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Thursday 14 January 2021
Former Member of Hebron Bank Board of Directors Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Making False Statements to Obtain and Maintain Personal and Business LoansRead the Press Release
January 14, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Baltimore, Maryland – Brian Thomas Twilley, age 57, of Greenbackville, Virginia, formerly of Salisbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to making a false statement on a loan or credit application.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Manchak of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG).
From 2011 through 2015, Brian Twilley served as a member of the Board of Directors for Hebron Savings Bank, located in Wicomico County, Maryland. Twilley also owned a commercial printing business in Wicomico County and was a member of the faculty for the Economics and Finance Department at Salisbury University.
According to his guilty plea, from April 2010 through March 2017, Twilley provided false personal financial statements to Hebron that omitted from his net worth a $200,000 Home Equity Line of Credit (“HELOC”) due to Bank 2 that should have been paid off and closed with the proceeds of a separate HELOC that Twilley had obtained from Hebron. Twilley also provided false personal financial statements to Bank 3.
As detailed in his plea agreement, in August 2006 Hebron issued Twilley a $350,000 HELOC for the purpose of paying off and closing his $200,000 HELOC at Bank 2. As part of Hebron’s approval of the HELOC it required that Bank 2 release their lien on Twilley’s personal residence so that Hebron could secure a first-position lien on this collateral. On August 28, 2006, Twilley signed a letter addressed to Bank 2 directing them to accept the payoff of the loan, close the HELOC account, and forward the release documents to Hebron. The payoff was funded with a Teller’s Check issued by Hebron in the amount of $200,392.04, but the letter directing Bank 2 to close the loan was never delivered and the HELOC account at Bank 2 remained open. Twilley admitted that he continued to make withdrawals of the available funds in Bank 2’s HELOC and by 2010 had withdrawn the full $200,000 available.
As a member of Hebron’s Board of Directors and as a condition of his ongoing loan relationship with Hebron, which included the $350,000 HELOC and multiple commercial loans, Twilley was required to provide Hebron with an annual personal net worth statement. Twilley admitted that from 2010 through 2014 he provided Hebron with his personal financial statement, but failed to disclose the continued existence of the HELOC with Bank 2, which Hebron believed had been closed since 2006.
Further, in December 2014, as part of a request to renew a $100,000 commercial line of credit for his company with Bank 3, Twilley submitted a personal financial statement to Bank 3 that failed to disclose the existence of the HELOC with Bank 2 and the associated debt. When Twilley was questioned by a representative of Bank 3 as to why his credit report reflected a $200,000 HELOC due to Bank 2 that was not listed on his net worth statement, Twilley falsely advised that the HELOC at Bank 2 had been closed when he opened the HELOC at Hebron. The Bank 3 representative informed Twilley that Hebron may want to contact Bank 2 to have them close out the HELOC because Hebron’s secured position in the collateral might be behind Bank 2 if the lien was not released.
Twilley left his position as a member of Hebron’s Board of Directors in 2015. By 2017 Twilley was having difficulty servicing his debts and Hebron attempted to restructure his loan payments. As part of the negotiations, on March 17, 2017, Twilley again sent a personal financial statement to Hebron that failed to disclose the existence of his debt due on the HELOC with Bank 2, which then had a balance of approximately $176,000, thereby underreporting Twilley’s outstanding obligations. When a representative subsequently suggested that the collateral for the Hebron HELOC be sold, they learned that Bank 2 still held a first-position lien on the property because the HELOC with Bank 2 had never been closed. In July 2018 Twilley declared bankruptcy and Hebron restructured all of Twilley’s personal and commercial debts. In November 2018, the collateral for the HELOC was sold and $163,081.88 of the proceeds was disbursed to Bank 2 as a lien holder in first position, depriving Hebron of the proceeds of the sale.
As part of his plea agreement, Twilley will be required to pay restitution of $163,081.88, the full amount of the victim’s loss.
Twilley faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for making a false statement on a loan or credit application. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties and are determined by a federal district court judge after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Twilley.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA OIG and FDIC OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting the case.
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Former Member of Boston Chapter of Latin Kings Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the Boston-based Morton Street Bricks Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today for racketeering charges.
Oscar Pena, a/k/a “King DO-Block,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2020, Pena pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
Named for the Morton Street housing project in Boston, the MSB Chapter of the Latin Kings included approximately half-a-dozen members. The MSB Chapter, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state. In addition to conspiring with members of the Latin Kings to further the goals of the enterprise through the commission of criminal acts, Oscar Pena personally sold a cooperating witness approximately 38 grams of fentanyl.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Oscar Pena is the 12th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
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.
Former Mayor of Yona, Guam Sentenced to Prison for ExtortionRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Jesse Mendiola Blas, age 58, from Yona, Guam, was sentenced in the United States District Court of Guam to 37 months imprisonment for Extortion Under Color of Official Right, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release following imprisonment, one hundred hours of community service, a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, and a forfeiture money judgment of $11,700.
Beginning in November 2018, Blas used his position as Mayor of Yona to accept cash bribes from a confidential informant (CI), who posed as a drug trafficker to obtain United States Postal Service cluster box units (CBU). The CBUs are offered free to residents for the lawful receipt of mail. Blas agreed to provide a mailbox to the CI to enable drug traffickers to securely receive packages of methamphetamine through the U.S. mail system. Continual access to the mailbox was conditioned upon sharing proceeds from the drug packages with Blas. During the scheme, he received $11,700 for the use of a single mailbox. Blas also offered to sell a second mailbox to the CI for $15,000. He also offered to change the assigned box each week to avoid interception of the drug packages by law enforcement. When the CI stopped making payments, Blas asked for $8,000 more and threatened to shut down the mailbox. Blas was subsequently arrested in September 2019.
U.S. Attorney Anderson stated, “We entrust our elected officials with the responsibility to act in the best interests of the public. Community safety is among their basic duties. This case exposed a mayor acting in his own self-interest to the potential detriment of an entire island. I commend the hard work by our agency partners that brought Mr. Blas to justice. The sentence imposed by the Court further demonstrates that officials who engage in criminal conduct will be held accountable.”
“Most public officials are honorable and dedicated to serving their communities. Unfortunately, the actions displayed by Mayor Blas undermines the public’s trust in elected officials," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda. “Citizens expect and deserve their public officials to serve them honestly and in accordance with the law. Failure to do so erodes the public’s faith in government – which is crucial in ensuring public safety. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate any corrupt public official who willfully and maliciously abuse their office.”
“As the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the safety of postal employees and the public is our top priority,” said Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Anyone who uses the Post Office or its products for unlawful activities should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable. When local and federal law enforcement work together, we can better protect our communities, our families, and our neighborhoods. Working together we will continue to investigation, arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for endangering U.S. Postal Service employees and the citizens of Guam.”
“Public corruption has far reaching effects on the day to day lives of everyone in society,” said John F. Tobon, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Identifying acts of corruption, the proceeds of these acts and bringing those responsible to justice is a top priority for HSI. We will continue to work tirelessly in order to root out corruption.”
This case was a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Laura C. Sambataro, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Former Beaumont Employees and Medical Device Distributor Charged with Wire Fraud for a Scheme to Steal Medical DevicesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed charging two former Beaumont employees and a medical supply distributor with wire fraud based upon a scheme to steal medical devices and/or medical supplies from Beaumont Hospital and then sell them on the internet, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Lynda Burdelik, Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Charged were:
Paul Purdy, 49, of Beavercreek, Ohio;
Valdet Seferovic, 32, of Auburn Hills, Michigan; and
Zafar Khan, 40, of Fenton, Michigan
According to the indictment, from 2003 – 2017, Paul Purdy was employed at Beaumont Hospital. During his employment, he stole medical devices and/or medical supplies from the hospital and resold them via the internet to customers throughout the United States. Defendant Paul Purdy never informed the purchasers that the medical devices and/or supplies he sold to them were stolen. Purdy resigned from the hospital in 2017 and enlisted Valdet Seferovic, an employee of the hospital, to continue the scheme of stealing medical device and/or medical supplies. Valdet Serferovic had access to the medical supply and the cleaning and disinfecting rooms at the hospital. Purdy and Seferovic primarily stole three types of medical devices: (1) cystoscopes, a thin tube with a camera which is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder, some of which may have been contaminated as they were stolen from the cleaning and disinfecting room after being used in surgical procedures; (2) Ophthalmoscopes, an instrument for inspecting the retina and the other parts of the eye; and (3) Otoscopes, an instrument for inspecting the ears. Purdy and Seferovic sold these devices and/or supplies via the internet to customers throughout the United States. The purchasers were never informed that the medical devices and/or supplies were stolen.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Valdet Seferovic also agreed to steal and sell medical devices and/or medical supplies to Zafar Khan, the owner of Wholesale Medical & Surgical Suppliers of America, LLC. Once Khan acquired the stolen medical devices and/or medical supplies he sold them to unsuspecting purchasers via the internet.
United States Attorney Schneider stated, “These defendants used their employment status to circumvent the safety protocols established by Beaumont Hospital to profit from the theft of medical devices and put the health and safety of the general public at risk in doing so. This indictment should send a clear message that our office is committed to prosecuting anyone who would endanger the health and safety of the general public for personal gain.”
“Medical devices that are removed from their rightful place in a hospital or other medical setting put patients’ health at risk by denying them access to needed diagnostic imaging and treatment,” said Special Agent in Charge Lynda M. Burdelik, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health for profit. And we commend our law enforcement colleagues for their assistance in this case.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough. The case was investigated by special agents of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations and the Royal Oak Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Florida Resident Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking Idaho ResidentsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Alvin Willie George, 25, of Cross City, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. George was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise on December 11, 2019. Sentencing is set for April 8, 2021, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, in December 1999, in Texas, two female children were attacked in a bedroom. During the attack both children had their throats slit. One child survived the attack, but her friend was killed. The perpetrator of these crimes was convicted. Beginning in or around November 2016, and over the next several months, George began sending photos from the 1999 crime scene to the surviving victim and her sisters, all of whom live in Idaho. George did not know the surviving victim or her sisters, rather he researched the 1999 murder on the internet and used various Facebook accounts he created to send harassing and intimidating messages to these women, as well as threatening to rape and kill them.
The charge of cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release, per count.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department.
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El Departamento de Justicia alega que las condiciones de la Cárcel del Condado de Cumberland violan la ConstituciónRead the Press Release
Hoy la División de División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia y la Oficina del Fiscal del Distrito de Nueva Jersey concluyeron que hay causa razonable para creer que las condiciones en la Cárcel del Condado de Cumberland, Nueva Jersey, violan las Enmiendas Dieciocho y Catorce a la Constitución.
La investigación del Departamento de Justicia concluyó que hay causa razonable para creer que la Cárcel del Condado de Cumberland falló en tomar las medidas para prevenir los suicidios de los reclusos y proporcionar cuidado de la salud mental adecuado. El departamento alegó que estas violaciones fueron resultado de la falla de la Cárcel del Condado de Cumberland para evaluar y proporcionar tratamiento de salud mental adecuado a los reclusos en riesgo de auto lastimarse y de suicidio debido a la falla de la cárcel de proveer tratamiento asistido con medicamento, donde era clínicamente indicado, para los reclusos que sufrían de abstinencia de opioides no medicados, el financiamiento de dichos tratamientos futuros sigue siendo incierto.
“Nuestra investigación reveló que el Condado de Cumberland falló en proporcionar el cuidado de la salud mental adecuado para reclusos en riesgo de auto daño y suicidio”, dijo el Fiscal General Interino de Derechos Civiles, John B. Daukas. “Esperamos trabajar con los oficiales del condado para asegurar que la cárcel proporciona cuidado constitucionalmente adecuado, incluyendo tratamiento asistido con medicamento para reclusos que sufren de abstinencia de opioides no medicados, cuando sea apropiado”.
“La epidemia de opioides continúa afligiendo a las comunidades en todo el país”, dijo la Fiscal de EE.UU. Interina, Rachael A. Honig, para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey. “Al proporcionar el tratamiento asistido con medicamentos a los reclusos que sufre de abstinencia de opioides no medicados, lo oficiales en las cárceles y prisiones pueden dar importantes pasos tanto para combatir la epidemia y proteger los derechos constitucionales de los individuos encarcelados. Nos anima la cooperación de los oficiales de la Cárcel del Condado de Cumberland en nuestra investigación y declararon su compromiso para garantizar la seguridad y derechos constitucionales de sus reclusos. Estamos esperando continuar trabajando con ellos para resolver estas importantes preocupaciones”.
Como lo requiere la Ley de Derechos Civiles de Personas Institucionalizadas (CRIPA), el departamento proporcionará a la instalación un aviso por escrito que apoye los hechos de los alegatos de violación y las medidas de remediación mínimas necesarias para abordarlos.
La División de Derechos Civiles y la Oficina del Oficina del Fiscal de EE.UU. para el Distrito de Nueva Jersey iniciaron la investigación en junio de 2018 bajo CRIPA, que autoriza al departamento para tomar medidas para abordar el patrón o práctica de privación de los derechos constitucionales de los individuos confinados a instituciones correccionales del gobierno estatal o local.
Información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia se encuentra disponible en su página web en www.justice.gov/crt. Los individuos que piensan que se violaron sus Derechos Civiles pueden presentar una queja en la Oficina del Fiscal de EE.UU. en http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint.
El Departamento de Jusiticia Llega a un Acuerdo con una Agencia de Empleo con Sede en Tejas que Resuelve Casos de Discriminación Relacionada con la InmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con National Systems America, LP (National Systems), una agencia de empleo con sede en Dallas, Tejas. El acuerdo resuelve la acusación del Departamento de que National Systems había vulnerado la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) al (1) imponer a solicitantes de ciertos puestos restricciones ilegales relacionadas con su ciudadanía y (2) requerir a los solicitantes que eran residentes permanentes legales, pero no a los que eran ciudadanos, que presentaran un documento específico de autorización para trabajar para seguir siendo considerados para un puesto.
«En la industria competitiva y acelerada de dotación de personal informática, es fundamental que las agencias de empleo no impongan restricciones ilegales de contratación basadas en la ciudadanía», afirmó el Fiscal General Auxiliar en funciones de la División de Derechos Civiles, John B. Daukas. «Los empleadores no deben pedir pruebas de autorización para trabajar antes de que se acepte una oferta de trabajo y no deben interferir en el derecho legal del trabajador a presentar documentos aceptables de autorización para trabajar para demostrar su autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos».
Con base en su investigación, el Departamento concluyó que National Systems había restringido la contratación únicamente a ciudadanos de los EE. UU., basándose en suposiciones acerca de las preferencias de sus clientes e independientemente de si existían fundamentos legales para lo mismo. Por otra parte, el Departamento concluyó que incluso cuando National Systems estaba dispuesto a considerar a solicitantes que no eran ciudadanos de los EE. UU., tales como residentes permanentes legales, la agencia los discriminó de todos modos al requerir que presentaran documentación específica para confirmar su autorización para trabajar antes de pasarlos al próximo paso del proceso de selección.
Por lo general, la INA solamente permite que los empleadores consideren exclusivamente a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. cuando así lo requiere una ley, un reglamento, un contrato gubernamental o una orden ejecutiva y no con base en las preferencias discriminatorias de un cliente o en suposiciones acerca de las preferencias de un cliente. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA también prohíbe que los empleadores pidan documentos adicionales o diferentes a los que sean necesarios para demostrar la autorización para trabajar con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía del empleado o bien por su nacionalidad de origen. A su vez, en la INA, el Congreso determinó que todo individuo con autorización para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, puede elegir los documentos válidos y legalmente aceptables que desea presentar para demostrar su elegibilidad para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. No obstante, la INA sí permite que los empleadores rechacen documentos que no parecen ser genuinos. Por último, la INA no permite que un empleador verifique la autorización para trabajar de uno antes de ofrecerle un trabajo.
Conforme a los términos del acuerdo conciliatorio, National Systems pagará a Estados Unidos una sanción civil que asciende a 34.200 $, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA y cambiará sus políticas para garantizar su futuro cumplimiento con la ley.
Edmonson Co. High School Teacher Charged with Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Attempted EnticementRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – An Edmonson County High School Teacher has been arrested and charged with attempted production of child pornography and attempted online enticement, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.
“The United States Attorney’s Office and the Kentucky Attorney General stand united in protecting our kids,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “We will not permit predators to use the guise of our some of our most trusted and respected fellow citizens, its teachers, to exploit our young people.”
“Child perpetrators are becoming increasingly clever in the methods they use to entice and exploit children, and our Department of Criminal Investigations is focused on devoting resources to tracking these perpetrators online and stopping them before they can carry out crimes against a child,” said Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. “Our office worked closely on this investigation with U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman, U.S. Secret Service, Kentucky State Police, Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisville Metro Police Department, and I appreciate their partnership.”
William Oneal Lindsey, 28, of Brownsville, Kentucky, was charged on January 13, 2021, by criminal complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, on January 7, 2021, the defendant began an online conversation that was sexual in nature with what he believed to be a minor. In fact, Lindsey was talking with an undercover officer with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
After several days of conversations, Lindsey was taken into custody at his place of employment, Edmonson County High School without incident. According to the complaint, Lindsey waived Miranda and agreed to be interviewed. During the interview, he admitted the person he met online he knew to be a minor and that the conversation was sexual in nature and he asked for images. He offered that he should not have engaged in the behavior because of the age of the person he was talking to, and went on to say that he had communicated with numerous other girls on various platforms concerning sexually explicit topics and that he believed many of them were minors.
The statutory maximum penalty for attempted enticement is no less than 10 years and no more than life; attempted production carries a sentence of no less than 15 years, and no more than life.
Both counts carry a fine of $250,000, and no less than 5 years and no more than life of Supervised Release per count.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. The charge set forth in a complaint is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a Court of law.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo Lawless is prosecuting the case. The Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the United States Secret Service, Kentucky State Police, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office.
Edgerton, Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Enticement of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who enticed a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity was sentenced on January 14, 2021, to 12 years in federal prison.
Sean Matthew Williams, age 25, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, received the prison term after an August 27, 2020, guilty plea to one count of Coercion and Enticement.
In a plea agreement, Williams admitted that between March 1, and May 8, 2020, he persuaded a person under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. He further admitted engaging in cell phone conversations with the victim, whom he knew to be 15 years old. During the conversations, he knowingly persuaded the victim to have sex with him or attempted to do so. Williams admitted driving from Edgerton, Wisconsin to northwest Iowa to have sex with the 15-year-old victim. Williams went to the victim’s residence, picked her up, and was driving with her when stopped by local law enforcement for a traffic violation. Alert questioning by the law enforcement officer resulted in the discovery of Williams’ scheme. A search of the vehicle Williams was driving revealed a box of condoms, zip ties, and a roll of Gorilla brand tape.
Williams was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Williams was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Williams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Duax and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Crimes Against Children Task Force, the LeMars, Iowa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-4045.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for heroin trafficking.
Angel Martinez-Peguero, 30, who previously resided in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release.
In November 2020, Martinez-Peguero pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In January 2019, Angel was charged along with his brother, Alexander Martinez-Peguero, 38, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison in December 2020.
On Dec. 20, 2018, investigators seized nearly one kilogram of heroin from the Martinez-Peguero brothers during a law enforcement operation in Lawrence. Investigators also seized a loaded semi-automatic pistol from Angel Martinez-Peguero’s waistband upon his arrest. During a search of the Martinez-Peguero brother’s residence agents seized over $15,000 cash and $17,000 worth of jewelry.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice provides list of charges relating to Capitol BreachRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has created a webpage listing each defendant charged in connection with the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The list includes the name of the defendant, case number, charges, a link to any DOJ press releases relating to the case, and the status of the case:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/investigations-regarding-violence-capitol
Every case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Following arrests, or surrender, defendants must appear before district court magistrate/judge where the arrest takes place, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
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Department of Justice Alleges Conditions at Cumberland County Jail Violate the ConstitutionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey today announced that they believe the Cumberland County Jail failed to take measures to prevent inmate suicides and provide adequate mental health care.
The Department concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that the facility failed to screen for or provide adequate mental health treatment to inmates at risk of self-harm and suicide, in violation of the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the Constitution. The Department alleged that inmates faced a heightened risk of self-harm and suicide due to the jail’s failure to provide medication-assisted treatment, where clinically indicated, to inmates experiencing unmedicated opiate withdrawal.
“The opioid epidemic continues to afflict communities across the country,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. “By providing medication-assisted treatment to inmates experiencing opiate withdrawal, officials at jails and prisons can take significant steps to both combat that epidemic and protect the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals. We have been encouraged by the cooperation of Cumberland County Jail officials throughout our investigation, and their stated commitment to ensure the safety and constitutional rights of their inmates. We look forward to continuing to work with them to resolve these significant concerns.”
“Our investigation revealed that Cumberland County fails to provide adequate mental health care to inmates at risk of self-harm and suicide,” Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights John B. Daukas said. “We look forward to working with County officials to ensure that the jail provides constitutionally adequate care, including medication-assisted treatment for inmates experiencing unmedicated opiate withdrawal, when appropriate.”
Although the Cumberland County Jail, located in Bridgeton, New Jersey, recently began providing medication-assisted treatment to inmates experiencing opiate withdrawal, the funding for such future treatment remains uncertain.
As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the Department provided the facility with written notice of the supporting facts for these alleged violations and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.
The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of New Jersey initiated the investigation in June 2018 under CRIPA, which authorizes the Department to take action to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe their civil rights may have been violated may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Campion, Chief of the Civil Rights Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Vassallo, Deputy Chief of the Civil Division; Mary Bohan, Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section; Marlysha Myrthil, Senior Trial Attorney, Special Litigation Section; and Curtis Harris, Trial Attorney, Special Litigation Section.
Defendant Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Azizjon Rakhmatov, a citizen of Uzbekistan and a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced to 12 ½ years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II, for conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). In August 2019, Rakhmatov pleaded guilty to the charge. The U.S. government intends to seek the defendant’s removal to Uzbekistan upon completion of his sentence of imprisonment.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates that there are significant consequences for those who support terrorism.” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “The investigation and prosecution of Rakhmatov and his co-conspirators are the result of this Office’s unwavering commitment, along with our outstanding partners on the New York Joint Terrorist Task Force, to detect, disrupt and neutralize any individual or group that is under the mistaken impression that violence is a legitimate means to effect political change, here or abroad. Once again, we have rooted out ISIS’s supporters, methods and means, and prevented ISIS from carrying out its abhorrent extremist agenda.”
According to court filings, in 2014, Rakhmatov’s co-defendants Abdurasul Juraboev and Akhror Saidakhmetov planned to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS. Rakhmatov and co-defendant Abror Habibov discussed providing their own money to cover Saidakhmetov’s travel expenses and to purchase a firearm for Saidakhmetov once he arrived in Syria. Rakhmatov also agreed to collect money from others to fund Saidakhmetov’s travel. On the day before Saidakhmetov’s scheduled departure, Rakhmatov transferred $400 into co-defendant Akmal Zakirov’s personal bank account to facilitate Saidakhmetov’s travel to and expenses in Syria. Co-conspirator Dilkhayot Kasimov also agreed to fund Saidakhmetov’s travel and brought the group’s money to Saidakhmetov at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Juraboev, Saidakahmetov, Habibov and Zakirov have previously pleaded guilty, and Kasimov was convicted at trial in September 2019. Juraboev and Saidakahmetov each were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. Kasimov, Habibov and Zakirov are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, David K. Kessler, and J. Matthew Haggans are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Steven Ward of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Defendant:
AZIZJON RAKHMATOV
Age: 33
New Haven, ConnecticutE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-95 (S-3)
Decatur Man to Serve 90 Years in Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced Gary L. Boyle, 36, of Decatur, Ill., to 50 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography. Boyle’s federal sentence will be served consecutive to a state sentence of 40 years ordered in September 2020 in Macon County Court for predatory criminal sexual assault. Boyle, of the 5400 block of West Main St., was remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service.
In court documents and at today’s hearing, the government described Boyle as “a manipulative pedophile who consumes young children for his own sexual pleasure,” and as an avid collector of violent child pornography. Evidence demonstrates that Boyle’s collection included images of violent sexual acts committed by adults against toddlers and six-to eight-year old children who are nude and bound with rope at their wrists. Boyle participated in online child exploitation groups where he traded child pornography and ultimately live-streamed abuse against an eight-year-old victim.
On Sept. 6, 2020, Boyle pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sexual exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the federal case. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Decatur Police Department, and the Macon County Sheriff’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.
Convicted Felon with Firearm Who Fled from Police Receives Seven Year SentenceRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN –Patrick Vaughn, 35, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on January 4, 2019, detectives with Memphis Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) were conducting surveillance for a suspect in a carjacking that occurred on December 21, 2018 at the Gold Club in Memphis, Tennessee. Detectives were in the area of Poplar Ave and Hollywood Street, when they observed Vaughn, driving a 2006 Kia Amanti. In an attempt to avoid the traffic stop, Vaughn began making several U-turns at a high rate of speed, ultimately striking several vehicles. He was apprehended after a short foot chase.
A search of the vehicle revealed a Ruger .380 pistol on the passenger's side floorboard. The front seat passenger advised law enforcement that the firearm did not belong to her. Vaughn waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the firearm.
Vaughn is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, Identity Theft, and Carjacking. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Vaughn is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On January 13, 2021, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Vaughn to 84 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "As a fleeing felon in possession of a firearm, Vaughn presented a danger to the public and to law enforcement in multiple ways. The seven year sentence imposed in this case rightly punishes him for his recidivist behavior, removes him from the community, and makes Memphis a safer place."
The Memphis Police Department - Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office to prosecute violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Clinton Woman Sentenced for Social Security Fraud and False StatementsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Clinton woman was sentenced today in federal court for Social Security fraud and making false statements, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Katherine Prosper, 62, to four years of probation, with a condition of home confinement not to exceed six months. She was also ordered to pay $89,864.00 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). Prosper pleaded guilty on January 10, 2020.
According to court records, from about August 2006 through March 2019, Prosper, a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”), concealed the presence of her husband in her household in order to maintain her eligibility to receive benefit payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Prosper’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received during that period. In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, she falsely represented to SSA that she was living alone and not receiving help or money from any other person during this time. During an interview with law enforcement agents, she admitted to concealing her living situation from SSA because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive SSI.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Carroll Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced January 13, 2021 to more than 7 years in federal prison.
Kyler Colten Cook, age 30, from Carroll, IA, received the prison term after a September 23, 2020 guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Cook admitted that between February 8, 2019 and December 3, 2019, he knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
While released pending trial, Cook was caught sending graphic texts and visual images to a female and was then detained in federal custody pending trial.
Cook was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Cook was sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment and fined $3,000. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Carroll Police Department.
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.”
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-3023.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Cahokia Health Care Worker Pleads Guilty to Enticing, Transporting Collinsville Girl for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ricardo D. Minor, 40, of Cahokia, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor,
transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and attempting to obstruct,
influence, and impede an official proceeding. All three crimes arose from an illegal relationship
the defendant developed with an underage patient he met while working as a behavioral health
specialist at Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, Illinois.Court records establish that between June 14, 2017, and Sept. 3, 2017, Minor used a cell phone and
the internet to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the underage victim (identified as M.F.) to
engage in criminal sexual activity that violated Illinois state law. The sexual acts occurred in
Collinsville – near M.F.’s residence and at her friend’s house – and at the defendant’s residence
in Cahokia. Minor also worked as an Uber driver and would often travel from Illinois to Missouri.
The defendant sometimes asked M.F. to accompany him on these trips and had sex with her there, in
violation of Missouri state law.In late August 2017, staff members at the hospital learned of Minor’s sexual relationship with the
victim from another patient (identified as T.Y.). The following day, Minor sent M.F. a series of
text messages instructing her to try to convince T.Y. to retract her statement. Four days later,
Minor instructed M.F. to tell one of his co-workers and other hospital staff that she had not been
engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with the defendant, when in fact she had.As part of his guilty plea, Minor also admitted that on Nov. 27, 2017, while housed in the St.
Louis County Justice Center on a second degree statutory rape charge relating to his unlawful
sexual activity with M.F. in Missouri, he made a series of phone calls to another person
(identified as T.J.) and instructed T.J. to lean on the victim’s family not to pursue criminal
charges against him. T.J. did, in fact, contact the victim’s family members and told them that if
they pressed charges things would “get ugly.”Minor’s sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces 10 years to life on counts one and two
(enticement of a minor and transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity), and
not more than 20 years on count three (attempting to obstruct, nfluence, and impede an official
proceeding). All three counts also carry a fine of up to $250,000.
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.”The case was investigated by the Collinsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Polic
Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the
case.Butler County Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Portersville, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to time served followed by three years’ supervised release on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Ray Chrzanowski, age 53.
According to information presented to the court, in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Ray Chrzanowski conspired to distribute quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine.
Prior to imposing sentence, Senior Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Chrzanowski.
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.
Brooklyn Man Indicted for Armed Robberies of Cab DriversRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dermot F. Shea, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, and John B. DeVito, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), announced that KYMAHLI LYSIUS was indicted today in connection with armed robberies he carried out last summer against livery cab drivers. LYSIUS was arrested last week and presented in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss stated: “Kymahli Lysius allegedly carried out a spree of brazen gunpoint robberies of livery cab drivers in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Lysius’s alleged conduct includes chillingly pointing a gun at the back of drivers’ heads and demanding their money, then fleeing on foot under the cover of night. We thank the NYPD and ATF for holding Kymahli responsible for alleged acts that put his victims in fear for their lives.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “This individual allegedly targeted hard-working victims and exploited the nature of their job to lure them to a location for the purpose of a robbery. I commend the detectives and members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District, for targeting violent crime and their hard work which resulted in this indictment.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito said: “As alleged, defendant Lysius committed several armed robberies of honest and hard-working New Yorkers who were trying to provide for their families in the midst of a pandemic. This indictment sends a clear message that ATF and our law enforcement partners remain committed to ensuring public safety and that those who violate federal law and threaten the safety of our communities and the citizens within will be dealt with swiftly."
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed last week in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Between on or about July 28, 2020, and August 7, 2020, LYSIUS committed eight gunpoint robberies and a ninth attempted gunpoint robbery against livery cab drivers. Two of the robberies were in Manhattan; the others were in Brooklyn. The robberies followed a simple but brazen pattern: On each occasion, a livery cab was ordered for a pick up at a specific location. Upon its arrival, LYSIUS would get into the back seat of the cab. Shortly thereafter, he would pull out a firearm from a fanny pack strapped across his chest, place the firearm on the cab driver’s head or back, and demand all of the driver’s money. After taking all the cash the driver had on him and any other cash in the cab, LYSIUS would get out of the cab and flee on foot. Each robbery occurred on dark streets, late at night or in the very early morning hours.
LYSIUS, 28, of Brooklyn, is charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of using a firearm in connection with the two robberies that occurred in Manhattan. The Hobbs Act robbery charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. The charges for using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the Hobbs Act robberies each carry a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the ATF, and the Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (“SPARTA”) Task Force.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah L. Kushner is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint and Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bristol, Virginia Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Machinegun, SilencerRead the Press Release
AGBINGDON, Va.- Michael Houser, a Bristol, Virginia man who was convicted of federal gun offenses occurring in both the Western District of Virginia and Western District of North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to 30 months in prison, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia, United States Attorney Andrew R. Murray of the Western District of North Carolina, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division made the announcement today.
Houser, 48, pleaded guilty in October 2020 to two counts of an indictment filed in the Western District of Virginia charging him with possession of an unregistered machinegun and possession of an unregistered silencer. In addition, Houser pleaded guilty to a one-count Information filed in the Western District of North Carolina charging him with illegal possession of firearms by a previously convicted felon. Today’s sentencing covers the charges filed in both districts.
According to court documents, on December 4, 2019, Houser was arrested at his home in Bristol, Virginia on state charges. Following his arrest, Houser called a friend and asked him to retrieve certain firearms and ammunition from Houser’s home. At Houser’s request, the friend retrieved several firearms, a silencer, and ammunition.
During an investigation, ATF agents examined a receiver from one of the firearms and determined that it met the definition of a machinegun. Houser had not registered either the machinegun or the silencer, as required by federal statute.
On or about January 23, 2020, Houser was convicted of two felonies in Washington County, Virginia. After his July 2020 federal indictment relating to the machinegun and silencer, law enforcement located Houser in Avery County, North Carolina. At the time of his arrest, Houser was found to be in possession of three firearms and ammunition, after having been convicted of the two prior felonies.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Avery County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Whit D. Pierce, of the Western District of Virginia, and David Thorneloe, of the Western District of North Carolina, are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Bristol Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Virginia – Kathleen Littleford, a Bristol, Virginia woman, who fraudulently opened several bank accounts, deposited counterfeit checks, and shipped large quantities of cash overseas in order to assistant a man with whom she was involved in an online relationship, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to a federal conspiracy charge, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced.
Littleford, 76, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to execute a scheme to defraud financial institutions to obtain money by false pretenses. At sentencing, Littleford faces up to 30 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1 million. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 6, 2021.
“Financial fraud cases like this are not victimless crimes,” Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “Thousands of Americans are targeted in similar online financial schemes, and when they willingly participate, the fraud is perpetuated. The Western District of Virginia is committed to investigating and prosecuting these kinds of online fraud schemes and we appreciate the good work of our federal and state partners in this case.”
According to court documents, beginning in 2018, Littleford opened a series of bank accounts for the purpose of depositing counterfeit checks and receiving fraudulent transfers of funds from other banking institutions. She did so to assist a man she met online calling himself Frank Peterson. Beginning with his introduction and continuing to the present day, Littleford engaged in an amorous relationship with Peterson, engaging in frequent emailing, text messaging, Facebook messaging, and phone call communications.
“Peterson” made representations to Littleford over the course of their relationship that he made a lot of money in a trade deal in Dubai, that those funds were encumbered by the IRS due to taxes he owed, that he had a lot of money tied up in stocks, and that he needed Littleford’s help receiving funds from banking institutions because he could not transfer money himself, due to the IRS claims on his accounts.
Littleford admitted today that premised on Peterson’s representations and enticed by a reciprocal love and devotion he showed her, Littleford undertook extraordinary measures to comply with Peterson’s fraudulent financial requests. Littleford knew what she was doing was wrong, but knowingly and willfully engaged in the conduct anyway.
Over the course of the scheme, Littleford opened accounts with at least five local banks and fraudulently received move than $190,000 in funds to which she was not entitled.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Murphy is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Bernalillo County man pleads guilty to possession of firearms, destructive devicesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – David Richard Chavez, 57, of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession of an unregistered destructive device and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 26, 2020, Chavez barricaded himself inside his home when officers arrived in response to a domestic dispute between Chavez and his wife. Chavez threatened to burn down the couple’s home and later attempted to do so using two Molotov cocktails. At the time, Chavez also possessed a stolen .380 caliber pistol and 36 rounds of ammunition.
Chavez has five prior felony convictions from New Mexico and Montana, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft and criminal endangerment. As a previously convicted felon, Chavez cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Chavez will remain in custody pending sentencing. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Chavez faces up to four years and nine months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that Todd Mixon, age 50, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Mixon solicited potential victims to invest in investment groups or ventures, in which he promised to trade their pooled funds in the foreign exchange markets, and at the end of the venture, promised to return to each victim his or her proportionate share of the group’s pooled funds, including profits.
In order to induce victims to invest with him, Mixon made numerous materially false promises and representations, including that the funds would be used only for trading in the foreign exchange markets through forex trading outlets; Mixon would invest his own funds in the venture; he would take a small percentage of net profits as a commission; and no other funds would be withdrawn until the end of the investment. To make the investments appear legitimate, Mixon sent victims text messages with screen shots of fake trades and emails with fake account statements from foreign exchange trading platforms, which falsely showed steadily increasing values in the victims’ purported ventures. Mixon further falsely told victims that their investments were making profits.
In truth, none of the money that Mixon received from victims was ever invested in any market, but was instead either diverted to his personal use or used to pay other victims their “proceeds.” Ultimately, Mixon convinced at least 47 individuals to invest with him and obtained at least $550,001 in victim funds.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “Wrongdoers like Mr. Mixon who scam innocent victims for their own personal benefit will be held accountable. We will continue to vigorously prosecute those who devise and participate in these types of schemes and, more importantly, restore justice to the victims to the best of our ability. I would like to recognize the outstanding efforts of our prosecutor and the FBI for their exemplary work in this case.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals like Mr. Mixon who engage in fraudulent foreign trading schemes that impact innocent investors will be held accountable. Mr. Mixon knowingly deceived dozens of investors out of over $500,000 and chose to use their money for his own selfish greed,” said Bryan Vorndran, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “I would like to thank the efforts put forth by our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana and the Miami Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for helping the FBI disrupt fraud like this.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth White who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
Baltimore Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Douglas Randall Phillips, age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for federal charges of bank robbery and violation of his federal supervised release from a prior bank robbery conviction. Judge Messitte also ordered Phillips to pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s loss.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2019, Phillips entered a bank located in the 11000 block of York Road in Hunt Valley, Maryland and approached a teller. Phillips handed the teller a note which read, “This is a robbery, I have a gun and will begin shooting unless you give me all loose 100’s, 50’s + 20’s immediately.” Phillips obtained more than $700 from the teller and fled the branch on foot. After this incident, the bank circulated an internal alert amongst its employees, which included an image of Phillips from the bank’s surveillance camera footage from December 13, 2019.
On December 18, 2019, Phillips entered a different branch of the same bank in Baltimore, Maryland to make a withdrawal from his own account. The bank employees at this branch recognized Phillips from the internal bank alert and called police. Phillips was arrested and the clothes he was wearing at the time of his arrest were the same clothes worn by the robber in the surveillance footage from the December 13, 2019 robbery. Prior to the robbery, Phillips had been employed at a company located in Hunt Valley, close to the bank branch that he robbed.
At the time that Phillips committed the December 13, 2019, bank robbery Phillips knew he was on supervised release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction. Committing the December 13th robbery violated the conditions of his supervised release.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn B. Ducao, who prosecuted the case.
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Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $180 Million Settlement of Suit Against Toyota Motor Corporation for Decade-Long Noncompliance with Clean Air Act Reporting RequirementsRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (“ENRD”) of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Susan Bodine, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil lawsuit against TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC., and TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC. (“TOYOTA”) for systematic, longstanding violations of Clean Air Act emission-related defect reporting requirements, which require manufacturers to report potential defects and recalls affecting vehicle components designed to control emissions.
Along with the civil complaint, the United States has filed a consent decree, agreed to by TOYOTA, that resolves the government’s complaint through TOYOTA’s payment of a $180 million civil penalty and the imposition of injunctive relief. The $180 million penalty is the largest civil penalty for violation of EPA’s emission-reporting requirements. The injunctive provisions require TOYOTA to follow compliance and reporting practices designed to ensure timely investigation of emission-related defects and timely reporting to EPA, and include training, communication, and oversight requirements. The consent decree remains subject to a period of public comment and Court approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “For a decade, Toyota systematically violated regulations that provide EPA with a critical compliance tool to ensure that vehicles on the road comply with federal emissions standards. Toyota shut its eyes to the noncompliance, failing to provide proper training, attention, and oversight to its Clean Air Act reporting obligations. Toyota’s actions undermined EPA’s self-disclosure system and likely led to delayed or avoided emission-related recalls, resulting in financial benefit to Toyota and excess emissions of air pollutants. Today, Toyota pays the price for its misconduct with a $180 million civil penalty and agreement to injunctive relief to ensure that its violations will not be repeated.”
Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark said: “This settlement is yet another important milestone settlement for this Administration, and it continues our unwavering commitment to ensuring that our environmental laws as written, including EPA’s regulations, are rigorously enforced.
EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine stated: “For a decade Toyota failed to report mandatory information about potential defects in their cars to the EPA, keeping the agency in the dark and evading oversight. EPA considers this failure to be a serious violation of the Clean Air Act.”
The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court today alleges that from approximately 2005 until at least late 2015, TOYOTA systematically violated Clean Air Act automobile defect reporting requirements designed to protect public health and the environment from harmful air pollutants.
Clean Air Act regulations require manufacturers to notify EPA by filing an Emissions Defect Information Report (“EDIR”) when 25 or more vehicles or engines in a given model year have the same defect in an emission control part or an element of design installed in order to comply with emission standards and other EPA regulations. The regulations also require vehicle manufacturers to file a Voluntary Emissions Recall Report (“VERR”) with EPA when they perform a recall to correct defects in emission-related parts, and to update EPA on the progress of such recalls through Quarterly Reports. These mandatory reporting requirements are critical to the Clean Air Act’s purpose of protecting human health and the environment from harmful air pollutants: They encourage manufacturers to investigate and voluntarily address defects that may result in excess emissions of harmful air pollutants, and provide EPA with important information about emission-related defects for use in its oversight of manufacturers.
For 10 years, TOYOTA routinely failed to comply with these reporting requirements. During that time, TOYOTA materially delayed filing an estimated 78 EDIRs, filing many only when disclosing non-compliance to EPA in 2015, at which point some were as much as eight years late. These EDIRs related to millions of vehicles with the potential to exhibit emission-related defects. TOYOTA also failed to file 20 VERRs and more than 200 Quarterly Reports.
During the period of noncompliance, TOYOTA managers and staff in Japan knew that TOYOTA was no longer even attempting to determine whether it was aware of 25 instances of the same emission-related defect in a model year – the threshold requirement for filing an EDIR. Rather than follow this legally required standard, TOYOTA unilaterally decided to file EDIRs principally when TOYOTA was required to file distinct reports with California regulators under a less strict standard – a standard that EPA had rejected as too lenient when TOYOTA had previously proposed to rely on it for federal reporting. TOYOTA managers and staff in Japan repeatedly identified the discrepancy between TOYOTA’s procedures and the plain language of the federal requirements, but failed to bring TOYOTA into compliance.
As a result of its conduct, TOYOTA deprived EPA of timely information regarding emission-related defects and recalls, and avoided the early focus on emission defects contemplated by the regulations. TOYOTA’s conduct likely resulted in delayed or avoided recalls, with TOYOTA obtaining a significant economic benefit, pushing costs onto consumers, and lengthening the time that unrepaired vehicles with emission-related defects remained on the road.
* * *
In the consent decree lodged with the federal court today, TOYOTA admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following:
- Between approximately 2005 and late 2015, TOYOTA routinely filed emission defect reports to EPA materially late and, in many cases, failed to file such reports at all until a self-disclosure of non-compliance in late 2015.
Representations to EPA
- In March and May 2002, at EPA’s request, TOYOTA and EPA representatives met to discuss TOYOTA’s internal process for identifying whether 25 instances of a specific emission-related defect exist in vehicles or engines of the same model year, requiring an EDIR filing.
- At a first meeting in March 2002, TOYOTA described its EDIR process in which TOYOTA would investigate whether it had 25 defects only upon receiving 25 “product reports” from its dealers, but would supplement that review by filing an EDIR upon receiving warranty claims for an emission-related part in 4% of TOYOTA’s California fleet (a threshold requiring a separate filing to state authorities under California law).
- At the meeting, EPA rejected this EDIR process as not timely considering warranty claims, despite the incorporation of the 4% California trigger.
- At a May 2002 meeting with EPA, Toyota presented its revised process. Under that process, Toyota would commence an investigation to determine whether an EDIR filing was required when it had received warranty claims for an emission-related part for 1% of relevant vehicles nationwide; when it received 500 such warranty claims regardless of the percentage; or when it received 25 similar early warning reports.
- TOYOTA noted internally that EPA seemed pleased with this approach, which EPA had described as “more stringent than California.”
- In 2003, 2004, and 2005, as part of an annual review, TOYOTA submitted its May 2002 process in writing to EPA as an overview of its EDIR reporting program.
TOYOTA’s Conduct from Approximately 2005 to 2015
- Without notifying EPA, in approximately 2005, TOYOTA stopped following the May 2002 EDIR process.
- In approximately 2005, TOYOTA began filing EDIRs primarily when filing the California reports triggered by the 4% threshold. TOYOTA also filed EDIRs in a small number of instances when it was otherwise filing VERRs with EPA.
- From approximately 2005 to 2015, TOYOTA stopped making any independent determination of whether 25 defects existed requiring an EDIR filing.
- Multiple times during this period, TOYOTA staff charged with preparing EDIRs identified that the plain language of the EDIR regulations called for filing an EDIR upon the identification of 25 defects, but that TOYOTA was not doing so. These staff did not cause TOYOTA to change its practice.
- As a result of this conduct, TOYOTA filed at least 69 EDIRs materially late. Thirty-nine of these were filed materially late in the ordinary course of TOYOTA’s business. In late 2015, TOYOTA self-disclosed another 30 that had not been filed at all. Some EDIRs were ultimately filed as many as eight years after they were due.
- Beyond EDIRs, TOYOTA also failed during this period to file 20 VERRs required for emission-related recall campaigns that it conducted and failed to file more than 200 Quarterly Reports related to such campaigns.
- Between 2005 and 2015, TOYOTA failed to provide its employees with adequate training, resources, or oversight to ensure that TOYOTA complied with its reporting obligations to EPA.
- As a result of TOYOTA’s conduct, EPA did not timely receive mandated information regarding emission-related defects and recalls.
Notice of the proposed consent decree will be published in the Federal Register and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the consent decree for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Strauss thanked the attorneys in EPA’s Air Enforcement Division, the program staff at EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and the agents at EPA’s Criminal Investigative Division for their critical work on this case. Acting U.S. Attorney Strauss also thanked the ENRD attorneys who assisted in the matter.
This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert William Yalen, Dominika Tarczynska, and Jennifer Jude are in charge of the case.
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen Attends Security Briefing at FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center on Inauguration Planning and Recent Capitol AttackRead the Press Release
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen attended a briefing today at the FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) on the recent attack on the Capitol building and law enforcement preparations for the upcoming presidential inauguration. Following the briefing, he addressed the assembled law enforcement partners and thanked them for their efforts.
“Americans can be proud of the effort the men and women of the Justice Department and our federal, state, and local partners have made in the days since the attack on the Capitol building,” said Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. “As I have said repeatedly, our efforts at investigating the wrongdoing of that day are continuing around the clock and we are fully committed to hold those who engaged in criminal acts accountable. Simultaneously, security preparations for the presidential inauguration and peaceful transfer of power continue and we will have absolutely no tolerance whatsoever for any attempts to disrupt any aspect of the inauguration or associated events leading up to, on, and following January 20.”
During the SIOC visit, Rosen was briefed by federal, state, and local partners on specifics of the security plans for this week and next. Following that security briefing, Mr. Rosen met with a team of FBI leaders for another update on the investigations concerning the attack on the Capitol building.
To date, approximately 80 cases have been charged and 34 individuals have been arrested for their alleged criminal conduct during the attack on the Capitol Building. The FBI has opened approximately 200 subject case files and received about 140,000 digital media tips from the public. Notably, many of the tips are coming from friends, co-workers and other acquaintances of those allegedly involved in the attack.
The Department also launched a new online service for the public and media to track defendants charged with criminal offenses related to the Capitol attack. The link is at Investigations Regarding Violence at the Capitol (justice.gov).
Following arrests, or surrender, defendants will appear before district court magistrate/judge where the arrest takes place, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and prosecution will be by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Wednesday 13 January 2021
Woman Charged in For-Profit Visa Fraud and Alien Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nevada woman was arrested today for her alleged role in a multi-year scheme to commit visa fraud and money laundering, and to illegally bring Chinese nationals into the United States for financial gain.
Haiyan Liao, 43, of Las Vegas, is charged in an indictment obtained in the Eastern District of New York and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. She is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and to unlawfully bring aliens into the U.S. for financial gain, bringing aliens into the U.S. for financial gain, and money laundering conspiracy.
“The United States benefits from the rich diversity of culture and experience which results from lawful immigration into our country,” said David P. Burns, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This defendant, however, is charged with submitting false applications for visitor visas to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and engaging in money laundering as part of a multi-year alien smuggling business that brought Chinese nationals into the United States illegally. This indictment underscores that those who seek to thwart our system of legal immigration to line their own pockets will be prosecuted.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Liao aided and abetted aliens who paid thousands of dollars for her fraudulent immigration services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme of the Eastern District of New York. “The defendant provided fake documents and coached her accomplices regarding how to lie during visa interviews and customs checks. Our office and our law enforcement agency partners remain vigilant and committed to protecting the integrity of the immigration process and our border security and preventing criminals from seeking profit in the subversion of the rule of law.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is firmly committed to protecting the integrity of all U.S. visas and travel documents,” said Jeffrey A. Thomas, Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Investigations. “This case is the result of a strong partnership among federal law enforcement agencies and DSS’ global network of special agents working together to stop visa and passport crimes, and to stop criminals from earning illegal income by exploiting U.S. visas, passports, and foreign nationals.”
According to the indictment, Liao, with others, fraudulently obtained visitor visas by submitting applications containing false statements to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China as part of a scheme to assist aliens from China to enter the U.S. For the aliens whose applications were approved, Liao would facilitate the aliens’ travel to the U.S., including accompanying them on commercial flights to Queens and Brooklyn, New York. The aliens and their families paid thousands of dollars in exchange for the visitor visas and travel to the U.S. Liao’s co-defendant in the indictment, Ned Michael Moriearty, was recently deceased.
This case is being investigated by the DSS, Criminal Fraud Investigations Unit Branch.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rami S. Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nomi Berenson of the Eastern District of New York.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
White River Junction Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Hallet Merrick, 34, of White River Junction, Vermont was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 20, 2019, Lebanon Police officers made contact with Merrick and arrested him on a warrant for failing to appear in Grafton County Superior Court. During searches of his person incident to his arrest, officers discovered approximately six grams of fentanyl, which Merrick claimed was for personal use. Officers also discovered a handgun in his sweatshirt pocket. As a convicted felon, Merrick is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
Merrick previously pleaded guilty on August 28, 2020.
“In order to protect the public, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Convicted felons who possess firearms are violating federal law and endangering our communities. Armed criminals like Merrick should understand that possessing a gun will have serious consequences, including federal prison time.”
This matter was investigated by the Lebanon Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
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United States Attorney Jason Dunn's Statement Regarding the Third Circuit's Decision That Supervised Injection Sites Violate Federal LawRead the Press Release
“I commend and agree with the federal appellate court’s decision finding that facilities opened with the purpose of having visitors use heroin and fentanyl are doing so in violation of federal law. And as I have said previously, the idea of a government sponsored drug house is an anathema to the principle that government’s primary duty is to do no harm. We cannot combat the opioid epidemic by enabling individuals to access and use illegal deadly drugs, particularly in light of the recent rise in illicit fentanyl use. Such facilities would only serve to further the illicit drug trade and result in a greater number of overdose deaths, not less.”
safehouse_opinion.pdfU.S. Attorneys warn of charges against potential violent protestersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - The U.S. Attorneys representing the four districts in Texas have announced intent to prosecute any crimes committed at the state capitol or otherwise in violation of federal law ahead of upcoming presidential inauguration.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, the rioters at the U.S. Capitol should be arrested, charged and incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “I will continue to work with my D.C. area colleagues proving any assistance for leads that come back to my district. And the four Texas US Attorneys will work together to investigate and prosecute any federal crimes that may occur at the state capitol. We cherish the free expression and ability to assemble, but it must be done peacefully as stated in the Constitution.”
U.S. Attorney Patrick joins his counterparts – U.S. Attorneys Gregg N. Sofer and Stephen J. Cox and Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah of the Western, Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas, respectively – to warn those planning to cross state lines to commit crimes in Texas or at the state capitol.
As the chief law enforcement officers in each of the federal districts, the U.S. Attorneys will be working with federal, state and local law enforcement throughout the state to aggressively identify crimes that violate federal law. The plan is to ensure that anyone who is arrested for committing looting, violence or any other crime related to protests or similar events on or about inauguration day will be processed and held in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in the District of Columbia (DC) is prosecuting those that have been or will be identified as allegedly committing crimes during the riots at the U.S. Capitol last week. The Texas U.S. Attorneys will also be working with Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and necessary law enforcement in those prosecutions. Any questions regarding those matters should be directed to DOJ Office of Public Affairs or to the USAO in D.C.
U.S. Attorneys in Texas Warn of Charges Against Potential Violent ProtestersRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorneys representing the four districts in Texas have announced their intent to prosecute any crimes committed at the state capitol or otherwise in violation of federal law ahead of upcoming presidential inauguration.
“Last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol in D.C. was reprehensible. We will not tolerate that type of behavior from protesters in Austin or anywhere in Texas,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “The Department of Justice will always support free speech, but we will never condone violence and destruction.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Shah joins his counterparts – U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Patrick, Gregg N. Sofer, and Stephen J. Cox, of the Southern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas, respectively – to warn those planning to cross state lines to commit crimes in Texas or at the state capitol.
As the chief law enforcement officers in each of the federal districts, the U.S. Attorneys will be working with federal, state and local law enforcement throughout the state to aggressively identify acts that violate federal law. The plan is to ensure that anyone who is arrested for committing looting, violence or any other crime related to protests or similar events on or about inauguration day will be processed and held in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia (DC) is prosecuting those that have been or will be identified as allegedly committing crimes during the riots at the U.S. Capitol last week. The Texas U.S. Attorneys are working with Department of Justice officials and law enforcement on those prosecutions.U.S. Attorneys Warn: Don't Mess with TexasRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorneys representing the four districts in Texas have announced their intent to prosecute any crimes committed at the State Capitol or elsewhere in violation of federal law ahead of the upcoming presidential inauguration.
“During this time of polarized political discord, freedom of speech is an important right that must be safeguarded, but those who threaten to harm others, commit acts of violence, destroy property or attack law enforcement must be held accountable for their criminal behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer. “Now, more than ever, we must respect the rule of law. The Texas United States Attorneys’ Offices along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners will pursue federal charges against those who refuse to do so.”
U.S. Attorney Sofer joins his counterparts – U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick, Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah and U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox of the Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, respectively – to warn those planning to cross state lines to commit crimes in Texas or at the State Capitol that justice will be sought.
As the chief law enforcement officers in each of the federal districts, the U.S. Attorneys will be working with federal, state and local law enforcement throughout the state to aggressively identify individuals who violate federal law. The plan is to ensure that, where appropriate, anyone arrested for committing federal crimes related to protests or similar events on or about Inauguration Day will be processed and held in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia (DC) is prosecuting those individuals identified as allegedly committing crimes during the riots last week at the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Attorneys in Texas have been and will continue to work with Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and necessary law enforcement in those prosecutions.
U.S. Attorney, District Attorney Warn Violence Won’t be Tolerated During Inauguration ProtestsRead the Press Release
Media Relations Director Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 or [email protected]
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 13, 2021
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today their offices will not tolerate violence during inauguration-related protests and will work closely with federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity at such events in San Diego and Imperial counties.
“We are issuing the strongest warning possible to anyone who is planning violence in connection with the inauguration,” Brewer said. “If you repeat the despicable behavior we saw at the Capitol last week, and if you disrespect our great democracy by bringing harm to people or property in a display of hatred and rage, the consequences will be swift and strong. You will be found, and you will be charged. Don’t let that become part of your story.”
“I want to be clear that my office will prosecute those who break state laws when they choose violence, hate, assault or vandalism to harm our community—including attacks on fellow citizens and peace officers,” DA Stephan said. “I call on our community members to work hand in hand with law enforcement to keep our neighborhoods safe and to honor our democracy by reporting suspicious activity. If you see something, say something.”
Both U.S. Attorney Brewer and DA Stephan condemned the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol:
“Protesting is an inalienable right recognized by the U.S. Constitution; rioting is a crime,” DA Stephan said. “The insurrection that occurred in the U.S. Capitol last week was a despicable, anti-American attack on the democratic fabric of our nation. It’s a wakeup call that locally, we must work together to keep our community safe, including alerting law enforcement to the threat of violence.”
“The attack on Congress was a shameful and reprehensible affront to our democracy. Our Constitution protects the rights of free speech and assembly, but it does not protect mob violence, threats to harm public officials, assaults on law enforcement officers, or damage to government buildings,” said Brewer.
Anyone witnessing a crime in progress or immediate danger to the public should call 911. If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, have any information about unlawful violent actions, or have information about the Capitol violence case, the FBI urges you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol. You may also call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and/or information. If you do not have an attachment but have information to provide, you can also submit your information at tips.fbi.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada Collects over $8.6 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich announced today that the District of Nevada collected $8,674,644.74 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. Of this amount, $2,837,891.57 was collected in criminal actions and $5,836,753.17 was collected in civil actions.
“These significant collections reflect the dedication and commitment of our Financial Litigation Unit, Asset Forfeiture Unit, and other members of our Civil Division,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Throughout 2020, we continued to expand our coordination with law enforcement agencies and other collection partners, and we’re honored to be able to contribute these funds for (among other things) victim compensation and victim assistance.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Highlights of the District of Nevada’s FY 2020 collection efforts include:
- Trixa Belloso-Rivas was convicted of conspiracy to file fraudulent tax return information, and ordered to pay $2,000,100 in restitution. In coordination with the U.S. Probation Office, our office became aware that Belloso-Rivas would be receiving a personal injury settlement payment. Our Financial Litigation Unit successfully asserted its restitution judgment and lien against the settlement proceeds, and received over $320,000 towards the outstanding restitution amount.
- Gareth Long was indicted and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, having deposited unauthorized checks from more than 375,000 victims into his bank account. At sentencing, the Court ordered a criminal forfeiture money judgment of $11,224,404.31, of which $3,621,523.09 has been forfeited.
Further, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $6,592,713.24 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2020. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Overall, the Justice Department collected more than $15.9 billion in civil and criminal actions in FY 2020 ending Sept. 30, 2020. The $15,988,516,670 in collections represents more than five times the approximately $3.2 billion appropriated budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions of the Justice Department. The total includes all monies collected as a result of Justice Department-led enforcement actions and negotiated civil settlements. It includes more than $13.5 billion in payments made directly to the Justice Department, and more than $2.4 billion in indirect payments made to other federal agencies, states and other designated recipients.
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U.S. Attorney Warns Demonstrators that Any Violence at Texas State Capitol will be Vigorously ProsecutedRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - The U.S. Attorneys representing the four districts in Texas have announced their intent to prosecute any crimes committed at the state capitol or otherwise in violation of federal law ahead of upcoming presidential inauguration.
“The First Amendment is a cherished right and bedrock principle of our great nation,” said United States Attorney Stephen J. Cox. “Those who intend to commit crimes at the Texas State Capitol, rather than peacefully demonstrate, can expect to be met with a swift response by law enforcement and prosecution by our office.”
U.S. Attorney Cox joins his counterparts – U.S. Attorneys Gregg N. Sofer and Ryan K. Patrick and Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah of the Western, Southern and Northern Districts of Texas, respectively – to warn those planning to cross state lines to commit crimes in Texas or at the state capitol.
As the chief law enforcement officers in each of the federal districts, the U.S. Attorneys will be working with federal, state and local law enforcement throughout the state to aggressively identify crimes that violate federal law. The plan is to ensure that anyone who is arrested for committing looting, violence or any other crime related to protests or similar events on or about inauguration day will be processed and held in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in the District of Columbia (DC) is prosecuting those that have been or will be identified as allegedly committing crimes during the riots last week. The Texas U.S. Attorneys will also be working with Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and necessary law enforcement in those prosecutions. Any questions regarding those matters should be directed to DOJ Office of Public Affairs or to the USAO in D.C.
Two Off-Duty Virginia Police Officers Charged in Federal Court Following Events at the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two off-duty Rocky Mount, Virginia police officers were charged yesterday in federal court in the District of Columbia in connection with the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.
Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson were charged by complaint with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Both defendants were arrested on January 13, 2021, in Virginia. It is alleged that during the events at the U.S. Capitol, Fracker and Robertson were photographed in the Capitol building making an obscene gesture in front of the John Stark statue.
On social media, Robertson is quoted as saying, “CNN and the Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem and not some random small business ... The right IN ONE DAY took the f***** U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.” He also stated that he was “proud” of the photo on an Instagram post that was shared to Facebook, because he was “willing to put skin in the game.” On Facebook, Fracker posted a comment that read, “Lol to anyone who’s possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom? …Not like I did anything illegal…y’all do what you feel you need to.” The post has since been deleted.
These cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia. The cases are being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Capitol Police.
The information contained in the charging documents are merely allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The ATF and FBI continue to urge the public to report suspected use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email [email protected] or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.
The FBI is looking for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
Two Canadian Citizens Charged with Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal criminal complaint against DAYNE ADRIAN SITLADEEN, 29, and MUZAMIL ADEN ADDOW, 29, charging them with being unlawful aliens in possession of firearms. SITLADEEN and ADDOW are currently in federal custody and will make their initial appearances later this week before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, on January 10, 2021, at approximately 10:10 p.m. near Fergus Falls, a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Texas license plates that was traveling between 95-100 miles per hour. When the Trooper approached the vehicle, the driver provided an Ontario, Canada driver’s license with a false name. The front seat passenger provided a false Florida identification card. The driver was later identified as ADDOW and the passenger was later identified as SITLADEEN.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, after detecting the odor of marijuana in the vehicle and receiving suspicious and inconsistent statements from SITALDEEN and ADDOW, the Trooper searched the vehicle. As a result of the search, law enforcement officers recovered a total of 67 firearms and numerous pistol magazines from four bags in the vehicle. Law enforcement later discovered a provisional federal arrest warrant from the United States Marshals Service for SITLADEEN, which was based on a 2019 Canadian arrest warrant for first degree homicide, fentanyl distribution, and possession of proceeds of crime. Law enforcement also determined that ADDOW has outstanding felony arrest warrants in Canada for firearms offenses and kidnapping.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minnesota State Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bates and John Docherty.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
DAYNE ADRIAN SITLADEEN, 29
Citizen of Canada
Charges:
- Unlawful alien in possession of firearms, 1 count
MUZAMIL ADEN ADDOW, 29
Citizen of Canada
Charges:
- Unlawful alien in possession of firearms, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Texas man and woman behind My Buddy Loans charged with filing hundreds of fraudulent applications for COVID reliefRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Liberty County, Texas, man and woman have been charged with filing hundreds of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications with the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.
Clifton Pape, 45, and Sally Jung, 58, both of Cleveland, Texas, allegedly operated a COVID relief fraud scheme known as My Buddy Loans, that garnered them more than $775,000 in fraud proceeds and resulted in at least $1.3 million in loss to the United States. Pape and Jung are charged by way of a federal criminal complaint that charges a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1031, major fraud against the United States.
“At a time when small businesses—the engines of our economy in East Texas—most needed the help that the Small Business Administration was rushing to provide, these individuals took advantage of members of the public, depleting the available resources for small businesses and lining their own pockets with fraudulent gain,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox of the Eastern District of Texas. “We encourage members of the public and the banking community to stay vigilant, watching for fraud as another round of COVID relief begins. It is a priority of the Department of Justice to deter and prosecute this type of fraud.”
“Those responsible for committing fraud against SBA for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Central Region Special Agent in Charge Sharon Johnson. “SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides advance grants and loans to eligible small businesses to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication to justice.”
“These charges represent the consequences of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic by defrauding the EIDL program and thus taking money intended for legitimate businesses in need,” said William Mack, U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge of the Tyler Resident Office. “The success of this investigation was the direct result of investigative actions taken by the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners. The Secret Service will continue to hold those accountable who seek to exploit CARES Act programs and seek justice for all those who seek to exploit U.S. citizens for their own illicit gain.”
According to court documents filed today in U.S. District Court in Texarkana, Pape and Jung operated under the name My Buddy Loans. In exchange for $1082.50, My Buddy Loans took personal identifying information from third parties and promised to file a federal application for a $10,000 agricultural grant. Instead, Pape and Jung actually filed EIDL applications with the SBA that contained false information. For example, in June and July 2020, Pape and Jung filed 222 EIDL applications, all of which purported to be for businesses with exactly ten employees—the minimum number of employees required to obtain the maximum EIDL advance of $10,000. From those 222 applications, the SBA issued 130 EIDL advances in the amount of $10,000—$1.3 million total.
Pape and Jung used Square’s credit and debit card processing service to charge third parties the fee of $1082.50. Pape and Jung completed 716 successful charges, obtaining at least $775,000 in fees from third parties. Pape and Jung then transferred the proceeds of the fraud scheme into a bank account they controlled. On one occasion, Pape used the fraud proceeds to pay a traffic ticket. On another occasion, Pape and Jung used more than $3600 from the fraud scheme to pay for a stay at La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas. A picture from that stay shows Pape and Jung celebrating over sparkling wine and other beverages. Pursuant to a seizure warrant, agents seized the $505,535.04 in fraud proceeds remaining in the account.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization or EIDL Advances and low-interest loans to small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. Under the EIDL Advance program loan applicants were eligible for an advance of up to $10,000 if the applicant had ten or more employees, which was forgivable. The advance amount was based on the number of employees reported by a business. An applicant could receive $1000 per employee up to $10,000. The SBA required an EIDL Advance applicant to provide specific information at the time the application was made, including the number of employees, revenue, and cost of goods. An EIDL applicant could apply through a third-party processor. Third-party processors were permitted to charge a reasonable fee for their services.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Under federal statutes, Pape and Jung face up to 10 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine at sentencing. The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the SBA Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
Texas Woman Indicted for Transporting Minor for Female Genital MutilationRead the Press Release
A Texas woman has been indicted for transporting a minor from the United States to a foreign country for the purpose of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Zahra Badri, 39, of Houston, who is originally from the United Kingdom, is charged in an indictment with knowingly transporting a minor from the United States in foreign commerce for the purpose of FGM from about July 10, 2016 through Oct. 14, 2016.
“The brutal practice of female genital mutilation not only subjects victims to the immediate trauma of the violent act, but also often condemns them to suffer a lifetime of physical and psychological harms,” said David P. Burns, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment represents the first time the Department has brought charges against a defendant for transporting a child outside U.S. borders to facilitate this abhorrent form of gender-based violence and demonstrates that we will not rest in pursuing and holding to account those who engage in this cruelty.”
Title 18, United States Code, Section 116(d), defines FGM as circumcision, excision, or infibulation of “the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years.” Since 1996, the United States has prohibited the practice of female genital mutilation. In 2013, Congress amended the statute to add section 116(d), which prohibits the transportation of a person from the United States to another country for purposes of having female genital mutilation performed upon them. This is the first such indictment under section 116(d).
“Female genital mutilation is child abuse,” said Ryan K. Patrick, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The long-term damage, both physically and physiologically, is well documented. Unnecessary medical procedures on children will not be tolerated.”
“It is rare this type of crime is brought to the attention of law enforcement,” said Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Houston Field Office. “We want the American people to know it is the FBI's responsibility to investigate allegations of Human Rights violations, like female genital mutilation. This is an example of our commitment to protect Human Rights.”
“Female genital mutilation is a human rights violation,” said Andre Watson, Assistant Director of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), National Security Investigations Division, which oversees the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. “This indictment reflects the gravity of FGM and the on-going commitment of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center to investigate this heinous crime.”
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Houston Field Office, with the support of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. The HRVWCC leverages the expertise of a select group of agents, lawyers, intelligence and research specialists, historians and analysts who direct the government’s broader enforcement efforts against these offenders. The HRVWCC is comprised of ICE HSI Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit, ICE’s Human Rights Law Division, FBI’s International Human Rights Unit and the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP).
The case is being prosecuted by HRSP Trial Attorneys Rami S. Badawy, Susan Masling, and Christian Levesque and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Leo and Sherri Zack of the Southern District of Texas.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Statement on the passing of Chief Deputy District Attorney Chuck BarthRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Fred Federici issued the following statement:
The United States Attorney’s Office wishes to extend its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Barth family and our colleagues at the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office for the passing of Chief Deputy District Attorney Chuck Barth. Chuck devoted his professional life to law enforcement, working as a Secret Service agent, prosecutor at the DA’s office, and as a long-time colleague and friend as a career prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In his latest role as Chief Deputy District Attorney, Chuck was a valued partner to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in helping to coordinate our offices’ joint efforts to fight crime in Albuquerque.
Chuck’s passing is a tremendous loss to the Albuquerque community, and to many of us within the office who worked alongside him for years, a tremendous personal loss. Like his colleagues at the D.A.’s Office, we will miss Chuck and his sense of humor.
St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty After Being Arrested at Cyril E. King Airport with 2.9 Kilograms of Marijuana in his Carry-on BagRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Trevon Richards, 31, of St. Thomas, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and entered a guilty plea yesterday to one count charging him with possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Richards arrived at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas on November 4, 2020. After disembarking, Richards was stopped on the tarmac when a K-9 alerted to his backpack. Customs and Border Patrol Officers searched Robinson’s bag finding six vacuum sealed plastic bags containing approximately 2.9 kilograms of marijuana.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
Spencerport Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge After Attempting to Have Sex with A 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Michael Greco, 25 of Spencerport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to attempted receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, lifetime supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2020, the defendant engaged in online conversations with an individual who Greco believed was a mother engaged in the prostitution of her 13-year-old daughter. In fact, the “mother” was an undercover New York State Police (NYSP) investigator. Between January 2 and January 7, 2020, the defendant exchanged text messages and phone calls with the investigator, during which Greco agreed to pay $100 in order to have sex with the 13-year- old child.
On January 7, 2020, the defendant traveled to a pre-arranged destination, expecting to meet the child for sex. Instead, Greco was taken into custody by the NYSP and Homeland Security Investigations. The defendant was in possession of $100, which was the price he negotiated to have sex with the child, as well as condoms and candy for the child. A subsequent search of his cell phone revealed that Greco attempted to receive child pornography via the Internet.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the NYSP Troop E Major Crimes Unit, Canandaigua, under the direction of Major Barry Chase, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 13, 2021, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Silver Spring Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for the Armed Robbery of a Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Ever Ramiro Torres Enriquez, age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, yesterday to 84 months and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a Takoma Park, Maryland, jewelry store on February 16, 2019, and for brandishing a gun during the robbery. Judge Grimm also ordered Torres to pay restitution of $174,967, which is the full amount of the victim’s loss.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on February 16, 2019, Torres entered the jewelry store and pretended to be looking for jewelry for his girlfriend. Moments later, Torres’s co-conspirator, Douglas Amilcar-Vasquez entered the store brandishing a handgun demanding cash and jewelry. At the same time, Torres pulled out a black rifle, which had been hidden under his clothes and, pointing the rifle at his victims, demanded money and jewelry. At one point during the robbery, Amilcar-Vasquez forcibly removed a necklace from around one customer’s neck. Torres and Amilcar-Vasquez stole $7,900 in cash and over 400 pieces of jewelry valued at $167,067.11. The defendants left the store and forcibly carjacked two male victims in a nearby vehicle and fled the scene. The stolen vehicle was later recovered.
Neither defendant wore gloves during the robbery. Amilcar-Vasquez’s left palm print was lifted from one of the jewelry store’s glass counters and DNA found on gloves recovered from the carjacked vehicle matched DNA from Torres.
Following the robbery, Torres used an identification card with his personal information to pawn several pieces of the stolen jewelry, receiving a total of $630. Torres was arrested on June 14, 2019.
Amilcar-Vasquez, age 35, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges. Judge Grimm scheduled the sentencing for March 16, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Not Reporting International TravelRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A convicted felon and registered sex offender was sentenced to prison for failing to provide information related to his intended international travel, as required by federal law, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Michael Walker, 45, of Perry, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Marc T. Treadwell, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Walker previously pleaded guilty on October 21, 2020 to one count of failure of a sex offender to provide information relating to intended international travel. There is no parole in the federal system.
Walker departed the United States on the cruise ship “Carnival Paradise” on December 12, 2019 for a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. The ship returned to Tampa, Florida on December 16, 2019. Walker was required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) to report his intended foreign travel no later than 21-days prior to departure, which he failed to do. Upon the ship’s arrival in Tampa, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers boarded the ship and placed Walker under arrest. Walker was previously convicted on April 22, 2004 of child molestation in the Superior Court of Houston County, Georgia. He is a Level 2 sex offender and is required to register as a sex offender in Georgia yearly for the rest of his life.
“The sex offender registration and notification programs are in place to protect the public. Registered sex offenders who disregard the laws governing their movements will face federal prosecution and federal prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “I want to thank the U.S. Marshals, Customs and Border Protection, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office for their work protecting the public and holding this defendant accountable.”
“The United States Marshals Service has prioritized investigations of registered sex offenders who travel between states, or internationally, and fail to notify authorities as required by law. Our district, working with our local and state partners, has dedicated men and women that focus their investigative expertise to locate, apprehend, and prosecute noncompliant sex offenders,” said U.S. Marshal John Cary Bittick.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. McCommon, III and Alex Kalim prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Officer (Contractor), U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Seven Charged in Federal Court Following Events at the United CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seven individuals have been charged in federal court in the District of Columbia in connection with crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
The defendants and charges are outlined below:
- Robert Keith Packer was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Packer was arrested today in Virginia.
- Nicholas Rodean was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without law authority; one count of knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on capitol grounds; and one count of and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the capitol buildings. Rodean was arrested today in Washington, D.C.
- Aaron Mostofsky, was charged with one felony count of theft of government property. He was arrested in New York City yesterday.
- William Pepe was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without law authority. Pepe was arrested yesterday in New York.
- Andrew Williams was charged with one count of unlawful entry of a restricted building and one count of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Williams was arrested in Florida yesterday.
- Josiah Colt, of Meridian, Idaho, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Colt was arrested yesterday in Idaho.
- Kevin Loftus was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without law authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Loftus was arrested yesterday in Wisconsin.
In addition, three defendants previously charged by criminal complaint have been indicted in federal court in the District of Columbia:
- Lonnie Coffman
- Jacob Chansley
- Mark Leffingwell
Defendant, Richard Barnett, who was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021, was charged in an amended complaint yesterday with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without law authority; one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds; and one count of theft of public money, property, or records.
Additional complaints have been submitted in federal court and investigations are ongoing. As previously reported, approximately 40 individuals were arrested and charged in Superior Court with offenses including, but not limited to, unlawful entry, curfew violations, and firearms-related crimes.
The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. The cases are being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by: the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York; the FBI’s New York Field Office; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin; the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; the FBI’s Tampa Field Office; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho; the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; the U.S. Attorney's Office for Maryland; and the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office.
The ATF and FBI continue to urge the public to report suspected use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email [email protected] or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.
The FBI is looking for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or s ubmit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Senior NASA Scientist Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements Related to Chinese Thousand Talents Program Participation and ProfessorshipRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (“USAO”), William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Mark J. Zielinski, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Field Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (“NASA OIG”), announced that MEYYA MEYYAPPAN, a senior NASA scientist, pled guilty today to making false statements to the FBI, NASA OIG, and the USAO. MEYYAPPAN pled guilty in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Meyya Meyyappan held a trusted position at NASA, with access to valuable intellectual property. In violation of the terms of his employment and relevant laws and regulations, Meyyappan failed to disclose participation in a Chinese government recruitment program, and subsequently lied about it to NASA investigators, FBI agents, and our Office. Now, having admitted his crime, Meyyappan awaits sentencing.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Members of U.S. government agencies are strictly prohibited from maintaining undisclosed affiliations with foreign entities, especially those that are actively seeking our intellectual property and technological advances. Meyyappan violated this sacred rule, and then lied to FBI agents about it. Actions like those carried about by Meyyappan can have security implications, and his charges should serve as a warning to others thinking about engaging in the same type of activity.”
NASA OIG Special Agent in Charge Mark J. Zielinski said: “Certain NASA employees are required to disclose affiliations with foreign entities in order to protect NASA’s intellectual property. Failure to do so could allow malicious foreign actors unauthorized access to American taxpayer funded technologies. We thank the FBI and the USAO, SDNY for their assistance throughout this investigation.”
According to the allegations in the Information filed today in Manhattan federal court and other proceedings in this case:
Since in or about 1996, MEYYAPPAN, the defendant, has been employed by NASA, an independent U.S. government agency responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Since in or about 2006, MEYYAPPAN has been Chief Scientist, Exploration Technology at the Center for Nanotechnology, at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Silicon Valley, California.
In his position at NASA, MEYYAPPAN was subject to certain statutory, regulatory, and agency restrictions and reporting requirements regarding, among other things, outside employment, travel, and compensation. Notwithstanding these prohibitions, MEYYAPPAN participated in China’s Thousand Talents Program, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology or intellectual property, and held professorships at universities in China, South Korea, and Japan, and failed to disclose these associations and positions to NASA and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
On or about October 27, 2020, MEYYAPPAN was interviewed by the FBI, NASA OIG, and the USAO, in New York, New York. During that interview, MEYYAPPAN falsely stated, among other things, that he was not a member of the Thousand Talents Program and that he did not hold a professorship at a Chinese university. In truth and in fact, MEYYAPPAN was a member of the Thousand Talents Program and held a professorship at a Chinese university, funded by the Chinese government.
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MEYYAPPAN, 66, of Pacifica, California was charged with one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MEYYAPPAN is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Castel on June 16, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the FBI and NASA OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua A. Naftalis is in charge of the prosecution.
Rolla Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Rolla, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Ladd E. Callen, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 25, 2020, Callen pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Callen admitted that he was in possession of 371.38 grams of methamphetamine when Kansas City police officers stopped the Chevrolet Silverado he was driving on Oct. 30, 2018. Callen told officers he came to Kansas City to purchase one pound of methamphetamine, which he planned to transport back to Rolla. Officers also found a stolen and loaded Glock handgun on the floorboard directly behind the driver’s seat.
At the time of his arrest, Callen was under the supervision of the Missouri Department of Probation and Parole for his prior possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Roland Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in SexRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Roland man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity after exchanging messages with an undercover investigator.
Jonathan D. Ross, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that Patrick Karl Tate, 57, was sentenced today to 120 months imprisonment. United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., who presided over Tate’s two-day jury trial in October 2019, imposed the sentence.
Testimony during the trial established that in April of 2017, an undercover investigator with the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office saw an ad posted on Craigslist. The ad was located in a section of the website titled Casual Encounters, which an investigator testified is known for sex solicitations. The ad specified it was looking for “mother/daughter,” and it asked for responses to be sent through KIK messenger, an online messaging service. The ad provided a KIK username: karlpatrick69. This was later identified to be the defendant, Patrick Karl Tate.
The undercover investigator sent a message to the KIK account, and the undercover exchanged messages with karlpatrick69 from April 9 to April 16, 2017. The messages, all of which were introduced at trial, indicated that the undercover officer was posing as an adult male with access to his girlfriend’s daughter, a 13-year-old child. In the messages, and in two recorded phone conversations that were played at trial, the undercover investigator and Tate made plans to meet so that Tate could have sex with the 13-year-old child. In the messages, the undercover investigator told Tate that he should bring at least three condoms. The two agreed to meet at a location in Greenbrier on April 16, 2017, which was Easter Sunday.
Evidence at trial further indicated that on April 16, 2017, Tate arrived at the agreed-upon location. He had three condoms. He was met by investigators from the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office, who arrested him. Tate was transported back to the major crimes unit, where he was read his rights and gave a statement. In his statement, Tate admitted to posting the Craigslist ad, admitted to having the conversations on KIK, admitted that karlpatrick69 was his screenname, and admitted that he knew the child involved was 13 years old.
The statutory penalty for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity is not less than 10 years and not more than life imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years of supervised release. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Moody sentenced Tate to five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Crews and Allison W. Bragg.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Rockford Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on charges of producing child pornography and committing felony sex offenses while he was required to register as a sex offender.
GARY WILSON, 50, was charged with four counts of producing child pornography via the internet and one count of committing a felony offense involving a minor when he was required to be registered as a sex offender.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
According to the indictment, between June 2018 and April 2019 Wilson knowingly enticed four minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct, and then transmitting the depiction via the internet. The indictment also alleges that the production of child pornography by Wilson occurred while he was required to be registered as a sex offender.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years. The count of committing a felony offense involving a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison that must be served after any sentence for production of child pornography is completed.