vehicle when the rival gang returned fire.
In this case, a total of 19 members and associates have been charged with racketeering conspiracy for their participation in Latin Dragons Nation activity. Of those, 15 defendants have pled guilty and 7 are awaiting sentencing.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; and the Calumet City Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office, the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff, Maria N. Lerner and Michael J. Toth, with prior assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Cooley.
Knoxville Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On May 6, 2021, Dios E. Tate, 31, currently of Knoxville, entered a guilty plea to one count of aggravated identity theft in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge.
Tate faces a mandatory term of two years in Federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of one year.
As part of the written plea agreement, Tate admitted that on November 16, 2020, he used the social security number of another person to obtain a Tennessee identification card from the Knox County Clerk issued in a name other than his own.
This prosecution is the result of an ongoing operation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General to identify people who have unlawfully used social security numbers of other persons to obtain a false Tennessee identification cards.
Assistant United States Attorney TJ Harker represented the United States.
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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Two Community Colleges to Improve Access for Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the signing of two agreements with community colleges to remove barriers experienced by students with disabilities, including veterans. The agreements, reached with Central Texas College of Killeen (CTC), located in Killeen, Texas, and Tidewater Community College (TCC), located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, are part of the department’s commitment to ensure that educational institutions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both colleges have high populations of servicemembers who have returned from active duty.
Under the agreements announced today, CTC and TCC will remove barriers to accessibility in facilities, such as classrooms, dormitories, libraries, technology centers and places of recreation. The agreements require CTC and TCC to make physical modifications so that parking, entrances, restrooms, service counters, drinking fountains and routes to and within buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. The colleges also must ensure that assembly areas, such as auditoriums, have the required wheelchair and companion seating. The agreements further require these colleges to implement a plan for the accessibility of sidewalks and curb cuts within their borders.
“College students, including returning servicemembers, should not face barriers in education due to their disabilities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the rights of all students with disabilities, many of whom are veterans who have made great sacrifices while serving our country.”
“The Western District of Texas is proud to be the home of many veterans and the location of numerous colleges and universities,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff for the Western District of Texas. “Protecting the rights of veterans and students with disabilities is a priority in this district. We remain committed to ensuring that educational facilities are accessible to servicemembers and Texans with disabilities.”
“Through the protections enshrined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is essential that we work together to remove barriers to education and uphold the civil rights of every member of our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We must ensure that all individuals with disabilities, including veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country, have equal opportunity and equal access to educational services.”
People interested in finding out more about the CTC agreement, the TCC agreement, or the ADA can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. For more information about the department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, please visit www.servicemembers.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Jury Convicts KC Man of $1 Million Conspiracy to Steal 1,400 Cell Phones in Dozens of BurglariesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been convicted in federal court for his role in a $1 million conspiracy to steal more than 1,400 cell phones in dozens of commercial burglaries across several states, as well as for obstruction of justice.
Bryan C. Kirkendoll II, also known as “B Boy” and “Blockboy,” 31, was found guilty on Wednesday, May 5, of one count of participating in a conspiracy, three counts of transporting stolen property across state lines, two counts of witness tampering, and one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
Co-defendant Viktor Chernetskiy, 31, of Kansas City, Mo., a naturalized citizen from Ukraine, pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020, to his role in the conspiracy and to one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Chernetskiy is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2021.
Kirkendoll and Chernetskiy participated in a conspiracy to steal electronic devices – primarily cell phones – from stores in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Oklahoma, then transport them across state lines in order to sell them. Kirkendoll and Chernetskiy committed 48 burglaries from Nov. 21, 2018, to June 14, 2019, in which they stole approximately 1,401 electronic devices (primarily cell phones) with a total financial loss of approximately $1,008,742.
In each instance, the stores were burglarized after hours; Kirkendoll and Chernetskiy wore hooded sweatshirts, caps, and gloves to conceal their identity and limit the trace evidence left behind during the burglaries. They pried the doors open with a large screwdriver or crowbar; in many instances, they broke the glass windows out of the doors, and then went through the opening. Once inside, they looked for phones that were not secured within a safe or other secure location, and loaded those phones into a plastic bin, trash bag, or other bag. In some instances, they also cut retractable security cables from store demonstration phones and took those as well. There was at least one instance where it appeared that they tried (unsuccessfully) to pry open a safe.
While he was on bond, Kirkendoll used intimidation and threats toward a victim-witness in this case to interfere with his pending criminal trial. In February 2020, Kirkendoll posted threatening messages on Facebook directed at the victim-witness, including, “U on borrowed time … Rats get Klapped snitch. (sic)” Kirkendoll also harassed the victim-witness from Feb. 13-19, 2020, in an attempt to dissuade that person from testifying at his trial.
Kirkendoll’s bond was revoked, and he was arrested in February 2020 for his threats toward the victim-witness. Kirkendoll remains in federal custody.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for almost three hours before returning the guilty verdict on Wednesday, May 5, to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, May 3.
Under federal statutes, Kirkendoll is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole on the conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the three counts of transporting stolen property across state lines, up to 23 years in federal prison without parole for both counts of witness tampering, and up to five years in federal prison without parole for transmitting threats. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rudolph R. Rhodes IV and Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.
Jamestown Woman Pleads Guilty to Allowing an Alleged Drug Dealer to Conduct His Drug Trafficking Operation Out of Her ResidenceRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Chelsey Hunt, 29, of Jamestown NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $500,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Misha Coulson, who are handling the case, stated that between January and December 2018, the defendant rented the second floor of a residence on Linden Avenue in Jamestown. While living there with her children, Hunt, in violation of the terms of her lease, allowed co-defendant Douglas Beardsley to live in the attic. Beardsley conducted his methamphetamine and heroin trafficking operation from the attic. Hunt took an active role in assisting the operation, such as helping with Beardsley’s customers and informing about police activity around the residence. The defendant also sold small amounts of narcotics for Beardsley and purchased narcotics for her personal use as well.
Charges remain pending against Douglas Beardsley. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Jury Convicts South Dakota Woman of Health Care Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that HOLLI TELFORD LUNDAHL, age 64 of Oelrichs, South Dakota was convicted by a jury on charges of three counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft after a one-week trial in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. Lundahl is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal in Cheyenne on July 12, 2021. Lundahl may be sentenced to not more than 10 years in prison for each health care fraud count and must be sentenced to a mandatory 2-year prison term for each identity theft count. The 2-year identity theft prison sentences must be consecutive to any prison term imposed for the health care fraud counts but may be imposed concurrent to one another. A fine of up to $250,000 could be imposed for each count.
In March 2020, Holli Lundahl was indicted on the charges which included three overlapping schemes to defraud Wyoming Medicaid by submitting false claims for long-term care provided to Lundahl’s sibling, and the unlawful possession and use of identity information of two individuals in furtherance of two of the charged schemes.
The evidence at trial showed that Wyoming Medicaid operates a long-term care program designed to keep beneficiaries out of nursing homes and other institutional settings. This program includes limited payments for certain direct support services provided to beneficiaries by properly qualified and enrolled workers. Lundahl enrolled her niece in this program as a caregiver for Lundahl’s sister using the niece’s name, social security number, and other identifying information. Lundahl then submitted claims to Wyoming Medicaid for direct support work using the niece’s name when the niece had not provided any services. Lundahl’s niece did not know her identity was being used and had never been to Wyoming before testifying at trial. The false information provided by Lundahl caused Wyoming Medicaid money to be paid in the niece’s name into a credit union account controlled by Lundahl.
Evidence at trial also proved that Lundahl advertised for a direct support worker in Lusk. When a young woman responded to the ad, Lundahl convinced the woman to give her social security number and other identification information to Lundahl to be hired for the job. The woman worked one day, was paid cash for her time, and was not asked to return. The young woman did not know that she was enrolled with Medicaid or that her information was used for that purpose. However, Lundahl then used the young woman’s information to submit false claims to Wyoming Medicaid for direct support work that the woman did not perform. The false information provided by Lundahl caused Wyoming Medicaid money to be paid in the young woman’s name into a credit union account controlled by Lundahl.
Finally, evidence at trial proved that Lundahl enrolled herself as a direct support worker when she had a power of attorney for her sister and therefore could not be enrolled under Medicaid’s long-term care rules. Lundahl then submitted claims to Wyoming Medicaid for direct support work when she was not eligible to be paid for this work. As a result, Wyoming Medicaid money was paid to Lundahl when she was not eligible to receive that money.
“I applaud my litigation team, the court and the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for stopping this blatant abuse of the system,” said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray. “Identifying and preventing Medicaid fraud continues to be one of our highest priorities and we remain steadfast in ensuring that Medicaid dollars are preserved for those who most need them.”
The case was investigated by the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Travis Kirchhefer of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Eric Heimann.
Suspected fraud against Medicaid can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) and the agency’s website https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/. Wyoming residents can call the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit toll free at 1-800-378-0345, or visit their website at http://ag.wyo.gov/medicaid-fraud-control-unit.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Tremayne Lamar Clemons, age 29, of Coralville, to 30 months in prison for Unlawful Drug User in Possession of Firearms announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Clemons was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
The investigation of Tremayne Lamar Clemons began on December 25, 2019, when law enforcement responded to the scene of a shooting in the 900 block of Boston Way in Coralville. The following day officers conducted a search warrant at Clemons’s residence -- a residence some people involved in the shooting the day before were seen exiting just prior to the shooting. During the search, law enforcement located three firearms, boxes of ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. Clemons admitted to possessing the firearms found. He also admitted to using controlled substances. On December 31, 2019, Clemons possessed two additional firearms at a retail store in Coralville. Clemons admitted to being an unlawful user of controlled substances at the time of his possession of the five firearms.
This matter was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Investigation into White Supremacists and Drug Traffickers Yields Guilty PleasRead the Press Release
TEXAS – One member of the Aryan Circle (AC) pleaded guilty today to his role in a violent assault of a man in October 2016, as well as conspiring to sell firearms to a convicted felon, and a Mexican national pleaded guilty on Monday, April 19, to conspiring with members of the AC and others to sell methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Eastern District of Texas and Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today.
Rodney Shane Holt, aka “Turbo,” 48, of Tyler, Texas pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, as well as conspiracy to sell firearms to a convicted felon. Holt committed the assault as part of his membership in the AC, a gang that operates in Texas and other states throughout the country. Eulalio Torres-Cadenas, aka “Yayo,” 43, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
“Today’s pleas demonstrate the unfortunate truth that violence and the drug trade go hand-in-hand,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The Department of Justice and its state and local partners will continue to take a hard line against organized criminal gangs and their enablers.”
According to court documents, Torres-Cadenas supplied an Aryan Circle member with between 1.5 and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine over a number of occasions in 2016, in the area of Houston, Texas. The AC member went on to distribute the methamphetamine to buyers in Louisiana, including other AC members. The drug conspiracy that Torres-Cadenas pleaded to was uncovered as part of Operation Noble Virtue, an investigation into the AC that has targeted AC leadership.
Holt’s offense conduct included planning and participating in the events surrounding a violent beating of another AC member who wanted to switch his gang affiliation, or “patch over,” from the AC to a different gang. Holt and other AC members carried out the attack in order to “X,” or remove the AC member from the gang, because it violated the AC’s rules to join another organization. Holt’s offense conduct also included several sales of high caliber firearms to convicted felons.
The AC is a violent, white supremacist organization that originated in the Texas Department of Corrections and operates in federal prisons across the country, as well as outside prisons in states including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, and threats. Members, and oftentimes associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
Sentencing dates have not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct One Constable’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith (AR) Police Department; Arkansas Department of Corrections; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Smith County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; McCurtain County (OK) Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Liberty County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Harris County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Mercer County (NJ) District Attorney’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) District Attorney’s Office; and the Sebastian County (AR) District Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorneys Bethany Lipman, Rebecca Dunnan, and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp of the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Hogansburg Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tyren Terrance, age 26, of Hogansburg, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute, and possessing with intent to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Terrance admitted that on August 20, 2020, he and a co-conspirator used two pickup trucks to transport 10 hockey bags containing approximately 200 kilograms of marijuana through the Northern District of New York with the intent to distribute the drugs in the New York City area.
As a result of his conviction, Terrance faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2021 before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Grand Island Man Sentenced to 180 Months for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Dale Roberson, age 37 of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf sentenced Roberson to 180 months’ imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberson will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised released. There is no parole in the federal system.
As of early 2018, Roberson was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine to people in the Grand Island area and continued doing so into May 2020. Many of the transactions occurred at Roberson’s Grand Island residence. Police surveillance captured short-term traffic occurring at Roberson’s residence during portions of this time period.
Investigators found social media communication between Roberson and others discussing the exchange of methamphetamine, money, drug use, and trips to other states to obtain drugs.
During a search of Roberson’s residence, officers found methamphetamine, a firearm, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia including items used to redistribute methamphetamine to others.
This case was investigated by the Grand Island Police Department and the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Félix Verdejo-Sánchez and Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez Indicted for Carjacking and Kidnapping Resulting in Death, and Intentionally Killing an Unborn ChildRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Félix Verdejo-Sánchez and Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez for federal crimes arising from the murder of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz, announced United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Rafael Riviere-Vázquez, and Domingo Emanuelli, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. The FBI is in charge of the investigation with the close collaboration and support of the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.
Félix Verdejo-Sánchez and Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez are facing one count of carjacking resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(3) and (2); one count of kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201 (a)(1) and 2; and one count for killing an unborn child, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1841and 2, also known as the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004” or “Laci and Conner’s Law.” In addition to these charges, Félix Verdejo-Sánchez is facing one count for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
The indictment includes a Notice of Special Findings concerning relevant facts and factors that make the case eligible for the death penalty:
- Each defendant intentionally killed the victim (Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz).
- Each defendant committed the offense in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner in that it involved serious physical abuse to the victim.
- Each defendant committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to cause the death of the victim.
- Félix Verdejo Sánchez procured the commission of the offense by payment, or promise of payment, of anything of pecuniary value.
- Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez committed the offense as consideration for the receipt, or in the expectation of the receipt, of anything of pecuniary value.
“Keishla Rodríguez-Ortiz was taken from a family that loved her, and she and her child were denied the most fundamental right of life, and the joy of knowing what that life could have been,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “We hope that this process brings some measure of solace to Keishla’s family. This case also underscores the message of cooperation with law enforcement that I have been repeating to the community – If you have knowledge of criminal activity, even if you are a participant in that activity, do the right thing and come forward to authorities. The prosecutors and the law enforcement agencies that have worked tirelessly, and who continue to assist in the ongoing investigation of this case, are to be commended.”
“The FBI is proud to have worked alongside our colleagues of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico on this case,” said Rafael Riviere-Vázquez, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Our hearts go out to the grieving families and as always we urge citizens to speak up and report criminal activity by calling 787-987-6500 or leaving a tip online at Tips.FBI.gov”.
“I recognize the teamwork and efforts of the seven prosecutors and the chief prosecutor assigned to this case alongside the Puerto Rico Police Bureau,” said Domingo Emanuelli, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. “The message is clear and forceful. Whoever violates the law, threatens the safety, and lives of women, will pay.”
“We continue to work hand in hand with our partners at the local, state, and federal level to bring justice to Keishla. Our aim is to get to the bottom of this case and to process those responsible for this crime,” said Alexis Torres, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety. “We owe it to Keishla, to her family and to the people of Puerto Rico. Rest assured that the DSP will not rest until justice is served in this case and all others in our jurisdiction.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Gottfried, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette Collazo.
The statutory penalties for violations of the kidnapping and carjacking statutes include life imprisonment or the death penalty, and life imprisonment for the intentional killing of an unborn child. Verdejo-Sanchez is also facing up to a sentence of life for the firearm violation, which must be imposed consecutively to any other related offense of conviction.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft and Unemployment Benefit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Garrett Scott Wheelen, 30, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and possession of stolen mail, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between August and November 2020, Wheelen perpetrated a mail fraud scheme to defraud the State of California by submitting fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). PUA is a federal unemployment insurance program, established by the federal CARES Act and administered by EDD, that provides unemployment benefits to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wheelen used personally identifiable information (PII) and other information associated with real people to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance and PUA claims to EDD. The claims were submitted for his own benefit and included information relating to employment and mailing addresses that were not associated with the claimants. EDD approved at least some of the claims and caused Bank of America to mail debit cards containing unemployment benefits to an address under Wheelen’s control.
Additionally, Wheelen engaged in a scheme that involved stealing U.S. mail and harvesting bankcards, financial information, checks, and PII for use in fraudulent activity. For example, on Sept. 4, 2020, he was in possession of California State driver’s licenses, credit cards, and checks that he had stolen from U.S. mail. At least some of this mail came into his possession when he broke into a mail truck in Fresno on Aug. 11, 2020.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California EDD’s Investigation Division, and the Reedley Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
Wheelen is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on July 30. Wheelen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fraudster Who Scammed More Than 100 Elderly Victims of More Than $775,000 Through Lottery Scheme Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Keno Romario Brown, age 26, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud more than 100 elderly victims through an advance fee scheme, specifically, by falsely representing that the victims had won a lottery or sweepstakes and demanding taxes or other fees before the victims could receive the prize. Judge Hazel ordered Brown to pay restitution in the amount of $775,225.48. After trial, a federal jury convicted Brown on March 12, 2020.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “Keno Brown perpetrated a heartless scheme targeting more than 100 elderly victims. He will now serve eight years in federal prison. The Department of Justice is committed to bringing fraudsters who prey upon the elderly to justice. I encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim of a fraud or scam to contact the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”
“Brown callously preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Timothy Thibault, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “This sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who commit the unconscionable crime of elder fraud.”
“This investigation is another example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with its law enforcement partners, holds scammers who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens accountable.” Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina continued, “We also encourage anyone who believes that they are a potential victim and/or has receive similar suspicious callings to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
According to the evidence presented at his seven-day trial, in April 2013, Brown and two co-conspirators began contacting victims, falsely telling them that they were representatives of Company 1 or Company 2, which sponsored a lottery or sweepstakes. Brown and his co-conspirators misrepresented to victims that they had won a prize sponsored by Company 1 or Company 2, but in order to collect the prize, the victims had to pay advance fees and taxes to Brown or his co-conspirators. The conspirators directed the victims to send the advance fees and taxes electronically, or through an interstate mail carrier to “runners” who received the fraudulent proceeds and provided them to Brown and his co-conspirators. Evidence was presented that Brown used physical abuse to control at least one of the runners.
The trial evidence proved that to launder the fraud proceeds, Brown and a co-conspirator obtained debit cards using the personal information of elderly individuals without their knowledge or consent, and deposited that fraud proceeds onto those debit cards, among other methods.
The evidence proved that during the course of the conspiracy, Brown and other members of the conspiracy successfully defrauded over 100 elderly victims.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana J. Brusca, who prosecuted the case.
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Four sentenced for roles in ransom schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Four U.S. citizens have been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to harbor a Guatemalan woman and hostage taking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alvaro Hernandez, 22, McAllen, Ramiro Basaldua II, 35, Pharr, Rebecca Arevalo, 22, Donna, and Sarai Elizondo, 22, Pharr, had previously pleaded guilty.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Hernandez and Basaldua to serve 60 and 110 months in prison, respectively. The sentences will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down Basaldua’s sentence, Judge Crane considered his criminal history including prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and possession of a controlled substance.
Elizondo and Arevalo were previously sentenced to 57 and 46 months, respectively.
In March 2017, a 19-year-old Guatemalan woman illegally entered the United States in hopes of reuniting with her brother in California. She had to stay in various alien stash homes in the Rio Grande Valley area. Eventually, Hernandez and Arevalo picked her up in Edinburg and took her to the Texas Inn hotel in McAllen.
From March 22 to March 27, 2017, Hernandez, Basaldua, Elizondo and Arevalo held the victim in the hotel room against her will. During that time, the men threatened her life and made calls to her brother for a ransom to spare her. Elizondo and Arevalo also attempted to make the victim look more “American” by fixing her hair, eyebrows and nails.
The victim’s brother sent a total of $4,400 to pay the ransom for her release. The victim was later released at a park in McAllen.
All four have been and 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case..
Four Union County Men Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four Union County, New Jersey, men were charged for their roles in conspiracies to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig and Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo announced today.
Tyshawn Jones, 45; Walter Gibbs, 50; Rodney McCrae, 51; and Syhid Ellison, 37; all of Elizabeth, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Each defendant is also charged with additional narcotics offenses. Jones, McCrae, and Ellison were arrested this morning and are scheduled to appear this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel. Gibbs remains at large.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2020 through May 2021, the defendants sold heroin and fentanyl in an open-air narcotics market around Third Street between Court Street and Magnolia Avenue in Elizabeth. Through numerous controlled purchases of drugs, surveillance, and the analysis of telephone records, the investigation uncovered evidence that the defendants conspired with each other and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl. The defendants sold heroin that is frequently mixed with fentanyl, a potent, synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times stronger than heroin.
Each count charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of at least $1 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited investigators of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Ruotolo; special agents and task force officers with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; officers of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Giacomo Sacca; and investigators of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the Violent Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Mitchell of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Four Sentenced in Mail Theft Scheme Involving Stolen Checks, Driver’s LicensesRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A case involving four people, who between June 2018 and January 2019, conspired to cash checks stolen from residential mailboxes, concluded today in the U.S. District Court.
According to court documents, Justin Rosser and Kristen Knowles stole mail from residential mailboxes, altered any personal or business checks they found, and either cashed them at a bank themselves or enlisted the help of others, Amanda Thomas and Gloria Beckham, to cash the forged checks at their direction. On occasion, members of the group presented stolen driver’s licenses to the banks to cash the checks. In all, Rosser and Knowles stole approximately $8,000. Knowles was later involved in the theft and cashing of additional checks in the fall and early winter of 2019, that netted her an additional $1,000.
On March 4, 2021, Rosser was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On April 19, 2021, Knowles was sentenced to 33 months in prison and Beckham was sentenced to 12 months and 1-day. Yesterday the last remaining defendant, Thomas, was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and Campbell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Bedford Police Department, City of Lynchburg Police Department, Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office, Amherst County Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office, Appomattox County Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office, Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Coleman Adams prosecuted the case.
Former employee at Sandia National Laboratories pleads guilty to mail fraud and theftRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Joshua Cordova, 39, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 5 to mail fraud and theft of federal funds. Cordova was indicted on Dec. 17, 2019.
From approximately 2010 to December 2018, Cordova was employed by Sandia Corporation and later National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, which were contracted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to operate Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Cordova’s duties included providing training to military, law enforcement and emergency response personnel in the use of equipment developed at SNL. Beginning in late 2012, Cordova applied for and was issued a purchasing card funded by DOE for the limited purpose of procuring equipment and materials necessary for Cordova to perform his duties at SNL.
In the plea agreement, Cordova admitted that from at least September 2014 through September 2018 he fraudulently used his purchasing card to procure items for the personal use of himself and his family and associates. These items included: jewelry; watches, clothing; shoes; golf clubs and golf accessories; exercise equipment; toys; barber equipment, furnishings and supplies; building materials; and home appliances.
To conceal the fraudulent use of his purchasing card, Cordova made misrepresentations and false statements, claiming in his monthly reconciliation reports the purchases were legitimate items. For example, in August 2017, Cordova purchased a diamond ring for $944 from Amazon.com that was shipped to his home. In his monthly report, he represented the purchase as “2 carbon fiber Manfredo 510 tripods.”
A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Cordova faces up to 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez is prosecuting the case.
Former Wind Farm Manger Pleads Guilty in $550,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a $550,000 embezzlement scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Arturo Salazar III, 41, a former site manager for a Vestas-American Wind Technologies wind farm, pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of unauthorized transactions with access devices.
According to court documents, Mr. Salazar admitted that he teamed up with Keith Krier, a conspirator, to create a sham business, BT Machine, with the sole purpose of creating fraudulent invoices. From 2016 to 2019, while Salazar worked as site manager for Vestas Wind, the conspirators presented hundreds of bogus invoices for services that BT Machine purportedly provided to Vestas.
Following payment of the invoices, Mr. Salazar the other individual would then split the money.
Mr. Salazar also used Vestas company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases totaling approximately $80,000. These personal purchases included a dump trailer, a skid steer loader, a universal terrain vehicle, and products from Amazon.
From 2016 to 2019, Mr. Salazar admitted to defrauding Vestas’ of more than $550,000.
Mr. Salazar now faces up to 60 years in federal prison. His sentencing will be set in late summer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
Former Waterbury Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JESSICA PICKERING, 27, formerly of Waterbury, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to distributing child pornography through the Kik social media application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, Pickering joined a Kik group geared toward those with a sexual interest in children and then corresponded with an FBI Online Covert Employee (“OCE”) who was monitoring the group. Pickering stated that she had access to three minors, aged 7 and younger. On October 20, 2020, Pickering posted two live videos to the Kik group that depicted child pornography of a male toddler. Pickering later sent the OCE two additional videos that depicted child pornography of the same child. The next day, Pickering withdrew from the Kik group, stating that she “felt an immense amount of disgust for [her]self after what [she] did the other night.”
Pickering was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 27, 2020.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2021, at which time Pickering faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Pickering is released on a $100,000 bond and residing with family in Queens, New York, pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Wolcott Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Former Treasurer and Comptroller of the Universal Ballet Foundation Pleads Guilty in $1.5 Million Bank Fraud MatterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sophia Kim, a/k/a “Sophia Kim Sebold” and “Sookyeong Kim Sebold”, 60, the former Treasurer and Comptroller for the Universal Ballet Foundation, which operated the Kirov Academy of Ballet, pled guilty today to a charge stemming from her embezzlement of $1,501,285.13, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.
Kim, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to Bank Fraud. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for September 15, 2021. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to thirty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.
“For nearly a year, this defendant used her trusted position to fleece her nonprofit employer for 1.5 million dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We have no tolerance for offenders raiding the coffers of the businesses and institutions that make our District great.”
“Kim treated her company’s funds as her own personal bank account, even using it to fund a gambling spree,” said Timothy Thibault, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “The FBI is committed to rooting out and bringing to justice those who commit this kind of unconscionable financial fraud that harms our communities’ businesses.”
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Kim was employed as the Treasurer and Comptroller for the Universal Ballet Foundation, which operated the Kirov Academy of Ballet (“KAB”), a 501(c)(3) organization located in the District of Columbia. Kim admitted that, between approximately January 2018 and September 2018, she misappropriated approximately $1,501,285.12 from KAB’s bank accounts through unauthorized check, debit, and credit card transactions. This consisted of: (1) 68 unauthorized checks to “Cash” or to “Sophia Kim,” in whole-dollar amounts ranging from $500 to $12,000, totaling approximately $377,200; (2) 197 unauthorized debits and cash withdrawals, totaling approximately $479,283; and (3) 139 unauthorized credit card transactions, totaling approximately $681,751. Notably, 120 unauthorized debits and withdrawals and 120 credit card charges at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD, totaling approximately $1,068,026.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips acknowledged the work of Paralegal Angeline Thekkumthala of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rothstein and David Kent, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Former Postal Worker Fined for Failing to Deliver over 700 Pieces of Mail Which Included Three Absentee BallotsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Brandon Wilson, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who pleaded guilty to delay or destruction of U.S. Mail, was fined $200.00 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that on November 3, 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers encountered the defendant, an employee of the United States Postal Service (USPS) at the time, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. In the trunk of Wilson’s vehicle, officers found 701 mailings, and a USPS employee uniform and employee identification badge. The mailings included three (3) official absentee ballots mailed from the Board of Elections to voters, 218 first class mailings, 106 political mailings, 36 regular nonprofit mailings, 305 regular standard mailings, and 33 magazine/catalogue mailings. The mailings were destined for addresses located in the following zip codes: 14227, 14211, 14214, with a majority destined for 14215. The cancellation dates on the first class mailings were between September 16 and October 26, 2020.
When asked by officers about the mailings in his trunk, the defendant initially stated they belonged to him and his mother. When confronted with the destination names and addresses, Wilson admitted that he was a USPS postal carrier who kept custody of the mailings after failing to complete his delivery route.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, Pittsburgh, PA, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations, Rose Brophy.
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Former Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – An Oconee County, Georgia, resident and former eighth grade teacher has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Ira New, III, 56, of Watkinsville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Wednesday, May 5. New faces a maximum twenty years of imprisonment to be followed by at least five years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime. Child victims are manipulated and harmed each time the images are viewed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend both GBI and Yahoo investigators who teamed up to quickly stop a child predator who, as a teacher, had easy access to children.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims. No child should be subject to online exploitation. As we work with internet service providers and other law enforcement agency partners, we are ensuring that predators like this defendant are held accountable,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds
On August 7, 2019, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) received a cyber tip from Yahoo investigators regarding approximately 27 images of children at nudist colonies. Yahoo determined that the account belonged to New, who was an eighth-grade teacher at the time, and the cyber tip was escalated to the GBI. GBI discovered New taught at Malcolm Bridge Middle School in Watkinsville and had recently self-reported to the school administration for displaying an image of a topless female to his class. Subsequently, New resigned from his teaching position at Oconee County Schools and consented to a Professional Standards Commission sanction of reprimand regarding his teaching certificate.
On September 5, 2019, the GBI conducted a knock and talk at his home. New consented to allow forensic agents to view his phone, and they found it contained child pornography. A supplemental forensic review revealed New’s phone contained approximately 94 images of child pornography, including images of 12 to 14-year-old girls. When asked when he started to take an interest in children, New responded that it had been in the “past couple of years.” New also stated that he never sent the photographs to anyone, but he emailed the photographs to himself.
The case was investigated by the GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker is prosecuting the case.
Former Manager Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Mascoutah Trucking Company Out of More Than $600,000Read the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – This morning, Timothy P. Mayer, 41, of Waterloo, Illinois, appeared in federal court in East St. Louis and pled guilty to defrauding his former employer, Jung Truck
Service (“Jung Truck”) of Mascoutah, Illinois, out of more than $600,000.
In addition to operating its own trucks and warehouse facilities, Jung Truck also provides maintenance services for other trucking companies. Mayer was the manager of Jung Truck’s East St.
Louis location.Beginning in July 2019, Mayer started charging expensive tires to Jung Truck’s accounts at a local tire supplier. Mayer then sold the tires on the side and pocketed the cash. The value of the tires that Mayer fraudulently charged to Jung Truck exceeded $590,000. Mayer also stole tires and brakes from Jung Truck’s inventory and sold those items on the side. Mayer’s scheme lasted until he was caught in May 2020.
Mayer will be sentenced on August 11, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. The mail fraud charge to which Mayer pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a period of supervised release of up to 3 years. Mayer will also be ordered to pay full restitution to Jung Truck.
The case was investigated by agents from FBI-Springfield. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.Former IRS Service Center Employee Sentenced for Filing Hundreds of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former employee of the IRS Service Center in Andover was sentenced today for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of over 400 false tax returns for herself and other individuals.
Jennifer Beth True, 44, of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to twelve months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000. True was also ordered to pay $689 in restitution to victims who were charged interest and penalties based on the false returns she prepared for them, and $1,056,781 in restitution to the IRS. In September 2020, True pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return and four counts of filing a fraudulent tax return by an employee of the United States.
True was employed by the Internal Revenue Service for over 22 years. In her position as a Lead Contact Representative, she assisted team members in responding to difficult and complex taxpayer inquiries. Throughout her employment, True was trained in tax law, ethics, information protection and disclosure, privacy, identity theft and identity protection.
True electronically filed over 500 tax returns for herself and other taxpayers between 2012 and 2018, in violation of IRS rules prohibiting employees from “[e]ngaging in the preparation of tax returns for compensation, gift, or favor.” True admitted that between approximately February 2012 and April 2018, she prepared or assisted in preparing and filing of at least 70 IRS Forms 1040 – U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns – for herself and other taxpayers that True knew contained false items such as false individual retirement account deductions, false medical expenses, false and inflated unreimbursed business expenses and/or false tax preparation fees. Some returns also included false child and dependent care credits. As a result of the false deductions claimed on the returns, the tax obligations of True and those individuals whose false returns she prepared was reduced.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; William Kalb, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, New York Field Office; and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Mendell’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Claims Processor of a Travel Insurance Company Sentenced to 47 Months for Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - A McCordsville man was sentenced to 47 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, Wesley A. Smith, 31, was employed by Seven Corners, a travel insurance business located in Carmel. His duties included processing travel insurance claims of Seven Corners clients. One of the clients is Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA). FMCA was an organization of RV owners whose members received travel insurance coverage for their RVs. Included in that coverage was reimbursement for necessary towing of a damaged RV.
Beginning December 2015 and continuing through December 2017, Smith devised a complex fraud scheme to steal money from his employer. He recruited three of his friends, who were not employed by Seven Corners to participate in his scheme. Using his position in the company, Smith created and approved fraudulent travel insurance claims purportedly submitted by FMCA claimants. He used the names of actual FMCA members on the claims without their knowledge and indicated that a claimant's RV was towed by a towing company which sought reimbursement for that service. Smith then caused payment to be made for the fraudulent claims to each of his co-conspirators who were identified as officials of the towing companies named on the fraudulent invoices. After the co-conspirators received the proceeds, they sent approximately one-half of the funds back to Smith by wire transfer. Smith sent over $394,000 in proceeds to the co-conspirators and they sent over $194,000 back to Smith. Additionally, on 38 separate occasions between December 2015 and April 2018, Smith sent over $105,000 directly to himself. This scheme resulted in loss to Seven Corners of over $499,000.
Smith undertook other fraud schemes during his employment in which his co-conspirators were not involved. Between March 2015 and April 2018, Smith created false scenarios to submit claims through the FMCA program. He used the company credit card for 235 fraudulent transactions to purchase airline and hotel purchases for himself, family, and friends. This resulted in loss to Seven Corners of over $221,000. Between May 2015 and April 2016, Smith caused six medical service overpayments to be directed into his personal bank account. This resulted in over a $37,000 loss. The total loss to Seven Corners caused by Smith was over $758,000.
“Stealing from your employer or any corporate business, not only affects that business, it eventually affects us all,” said Acting U. S. Attorney John E. Childress. “Smith was placed in a position of trust to make honest decisions, instead he allowed greed to dictate his decisions and he is now being held accountable.”
“Mr. Smith’s actions were fueled by nothing more than pure and simple greed and this sentence demonstrates how such fraud ends – with time in federal prison,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan. “The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue those who engage in these illegal business practices in an attempt to enrich themselves at the expense of their employer.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Warden and Bradley P. Shepard who prosecuted the case for the government said Smith must pay $758,164.90 in restitution and serve 2 years on supervised release after his imprisonment.
Former Buffalo Resident Pleads Guilty to Selling Crack Cocaine in Salamanca AreaRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Emmanuel Humphrey, 33, of Atlanta, GA, (formerly of Buffalo, NY), pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between July and December of 2018, the defendant conspired with co-defendant Erin Cameron a/k/a Al, to sell crack cocaine. On December 30, 2018, Humphrey, Cameron, and another individual drove from Buffalo to Salamanca in the defendant’s vehicle so that Cameron could sell narcotics in and around the Salamanca area. In the trunk, Cameron carried a pistol with six rounds of ammunition. On March 6, 2019, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a federal search warrant on Humphrey’s vehicle and a quantity of crack cocaine was recovered from a rear compartment in the vehicle’s trunk.
Erin Cameron was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, under the direction of Deputy Bureau Director Charles Addington; the Southern Tier Drug Regional Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Ronald Lott; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Troy Westfall.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 7, 2021, before Judge Sinatra.
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Federal Indictment Issued Charging Spokane Man with Setting Fire at St. Charles Parrish and SchoolRead the Press Release
Spokane – Today, Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury in Spokane returned an Indictment charging Rio A. Mirabal, 23, of Spokane, Washington with arson of the St. Charles Parrish and School in Spokane, Washington.
The Indictment alleges that, on March 18, 2021, Mirabal maliciously damaged, by means of fire, the building and real property known as the St. Charles Parrish and School, located at 4515 North Alberta Street, Spokane, Washington. The alleged crime is a federal offense in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). If proven, the offense is punishable by a minimum 5-year, but not more than a 20-year, term of imprisonment; a $250,000 fine; and a 3-year term of court supervision following release from federal imprisonment.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Spokane Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Russell E. Smoot, Criminal Chief / Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
mirabal_indictment.pdfFayette County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, on December 3, 2015, Eddie McKinney, 33, of Mt. Hope, distributed child pornography using peer-to-peer file sharing software on his computer. He also admitted that he knowingly possessed and distributed to others images depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 23, 2016, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of images of child pornography, including prepubescent child pornography, from his home. McKinney pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White handled the prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00142.
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Endicott Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register Email AccountsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Thomas J. Redeker, age 72, of Endicott, New York, pled guilty yesterday to failing to update his sex offender registration by maintaining unregistered email accounts in violation of the law, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and United States Marshal David L. McNulty.
As part of his plea agreement, Redeker admitted that in 2004 he was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York of production of child pornography and crossing a state line to engage in a sexual act with a person under the age of 12. Those convictions required Redeker to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and to keep that registration current with personal identifying information, including email accounts. Redeker admitted that although he maintained registration as a sex offender in the State of New York he did not register three different email accounts that he created despite knowing he has an obligation under law to do so.
As a result of his conviction, Redeker faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2021 before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Redeker’s case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service Sex Offender Investigation Branch with assistance from the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
East Haven Resident Who Stole from Town's Board of Education Child Care Program is SentencedRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CATHERINE FINKLE, 58, of East Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first six months of which Finkle must spend in home confinement, for stealing more than $38,000 from East Haven’s Board of Education child care program. Judge Underhill also ordered Finkle to pay a $20,000 fine, and to perform 50 hours of community of service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2000 to November 2018, Finkle was the East Haven Board of Education Program Director for the School Age Child Care Program, commonly called the Little Jackets Program. As the program director, Finkle had access to the Little Jacket Program’s bank accounts and received tuition payments on behalf of the program. From January 2011 to November 2018, Finkle defrauded the East Haven Board of Education by taking more than $38,000 in tuition payments, in the form of money orders and cash, that had been made for students in the Little Jackets Program. She then diverted the payments for her own benefit.
Judge Underhill ordered Finkle to pay restitution of $38,554.50.
On February 11, 2021, Finkle pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Doctor Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Soliciting Sexual Favors from Patients in Exchange for OpioidsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A New York doctor was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for distributing opioids without a legitimate medical reason and soliciting sexual favors from patients in exchange for opioid prescriptions, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Joseph Santiamo, 65, of Staten Island, New York, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a controlled dangerous substance. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Jan. 1, 2012, through May 3, 2018, Santiamo owned and operated a medical practice in Staten Island focused on internal medicine and geriatric care. He prescribed large quantities of oxycodone outside the ordinary course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. For some of his patients, there was no medical necessity for Santiamo to treat them with oxycodone, nor to prescribe the large quantities that he did. In addition, Santiamo solicited sexual favors from certain of his younger patients in exchange for unlawful oxycodone prescriptions. These patients were all under the age of 40 at the time Santiamo provided them with prescriptions and thus would not typically be treated by a geriatric care physician like Santiamo. In some instances, Santiamo did this despite evidence that certain patients were abusing opioids.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Santiamo to three years of supervised release and fined him $30,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents, diversion investigators and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Chad Michael Oxley, age 38, of Davenport, to 144 months in prison for Receiving Child Pornography announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Oxley was ordered to serve seven years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $9,000.00 to the victims of his crime.
The investigation of Oxley began in January of 2019 when the Davenport Police Department received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a video containing child pornography that had been uploaded to Google in December of 2018. Information from the CyberTip traced back to Oxley. Officers conducted a search warrant at Oxley’s known residences in February of 2019 and several cellphones were located. A review of the cellphones revealed many images and videos containing child pornography as well as chat sessions wherein Oxley was purporting to be a female and exchanging child pornography with others. At the plea hearing on November 16, 2020, Oxley agreed he received more than 600 images and/or videos of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Monday, May 3, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Darvill Jimmy Joseph Bragg, age 26, of Davenport, to 240 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Bragg was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. On August 26, 2020, following a jury trial, Bragg was found guilty of illegally possessing a Taurus Judge revolver.
On October 25, 2019, law enforcement received multiple 911 calls regarding shots fired in the area of the 1300 block of East 37th Street in Davenport. The Davenport Police Department responded and located multiple fired shell casings, as well as damage consistent with bullet holes in a nearby apartment building. The target of the shooting informed law enforcement Bragg and another man shot at him as he drove through the parking lot—Bragg with a revolver and the other man with an automatic pistol. Officers observed damage consistent with bullet holes in the target’s vehicle. Later that same night, law enforcement encountered Bragg as the front passenger in a vehicle in the area of the earlier shooting. A Taurus Judge revolver was in the door bin next to his seat. At the time of the offense, Bragg had been convicted of Willful Injury in the Iowa District Court for Scott County.
At sentencing, Bragg was subject to Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(e) (the Armed Career Criminal Act). He was subject to the Act due to prior convictions for armed robbery in 2011 in Rock Island County, Illinois, and Willful Injury in 2015 in Scott County.
This matter was investigated by the Davenport Police Department and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Couple Sentenced to Prison in Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A convicted felon and his girlfriend were sentenced today to prison for their roles in a scheme to buy firearms in Georgia and transport them to New Jersey for resale, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Anthony Doyle, 30, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release; Anastacia Thomas, 28, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Doyle and Thomas, both of Fayetteville, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph Rodriguez to conspiring to illegally traffic firearms. Doyle also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentences today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 25, 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Thomas and occupied by Doyle in Deptford, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers observed in plain view a Glock handgun, which was loaded with 14 hollow tip bullets. A search of the car and a backpack revealed four additional handguns and three firearm boxes.
The investigation revealed that from Nov. 30, 2017, to Jan. 25, 2018, Doyle and Thomas conspired and worked together to deal firearms without a license. Doyle, who was a convicted felon and therefore could not legally purchase firearms, was the driving force behind the conspiracy. He was responsible for selecting the firearms, transporting them up to New Jersey, finding buyers, and selling the firearms at a profit. Doyle used his social media accounts to advertise the firearms for sale, negotiate pricing, and arrange the sales. Doyle’s online discussions regarding illegal firearm trafficking are documented in hundreds of pages of online messages that were analyzed by law enforcement.
Thomas’ role in the scheme was to purchase firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers because Doyle could not do so as a convicted felon. She also purchased firearms from pawn shops, helped Doyle transport the firearms to New Jersey for resale and handled the profits from the resales.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the U.S. Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Christina O. Hud of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Firearms Offenses and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield to a variety of charges in connection with stealing 17 firearms from a West Springfield gun shop and making false statements to federal agents.
Fernando Rivera, 24, of New Britain, Conn., pleaded guilty to one count each of theft of firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee; being a felon in possession of a firearm; interstate transportation of a stolen firearm; receipt, possession, concealment, storage, barter, sale, or disposition of a stolen firearm in interstate commerce; and making false statements to a federal official. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2021.
In September 2020, Rivera was charged by criminal complaint with co-defendant Christian Castro, who agreed to plead guilty yesterday.
Rivera was a felon on state probation for a prior narcotic charge in Connecticut. Shortly after midnight on or about Aug. 29, 2020, Rivera and Castro engaged in a crime spree in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts that included seven ATM thefts and culminated in the theft of 17 firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in West Springfield, Mass.
On Sept. 18, 2020, federal agents arrested the two men at their homes in Connecticut.
The firearms charges each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield, Hadley, West Springfield, New Britain (Conn.) and Middletown (Conn.) Police Departments; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; and Connecticut Judicial Branch Adult Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Columbus man admits to his role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Dominic McCall, of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, Acting U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
McCall, age 29, pled guilty to three counts of “Use of Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense.” McCall admitted to using a phone to sell methamphetamine in Marshall County and elsewhere in November and December 2018 and February 2019.
McCall faces up to four years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Child Pornographer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Carlos Manuel Marquez-Pierce, age 23, of Plummer, Idaho and an enrolled member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty in two cases, first on January 25, 2021, to production of child pornography, and second on February 25, 2021, to sexual abuse of a minor. United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Marquez-Pierce to a 23-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Marquez-Pierce committed sexual offenses against three minor victims, ages 11 and 12, over nearly two years. Marquez-Pierce recorded sexually explicit conduct with one of his victims and distributed some of the produced images to others. One of Marquez-Pierce’s victims was an enrolled member of the Coeur d’ Alene Indian Tribe.
Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, “With the sentence imposed today, a dangerous child predator has been removed from the community. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to prosecuting anyone who may sexually exploit our most vulnerable population, children. I commend the hard work of our federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement partners who investigated this case.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
and click on the tab "resources."
This case was investigated by the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Resident Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Tribal Police Departments, and the Spokane Police Department, with assistance from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Social Services. This case was prosecuted by Ann Wick, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, in cooperation with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
Chicago Woman Sentenced to One Year and One Day of ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Janette Ingram, 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody to twelve months and one day of imprisonment following her guilty plea to conspiracy to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell.
According to documents in the case, in February 2020, multiple defendants were charged in the federal criminal case of United States v. Manuel Diaz, et al, which alleged violations of federal criminal law, including racketeering conspiracy, against members and associates of the Latin Dragon Nation street gang. On February 17, 2020, at the Hammond City Jail, Janette Ingram visited one of these defendants, where she was shown and photographed names of cooperating defendants in the Diaz case. Later that day, Ingram caused photographs of the names of the cooperating defendants to be posted on social media with the intent to discourage and intimidate cooperators and potential cooperators from testifying at trial in the Diaz case.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; and the Calumet City Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office, the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff, Maria N. Lerner and Michael J. Toth, with prior assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Cooley.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 13 Years for Robbing Two BanksRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mario Edward Roane, 56, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison on federal bank robbery charges, plus an additional five months in prison for violating his federal supervised release by committing the bank robberies, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. also sentenced Roane to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $6,350 in restitution to the banks and a $200 special assessment to the court.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on March 18, 2020, Roane robbed the First Citizens Bank branch located at 128 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Upon entering the bank, Roane approached a bank teller and told her “this is a robbery…I have a gun.” The teller handed Roane $1,700 from the cash drawer and Roane fled the scene. Filed court documents show that five days later, on March 23, 2020, Roane robbed the Wells Fargo Bank branch located at 301 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Roane entered the bank and waited in line for a teller. Once he arrived at the teller’s window, he demanded money and told the teller “Give me all your money, or I’ll blow your head off.” The teller complied and Roane left the bank with $4,650 in cash. According to court records, law enforcement identified Roane based on surveillance video from the banks. He was arrested on March 31, 2020. Court records show Roane has twice previously been convicted of federal bank robbery charges in the Western District of North Carolina and served two separate federal prison terms for those convictions. When Roane committed the two robberies in March 2020, he was on federal supervised release for his most recent federal bank robbery conviction.
On August 17, 2020, Roane pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery. He is currently in federal custody and upon designation of a federal facility he will be transferred into custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force and CMPD investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Stout of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Carl Junction Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Transporting a Minor for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carl Junction, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting a Kansas minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Nathan Roger Belcher, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Belcher to serve 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
On Oct. 2, 2019, Belcher pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Belcher admitted that he transported a child victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1” with a date of birth in 2003, from Kansas across the state line into Missouri. They engaged in criminal sexual activity on two occasions, once at a residence in Missouri and once near a creek outside Neosho, Missouri, in 2017.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbus, Kan., Police Department, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Camdenton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Camdenton, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Stephan D. Samons, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 28, 2019, Samons pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene, Laclede, and Newton counties from March 1, 2018, to Jan. 22, 2019. The conspiracy distributed more than 13 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Samons is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Neal A. Norles, 31, of Blue Springs, Mo., was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Brent A. Tribble, 31, of Kirbyville, Mo., was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison without parole. April E. Luke, 32, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
Norles transported the methamphetamine from California to Kansas City, Mo., Samons purchased methamphetamine from Norles and it was transported to the southwest Missouri and Lebanon, Mo., areas by vehicle. Samons sold methamphetamine to both Luke and Tribble. Samons admitted to buying methamphetamine from Norles on five occasions.
During the investigation, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper seized nearly 2.4 kilograms of methamphetamine from a Dodge Charger in which Norles was a passenger during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Newton County, Mo., on Jan. 22, 2019. During a search of the Charger, a trooper found five vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine, weighing approximately 2,384 grams, hidden in the rear-windshield-deck trim. The traffic stop was made while Norles was returning from a trip to Los Angeles, California. Norles possessed firearms in connection with his drug-trafficking activities and exchanged methamphetamine for firearms.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
California Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Scheme to Smuggle Endangered and Vulnerable Turtles from the U.S. to ChinaRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A Chinese national residing in Los Angeles pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to purchase hundreds of endangered and vulnerable turtles in the U.S. and smuggle them via U.S. mail and commercial airline flights to China.
Yuan Xie, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the U.S.
According to court documents, beginning in at least May 2017 and continuing until October 2018, Xie conspired with another Chinese national, Xiao Dong Qin, 35, of Shanghai, China, to purchase more than 769 live turtles from reptile dealers in Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, and South Carolina. All of the turtles purchased and smuggled by Xie are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
A two-year investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) revealed that in an 18-month period, Xie facilitated the purchase and transportation of approximately 134 Florida box turtles, 178 eastern box turtles, 127 North American wood turtles, 220 spotted turtles, 77 diamondback terrapins, 25 three-toed box turtles, seven yellow-blotched map turtles, and one Blanding’s turtle from his former residence in Eugene, Oregon. USFWS investigators determined the cost of the turtles involved in this investigation exceeded $150,000 and estimated the market value was more than double that amount in the Chinese pet trade.
In November 2018, Xie was arrested by USFWS agents at his residence in Los Angeles.
Xie faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 12, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
As part of the plea agreement, Xie has agreed to pay $2,233 in restitution to a rehabilitation facility near Chicago and The Turtle Conservancy near Los Angeles for costs associated with the care of turtles intercepted by law enforcement.
Qin was sentenced on February 27, 2020 to two years’ probation and paid nearly $8,000 in restitution.
This case was investigated by USFWS with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Turtles 01 Turtles 02 Turtles 03 Turtles 04Cheyenne Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Along with an Illegal Alien Co-ConspiratorRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that KEITH RICHARD GARCIA, age 35 of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and ROGER ENRIQUE SANDRES ORELLANA, age 32 of Tegucigalpa, Honduras were convicted and sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal related to their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute heroin. Garcia was sentenced to 70 months on the heroin charges and to a consecutive 60-month sentence for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sandres Orellana was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment, and was convicted of illegally entering the United States, for which he received a sentence of time served of approximately 9 months.
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation revealed that Garcia was distributing heroin that he had obtained from a Honduran source of supply in Denver. Subsequent investigation led to law enforcement identifying Sandres-Orellana as the heroin distributor and drug runner. Sandres Orellana initially gave officers a fake ID but when questioned later, admitted to lying about his identity, to being in the country illegally and to being a drug runner for an unknown male he met online.
Law enforcement recovered approximately 59 grams of heroin, items related to the distribution of controlled substances, and a firearm.
“This case combines two of the top priorities of the Department of Justice: illegal drug trafficking and criminal immigration enforcement. We work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute all suppliers that distribute illegal drugs in Wyoming,” said Acting United State Attorney Bob Murray. “At the same time, we work to identify, prosecute, and remove persons who violate our sovereign immigration laws. These offenders posed a significant danger to public safety in Laramie County, Wyoming with their distribution of heroin and I am pleased to see justice was served.”
“This investigation is a great example of law enforcement efforts in Wyoming to protect our communities from drug trafficking organizations which are polluting our neighborhoods with dangerous narcotics,” said DEA Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “The fact that this organization was also using firearms in furtherance of their crimes is a reminder to all of us just how dangerous these groups are. I am very proud of another great example of the hard work and dedication of our agents and law enforcement partners in Wyoming.”
This crime was investigated by the DEA and Cheyenne Police Department. The drug-related charges were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher and the illegal immigration charges were prosecuted by Jonathan C. Coppom.
Braggs Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Unregistered Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John Leroy Pruitt, III, age 44, of Braggs, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Possession Of Unregistered Firearm (Destructive Device), in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d), 5841 and 5871, punishable by not more than 120 months’ imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 8, 2020, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly possess a destructive device, which is a firearm, as defined in Title 26, United States Code, Section 5845, not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris and Assistant United States Attorney Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Billings man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on meth trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man convicted by a jury of trafficking crimes for his role in a large drug organization that brought hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine into Montana was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison and to five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
During a three-day trial, a jury found Nicholas John Montano, 35, guilty on Feb. 12, 2020 of conspiracy to possess meth with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents and evidence presented at trial, the government alleged that in the spring and summer of 2018, Montano received meth from Joshua Clause, who headed a large drug trafficking ring that imported hundreds of pounds of meth into Montana. Clause pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. After meeting Montano through another person, Clause contacted Montano, who began to receive meth from Clause for redistribution.
Clause told law enforcement that he supplied Montano with a quarter pound to one pound of meth each time he restocked. Clause and Montano also traveled once together to Bakersfield, California, where Clause got meth from a supplier. Clause supplied Montano with approximately 10 to 15 pounds of meth during their association. Fifteen pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 54,360 doses. Law enforcement officers arrested Montano in Billings on a federal warrant on Aug. 19, 2018 after he fled in a stolen vehicle and was tracked to an apartment complex.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin M. Rubich and Thomas K. Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Billings Police Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bergen County Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Stealing Millions of Dollars from Lenders and Corporations in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for defrauding lenders and corporations of $4.9 million by impersonating two bank executives interested in funding syndicated loans for global companies, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Matthew O’Callaghan, 43, of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton via videoconference to count one of an indictment charging him with wire fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through 2019, O’Callaghan defrauded at least two global financial services groups and four global companies of millions of dollars by deceiving them into believing that “Bank A” was agreeing to commit funds to revolving credit facilities. He contacted the victim-lenders and victim-companies using the aliases “Edward Tierney” and “Michael Nash,” whom he falsely represented were executives at Bank A. O’Callaghan induced the victim-lenders and victim-companies into agreeing to pay Bank A to take on a commitment to fund revolving credit facilities.
O’Callaghan submitted numerous fraudulent documents to the victim-lenders and victim-companies that were designed to deceive them into believing that Nash and Tierney were legitimate representatives of Bank A, when in fact they were not. O’Callaghan created email addresses to resemble legitimate Bank A email addresses, false email signature blocks for Tierney and Nash that bore the Bank A logo and listed the business address for Bank A, fraudulent wiring instructions bearing Bank A’s logo and address, and a tax form bearing a tax identification number for Bank A.
O’Callaghan directed the victim-lenders and victim-companies to wire funds to a bank account at Bank A that O’Callaghan controlled and then converted the money for personal expenses, the purchase of an automobile, gambling, travel, and payments to a private club.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced O’Callaghan to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Beaverton Woman Charged in April 13, 2021 Arson at Portland Police Association BuildingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging a Beaverton, Oregon, woman with arson after she allegedly set fire to the Portland Police Association building during a riot on April 13, 2021.
Alma Raven-Guido, 19, has been charged with one count of arson.
According to the indictment, Raven-Guido maliciously damaged the Portland Police Association building on North Lombard Street in Portland with fire.
Raven-Guido was arrested without incident by the FBI on May 5, 2021, and made her initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered released pending further court proceedings.
Arson is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Gabriel and Jaclyn Jenkins are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baltimore Drug Trafficker Who Fled Police and Injured Recently-Discharged Hospital Patient Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Terrell Tomlin, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on December 4, 2019, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers observed Tomlin driving his vehicle back and forth through three lanes of traffic without signaling as well as accelerating and braking quickly and aggressively. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on the road leading towards Sinai Hospital’s emergency room entrance.
As detailed in the plea agreement, before approaching the vehicle, officers observed Tomlin making furtive movements in the vehicle and lowering his head towards the right side of the car. During the traffic stop, a BPD officer asked Tomlin for his driver’s license and registration and noticed Tomlin’s hands shaking excessively and his eyes were opened extremely wide. Based on Tomlin’s furtive movements and excessive nervousness, a BPD officer asked him to step out of the vehicle.
Instead, Tomlin admitted that he attempted to flee, crashing his vehicle into a stationery vehicle, in which Victim 1, who was recently discharged from the hospital after surgery, was the driver, and Victim 1’s child (Victim 2) was a passenger. After the crash, Tomlin got out of the car and fled on foot, carrying a blue duffel bag. Items were falling out of the bag as Tomlin fled. Before he was apprehended by a BPD officer, Tomlin threw the bag in the air, causing items to scatter.
BPD officers recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia along the route that Tomlin ran as he fled from them, including the area in which they apprehended him. Among the items recovered were a blender containing fentanyl and tramadol residue; packaging material, some of which contained cocaine residue; and a clear plastic bag containing approximately 38 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. During a search of Tomlin’s vehicle, BPD officers recovered a container of Inositol, a cutting agent for heroin; a bottle of ammonia, typically used to clean heroin mixing equipment; and a measuring cup.
During the crash, the steering wheel struck Victim 1’s surgery wound, and Victim 2’s head hit a window of the vehicle. Both victims received treatment for, and subsequently recovered from, the injuries caused by Tomlin crashing into their vehicle.
Tomlin and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, they will jointly recommend a sentence of 46 months in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who is prosecuting the case.
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