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3 March 2021
Businessman Indicted for Not Reporting Foreign Bank Accounts and Filing False Documents with the IRSRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, returned an indictment on March 3, 2021, charging a Virginia man with failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs) and filing false documents with the IRS.
According to the indictment, Azizur Rahman of Herndon, had a financial interest in and signature authority over more than 20 foreign financial accounts, including accounts held in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Singapore, and Bangladesh. From 2010 through 2016, Rahman allegedly did not disclose his interest in all of his financial accounts on annual FBARs, as required by law. Rahman also allegedly filed false individual tax returns for the tax years 2010 through 2016 that did not report to the IRS all of his foreign bank accounts and income.
Rahman is also charged with filing a false “Streamlined Submission” in conjunction with the IRS Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures. Those procedures allowed eligible taxpayers residing within the United States, who failed to report gross income from foreign financial accounts on prior tax returns, failed to pay taxes on that gross income, or who failed to submit an FBAR disclosing foreign financial accounts, to voluntarily disclose their conduct to the IRS and to pay a reduced penalty if their conduct was non-willful. The indictment alleges that Rahman’s Streamlined Submission did not truthfully disclose all the foreign bank accounts in which he had an interest, and falsely claimed that his failure to report all income, pay all tax, and submit all required information returns, such as FBARs, was non-willful.
If convicted, Rahman faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each of the counts related to filing false tax documents. Rahman also faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count relating to his failure to file an FBAR or filing a false FBAR.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar Walker and Trial Attorneys Sean Beaty and Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bulk Cocaine Trafficker Is Sentenced to More Than 15 YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Harold Broome Jr., 39, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 181 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Vincent C. Pallozzi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in 2019, law enforcement learned that Broome was distributing large quantities of cocaine in the greater Charlotte area. In April 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Broome’s residence, seizing more than five kilograms powder cocaine, over two pounds marijuana, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and over $36,000 in cash. Court records show that Broome engaged in drug trafficking activities while on supervised release for a previous federal drug conviction. Broome was arrested on state drug charges and was subsequently released on bond. In December 2019, a federal indictment charged Broome with new drug offenses and an arrest warrant was issued.
In January 2020, law enforcement located and arrested Broome. At the time of his arrest, Broome was continuing to traffic narcotics and was found in possession of bulk cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana. Subsequent to his arrest, Broome pleaded guilty to a federal superseding indictment, enlarging the scope of his drug trafficking conspiracy.
Broome is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sanjeev Bhasker and Dena King, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Buffalo Man Facing 25 Charges, Including Drug, Gun and COVID Fraud Charges, in Two Separate IndictmentsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned two separate indictments against Joseph Bella, 48, of Buffalo, NY. A superseding indictment charges the defendant with possessing with intent to distribute, and distributing cocaine; maintaining a drug involved premises; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm; and threatening to injure a person through interstate communications. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The second indictment charges Bella with committing wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and making false statements on a loan application. The charges in the second indictment carry a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
“The common thread running through the allegation in these two indictments is defendant’s willingness to do anything to make a buck, even if it means jeopardizing the health and safety of others,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas T. Cooper and David J. Rudroff, who are handling the cases, stated that the according to the superseding indictment, indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, on April 23, 2020, Special Agents and Officers from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Buffalo Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Summer Street in Buffalo. The defendant was present during the execution of that warrant. During the search, a quantity of cocaine, plastic bags, and a digital scale were seized. In addition, agents also discovered: a shotgun and numerous rounds of ammunition; THC gummies, lollipops, and other THC edibles; marijuana cigarettes and loose marijuana; THC vape cartridges; suspected Psilocybin mushrooms; a small quantity of MDMA; various pills; and THC resin.
In addition, Bella is alleged to have defrauded a Salt Lake City, Utah, corporation (Victim) that developed and manufactured COVID-19 test kits. Bella falsely represented that his company, Medcor Staffing, Inc., was laboratory certified to perform high-complexity molecular testing, that Medcor was an “end-user” of the tests, and that Medcor would not attempt to resell them. As a result, the Victim sold Bella 5,000 COVID-19 tests that he could not safely and accurately process, could not provide end-user support for, and, in fact, intended to re-sell at a substantial mark-up.
In March 2020, Bella advertised on his personal Facebook account that he was selling “FDA approved COVID-19 Test Kits.” In April 2020, the defendant communicated with an undercover federal agent by telephone, text message, and email, falsely telling the agent that he had 50,000 COVID-19 tests for sale; that the COVID-19 tests were being stored in a warehouse in San Diego, California at -20 degrees Celsius; that Medcor was an “exclusive licensed reseller” of the tests; and that Medcor employed doctors and scientists to answer customers' questions. Bella attempted to sell the tests to the agent for $30 per test, or more, after fraudulently obtaining the tests for only $8 apiece.
The defendant is also accused of fraudulently obtaining a loan from the Small Business Association under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, which is designed to provide low-interest loans to qualifying small businesses to help them meet financial obligations and operating expenses in the event of a disaster. At Bella’s direction, a subordinate submitted a falsified application for a loan under the EIDL Program for another business Bella owns called BuyMyCard, a purchaser and re-seller of gift cards. The application grossly inflated BuyMyCard’s annual revenue, grossly underreported BuyMyCard’s annual expenses, and falsely stated that Bella was not subject to formal criminal charges at the time of the application. As a result of the falsified application, the SBA approved and funded a $149,900 loan to BuyMyCard under the EIDL Program.
Bella has been under home confinement since May 2020. Following his arraignment on these two indictments, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer revoked Bella’s release and he was ordered detained pending trial.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The indictments are the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Director Brian Manaher; U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Chief Patrol Agent Eduardo Payan; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bridgeville Man Pleads Guilty to Possession and Distribution in Project Safe Childhood ProsecutionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of Distribution of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
Paul Chretien, age 66, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about September 26, 2018, Chretien distributed images in computer graphic files depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The court was further advised that on or about February 6, 2019, Chretien possessed images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2021. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Chretien.
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.justice.gov/psc .
Armed Carjacker Is Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jordan Allen Williams, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 12 years in prison today on carjacking and firearms offenses, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. also ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on June 2, 2019, at approximately 2:45 p.m., Williams and a co-conspirator approached a male victim at the parking lot of the victim’s apartment complex in Charlotte. Williams pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered the victim to hand over his cell phone, wallet and car keys. The victim complied, and Williams ordered the victim to lay down on the sidewalk or Williams would shoot him. Williams and his co-conspirator fled the scene in the victim’s Jeep Grand Cherokee. CMPD officers located the vehicle shortly thereafter, and Williams and his co-conspirator were arrested after Williams crashed the stolen vehicle while attempting to evade the police.
In March 2020, Williams pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Court records show that, between 2014 and 2016, Williams was convicted of multiple counts of Breaking and Entering and other felony convictions in Mecklenburg County. During his incarceration for these crimes in 2017, Williams admitted to being a member of the United Blood Nation (UBN) or “Bloods” gang.
Williams is currently in custody and will be transferred to custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was handled by ICE-HSI and CMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Armed Career Criminal Receives 15 Year Sentence for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Antonio Buffington, 45, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Acting United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on November 23, 2018, Memphis Police Department officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 4200 block of Gladstone Road. The officers were met by the wife of the defendant, Q.B., who advised that she and her husband were in an argument regarding money.
Buffington reportedly retrieved a firearm from a bedside table, pulled the hammer back, and demanded his wife withdraw money from a local ATM. The pair went to a nearby gas station where Q.B. withdrew money from an ATM and provided some to the defendant. The defendant then dropped his wife off at her house and left.
Later, when Buffington returned to the house, his wife called law enforcement. When officers arrived, they recovered an Interarms Industries .44 caliber revolver on the front seat of his vehicle. The defendant was taken into custody. After waiving his Miranda rights, Buffington informed officers that he was in possession of the gun and did take the gun from the nightstand to his vehicle.
Buffington is a convicted felon having previously been convicted of Criminal Attempt: Aggravated Assault, as well as having convictions for Aggravated Robbery. As a result of his felony convictions, Buffington is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition, and was determined to be an armed career criminal under the federal sentencing guidelines and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months.
On March 2, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Buffington to 180 months in federal prison followed by two years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, is 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. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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 for the purpose of prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Albany Felon Sentenced to 51 Months for Illegally Possessing a Loaded, Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jahmeek Croley, a/k/a “Meeker,” age 33, of Albany, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm as a felon.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department.
Croley, who has prior felony convictions for drug and weapons offenses, previously admitted that in November 2019, he possessed a loaded 9mm pistol at his residence in Albany. Croley further admitted to purchasing the pistol – which had been stolen from a Vermont residence in 2015 – in the city of Albany in October 2019.
Croley was arrested on November 14, 2019, as part of an operation targeting the Yard Boys criminal street gang undertaken by the Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Croley has been in custody since his arrest. Croley has additional charges pending in Albany County Court.
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also sentenced Croley to a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, ATF and the Albany Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.
2 March 2021
United States Reaches Settlement with Charleston County School District to Ensure Equal Opportunities for English Learner StudentsRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina – The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced today a settlement agreement with the Charleston County School District to resolve an investigation into complaints that the school district failed to communicate essential information to thousands of Spanish-speaking, limited English proficient (LEP) parents and denied their children full and equal access to the district’s education programs and services.
The investigation found that the school district often failed to use qualified interpreters to communicate with Spanish-speaking, LEP parents and guardians, even when their need for an interpreter was documented or otherwise evident. It also found that the school district did not consistently translate essential written information into Spanish, nor did it explain options on important decisions about school programs and services with parents in a language they understood.
The agreement, which stems from the United States’ investigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, will ensure that the school district provides English Learner students and LEP parents the services needed to succeed in the school district’s educational programs.
Under the agreement, the school district, which cooperated at every stage of the investigation and is committed to improving its practices through revised policies and professional development, will:
- Implement effective policies and procedures and provide employees with training to properly identify and meaningfully communicate with LEP parents and guardians;
- Use qualified interpreters and translators at each of the district’s 80 schools and programs to communicate with parents about matters essential to their children’s education and cease relying on family members, untrained staff, and students for such purposes;
- Provide LEP parents with access to documents and information about program offerings, including special education services, in a language they understand at each of the district’s 80 schools and programs;
- Ensure that all parents and guardians knowingly consent to, or decline educational programming and services for, their children; and
- Contact LEP parents and guardians prior to holding special education-related meetings to notify them of the right to have a qualified interpreter at the meeting and translated special-education related documents, at no cost to the parent or guardian.
“Empowering parents and guardians with the information necessary to meaningfully participate in their children’s education is critical to students’ success in school and beyond. We must continue the work to ensure that all parents have this opportunity, regardless of national origin or English proficiency,” said Pamela S. Karlan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. “We are encouraged by the Charleston County School District’s commitment and cooperation and look forward to continuing to work with the district to implement this agreement and fulfill its promise of equal treatment for all of the district’s students and their parents.”
“The Charleston County School District should be commended for its cooperation with this investigation and for its commitment to its students, parents, and guardians,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina M. Rhett DeHart. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office looks forward to continue working with the school district, as it strives to be a model for other districts in providing full and equal access to information.”
The enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 is a top priority of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
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United States Reaches Settlement Agreement with Bucks County Summer Camp to Resolve Allegations of Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that Briarwood Recreation, Inc., d/b/a Briarwood Day Camp (“Briarwood”), located in Furlong, PA, resolved allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying a child the opportunity to participate in summer day camp programs because of his Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin dependent diabetes).
The settlement resolves a complaint filed by parents of a young child alleging that, after the boy was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in 2017, Briarwood refused to permit him to continue to participate in the 2017 summer program, and also that Briarwood refused to consider and provide reasonable modifications that would allow the child to attend the 2018 summer day camp program. The complaint was filed under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by any person or entity, including any private camp or childcare program, that operates a place of public accommodation. Under the ADA, such entities must make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices or procedures when necessary to provide equal access to a child with a disability, unless a modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods and services. When a parent and a child’s physician determine that it is appropriate for a trained layperson to assist a child with diabetes care, a camp or childcare program must provide this as a reasonable modification under the ADA, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the program.
Briarwood submits that it remains committed to providing all children with diabetes an equal opportunity to attend the camp and to participate in all of its programs, services and activities. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Briarwood will take certain remedial measures including:
- train its staff on the ADA and on diabetes management and develop a sample diabetes medical management plan;
- evaluate the application of each child with diabetes applying to attend the camp, on a case-by-case basis, and make reasonable modifications to permit children with diabetes to attend;
- designate an ADA compliance officer who will monitor compliance with the agreement and review requests for reasonable modifications, among other duties;
- pay $5,000 in compensation to the complainant; and,
- report to the United States on its compliance annually for three years.
“Summer camps, like other child care programs, play a critical role in parents’ ability to go to work or take care of other responsibilities of life. Parents must feel assured that their children will be welcomed, and not be unlawfully denied access to a summer camp on the basis of a disability,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “We appreciate Briarwood working cooperatively with the United States Attorney’s Office to better understand its obligations under the ADA, and we will continue to work to ensure that summer camp and child care programs are in compliance with the ADA.”
The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey L. B. Smith handled the case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, working jointly with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney's Office Sponsors 18th Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods Logo ContestRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today the official call for submissions for the United States Attorney’s Office’s 18th Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Logo Contest. The statewide contest welcomes students to illustrate ways to help prevent gun violence in our schools by designing a logo for use on upcoming PSN publications.
The contest is open to all South Carolina grade school students and entries will be categorized into four grade divisions: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grades. A winner will be selected from each of the four divisions, and each division winner will receive $50. An overall winning logo will be chosen from the four division winners and will receive an additional $50 prize for a total of $100.
The winning entries will be selected by a select group of students from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, who encourage children and promote community awareness of the consequences of juvenile crime. In addition to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, the United States Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association and the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association for this year’s contest.
Entries should be consistent with the theme of “Preventing Gun Violence in Our Schools.” The deadline for submissions is April 2, 2021. Any student interested in participating in the contest should share that intention with his or her local school, as contest information has been sent to all South Carolina schools. Applications and contest rules may also be found online at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/programs/ceasefire/project-sentry/contest-winners/contest-rules.
PSN focuses on reducing violent crime in our communities through enforcement, reentry, and prevention initiatives. The annual logo contest is an important prevention initiative that has proven to be an effective way to engage students in meaningful conversation about preventing gun crimes amongst young people and ensuring a safe learning atmosphere for children. More information on the contest and previous years’ winning logos can be viewed at:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/sc/programs/logowinners.html.
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U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray Announces His Resignation Effective March 6, 2021Read the Press Release
CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray today announced that he will resign from his position effective March 6, 2021.
The resignation was submitted in response to President Biden’s call to replace nearly all remaining Presidentially-appointed/Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys.
U.S. Attorney Murray is the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Hampshire. He was nominated by President Trump on December 1, 2017, and confirmed by the United States Senate on February 15, 2018. He was sworn in as the 57Th U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire on March 5, 2018. He was serving his fourth term as Merrimack County Attorney when he was nominated by the President. He previously served as the Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Concord from 1983 to 2011.
In announcing his departure, U.S. Attorney Murray said, “It has been my greatest honor and privilege to serve as U.S. Attorney for the past three years. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to protect the people of New Hampshire through the application of federal law. For a career prosecutor, this was the chance of a lifetime.”
Noting the many changes that had taken place in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since his arrival, Murray said, “During the past three years we have added prosecution and support positions, changed the structure of our Criminal Division and hired over a dozen new staff members. Going forward, I have every confidence that our hard-working dedicated professionals will ensure that federal law is vigorously enforced and that the public interest is effectively advanced.”
Throughout his tenure, U.S. Attorney Murray stressed cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement officers as essential to address New Hampshire’s drug and violent crime problems. He attended local law enforcement meetings in all 10 counties and improved communications with county attorney’s offices and the New Hampshire State Police. He also coordinated Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) trainings around the state to brief police on federal firearms laws. Under PSN, federal prosecutors brought charges against violent criminals, drug traffickers who used guns, convicted felons who possessed guns and those who unlawfully supplied guns to criminals. Many of those prosecutions were adopted from state court cases.
U.S. Attorney Murray conducted regular meetings with the leaders of federal law enforcement agencies operating in New Hampshire and hosted the first New England regional meeting of U.S. Attorneys in Concord in November of 2018. He also implemented regular meetings involving federal drug prosecutors and DEA agents from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to improve regional drug enforcement coordination.
Under U.S. Attorney Murray’s leadership, his office devoted substantial resources to combatting drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine. As part of this effort, U.S. Attorney Murray requested that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions include New Hampshire as one of only 10 districts nationally to receive additional resources under Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS). Sessions visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Concord in July of 2018 to announce implementation of the program. Under Operation SOS, the U.S. Attorney’s Office teamed with the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies throughout Hillsborough County to target fentanyl dealers. To date, over 90 federal prosecutions have been initiated under Operation SOS.
During U.S. Attorney Murray’s term, prosecutions were launched against large drug trafficking organizations, resulting in the convictions of dozens of dealers. These included trafficking organizations based in Massachusetts and the Dominican Republic who sought to sell lethal drugs to Granite Staters. One notable dealer was sentenced to 45 years in prison for leading a continuing criminal enterprise that distributed multikilogram quantities of fentanyl and reaped millions of dollars in profit from sales in New Hampshire.
U.S. Attorney Murray also pursued significant prosecutions to protect crime victims. These included cases against offenders who produced child pornography, exploited the opioid addiction of young women in order to profit from prostitution, engaged in fraud and theft schemes, and extorted victims on the internet.
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Farley will serve as Acting United States Attorney until a new Presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorney takes office. Farley previously served as Acting U.S. Attorney from March 2017 until U.S. Attorney Murray took office.
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Two Men Charged in Ecuadorian Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Criminal complaints have been unsealed charging two Ecuadorian citizens for their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme involving Ecuador’s public police pension fund (ISSPOL).
John Luzuriaga Aguinaga, 52, and Jorge Cherrez Miño, 46, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in complaints filed in the Southern District of Florida on Feb. 10 and Feb. 19, respectively. Luzuriaga was arrested Feb. 26 and had his initial appearance Monday. An arrest warrant has been issued for Cherrez who is believed to be in Mexico.
As alleged in the complaints, between approximately 2014 and 2020, Cherrez, an investment advisor, paid more than $2.6 million in bribes to ISSPOL officials, including at least approximately $1,397,066 to Luzuriaga, ISSPOL’s Risk Director and a member of ISSPOL’s Investment Committee, in order to obtain and retain investment business from ISSPOL. Cherrez allegedly obtained approximately $65 million in profits from one aspect of the scheme.
According to the complaint, Cherrez received payments from the ISSPOL investment business in an account in the United States, used Florida-based companies and bank accounts to pay the bribes, and took acts in furtherance of the bribery scheme while in the Southern District of Florida. Further, to conceal and promote the bribery scheme, Cherrez and Luzuriaga allegedly laundered the corrupt proceeds through Florida-based companies and bank accounts, including numerous U.S. investment fund companies incorporated in Florida with Cherrez as an officer or director.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Kelly Jackson of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. office, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami office made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by HSI and IRS-CI, jointly under the auspices of the Global Illicit Financial Team. Trial Attorneys Katherine Raut and Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Southern District of Florida Assistant United States Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has provided significant assistance in this case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
To learn more about the government’s FCPA enforcement efforts, go to www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two District Men Indicted for Violent Kidnapping Live-Streamed on Social MediaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sincere Howard (“Howard”), 20, and Garrett Hawkins (“Hawkins”), 21, both of Washington, D.C., have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, and cyber stalking. The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin, Acting Police Chief Robert Contee of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”), and Steven D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”).
The investigation began after officers from MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit became aware on January 24, 2021, of a live stream on the Instagram social media platform showing an injured and distressed adult male being held against his will and assaulted. The defendants are alleged to have violently assaulted the victim, on January 23, 2021, with a variety of implements, including an electrical extension cord, all while broadcasting their actions on social media. MPD apprehended both defendants on scene and also recovered a firearm.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
In announcing the indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Sherwin and FBI Assistant Director in Charge D’Antuono commended the work of MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit who investigated the case. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and William Hart, Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Legal Assistant Kate Abrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Prison for Possession of Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Tennessee man for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon sentenced Jason Jeremiah Jones, 39, to 210 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in November 2020 to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On July 24, 2017, Huntsville/Madison County Strategic Counterdrug Team/HIDTA Task Force obtained a search warrant of Jones’s residence in Huntsville. Agents searched the premises and seized approximately 9 grams of heroin and 85 grams of cocaine, and a Colt .380 pistol.
“This prosecution is a great example of local and federal law enforcement’s teamwork approach to stopping drug dealers and taking guns out of the hands of criminals,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We will use all the tools we have under federal law to assist local agencies working to make our communities safer.”
“This outstanding collaboration between federal and local law enforcement agencies illustrates the continuing unified goal to keeping our community safe,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. This lengthy sentence closes the door on a career criminal who felt untouchable and beyond the reach of law enforcement. DEA and our law enforcement partners stand firmly to ensure that criminals who peddle in these illegal and dangerous drugs will never escape from facing the consequences of their criminal activities.”
The DEA investigated the case, along with the Huntsville/Madison County Strategic Counterdrug Team/HIDTA Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Becher, Sr. prosecuted the case.
Taylor County man and woman indicted on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dallas Edward Weber, Jr. and Ashley Marie Weber, both of Thornton, West Virginia, were indicted today on a child pornography charge, Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.
Dallas, 40, and Ashley, 37, were each indicted on one count of “Aiding and Abetting Production of Child Pornography.” Both are accused of using a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and producing child pornography from that conduct in June 2020 in Taylor County.
Dallas and Ashley are each facing 15 to 30 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine, Causing OverdoseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Marvin Lee Carter, Sr. (41, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to distributing controlled substances, which use resulted in serious bodily injury. Carter faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, on the Fourth of July weekend in 2019, Carter distributed fentanyl-laced cocaine to a man who later used the drugs and overdosed. The man’s life was saved by the intervention of a responding police officer.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from Tampa Fire Rescue. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Leonard.
Subcontractor Agrees to Pay the United States $500k+ in Damages After Failing to Pay Prevailing Wages on VA Construction ProjectsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that S.A. Taylor, LLC (“S.A. Taylor”) has agreed to settle claims under the False Claims Act and to pay $561,411.72 based on allegations that the company caused the submission of falsified payroll records as part of two United States Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) construction projects.
S.A. Taylor, a Virginia-based construction company, bid on and was awarded subcontracts to work on two VA construction projects under prime contractor, CTA, I, LLC. Because the construction work was performed for the federal government, all contractors and subcontractors were required, by law, to pay their workers prevailing wages. At the time, the prevailing wage was between $57 to $91.50 per hour, depending on the worker’s classification.
The government contends that S.A. Taylor paid its workers significantly less than the prevailing wage, but that it submitted falsified payroll records to make it seem as if the prevailing wage had been paid. CTA, unaware of the falsity, submitted the payroll to the VA which, in turn, reimbursed S.A. Taylor. Under this scheme, S.A. Taylor pocketed the difference while its workers were shorted wages they were legally due. CTA discovered the falsity during a subsequent arbitration when S.A. Taylor produced two sets of payroll records—one showing the prevailing wages which should have been paid and one showing the actual, lower wages which had actually been paid.
“The underlying False Claims Act lawsuit alleges that S.A. Taylor deliberately exploited its own workers despite a federal law guaranteeing those workers a prevailing wage,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s settlement reflects the reality that individuals and entities that exploit workers will be held accountable by the government.”
“Today’s civil settlement reflects the VA OIG’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of VA’s construction contracts and ensuring full compliance with the law,” said Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their vital role in achieving this investigation’s successful outcome.”
“This case is a great example of the OIG’s work with its law enforcement partners to actively investigate fraud involving federal contracts. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of DOL programs and to ensure workers are paid proper wages for the work they perform,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Jonathan Mellone, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
This settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania captioned United States ex rel. CTA, I, LLC v. S.A. Taylor, LLC and Scott Taylor, Civil Action No. 16-2919. Under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, lawsuits like this one may be brought on behalf of the United States and the relator, here CTA, shares in any recovery by the government. The False Claims Act also permits the government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case. The relator was represented in this case by John Manfredonia of Manfredonia Law Offices, LLC and Joseph F. Bouvier of Mattioni, LTD. “We thank the relator and the relator’s counsel for bringing this issue to the government’s attention. Detecting fraud in government contracting is much easier when we have the cooperation of prime contractors like CTA” said Williams. The whistleblower in this case, CTA, will receive $101,054.11 as its share of the recovery.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General and the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica J. Finkelstein, Auditor Dawn Wiggins, and Investigator Jeffrey R. Braun.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Sherwood Man Detained Pending Trial on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Sherwood man will remain in custody to await trial after being indicted on federal firearm charges. Noah Shoemaker, 37, appeared for a bond hearing on Monday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris.
Shoemaker was charged in January 2021 with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a machine gun. When FBI agents arrested Shoemaker on January 30, 2021, they discovered he had fled to Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Upon locating Shoemaker, agents found a firearm on his person and another firearm in his vehicle as well as numerous rounds of ammunition. Additionally, Shoemaker was equipped with camping gear, bottled water, cash, fire supplies, and other survival gear.
Judge Harris determined that Shoemaker poses a risk of flight as well as a risk of danger to the community and remanded him to the custody of the United States Marshals. He will remain in custody until his trial, which is currently scheduled for March 29, 2021, but is expected to be continued due to the Court’s Administrative Order 11.
Shoemaker was initially charged in January on a federal complaint, and subsequently indicted on three charges—two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a machine gun—on Feb. 3, 2021. Being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a machine gun are both punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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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
Scranton Man Sentenced to 210 Months’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Sexually Explicit Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Garman, age 32, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 1, 2021, to 210 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distribution of sexually explicit images of minors.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Garman pled guilty in June 2020 to distributing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct between June and August 2019. At sentencing, in addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Mannion ordered that Garman serve a ten-year term of supervised release and comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
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."
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Robertson County Man Facing Federal Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – March 2, 2021 – A criminal complaint was unsealed this morning charging a Springfield, Tennessee man with attempted enticement of a minor; attempted production of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexual activity; and transfer of obscene matter to a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Malcolm Wilkerson, 50, was arrested at his home this morning by FBI agents and will make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later today.
According to the criminal complaint, beginning in mid-December 2020, the FBI was conducting a covert online investigation on an online dating app. This app is available for free and requires users to be at least 18 years old. It is widely known that many users under the age of 18 frequently use the app by misrepresenting their ages. On December 16, 2020 a user of the app with the profile of “Malcom from Springfield, Tennessee,” contacted the FBI covert agent, whose profile suggested that she was an 18-year-old female, and began a conversation suggesting sexual activity. The online conversation quickly turned to age and the FBI covert agent informed “Malcolm” that she was under the age of 15. “Malcolm” and the FBI covert agent then continued their conversation over text messaging where the agent informed him that she was 13 years old.
These text message conversations continued until mid-February and included numerous requests by “Malcolm” for the agent to send nude photographs. On several occasions, “Malcolm” sent the agent obscene and sexually suggestive photos and also sent her nude photographs of a person believed to be Malcolm Wilkerson. “Malcolm” continued to send the agent requests for nude photos and made many suggestions and plans to meet for sexual activity.
Through further investigation, the FBI was able to identify “Malcolm” as Malcolm Wilkerson and obtained an arrest warrant on February 26, 2021.
If convicted, Wilkerson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man who pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, was sentenced on February 12, 2021, by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Trent Michelson, age 27, was sentenced to a total of 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
From approximately March 2019 to September 2019, Michelson brought heroin to South Dakota from Colorado, or by others through arrangements made with him. Michelson then dispersed the heroin to others for use or distribution.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Michelson was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man who pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on February 16, 2021, by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Frank Elliott, age 59, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
From approximately June 2016 through June 2018, Elliott was part of a conspiracy responsible for distributing over 500 grams of methamphetamine in the Rapid City area.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. Several other co-conspirators have already been sentenced.
Elliott was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh BP Gas Station Robber Sentenced to 84 months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for robbing the BP Gas station located at 4330 Louisburg Road in Raleigh.
According to court documents, on August 15, 2019, officers of the Raleigh Police Department, responded to a BP gas station regarding an armed robbery. The store clerk advised the suspect, later identified as Demarius Jerrad Morris, 29, entered the store, brandished a firearm at him/her, and demanded money. The clerk provided Morris with $65 of U.S. currency with an attached a GPS tracker. Police dispatch monitored the tracker and advised responding officers of the tracker’s location. Officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle and detained Morris, who matched the description of the robbery suspect. During a search of the vehicle, officers seized the stack of U.S. currency, a loaded firearm, and various ammunition.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II.
The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00195-BO.
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Pine Ridge Man Found Guilty of Assault with KnifeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Patrick Fire Thunder, age 46, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, was found guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury following a federal court trial in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 24, 2021.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and restitution.
Evidence at trial established that on the evening of April 18, 2020, the victim and Fire Thunder were consuming alcohol at Fire Thunder’s residence. Fire Thunder claimed the victim punched him one time in the face and thereafter, Fire Thunder used a knife to stab the victim three times. The stab wounds were to the victim’s chest, neck, and face. The victim was air lifted to Rapid City for emergency surgery to repair his carotid artery that had been lacerated by the stab wound to his neck. As a result, the victim has suffered a permanent brain injury.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Criminal Investigations Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted and tried the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 7, 2021. Fire Thunder was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Owner of Tennessee Drug Screening Lab Sentenced to 36 months on Federal Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Michael Dube, who formerly owned and operated American Toxicology Labs, was sentenced was today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia to 36 months in federal prison. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Virginia Attorney General Mark G. Herring made the announcement today.
Dube, 59, of Johnson City Tenn., previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to two felony counts of health care fraud (one filed in the Western District of Virginia and one filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky).
“Michael Dube took advantage of health care funds, aimed at helping the most vulnerable, for his own greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar said today. “Today’s significant sentence demonstrates that health care fraud will not be tolerated, and is the product of close partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement, whose collaboration brought the Dubes to justice.”
“Addressing the opioid crisis is an issue of great concern for our nation and remains a top public health priority for the FDA. It is crucial that treatment providers act with honesty and integrity in combatting the crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “In cooperation with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who defraud federal programs.”
According to court documents, in March 2011, Michael Dube pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Tennessee to one count of intentionally omitting information from reports as required under the Controlled Substances Act. As a result of his conviction, the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] informed Dube in a letter dated June 29, 2012, that he was excluded from participating in any federal health care program.
Nonetheless, in May 2013, Michael and his wife, Regan Dube, established American Toxicology Labs [ATL] in Johnson City, Tennessee, with Regan Dube serving as the company’s registered agent, and using the couple’s home address as the principal office and mailing address. ATL then applied to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. On the applications, Regan Dube was listed as the owner of ATL, and Michael Dube’s name and participation in ATL was omitted.
ATL conducted urine screens for various entities who represented themselves to be opioid treatment facilities. Between May 1, 2014, and January 31, 2020, Medicare, Virginia Medicaid, Kentucky Medicaid and TennCare made payments to ATL that totaled approximately $8.5 million. During this time, Michael Dube made employment decisions, negotiated business arrangements with providers, and otherwise participated in the management of ATL.
In addition, Michael Dube also received kickback payments from third parties for referring individuals to those third parties for services for which payment was made (in whole or in part) by federal health care programs. These payments were deposited in Michael and Regan Dube’s personal checking account in a total amount of $441,646. Regan Dube was previously convicted and sentenced in connection with the scheme.
As a result of their convictions, Regan and Michael Dube will pay a total of $9,015,046, plus interest, divided between special assessments, fines, restitution, and forfeiture. They will have to repay all of the money they received from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case was conducted by the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Virginia (Special Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General Janine Myatt and Assistant United States Attorneys Whit Pierce, Krista Frith and Randy Ramseyer) and the Eastern District of Kentucky (Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Smith and Gregory Rosenberg). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable assistance.
Oregon Biotech Consultant Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Oregon biotechnology consultant pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in an insider trading scheme involving the acquisition of a Cambridge biotechnology company in 2017.
Mark Joseph Ahn, 58, of Lake Oswego, Ore., pleaded guilty to two counts of securities fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2021.
From April to August 2017, Ahn, a long-time senior corporate executive and board director for biotech companies, worked as a consultant for a New York firm, and advised it during its efforts to acquire Dimension Therapeutics, Inc., a biotech firm formerly headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. In the course of his work for the New York firm, Ahn learned Dimension’s intention to be acquired by another biotech firm, the details and the timing of his employer’s proposals to acquire Dimension and gained access to confidential information about Dimension’s business. Ahn thereafter bought Dimension stock while in possession of that nonpublic information. When Dimension announced that it would be acquired in August 2017, its stock increased 262% in one day.
The SEC previously filed a separate civil action against Ahn in federal court in Boston.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office received valuable assistance from the Securities & Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Bald and Golden Eagle TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Omaha, Nebraska, man convicted of a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act was sentenced on February 24, 2021, by Daneta L. Wollmann, U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Jason Brodersen, age 49, was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a fine of $1,250, and a $35 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brodersen was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2017. The conviction stems from Brodersen, without being permitted to do so, knowingly possessing and transporting bald and golden eagles and parts of the eagles.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Kelderman and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Fentanyl Vials Intended for Patients at Fertility ClinicRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced DONNA MONTICONE, 49, of Oxford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Monticone was a nurse employed by the Yale Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility clinic (“Yale REI clinic”) in Orange. As part of her responsibilities at the Yale REI, Monticone ordered and inventoried a variety of narcotics used by the clinic, including fentanyl, which is a component of a cohort of drugs used by Yale physicians during outpatient surgical procedures to anesthetize patients and protect them from feeling pain.
In June 2020, Monticone began stealing fentanyl for her own use. She accessed secure storage areas and took vials of fentanyl, used a syringe to withdraw the narcotics from the vials, and reinjected saline into vials so that it would appear as if none of the narcotics were missing. The investigation revealed that approximately 75 percent of the fentanyl given to patients at the Yale REI clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated with saline. Some of the vials contained diluted fentanyl, while others contained no drug at all and contained just saline.
In pleading guilty, Monticone admitted that knew that the adulterated vials of fentanyl she replaced at the Yale REI clinic would be used in surgical procedures, and that the absence of an anesthetic during an outpatient procedure may cause serious bodily injury to the patient. Monticone further admitted that she initially injected herself with the fentanyl while working at the Yale REI clinic and eventually began taking the vials home. She would refill the vials with sterile saline at home, bring them back to the clinic, and reintroduce them into the stock of fentanyl available for use during surgical procedures. On approximately November 1, 2020, Monticone brought approximately 175 vials of fentanyl that she had taken from the Yale REI clinic and discarded them in waste containers at the clinic.
Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for May 25, 2021, at which time Monticone faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Monticone is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. She has surrendered her nursing license.
This matter is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Nicolas Brown, age 40, of Springdale, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for one count of being a Felon In Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records on June 15, 2020, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force along with Springdale Police Officers executed a search warrant at a residence that Brown had been residing in. During the search, officers located and seized a handgun, a rifle (reported stolen) and a shot gun (reported stolen), several rounds of ammunition, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Brown was taken into custody without incident.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2020 and entered a guilty plea in October of 2019.
This case was prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, which is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of firearms, and improving the safety of residents in the Western District of Arkansas. Participants in the initiative include federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Springdale Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
North Philadelphia “Pill Mill” Doctor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Illegal Opioid DistributionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Myron Rodos, 80, of Ambler, PA, was sentenced to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $300,000 by United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney for distributing controlled substances, namely opioids, outside the course of professional conduct and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The defendant pleaded guilty in November 2019 to four counts of distribution of Schedule II controlled substances, and stipulated that he illegally distributed an additional 6,130 oxycodone (30 mg) pills and 3,670 methadone (10 mg) pills to patients in exchange for sex and money. Rodos, a physician, operated a medical practice in North Philadelphia as a prescription “pill mill” where he prescribed dangerous and addictive controlled substances to addicts for cash, and often in exchange for sex. The charges resulted from a lengthy FBI investigation that produced audio and videotape recordings made by a civilian source and an undercover agent that showed Rodos prescribe medically unnecessary hydrocodone in exchange for cash. Moreover, female patients, who became drug addicts while under the defendant’s ‘care’ reported to FBI agents that they routinely obtained prescriptions from Rodos for oxycodone and other controlled substances in exchange for sexual favors.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to stopping drug-dealing doctors like Rodos,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “As a physician, he was well aware of the inherently dangerous nature of the drugs he was selling. But because of his greed and sometimes to satisfy his own lecherous intentions, he took advantage of vulnerable people struggling with addiction, piling on to the enormous opioid epidemic ravaging the neighborhoods of Philadelphia.”
“It’s hard to understand how a longtime physician, trained to help and to heal people, could be this depraved,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Dr. Rodos used his patients’ addictions against them, readily doling out powerful opioids in exchange for money or sex acts. The FBI and our partners are doggedly working to put drug-dealing doctors like him out of business, as we battle our country’s opioid epidemic.”
“Doctors are expected to help their patients, not take advantage of them,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to protect patients from illegally prescribed prescription drugs.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy.
North Carolina Durable Medical Equipment Corporation Sentenced for $10 Million Healthcare Fraud Scheme, and the Company and Its Owner Agree to Pay Millions to Resolve Related Civil ClaimsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A North Carolina corporation was sentenced today to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay a $2,000,000 fine in addition to paying $10,069,361.35 in restitution to the North Carolina Medicaid Program on a charge of Healthcare Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. The company and its owner have also agreed to pay millions to the United States and State of North Carolina to resolve related civil claims under the federal and state False Claims Acts. In that same civil action, the Governments have obtained a multi-million-dollar judgment against one of the company’s employees.
According to court documents, A Perfect Fit for You, Inc., was a durable medical equipment provider located in Morehead City, North Carolina, and owned by Margaret A. Gibson. Durable medical equipment includes items such as powered wheelchairs, orthotic braces, diabetic shoes, powered air flotation beds, osteogenesis stimulators, pneumatic compressors, etc. Between March 2015 and November 2016, one or more employees of A Perfect Fit for You submitted fraudulent billings claims to Medicaid for providing durable medical equipment to Medicaid recipients. These fraudulent claims contained the personal identifying information of Medicaid recipients who had never ordered nor received any durable medical equipment from A Perfect Fit for You. In fact, some of the patients had been deceased years before the false claims were even submitted. This scheme resulted in an estimated loss to Medicaid of approximately $10,069,361.35.
After appointment of a receiver, A Perfect Fit for You, Inc. self-reported suspected fraudulent activity to the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division. Thereafter, the company cooperated throughout the investigation.
On December 13, 2017, and based on the conduct described above, the United States and State of North Carolina filed a civil complaint under the federal and state False Claims Acts against A Perfect Fit for You, Inc. and Gibson, as well as one of the company’s employees, Shelley P. Bandy. The federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts mandate that the Governments recover triple the money falsely obtained, plus substantial civil penalties for each false claim submitted. To resolve those claims, the company has agreed to pay $20,138,722.70, while Gibson has agreed to pay $4,000,000. As for Bandy, the United States and State of North Carolina have obtained a $34,708,945.42 default judgment against her in the civil action. It should be noted that the civil claims against A Perfect Fit for You, Inc. and Gibson are allegations only and were resolved by settlement. There has been no judicial determination or admission of liability as to them in the civil case.
On December 29, 2020, Bandy pled guilty to making false statements relating to health care matters in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035. Bandy admitted to submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid on behalf of A Perfect Fit for You, Inc. Bandy is scheduled to be sentenced later in March, 2021.
G. Norman Acker, III, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The investigation of this case was conducted by the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore is the prosecutor on the criminal case, while Assistant United States Attorney C. Michael Anderson represented the United States in the civil case. Special Deputy Attorneys General F. Edward Kirby, Jr. and Michael M. Berger, who also serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorneys, represented the United States and the State of North Carolina in the civil case.
The MID investigates and prosecutes health care providers that defraud the Medicaid program, patient abuse of Medicaid recipients, patient abuse of any patient in facilities that receive Medicaid funding, and misappropriation of any patients’ private funds in nursing homes that receive Medicaid funding. To report Medicaid fraud or patient abuse in North Carolina, call the MID at 919-881-2320.
The MID receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $6,160,252 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2020. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $2,053,414 for FY 2020, is funded by the State of North Carolina.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill a United States SenatorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carlo Di Padova, age 61, an inmate at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, New York, pled guilty on February 25 to threatening a federal official, by sending a letter to a United States Senator that contained a white powdery substance and stated that Di Padova planned to have someone shoot the Senator in the head.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Di Padova mailed the letter on January 23, 2019, while an inmate at Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. The powder in the letter was harmless.
Di Padova faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on June 16, 2021, by United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily C. Powers.
Navajo man charged with sexually abusing a childRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Manison Largo, 41, of Church Rock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, made an appearance on March 1 in federal court where he is charged with sexually abusing a child younger than 16. Pending trial, Largo will be released to a halfway house when space is available.
According to a criminal complaint, on multiple occasions beginning in approximately 2017, Largo allegedly sexually abused the victim, who is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. During the course of the alleged abuse, which occurred at Largo’s residence in Church Rock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, the victim had not attained the age of 12. The victim was able to borrow a phone and called 911 to report the abuse on or about Feb. 2.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Largo faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case.
Mineral Springs Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Texarkana, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Andre Scoggins, 50, of Mineral Springs, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for Distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court’s Texarkana Division.
According to court records, Detectives with the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Scoggins in November 2018. The substance purchased from Scoggins was submitted to the DEA Crime Laboratory, which found to contain 69.7 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Scoggins was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2019 and entered a guilty plea in October of 2020.
This case was investigated by the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
Meth trafficker gets over 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 48-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to distribute 243 grams of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Willie James Sorrell III pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Sorrell to serve a 121-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Sorrell’s previous criminal conduct, to include aggravated sexual assaults, drug possessions and unlawful possession of firearms.
On May 30, 2019, Sorrell and Jennifer Saldana were traveling on a Greyhound bus from McAllen to the Corpus Christi area. Authorities conducted a search while at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias where they discovered a backpack near Sorrell’s feet. It contained nearly 250 grams of meth and a loaded semi-automatic firearm.
The investigation established Sorrell and Saldana traveled to the Rio Grande Valley to obtain the meth for potential distribution in Corpus Christi.
Saldana, 38, Rockport, had also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing March 24.
Sorrell has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation along with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning is prosecuting the case.
Meth conviction lands man in prison for 14 yearsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for attempting to import approximately 23 kilograms of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Brian Alan Herrera-Valenzuela pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Herrera to serve a 168-month sentence. At the hearing, Judge Alvarez informed Herrera that his actions troubled the court because, as a non-citizen, he was willing to cause harm by engaging in criminal activity that brought drugs into our community.
On April 14, 2019, Herrera attempted to gain entry into the United States via the Hidalgo port of entry. Upon his arrival, an X-ray revealed anomalies in the tires. Authorities conducted a search and discovered 40 packages of meth weighing approximately 23 kilograms.
Herrera admitted he knowingly imported the drugs into the United States from Mexico with the intent to deliver them to Dallas. He acknowledged this was his second trip after successfully transporting drugs the previous month. Herrera expected to be paid $7,000.
The drugs had an approximate street value of $115,000.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’ s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.
Meridian Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison Under Project EJECT for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Edmond Dewayne Miller, 23, of Meridian, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III, to 51 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. Miller was also ordered to pay a $1,500.00 fine.
On July 4th, 2019, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office responded to a noise complaint concerning loud music and multiple episodes of gunfire at Miller’s residence. Miller’s neighbors told the deputies that there had been consistent gunfire over a period of several days. One neighbor said that he had heard bullets pass near him while he was on his tractor in a pasture that bordered Miller’s property.
Two deputies went to Miller’s residence and spoke with him concerning the loud music and gunfire. The deputies cautioned Miller concerning the use of firearms in the area of other houses and asked him to turn down the music. At that time the deputies were unaware that Miller had a prior felony conviction for Aggravated Assault. Miller agreed to turn down the music and indicated he would be more careful where he and his friends and family fired their weapons.
After leaving Miller’s residence the deputies were contacted by the same neighbors who told them that the music had been turned back up. One deputy returned to Miller’s residence and found Miller heading through the wood line in the direction of the complaining neighbor’s residence with a .40 caliber pistol in his waistband. The deputy stopped Miller and took custody of the firearm.
The deputies soon discovered that the firearm was stolen and that Miller was a convicted felon.
Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 6, 2019. He pled guilty before Judge Jordan on January 7, 2020.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Member of the Isleta Pueblo pleads guilty to federal assault chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Anthony Lucero, 35, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo, pleaded guilty in federal court on Feb. 10 to domestic assault by a habitual offender.
According to the plea agreement, on Nov. 13, 2019, Lucero assaulted his girlfriend. Lucero admitted to punching the victim in the face causing substantial bodily injury. The assault occurred on the Isleta Pueblo.
Lucero is currently in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Isleta Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez, Joseph Spindle and Alexander Flores prosecuted the case.
Marion Man Convicted of Making Phony PostageRead the Press Release
A Marion man who forged and counterfeited postage and committed export violations was convicted today following a one-day trial that occurred last month in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Bradley Jon Matheny, age 42, from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of seven counts of postage meter stamp forgery and counterfeiting and three counts of export violations. The verdict was returned late this afternoon after a day-long bench trial that was held in February.
The evidence at trial showed that Matheny operated an eBay business known as “Mathenys” from his residence in Marion. Through “Mathenys,” Matheny sold retail goods to individuals all over the United States and the globe. Matheny used the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ship these goods to his customers; in 2015, for example, Matheny shipped over 28,000 packages with the USPS. Postage posed a significant financial cost to Matheny’s business. To reduce his costs, and increase his profit, Matheny possessed and used forged and counterfeited postage meter stamps on many of the packages he sent to his customers between November 2015 and May 2017.
In 2015, USPS personnel at the Cedar Rapids Main Post Office became suspicious of Matheny’s mailing practices after he kept dropping off his packages at the post office late in the evening at the dock. USPS eventually alerted federal law enforcement, specifically the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), that Matheny might be falsifying postage in connection with his eBay business. A review of Matheny’s packages in late 2015 revealed that most of Matheny’s packages had either insufficient postage or a forged or counterfeited postage meter stamp. For example, some postage was purchased at the 3-ounce rate, but the “3” was altered into an “8.” Similar reviews in 2016 and 2017 yielded similar results, and one expert testified that Matheny had shorted the USPS more than $250,000.
In 2017, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Matheny’s residence, a single-family house in Marion. During the search, the USPIS seized a large number of unusual paper clippings of partial Priority Mail and First Class postage meter stamps as well as a handwritten list of crossed-out Priority Mail tracking numbers. Law enforcement also imaged Matheny’s electronic devices and, on his computer, found a number of unaltered electronic versions of the forged postage meter stamps in question. Later, working with representatives of eBay, law enforcement learned that Matheny was taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the USPS’s electronic postage payment systems to receive Priority Mail treatment for his packages even though he had only paid the First Class rate.
Some of Matheny’s customers lived overseas, including in Israel and South Africa. The USPS required Matheny to make truthful declarations on these exports. Specifically, Matheny was required to truthfully declare whether the package contained merchandise or a gift and also the value of the contents of the package. Matheny falsely certified on these forms that his packages contained a “gift” that was worth a nominal sum such as “$1.90,” when in truth Matheny knew the contents of his packages were not gifts and worth more than what he listed on the forms. This allowed Matheny’s packages to clear foreign customs more rapidly and possibly avoid foreign customs taxes.
United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams convicted defendant of ten counts and acquitted him of five others. Matheny remains free on bond pending sentencing before Judge Williams. Matheny faces a possible maximum sentence of 65 years’ imprisonment, a $2.5 million fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-50.
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Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Nicole Dean, 45, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dean was part of a drug trafficking organization that sold fentanyl and cocaine to customers in Manchester. In July of 2019 a cooperating individual purchased cocaine base and over 44 grams of fentanyl from Dean at her home.
After her arrest in January of 2020, Dean admitted to working for the organization and selling packages of drugs, making about $300 for each package sold.
Dean is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2021.
“Drug dealers endanger lives by selling deadly and addictive substances,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect public health and safety, we are working with all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in the Granite State. By putting drug dealers out of business, we will improve the quality of life for the law-abiding citizens of New Hampshire.”
“On a daily basis, Nicole Dean was selling deadly quantities of fentanyl and cocaine out of a drug distribution house on Kimball Street in Manchester, New Hampshire to a steady stream of paying customers, and today she finally took responsibility for her criminal conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI New Hampshire’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to go after those like her who are trying to capitalize on the addiction of others in a region hit hard by the opioid epidemic.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hampshire State Police, Dover Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department and Nashua Police Department. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance as well. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.
Agencies participating in this investigation are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing $282,670 from Former EmployerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Robinson, 41, was sentenced on March 2, 2021, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two years of imprisonment for the interstate transportation of stolen property, announced former Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin and James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Robinson was a former employee of a non-profit corporation that advocates for policies related to safe food, safe drinking water, and the climate. Robinson was initially hired by the non-profit corporation in 2012 as a web developer. After multiple promotions, he became its Chief Technology Officer in 2015. While working at the non-profit corporation, Robinson devised a scheme to defraud by creating Vulcan Network & Data Security, LLC (“Vulcan”) and arranging a contract for Vulcan to provide web security services to his non-profit corporation employer. Robinson then created false invoices on behalf of Vulcan and submitted them to his employer’s finance department, requesting payment for purported web security services, testing, and equipment. In reality, Vulcan never provided any services to the non-profit corporation, which was already paying a separate company for those services. From April 2017 to September 2019, Robinson submitted 13 false Vulcan invoices to his non-profit corporation employer. The non-profit corporation paid Vulcan a total of $282,670 for services never provided. Robinson received all of these funds and used them to pay for personal expenses.
For the last payment made to Vulcan in the course of this scheme, on October 11, 2019, Robinson asked the non-profit corporation’s finance department to issue a check to Vulcan, along with two other unrelated checks, and give them to a particular employee so that Robinson could hand deliver them. Robinson offered that employee $50 to deliver the checks to him from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Virginia. After the employee made the delivery, Robinson cashed the $22,500 check from Vulcan that same day.
Robinson was charged via criminal information in October 2020 and entered a guilty plea before the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson on December 1, 2020.
In addition to sentencing Robinson to two years in prison, the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson ordered that Robinson serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution and a forfeiture money judgment.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Sherwin and Special Agent in Charge Dawson commended the work of those from the FBI’s Washington Field Office who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists Quiana Dunn-Gordon, Amanda Rohde, and Michon Tart. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey, who prosecuted the case.
Local woman charged with fraudulently receiving millions under CARES ActRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 37-year-old Houston resident is set to appear in federal court for her alleged submission of two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The criminal indictment, filed Feb. 24, charges LaDonna Wiggins with bank fraud, making a false statement to a bank and money laundering. She is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray today at 2 p.m..
Wiggins allegedly submitted two PPP loan applications for businesses known as Wiggins & Graham Enterprise LLC and Pink Lady Line, resulting in the receipt of $3,648,145. The charges allege Wiggins used these funds to make personal purchases such as for two homes, multiple vehicles and luxury goods - rather than for any legitimate business purposes.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 27, 2020, 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 the CARES Act provides is the authorization of up to $349 billion in United States Small Business Administration (SBA)-guaranteed and forgivable loans to small businesses through the PPP.
Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for certain permissible expenses, such as payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. Interest and principal on PPP loans can be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time.
If convicted, Wiggins faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
The Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Jivani Fenelon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Licensed Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to the DEA About Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RICHARD SCHIRRIPA pled guilty to making materially false statements to officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). On two occasions in 2020, SCHIRRIPA falsely represented that, as part of the recent closure of his pharmacy in Manhattan, he had sold, transferred, or destroyed all controlled substances. In fact, he remained in possession of thousands of controlled substance pills/patches in his home, including fentanyl and oxycodone, which had been prescribed to others. SCHIRRIPA pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, to whom his case is assigned.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “When a pharmacy closes, powerful controlled substances frequently change hands – a potentially fraught moment. As Richard Schirripa admitted today, he lied to the DEA twice about what he had done with large quantities of dangerous controlled substances, including potentially lethal fentanyl, when he closed his pharmacy. Schirripa now awaits sentencing for his crime.”
According to the allegations in the Information, court filings, and statements made in court:
In or around January 2020, Madison Avenue Pharmacy (“MAP”) – which SCHIRRIPA had owned for many years – closed. Under federal regulations, before a pharmacy discontinues business activities, it must notify the DEA at least 14 days in advance. SCHIRRIPA did not comply with this requirement. The DEA learned that MAP had closed when DEA officers attempted to conduct a routine audit of MAP and saw a piece of paper on the storefront that announced MAP’s closure and noted that MAP’s controlled substances had been transferred to a specified local pharmacy. The DEA officers then went, in person, to that specified local pharmacy. Shortly thereafter, SCHIRRIPA wrote the DEA (in January 2020) and met with the DEA (in February 2020).
On both occasions, SCHIRRIPA made material false statements to the DEA. On both occasions, SCHIRRIPA falsely represented that as part of the recent closure of MAP, he had transferred to others, sold, or destroyed all controlled substances. In fact, SCHIRRIPA remained in possession of thousands of controlled substance pills/patches, including fentanyl, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. These substances were all recovered from a safe in SCHIRRIPA’s home on Long Island. When agents executed a search warrant at SCHIRRIPA’s home in April 2020, SCHIRRIPA acknowledged that these controlled substances were from his pharmacy and that he needed to destroy them. There were nearly 4,000 pills/patches in total, many of which contained labels indicating that they had been prescribed to others.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, SCHIRRIPA also admitted to various regulatory violations, including regarding controlled substances. SCHIRRIPA also agreed to: Surrender of his pharmacy and pharmacist licenses; a three-year ban before he can reapply for such licenses; and a three-year ban on any employment that involves his possessing, controlling, or distributing controlled substances.
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SCHIRRIPA, 67, of Fort Salonga, New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. SCHIRRIPA is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Daniels on July 13, 2021, at 10:30 a.m.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the DEA, the New York City Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Port Authority Police Department. She also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Northvale, New Jersey, Police Department.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Liberian National Is Arrested on Federal Charges in Connection with Online Romance Scam Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Moore, 38, a Liberian national residing in Darby, Pennsylvania, has been arrested on federal charges for his involvement in an online romance scam that targeted older adults, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal indictment was unsealed following Moore’s initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte, and Barry Chastain, Port Director of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Area in Charlotte join Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, beginning in January 2016, Moore and others engaged in a fraudulent scheme to defraud unsuspecting victims, some of whom were elderly, by perpetrating an online romance scam. The indictment alleges that Moore and his co-conspirators generally targeted victims through Facebook and other social media platforms with false promises of a romantic relationship. Moore and others allegedly communicated with the victims via emails, text messages, and phone calls, and purported to be in a romantic relationship with the victims, when in reality no such relationship existed. The indictment alleges that Moore and his co-conspirators used a number of lies to steal the victims’ money, including that the money was needed to obtain travel documents or to release funds held by customs officials. In this manner, according to the indictment, Moore and his co-conspirators obtained over $1.5 million from at least 30 victims.
Moore is charged with two counts of making a false statement to an agency of the United States, which carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. The indictment alleges that Moore lied to CBP officers and ICE-HSI agents when he was questioned at Charlotte Douglas International Airport about the source of the $75,000 in cash found in his possession, and later, Moore made false statements and representations on a federal form in an attempt to conceal that the money had come from a defrauded victim. Moore is also charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked CBP and HSI for handling the investigation that led to the federal charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sanjeev Bhasker and Maria Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, are in charge of the prosecution.
In March 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiativehttps://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative
Some examples of financial scams targeting seniors are:
• Lottery phone scams – in which the callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings.
• Grandparent scams – which convince seniors that their grandchildren are in trouble and need money to make rent, repair a car, or even money for bail.
• Romance scams – which lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose.
• IRS imposter scams – which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes.
• Sham business opportunities – which convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or investments.
To avoid falling victim to a financial scam:
• Don’t share personal information with anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
• Don’t click on pop-up ads or messages.
• Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
• Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger.
• Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or a lucrative business deal.
• If a scammer approaches you, take the time to talk to a friend or family member.
• Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
• Remember, it’s not rude to say, “NO.”
• A good rule of thumb is, if it’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
If you have been contacted by a scammer or believe you have fallen victim to a scam, please contact the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-Fraud-11 (1-833-372-8311). The National Elder Fraud hotline was created for the public to report fraud against individuals who are age 60 or older. The hotline is open seven days a week. For more information about the hotline, please visit https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.
Lake Park Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced February 26, 2021, to more than 2 years in federal prison.
Dustin Noble, 38, from Lake Park, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2020, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the hearings showed that, between November 2019 and March 2020, Noble and others conspired to distribute at least 5,000 grams of pure methamphetamine. Noble admitted to helping acquire and transport 20 pounds of methamphetamine from a source of supply in California for which he was to receive money and/or methamphetamine. Noble also admitted to helping acquire methamphetamine in three trips to Sioux City to obtain ½ to one pound quantities of methamphetamine in January/February 2020, from another source of supply.
Noble was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Noble was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Noble is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4051. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Justice Department Settles Title VII Lawsuit Against Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, Alleging Intentional Discrimination Based on RaceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement resolving the United States’ claims that Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, and the Tallahatchie County sheriff in his official capacity (collectively, Tallahatchie County), intentionally discriminated against Black deputy sheriffs based on their race, by paying them less than white deputy sheriffs, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Under Title VII, it is illegal to pay employees less because of their race,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Black deputy sheriffs in Tallahatchie County work hard to protect members of their community and they deserve equal treatment in every aspect of their employment, especially their paychecks. This settlement will ensure pay policies that promote equal employment opportunities for these public safety professionals.”
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Tallahatchie County will pay four Black deputy sheriffs back-pay compensation for the unequal pay rates that they have endured. Tallahatchie County will also ensure that pay rates are reviewed and adjusted, as necessary, to ensure no future discrimination. Tallahatchie County will implement a new pay policy to be reviewed by the Department of Justice and will put in place procedures to ensure transparency in pay for its entire workforce of deputy sheriffs.
This lawsuit stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) during which the Commission found that there was reasonable cause to believe that violations of Title VII occurred against a class of Black deputy sheriffs for which disparities in pay were racially motivated. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts by the EEOC, the EEOC referred the charges to the Justice Department.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
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Judge sentences St. Louis man for embezzlement of bank funds and conspiracy to embezzle bank fundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Malik Ross to 120 months in prison today. The 24-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty in August to one count of embezzlement of bank funds and one count of conspiracy to embezzle bank funds.
Ross was employed by Garda World Logistics, Inc. (“Garda”) who contracted with Midwest Regional Bank to transport its federally insured deposits. Ross admitted that, on August 13, 2019, while his co-employee was inside a building in the Soulard neighborhood conducting Garda business, he drove a Garda armored car from that location to South Broadway in the City of St. Louis where he placed a bag containing $50,000 in the middle of the road. A conspirator, in turn, retrieved the bag from the street and left the area with the money. The $50,000 in the bag belonged to Midwest Regional Bank, who was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
At sentencing, the United States requested an upward variance from the 8-14 month applicable sentencing guideline range and presented evidence that, on the day before the theft, Ross, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a loaded Glock firearm, shot a firearm 14 times when he came in contact with two other individuals in the residential area of the 3500 block of 14th Street. The district court found, by a preponderance of evidence, Ross was not acting in self-defense at the time and, in firing those shots, he killed a seven-year-old boy who was playing in the alley behind his house. As a result of this evidence, the district court granted the motion of the United States for an upward variance and sentenced Ross to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the theft.
This St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Behrens is handling the case.
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Jeweler Admits Lying to Federal Agents During InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The manager of a Jersey City jewelry store today admitted lying to federal agents during an investigation into a fraud conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
Khaled Hamade, 60, of Clifton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count of making false statements to federal agents.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hamade was the manager of a jewelry store at the Newport Mall in Jersey City. In March 2019, he provided false information to federal agents who were investigating a fraud conspiracy against a financial institution. Hamade denied knowledge of the identities, and personal information, of numerous customers of his jewelry store who were believed to have engaged in the fraud.
The count of providing false statements to which Hamade pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the supervision of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.
Jacksonville Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Kenyan Shondre Scott has pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting another person with the filing of a fraudulent tax return and to filing a fraudulent tax return on his own behalf. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison on each charge. Scott has also agreed to pay $553,403 in restitution to the IRS for the tax loss caused by all of the offenses charged in the indictment, including those to which he did not plead guilty. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Scott was the owner and operator of a tax return preparation business in Jacksonville. In preparing income tax returns for others, Scott reported false information, including false claims for deductible expenses and losses, to reduce the amount owed by, or to increase the amount refunded to, the taxpayers. He then electronically filed these tax returns with the IRS, causing the IRS either to issue refunds when tax would have been owed, in the absence of the fraud, or for larger refunds to be otherwise issued.
Scott pleaded guilty to preparing and filing a fraudulent 2014 tax return for another individual in which he represented that the taxpayer had a business with $425 in income and $4,552 in expenses, resulting in a purported business loss of $4,127, and he subtracted this business “loss” from the taxpayer’s gross income. He also represented that the taxpayer was entitled to a general business credit of $2,850 and claimed this amount as a credit against the taxes owed by the taxpayer. When Scott made these representations, he knew that the taxpayer was a wage-earning employee of a corporation and did not operate a business in 2014.
After Scott filed the tax return, the IRS issued a refund of $2,734 to the taxpayer. In the absence of the false statements, the taxpayer would have owed additional tax of $738, meaning that the tax loss to the IRS was $3,472.
According to court documents, Scott prepared and filed a fraudulent 2014 tax return on his own behalf in which he represented that his filing status was single, that he had earned wages, salaries, and tips of $12,875, that he had net business income of $28,467, that he was entitled to a general business credit of $3,500, and that he had federal income tax withheld of $4,532. When Scott made these representations, he knew that his filing status should have been either married filing jointly or married filing separately, that he had not earned any wages, salaries, or tips, that he had net business income of approximately $297,110, that he was not entitled to a general business credit, and that he had not had any federal income tax withheld.
After Scott filed the tax return, the IRS issued a $50 refund to him. In the absence of the false statements, Scott would have owed additional tax of $108,033, causing a tax loss to the IRS of $108,083.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Extra Ten Months in Prison for Possessing Marijuana in Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Anthony Grier (Jacksonville, 33) to 10 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing marijuana while in federal custody at the Nassau County Jail. This sentence has been ordered to run consecutive to a 7-month federal sentence Grier was already serving, as well as consecutive to an additional 3-month state sentence he had received for battery on an inmate.
Grier had pleaded guilty on December 1, 2020.
According to court documents, Grier was being held in the Nassau County Jail as a federal inmate after he was sentenced to 7 months in prison for violating his federal supervision. On February 11, 2020, deputies from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office detected the scent of marijuana and traced it to the cell occupied by Grier. A law enforcement drug canine was deployed and did an open-air sniff of the cell. The canine alerted to the odor of marijuana, but no marijuana was found in the cell. Grier was escorted out of the cell to be searched. Before the search began, Grier produced a medical glove containing 15 marijuana cigarettes that he had on him.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.