Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 1 March 2021
Jury Convicts Madison Man of Sex Trafficking MinorsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James Coney, 32, Madison, Wisconsin, was found guilty today of 10 counts related to sex trafficking of minors. The jury reached its verdict after five hours of deliberation following four days of testimony in U.S. District Court in Madison.
Coney was found guilty of 4 counts of sex trafficking a minor, 1 count of sex trafficking a minor by force, 1 count of attempted sex trafficking a minor, and 4 counts of transporting a minor from Wisconsin to Illinois for the purpose of prostitution.
The jury found that from May 2017 to March 2018, Coney trafficked five minors, attempted to traffic a sixth minor, and transported three minors from Wisconsin to Illinois where they engaged in prostitution. Coney transported one of the minors on two separate days. The evidence presented at trial showed that Coney used Backpage ads to arrange “dates” for the minor victims, collected the money, and instructed the minors on what to do. All six of the minor victims testified at the trial. Numerous witnesses testified that Coney was physically and verbally abusive to the minor victim who was with Coney the longest, from May 2017 to March 2018.
The investigation of Coney began when one of the minor victims was reported missing by her mother to the Fitchburg Police Department. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children publicized the minor’s disappearance, and she ultimately was recovered in Chicago where she had been with Coney.
Coney faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
The charges against Coney are the result of an investigation by the Fitchburg Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chicago, Lake Delton, Janesville, and Madison Police Departments; and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Pfluger and Taylor Kraus are handling the prosecution.
Jacksonville Couple Charged with Conspiracy to Sex Traffic A Child and Other Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Samuel Christopher Templeman (46, Jacksonville) and Deborah Lynn Templeman (50, Jacksonville), a married couple, with conspiring to sex traffic a child. Samuel Templeman is also charged with sex trafficking a child, and Deborah Templeman is charged with possessing child sex abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Samuel Templeman faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to two life terms, in federal prison. Deborah Templeman faces up to life in federal prison.
According to the
indictment , beginning at least by November 2019 and continuing through December 11, 2019, Samuel and Deborah Templeman conspired to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize, and solicit a female child (Minor Victim 1), knowing that Minor Victim 1 was under the age of 18 and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. During the same time period, Samuel Templeman knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, and maintained Minor Victim 1, knowing that she was under the age of 18 and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.The indictment also charges that on December 7, 2019, Deborah Templeman possessed a cellphone containing a video depicting a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
An indictment is merely a formal 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 Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
INTERPOL Washington Assists the Republic of Maldives in Enhancing its Border Security Capabilities.Read the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—has partnered with the U.S. Department of State to significantly increase the capacity of The Republic of Maldives to screen against the illicit international travel of transnational criminals and terrorists. Under the State Department funded Project TERMINUS, on February 26, 2021, the Maldives Government implemented an automated system for uploading its stolen and lost travel documents into INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database, a searchable repository containing more than 100 million records that can be queried by law enforcement and border security authorities in all 194 INTERPOL member countries. This automation was made possible by hardware and software built, provided and installed remotely by the USNCB.
The SLTD Uploader software solution is a USNCB custom design which allows both the Maldives Immigration Service and the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Malé, to connect directly to INTERPOL’s SLTD database.
This accomplishment is the culmination of more than three months of active collaboration between the USNCB, the State Department, INTERPOL, and the Government of Maldives, all of which was conducted virtually.
“INTERPOL Washington is pleased to continue our partnership with the U.S. Department of State to develop and deploy the advanced tools and technology that can assist law enforcement partners worldwide in the fight against transnational crime and terrorism. The assistance being provided through Project TERMINUS contributes to both the individual and collective ability of all INTERPOL member countries, including the United States, to more effectively secure their borders against these transnational threats” said Acting Director Michael Hughes.
Established in 2018, Project TERMINUS is a partnership between the USNCB’s Border Security Division and the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. This mission of Project TERMINUS is to extend INTERPOL's I-24/7 secure, global police-to-police communications system in high risk areas and select host nations globally.
In addition to The Maldives, Partner Nations currently receiving assistance under Project TERMINUS include Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nigeria.
_____________________________________________________________________
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, the USNCB is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, the USNCB serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug Crime and Violation of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that Derrick Pritchett, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced to a total of 36 months in prison for his conviction for a drug offense and a violation of supervised release. Pritchett previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana.
Pritchett admitted that on December 5, 2019, Troopers with the West Virginia State Police searched his vehicle located on Artisan Avenue in Huntington. Troopers located approximately 17 grams of heroin and 56 grams of marijuana. Pritchett was on supervised release when he committed the drug offense. Pritchett was sentenced to 21 months in prison for the drug offense. In a separate proceeding, Pritchett was sentenced to 15 months in prison for violating his supervised release. The sentences were ordered to run consecutive to one another for a total of 36 months in prison.
The West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled 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. 3:20-cr-00034.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that Trent S. Davis, 30, of Huntington, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Davis will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
Davis previously admitted that on April 27, 2020, he arranged with a person he believed to be the parent to two minor females, ages 12 and 14, to travel from his job in Eleanor, Putnam County, West Virginia, to Ashland, Kentucky, in order to engage in sexual activity with both minor girls. On the way to the meeting location, Davis stopped to purchase condoms to use during the sexual activity. Davis was arrested when he arrived at the meeting location in Ashland, Kentucky. A subsequent search of his cell phone revealed numerous images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, including videos depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers and images and videos depicting sadistic conduct. A search of Davis’s residence located additional computer equipment that also contained child sexual abuse materials.
The Ashland (Kentucky) Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled 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. 3:20-cr-00072.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Huntington Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Gregory Scott Broce, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.
Broce previously pled guilty and admitted that on July 6, 2019, he was driving a vehicle near 11th Avenue and 22nd Street in Huntington when a West Virginia State Police trooper pulled him over due to a report of the vehicle being stolen. Upon a search of the vehicle, the trooper found multiple baggies containing approximately 10.7 grams of crack cocaine and 3.4 grams of heroin. Digital scales and multiple empty baggies were located on Broce’s person.
The West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handled 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. 3:20-cr-00020.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Huntington Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that Kelly Ray Ingels, Sr., 46, of Huntington, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Ingels also was sentenced to 12 months in prison for the sale of a firearm to a juvenile, which is to run concurrently with his 21 month sentence.
Ingels previously pled guilty and admitted that on May 20, 2020, he sold a firearm to a juvenile for cash and marijuana over Facebook Messenger. Due to a subsequent investigation involving the firearm, officers obtained a search warrant for Ingels’ residence at 920 ½ 23rd Street in Huntington. In the residence officers located approximately 11 grams of methamphetamine as well as digital scales. In a Mirandized interview, Ingels admitted to possessing the methamphetamine to sell it, admitted he was addicted to methamphetamine at the time he possessed the gun, and admitted to selling the gun to the juvenile.
The Huntington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe handled 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. 3:20-cr-00140.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced that Seneca Smith, 36, of Huntington, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
Smith admitted that on January 12, 2021, members of the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at his residence at 406 Bridge Street, Apartment 32, in Huntington. Officers seized approximately 206 grams of heroin, 62 grams of cocaine, four sets of digital scales, and a drug press. Smith admitted he intended to sell the heroin and cocaine.
Smith faces up to twenty years in prison when sentenced on June 1, 2021.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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. 3:21-cr-00004.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Hudson Woman Sentenced to 15 Months for Tampering with Consumer Products and Unlawfully Obtaining Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Kristina Coleman, 40, of Hudson, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in federal prison for tampering with consumer products and unlawfully obtaining controlled substances, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Coleman worked as a pharmacy technician for a retail pharmacy chain in Nashua. In January 2019, she agreed to deliver two prescriptions to an elderly patient, which was not part of her ordinary job responsibilities. After the delivery, the patient checked her bottles and discovered several pills were missing from her oxycodone prescription. Further, some of the pills in the bottle were larger and had a different imprint than the others, and were later determined to be baclofen, a non-scheduled drug indicated as a muscle relaxant and anti-spasmodic agent. Coleman admitted to law enforcement officers that she replaced some of the oxycodone in the prescription bottle with the baclofen and gave the stolen oxycodone to a friend to sell, for which she received $80.
Additional investigation revealed that Coleman had been stealing Suboxone from the pharmacy for her personal use. Coleman admitted that she had stolen a strip a day for approximately one year.
Coleman previously pleaded guilty on October 20, 2020.
“Drug diversion and tampering with consumer products are serious crimes that can endanger the lives of patients,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “When criminals steal controlled substances and replace them with other drugs, patients are deprived of needed medicine and could face other serious medical risks. In order to protect the health and safety of our citizens, we take crimes like this seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute health care workers who steal drugs from innocent victims.”
“Those who knowingly tamper with and steal medicines risk harming patients by depriving them of their prescribed therapies,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey J. Ebersole, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice healthcare professionals and others who take advantage of their position and compromise patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
###
Holyoke Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute More than One Kilogram of Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke businessmen pleaded guilty on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 to participating in a cocaine and heroin conspiracy.
Javier Gonzalez, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Mark. G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing June 25, 2021.
Gonzalez admitted that from 2011 to March 25, 2014, he conspired with others to obtain large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Texas, transport the drugs to Holyoke and distribute them in western Massachusetts. On March 25, 2014, law enforcement officers seized approximately $1.17 million in cash secreted in a hidden compartment inside a tractor trailer being driven by Gonzalez to Texas as payment for kilograms of heroin and cocaine. In addition, the agents seized 14 kilograms of heroin and 42 kilograms of cocaine in Texas that was destined to be distributed by Gonzalez in western Massachusetts.
Gonzalez faces a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt; and Easthampton Police Chief Robert Alberti made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches in Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
High-Speed Chase Results in Federal Firearms SentenceRead the Press Release
A Cedar Falls, Iowa, man who led Waterloo police officers on a high-speed chase on March 6, 2020, was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.
Rocky Truax, age 34, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 1, 2020 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the plea and in the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Truax was involved in a traffic stop on December 11, 2019, which resulted in the seizure of a handgun with a partially obliterated serial number, and a quantity of methamphetamine. On March 6, 2020, Truax led Waterloo police officers on a high-speed chase on Highway 218 in which he reached speeds of 80-mph in a 45-mph zone while driving on the wrong side of a divided highway. The chase ended when Truax crashed his car. A subsequent search of Truax’s home resulted in the seizure of another firearm and stolen property.
Truax was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Truax was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Truax is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2030.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Gary Man Sentenced to 228 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Yahtzee Harris, 42, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 228 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 280 grams of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Gary T. Bell.
According to documents in the case, between July of 2015 and November of 2016, Harris participated in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the Glen Park neighborhood of Gary, Indiana. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Harris cooked cocaine into crack and worked with numerous other individuals to distribute it from multiple residences. During a search of his Gary residence, law enforcement recovered a firearm and packaged crack intended for distribution. Harris has prior felony convictions for distribution of crack cocaine, pointing a firearm, and possession of a firearm as felon.
To date, eighteen other charged members of the conspiracy have been convicted of drug-related offenses in this case.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Response Investigative Team with the assistance of the Gary, Hobart, and Lake County Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas R. Mahoney and Alexandra McTague.
###
G. Norman Acker, III to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – G. Norman Acker, III has begun serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, following the departure of U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. on February 27, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Acker has served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for more than thirty years. During his tenure he has litigated numerous civil and criminal cases in United States District Court as well as in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He was the Deputy Civil Chief and the Civil Chief for a total of 18 years, and for the last 3 years has served as the First Assistant United States Attorney, supervising the work of the Civil, Criminal and Appellate Divisions.
“It is an honor and a privilege to represent the people of the United States in Federal Court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Acker. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has worked closely with Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies over the past several years to protect the citizens of the Eastern District of North Carolina, and I pledge to do my best to continue this important work.”
While working as an AUSA, Mr. Acker’s primary focus of litigation was pursuing individuals and corporations who committed fraud against the United States. He was the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator and the Health Care Fraud Coordinator for the office. He handled “white collar” cases involving contract fraud against the military, health care fraud against the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as many other types of fraud against the government.
During his tenure as an AUSA, he has received numerous awards, including the Commander’s Award for Public Service, the Army’s highest civilian medal, in appreciation for judgments and settlements totaling several million dollars, and the Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Integrity Award for a criminal prosecution that resulted in a related civil settlement of more than $23 million. In addition, Mr. Acker was the lead attorney in two month-long trials against Tuomey Hospital for Medicare fraud that resulted in a judgment for $237 million against the hospital.
Mr. Acker has served as the Professional Responsibility Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for many years, and he also served for several years on the North Carolina State Bar Ethics Committee.
Mr. Acker was born and raised in Raleigh and is a lifelong resident of the Research Triangle area. He received both his undergraduate degree and his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been married for 37 years and has three grown children and four grandchildren.
Former Onondaga County Postal Carrier Sentenced for Obstructing the MailRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Priscilla Czyz, age 37, of Cato, New York, was sentenced today to 6 months of probation for obstructing the mail, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office.
In pleading guilty to the charge for which she was sentenced, Czyz admitted that between September 24, 2020, and October 7, 2020, she willfully failed to deliver mail entrusted to her by the United States Postal Service. Specifically, Czyz failed to deliver 354 pieces of political advertising mail to customers on her route in Onondaga County. Instead of delivering the mail, Czyz took it home, where law enforcement agents found it nearly two weeks later sitting in the rain on top of a dog crate in Czyz’s front yard. The mail was seized by the agents and later delivered by the Postal Service to the intended recipients. Prior to this offense, Czyz had been working as a postal carrier since approximately 2013. Czyz’s attorney informed the court prior to sentencing that Czyz lost her job at the Postal Service because of this conduct. As part of her sentence, Czyz was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service while on Probation.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Metro Employee of Trust Bank Pleads Guilty to $2.3 Million Embezzlement and Signing a False Federal Income Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, JORDAN GLEN YOUNG, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and signing a false federal income tax return, in connection with a $2.3 million embezzlement from an Oklahoma City trust bank, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 21, 2020, Young was charged by Information with one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false federal income tax return. From 2006 through March 2020, Young worked at an Oklahoma City trust bank as a Trust Administrative Officer. Young oversaw trust accounts and distributed funds from those accounts to the beneficiaries as needed.
On February 22, 2021, Young pleaded guilty to making an unauthorized distribution, in the amount of $60,706.53, to his personal checking account from a trust account he was managing in October 2018. As part of his plea, Young admitted that he embezzled funds from his former employer from December 2015 through March 2020, and stipulated that the total loss to the trust bank from his embezzlement scheme was $2,323,036.91.
In addition to wire fraud, Young also pleaded guilty to signing a false federal income tax return. He admitted that on April 15, 2019, he signed a personal federal income tax return for the 2018 calendar year that he knew was false because it reported only $114,439 in total income. At the plea hearing, Young admitted that he omitted on the 2018 tax return thousands of dollars of embezzled income from the trust bank.
At sentencing, Young faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud count, plus three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Young also faces up to three years in federal prison on the tax count, in addition to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, Young agreed to pay restitution to the trust bank in the amount of $2,323,036.91, and he agreed to pay restitution for tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $500,822. Young will be sentenced in approximately 90 days.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bow Bottomly and Chris M. Stephens.
Reference is made to the information and other public filings for further information.
Former Eugene Elementary School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing 15-Year-OldRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A former Eugene elementary school teacher was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually abusing a minor female, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.
William Hamann, 38, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison and ten years supervised release. Hamman was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim.
According to court documents, on several occasions beginning in 2018 and continuing until July 2019, Hamann paid a minor female for oral sex and recorded the minor performing the sex acts. The minor female was 15 years old during the first encounter with Hamman. Eugene Police Department detectives and FBI agents arrested Hamann on July 26, 2019, when he came to meet the minor a fourth time. Agents searched his mobile phone and found a recording of one of the sex acts. Hamman used social media to arrange the meetings with the minor.
A search of Hamman’s residence and digital devices revealed that he had previously approached several other females online who said they were minors. Investigators uncovered evidence that Hamman had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them even after they said they were underage.
On August 21, 2019, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Hamann with sexual exploitation and trafficking of a child, possession of child pornography, and attempted sex trafficking of a child. On January 19, 2021, he pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Eugene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Katherine Green, Lane County Deputy District Attorney.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Forest Service Employee Arrested on Indictment Alleging He Accepted Bribes, Kickbacks for Approving No-Bid Auto Repair WorkRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A United States Forest Service employee was arrested this morning on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with illegally directing nearly $900,000 in no-bid Forest Service vehicle repair and maintenance work to a San Bernardino County auto body repair shop that illicitly paid him more than $360,000 in bribes and kickbacks.
Francisco Isaias, 38, of San Bernardino, surrendered this morning to authorities and is expected to be arraigned this afternoon on seven counts of honest services wire fraud and 12 counts of conflict of interest.
A second defendant in this case – Joaquin Perez, 44, of Rancho Cucamonga, the operator of JP’s Collision and Auto Body Center, Inc., a Bloomington-based car repair shop – was arrested on February 25. Both Perez and JP’s Auto have been charged in this case with seven counts of honest services wire fraud. Federal prosecutors have issued a summons for JP’s Auto, the corporate defendant.
According to the indictment returned on Wednesday, the defendants executed a scheme to defraud the United States Forest Service of its right to the honest performance of Isaias’ duties as the agency’s fleet maintenance inspector. As part of his job duties, Isaias selected the businesses that would maintain and repair Forest Service vehicles, and approved specific expenditures related to the vehicles.
From June 2013 to March 2017, in exchange for bribes and kickbacks, Isaias allegedly provided favorable official action on the Forest Service’s behalf to Perez and JP’s Auto by steering Forest Service vehicle maintenance and repair work to them.
The defendants allegedly circumvented federal regulations requiring maintenance or repair services costing more than $2,500 to be arranged and bid under federal contracting procedures. In furtherance of the scheme, Isaias failed to create written work orders before awarding work to JP’s Auto, while Perez and JP’s Auto submitted multiple charges, each less than $2,500, to the Forest Service for auto repair and maintenance, according to the indictment.
From June 2014 to November 2016, the Forest Service paid JP’s Auto $898,528, with Isaias personally approving the vast majority of the payments, the indictment alleges. In exchange, Perez and JP’s Auto allegedly paid more than $360,000 in bribes and kickbacks to Isaias. From September 2015 to February 2017, Perez and JP’s Auto paid $49,866 to Isaias’ fictitious company, SIK Parts. Also, during a 10-week span in late 2016 and early 2017, Perez caused JP’s Auto to finance the purchase of $313,947 worth of tractor trucks and trailers on behalf of Isaias’ trucking business.
The Forest Service placed Isaias on suspension in 2017.
At his arraignment on February 25, Perez pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stand trial on April 20.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each charge of honest services wire fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while each charge of conflict of interest carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the United States Forest Service and the FBI.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean D. Peterson of the Riverside Branch Office.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph “Joe” Murphy appointed Acting United States Attorney, Western District of TennesseeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Effective March 1, 2021, First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., will succeed former United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act.
Murphy, a graduate of Lambuth College and the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Memphis office since 1989. He was named as the office’s First Assistant U.S. Attorney in July of 2018. Prior to being named First Assistant, Murphy served as the office’s Criminal Chief beginning in 2011. In that role he supervised 28 Assistant U.S. Attorneys who investigated and prosecuted criminal cases in the Memphis office and 10 support staff. He also served as Chief of the office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force for three years before being named Criminal Chief. Between 1991 and 2007, Murphy served as a line assistant in both the office’s criminal division and drug task force.
During his career with the Justice Department, Murphy has tried approximately 125 felony cases to verdict in U.S. District Court. These cases included prosecutions of health care professionals for illegally distributing controlled substances; mail and wire fraud cases; and theft cases involving pension funds and interstate shipments. Murphy has also represented the government in over 200 cases litigated before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and he has argued approximately 48 cases before that court.
A Memphis resident, Murphy has been married to Sandy Murphy for 32 years and has two adult children. Active in community and legal affairs, he is a member of the Leo Bearman, Sr. Inn of the American Inns of Court and a Fellow of the Memphis Bar Foundation and has served as a volunteer with the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
###
Federal Jury Convicts Last Two Defendants in Prescription Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury today convicted two defendants in a long-running investigation into a prescription drug billing scheme involving a Haleyville, Ala.-based pharmacy, Northside Pharmacy doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce, United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division Adrian Gonzalez, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Thornton.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Jessica Linton, 37, of Clearwater, Florida, the manager of the billing team at Global, and John Gladden, 50, of Tallahassee, Florida, a district manager supervising sales representatives at Global, after five days of testimony before Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler. Linton was convicted on one count of conspiracy, thirteen counts of health care fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Gladden was convicted on one count of conspiracy, six counts of health care fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“Today’s convictions brought closure to a long-running illegal prescription drug billing scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “These convictions add to the number of defendants who have previously pleaded guilty. Thank you to the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts in bringing these defendants to justice. We especially want to thank the jury for their time and service.”
Linton and Gladden participated in a scheme to cause the pharmacy they worked at to bill for medically unnecessary prescription drugs. Linton served as the person in charge of billing for the drugs Global made, marketed, and sold; Gladden served as a district manager who supervised a team of sales reps. The scheme involved directing employees to get medically unnecessary drugs for themselves, family members, and friends, altering prescriptions to add non-prescribed drugs, automatically refilling prescriptions regardless of patient need, routinely waiving and discounting co-pays to induce patients to obtain and retain medically unnecessary drugs, and billing for drugs without patients’ knowledge. When prescription drug administrators attempted to police this conduct, conspirators evaded and obstructed those efforts, including by providing false information in response to audits and diverting their billing through affiliated pharmacies. The scheme targeted multiple health insurance plans, including the pharmacy’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama plan, as well as plans providing health insurance to the elderly, disabled, members of the military, and veterans—Medicare, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA, among others.
Evidence showed that the scheme resulted in pharmacy benefit managers’ paying Global nearly $50 million in claims in just a two-year period. During this period, prescribers who were either paid cash to write prescriptions or whose spouses were employed as sales reps by Global wrote over $13.3 million in Global prescriptions. In addition, Global was paid over $8.4 million for prescriptions obtained by Global employees. For instance, in August 2014, a provider, who was paid cash to write Global prescriptions, wrote a prescription for over one pound of compound cream indicated to treat yeast, ring worm, athlete’s foot, or fungus for a Global employee who was not that prescriber’s patient. Global was paid over $30,000 for that tube of cream. The provider and employee pleaded guilty prior to trial.
The maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit health care and mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is an additional two years in prison.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward, Edward Canter, and Don Long prosecuted the case. The Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division aided in the investigation.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Zwolle Woman with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned a 25-count indictment charging Melissa H. Sepulvado, 58, of Zwolle, Louisiana, with committing wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that Sepulvado and her husband were both employed by Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”) at the company’s mill located in Zwolle, Louisiana. Sepulvado was employed as a Senior Support Specialist and her husband was employed as an hourly worker. Her primary duties were to review and approve payroll entries for the hourly workers at the Weyerhaeuser’s Zwolle mill through its internet based electronic payroll system.
It is alleged in the indictment that from November 2014 through April 2017, Sepulvado devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Weyerhaeuser using interstate wire communications, including the transmission of electronic payroll information. Sepulvado regularly entered fraudulent vacation hours on her husband’s time sheet and submitted electronic pay requests for those hours by means of an interstate wire communication in interstate commerce. Although her husband was eligible to receive 200 hours of paid vacation time each calendar year, Sepulvado entered and approved over 4,000 hours of paid vacation time for her husband for the calendar year 2016 alone. Sepulvado took steps to conceal the fraudulent pay requests by backdating the paid vacation hours to completed pay periods.
The indictment further alleges that these fraudulent pay requests submitted by Sepulvado caused Weyerhaeuser to pay over $145,000 in unearned wages to her husband, which unearned wages were taken and controlled by Sepulvado.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI is conducting the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Federal Correctional Officer Indicted and Arrested for Introducing Contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, PRRead the Press Release
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Arcadia Zorrilla Hernández, Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, PR, was indicted and arrested for providing contraband in prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow. The FBI is in charge of the investigation in collaboration with the Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG).
Zorrilla Hernández is facing two counts for providing contraband in prison, and one count for making false statements. According to the indictment, in or about May 2019, to in or about June 2019, Zorrilla Hernández knowingly and intentionally provided and attempted to provide a cellular telephone and Suboxone, a narcotic drug, to an inmate housed at MDC.
The indictment further alleges that, in August 14, 2019, Zorrilla Hernández agreed to an interview with special agents from the FBI and DOJ-OIG, and willfully and knowingly provided false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements to the agents. Zorrilla Hernández told the agents that she had not spoken and communicated with the family members of the inmate while the inmate was in custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The statements and representations were false because, as the defendant then and there knew, she did speak and communicate, and had spoken and communicated, with the family members of the inmate while he was in custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“The defendant was supposed to provide supervision of inmates and enforce the rules and regulations governing MDC and the inmates’ conduct. Instead, she violated federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will not tolerate this type of misconduct, and will prosecute these offenses to the full extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by the FBI with the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Christine Amy.
The maximum penalties for these offenses are: 20 years for providing contraband to inmates, and up to five years in prison for lying to federal agents. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
Fca US LLC Pleads Guilty to Making Illegal Payments to Uaw OfficialsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – FCA US LLC (FCA, a/k/a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), one of the big three American automobile manufacturers, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act, by making illegal payments to officers of the United Auto Workers union, Acting United States Attorney Saima S. Mohsin announced today.
FCA is the American operating subsidiary of Stellantis, and it is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Today, a representative of FCA appeared in a virtual court hearing before United States District Judge Paul D. Borman and admitted that the company had conspired with other entities and individuals to violate the Taft-Hartley Act by making more than $3.5 million in illegal payments to officers of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) during the period 2009 through 2016. During the conspiracy, executives of FCA, including Alphons Iacobelli, Jerome Durden, and others, engineered the illegal payments to senior officials of the UAW. During the conspiracy from 2009 through June 2015, Iacobelli was the Senior Vice President of FCA US LLC in charge of labor relations.
The illegal payments to UAW officials took various forms, including extravagant meals, rounds of golf, lavish parties for the UAW International Executive Board, an Italian-made shotgun, clothing, designer shoes, and other personal items paid for with credit cards issued by the joint training center. FCA executives also paid off the $262,000 home mortgage of former UAW Vice President General Holiefield. Holiefield and his widow also received hundreds of thousands of dollars directed through Holiefield’s purported charitable organization, as well as companies controlled by him which had contracts with the training center. The illegal payments were passed through the UAW-Chrysler Skill Development & Training Program d/b/a the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center (NTC). Ostensibly, the NTC was supposed to provide training and health and safety protections for FCA workers. The UAW officials who accepted illegal payments included former UAW Vice Presidents Holiefield and Norwood Jewell, Holiefield’s widow, Monica Morgan, and senior UAW officials, Virdell King, Keith Mickens, and Nancy Johnson. Morgan and all of the UAW officials, except for Holiefield, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept the illegal payments from FCA or tax charges. Holiefield died in 2014.
During the hearing, the United States and FCA presented their Rule 11 Plea Agreement to the Court. Under the terms of the agreement, FCA has agreed to pay a fine of $30 million, which represents a figure triple the base fine amount provided for the offense by the United States Sentencing Guidelines. In addition, FCA has agreed to be subject to probation for three years. During that three year period, an independent compliance monitor selected by the government will oversee the company’s adherence to federal labor laws.
The Court set a date for a sentencing hearing, where it will impose penalties based on the criminal conviction.
Acting United States Attorney Mohsin said, “Through its participation in this conspiracy, FCA violated federal labor law and undermined the collective bargaining process and the faith of the UAW’s membership in their leaders. By seeking a $30 million fine and three years of oversight by a court-appointed monitor, we are holding FCA accountable and sending a message to other companies that these types of crimes will not be tolerated.”
“FCA US LLC conspired to make improper labor payments to high-ranking UAW officials, which were used for personal mortgage expenses, lavish parties, and entertainment expenses. Instead of negotiating in good faith, FCA corrupted the collective bargaining process and the UAW members’ rights to fair representation. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out systemic corruption and fraud involving unions," stated Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“Fiat Chrysler Automobiles used a program intended for the betterment of its employees to instead benefit itself. By providing money and valuables to UAW officials, FCA corrupted the labor-management relationship and broke the law,” said Timothy Waters, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This case sends a clear message that the FBI and its partners will hold both union leadership and corporations accountable when they violate federal statutes.”
“Today’s guilty plea should serve as a reminder that IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate any company who violates federal law in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace,” stated Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office.
“While the vast majority of union officials do their work diligently and without incident, unfortunately civil and criminal violations do occur. FCA’s guilty plea today confirms that it attempted to corrupt the collective bargaining process in order to gain favorable contracts from the UAW at the expense of UAW members. FCA attempted that corruption by making more than $3.5 million in illegal payments to high ranking UAW officials,” said Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone - employer or union official - that unlawfully exploits their position in the collective bargaining process for personal or corporate financial gain without regard to the best interests of union members.”
Thus far, as part of this investigation of illegal payments by FCA to UAW officials, as well as fraud and embezzlement by other UAW officers, fifteen individuals have been convicted of convicted of federal crimes, including three former FCA executives. They include former UAW Vice President Joseph Ashton (30 months in prison) former FCA Vice President for Employee Relations Alphons Iacobelli (66 months in prison), former FCA Financial Analyst Jerome Durden (15 months in prison), former Director of FCA’s Employee Relations Department Michael Brown (12 months in prison), former senior UAW officials Virdell King (60 days in prison), Keith Mickens (12 months in prison), Nancy A. Johnson (12 months in prison), Monica Morgan, the widow of UAW Vice President General Holiefield (18 months in prison), former UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell (15 months in prison), former senior UAW official Michael Grimes (28 months in prison), and former UAW Midwest CAP President Edward “Nick” Robinson (12 months in prison). In addition, the following UAW officials have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: former UAW President Gary Jones, former senior UAW official Jeffrey Pietrzyk, former UAW Region 5 Director and UAW Board member Vance Pearson, and former UAW President Dennis Williams.
Acting U.S. Attorney Mohsin commended the outstanding work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards and Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conducting a comprehensive criminal investigation into labor corruption activities involving a vital sector of the local and national economy.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey and Erin S. Shaw.
Executive of Chicago Staffing Company Sentenced in Federal Court for Assisting Client with Hiring of Undocumented WorkersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former executive vice president of a Chicago staffing company was sentenced today in federal court for assisting a factory owner with the hiring of undocumented workers.
SERGIO BADANI used his role as Vice President of Operations for a large Chicago staffing company to knowingly conceal from the U.S. government the true identities of 17 undocumented workers. The workers had previously been identified by law enforcement as undocumented during a civil audit of the factory. After the factory owners assured the government that the undocumented workers were terminated, the factory owners worked with Badani to hire them back using false identity documents. Badani admitted that he learned of the illegal scheme and assisted in concealing the information from the government while his staffing company continued to collect more than $1 million in fees from the factory owners. Badani admitted that he received a portion of the profit from this contract in the form of monetary bonuses.
Badani, 51, of St. Charles, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit alien harboring for purposes of commercial advantage. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis sentenced Badani to two years’ probation and fined him $15,000.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and R. Sean Fitzgerald, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and U.S. Social Security Administration provided valuable assistance.
“Undocumented workers are at a significant disadvantage in the workplace, making them much more likely to be exploited by employers,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher V. Parente and Ashley A. Chung argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
“When businesses knowingly hire an illegal workforce, it threatens the integrity of our country’s immigration system, economic health and puts the security of our homeland at risk,” said HSI Acting SAC Fitzgerald. “HSI is committed to protecting our communities from the abuses of corrupt business owners seeking to gain an illegal advantage and make a steep profit off the backs of others.”
Four employees of the staffing agency’s manufacturing client, KSO MetalFab Inc. of Streamwood, Ill., were previously charged in federal court with knowingly hiring and harboring undocumented workers. They pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
EDVA Commemorates Women’s History MonthRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – During this year’s Women’s History Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) honors the achievements and invaluable contributions women have made over the course of American history and today.
“Women have made, and continue to make, immeasurable contributions to our Office,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Their unparalleled leadership and dedication have helped secure the safety of our Nation and have promoted equal justice for all. Our Office recognizes that these changes did not take place overnight, and we are deeply committed to ensuring that all participants in the legal process, no matter their race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or citizenship, have equal opportunity and equal protection under the law. As a part of that commitment, EDVA is dedicated to furthering our collective efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in all forms through our hiring, advancement, and community outreach practices.”
During this year’s Women’s History Month celebration, EDVA will host multiple events, including a virtual discussion with Judge Cheryl Ann Krause of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and a virtual discussion with Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration with a 1987 presidential proclamation. Since 1995, Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. The National Women’s History Alliance extended the theme, “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced,” for the 2021 celebration.
In recent decades, women have held senior leadership positions in the Department of Justice, including as Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and throughout the country’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices—including EDVA.
Women serve an essential role in and contribute to every aspect of the Eastern District of Virginia’s mission. Over 60% of the more than 300 total staff members in EDVA, to include prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel, are women.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Duval Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Deshawn Maceo Richardson (27, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Richardson to forfeit a Glock .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. Richardson had pleaded guilty on October 07, 2020.
According to court documents, Richardson sold suspected methamphetamine several times in July and August 2019. Immediately following the final drug transaction, in the parking lot of a hotel on the southside of Jacksonville, Richardson fled from law enforcement on foot. While fleeing, Richardson dropped a stolen .40 caliber Glock pistol with a 30-round capacity magazine. The magazine had 17 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber.
Prior to these events, Richardson had been convicted of grand theft auto, sale/manufacture/deliver cocaine, sale/deliver heroin, and child abuse and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez and Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce Federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the Fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Opioids that Caused Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
A man who distributed a deadly cocktail of opioids pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Julius Gene Irvin, age 30, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of distribution of controlled substances near a protected location resulting in death.
At the plea hearing, Irvin admitted that he distributed a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and valeryl fentanyl to another person on May 19, 2019. That person later used the drugs and was found deceased on May 20, 2019. Another man, Travis Gordon Jones, previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute the same drugs that caused the victim’s death, as well as two other deaths. Jones is awaiting sentencing.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Irvin was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Irvin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and six years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-1011-CJW-MAR.
The case file number for Jones is 19-CR-1037-CJW-MAR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Douglas J. Quivey to Serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Effective today, Douglas J. Quivey begins serving as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Mr. Quivey, who has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the district since January 2019, assumes the position as Acting U.S. Attorney by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Quivey served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Central District of Illinois from October 2014 to December 2018.
Mr. Quivey was in private practice from 1996 to 2014 in Charleston, Urbana, and Springfield, Ill. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and began his legal career as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Richard Mills from 1994 to 1996. He earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Eastern Illinois University.
In 2010, Mr. Quivey retired as a lieutenant colonel following 26 years of service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.
A native of Charleston, Ill., Mr. Quivey resides with his wife and family in Springfield.
Donald E. Clark Named Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Donald E. Clark became Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine on March 1, 2021, by virtue of the resignation of U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank and the Vacancies Reform Act. Acting U.S. Attorney Clark is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in Maine.
Clark grew up in Somerville, New Jersey and Lisbon, Maine. Prior to becoming Acting U.S. Attorney, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for nearly 29 years, prosecuting federal crimes and forfeiture actions. He started his career as an AUSA in 1992 in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Since 1995, he has served as an AUSA in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland. He became First Assistant U.S. Attorney in September 2019. He has also served as Senior Litigation Counsel, Public Information Officer and an Asset Forfeiture Attorney. He is a 1987 graduate of Syracuse Law School, J.D., summa cum laude; a 1983 graduate of Harvard College, B.A., in English; and a 1979 graduate of Lisbon High School in Lisbon Falls. He started his legal career in 1987 with the law firm Latham & Watkins in New York City.
Acting U.S. Attorney Clark will serve in the position until a successor is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Role in Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
An Ohio physician was sentenced to 40 months in prison today for his role in illegally distributing controlled substances.
George Griffin, M.D., 71, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances on Oct. 5, 2020.
According to court documents, Griffin prescribed controlled substances to patients in amounts and for lengths of time that were outside the scope of legitimate medical practice. Griffin routinely prescribed controlled substances to patients even though various “red flags” suggested that he should stop writing those prescriptions, change the prescriptions, and/or counsel patients accordingly. Further, according to court documents, Griffin prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs known to heighten the risk of overdose and death.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal Patel of the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge William “Chris” Hoffman of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
The DEA; FBI; HHS-OIG; Ohio Attorney General’s Office; Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation; and Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Chris Jason, and Katherine Pridemore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged 91 defendants, including 68 licensed medical professionals, and its casework has targeted the alleged illegal distribution of more than 65 million controlled substance pills involving more than 350,000 prescriptions. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Dallas Tax Preparer Sentenced, Ordered to Pay $11.9 Million for Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A North Dallas tax return preparer was sentenced to 3½ years in prison and ordered to pay $11.9 million in restitution for filing fraudulent income tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Alma Jean Gilbert, 54, pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a materially false tax return in October 2019. She was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
According to plea papers, since 2011, Ms. Gilbert has owned and operated In Touch Tax Solutions in Dallas. In 2016, she opened an additional office in Mesquite and hired employees to prepare and file tax returns on behalf of clients there.
Between 2012 and 2017, Mrs. Gilbert knowingly prepared and caused to be filed hundreds of fraudulent tax returns for clients.
The fraudulent returns contained materially false credits and deductions – including false education credits, fuel tax credits, and business losses – for the purpose of increasing the refunds to the clients.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Who Possessed Multiple Firearms Sentenced to More Than Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed handguns and an assault rifle was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.
Dandre Montrell Gantt, age 22, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after September 29, 2020 bench verdict finding him guilty of being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The evidence at trial established that, on January 26, 2020, police officers were conducting a routine patrol in Waterloo, Iowa. At approximately 1:30 a.m., officers observed Gantt and another man seated in a parked car in downtown Waterloo. After surveilling the car, an officer approached it to talk to Gantt. During the conversation, the officer observed a gun holster in the front of the car in the space between the passenger and driver’s seat. Another officer arrived and as he approached the vehicle from the driver’s side, he observed a semi-automatic Romarm/Cugir 7.62x39 rifle in the backseat of the vehicle. Officers eventually also seized a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol and a loaded Taurus .45 caliber pistol from the passenger’s seat
Gantt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Gantt was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Gantt is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams, Pat Reinert, Jacob Schunk and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2020.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Clint Johnson Assumes the Role of Acting U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
Today, Clint Johnson assumed the role of Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Johnson is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Oklahoma, an area covering eleven counties and including thirteen federally recognized Indian tribes. He leads a staff of more than 100 attorneys and support personnel to accomplish this mission.
“I am honored to lead this incredible office that continues to provide justice to the citizens of the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I will continue to work with our local, state, federal and tribal partners to ensure the fair administration of justice, and I will continue to advocate for the resources needed to make that happen.”
Most recently, Johnson held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney where he supervised the criminal, civil, and administrative divisions for the Northern District of Oklahoma. He further managed the agency’s budget and resources and took an active role in the hiring of personnel and expansion of office space as the U.S. Attorney’s Office was required to grow dramatically to fulfill its public safety mission.
Johnson is a career federal prosecutor with 26 years of experience. He has investigated and prosecuted violent felonies, white-collar offenses, public corruption, drug and gun-related crimes, and human trafficking in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Previously, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Branch Chief in the District of New Mexico. Johnson began his legal career as an active duty Army attorney.
Simultaneously, Johnson continues to serve his country in the United States Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps. As a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve JAG Corps, he holds the positions of Chief Trial Judge and Commander of the 150th Legal Operational Detachment headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Col. Johnson has also served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School and the National Judicial College. He is a graduate of the Officer Basic Course, Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, U.S. Army War College, and Military Judge’s Course.
Johnson is licensed to practice in all federal Courts in the State of Oklahoma, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
He received his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law where he served as an editor for the Tulsa Law Journal. He received his master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College and his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University.
Johnson will hold the Acting position until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a new U.S. Attorney.
Canadian Fugitive Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man appeared in court today on charges of possessing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Perth De, aka “Parthasarthie Kapoor,” 47, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III and was ordered detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 21, 2020, De was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant obtained at the request of the Government of Canada, which previously charged De with sexually assaulting minors. Law enforcement officials found several cellular phones in De’s luggage. A subsequent forensic examination of one of the cellular phones revealed numerous videos of children being sexually abused. Some of the videos had been distributed from the cellular phone.
The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, and the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Casper Men Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAY DONALD FARLEY, a/k/a/ Ray Donald Lucero, Jr. was sentenced on March 1, 2021 to 150 years in prison for three counts of production of child pornography. In sentencing Ray Farley, the Honorable Nancy D. Freudenthal stated that the Defendant’s conduct was “reprehensible” and “unforgivable” and sentenced him to 50 years, per count, consecutively, totaling 150 years’ imprisonment.
In March 2020, Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation received Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children informing them that Ray Farley and Conner William Biggs Farley may be producing child pornography. Agents swiftly investigated the Cybertip and learned that from August 2019 through March 2020, Farley and his husband, Conner Farley, sexually abused three children, ages 7, 5, and 1. Agents arrested both Farleys on April 16, 2020 in Casper, Wyoming. Over the course of the investigation, it was learned that both Farleys recorded their sexual abuse of the children and produced multiple still and video images of such abuse. These images were shared with RICHARD THOMAS WILLDEN, age 29, of Casper. Willden was sentenced last Wednesday, February 24 to 121 months’ imprisonment for receiving and possessing the images. CONNER FARLEY pleaded guilty on December 14 to three counts of production of child pornography and is set to be sentenced on March 25, 2021.
“Farley is a very real danger to children. He was convicted and sentenced for sexually abusing children for the second time. He previously spent 3½ years in state prison for sexually abusing one child, and now he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison.” Said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray.
“Lucero and Willden belong in federal prison where they no longer have access to children. I am thankful for Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Forwood and Christyne Martens, who take on these challenging cases and fight for the child victims. No child should ever suffer at the hands of pedophiles nor endure abuse in silence. Our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers are working day and night to protect Wyoming’s children. I commend the work of Homeland Security and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation in this case, and I assure you we will all continue to bring child predators to justice.” Murray said.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation an abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Bucksport Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bucksport man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.
According to court records, William Meier, 56, possessed electronic devices containing child exploitation material. The electronics, including a cell phone and a computer and associated drives, were seized from his home on June 13, 2020. Some of the material Meier possessed on these devices depicted children under the age of 12.
Meier faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bucksport Police Department and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case. The 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. 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.
Bryan Wilson to Serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for District of AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, AK – Effective today, Bryan Wilson begins serving as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. Mr. Wilson, who has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska since November 2017, assumes the position as Acting U.S. Attorney by virtue of the Vacancies Reform Act.
Mr. Wilson has served with the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney since 1991. Mr. Wilson began his career with the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Florida in 1991 and served as an Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, and as the Civil/Appellate Chief from 2003 through 2010. Mr. Wilson transferred to the District of Alaska in 2010. Mr. Wilson has served as the Chief of the Financial Litigation Units in both the Northern District of Florida and District of Alaska.
Mr. Wilson was in private practice in Tallahassee, Florida from 1983 through 1991. He received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.
“Our outgoing U.S. Attorney, Bryan Schroder, had a strong commitment to the employees of this office; our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners; and the people throughout the State of Alaska” said Acting U.S. Attorney Wilson, “I am humbled and honored to continue those traditions. The important work of the public servants in this Office – and their dedication to justice – continues. Our casework will persist uninterrupted.”
Bronx Man Sentenced to 61 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Albert Paulin, 34, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately August of 2017 to approximately January of 2018, Paulin conspired with others to withdraw money from other person’s bank accounts. Specifically, Paulin drove runners to a number of bank branches and provided them with false driver’s licenses that contained bank customers’ personal identifying information and the runners’ photographs. Paulin also provided the runners with the account holders’ bank account number. The runners then entered the bank branches and withdrew funds from bank accounts with the information provided by Paulin.
In total, Paulin’s runners successfully withdrew over $109,900 and attempted to withdraw an additional $43,700 from over 19 victims’ bank accounts. All but three of the accountholders targeted by Paulin’s scheme were New Hampshire residents.
Paulin previously pleaded guilty on January 30, 2020. In addition to his prison sentence, Paulin was ordered to pay $114,400 in restitut
“Fraud and identify theft are serious crimes that can have very significant impacts on the victims whose identities are stolen or whose accounts are compromised,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who travel to New Hampshire to commit these crimes should understand that we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute identity thieves. The significant sentence imposed on Mr. Paulin demonstrates that federal crimes will have substantial consequences.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the West Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department, Westboro, Massachusetts Police Department, and Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter.
###
Beltsville Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison After He Was Convicted After Trial of Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Driving, and Related Charges in Connection with a Fatal Crash on the Baltimore-Washington ParkwayRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Christopher Andrew Smith, age 31, of Beltsville, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, driving without a license, and failure to place a child in a safety seat, in connection with a fatal car crash on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on February 5, 2018, in which a three-year-old child was killed. A federal jury convicted Smith of those charges on January 29, 2020, after a two-day trial.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.
According to trial testimony and court documents, on February 5, 2018, Smith drove a 2011 Nissan Altima on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway accompanied by a male passenger in the front seat and the passenger’s three-year-old daughter in the back seat. An eyewitness reported that Smith was driving at a high rate of speed when he attempted to pass the witness’s vehicle on the right shoulder, near the exit for Route 198. Smith lost control of the vehicle on the shoulder then swerved into the left lane of the Parkway before crashing into a tree in the wooded median. Smith was found partially ejected from the sunroof while the male passenger was found underneath the vehicle. Both men sustained critical injuries and were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals for immediate treatment. The three-year-old girl was declared deceased at the scene. She was not secured with a child’s safety seat or seatbelt.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Park Police and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis Raphael Weisman and Dwight Draughon, who prosecuted the federal case.
# # #
Baltimore Police SWAT Officer Facing Federal Charges for Possession and Production of Child Pornography and for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Donald Hildebrandt, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, with the possession and production of child pornography and obstruction of justice.
The federal charges were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Lieutenant Paul Marziale of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Director of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.
Hildebrandt is a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is currently suspended without pay. According to the criminal complaint, on October 18, 2020, law enforcement received a complaint that Donald Hildebrandt had been discovered in a room with a minor female with his erect penis exposed. Another minor had reported the incident. During an interview at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center (CAC), one of the minor victims disclosed that Hildebrandt exposed himself to her and demanded that she engage in sexually explicit conduct with him.
As detailed in the affidavit, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hildebrandt’s home on October 20, 2020 and seized several electronic devices. A forensic examiner subsequently decrypted a file found on Hildebrandt’s laptop computer and discovered videos allegedly documenting the sexual abuse of a minor female. Another nearly three-hour long video discovered on Hildebrandt’s laptop depicted a compilation of multiple instances of child sexual abuse, including prepubescent victims. Additionally, over 100 still shots believed to be derived from covert video recordings allegedly taken by Hildebrandt were uncovered by investigators. The images included two minor female victims, including some images displaying their breasts and genitalia.
In January 2021, a witness informed investigators that Hildebrandt had reset his tablet. A forensic review of the previously seized tablet showed signs consistent with a factory reset. In Hildebrandt’s iCloud account, analysts also discovered a web address to an anonymous communication network within Hildebrandt’s notes application, which opened to a child pornography website. The website allowed customers to anonymously purchase child pornography with cryptocurrency. The site claimed to be a “safe zone for pedo folks.”
If convicted, Hildebrandt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography; a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for obstruction of justice. 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. No date has been set for Hildebrandt’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Hildebrandt remains detained on related state charges.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who is prosecuting the federal case.
# # #
Apprehended Fugitive Charged in Second Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Joseph Albert Corey appeared today in federal court to face an indictment filed December 15, 2020, charging him with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. Corey also re-appeared on a 2019 federal indictment for mail fraud to which he had already pleaded guilty but had absconded in February 2020 before sentencing.
According to the new indictment (CR 20-481 RS), between March 2019 and October 2020, Corey, age 56 and last known to live in Los Angeles, engaged in a fraud scheme that involved impersonating different physicians and applying for loans in the physicians’ names. The applications sought loans purportedly to purchase expensive medical devices. The indictment outlines that once a fraudulent loan application was approved for a loan, Corey directed the lender to deposit the funds in a bank account set up by Corey in a deceptive name, one that closely resembled or was identical to that of a legitimate medical-device supply company. After the lender deposited the money loaned for the medical device purchase into the apparent medical-device supplier’s bank account, the indictment alleges that Corey withdrew the money and purchased gold. The gold purchase obscured the financial trail of the funds, laundering the money for Corey. The indictment alleges three different executions of this scheme – twice in April 2019 and once in August 2020 after Corey pleaded guilty to the fraud outlined below and had absconded – that netted more than $300,000.
Corey is also indicted in this district in an earlier federal criminal case charging a different fraud (CR 19-530 EMC). In October 2019, an indictment charged Corey with engaging in a mail fraud scheme that obtained approximately $34,000. The scheme involved Corey opening an account under a false name and depositing checks into the account that were drawn without authority on a legitimate company’s bank account. Corey then purchased gold with the deposited funds. Corey ultimately pleaded guilty to this mail fraud charge in November 2019. While sentencing was pending, the Court ordered Corey to appear for a bond hearing. Corey failed to appear and on February 19, 2020, the Court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Corey remained at large for almost a year, and during that time he was charged in the new indictment.
In another filing by the government, the government asserts that Corey left the country and remained at large until arrested in January 2021. When arrested, he possessed numerous false identifications, including one identifying him as a special agent of the CIA. He was transferred to this district to face both cases outlined above.
Investigators are asking anyone who has further information about Joseph Albert Corey or his activities that may be relevant to these cases to email the FBI tip line at tips.fbi.gov.
Corey’s next scheduled court appearance is set for March 8, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., for identification of his counsel in front of the Honorable Sallie Kim, United States Magistrate Judge, who Corey appeared before this morning. Corey is also set to appear on April 7, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., for a status conference before the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Judge.
The new indictment (CR 20-481 EMC) charges Corey with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of a wire fraud or wire fraud conspiracy charge, Corey faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release once imprisonment ends. If convicted of a money laundering charge, Corey faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the amount of the criminally derived proceeds, as well as three years of supervised release once imprisonment ends. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Corey already pleaded guilty in November 2019 in the earlier case (CR 19-530 EMC) to one count of mail fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and term of up to three years of supervised release once imprisonment ends.
Mohit Gourisaria is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maddi Wachs and Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Admitted methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Charlton County man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine in south Georgia has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison.
Phillip Yarbrough, 39, of Folkston, Ga., was sentenced to 264 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Yarbrough will be required to serve four years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“As methamphetamine abuse continues to threaten the security and health of citizens throughout the Southern District, our law enforcement partners are relentless in identifying and shutting down suppliers of this illegal narcotic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Phillip Yarbrough now faces stiff consequences for spreading this poison in our communities.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Yarbrough was arrested after a traffic stop in March 2018 when Willacoochee, Ga., Police officers found two large bags of methamphetamine hidden in Yarbrough’s vehicle.
Yarbrough, a member of the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang with a documented history of drug distribution and domestic violence, admitted acting as a drug courier and dealer, transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs from an Atlanta supplier into communities in south Georgia.
“The manufacture of methamphetamine poses an imminent danger to everyone,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division. “The precursor chemicals used to manufacture ‘meth’ are toxic and can be extremely volatile. This Ghost Face Gangster can no longer feed the addicts who craved this addictive substance. This case is a great example of how spirited law enforcement collaboration keeps our communities safe from ‘meth’ dealers who seek to do harm by distributing this poison.”
“This sentence is the direct result of the effective partnership between our local, state, and federal agencies,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will work tirelessly together to hold accountable gang members and drug dealers who terrorize our neighborhoods. The GBI is dedicated to thoroughly investigate violent offenses to lead to successful prosecution.”
The case was investigated by the DEA, the GBI, the Willacoochee Police Department and the Charlton County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Additional Charges Brought Against Clinton Man and Fitchburg ManRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury in Worcester brought additional charges against a Clinton man and Fitchburg man in connection with their involvement in an employment tax and mail fraud scheme.
Juliano Fernandes, 39, of Clinton, and Anderson Dos Santos, 36, of Fitchburg, were charged in a superseding indictment on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The superseding indictment charges Fernandes with two counts of false statements and charges Dos Santos with two counts of filing a false tax return. In January 2021, Fernandes was charged with 11 counts of failure to pay over employment taxes and two counts of mail fraud and Dos Santos was charged with one count of mail fraud.
According to the superseding indictment, Fernandes made two false statements to the Department of Labor in August 2017 concerning the value of property he owned in Lunenburg, Mass. and that he never had any responsibility or control over the payroll for Force Corporation. In addition, Dos Santos was charged with two counts of filing a false and fraudulent tax return related to his 2013 and 2014 personal tax returns.
According to charging documents, Fernandes exercised management and control over Force Corporation and AB Construction, both Massachusetts-based construction companies. Between 2015 and 2017, Fernandes willfully failed to account for and pay over employment taxes for Force Corporation and AB Construction to the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, from approximately April 2013 through January 2017, Fernandes allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for Force Corporation by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to its employees. Similarly, from approximately December 2013 through April 2016, Fernandes and Dos Santos engaged in a scheme to defraud worker’s compensation insurance carriers for AB Construction by misrepresenting the number of employees and amount of wages paid to its employees.
The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of failure to pay over employment taxes and making a false statement each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney AppointedRead the Press Release
Ellison C. Travis has been appointed and sworn in as the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana following the resignation of Brandon J. Fremin who had served as the United States Attorney since 2018.
Mr. Travis stated, “It is a great honor to serve in this position, as this office has a long history of seeking justice. I can assure the public that our professional staff will continue our mission, and aggressively enforce federal law by working with federal, state, and local partners to prosecute criminals and pursue federal civil enforcement actions when appropriate.”
Mr. Travis has served as First Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Louisiana since 2018. Previously, he was with the Louisiana Department of Justice for over twenty years. During his tenure with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Mr. Travis served as the Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Criminal Division (2017-2018), as an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (2002–2017), and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division (1997–2002). Mr. Travis also served as an Assistant District Attorney (1990–1996). During his thirty years in public service, Mr. Travis has prosecuted all manner of criminal matters, including violent crimes, financial crimes, and public corruption. Mr. Travis helped author and pass legislation to penalize those who commit electronic abuse of persons with infirmities and those who commit public program fraud. He also represented the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the state Legislative Task Force on Medicaid Fraud Prevention.
Mr. Travis received his J.D. from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and his B.A. in Economics from Louisiana State University.
Sunday 28 February 2021
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores Leaves the Department of Justice after 18 Years of Service to the NationRead the Press Release
Today marks Trent Shores’ final day of service as United States Attorney. His resignation brings to a close nearly 18 years of federal law enforcement experience. He served the mission of justice under four Presidents and seven United States Attorneys General.
“Serving as United States Attorney has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to contribute to improving public safety in Northern Oklahoma, a community where I grew up and where I have chosen to raise my family. The attorneys and staff of this U.S. Attorney’s Office approach their jobs daily with unparalleled integrity and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. I’ll sleep well knowing they’re on the job,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Following confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Shores was sworn in as United States Attorney on Sept. 22, 2017. He served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The district is home to more than 1 million people and covers eleven counties, including thirteen federally recognized Indian tribes. He started his tenure as U.S. Attorney in an office of 47 total attorneys and support staff, and within the next four years, grew the office to more than 100 personnel to meet the substantially increased caseload following a landmark Supreme Court decision. In his dozens of hiring decisions, Shores demonstrated his commitment to building a work force that looks like America, constructing the best qualified, most diverse staff the office has ever had.
“Over the last four years, U.S. Attorney Shores has conducted a master class for leadership. He has proactively sought input and listened to the concerns and ideas of all staff, agency partners and stakeholders,” said Civil Division Chief Cathy McClanahan. “Never one to take a day off, his one aim has always been providing the best service to the people of the Northern District of Oklahoma. All of those who work with Trent understand his great love of justice, as demonstrated by the fact that he has spent half of his life serving in the Department of Justice. On behalf of the Civil Division, I extend my deepest appreciation to Trent for all that he has done for this Division, the entire office and the people of Oklahoma.”
“Law enforcement and our team had the privilege of having Trent lead the Northern District of Oklahoma during times of nationwide unrest, a pandemic and a game changing decision by the Supreme Court in the McGirt case. During his tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office doubled in size and more than doubled its case load,” said Criminal Division Chief Allen Litchfield. “It takes a natural born leader to excel in times of great adversity. Trent is that kind of leader. He brought an unwavering sense of commitment to the mission of justice for victims and the citizens he served. His dedication to the Office of the U.S. Attorney and his efforts to ensure justice for all, sets the standard for us all to follow.”
Shores was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, by both Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr, providing counsel on key policy and operational matters for the Justice Department. He further served on the Attorney General’s domestic violence working group, aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, using the tools of federal prosecution help prevent domestic violence.
Shores also was named Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS), a group of United States Attorneys charged with the developing and guiding national policy for Indian Country justice. Known as an expert on Indian Country criminal law, Shores testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to discuss violent crime in Indian Country and of potential legislation to address the problem. He also testified before the United States Sentencing Commission regarding the impact of federal sentencing guidelines on Native Americans in the criminal justice system.
Shores and his NAIS colleagues were instrumental in shaping Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative, launched in November 2019. The initiative, in part, placed MMIP coordinators in U.S. Attorney’s offices in 11 states, including Oklahoma, who were charged with developing protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases.
Shores also hired Patti Buhl, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to serve as the MMIP Coordinator. Shores and Buhl would soon team up with the leaders of the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Nations to launch the MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan Pilot Project in Oklahoma, the first of six states to launch the project. The goal of the pilot is to establish a collaborative response from tribal governments, law enforcement agencies, and other partners by implementing culturally appropriate draft guidelines when investigating emergent cases of missing and murdered American Indians. Lessons learned will be used to improve the draft guides for developing response plans before they are used across the nation.
Seeking to highlight Tribes in Oklahoma, Shores coordinated a 3-day NAIS meeting and a visit from Attorney General Barr. In 2018, Shores hosted 38 U.S. Attorneys, the Justice Department’s Inspector General, and countless officials from other agencies and tribes from across the country for the NAIS meeting. In 2020, Shores joined with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. to welcome Attorney General Barr to the Cherokee Nation. Attorney General Barr and Shores met with Cherokee leadership, council members, and marshals to discuss public safety priorities.
Forward leaning and mission oriented, Shores led with intensity and vision. In July 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court found, in McGirt v. Oklahoma, that land historically reserved for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation remained Indian Country so that the Northern District of Oklahoma holds a reservation, including most of Tulsa. Overnight, criminal jurisdiction of thousands of cases involving Native Americans shifted from state courts to federal or tribal courts. Shores and his leadership team proactively advocated for resources and personnel in order to implement the Court’s decision. They called on federal prosecutors and support staff from across the nation for assistance, and 17 volunteers came to Tulsa to assist. In early 2021, the leadership team also hired 13 additional Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff, building capacity within the office. In the process, Shores strove to create a culture of professionalism, transparency, and teamwork as attorneys and support staff took on ever-increasing responsibilities. Shores and his team also prioritized collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, training officers on the unique legal considerations of Indian Country and helping to coordinate cross deputization agreements so officers were able to work crimes that occurred on the reservation involving Native American suspects or victims.
Like many Tulsans, Shores was profoundly affected when two Tulsa Police Officers were shot during a traffic stop in 2020. Tragically, Sergeant Craig Johnson lost his life as a result of wounds sustained in the incident. In response, Shores created and launched the 2150 Initiative in partnership with the Tulsa Police Department and ATF. The 2150 Initiative was named for Sgt. Johnson’s badge number as a way of honoring his legacy of service and duty to the citizens of Tulsa. The initiative aimed to remove illegal guns from the street and keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who are prohibited by law from possessing them.
In the last four years, federal prosecutors in the Criminal Division convicted 963 defendants and filed 1,335 cases, many of which are still ongoing in federal court. Under Shores’ leadership, violent crime prosecutions on average nearly doubled when compared to the three years prior, and violent crime rates declined. Shores frequently spoke about the devastating impact violent crime had on communities and its oppression on the opportunities afforded to residents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized public safety through targeted, impactful prosecutions. For example, through strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement, the team launched Operation Alpha in 2018. The operation used crime-mapping technology to focus on high volume areas of violent crime in Tulsa over a two-month period, arresting 174 repeat violent offenders, called Alpha criminals, and taking 106 illegal guns off the street. The office further focused on taking firearms out of the hands of individuals who illegally possessed guns, including felons and domestic violence perpetrators, through Project Guardian and the 2150 Initiative. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, prosecutors charged 75 individuals with firearms violations. Underscoring importance of these cases, the office prosecuted Jakob Garland, a felon who exchanged a firearm for heroin. The recipient of the firearm was a felon who gunned down two Tulsa Police officers in 2020.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also significantly increased child exploitation prosecutions under Shores’ leadership. He hired Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Nassar and Edward Snow to take on these prosecutions and protect child victims. In July 2019, they teamed up with the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, FBI and other law enforcement partners to conduct Operation Independence Day, netting 19 total child predators. Currently, federal prosecutors and 15 local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies are conducting Operation Clean Sweep across the 11 counties in the Northern District of Oklahoma. So far, the operation has charged 18 alleged perpetrators of internet facilitated child exploitation crimes.
Shores also sought to build strong partnerships with law enforcement in the district, offering federal resources as needed. He encouraged every sheriff, chief, and marshal to reach out to him personally to share concerns or to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Shores also offered support to assist law enforcement and social services agencies to apply for millions of dollars in Justice Department grants to pay for resources like crime gun intelligence centers, domestic violence programs, school safety programs and rape kit processing. It was not uncommon to find Shores in a rural county or small town meeting with local law enforcement or joining them to present to local students about the dangers of opioids.
Additionally, Shores expanded the Civil Division by hiring four new Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Over the last four years, the division filed or responded to 2,251 cases. The team’s defensive work saved taxpayers a total of $83,923,856 while affirmative civil enforcement actions totaled $4,593,167. Notably, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit worked to recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud by holding accountable medical professionals who accepted illegal kickback payments in return for recommending and prescribing compounded drugs produced by OK Compounding.
Outside the office, Shores engaged with the broader Tulsa community as well as more rural parts of the district. He prioritized community engagement and frequently spoke to citizen groups and students. He championed the American justice system and sought to inspire confidence in the dedicated public officials and civil servants who worked within it- from judges to public defenders to prosecutors. He promoted transparency in law enforcement and created opportunity for dialogue with community organizers. Importantly, he worked with citizen leaders to provide bilingual information on Spanish television and radio, sharing vital education regarding human trafficking, drugs, and illegal arms. Building these connections allowed his office to do justice on behalf of all victims, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status. One public speaking highlight of Shores’ tenure was when he delivered the keynote remarks at the Memorial Day celebration at the Wake Island Memorial in Bristow, Creek County. Shores spoke about the military service of his grandfather, PFC Robert Shores of the U.S. Marine Corp, who fought valiantly defending the island in World War II and survived captivity as a POW for nearly four years. At the conclusion of his remarks, Shores presented to his father an American flag that, with the assistance of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of PFC Shores.
Shores started his career as the Deputy Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Tribal Justice in Washington, D.C. Later as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, he prosecuted human trafficking and child exploitation crimes, international organized crime, and white-collar crimes and public corruption. He also served as the National Security Cyber Specialist, working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force to address cyber-based threats to our national security and attacks on critical infrastructure.
U.S. Attorney Shores leaves this week after nearly 18 years of service with the Department of Justice. His actions showed a concern for the safety, well-being, and rights of the entire community. By pursuing a mission of liberty and justice for all Oklahomans of all backgrounds, he built trust throughout the community with integrity and accountability to the rule of law.
Saturday 27 February 2021
Department of Justice Issues Statement Announcing Decision to Appeal Terkel v. CDCRead the Press Release
Brian M. Boynton, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Division, released the following statement:
"The CDC’s eviction moratorium, which Congress extended last December, protects many renters who cannot make their monthly payments due to job loss or health care expenses. By preventing people from becoming homeless or having to move into more-crowded housing, the moratorium helps to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Justice respectfully disagrees with the February 25 decision of the district court in Terkel v. CDC that the CDC’s eviction moratorium exceeds Congress’ powers under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the Department has appealed that decision. The decision, however, does not extend beyond the particular plaintiffs in that case, and it does not prohibit the application of the CDC’s eviction moratorium to other parties. For other landlords who rent to covered persons, the CDC’s eviction moratorium remains in effect."
Clendenin Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Terry L. Spradlin, 34, of Clendenin, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Spradlin admitted that on August 31, 2019, officers with the Dunbar Police Department encountered him before opening hours in Shawnee Park in Dunbar. Spradlin admitted he possessed a firearm which had travelled in interstate commerce and which he had strapped in a holster. Spradlin further admitted he had a prior felony conviction for first degree robbery in the Circuit Court of Roane County and was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
Spradlin faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 20, 2021.
The Dunbar Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani 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-00161.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Friday 26 February 2021
법무부 민권부 선임 부차관보 파멜라 칼란 성명서Read the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Korean
民权司首席副助理司法部长 帕米拉·卡兰（Pamela Karlan）的声明Read the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Chinese (Simplified)
تصریح لبامیلا كارلان النائبة الأولى المساعدة لوزیر العدل بقسم الحقوق المدنیةRead the Press Release
Download Karlan Statement - Arabic
West Philadelphia Lowe’s Arsonist Indicted for Blaze Set During May 2020 Civil UnrestRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Derrick Weatherbe, 29, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with arson related to an incident which occurred during the violent civil unrest in late May of last year. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon.
Following peaceful protests in Philadelphia in the early afternoon of May 30, 2020 in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, civil unrest began to unfold later that afternoon and into the following day that resulted in widespread looting, burglary, arson, destruction of property, and other violent acts. The Indictment alleges that on May 31, 2020, the defendant maliciously damaged and destroyed the Lowe’s Home Improvement store located at 1500 North 50th Street in West Philadelphia by setting it on fire. He is charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, store surveillance cameras allegedly showed a man with distinct clothing and tattoos, later identified as the defendant, make his way through the entry vestibule and pick up what appears to be a utility lighter and containers of lighter fluid. Weatherbe is then allegedly seen on surveillance video carrying these items into the middle of the store, where the fire is set less than two minutes later as indicated by a flash of light. He is then allegedly seen fleeing from the store.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the entire Department of Justice will always support peaceful protest – we are sworn to protect the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “But that does not cover destructive rioting, looting, committing arson and other violent acts. Here, the defendant allegedly set a fire in the middle of a business, potentially endangering many lives including those of police officers and firefighters who responded to the scene, and as a result he is now being prosecuted for a federal crime.”
“The alleged acts of the defendant are extremely careless and dangerous, which could have caused serious injury or loss of life to first responders and others in the community,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of Philadelphia’s Field Division. “ATF, along with our partners at the Philadelphia Fire Department and the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office will continue our efforts to ensure public safety. Our investigators will pursue and apprehend anyone who uses fire to damage property or endanger lives in our city.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.