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Tuesday 16 March 2021
Federal Detainee at Allegheny County Jail Charged with Illegally Possessing a Cell PhoneRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An inmate at Allegheny County Jail, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of possessing contraband while in prison, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Dana Lamont Henderson, age 39, a federal pretrial detainee at the Allegheny County Jail, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Henderson was charged with possessing a cell phone while in custody, a prohibited object for inmates.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than one year in prison, a fine not to exceed $100,000.00, a term of supervised release of not more than 1 year, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of firearms. Jonathan Fields, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2020, and charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Fields admitted that during the early morning hours of November 6 and 7, 2019, he was illegally hunting deer in Nicholas County, and shot two deer without a license and out of season. While doing so, he possessed two rifles, a Bushmaster Firearms 5.56 caliber rifle, with a 30-round capacity magazine, and a Remington .243 caliber rifle. On November 12, 2019, Fields left the two firearms at the home of a friend in Summersville where they were later recovered by law enforcement officers with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Fields further admitted that at the time he possessed the two rifles he had previously been convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the Circuit Court of Nicholas County in 2013.
Fields faces up to 87 months in prison when sentenced on June 14, 2021.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is handling the prosecution.
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-00128.
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El Paso Tax Preparer Indicted for Underreporting IncomeRead the Press Release
El Paso businessman, 59-year-old Victor Manuel Gonzalez, sole proprietor of the now-closed Tax Preparation Service, allegedly underreported his income on personal tax returns causing a tax loss of over $100,000, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRSCI), Houston Field Office.
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed last week charges Gonzalez with three counts of filing a false federal income tax return. The indictment alleges that Gonzalez filed fraudulent returns for three years. Gonzalez claimed his income was $17,462, $18,450 and $25,328 for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Court testimony today revealed that Gonzalez actually earned over $350,000 during that period. In addition to underreporting his yearly income, Gonzalez applied for and improperly received funds through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). EITC is a refundable tax credit for low to moderate income workers.
Federal authorities arrested Gonzalez on March 3, 2021. During Gonzalez’s detention hearing this morning, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne T. Berton set bond at $25,000.
“Filing a tax return is one of the biggest financial transactions an average American taxpayer makes each year and the tax return preparer industry is at the dawn of a new era of accountability,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Goss. “The indictment of Victor Manuel Gonzalez demonstrates the IRS is taking extra steps this tax season, and planning more actions in future years, to help make sure people can count on their tax return preparer.”
The IRSCI investigated and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Osterberg is prosecuting this case.
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El Paso Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Meth and Assaulting Co-DefendantRead the Press Release
A federal judge in El Paso sentenced 53-year-old Gerardo Paz to 190 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for methamphetamine trafficking and assaulting his co-defendant while in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff; FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada, El Paso Division; and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Kyle Williamson, El Paso Field Office.
“Methamphetamine destroys lives and ruins families. Those that peddle this dangerous, illegal drug in our communities should know that profiteering from death and destruction will not be tolerated. Today’s 190-month sentence should serve as a warning to those that choose to bring this poison into the El Paso community,” said U.S. Attorney Hoff.
On January 2, 2020, Paz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine. According to court records, on June 20, 2019, federal agents witnessed Paz transport and deliver approximately eight kilograms of methamphetamine to the El Paso residence of his co-defendant, Francisco Contreras. On January 4, 2020, Paz confronted and physically assaulted Contreras in the detention holding facility’s visitation area.
On January 15, 2020, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced Contreras to 30 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Contreras earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine.
“With this conviction, FBI and our law enforcement partners are working together to have a positive impact at the local level,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Quesada. “We are sending a strong and unified message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated, and, in turn, we are keeping our communities safer and free from methamphetamine which continues to cause horrific damage in too many of our communities.”
“The sentencing of Gerardo Paz exemplifies DEA’s relentless commitment to keep dangerous drugs and those who traffic them off of our streets,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Williamson. “DEA, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will continue to focus on these drug trafficking organizations that try and spread this kind of poison in our communities.”
These sentences resulted from an investigation by the FBI/DEA Strike Force. The Strike Force is a multi-agency task force established to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. The El Paso Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol assisted with this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers prosecuted this case.
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El Paso Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A federal judge in El Paso sentenced 34-year-old Daniel Leal yesterday to 87 months of imprisonment for cocaine trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff; FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada, El Paso Division; and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Kyle Williamson, El Paso Field Office.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama ordered that Leal be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
On September 22, 2020, Leal pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. According to court records, on April 10, 2020, El Paso Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by David Lightbourn, 46, of El Paso. A canine unit alerted to an odor of narcotics. Officers subsequently discovered approximately eight kilograms of cocaine inside the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the cocaine was being delivered at Leal’s direction.
By pleading guilty, Leal accepted responsibility for the cocaine discovered by authorities on April 10, 2020. Furthermore, Leal accepted responsibility for nine kilograms of cocaine delivered from El Paso to Kansas City, Missouri on March 4, 2020 as well as $219,000 derived from the delivery of the cocaine. El Paso police seized the currency from Lightbourn following a traffic stop on his return trip to El Paso. By pleading guilty, Leal also admitted to buying approximately 18,000 rounds of ammunition intended for illegal exportation into Mexico. That ammunition was seized by FBI in July 2019 as part of an on-going investigation.
Leal has remained in federal custody since his arrest on April 27, 2020.
On January 6, 2021, Lightbourn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. He faces between 10 years to life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Guaderrama.
These sentences resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation called Operation Plumba conducted by the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and El Paso Police Department.
The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Watts prosecuted this case.
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Detroit man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyrone Wyatt-Smith, of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted to a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Wyatt-Smith, also known as “Fetty,” 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone.” Wyatt-Smith admitted to selling Oxycodone in April 2019 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Dayton ‘investigation & security’ business owner sentenced to prison for COVID-relief fraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton woman was sentenced in federal court today to prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.5 million in pandemic relief loans.
Nadine Consuelo Jackson, 32, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for committing wire fraud and making a false statement to a bank related to two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The PPP and EIDL programs provide emergency financial assistance to businesses suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act of 2020 created the PPP and expanded the EIDL Program.
“The Pandemic has brought out the best in people. And, as this case unfortunately demonstrates, it has also brought out the worst in people. Jackson defrauded programs that were meant to keep workers on the job at businesses suffering because of the pandemic,” Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel said. “She lied to steal millions of public dollars for her own pockets at a time when Americans were suffering the effects of public health and economic crises. This office will continue to pursue any fraudulent opportunists like Jackson. Her prison sentence should serve as a warning to anyone else considering this conduct.”
According to court records, Jackson fraudulently sought forgivable PPP loans in the amount of $1.3 million and $1.2 million from financial institutions by claiming to have more than 70 employees earning wages at a Dayton-based private investigation and security services business, Extract LLC. In actuality, there were few or no other employees working at Extract LLC.
On two occasions Jackson listed 73 Extract LLC employees with payroll wages totaling approximately $500,000 on loan application reports. Loans totaling more than $1 million were initially wired to Jackson’s accounts and then flagged. The bank recalled one loan and the Government seized the other.
Jackson also applied for and received $54,000 in EIDL funding from the Small Business Administration. In that loan application, Jackson stated Extract LLC had eight employees. She then wired the funds in five transactions to another account. That money has since been seized by the Government as well.
Four “employees” named on Jackson’s applications were interviewed by agents and stated they did not work for the company. Three of the individuals interviewed stated they had never heard of Extract LLC.
The defendant pleaded guilty in November 2020 to wire fraud and making false statements.
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Sharon Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG); and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth R. Rabe and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate are representing the United States in this case.
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Convicted Felon with Violent Criminal History Faces Ten Years Imprisonment for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A convicted felon with a violent criminal history is facing a maximum ten years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Janorick Antwon Ford, 36, of Milledgeville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Ford faces a maximum ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Ford will be sentenced on June 10, 2021. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with law enforcement in the Milledgeville area and across the Middle District of Georgia to identify violent and repeat felons in illegal possession of guns for federal prosecution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “I want to thank the law enforcement agencies involved in this case for their continued efforts to reduce violent crime in our communities.”
“If convicted violent felons want to continue wreaking havoc in our communities, we have laws to help keep them off the streets,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to an alert Baldwin County Sheriff deputy and our law enforcement partnerships, Ford was charged with a federal felony that will remove him from our community for a long time.”
On February 10, 2020 at 10:20 a.m., Ford was stopped for a routine traffic violation by a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputy. The deputy smelled marijuana and observed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. Following a legal search of the vehicle, which included the seizure of six bags of suspected drugs and digital scales, along with other illegal drug paraphernalia, deputies found a loaded 9mm caliber pistol in the glove compartment. Ford was previously convicted of aggravated assault in Baldwin County Superior Court and possession of cocaine in Hancock County Superior Court. Ford admitted the loaded weapon was his and that it was illegal for him to possess a gun given his felony history.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/archives/projectguardian.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force and the FBI-Macon Field Office. Criminal Chief Michael Solis and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCommon are prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Officer (Contractor), U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Colorado Man Charged with Possessing MethRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Steve Garduno was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for methamphetamine trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The Indictment charges Garduno, age 50 of Strasburg, Colorado, with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on October 28, 2020.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least ten years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $8,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller and Special Assistant United States Attorney/Mercer County Assistant District Attorney Shane T. Crevar are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Greenville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the return of the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 174 Months for CarjackingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Sammie Green, 25, was sentenced to 174 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously pleading guilty to carjacking and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to his plea agreement, Green admitted that, on August 15, 2019, he got into a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, during which a pizza delivery driver arrived. His girlfriend and her children fled from Green and asked the delivery driver to call the police. As the delivery driver called the police, Green fired multiple shots from a handgun. Green then approached the delivery driver, pointed the gun at him, and demanded the keys of his vehicle. When the delivery driver complied, Green fled in the stolen vehicle.
Green pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2020.
Under federal law, Green must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years, following his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Kyle M. Winslow.
Cheraw Man Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years for Transferring Obscene Material to Minor After Multi-State OperationRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Nathan Branham, 40, of Cheraw, was sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor and having his federal supervised release revoked.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Branham, who was on supervised release for a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, coerced a 13-year-old minor in Kentucky to speak with him via video chat and threatened to come to her home if she did not expose herself to him. After she complied, Branham exposed himself to the minor.
“This office will always protect children and will act swiftly to prosecute those who seek to do them harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “I commend the excellent work by the Secret Service and our law enforcement partners in Kentucky and South Carolina. They moved quickly to identify and arrest a repeat offender who was operating across state lines. Our communities are safer because of their work.”
According to evidence presented to the Court, Branham contacted the minor through the online social media application Uplive, a live-streaming platform that allows viewers to broadcast and view real-time videos via their smartphones. Using the screen name Mystic, Branham learned the minor’s age, told the minor he was sixteen years old, and convinced the minor to contact him using the Google Duo video chat application.
As presented to the Court, the minor instantly noticed Branham was an adult male. Although Branham stated that he had a genetic condition that made him look older, the minor ended the call. At that point Branham claimed he could find the minor’s address and threatened the minor into engaging in another call with him. On that call, Branham told the minor to expose herself or he was going to “find out your address and have a little talk to you.” After the minor complied, Branham also exposed himself. The minor reported the matter to her parents. The parents contacted Branham, at which point Branham falsely claimed to be a police officer whose children had initiated the call.
The parents reported the matter to police. The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force immediately initiated a case in conjunction with the United States Secret Service. The ICAC task force program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. The investigation in Kentucky quickly revealed that Branham lived in South Carolina, and within a week he was arrested as part of a joint operation between the Secret Service and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office ICAC task force.
Branham – who has convictions for indecent exposure and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature – admitted to engaging in similar interactions with minors on more than thirty occasions and admitted to having had sexual intercourse with a minor when he was 29 years old. Branham had also been released from federal prison only three months earlier after serving more than eight years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a result of this conduct, his supervised release was also revoked.
Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Branham to 21 months in federal prison for violating his federal supervised release. United States District Court Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Branham to 60 months in federal prison for transferring obscene material to a minor. Judge Lydon ordered that the 60-month sentence run consecutively with the sentence imposed by Judge Wooten, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release, Branham will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office ICAC task force, and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office ICAC task force. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Derek A. Shoemake of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
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Bulgarian National Pleads Guilty to ATM SkimmingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bulgarian national pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to create counterfeit ATM cards and to withdraw money from the bank accounts of unsuspecting customers.
Georgi Kanev, 33, a Bulgarian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2021.
According to court documents, Kanev and a co-conspirator installed skimmers and cameras on two Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank ATMs over a period of approximately four weeks in July and August 2013. The devices allowed the defendants to obtain magnetic strip information from ATM customers as well as obtain their PIN numbers. The information was then used to create counterfeit ATM cards to withdraw funds from the compromised accounts.
The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud provides for a sentence of up to 90 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Edgartown Police Department and the Oak Bluffs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Black Market Money Remitter Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSE MORELY CHOCRON pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to one count of money laundering. CHOCRON laundered more than $500,000 in funds that had been represented to him to be the proceeds of a scheme to bribe Brazilian political officials, using a network and bank accounts to which he had access by virtue of his operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Jose Chocron’s black-market banking was designed to facilitate tax evasion, and was used to facilitate what he thought was the bribery of a foreign official. Unbeknownst to Chocron, the FBI had identified his network and worked quickly to dismantle it. This Office will continue to ensure the integrity of the U.S. financial system by identifying and prosecuting shadow banking operations like Chocron’s.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and other filings in this case:
Between May 2019 and October 2019, CHOCRON, working with his co-conspirators, utilized his network of contacts and bank accounts to launder funds that had been provided to him by individuals who – unbeknownst to CHOCRON – were working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). Those individuals informed CHOCRON that the funds were the proceeds of bribes that had been paid to Brazilian public officials in order to obtain licenses and permits. On four occasions, CHOCRON accepted cash from individuals who were working for the FBI or arranged to have the cash delivered to his associates. He then arranged for the funds to be transferred to bank accounts specified by the FBI, minus a commission payment.
CHOCRON explained that he was able to receive large amounts of cash in the United States and arrange for those funds to be transferred to bank accounts because CHOCRON “ha[d] . . . people here that need cash. They will transfer to you, because they don’t want to pay taxes . . . What do I do? I give them the money and they make a transfer to me.” He also requested a higher commission for his services than initially offered, stating “Let’s be clear, that’s laundering money.”
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CHOCRON, 61, of Spain and Venezuela, pled guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. In connection with his guilty plea, CHOCRON also admitted that he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960.
CHOCRON is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on July 16, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of FBI New York’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transitional Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Adams, Benet J. Kearney, and Sarah Mortazavi are in charge of the case.
Beaver County Man Charged in Two Area RobberiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Koppel, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charges of Hobbs Act Robbery and Bank Robbery, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The two-count Superseding Indictment named Christopher Mangelli, age 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, on or about August 30, 2020, Mangelli robbed a Kwik Fill convenience store, in Western Pennsylvania, against the will of its employees. Mangelli exited the store with $117.00. Additionally, on or about September 11, 2020, Mangelli robbed Huntington Bank in New Brighton, Pennsylvania in the amount of $1,440.00.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cranberry Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baltimore Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for His Participation in a Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Thomas Corey Crosby, age 51, of Woodlawn, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Russell also ordered that Crosby must forfeit $134,499 in cash, which was seized on August 14, 2020.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from at least May 2020 through August 2020, Crosby participated in a conspiracy to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.
Beginning in May 2020, investigators began wiretapping a cell phone known to be used by a co-conspirator, which revealed that the co-conspirator was operating an open-air drug market (commonly called a “drug shop”) that sold cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, in Northwest Baltimore City in the area of Palmer and Spaulding Avenues and that the co-conspirator was communicating with Crosby regarding the drug business. Investigators also obtained authorization to intercept a phone used by Crosby. Investigation revealed that Crosby and the co-conspirator communicated approximately every 7 to 14 days concerning the sale of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl. Crosby and the co-conspirator spoke in code during these calls, but it was clear that they were discussing the distribution of narcotics. After these conversations, Crosby and his co-conspirator would meet at a gas station, located at the intersection of Druid Park Avenue and Liberty Heights in Baltimore, where Crosby supplied the co-conspirator with drugs. Investigators conducted surveillance on several of these meetings and obtained video surveillance from the gas station.
On August 9, 2020, law enforcement executed a vehicle stop on the co-conspirator’s vehicle after Crosby had met the co-conspirator at the gas station, where Crosby was seen placing an item in the center console area of the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered over 100 grams of fentanyl from a bag inside the center console of the vehicle. After this traffic stop, the co-conspirator immediately called Crosby and the pair then met at the same gas station. After this additional meeting, Crosby disposed of his cell phone, which investigators had obtained authorization to intercept and track. Crosby distributed the 100 grams of fentanyl to the co-conspirator.
On August 14, 2020, investigators executed a series of search warrants at locations related to the investigation, including a residence in the 2500 block of Park Heights Terrace in Baltimore, a location used by Crosby to manufacture and store drugs. Inside the residence, investigators recovered fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia and packaging material including: sifters, razor blades, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and cutting agents. Investigators also executed a search warrant at Crosby’s residence, where they recovered $134,499 in cash, which Crosby admitted constituted proceeds from his drug trafficking activities.
Crosby admitted that he distributed over 160 grams of fentanyl during his participation in the conspiracy. Additionally, Crosby acknowledged that he was previously convicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
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Allentown, PA Man Indicted for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Luis Morales was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for cocaine trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The Indictment charges Morales, age 46 of Allentown, Pennsylvania, with possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine on December 10, 2020.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least ten years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $8,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller and Special Assistant United States Attorney/Mercer County Assistant District Attorney Shane T. Crevar are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the return of the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Accused Iraqi gun smuggler arraigned in U.S. District Court in SavannahRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: An Iraqi national has appeared in U.S. District Court in Savannah after his indictment on charges related to the attempted smuggling of firearms to Iraq.
Nihad Al Jaberi, 41, a Clarkston, Ga., resident, is charged with Smuggling, Failure to Notify a Common Carrier, and Submitting False or Misleading Export Information, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The smuggling charge carries upon conviction a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and substantial financial penalties. There is no parole in the federal system.
Al Jaberi, an Iraqi citizen and legal permanent resident of the United States, was arraigned Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher L. Ray. Al Jaberi previously was ordered detained after a hearing in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia.
“The Port of Savannah is exceptionally valuable to the coastal region, and the high volume of traffic presents an ongoing challenge to law enforcement agencies enforcing import-export laws,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Customs and Border Protection officers perform outstanding work in interdicting illegal shipments and maintaining border security.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Al Jaberi is charged with attempting in August 2020 to export three handguns and six .308-caliber long-range rifles in a shipment in which the contents were listed as “71 Pieces of Spare Auto Parts with No License Required.” The firearms, which were discovered disassembled along with used auto parts in a container at the Port of Savannah, had been obtained through straw purchases at various Atlanta-area sporting goods stores.
“This weapons seizure clearly illustrates how closely Customs and Border Protection inspects export manifests and identifies anomalies that could potentially harm others,” said Henry DeBlock, Area Port Director for CBP Savannah.
“Special Agents of The Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement will aggressively investigate and disrupt the illicit smuggling of controlled commodities in violation of U.S. export laws,” said Ariel Joshua Leinwand, acting Special Agent in Charge Miami Field Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement (OEE). “Working cooperatively with our law enforcement partners, OEE Special Agents are committed to preventing firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition from potentially falling into the wrong hands overseas.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard, and by Northern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
A photo introduced as evidence in the detention hearing for Nihad Al Jaberi includes nine firearms from a shipment interdicted in the Port of Savannah and reassembled, along with other firearms removed during a search of the defendant’s residence.
Monday 15 March 2021
Waterloo Woman Sentenced to 33 Months’ Imprisonment for FraudRead the Press Release
A former Waterloo woman, who was employed as a conservation assistant for the Soil and Water Conservation District was sentenced today; to more than 2 years in federal prison.
Leslie Carey, age 44, from Waterloo, received the prison term after a March 13, 2020 guilty plea to wire fraud.
In a plea agreement, Carey admitted that from 2010 until 2017, she defrauded the Black Hawk and Bremer County Soil and Water Divisions and took their money through unauthorized withdrawals, debit card and credit card purchases, store purchases, and disbursements. Defendant admitted she concealed her scheme by transferring funds among accounts, altering financial statements, and submitting false Treasurer reports and minutes.
Carey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Carey was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $430,019.80 in restitution. Carey must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Carey was released after sentencing and is to surrender to the United States Marshal no later than June 7, 2021.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2012.
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Washington State tech executive pleads guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with PPP loansRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Washington tech executive pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his scheme to obtain over $5.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and laundering the proceeds, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington.
Mukund Mohan, 48, of Clyde Hill, Washington, was charged in July 2020. He is scheduled for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on July 20, 2021.
According to the plea agreement and other records filed in the case, Mohan submitted at least eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of six different companies to federally insured financial institutions. In support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan made numerous false and misleading statements about the companies’ respective business operations and payroll expenses.
In support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan submitted fake and altered documents, including fake federal tax filings and altered incorporation documents. For example, Mohan misrepresented to a lender that, in 2019, his company Mahenjo Inc., had dozens of employees and paid millions of dollars in employee wages and payroll taxes. In support of Mahenjo’s loan application, Mohan submitted incorporation documents showing that he incorporated the company in 2018 and filed federal unemployment tax forms for 2019. In truth, Mohan purchased Mahenjo on the Internet in May 2020 and, at the time he purchased the company, it had no employees and no business activity. The incorporation documents he submitted to the lender were altered and the federal tax filings he submitted were fake.
Quick action by federal law enforcement resulted in the seizure of all but just over $16,000 of federal loan funds from Mohan’s accounts.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend the low end of the federal sentencing guidelines range. Both prosecution and defense will recommend that Mohan pay a $100,000 fine in addition to his restitution obligation.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Friedman of the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Village of Airmont Ordered to Cease Enforcement of Zoning Code That Discriminates Against Orthodox Jewish Residents and to Restore Right to Home WorshipRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the entry today of a Consent Order of Preliminary Injunction (the “Injunction”) mandating that the Village of Airmont (“AIRMONT”) immediately cease enforcement of zoning code provisions enacted in 2018 that discriminate against Orthodox Jewish residents in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), as alleged in a lawsuit brought by the United States (the “Government”). Among other things, the zoning code provisions at issue limit the amount of space in private homes that can be used as a Residential Place of Worship (“RPW”), restrict whom residents are allowed to invite into their own homes to pray, and expand the use of an arbitrary, drawn-out application process designed to delay and effectively deny permits for even minor alterations to private houses. After commencing its lawsuit in December 2020, the Government presented evidence that the provisions had been motivated by discriminatory animus and served no legitimate governmental purpose. Following the Government’s submission, AIRMONT agreed to entry of the Injunction.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “The right to Free Exercise of religion is central to the First Amendment, and our multicultural society is only as strong as our willingness to stand up for the rights of religious minorities. We appreciate Airmont’s willingness to agree to cease enforcement of its discriminatory zoning code restrictions pending final resolution of this matter.”
Under the terms of the Injunction entered today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, AIRMONT:
- Must restore RPWs as a recognized land use category permitted as of right in all residential districts and may not enforce contrary provisions of local law enacted in 2018 that removed RPWs as a recognized of-right use from AIRMONT’s zoning code;
- Must restore in full zoning provisions protecting the right to residential worship enacted by order of the District Court in 1996 after a jury found that AIRMONT had engaged in discrimination against Orthodox Jews, which AIRMONT removed from its zoning code in 2018 in violation of the Court-entered final judgment;
- Must ensure that all applications for RPWs that are 1,400 square feet or less in total size are reviewed and approved on an expedited basis without public hearing; and
- May not adjudicate applications for RPWs that are larger than 1,400 square feet under the terms of site development regulations enacted in 2018, which expanded and made mandatory a disproportionately burdensome review process, and may instead only apply regulations that were in effect under an earlier version of AIRMONT’s zoning code enacted in 1997.
RLUIPA authorizes the Department of Justice to commence an action against any local government that implements a land use regulation that places a substantial burden on religious exercise or discriminates on the basis of religion. By its terms, the Injunction will remain in effect until further order of the District Court.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cha-Kim is charge of the case.
Two Men Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with Dangerous Weapon on January 6Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania and West Virginia man were arrested Sunday on criminal charges related to their alleged conspiring to injure officers and assaulting federal officers, among other charges.
According to court documents, Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, were arrested on Sunday in connection with a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., charging them with conspiring to injure officers and assaulting federal officers, among other charges, on Jan. 6. Khater was arrested as he disembarked from an airplane at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Tanios was arrested at his residence in West Virginia.
Khater and Tanios are each charged with one count of conspiracy to injure an officer; three counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; one count of civil disorder; one count of obstructing or impeding an official proceeding; one count of physical violence on restricted grounds, while carrying dangerous weapon and resulting in significant bodily injury; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct, act of physical violence on Capitol grounds.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Khater and Tanios were at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and were observed in video footage working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes. During the investigation, it is alleged that law enforcement discovered video that depicted Khater asking Tanios to “give me that bear s*it.” Tanios replied, “Hold on, hold on, not yet, not yet… it’s still early.” Khater then retrieved a canister from Tanios’ backpack and walked through the crowd to within a few steps of the police perimeter. The video shows Khater with his right arm up high in the air, appearing to be holding a canister in his right hand and aiming it at the officers’ direction while moving his right arm from side to side. The complaint affidavit states that Officers Sicknick, Edwards, and Chapman, who were all standing within a few feet of Khater, each reacted to being sprayed in the face. The officers retreated, bringing their hands to their faces and rushing to find water to wash out their eyes.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Pittsburgh and Newark Field Offices, the United States Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct for purposes of establishing probable cause, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Two Men Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with Dangerous Weapon on January 6Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania and West Virginia man were arrested Sunday on criminal charges related to their alleged conspiring to injure officers and assaulting federal officers, among other charges.
According to court documents, Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, were arrested on Sunday in connection with a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., charging them with conspiring to injure officers and assaulting federal officers, among other charges, on Jan. 6. Khater was arrested as he disembarked from an airplane at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Tanios was arrested at his residence in West Virginia.
Khater and Tanios are each charged with one count of conspiracy to injure an officer; three counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; one count of civil disorder; one count of obstructing or impeding an official proceeding; one count of physical violence on restricted grounds, while carrying dangerous weapon and resulting in significant bodily injury; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct, act of physical violence on Capitol grounds.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Khater and Tanios were at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and were observed in video footage working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes. During the investigation, it is alleged that law enforcement discovered video that depicted Khater asking Tanios to “give me that bear s*it.” Tanios replied, “Hold on, hold on, not yet, not yet… it’s still early.” Khater then retrieved a canister from Tanios’ backpack and walked through the crowd to within a few steps of the police perimeter. The video shows Khater with his right arm up high in the air, appearing to be holding a canister in his right hand and aiming it at the officers’ direction while moving his right arm from side to side. The complaint affidavit states that Officers Sicknick, Edwards, and Chapman, who were all standing within a few feet of Khater, each reacted to being sprayed in the face. The officers retreated, bringing their hands to their faces and rushing to find water to wash out their eyes.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Pittsburgh and Newark Field Offices, the United States Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct for purposes of establishing probable cause, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Tucson man arrested with 20 kilos of cocaine in vehicle chargedRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a one-count indictment on March 11 charging Benjamin Ortiz Ledezma, 38, of Tucson, Arizona, with possession with the intent to distribute approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, on February 21, 2021, a trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 76 in Milton Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, and identified the driver as the defendant. The defendant was unable to produce a driver’s license when asked by the officer. The trooper then requested backup, and a trained canine unit arrived and indicated an odor of narcotics emitting from the rear of the vehicle.
Troopers searched the vehicle and found two brick-shaped objects of suspected cocaine concealed in the rear cargo area. An additional 16 brick-shaped objects of suspected cocaine were found concealed within a spare tire.
In total, officers seized 18 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing approximately 20 gross kilograms.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
Three Former Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Roles in Narcotics Conspiracies and Visa FraudRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that three former deputies with the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office – Carolyn Colter Franklin, 64; Allan Hunter, 52; and Nathaniel Miller Shazier, III, 29 – all from Orangeburg County, were sentenced to multi-year sentences in federal prison for using their positions as law enforcement officers to conspire with who they believed to be members of a Mexican drug cartel. In addition, Franklin and Hunter were sentenced on federal charges of conspiring to obtain fraudulent U-visas for non-immigrants in exchange for bribes.
“These sentences highlight that no one is above the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “Anyone brazen enough to conspire with cartels to commit crimes, especially those placed in public trust, will be met with the full force of the federal government.”
“Those sentenced were trusted by their communities to serve and protect,” said Susan Ferensic, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge. “Instead, while still wearing a badge, they decided to work on behalf of a drug cartel and facilitate the distribution of illegal drugs. Keeping to the FBI’s mission, we aggressively pursued this investigation bringing together dedicated Agents and an array of resources to root out corrupt law enforcement officers who dishonor the profession. The FBI is committed to ensuring law enforcement maintains the trust of the public it serves by never ceasing to pursue the corrupt.”
Evidence presented to the Court showed that, during an undercover operation conducted by the FBI between December 2018 and March 2019, Franklin, Hunter, and Shazier agreed to help protect trucks containing what they believed were drug proceeds derived from narcotics distribution by members of a Mexican drug cartel drug ring. The members were actually undercover FBI agents. Additionally, the three agreed to help protect trucks containing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the future.
Evidence presented in court also showed that, between February 2018 and March 2019, in exchange for bribes, Franklin and Hunter created fraudulent documents for non-immigrants. Specifically, the documents were designed to help the immigrants achieve U non-immigrant status, which, by statute, is reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Franklin to 61 months in federal prison, Hunter to 63 months in federal prison, and Shazier to 46 months in federal prison. Each defendant’s sentence will be followed by 36 months of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Garner and Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews prosecuted the case.
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Three Defendants Charged in Cocaine Importation and Distribution Network in New YorkRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced that ADRIANO RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ, IRONELLYS PAULINO-NOLASCO, and ROBERT NUNEZ were charged in a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court with narcotics importation, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ and PAULINO-NOLASCO were apprehended on March 12, 2021 and will be presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. NUNEZ remains at large.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “This investigation has yielded the seizure of over 120 kilograms of cocaine and over $1 million in suspected proceeds from illegal narcotics trafficking, disrupting the operation of this alleged drug trafficking organization. Thanks to our partners at the DEA, this massive shipment of potentially deadly narcotics has been kept off the streets.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said: “A stakeout turned into a three-day enforcement operation taking six million dollars’ worth of cocaine sales away from alleged drug traffickers while saving lives. Over one hundred kilograms of cocaine is significant in many ways since CDC warned of a 26.5% increase in overdose deaths involving cocaine in a 12- month period ending May 2020. Law enforcement will continue to rally our resources to seize illegal drugs responsible for record-breaking overdose rates.”
As alleged in the Complaint[1]:
Since in or about late 2020, the DEA has been investigating the importation and distribution of narcotics through a produce warehouse in New Jersey called “Sweet Produce” (the “Warehouse”). Cocaine was shipped from a company in the Dominican Republic to the Warehouse. Between March 9, 2021 and March 12, 2021, DEA agents observed members of the conspiracy receive and move shipments from the Warehouse to other locations, including an apartment in the Bronx.
On March 10, 2021, agents seized approximately one kilogram of cocaine from a car driven by NUNEZ. On March 11, 2021, agents seized approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine and $1.3 million in United States currency from the apartment in the Bronx. On March 12, 2021, agents seized approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine from a produce van as it left the Warehouse, and also seized a firearm from the Warehouse. The Produce Van was en route to a safe house in New Jersey that contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine, a cocaine press, and packaging materials.
* * *
ADRIANO RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ, 41, IRONELLYS PAULINO-NOLASCO, 37, and ROBERT NUNEZ, 50, are charged with conspiring to import at least five kilograms of cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ is also charged with possession of a firearm during and in relation to the narcotics importation and trafficking conspiracies, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences described above are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the assigned judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Division the DEA. Ms. Strauss also thanked the El Dorado Task Force of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force New York Strike Force, Financial Investigation Team comprising agents and officers of the DEA, NYPD, Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Fort Lee Police Department, Teaneck Police Department, Hillsdale Police Department, Northvale Police Department, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police, and Closter Police Department for its assistance in the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Danielle M. Kudla and Alexander Li are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation as to the defendants charged in the Complaint.
Tech Executive Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Connection with PPP LoansRead the Press Release
A Washington man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his scheme to obtain over $5.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and laundering the proceeds.
Mukund Mohan, 48, of Clyde Hill, was charged in July 2020. According to the plea agreement and other records filed in the case, Mohan submitted at least eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of six different companies to federally insured financial institutions. In support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan made numerous false and misleading statements about the companies’ respective business operations and payroll expenses.
In support of the fraudulent loan applications, Mohan submitted fake and altered documents, including fake federal tax filings and altered incorporation documents. For example, Mohan misrepresented to a lender that, in 2019, his company Mahenjo Inc. had dozens of employees and paid millions of dollars in employee wages and payroll taxes. In support of Mahenjo’s loan application, Mohan submitted incorporation documents showing that he incorporated the company in 2018 and filed federal unemployment tax forms for 2019. In truth, Mohan purchased Mahenjo on the Internet in May 2020 and, at time he purchased the company, it had no employees and no business activity. The incorporation documents he submitted to the lender were altered and the federal tax filings he submitted were fake.
Quick action by federal law enforcement resulted in the seizure of nearly all of the federal loan funds from Mohan’s accounts. Mohan is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington made the announcement.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Friedman of the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Subsequent Federal Conviction Earns Onslow County Man More Than 19 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Anthony Lemmonds, 53, of Onslow County, was sentenced today, to 235 months imprisonment for: (1) Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute and Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of Methamphetamine; (2) Distribution of Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and (3), Possession With the Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Lemmons pled guilty to these charges on June 9, 2020.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2019, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) obtained information that Anthony Lemmonds was traveling to South Carolina to purchase crystal methamphetamine. The DCSO, operating in conjunction with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), conducted a controlled purchase with Lemmonds utilizing a confidential informant.
On March 30, 2019, utilizing the same confidential informant as the previous day, another controlled purchase was conducted. The confidential informant obtained 86 grams of crystal methamphetamine and during that controlled purchase, Lemmonds informed the confidential informant that he brought back a pound of crystal methamphetamine the week prior.
On April 4, 2019, the confidential informant met with Lemmonds again, this time to obtain three ounces of methamphetamine. Lemmonds advised the confidential informant that he would have to travel to South Carolina again to obtain the methamphetamine. On the return trip from South Carolina on April 5, 2019, Lemmonds was surveilled by law enforcement and a traffic stop was conducted where officers witnessed Lemmonds throwing an item out of the car. Law enforcement recovered the sealed bag containing crystal methamphetamine in the area where Lemmonds threw the items out of the car. Additionally, law enforcement searched his car and found an additional 138 grams of methamphetamine, two digital scales and a ledger. Lemmonds confirmed that the ledger contained records detailing prior drug transactions. Between August 2018 and April 5, 2019, Lemmonds is attributed with trafficking more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Lemmonds prior criminal history includes the following: Possession of Cocaine (2004); Possession of Methamphetamine (2005); Possession of a Firearm by Felon and Possession of Methamphetamine (2017). In 2009, Lemmonds also has a previous federal conviction for Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute More than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine where he received a 91-month sentence.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of large quantities of extremely pure methamphetamine throughout the United States.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office and the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office took part in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-CR-182-FL.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Tanner Kills Enemy, age 22, was indicted on March 9, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Kills Enemy was convicted of Sexual Abuse in October 2020. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between November 4, 2020, and March 12, 2021, Kills Enemy, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Kills Enemy is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Kills Enemy was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Assault and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Willard Henry, Jr., age 40, was indicted on March 11, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, seven years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on February 3, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota, Henry assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with multiple law enforcement officers who were employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and that such conduct involved the use of a firearm.
The charges are merely accusations and Henry is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Henry was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
St. Francis Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Kevin Adam Left Hand Bull, age 31, was indicted on February 8, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 12 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 19, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Left Hand Bull did forcibly assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a law enforcement officer who was employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and that such conduct involved physical contact.
The charge is merely an accusation and Left Hand Bull is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Left Hand Bull was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Shoshone Dairy Farm and Its Owner Sentenced for Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
BOISE – 4 Brothers Dairy, Inc. (4 Bros.) and its owner, Andrew Fitzgerald, 60, of Shoshone, Idaho, were sentenced in U.S. District Court for unlawful discharge of pollutant into a water of the United States, a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. today.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale ordered 4 Bros. to pay a $95,000 fine and ordered Fitzgerald to pay a $35,000 fine. As part of its plea agreement entered in the case, 4 Bros. also agreed to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued under the Clean Water Act by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NPDES permits are designed to control water pollution by regulating point sources, such as large dairies, that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Judge Dale also imposed one year of probation on 4 Bros.
According to court records, 4 Bros. is a dairy and concentrated animal feeding operation operating in Shoshone with at least 1,000 head of cattle. It maintains waste-water lagoons that are adjacent to the Milner-Gooding Canal, which flows to the Malad River and on to the Snake and Columbia Rivers. In the winter season of 2017, record precipitation, record snowpack, and flooding occurred, leading to extreme runoff at the 4 Bros. property. In February 2017, during this period of flooding, 4 Bros. and Fitzgerald negligently caused discharges of manure-laden water into the Milner Gooding Canal at three locations.
Specifically, on February 10, 2017, a catchment area on the east side of the dairy overtopped, inadvertently breached, and discharged snowmelt along with manure into the canal. 4 Bros. and Fitzgerald were aware of the discharge during that time but did not attempt to repair the lagoon until February 23, 2017. 4 Bros. and Fitzgerald admitted that failing to repair the discharge for 14 days was criminally negligent under the circumstances.
Two other discharges occurred between February 19 and February 22, 2017. On the west side of the dairy, 4 Bros. used earth-moving equipment to cut open a berm and lined it with plastic to cause manure-laden wastewater from a lagoon to flow into the canal. At the central portion of the dairy, 4 Bros. mechanically pumped manure-laden wastewater from a wastewater lagoon into the canal. 4 Bros. additionally admitted that these discharges were negligent under the circumstances.
“The United States Attorney’s Office takes seriously any business, corporation, or individual that violates federal environmental laws. Even the negligent discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States is simply unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “The sentence holds the defendants accountable for their actions in violating the Clean Water Act, and our office will continue to work with the EPA and our state and local partner agencies in the State of Idaho to hold offenders of the Clean Water Act accountable,” he concluded.
“The defendants’ conduct led to a serious impact to water quality in the state of Idaho,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in the Northwest. “EPA and the Department of Justice hold accountable companies and individuals that pollute our waterways.”
As part of the plea agreement, 4 Bros. also agreed to commit no further Clean Water Act violations and to provide the EPA and state regulators with full access to 4 Bros.’ operations as well as books and records upon reasonable notice to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commended the cooperative investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Agriculture, and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges.
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Settlement Agent Pleads Guilty to Misappropriating Closing FundsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – The former president of an escrow and title company pleaded guilty today to misappropriating $715,000 of closing funds in connection with 48 real estate transactions for which she served as the settlement agent.
According to court documents, Tammy Hamrin, formerly known as Tammy A. Cheek, 57, of Virginia Beach, was a licensed title and settlement agent and was the president, secretary, and treasurer of Preferred Escrow and Title, Inc. During 48 real estate transactions, Hamrin misappropriated $715,000 of closing funds that had been deposited by various lenders and individual buyers into the company’s escrow account. She did so by making seven unauthorized wire transfers of funds from the escrow account to certain entities at the request of a person with whom Hamrin had an online personal relationship.
During this period, Hamrin partially replenished the funds that she had misappropriated by depositing approximately $199,000 of her own money into the escrow account, resulting in a remaining shortage of approximately $516,000. As a result, all 48 closings were affected. Among others, losses were sustained by sellers, buyers, business entities, financial institutions, various lienholders, municipal clerks of court and treasurer offices, and a title insurance company.
Hamrin pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-2.
Sapulpa Man Admits to Sexually Abusing a ChildRead the Press Release
A Sapulpa man pleaded guilty today in federal court for sexually abusing a 7-year-old child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson
Casey Brandon Peterson, 35, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age.
In a written plea agreement, Casey Peterson stated that one time, between June 2019 and October 2019, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the child. Peterson admitted that he pulled down the victim’s pants and underwear and made sexual contact with the child. He then told the victim not to tell anyone.
Authorities were alerted in February 2020 when the victim saw the defendant again for the first time in several months, started crying and disclosed to a parent the acts that Peterson committed.
Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell set sentencing for June 14, 2021.
The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Gilmore is prosecuting the case.
Rodney Carroll Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison Following Conviction for Distribution of Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on March
15, 2021, United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Rodney Carroll to 30 months in
prison plus 7 years of supervised release following his guilty plea to distribution of cocaine base.Carroll was arrested in connection with the January 14, 2020 search of 77 Business Route
4 in Rutland, Vermont and was charged with two counts of cocaine base distribution. According
to court documents, Carroll, a 41-year-old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident, travelled to
Rutland three times in the November 2019 to January 2020 timeframe to sell cocaine base.Carroll was apprehended as part of a multi-agency law enforcement effort that focused on
drug trafficking in the Rutland area in early 2020. See https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/27-
individuals-charged-or-arrested-part-joint-law-enforcement-effort. The Vermont Drug Task
Force, the Rutland City Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided
investigative assistance in the case against Carroll. The coordinated law enforcement effort
focusing on Rutland, Vermont was conducted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement
Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative
approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and
dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug
trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources
to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. Rodney Carroll
was represented by Steven L. Barth, Esq.Rapper scammer sentenced to prison for faking association with musical group in conspiracy to cheat hotels, studios, limo servicesRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after admitting his participation in a scheme to steal hospitality services by claiming to be part of a famed rap group.
Aaron Barnes-Burpo, 29, of Crestview, Fla., was sentenced to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Barnes also was ordered to pay nearly $300,000 to 19 businesses defrauded in the scheme, and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Barnes-Burpo’s co-defendant, Walker Washington, 52, of Augusta, awaits sentencing in the case after also pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
“For several weeks, these men defrauded multiple businesses by posing as famous musical artists and their retinue,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to an alert hotel clerk, their phony hit parade came to an abrupt halt.”
In court documents and testimony, Barnes-Burpo and Washington admitted that they falsely portrayed themselves as affiliated with the Roc Nation production company and the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan as early as September 2019, and used those fictitious representations along with fraudulent and stolen credit cards to rent luxury limousines and defraud hotels, caterers and production studios of thousands of dollars in goods and services in multiple cities, primarily in the Southeast.
The scam unraveled Nov. 21, 2019, when staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta became suspicious and alerted the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
“Hopefully, some of the businesses that were defrauded by this scam will be able to recoup some of their losses as a result of this sentence,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This is what happens when you seek a fleeting moment of fame at the expense of others. Neither law enforcement nor the community will tolerate it.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI and other state and local authorities, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.
Property developer sentenced to prison for fraudRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Louis Beria has been sentenced to prison for defrauding a company and its elderly owner. The defendant was previously an advisor and property manager of an apartment complex owned by the victim.
“The victim trusted Beria to manage his property but was betrayed when the defendant diverted over $1.6 million for his own benefit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “With elder fraud unfortunately on the rise, it remains a priority for our office.”
“Beria stole the hard-earned money of an investor who trusted him to manage his properties,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No matter how clever the investment scam is, the FBI will find and hold accountable anyone who preys on unsuspecting investors.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: The victim was an elderly, German investor, who began purchasing properties in Northern Georgia several years ago. Louis Beria met the victim and became an advisor and property manager for the victim.
Among other tasks, the victim hired Beria to manage an apartment complex he owned in Atlanta. While managing that apartment complex, Beria himself owned a separate apartment complex in Atlanta. Beria hired a company to do construction work on the complex he owned but used money from the victim’s apartment complex to pay for it. Ultimately, Beria stole $1,621,979 and lied to the victim about how he used this money.
Louis Beria, 64, of Milton, Georgia, was sentenced to four years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,621,979. Beria was convicted on these charges on November 4, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced to 2½ Years for Mid-Level Role in DS44 Gang’s Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on her conviction of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and other drugs, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on Danasia McNeal, age 23, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of the large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to intercept several the subjects’ wire communications, which continued through June of 2019.
Intercepted communications as well as recorded jail calls and visits revealed that McNeal had agreed to operate her boyfriend, codefendant James Givner’s drug trafficking business while he was incarcerated at the Allegheny County jail. McNeal distributed drugs with the assistance of Christopher Highsmith, a high-level participant in the charged drug-trafficking activity. McNeal ultimately accepted responsibility for the distribution of 65 grams of heroin and fentanyl in the Pittsburgh area as a condition of the plea. She is one of 40 individuals charged in the case.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that a 30-month term of imprisonment reflected McNeal’s mid-level role in the conspiracy as well as her lack of criminal history, her earlier employment, and the close and supportive relationship she had with her family.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Parmelee Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
William Henry Horse Looking, age 39, was indicted on March 9, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Horse Looking was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in April 2009. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between September 10, 2020, and March 12, 2021, Horse Looking, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Horse Looking is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Horse Looking was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Palm Desert Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Republican ClubRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Palm Desert man pleaded guilty today to a federal arson charge and admitted that he used a Molotov cocktail in an attempt to destroy the East Valley Republican Women Federated (EVRWF) office in La Quinta.
Carlos Espriu, 23, who has been in custody since his arrest in this case last fall, pleaded guilty this afternoon to one count of attempted arson of a building.
During the early morning hours of May 31, 2020, Espriu broke the front windows of the EVRWF headquarters and repeatedly tossed through the windows a lighted Molotov cocktail made of three bottles he had taped together.
In his plea agreement, Espriu agreed to pay at least $5,426 in restitution to compensate the victim for the damage caused by the firebombing.
Espriu pleaded guilty during a hearing on Zoom before United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 24.
The attempted arson charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and statutory maximum sentence of 20 years.
The investigation in this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This matter is being prosecuted by Sara Milstein of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Owner of Chicago-Area Mexican Restaurant Franchises Pleads Guilty to Underreporting $2.5 Million in Corporate TaxesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owner of five Chicago-area Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant franchises pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing false corporate tax returns that underreported approximately $2.5 million in gross receipts and sales.
JUAN C. HURTADO, 45, of Joliet, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a tax return. The conviction is punishable by up to three years in federal prison. U.S. District John F. Kness set sentencing for June 7, 2021, at 2:30 p.m.
Hurtado owned Pepe’s franchises in Chicago, Tinley Park, Hickory Hills, Matteson, and Chicago Heights. Hurtado admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2018 he caused the filing of eleven materially false corporate tax returns with the IRS, as well as materially false sales and income tax returns with the State of Illinois, that underreported the gross receipts and sales of his restaurants by a combined total of approximately $2.5 million. Hurtado further admitted that he created false sales reports and gave them to his accountants, knowing the reports would be used as a basis for underreporting the receipts and sales.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Tamera D. Cantu, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick D. Young.
Orange Park Man Charged After Mailing Multiple Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (41, Orange Park) with possession of an unregistered machinegun conversion device. If convicted, Ervin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, in January 2021, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received information that Ervin may be selling devices referred to as “auto-sears” on a website called AutoKeyCards.com. Auto-sears are also sometimes referred to as “lightning links.” An auto-sear is a combination of parts designed and intended for converting a weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, with a single trigger pull, and is therefore a machinegun under federal law. All machineguns are required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Agents with ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service purchased multiple items from AutoKeyCards.com consisting of metal cards etched with a design for an auto-sear. The agents paid for the metal cards etched with a design for an auto-sear using postal money orders, which Ervin then deposited into his account at a local credit union. An ATF expert analyzed one of the devices that had been purchased undercover and was able to convert an AR-15 style firearm into a machinegun by cutting out the etching for an auto-sear using a commonly available tool and then inserting the auto-sear into the firearm.
On February 22, 2021, agents surveilled Ervin as he delivered 22 packages to a post office in Orange Park. A Postal Inspector obtained warrants to search the 22 packages and found that each of them contained a metal card etched with an auto-sear design. A Postal Inspector was able to see that Ervin had created labels for more than 1,200 mailings that appeared to contain auto-sear devices.
On March 2, 2021, Ervin was arrested in Columbia County, Florida. Search warrants were executed on Ervin’s vehicle and residence, resulting in the recovery of $3,700 in cash, approximately 1,552 auto-sear devices, machinery that was used to manufacture the auto-sear devices, other firearms, computers, and packaging materials consistent with those Ervin had used to mail packages containing auto-sears. Ervin’s websites have been seized by ATF.
An indictment is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Operators of dietary supplement company intend to plead guilty to failure to register a food manufacturing facility and refusal of an FDA inspectionRead the Press Release
The operators of a dietary supplement manufacturing company in Monroeville and Canton, Ohio, intend to plead guilty in federal court to a Bill of Information filed on Monday, March 15, charging them with failure to register a food manufacturing facility and refusal of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection.
Shaun Cotterill, age 54, of Monroeville, was charged with three counts of failure to allow an FDA inspection; one count of introduction of adulterated food and one count of failure to register a food manufacturing facility.
Michael Sanor, age 61, of North Canton, was charged with one count of introduction of adulterated food and one count of failure to register a food manufacturing facility.
Cotterill and Sanor were members, trustees and operators of Genesis Herb LLC, a dietary manufacturer and distributor located in Monroeville and Canton.
“As alleged in the charges, those who purposely subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA by obstructing inspections are potentially endangering the lives of their customers and the general public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan. “The Department of Justice and our partner agencies will continue to protect the health of the public by ensuring critical regulatory functions, such as this, continue unabated.”
“Federal law requires that dietary supplement manufacturers follow good manufacturing practice to ensure, among other things, that their products contain the labeled ingredients and are not contaminated with harmful or undesirable substances. FDA inspection of these facilities is critical to determining adherence to these regulations and manufacturers who refuse FDA oversight put the public at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice dietary supplement firms that ignore these important safety requirements.”
Court documents state that both Cotterill and Sanor were members, trustees and operators of Genesis Herb Company, LLC, a dietary manufacturer and distributor located in Monroeville and Canton. Cotterill and Sanor also operated Genesis Herb Private Membership Association, a private membership organization with trustees located in the Northern District of Ohio that distributed dietary supplements to its members.
On September 22, 2016, December 13, 2017 and April 18, 2018, investigators with the FDA obtained a Warrant for Administrative Inspection for the Genesis Herb Company manufacturing facility site in Monroeville and Canton. As alleged in the charges, on each occasion, investigators attempted to conduct an inspection at the Monroeville facility and were denied access by Shaun Cotterill.
According to the Bill of Information, Cotterill initially allowed the inspection of storage areas and out-buildings that contained items such as boxes, packaging materials, shipping labels, invoices and more. However, Cotterill allegedly refused to provide access to the areas where the dietary supplements were manufactured and stored on each occasion.
Additionally, Cotterill allegedly refused to provide access to manufacturing records required to be kept regulation governing the operation of Genesis Herb. The Bill of Information states that during each instance, Cotterill was told by an investigator that these refusals would constitute a refusal of inspection. It is alleged that Cotterill claimed he understood, and the inspections were terminated.
According to the Bill of Information and details presented in court proceedings, from September of 2016 through June of 2020, Cotterill and Sanor intend to plead guilty to introducing into interstate commerce dietary supplements manufactured, processed, packed, and held in a factory, warehouse, or establishment that did not meet required manufacturing practices.
In addition, Cotterill and Sanor allegedly failed to renew a registration for Genesis Herb Company as a food manufacturing facility and never registered Genesis Herb Private Membership Association with the FDA as a food facility.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman.
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Operation False Haven: Convicted Child Molester Sentenced for Passport Fraud, Civilly Denaturalized and Judicially Ordered Removed from the United StatesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today in federal court, Saul David Aquino, age 44, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Argentina, residing in Franklin County, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to five years of probation and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine following a guilty plea to passport fraud. Moreover, Aquino was civilly denaturalized as a United States citizen and ordered judicially removed from the United States.
According to an affidavit for a federal search warrant executed on March 4, 2020, Aquino was born in Argentina in 1976, and on August 4, 2003, he was granted permanent resident status in the United States.
On May 28, 2009, in Franklin County, North Carolina, Aquino completed, and submitted, an Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Form N-400 contained a series of questions related to good moral character. Question 15 asked: “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Aquino answered “No” and signed the Form N-400 under penalty of perjury.
On August 26, 2009, Aquino was granted United States citizenship and was issued a naturalization certificate.
On June 8, 2015, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Franklin County, Aquino was convicted of two counts of indecent liberties with a child, in violation of North Carolina General Statute § 14-202.1. Aquino was sentenced to a combined term of imprisonment of between 26 and 32 months and mandated to register as a sex offender. The offense date listed on the judgment was January 1, 2007, before he applied for naturalization.
Additionally, the affidavit stated that on August 26, 2009, in Franklin County, Aquino signed and submitted an application for a U.S. passport to the United States Department of State. As proof of citizenship and eligibility, AQUINO presented his fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation, designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00041-FL, Case No. 5:20-cv-00277-FL, and Case No. 5:20-mj-01224-JG-1.
Norwalk Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that MICHAEL C. MONROE, 48, of Norwalk, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill to one count of tax evasion.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Monroe operates a construction business known as Monroe Construction. From 2008 through 2013, Monroe owed substantial unpaid income taxes and penalties to the IRS. In 2014, the IRS levied the business bank account used by Monroe as the operating account for his construction company. Monroe subsequently closed his business bank account and, between approximately November 2014 and November 2017, evaded payment to the IRS of his preexisting tax obligations by using a check cashing service to cash approximately $1.5 million in customer checks paid to his business. For the 2014 and 2015 tax years, Monroe failed to report to the IRS a total of more than $700,000 that his business generated in gross revenues. In addition to evading payment to the IRS of more than $107,000, he understated the federal income taxes he owed in 2014 and 2015 by approximately $34,000.
Monroe has agreed to pay total back taxes of $141,041.17, plus interest and penalties.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2021, at which time Monroe faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Monroe is released pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Norcross cousins sentenced for operating meth lab near an elementary schoolRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Zury Brito-Arroyo, Bonifacio Brito-Maldonado, and Roberto Arroyo-Garcia have been sentenced to federal prison for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine in a home where a minor child resided and within 1,000 feet of a school. The three men, all of whom had illegally entered the United States from Mexico, utilized a family home in Norcross less than 200 feet from an elementary school to operate a methamphetamine laboratory.
“These men ran a lab churning out volatile and toxic chemicals to produce concentrated methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “In doing so, they were exposing not only members of their own family, including children, an expectant mother, and a grandmother, to serious harm, but also innocent neighbors and school children who were completely unaware of the danger.”
“Methamphetamine production can have devasting consequences that go beyond those associated with taking the drug. One such consequence is the toxic vapor and deadly chemicals produced when it is being made. These chemicals pose extreme danger to anyone in the vicinity. The innocent children in the school next door and even the other family members in the household were placed in danger due to the defendants’ recklessness,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This is a growing threat and HSI and its law enforcement partners are working to identify, arrest, and prosecute those involved in producing and selling this poison.”
“Those who manufacture methamphetamine, because of its toxicity and volatility, pose a grave danger to everyone,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Given that this operational ‘meth’ lab was near a school, the outcome could have been devastating to the school children, staff and to the community at-large. Because of spirited law enforcement cooperation between DEA and its counterparts, these defendants will receive well-deserved time in prison.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: In August 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents investigating a local methamphetamine distributor tracked him to a house in a residential neighborhood they believed was used as part of the drug manufacturing and distribution operation.
As agents were watching the house, Georgia State Patrol, working in conjunction with HSI, stopped defendant Zury Brito-Arroyo as he was driving away from the house. Inside his car, they found $10,000 cash wrapped in green cellophane and a 9mm pistol. Brito-Arroyo’s five-year-old child and wife were also in the car. Agents then searched the stash house and found defendants Roberto Arroyo-Garcia and Bonifacio Brito-Maldonado actively operating a methamphetamine laboratory in a shed in the backyard. Chemical fumes coming from the operation were so strong that one of the men began vomiting. Agents detained the two, but Arroyo-Garcia resisted arrest and fled. He was ultimately found hiding nearby and was arrested. Agents later searched Brito-Arroyo’s cell phone pursuant to a federal search warrant and discovered an app that monitored security cameras mounted at the house.
Agents seized over 10.7 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine from the shed and inside the house, some of which was over 90% pure, plus additional methamphetamine in liquid form that had not been fully processed into solid form for distribution. They also seized an additional 9mm pistol, $8,500 cash, and other methamphetamine trafficking paraphernalia including respirators, rubber gloves, and digital scales.
The DEA Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team responded to the scene to remove the dangerous chemicals. Agents also found children’s clothes inside the house, and later confirmed that a ten-year-old child, who was related to the defendants, lived there.
With assistance from the Sandy Springs Police Department, agents also searched another residence used by Brito-Arroyo, where they discovered a plastic bin with methamphetamine residue, another 9mm pistol, an electronic money counter, and four bundles of cash totaling $41,000 wrapped in green cellophane.
- Roberto Arroyo-Garcia, 39, of Guerrero, Mexico, who was previously deported on two separate occasions following prior drug convictions, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Arroyo-Garcia was convicted on these charges on October 23, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Zury Brito-Arroyo, 28, of Guerrero, Mexico, was sentenced on February 25, 2020, to 21 years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Brito-Arroyo was convicted on these charges on October 17, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Bonifacio Brito-Maldonado, 24, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced on October 19, 2020, to 19 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Brito-Maldonado was convicted on these charges on October 17, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Sandy Springs Police Department are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, and Ryan M. Christian prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Atlanta Strike Force is to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute the highest-level members of international drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations that have operations in metro Atlanta and throughout the United States.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.- Roberto Arroyo-Garcia, 39, of Guerrero, Mexico, who was previously deported on two separate occasions following prior drug convictions, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Arroyo-Garcia was convicted on these charges on October 23, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
Navajo man charged with murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jameson Begaye, 41, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance on March 12 in federal court, charged with murder committed in Indian Country. Begaye will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 16.
According to a criminal complaint, on March 7, Begaye allegedly shot and killed a victim, identified in court records as John Doe, following an altercation at a residence near Shiprock on the Navajo Nation. On March 8, investigators located Begaye, who was arrested after a law enforcement pursuit. During the pursuit, Begaye allegedly threw a handgun from his vehicle. Investigators later retrieved the handgun and found a rifle and unspent rounds of ammunition inside the vehicle.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Begaye faces up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.
Monongalia County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Alexander Martin, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 50 months of incarceration for a drug charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Martin, 33, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin” in November 2020. Martin admitted to having heroin in November 2019 in Monongalia County.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Mission Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Moses Left Hand Bull, age 29, was indicted on October 14, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Left Hand Bull was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in August 2009. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between June 8, 2020, and October 14, 2020, Left Hand Bull, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and Left Hand Bull is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Left Hand Bull was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Mexican National with Prior Felonies Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national with an immigration history of prior removals and felony convictions pleaded guilty today in federal court to illegally reentering the U.S., Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, on October 2, 2020, Galdino Velasco-Santiago, aka Galdino Chavez-Santiago, 40, was arrested on state criminal charges after a car he was operating went off the road in Augusta and was damaged. He had been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times previously. Immigration authorities determined that he had also been prosecuted in federal courts in Arizona, Florida, and California for prior illegal reentry felony offenses.
Velasco-Santiago faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Augusta Police Department investigated the case.
Martinsburg man admits to role in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephon Robert Christian, of Martinsburg West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Christian, 26, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Eutylone.” Christian admitted to having Eutylone in April 2020 in Berkeley County.Christian faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/west-virginia-and-virginia-residents-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-berkeley-and