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10 March 2021
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years for Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for robbing an Exxon convenience store in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, on December 9, 2018, Tyler Kador, 23, and Morgan Ward, 22, robbed an Exxon convenience store. Kador, armed with a firearm, walked into the store and approached the clerk, who was behind the counter. Kador pointed the gun at her and demanded that she give him money. Ward entered the store behind Kador and looked down each isle for anyone else present in the store. Ward saw a second employee and held her against a counter during the robbery. The clerk behind the counter gave Kador approximately $50. Both clerks were ordered to lie on the floor and the men left the store. Surveillance videos showed the two robbers getting into a car and driving to a nearby apartment complex. Investigators with the Fayetteville Police Department located the car and determined it was registered to Kador. Investigators were also able to determine the apartment the men went into and obtained a search warrant for that apartment. In that apartment officers found clothing consistent with the clothing worn by the robbers, ammunition and a gun box. The original purchaser of the firearm told investigators Kador purchased the firearm from him a few days before the robbery. Ward was arrested during the execution of the search warrant and confessed that he and Kador were the two that went inside the Exxon and robbed the business.
Morgan Ward was sentenced on December 21, 2020 and received a sentence of 120 months followed by 60 months of supervised release.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives and Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00351-D.
Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a cocaine distribution conspiracy. A storage unit used by the defendant was found to contain a firearm and approximately 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
Alexander Santiago Medina, a/k/a “Flaco,” 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas L. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2021. Santiago Medina was charged in December 2019, along with 12 co-defendants.
From at least February 2019 through December 2019, Santiago Medina was involved in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Investigators intercepted a number of communications between Santiago Medina and co-conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy, including communications on June 17, 2019, in which Santiago Medina and various co-conspirators agreed to distribute two kilograms of cocaine or more. Later that day, investigators seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine from one of Santiago Medina’s co-conspirators. After Santiago Medina was arrested on Dec. 5, 2019, investigators searched a storage unit used by Santiago Medina and found a firearm and approximately 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 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, New England Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspector Service, Boston Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Mendell’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fairmont man sentenced to 10 years for child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Keener, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months of incarceration for a child pornography charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Keener, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography” in July 2020. Keener admitted to having child pornography in March 2019 in Marion County.Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Detroit Heroin Dealer Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Curtis Watson, 52, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to a total of 295 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was previously convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute heroin, using and carrying a firearm during the heroin conspiracy, and tampering with a witness. Watson, also known as “LOW,” conspired with other drug traffickers from Detroit, Michigan and Charleston, West Virginia, to distribute in excess of 700 grams of heroin in the Southern District of West Virginia.
“This case is a testament to the hard work our law enforcement partners do every day to combat these deadly drugs from making it into our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I applaud the tremendous work of everyone in this case, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich, who tried this case with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Saunders, and handled the sentencing hearing today.”
Watson supplied a residence in the Hernshaw area with a substantial amount of heroin, which would then be sold to drug addicts and dealers. Shortly after the conspiracy began, Watson was losing money and he enlisted other Detroit drug traffickers to travel to West Virginia and sell more heroin. Watson would provide these Detroit drug dealers with firearms to protect the heroin. Upwards of $40,000 was being made in a given day at this residence. One witness described the house similar to a fast-food restaurant. Another witness described selling drugs out of the house from sun up to sunset.
Watson’s conspiracy ended on November 17, 2017, when the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Hernshaw residence because a person fatally overdosed from drugs purchased at the location. Prior to law enforcement arriving, Watson dropped off more heroin and a Hi-Point firearm, and left the area.
After a federal grand jury indicted Watson on November 27, 2018, his first jury trial was scheduled on August 12, 2019. On the day the trial was set to begin, a cooperating witness was threatened by Watson because the witness was cooperating with the government. When Watson saw the witness at the federal courthouse, he yelled at the witness, “I got you! I got you!” After the encounter with Watson, the witness became concerned for their safety and was afraid to testify. Subsequently, the federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Watson on September 18, 2019, adding a charge for tampering with a witness.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the Marmet Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.
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. 2:18-cr-00279.
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Des Moines Man Convicted of Distributing Methamphetamine and Two Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
A Des Moines man and convicted felon who distributed nearly a pound of methamphetamine and possessed a gun was convicted by a jury today after a three-day jury trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Patrick Miller Webb, Jr., also known as “P.J.,” age 32, from Des Moines, Iowa, was convicted of distribution of methamphetamine near a protected location, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about one hour of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Webb drove from Des Moines to Dubuque to sell nearly one pound of methamphetamine during a controlled buy for $6,000. Following the drug sale, officers found a loaded firearm underneath the driver’s seat of Webb’s car, where he had been sitting. The drug distribution occurred inside a carwash that was located within 1,000 feet of a public playground located at Cleveland Park, Dubuque. Webb has a previous felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver meth and was also a user of meth and marijuana.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Webb remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Webb faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $40 million fine, and 20 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Geocaris and Assistant United States Attorney Tony Morfitt and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-1018.
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Decatur Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Decatur, Ill., man, Christopher Bailey, 40, of the 500 block of West Center St., has been ordered to serve 27 years (324 months) in federal prison for distribution and possession of child pornography. Bailey was ordered to remain on federal supervised release for 15 years following his release from prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. Bailey has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest on July 7, 2020.
As part of its sentence, the court found that Bailey has engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse based on his prior conviction in 2008, in California, for sexually abusing two children, aged five and six, and continuing child sexual abuse of children aged eight and five.
On Oct. 16, 2020, Bailey entered a plea of guilty to the indictment that charged him with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case. The charges were investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Decatur Police Department; and, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
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. Led by 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Officer Indicted for Inmate Abuse, Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Alabama returned a five-count indictment today charging two Alabama men, an Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) sergeant and corrections officer with assaulting an inmate at ADOC’s Staton Correctional Facility and making false statements following the assault.
According to court documents, Sergeant Devlon Williams, 35 and Correctional Officer Larry Managan Jr. 39, of Montgomery assaulted the inmate by striking him with their feet and with a collapsible baton, and charges Managan with assaulting the inmate by walking on the inmate. Both Williams and Managan also were charged with making false statements about the assault to a state investigator, and Williams was charged with making a false statement about the assault in an official report.
Williams faces a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. Managan faces a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Mobile Division and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts of the Middle District of Alabama, Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg and Trial Attorney David Reese of the Civil Rights Division.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography While Serving Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Christopher Lee Dubry, age 25, of La Plata, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to possession of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
Dubry was convicted for four counts of attempted sex offense fourth degree and five counts of possession of child pornography in November 2018. He was sentenced to a total of three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised probation. Dubry was registered as a Tier I registered sex offender in the State of Maryland.
According to his guilty plea, while serving his prison sentence at the Charles County Detention Center, Dubry was granted work release beginning in December 2018. Dubry typically left the detention center each evening at 8:00 p.m. and drove his personal vehicle to his place of employment in Landover, Maryland, where he worked overnight, then returned to the detention center at approximately 5:00 a.m.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 26, 2019, an online file storage application sent a cybertipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report stated that the user account associated with Dubry’s email address uploaded eleven files to the account, including two video files depicting sexual abuse of prepubescent children. The IP address used to access the user account four times on February 14, 2019 between 9:08 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. related back to a cell phone registered to Dubry. Dubry’s account contained approximately 33 images and 33 videos of child pornography. Dubry admitted that from April 2019 to September 12, 2019, he accessed child pornography on his cell phone on multiple occasions while on work release. Dubry’s work release privileges were revoked on September 12, 2019, after violating the terms of his release by taking too long to travel between the detention center and his workplace.
On February 27, 2020, law enforcement seized Dubry’s cell phone. A subsequent forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed approximately 250 images and 3 videos of child pornography, including the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. At least one video depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct. In total, Dubry received and possessed the equivalent of 600 images of child pornography on his cell phone.
Dubry and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dubry will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Upon his release from prison, Dubry will also be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
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 and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Selling Semi-Automatic Rifle in TrentonRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a semi-automatic rifle while attempting to sell it to another individual, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Edwin Gaines, 59, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 15, 2019, Gaines, who previously had been convicted of murder in New Jersey Superior Court and who has other felony convictions, arranged to sell to another individual a Ruger .22 semi-automatic rifle as well as an extended magazine. The purchaser, however, was acting at the direction and supervision of law enforcement. In a video- and audio-recorded transaction in the basement of a Trenton residence, the individual purchased the rifle and magazine from Gaines using money that law enforcement had provided.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Gaines to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; detectives from the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Lee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Colorado Springs Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Brandon Gandy of Colorado Springs has been charged with the production of child pornography. Gandy was ordered detained today pending trial by United States Magistrate Judge Michael Hegarty. Gandy was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 4, 2021.
According to the facts contained in the affidavit supporting the allegations in the criminal complaint, a search warrant was executed at Gandy’s home based on CyberTipline Reports sent by an Internet Service Provider to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The reports indicated that an individual using particular IP addresses uploaded suspected child pornography. It was determined that certain IP addresses resolved to an account associated with Gandy’s home. Gandy was arrested after a search of his cell phone identified child pornography. Specifically, twenty images were located on his cell phone of a minor who has been identified by law enforcement. Several of the images pictured sexually explicit conduct. The investigators observed a distinctive ring on the adult male hand pictured in one of the sexually explicit images. Gandy was wearing the distinctive ring when the search warrant was executed at his home.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Colorado’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force are investigating this matter. The Colorado Springs Police Department is the lead agency for this task force. Assistant United States Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts is handling the prosecution.
Case number: 21-mj-00035
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Chiropractor charged with falsely billing for procedure learned via YouTubeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 46-year-old local chiropractor and her medical group have been named in a civil suit under the False Claims Act alleging fraudulent billing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Suhyun An owns and manages Campbell Medical Group PLLC and Johnson Medical Group PLLC dba Campbell Medical Clinic in the Spring Valley area of Houston.
The civil complaint, filed today, alleges An fraudulently obtained over $3.9 million from the Medicare and TRICARE programs by billing for the implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. These are surgical procedures usually requiring use of an operating room, and Medicare pays thousands of dollars for this procedure, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that neither An nor her clinic’s employees performed surgery. Instead, they allegedly applied inexpensive devices used for electro-acupuncture. This procedure involves inserting needles into patients’ ears with a neurostimulator taped behind the ears with an adhesive, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges nurse practitioners working for An learned how to apply the devices by watching YouTube videos and participating in trainings with sales representatives.
The complaint alleges An knew the devices were not billable or recklessly disregarded that fact. She allegedly read specific guidance from a Medicare contractor stating Medicare did not cover the devices because they only provided acupuncture. The suit further claims she ignored emailed warnings from employees and outside billing companies including warnings that the devices were being labeled as “possible fraud.”
The Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Defense Criminal Investigative Services assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is handling the matter.
The claims are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Tampa Bay Rays PlayersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Benjamin Tucker Patz, a/k/a “Parlay Patz,” (24, Napa, CA) today pleaded guilty to transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on July 20, 2019, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team lost a home game to the Chicago White Sox. That same day, four Rays’ players, as well as a player for the Chicago White Sox, received direct messages on Instagram from Patz in which he threatened to carry out acts of violence against them. The messages included the following string of text sent to one Tampa Bay Rays players:
- “I will sever your neck open you pathetic c**tbag”
- “I will enter your home while you sleep”
- “And sever your neck open”
- “I will kill your entire family”
- “Everyone you love will soon cease”
- “I will cut up your family” and “Dismember the[m] alive.”
Patz sent the messages knowing that they would be viewed by the player and his family members as a true threat to injure the person of another.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is part of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sport and Gaming Initiative, which is designed to tackle illegal sports gambling and combat threats of influence from criminal enterprises. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.
Box Elder Woman Sentenced on Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, woman convicted of Interference with Commerce by Robbery was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
Karmen Englert, age 37, was sentenced on March 3, 2021, to 8 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,579.49 in restitution to Rushmore Casino and $800.00 in restitution to Market Square Casino.
The conviction stems from Englert driving two men to and from Rushmore Casino and Market Square Casino, where the males robbed the casinos at gunpoint in March 2020. The three also drove to Jokers Casino with the intent of committing a robbery but were unsuccessful. All three casinos are located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Englert was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and failing to register as a sex offender.
Shane Brown, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of failing to register as a sex offender in violation of the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act (SORNA). U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2021. Brown was arrested on Sept. 11, 2020 and has been in custody since.
Brown, who was convicted of a sex offense in Virginia in 2013, moved from Virginia to Boston in or around May 2020. In May and June 2020, Brown was employed in security work around Greater Boston. Brown failed to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts prior to his arrest on state charges on July 2, 2020. At the time of his state arrest, an SCCY Industries, model CPX-2, 9mm caliber pistol loaded with seven 9mm Luger cartridges was found in Brown’s waistband. Due to a previous conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, Brown is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of failing to register as a sex offender provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; U.S. Marshal John Gibbons of the District of Massachusetts; U.S. Marshal Thomas L. Foster of the Western District of Virginia; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Belle Fourche Man Sentenced to Five Years Imprisonment for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Belle Fourche, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on February 26, 2021, by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court Judge.
Tyler Wayne Deel, age 33, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Between August 2018 and November 2018, Deel resided in St. Onge, South Dakota, and had a computer with internet access. Using his computer to connect and access websites and applications for “Tumblr,” Deel received and distributed digital files containing images of child pornography. Many of the images of child pornography depicted young children.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Deel was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Baltimore Member of “Boogaloo” Extremist Movement Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Frank William Robertson Perry, age 39, of Dundalk, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Perry admitted that he is an adherent of the Boogaloo Movement. “Boogaloo” is a term referencing a violent uprising or impending civil war and is sometimes used by militia extremists and others. Militia extremists have adopted it to reference an impending politically-motivated civil war or uprising against the government following perceived incursions on Constitutional rights—including the Second Amendment—or other perceived government overreach. The Boogaloo is not a single cohesive group, but rather a loose concept arising from internet platforms which has become a rallying point for some extremists.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
According to his plea agreement, Perry was previously convicted for second degree burglary on November 19, 2012 in Baltimore County Circuit Court. As a result of that conviction, Perry is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
As detailed in his plea agreement, in April 2020 Perry caused his girlfriend to purchase the lower receiver of an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 rifle, from a firearms dealer in Eastern Baltimore County for his own use. The lower receiver of a firearm, while not a completed and functioning weapon, is legally defined as a firearm. Purchasers are required to go through a background check and complete an ATF form truthfully and under penalty of perjury, which the seller of the firearm is required to maintain. The form, as completed, indicated that Perry’s girlfriend was the purchaser of the AM-15 lower receiver and that the receiver was “multi-cal,” denoting a firearm that could be assembled into a variety of calibers. The AM-15 lower receiver, once assembled, is nearly identical to the AR-15 assault rifle.
Perry admitted that from March 31, 2020 to September 6, 2020, he purchased a number of firearm-related items online, including a gun cleaning mat with a diagram of the parts of an AR-15 style rifle; grease for lubricating firearms; a sling and sling assembly for a rifle; a weapon mounted light commonly found on AR-15 style weapons; a weapons mounted sight; and a device to calibrate a weapons sight. Perry caused the items to be delivered to his girlfriend’s residence in her name and used the items to build an operational AM-15 weapon.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on October 7, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perry’s residence in Dundalk, Maryland and seized an Anderson Manufacturing rifle model AM-15; a black tactical vest containing two ballistic plates; three loaded rifle magazines; eight rounds of .223 caliber ammunition and other firearm related accessories. During an interview with law enforcement, Perry insisted that the rifle was purchased and owned by his girlfriend for self-defense purposes. He also claimed to have built the rifle and conceded that the FBI would find his fingerprints on the weapon. Perry also admitted he would have used the weapon himself for self-defense if the situation required it.
Perry faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the ATF, for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and P. Michael Cunningham, who are prosecuting the case.
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Allentown Woman Sentenced to 75 Months’ Imprisonment and Must Pay over $857,000 for Defrauding the GovernmentRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 9, 2021, Marien Torres-Acevedo, age 38, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 75 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiring to defraud the government and for committing aggravated identity theft.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Torres-Acevedo pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the government between January 2015 to July 2016. Torres-Acevedo and her conspirators obtained fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks by stealing victims’ identities and using those stolen identities to file false tax returns that generated significant refunds. Torres-Acevedo and her conspirators then secured the fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks and cashed them at various check cashing businesses, including several in Pennsylvania. Torres-Acevedo admitted that between $550, 000 and $1.5 million in losses occurred as a result of the criminal activity.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mariani highlighted the losses caused to the United States government by the scheme, and the number of victims whose identities were stolen to file false tax returns. Acevedo also was held accountable for fabricating social media communications that threatened her and her family and providing them to investigators, who were able to trace the communications back to Acevedo.
Judge Mariani also ordered Torres-Acevedo to pay $857,729.65 in restitution. Torres-Acevedo is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and faces deportation at the conclusion of her sentence of imprisonment.
Torres-Acevedo codefendant, Francisco Rodriguez-Polanco, and another coconspirator, Julio Polanco Suarez, both pleaded guilty to similar offenses. Rodriguez-Polanco was sentenced to 54 months of imprisonment, while Suarez awaits sentencing. Another third coconspirator, Alfred LiPuma, age 81, was previously sentenced to three years of probation and paid $2.1 million in restitution and fines.
The matter was investigated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspectors, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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Alleged Romance Scammer from Orange County Arrested on Federal Charges of Defrauding at Least 10 Victims Out of over $1 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities have arrested an Irvine resident on fraud charges that were unsealed today to reveal allegations he stole more than $1 million from at least 10 victims in Southern California – some of whom he developed romantic relationships with – and used the personal information of some to obtain credit.
Ze’Shawn Stanley Campbell, 33, who in recent years has lived in several cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, was taken into custody March 6 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after arriving on an international flight. During his first court appearance Monday in federal court in Fort Worth, Campbell was ordered detained, and the United States Marshals Service was ordered to transport him to Los Angeles. Once he arrives in Southern California, Campbell will be arraigned and will be afforded a detention hearing.
Over the course of six years, Campbell allegedly defrauded his victims by lying about his wealth, his ownership of various business, his success in investing money, and his service in the military. After convincing the victims he was wealthy, reliable and successful, Campbell asked for money, including for loans that he claimed he would use to support his businesses and to pay his medical bills, according to the indictment. In some cases, Campbell obtained money from victims with false claims he would invest their funds.
Notwithstanding his various claims, the indictment alleges Campbell used the funds to support his lifestyle, which included the purchase of luxury items. When some of his victims refused to give or stopped giving him money, he applied for loans and credit cards in their names without their knowledge and then failed to pay off those loans and credit card balances, according to the indictment.
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.
The indictment filed on March 5 and unsealed today charges Campbell with five counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The wire fraud and bank fraud charges in the indictment each carry a 30-year statutory maximum sentence, the money laundering charge carries a potential 10-year federal prison sentence, and the aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory, consecutive sentence of two years of imprisonment.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G. Kumar of the Major Frauds Section.
Alien Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Lovepreet Singh, 27, a former Jackson resident who is an alien from India, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan to money laundering and unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jack P. Stanton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New Orleans Field Office.
A federal criminal l indictment naming ten defendants in the United States and abroad, returned by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2019, charged Singh, an Indian national then residing and working as an interstate truck driver based in Indianapolis, IN, with acts supporting a conspiracy defrauding multiple victims as part of an international tech support and telemarketing fraud scheme.
According to the indictment and testimony in court, beginning in January 2015, and continuing through December 20, 2018, Singh conspired with nine other defendants, located across the United States and in India, to commit the federal offenses of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud, in addition to offenses of money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and passing fictitious obligations.
Conspirators in Mississippi and elsewhere would obtain the telephone numbers and email addresses of computers belonging to various individuals throughout the United States. They engaged telephone calling centers in India, which would place calls to the United States numbers that appeared to be coming from United States-based toll-free numbers. The conspirators established and operated various business entities such as World Tech Assistance and US Support Inc., in Mississippi and elsewhere in the United States.
Conspirators would call victims in the United States, advising the victims that malware and ransomware were infecting the victims’ computers and devices, and that the victims should contact the conspirators for assistance. Conspirators misrepresented themselves as “Apple Support” or “Microsoft” or other legitimate and known technical support services, and offered their assistance to remove the software, in return for payment.
Victims responded to the conspirators’ phone calls and pop up messages to send monies and payments, by wire, check and other means. Victims also granted conspirators access to the their bank accounts and computers, permitting the conspirators to further enrich themselves by fraudulent appropriation and taking of the money and property of the victims. Victims sent money and payments to conspirators in Mississippi and to conspirators in India. Conspirators in Mississippi would also send payments and monies to their conspirators in India.
Singh will be sentenced on July 6, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan in Jackson. He faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for money laundering and 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. Each count also can merit a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Special Agents with HSI’s Jackson Division who investigated the case, and the United States Marshals Service who assisted with the nationwide search and arrests of defendants. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Theodore Cooperstein.
31 Texas Minors Recovered in “Operation Missing in the Metroplex”Read the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced today that 31 DFW-area children have been located, recovered, or rescued as a result of “Operation Missing in the Metroplex,” a month-long operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
The federal agencies partnered with four local police departments – the Arlington Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Grand Prairie Police Department – to locate the missing minors.
Analysts with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Missing & Unidentified Persons Unit and the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services provided critical intelligence. Local nonprofit 4theONE provided 24-hour support and relayed numerous tips that culminated in recoveries.
“To observe law enforcement partnerships and community concerns culminate into such a successful recovery outcome is rewarding,” said Acting United States Marshal Quintella Downs-Bradshaw. “Victims should know they are not forgotten, there is hope and a way to return home.”
“While this joint operation lasted approximately 30 days, HSI Dallas will continue working relentlessly to identify and recover missing children who become vulnerable to human traffickers across the North Texas region,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. “Our continued collaboration with our local, state and federal law-enforcement partners and non-governmental organizations is vital to combatting this global epidemic.”
At least seven recoveries were of critically missing children with ties to sex trafficking. Noteworthy cases include:
- A 15-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Dallas Police at a residence in Dallas following a tip by a confidential source.
- A 17-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Dallas Police inside a vehicle in Dallas.
- A 16-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Arlington Police inside a residence in Kerens, TX following an analysis of social media.
- A 13-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Fort Worth Police inside an apartment in Fort Worth.
- A 15-year-old Jane Doe from Fort Worth recovered in an Uber in Houston during a prostitution sting.
- A 16-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Fort Worth Police at a “john’s” house in Fort Worth.
- A 16-year-old Jane Doe recovered by Dallas Police walking on Lancaster Blvd.
The remaining 24 children were recovered from friends or relatives, reunited with their legal guardians, and removed from the missing children database.
“We are grateful to be a part of a coalition of extraordinary law enforcement agencies who were dedicated in reuniting these children with their loved ones. It is our hope that each of them will be able to put this traumatic experience behind them and move forward to have a happy and productive life,” said Dallas Police Department Chief of Police Eddie Garcia.
“We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners to identify and rescue missing children,” said Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones. “These kids and teens represent some of our most vulnerable populations where adults try to prey on their innocence. We will not rest until every child is located safe and someone is held accountable.”
“It is imperative that we continue to work with our partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, our children. We value our state and federal partnerships and were honored to be included as part of ‘Operation Missing in the Metroplex.’ We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partnerships in locating missing children and reuniting them with their families. Human trafficking is a serious issue and we will not rest until our most vulnerable population are safe,” said Fort Worth Police Department Chief Neil Noakes.
The Justice Department records more than 420,000 reports of missing children each year. For decades, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and state and local authorities have worked relentlessly to recover children who have been abducted, enticed, lost, or run away.
If your child is missing, call local law enforcement immediately, and provide them with your child’s name, height, weight, any other descriptive identifiers (glasses, braces, etc), and the circumstances under which they went missing. Then, consider calling the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) for additional support.
9 March 2021
Wheeling man admits to his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Carlos Leeper, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Leeper, also known as “Los,” 57, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location.” Leeper admitted to owning a house on South York Street on Wheeling Island for the purpose of storing and selling heroin and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” The house is within 1,000 feet of Jensen Playground. The crime occurred from May 2019 to August 2020.
Leeper is facing at least one and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Clayton J. Reid are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The U.S. Marshal Service, Columbus Police Department Gang Crimes Unit, the Martins Ferry Police Department, and the Bellaire Police Department also assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Find the original press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/26-charged-drug-conspiracy-involving-heroin-fentanyl-crack-cocaine-and-meth-wheeling
Wetzel County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alexander Cleveland King, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
King, also known as “Alex,” 35, pled guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” King, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a conviction, admitted to having .45 caliber pistol in January 2021 in Wetzel County.
King is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
U.S. Postal Worker and Four Others Arrested for Shipping Heroin and Fentanyl Through the MailRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New York, Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service, Officer of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the unsealing of an indictment today charging LUIS GAMEZ, HUGO RICHARD VILLANUEVA TORRES, DANIEL ORTIZ, JOSE LUIS MARTINEZ ROSARIO and JAYSON COLON with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl in connection with a scheme to transport those narcotics through the U.S. mail. GAMEZ was arrested on Sunday evening in California and was presented yesterday before a federal magistrate judge in the Central District of California. VILLANUEVA, ORTIZ, MARTINEZ, and COLON were arrested yesterday in New Jersey and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses that same day. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendants are charged with trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and heroin. We thank our partners at HSI and USPS-OIG for their outstanding work in stopping the shipment of narcotics through the U.S. mail.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “These defendants allegedly operated a cross-country drug distribution network which placed profits above all else, including the safety of our communities. During this week's operation, we arrested 5 members of this drug trafficking organization. More importantly, we seized over 6 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, which contain numerous fatal doses of these dangerous drugs. Working with our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal OIG and the United States Attorney’s Office, SDNY, HSI will continue to protect the public from those who would exploit our communities for their own financial and personal gain.”
USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi said: “The Special Agents of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the Postal Service and its personnel. When a Postal Service employee allegedly decides to break the public’s trust and participates in a scheme to transport illegal narcotics through the U.S. Mail, USPS OIG Special Agents will tirelessly work to bring those responsible to justice. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat the shipment of illegal narcotics through the U.S. Mail.”
USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “Using the U.S. Mail to facilitate the transportation of deadly fentanyl was one of many mistakes allegedly made by these subjects. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will arrest and bring to justice anyone who breaks the sanctity of the trust placed in the U.S. Mail, no matter where they are found.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court and in other court papers and proceedings[1]:
From at least in or about May 2020 up to and including in or about February 2021, LUIS GAMEZ, HUGO RICHARD VILLANUEVA TORRES, DANIEL ORTIZ, JOSE LUIS MARTINEZ ROSARIO, and JAYSON COLON participated in a conspiracy to distribute kilograms of fentanyl and heroin. The conspirators transported kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin, as well as narcotics proceeds, in packages shipped through the United States mail with the assistance of ORTIZ, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
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GAMEZ, 30, of Riverside, California, VILLANUEVA, 29, of Belleville, New Jersey, ORTIZ, 41, of Harrison, New Jersey, MARTINEZ, 44, of Harrison, New Jersey, and COLON, 42, of Kearny, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one kilogram or more of heroin. That charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI-New York, USPS-OIG, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and thanked HSI-Newark and HSI-Riverside for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kedar Bhatia and Andrew A. Rohrbach are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney's Office Reaches ADA Settlements with Medical Practices in Hamden and New HavenRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached settlement agreements with the owners and operators of two separate Connecticut medical practices to resolve allegations that the facilities did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreements resolve ADA complaints filed by individuals with disabilities alleging that Family & Internal Medicine of Dixwell Avenue located at 2543 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, and a medical practice located at 666 George Street in New Haven, were not fully accessible for individuals with physical disabilities.
The owners and operators of 2543 Dixwell Avenue and the owner of operator of 666 George Street are in the process of making changes required by the settlement agreements, which include improving the accessibility of the locations’ entrances and access routes, adding accessible features to examination rooms and restrooms, and reducing barriers for patients to access check-in and check-out areas.
Under federal law, professional offices of health care providers and their landlords are considered “public accommodations” and are prohibited from discriminating based on disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle noted that the owners of 2543 Dixwell Avenue and the owner of 666 George Street have worked cooperatively and collaboratively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expeditiously address the ADA issues without litigation and to make comprehensive changes to each facility to improve accessibility.
These matters were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ndidi N. Moses of the District of Connecticut.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities or does not permit service animals may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Two Newark Men Charged with Attempted Carjacking and Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Newark men made their initial appearances today on charges stemming from a Feb. 22, 2021, attempted carjacking in Newark during which a firearm was discharged, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Antwan Malone, 34, and Dawan Walker, 24, both of Newark, are charged by complaint with one count of attempted carjacking and one count of discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence. They appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 22, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to the area of the I-78 West entrance ramp and Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark on a report of an attempted carjacking with a weapon. They learned that Malone and Walker had pulled up beside a blue BMW M5 SUV that was stopped at a stop light and blocked the BMW’s ability to enter I-78. Malone approached the vehicle brandishing a handgun, and then pointed the gun at the driver’s face while repeatedly telling the driver to either exit the vehicle or Malone would shoot them. At that point, the driver was able to escape by ramming the BMW into Malone and Walker’s vehicle and entering the I-78 entrance ramp. Malone fired two shots at the BMW.
The count of attempted carjacking carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison. The count of discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.
This case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the OCEDTF Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Michigan Men Arrested After Leading Law Enforcement on A High Speed Chase from Lewiston to DunkirkRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Donyell Williams, 26, and Johnny Greer, 20, of Michigan, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with fleeing and evading a checkpoint operated by federal law enforcement in a motor vehicle in excess of the legal speed limit and with eluding examination and inspection by immigration officers. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 5, 2021, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) alerted Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Lewiston Port of Entry, that a black Jeep Commander with Ohio license plates had just fled the CBSA secondary inspection area. The driver was identified as defendant Williams, and the passenger was identified as defendant Greer. CBSA advised that after defendants arrived at their checkpoint, they were directed to a secondary inspection area and instructed to remain in the vehicle while a records check was conducted. Williams and Greer immediately drove off at a high rate of speed against traffic back through the CBSA primary lanes towards the United States. Williams then drove through a CBP truck lane number and failed to stop for inspection, at which time “port runner” protocols were initiated.
CBP Officers departed Lewiston Port of Entry in pursuit of the defendants. The black Jeep Commander was observed on the comer of Baseline Road and Staley Road on Grand Island, NY. When Officers turned their vehicle around, Williams and Greer once again fled at a high rate of speed, getting back onto the I-190 heading south. CBP continued in pursuit utilizing lights and sirens. The defendants exited the I-190 and entered the 198 and attempted to evade CBP Officers by making turns at various streets in between Buffalo State College and the Peace Bridge Port of Entry, before getting back onto I-190 south and eventually the I-90 west. During the pursuit, vehicle speeds ranged in excess of 95 to 110 mph. On the I-90 near Dunkirk, NY, the New York State Police attempted safely to stop the vehicle utilizing tire deflating techniques. The defendants evaded that attempt, and approximately 12 miles past that point, the black Jeep Commander was found abandoned on the side of the highway. Law enforcement officers commenced a search for Williams and Greer who fled the vehicle on foot. At approximately 1:00 a.m., on March 6, 2021, defendant Williams walked out of the wooded area adjacent to the I-90 and turned himself into CBP Officers. During a search of Williams, officers recovered approximately 10 grams of suspected THC/marijuana. A few minutes after Williams was taken into custody, defendant Greer was located and taken into custody on the side of I-90 trying to flag down other vehicles.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Jennifer H. Gottstine.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Former SunTrust Bank Employees Sentenced, Ordered to Pay $83,800Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashad Liverpool, 28, and Robert Tillery, 45, were each sentenced on Friday, by the Honorable James A. Crowell IV, Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips. The two former SunTrust Bank employees each pled guilty in February 2020 to financial exploitation of an elderly person, in violation of Title 22, D.C. Code, Section 933.01(a)(3), for defrauding a 72-year-old military widow with diminished capacity of $83,800. The court ordered both defendants to pay restitution for the entire amount that they each stole. The court suspended imposition of each defendant’s sentence to the maximum period of incarceration provided for under the D.C. Sentencing Guidelines, effectively sentencing each defendant to the maximum period of supervised probation. The court may impose incarceration if a defendant violates the terms of probation.
According to the government’s evidence, during the summer of 2018, Liverpool and Tillery each frequently visited the victim, a client of SunTrust Bank, after normal business hours and against bank policy. They identified funds that the widow held at Bank of America and took advantage of her diminished capacity in order to move those funds into accounts that they controlled. Liverpool moved $51,900 into a joint account that he created in his and the victim’s name at Capital One Bank. He used all of the funds for his own benefit, including two trips to California and one trip to Miami. During the trip to Miami, Liverpool used the victim’s funds to stay at a beachfront hotel, rent a red Ford Mustang, and purchase items from a mini bar. Liverpool also made ATM withdrawals totalling $3,200 from the victim’s account while she was hospitalized. Meanwhile, Tillery withdrew $3,000 in cash from one of the victim’s accounts and wrote himself a check for $25,700 from another. He used these funds to make purchases at various outlet stores and finance a move to Chicago. The scheme ended when the victim was hospitalized and a newly appointed attorney-in-fact discovered that the funds were missing.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, specifically Detective Phillipe Moore of the Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit, as well as the work of Investigator Jonathan Rich, of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia at the time of investigation, who investigated the case together. He also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mika, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chimnomnso Kalu, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Romano, and Supervisory Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark.
This prosecution is part of the Office’s wider efforts to combat crimes against seniors and vulnerable adults. In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia simultaneously launched initiatives to address the abuse and exploitation of older adults. The Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative at the U.S. Attorney’s Office expanded its response to criminal and civil violations targeting older adults. The initiative has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop and coordinate further its prosecution of these cases and enhance its overall support of older or vulnerable victims. The team consists of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates from across the Office, to include the Superior Court, Criminal, and Civil Divisions, as well as the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General (from which an attorney is detailed to handle, as a special assistant United States attorney, financial crime cases involving elderly victims) to prosecute cases of this kind.
Two Defendants Sentenced for Domestic Violence CrimesRead the Press Release
Jared Andrew Evans and Lakota Ray Scott were sentenced today in federal court in separate domestic violence cases, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
“In both of these cases, the defendants chose to put their hands around their partners’ necks in an attempt to strangle them. Tragically, domestic abuse often escalates from strangulation to homicide,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This team of federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials will continue to hold accountable perpetrators of domestic violence for the trauma they inflict on their partners, families and communities.”
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jared Andrew Evans, 29, of Sapulpa, to 40 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate partner and dating partner in Indian Country.
Evans admitted that on May 22, 2020, he struck his girlfriend in the back of the head, knocking her down to the ground and resulting in a laceration. He also attempted to strangle the victim and kicked her in the stomach, causing her to throw up.
The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan V. Reininger prosecuted the case.
Lakota Ray Scott, 34, of Tulsa, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for domestic assault by strangulation in Indian Country and for robbery in Indian Country. Further, Scott agreed to take part in a drug and alcohol treatment program while imprisoned.
In 2017, Scott, a member of the Cherokee Nation, received a three-year deferred probation sentence from the state for the crimes, but she later requested her case be dismissed based on the Supreme Court’s jurisdictional decision in McGirt v Oklahoma. Once the case was dismissed, the United States filed charges against the defendant.
At a December plea hearing, Scott explained that on March 16, 2016, during an argument, Scott tackled the victim in the living room and strangled the victim. Scott also grabbed a flat screen television and smashed it over the victim’s head twice.
Scott further admitted to stealing a pick-up truck that was idling while the owner was just a few feet away on Jan. 31, 2019. When the owner saw the defendant in his truck, Scott locked the doors and put the vehicle in drive. The owner jumped into the bed of the truck and Scott drove off erratically and in a dangerous manner. The victim was thrown around in the truck bed during the ride and believed that Scott was trying to intentionally throw him out of the bed of the truck. The victim’s hands, legs, chest and head were injured. Scott then crashed the truck into a fence and ran. She was eventually found in a parking garage, hiding from authorities.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Gilmore prosecuted the case.
Trucker who hauled nearly $2 million in drug money sent to prisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 52-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to one count of money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Edgardo Serrano pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2020, admitting he drove $1,758,465 in proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics from Florida to the Rio Grande Valley. He is originally from New Boston, Michigan, but now resides in Miami, Florida.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered him to serve a 72-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing the importance of the $1,758,465 payment in exchange for more cocaine being sent to Miami. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rodriguez noted the large amount of cocaine the $1.7 million represented.
The investigation revealed trucks would pick up cocaine from South Texas to be driven to Florida for illegal sale. Drivers like Serrano would then return to the Rio Grande Valley with the illegal drug proceeds for delivery into Mexico to drug cartel members.
Authorities discovered Serrano in Hidalgo County April 17, 2020, with drug money secreted in his semi-tractor-trailer.
As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit the $1,758,465 as illegal money obtained from the sale of cocaine.
Serrano was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jointly conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation titled La Familia Tradicion. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Betancourt prosecuted the case.
OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States through prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task forces that leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Three Council Bluffs Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On March 3, 2021, Bruce Lee Gamble, age 42, and Alberto Monroe Rocha, age 43, both of Council Bluffs, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Gamble was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Gamble pleaded guilty to the offense on September 21, 2020.
Rocha was sentenced to 18 months in prison for prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Rocha pleaded guilty to the offense on August 21, 2020.
Co-conspirator Daniel Walker Gabehart, age 49, also of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by Judge Ebinger on December 16, 2020. Gabehart was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and another 60 months, to run consecutively, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Gabehart was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Gabehart pleaded guilty to the offense on August 4, 2020.
Detectives with the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force conducted several controlled methamphetamine purchases with Gabehart, which led to a search warrant of his residence. Gabehart, Gamble, and Rocha were located at the Council Bluffs apartment along with methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and several firearms.
This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Sweetwater Man Pleads Guilty to $12.3 Million Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Sweetwater business owner plead guilty today to engaging in a $12.3 million wire fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Stewart Kile Williams, 31, plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
According to court documents, Mr. Williams committed his crimes in the Northern District of Texas after engaging in another fraud scheme in the Southern District of Texas where he pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. Mr. Williams was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,071,925 in restitution for his crimes in the Southern District of Texas.
While on pretrial release in the Southern District of Texas, Mr. Williams formed AZS Trenching, an unregistered sole proprietorship. The company provided freight and trenching services in the West Texas Permian Basin.
In January 2019, Mr. Williams and Navarone Capital, LLC, a privately held business in Midland, Texas, entered into an agreement under which AZS Trenching sold its accounts receivable to Navarone in a process called “factoring.” This allowed Mr. Williams to receive cash up front from Navarone for a portion of the value of services listed on his invoices. Under the agreement, Navarone confirmed the invoices with the respective companies for which AZS Trenching was performing work and then paid Mr. Williams for the invoices.
In March 2019, Mr. Williams sought an additional factoring agreement for work AZS Trenching was purportedly performing for HIS Pipeline Company. Navarone performed due diligence and required assurances from HIS Pipeline. Mr. Williams completely fabricated a relationship with HIS and created bogus invoices for work AZS Trenching did not perform, and never planned to perform, for HIS.
Mr. Williams admitted to fabricating invoices and assuming the identity of an HIS employee. To further his scheme, Mr. Williams acquired a cell telephone with a Louisiana area code where HIS is based. He also acquired an email address under the assumed name. Mr. Williams then communicated with Navarone via telephone and email under the guise of the HIS employee. During each communication, he assured Navarone that AZS Trenching was performing the work on the fabricated invoices. Mr. Williams used the fraudulent pretenses to encourage Navarone to front money for the bogus invoices.
In sum, Mr. Williams created 38 fictitious invoices totaling more than $12.3 million. Using the criminally derived funds, Mr. Williams purchased a number of items, including farm equipment and a new home.
Mr. Williams faces up to 60 years in federal prison for crimes committed in the Northern District of Texas.
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Online Conduct with Canadian ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for using SnapChat to contact 12- and 13-year-old girls in Canada to induce them to engage in sexually explicit behavior.
Michael David Miller, 40, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On June 2, 2020, Miller pleaded guilty to the coercion and enticement of a minor.
On May 23, 2019, law enforcement in Ottawa, Canada, received multiple reports from 12-to-13-year-old girls that an older man – later identified as Miller – was communicating with them on SnapChat. Miller asked them to engage in sexually explicit activity, sent videos and images of child pornography, and masturbated while on video chat with some of the minors. SnapChat submitted to law enforcement 25 files of suspected child pornography that had been sent between Jan. 6 and May 29, 2019.
Local law enforcement began investigating after Miller was identified. Investigators also received information from an adult woman regarding Miller’s conduct via text messages and video chat through the Duo application. Officers executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence on July 18, 2019, and seized multiple devices. A forensic examination of those devices found videos and images of child pornography on his laptop computer.
Miller also admitted that he engaged in similar criminal conduct with children in Nebraska and Wisconsin.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."South Louisiana Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Ransom White, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana was sentenced by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. As part of the sentence, the Court also ordered White to forfeit $64,367.37 in funds constituting drug proceeds.
A federal grand jury in Lafayette returned an indictment on July 13, 2018 charging White and others with drug trafficking. White pled guilty on May 30, 2019 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence presented in court at the plea hearing revealed that White was a known member of a methamphetamine trafficking organization during 2017 and 2018.
Law enforcement agents began investigating White and his co-defendants and during their investigation, learned that White conspired with his other co-defendants to purchase and deliver methamphetamine to be sold. Their investigation revealed that White would obtain methamphetamine in vegetable cans from a supplier, with each can containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine. White would then deliver the drugs to his co-defendant to sell.
The FBI conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
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South Carolina Investment Fund Manager Admits $20 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A South Carolina investment fund manager today admitted his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $20 million from investors through misrepresentations about trading strategy and fund performance, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
George Heckler, 64, of Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of securities fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Heckler managed, controlled or was involved with multiple investment funds, including Conestoga Partner Holdings (Conestoga), Cassatt Short Term Trading Fund LP (Cassatt), CV Special Opportunity Fund LP (CVSO), and TA1 LLC (TA1).
From 2014 to 2018, Heckler misrepresented to investors that he would invest their funds in particular trading strategies. Instead, he diverted their funds out of Cassatt and TA1 for purposes inconsistent with the trading strategies, including to pay out millions of dollars to other investors. Heckler also used investors’ funds to cover investment losses suffered by other funds under his management and/or control.
Heckler solicited investments from Victim-1, claiming the investments would be invested in Cassatt, which employed a “first loss” trading strategy intended to protect investors from losses. However, as of December 2013, Cassatt no longer had a brokerage account that was necessary to employ the represented trading strategy. Despite Cassatt no longer having a brokerage account, in 2014, Heckler represented to Victim-1 that Cassatt was still engaged in a first loss trading strategy and solicited Victim-1’s investment in Cassatt. In September 2014, Victim-1 invested approximately $9.1 million in Cassatt, relying on Heckler’s representation that Victim-1’s money would be invested consistent with Cassatt’s first loss trading strategy. Heckler used $4.6 million of Victim-1’s investment to repay existing investors and the remainder to satisfy other obligations Heckler owed that were unrelated to Cassatt.
Heckler also approached Victim-2 about the possibility of creating a hedge fund that would deploy capital to first-loss traders, who would serve as the “first loss” protection for investors’ capital. In late 2015, Victim-2 formed a hedge fund, utilizing the concept proposed by Heckler (Entity-1). In 2015 and 2016, Entity-1 invested $10.1 million in TA1 via a participation agreement that provided that Entity-1’s investment would be used for an “options arbitrage dividend recapture trade,” otherwise known as the “skate trade.” In fact, none of Entity-1’s investment was used for the “skate trade.” Entity-1’s investment was used for other purposes, including repaying others who had previously invested with Heckler.
Over the course of the scheme, Heckler sent out statements to investors that misled them into believing the value of their investments was increasing, when, in fact, the value was declining. Heckler took approximately $1 million in fees and distributions from the fraudulently obtained investments for his personal use.
The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2021.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint against Heckler based on the allegations underlying the securities fraud charge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Driscoll, Philadelphia Field Office, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine R. Murphy and Andrew Macurdy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Seafood Company Sentenced for Illegal Sale of OystersRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that INDIAN RIDGE SEAFOOD COMPANY, LLC, ("INDIAN RIDGE SEAFOOD") a Louisiana Limited Liability Company located in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced today before U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to a fine of $10,000, and a special assessment of $125 for the illegal sale of oysters in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court records, from January 1, 2017 through March 19, 2019, INDIAN RIDGE SEAFOOD did knowingly sell and transport oysters in interstate commerce with a market value in excess of $350.00, when, in the exercise of due care, INDIAN RIDGE SEAFOOD should have known that said oysters were acquired and possessed in violation of and in a manner unlawful under the laws of the State of Louisiana, specifically, Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 56:306.4; R.S. 56:306.5; R.S. and 56:306.6. INDIAN RIDGE SEAFOOD failed to report to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries approximately 14,346 sacks of Louisiana oysters, valued at approximately $656,865.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
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Santa Monica Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Conning Four Women He Dated into Investing in His Sham CompaniesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for deceiving women he met online and elsewhere into investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into his sham companies, and then spending their money on himself.
Antonio Mariot Wilson, a.k.a. “Brice Carrington” and “Dr. Tony Mariot,” 58, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who also ordered him to pay $272,000 in restitution and described the defendant’s behavior as “vicious, not only in terms of money loss to victims but the manner in which he abused the victims and the way he pursued the fraud.” Judge Wilson gave the defendant 48 hours to surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and noted, “Predator is not usually a term referred to in the fraud context, but it is an apt description here.”
Antonio Wilson pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of wire fraud.
From May 2015 to October 2018, Wilson defrauded four women with whom he had engaged in romantic relationships, including actress Jenifer Lewis, whose credits include the television series “Black-ish.” Wilson met Ms. Lewis at a gym where he worked as a manager, and he met his other victims through location-based dating applications such as Bumble.
Wilson convinced his victims to begin dating him by telling them lies that were designed to create a false sense of prestige. For example, Wilson falsely told his victims that he was a Navy SEAL, a graduate of Oxford University, and an Oxford professor who was teaching courses at UCLA on biblical antiquities.
Relying on the intimacy he created with his victims, Wilson convinced them to invest their money in one of his sham companies – Ultimate FX, which he claimed was a sound design business, and 2nd Life, a purported software business designed to provide animated instruction on applying for government benefits.
“It is the emotional impact that this crime had on his victims that makes it particularly egregious,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “[Wilson] not only conned people out of their money, but he also did so by betraying their trust after forging intimate relationships with them. The impact of such a fraud is more than financial; it is personal.”
Wilson deceived his victims into investing in these companies by making false statements, such as claiming that the ABC television network and EA Sports video game developer had used Ultimate FX for their shows and games. Wilson also lied that investors – real people whose identities he used without authorization – had valued 2nd Life at more than $30 million and wanted to invest in the company. Wilson also falsely stated that 2nd Life had a present valuation of $3.2 million.
In actuality, Wilson used his victims’ money to fund his own lifestyle and pay his own personal expenses, concealing the fact that he – using the alias “Brice Carrington” – had previously pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland to carrying out a very similar scheme to defraud Ultimate FX investors. Wilson served a four-year term in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to wire fraud and tax evasion charges.
Wilson also sold unregistered 2nd Life securities by distributing “shareholder agreements” and “stock purchase agreements” to the victims. After accepting his victims’ funds, Wilson used the money to pay off his credit card debt, pay his rent and buy luxury items.
Through this scheme, the actual loss to Wilson’s victims was $272,000.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander C.K. Wyman of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
San Antonio Physician Agrees to Pay $350,000 to Resolve Allegations that He Pre-Signed Prescriptions and Issued Prescriptions without Appropriate ExaminationsRead the Press Release
Dr. Hugo A. Rojas, owner of Hugo A. Rojas, M.D., P.A., and Family Clinics of San Antonio, has agreed to pay $350,000.00 under a civil settlement to resolve allegations he violated certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA), announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux, Houston Division.
Dr. Rojas is a primary care physician registered with the DEA to prescribe controlled substances, as well as a Medicare provider operating a medical practice with two locations in San Antonio. The settlement reflects the ongoing commitment of DOJ and DEA to address the opioid crisis and to prevent, detect and investigate the diversion of controlled substances. It further reflects the joint DOJ and Health and Human Services (“HHS”) commitment to identify and investigate false billing practices by Medicare providers.
“Doctors must live up to their obligations under the CSA to ensure that controlled substances are not illegally diverted into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Hoff. “Protecting our community from the diversion of controlled substances is a priority of the DEA and our office.”
“This settlement illustrates pharmacies and medical providers are being held accountable for violating federal laws designed to ensure the safety and legal dispensation of pharmaceutical drugs,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Comeaux. “This case clearly reflects DEA’s commitment to use all available tools to address this crisis at every level and ultimately reduce the availability of highly addictive opioids.”
After an investigation into Dr. Rojas’ prescribing practices, the U.S. contends Dr. Rojas violated the CSA by pre-signing 13 prescriptions for controlled substances which were provided to patients at times when Dr. Rojas was travelling outside of the state of Texas. Furthermore, the U.S. contends he violated the CSA by issuing six prescriptions for controlled substances without having examined the patients prior to providing the prescription. The U.S. also contends Dr. Rojas violated the CSA by issuing 18 prescriptions for controlled substances to patients seen by non-physician personnel. The pre-signing or issuance of prescriptions raises serious concerns about the potential diversion of controlled substances.
In addition, the U.S. alleges that Dr. Rojas submitted claims for reimbursement for services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries during times he was travelling outside of the state of Texas and that care was provided by mid-level practitioners employed by Dr. Rojas. A portion of the $350,000.00 settlement includes restitution to Medicare for these claims.
Dr. Rojas has made no admission of civil liability.
The DEA’s Diversion Group in the San Antonio District Office investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Van De Walle handled this case on behalf of the government.
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Rochester Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Bryson McBride, 22, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on May 16, 2019, at a residence on Baycliff Drive in Rochester, the defendant possessed a quantity of cocaine, which was packaged for distribution. McBride also possessed quantities of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. In addition, the defendant possessed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jean Green-Alvarez, 34, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to being felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that on January 15, 2020, at approximately 12:14 a.m., the defendant, while in possession of a loaded semiautomatic rifle, approached an individual and forcibly stole a backpack. Green-Alvarez then fled to 108 Emerson Street in Rochester and handed the weapon and proceeds from the robbery to an individual inside the home. The weapon was recovered by law enforcement officers in the basement of 108 Emerson Street. In September 2009, the defendant was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico. As a result of that prior conviction, Green-Alvarez is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; and the United States Probation Office, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy C. Englerth.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Riverdale Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $256,000 in Social Security Disability PaymentsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Patricia Sahadachny, age 74, of Riverdale, Maryland to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft of government property. Judge Messitte also ordered Sahadachny to pay restitution in the amount of $256,244.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG), Philadelphia Field Division.
“This sentence reflects the egregious nature of the defendant’s conduct over more than two decades, as she perpetuated this fraud against all taxpayers,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael McGill. “The SSA OIG will continue to use every available resource and work closely with SSA to identify beneficiary deaths and pursue those who misuse Social Security benefits after someone dies. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of this investigation and its efforts to recover these funds for Social Security.”
According to her plea agreement, from February 1994 to January 2018, Sahadachny stole monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits payments intended for her son, who died on February 25, 1994. Sahadachny concealed and failed to disclose to SSA that her son had died, resulting in a loss to the U.S. government of $256,244.
As detailed in her plea agreement, at the time of his death, Sahadachny’s son was receiving his SSDI checks by mail at his residence, which he shared with Sahadachny, who served as his caretaker. When her son died, Sahadachny did not notify SSA of his death, and as a result, SSA continued to send checks in her son’s name to the residence. Sahadachny continued to deposit the benefits checks into her account, forging her son’s signature. This continued for nearly 24 years until SSA discovered through an audit that her son was likely deceased and terminated payments in January 2018.
During an interview with SSA OIG agents on October 24, 2018, Sahadachny admitted forging her son’s signature and depositing her son’s benefits checks into her account after his death. Sahadachny spent the stolen funds either by withdrawing them as cash, or using them to pay for personal expenses, including credit card debt she incurred on accounts she opened using her son’s name and social security number after he died. Sahadachny opened at least 11 credit accounts using her son’s identity after his death, of which, at least four were ultimately settled for less than the full amount owed.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the Social Security Administration for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who prosecuted the case.
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Pojoaque man sentenced to probation for drunk driving in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Samuel Fletcher, 72, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Pojoaque, was sentenced on March 8 in federal court to six months of probation after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol in Indian Country.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on July 6, 2020, Fletcher had six beers before leaving the Camel Rock Casino to drive home. Police found Fletcher parked across two spaces at a travel center, with a half-empty can of beer in his cupholder and a full can on the floorboard of his vehicle. Fletcher was asked to submit to a field sobriety test, but admitted that he could not balance due to his inebriated state. A portable breath test confirmed Fletcher’s inebriation. The offense occurred on the Pojoaque and Nambe Pueblos in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
In addition to probation, Fletcher also must use an ignition interlock system, attend and complete a Victim Impact Panel and DWI School, complete eight hours of community service and undergo random alcohol and drug screenings.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Alexander Flores is prosecuting the case.
Pittsburgh Crack Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 57 months’ imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release on his conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Derek Reddix, 50. Reddix had previously been convicted of two felony drug trafficking offenses.
According to information presented to the court, on November 20, 2018, Reddix possessed a distribution quantity of crack cocaine. Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge Ambrose referenced the seriousness of the offense as well as Reddix’s previous convictions.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Reddix.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Pharmacy owner and accountant indicted in $134M health care fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston area men are now in custody on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud relating to a pharmacy fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.
Authorities arrested Mohamed Mokbel, 56, and Fathy Elsafty, 62, both of Houston, today. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison at 2 p.m.
The eight-count indictment alleges Mokbel is the owner of several Houston area pharmacies, while Elsafty is his accountant.
4M Pharmaceuticals Inc. was the parent company for several retail pharmacies that operated in Houston, Fort Worth, South Florida and elsewhere, according to the charges. Mokbel was 4M’s CEO and allegedly had ownership interests in the subsidiary pharmacies. The charges allege Elsafty served as 4M’s accountant and tax preparer as well as nominee owner of the multiple pharmacies.
4M Pharmaceuticals allegedly functioned as an outbound telemarketing call center that solicited Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance patients nationwide – many over the over the age of 55. The indictment alleges call center employees offered patients medically unnecessary diabetic supplies and topical creams although many refused the solicitations. However, 4M Pharmaceuticals and pharmacies allegedly billed the patient’s insurance plan anyway. In some cases, 4M pharmacies billed for prescriptions dispensed after a patient’s death, according to the allegations.
The scheme also allegedly targeted doctors. The charges allege 4M Pharmaceuticals sent fax requests for prescriptions that patients often did not authorize. In several cases, the company billed patients for prescription drugs without a valid prescription, according to the allegations. 4M pharmacies also allegedly sent prescription requests to doctors for dead patients.
In several instances, audits required 4M to produce paperwork, according to the indictment. ElSafty allegedly participated in fabricating records.
The indictment alleges that from Dec. 13, 2013, through March 3, 2020, 4M pharmacies collectively received over $134 million in payments from Medicare and other healthcare benefit programs based on fraudulent claims. The funds were allegedly used, in part, to pay for Mokbel’s $1.5 million residence, $15 million in gambling and casino expenses and purchases and payments for a Ferrari and a Bentley automobile. Mokbel also transferred and controlled over $6 million in health care fraud proceeds in certificate of deposit accounts at banks, according to the allegations.
Mokbel and ElSafty are charged with one count of a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud and four counts of money laundering. All carry a possible prison sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine. The use of telemarketing to target people over 55 as a means to commit health care fraud carries an additional penalty of 10 years.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, IRS - Criminal Investigation, Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas State Board of Pharmacy conducted the joint investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abdul Farukhi and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Fenelon are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Paterson Man Admits to Coercion and Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man today admitted to coercion and enticement of a minor and to illegally reentering the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Juan Carlos Morales-Pedraza, 34, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to a superseding information charging him with coercion and enticement of a minor and of illegally re-entering the United States after having previously been deported.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On April 13, 2019, Morales-Pedraza approached a 15-year-old victim in Passaic County. Two days later, after engaging in sexual intercourse with the victim, Morales-Pedraza and the victim left the New Jersey, with plans to travel to Illinois. Morales-Pedraza admitted that he planned to engage in sexual conduct with the victim in Illinois. Law enforcement arrested Morales-Pedraza in Ohio.
Morales-Pedraza admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico and that he illegally entered the United States after having previously been deported.
The count of coercion and enticement carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. The count of illegal re-entry carries a maximum prison sentence of two years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Sexual Investigations Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, and investigators with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Lake Township Police Department in Lake Township, Ohio, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
Passaic County Man Admits Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Tawan Grier, a/k/a “TJ,” 22, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Grier is an associate of the 230 Boys street gang, which operates primarily around Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue in Paterson. Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement officers determined that from September 2018 through Oct. 1, 2019, Grier and other members and associates of the 230 Boys distributed narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base.
The count of distributing fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of at least $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora; detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes; and the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
Operator of Racehorse Doping Websites Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SCOTT ROBINSON was sentenced today to 18 months in prison in connection with ROBINSON’s years-long sale and distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs, including performance-enhancing drugs marketed to racehorse trainers and others in the racehorse industry. ROBINSON pled guilty to a one-count Information on September 16, 2020, before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Scott Robinson created and profited from a system designed to exploit racehorses in the pursuit of speed and prize money, risking their safety and wellbeing. Robinson sold unsanitary, misbranded, and adulterated drugs, and misled and deceived regulators and law enforcement in the process.”
According to the Indictment, the Superseding Information to which ROBINSON pled guilty, and other court documents, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2011 through at least in or about March 2020, ROBINSON conspired with others to manufacture, sell, and ship millions of dollars’ worth of adulterated and misbranded equine drugs, including performance-enhancing drugs (“PEDs”) intended to be administered to racehorses for the purpose of improving those horses’ race performances in order to win races and obtain prize money. ROBINSON sold these drugs through several direct-to-consumer websites designed to appeal to racehorse trainers and owners, including, among others, “horseprerace.com.”
ROBINSON contributed to the conspiracy by, among other things, sourcing chemicals used to create custom PEDs that were advertised and sold; falsely labeling, packaging, and shipping those PEDs to customers across the country, including in the Southern District of New York; and collecting, reporting, and responding to employee and customer complaints regarding the misbranded and adulterated products advertised and sold online. Among the drugs advertised and sold during the course of the conspiracy were “blood builders,” which are used by racehorse trainers and others to increase red blood cell counts and/or the oxygenation of muscle tissue of a racehorse in order to stimulate the horse’s endurance, which enhances that horse’s performance in, and recovery from, a race, as well as customized analgesics that are used by racehorse trainers and others to deaden a horse’s nerves and block pain in order to improve a horse’s race performance. The drugs distributed through the defendant’s websites were manufactured in non-FDA registered facilities and carried significant risks to the animals affected through the administration of those illicit PEDs. For example, in 2016, ROBINSON received a complaint regarding the effect of his unregulated drugs on a customer’s horse: “starting bout 8 hours after I give the injection and for about 36 hours afterwards both my horses act like they are heavily sedated, can barely walk. Could I have a bad bottle of medicine, I’m afraid to give it anymore since this has happened three times.” Commenting on this complaint, ROBINSON wrote simply, “here is another one.”
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In addition to his prison sentence, ROBINSON, 46, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and forfeiture of $3,832,318.90.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York FBI Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the FBI’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Ms. Strauss also thanked the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department for their support of this investigation, and the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance and expertise.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi, Benet J. Kearney, and Andrew C. Adams are in charge of the prosecution.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On March 3, 2021, Jeffrey Scott Leisure, age 56, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 126 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Leisure was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Leisure pleaded guilty to the offense on October 9, 2020.
The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task force began investigating numerous leads regarding Leisure distributing several pounds of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs and Omaha metro area. At the same time, detectives with the Bellevue Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted several controlled methamphetamine purchases with Leisure, leading to his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Norwich Man Pleads Guilty to Making ThreatsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL SCOTT, 32, of Norwich, pleaded guilty today to one count of making interstate threats.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 2, 2020, law enforcement received information from a woman in the Bronx, New York, that Scott had made threatening calls and sent threatening texts to her after she had communicated to Scott that she was not interested in having a romantic relationship with him. Texts and voicemails reviewed by investigators contained specific threats to harm the victim. One text included a promise by Scott that, on March 2, he would travel to the gym where she was employed and “…shoot tha whole gym up an end all of us….”
On the afternoon of March 2, Scott appeared at the victim’s workplace in the Bronx. The victim called 9-1-1 and Scott was arrested by the New York Police Department on domestic violence charges. He has been detained since his arrest.
Scott has two prior federal convictions for narcotics distribution offenses and he was on federal supervised release when he threatened the victim.
At sentencing, Scott faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New York Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
North East Man Sentenced to Nearly Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Estel Henry Cook, Jr., age 56, of North East, Maryland, to 95 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Jude Bennett ordered Cook to pay $3,000 in restitution. Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Cook must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.
According to his guilty plea, in April 2019, an internet search engine sent two Cyber Tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCEMC) after a user uploaded child pornography. After investigation, Maryland State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered the IP addresses and subscriber information associated with the upload child pornography resolved to Cook’s North East residence.
On August 27, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant a Cook’s residence and seized his cell phone. A forensic analysis revealed that Cook possessed approximately 976 files of graphic child exploitive material including 348 videos and 628 images. The images depicted the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent minors and an infant.
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, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine L. Duey, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Movie special effects coordinator sentenced to probation for illegally possessing explosive materialsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A California man has been sentenced to probation for illegally possessing explosive materials on a Savannah movie set.
Robert Christopher Bailey, 51, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 30 months of probation by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Possession of Explosive Materials as a Prohibited Person, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Bailey also was ordered to pay a fine of $5,500.
“The film industry is a robust and growing part of the economy in Savannah and in Georgia, and we welcome those who come to the state to work in movie production,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “However, we will fully enforce the law so that dangerous explosives are not in the hands of those who are prohibited from handling them.”
As described in court documents and testimony, on or about July 9, 2018, Bailey was working as a special effects and pyrotechnics coordinator on the Savannah movie set for The Poison Rose starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman. After an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Bailey admitted in court that he was prohibited from possessing explosive materials because of a prior criminal conviction.
“ATF is tasked with regulating the explosives industry and to promote public safety in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “The defendant had no business possessing explosives, given his previous criminal conduct.”
This case was investigated by Special Agent Lee Hoover of the ATF, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.