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25 February 2021
Missoula man sentenced for pointing laser at airplane on approach to Great Falls airportRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Missoula man who admitted aiming a laser beam at an airplane as it was approaching the Great Falls airport was sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Brian John Loven, 42, pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, 2020 to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.
The defendant faced a possible sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence within the guideline range of 15 months to 21 months in prison. The court sentenced Loven to three years of probation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“Mr. Loven’s conduct needlessly threatened the safety of the passengers and crew of a commercial aircraft. It is important for the public to understand that pointing any laser, even a small one, at the cockpit of an aircraft can obscure the pilot’s view and jeopardize the safe operations of the aircraft. Fortunately, the Great Falls incident did not result in any injuries. This office regards such cases as serious matters requiring aggressive prosecution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Johnson.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that at about 9:40 p.m. on March 3, 2020, two pilots operating a SkyWest flight reported that on their descent to the Great Falls airport, the plane was hit with a bright green laser that lit up the cockpit. The pilots reported that the incident occurred on the east end of town in the area of Giant Springs State Park.
Cascade County Sheriff’s deputies dispatched to the area located a Jeep driving slowly through the parking lot of Heritage Park, which was closed at the time. Loven was a passenger. The driver told deputies that she was learning how to drive a manual transmission car. While speaking with the driver, deputies noticed a small, black pen-like device sticking out of the center cup holder and asked about the item. The driver said the device was a laser pointer and activated it. The laser pointer projected a green light onto the dashboard.
Deputies interviewed Loven, who admitted to shining the laser at an airplane while it was approaching the airport. Loven explained that he was unaware it was a federal offense to shine a laser at a plane and just wanted to “test out the distance of the laser.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Airport Security.
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Mendota Man Indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Oscar Armando Orellana Guevara, 23, of Mendota, charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2020, Guevara and others assaulted a man by punching, kicking and stabbing him with a straight-blade knife. They stabbed him in his chest, thigh, abdomen, and arm. During the confrontation, Guevara announced the group’s affiliation with Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 and threatened to kill him and a companion. The assault occurred in and around an area of Mendota over which MS-13 claims control, and before assaulting him, Guevara and others told the victim he could not be there.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mendota Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Stephanie Stokman are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the assault with a dangerous weapon, Guevara faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum statutory penalty for the conspiracy charge is three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Member of Santo Domingo Pueblo sentenced to three years in prison for assault on federal officersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stephen Reano, 22, of Santo Domingo, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of Santo Domingo Pueblo, was sentenced in federal court on Feb. 23 to three years and four months in prison, three years of supervised release and 50 hours of community service for an assault on federal officers.
Reano pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2020. In the plea agreement, Reano admitted that on June 11, 2020, he was carrying a rifle in the village area of Santo Domingo Pueblo in Sandoval County. Bureau of Indian Affairs patrol officers, responding to calls about an armed individual, located him standing near a utility pole beneath a street light in the village. Reano pointed his rifle at one officer, then at another officer when the second officer used the patrol unit’s public address system to order Reano to put down his weapon. Reano was shot in the shoulder after repeatedly ignoring the officers’ commands. He was treated for his injuries and remained in custody pending his plea and sentencing. At the time of the incident, both federal officers were engaged in the performance of their official duties.
The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.
Member of Santo Domingo Pueblo sentenced to three years in prison for assault on federal officersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stephen Reano, 22, of Santo Domingo, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of Santo Domingo Pueblo, was sentenced in federal court on Feb. 23 to three years and four months in prison, three years of supervised release and 50 hours of community service for an assault on federal officers.
Reano pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2020. In the plea agreement, Reano admitted that on June 11, 2020, he was carrying a rifle in the village area of Santo Domingo Pueblo in Sandoval County. Bureau of Indian Affairs patrol officers, responding to calls about an armed individual, located him standing near a utility pole beneath a street light in the village. Reano pointed his rifle at one officer, then at another officer when the second officer used the patrol unit’s public address system to order Reano to put down his weapon. Reano was shot in the shoulder after repeatedly ignoring the officers’ commands. He was treated for his injuries and remained in custody pending his plea and sentencing. At the time of the incident, both federal officers were engaged in the performance of their official duties.
The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.
Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court for Fraudulently Posing as Medical ProfessionalRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keith J. Byrne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (“DSS”), New York Field Office, announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging RODNEY ROBINSON, a/k/a “Alim Shariff,” with forgery and false use of a passport, false statements, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his years-long effort to fraudulently pose as a medical professional and Naval Reserve Officer. ROBINSON was arrested this morning in New York, New York, and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn later today.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Rodney Robinson abused the trust of his employers, colleagues, and clients by claiming to be someone he is not. He has finally been caught in his web of lies.”
DSS Special Agent-in-Charge Keith J. Byrne said: “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York to investigate allegations of crimes related to passport fraud and identity theft. We are very pleased to have apprehended Mr. Robinson to face the charges levied against him.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
ROBINSON spent years posing as “Dr. Alim Shariff” – a “board certified behavior analyst,” “licensed psychological examiner,” and Naval Reserve Officer. Using the Shariff identity, ROBINSON gained employment at multiple New York City area social service and rehabilitation providers. In applying for these positions of trust, ROBINSON used fake identification documents, claimed stolen identification information, and made false statements to federal agencies.
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ROBINSON, 55, of New York, New York, is charged with two counts of forgery and false use of a passport, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, one count of false statements, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and three counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Diplomatic Security Service.
If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or [email protected]. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley C. Nicolas is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Malden Man Arrested on Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man was arrested today and charged in connection with operating a drug trafficking enterprise, including selling fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on multiple occasions.
Dhamari Jordan, a/k/a/ “DMO,” a/k/a “DMO Crashout,” 20, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Jordan was detained following an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell.
As noted during today’s court hearing, a loaded 9mm firearm was recovered in Jordan’s residence this morning during the execution of a search warrant.
It is alleged that Jordan and other members of his conspiracy were captured on recording selling fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover officer on three occasions in January 2021. During all of these sales, Jordan was on pretrial release for a pending firearms case in Cambridge District Court from June 2019. According to charging documents, Jordan was arrested in January 2020 by Boston Police in a vehicle where a firearm and pills containing heroin were recovered. It is further alleged Jordan posted a music video online depicting him brandishing firearms in a kitchen where cocaine was being cooked into “crack” cocaine.
The charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, Boston Police Department and Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Sarah Hoefle of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Caleb Guerrier, age 39, of Hanover Township, pled guilty on February 24, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and being in possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the charge of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition stems from an incident in March 2014, in which investigators served a search warrant at Guerrier’s residence and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition, including five semi-automatic pistols, three of which had obliterated serial numbers, one sawed-off shotgun, multiple boxes of assorted ammunition, drug paraphernalia and $195 in United States currency. Guerrier is a convicted felon and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. The charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine stems from a separate incident in June 2016, in which investigators searched a storage unit which Guerrier rented in Wilkes-Barre Township and seized crack cocaine and additional amounts of ammunition.
Judge Mannion ordered that a presentence investigation take place. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Hanover Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of 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.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Guerrier faces a maximum possible penalty of up to thirty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1,250,000 fine
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Louisiana Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the Government and Violate the Procurement Integrity Act and Lying to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser and Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers, for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, announced that Johnny Guillory, Sr., 72, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was charged in a two-count indictment by a federal Grand Jury with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Procurement Integrity Act and making false statements to federal agents.
According to the indictment, Guillory conspired with Cajan Welding & Rentals, Ltd., and other unnamed co-conspirators to defraud the United States by corrupting and impairing the government procurement process, and by obtaining non-public pricing and cost information in order to obtain subcontract awards and payments from the U.S. Department of Energy in connection with its operation of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. From 2002 until 2016, Cajan was awarded over 50 subcontracts and received payments in excess of $15,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy, during which time Guillory received financial benefits from Cajan.
If convicted, Guillory faces a maximum term of five years imprisonment, fine of $250,000, a three year term of supervised release, and a special assessment of $200.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and Department of Energy-Office of the Inspector General.
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Las Vegas Man Charged with Mailing White Powder to the New York State Gaming CommissionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brent Carter, age 72, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by criminal complaint with mailing envelopes containing suspicious powders to the New York State Gaming Commission in Schenectady, New York.
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).
Carter was charged in a criminal complaint with conveying false information and hoaxes. He appeared yesterday in Albany federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered released with conditions.
Carter is accused of using the U.S. mail to send envelopes containing white power and other substances to the New York State Gaming Commission, between April 15, 2019 and January 28, 2021. Samples from all the white powder and other substances were tested and did not contain hazardous material. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge of conveying false information and hoaxes carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Richard Belliss.
Lancaster County Pharmacy and Pharmacist Agree to Resolve Civil Allegations of Dispensing Controlled Substances Without a Prescription and Falsely Billing Medicare for $2.9 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against Lancaster County-based McElroy Pharmacy, Inc. and Jeffrey Eshelman alleging a years-long practice of illegally dispensing opioids and other controlled substances, and billing Medicare for drugs that were not actually dispensed to beneficiaries. At the same time the civil suit was filed, the United States also filed a proposed consent judgment that, subject to the court’s approval, would resolve the lawsuit. The consent judgment would require McElroy Pharmacy and Eshelman to pay $2.9 million in civil penalties and damages under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act, and would permanently prohibit them from dispensing controlled substances or obtaining another controlled substance registration in the future.
The civil lawsuit alleges that McElroy Pharmacy, which operated as a retail pharmacy in Lititz, PA, and its co-owner and pharmacist, Jeffrey Eshelman, on many occasions illegally dispensed hydrocodone and other controlled substances without requiring any prescription. As alleged in the complaint, McElroy and Eshelman did so with the knowledge that the individual to whom they dispensed hydrocodone, in one particular case, had a substance use disorder. Nonetheless, for years, they allegedly continued to dispense the opioids without any prescription. Eshelman was charged by state authorities and pled guilty to state charges in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas earlier this year relating to some of the conduct alleged in the federal complaint.
In addition to dispensing controlled substances without a prescription, the complaint alleges that McElroy Pharmacy and Jeffrey Eshelman submitted false billings to Medicare by billing for more expensive, brand-name medications, while dispensing the less expensive generic versions to patients. The complaint also alleges that McElroy was unable to account for tens of thousands of pills of controlled substances in an audit conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
McElroy has already surrendered its pharmacy registration to the DEA. McElroy Pharmacy and Eshelman further agreed to resolve their civil liability under terms outlined in the proposed consent judgment, if accepted by the court. Among other things, McElroy and Eshelman would pay $2.9 million in civil penalties and damages under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act. The proposed resolution would also permanently prevent Eshelman from distributing or dispensing any controlled substances in the future and prevent McElroy Pharmacy from ever applying for a new controlled substance registration from the DEA. Eshelman also agreed to be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other Federal healthcare programs for nine years.
“The opioid epidemic has devastated the lives of so many families and individuals across our country and this District. When healthcare providers such as pharmacists engage in illegal conduct that feeds the epidemic, our office will act,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “This civil suit and consent judgment make clear that pharmacists who engage in illegal dispensing of opioids and healthcare fraud will be held accountable.”
“Eshelman and McElroy Pharmacy are accused of gross violations of the Controlled Substances Act through their alleged distribution of powerful opioid painkillers without requiring any prescription at all,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “In addition to the consent judgment, the permanent surrender of their DEA registration will ensure that Eshelman and McElroy Pharmacy can no longer handle or dispense controlled substances in the future.”
“Pharmacies are expected to submit claims to the Medicare program for the actual products they provide to patients,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “These civil actions demonstrate HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners’ long-standing commitment to ensuring the integrity of the Medicare program by holding those who choose to engage in healthcare fraud and drug diversion accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The civil investigation, litigation, and resolution are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony D. Scicchitano.
The complaint contains allegations only and does not contain any admissions, other than those made in the state criminal case. The proposed consent judgment would resolve any alleged civil liability.
Judge sentences St. Louis man for armed robbery at Family Dollar and brandishing a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Michael Saffold to 121 months in prison today. The 27-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty, earlier this month, to one count of armed robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On June 23, 2019, Saffold approached the register of the Family Dollar in the 8900 block of Halls Ferry Road in St. Louis, Missouri. Saffold gave the cashier money for Starburst candy. The cashier opened the cash register to complete the transaction. Saffold then displayed a black semiautomatic handgun to the cashier and demanded money. The cashier complied with Saffold’s demands and gave him all of the money in the cash register drawer. Saffold then escaped.
Family Dollar surveillance footage later revealed that moments before the robbery, Saffold took a glove from the store. Saffold then wore that glove during the robbery and left the open package of gloves in the store. Investigators took fingerprint lifts from the box of gloves. Those lifts were later matched to Saffold. Saffold was subsequently arrested and charged.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
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Judge sentences St. Louis County man for conspiracy to distribute fentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Lewis Brown to 135 months in prison today. The 44-year-old Florissant, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Beginning in October 2017, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conducted an investigation into the distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, in the Eastern District of Missouri. On November 15, 2017, officers with the McAlester, Oklahoma Police Department stopped a car for speeding. Occupants of the vehicle included Brown, his two co-defendants, and the registered owner of the vehicle. Officers seized narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and $10,499 in cash from the car.
Investigators obtained a court-authorized warrant to install a GPS tracker on a car known to be driven by Brown and a co-defendant. The tracking device revealed the vehicle repeatedly traveled to a residence in the 24000 block of Sweet Lane in Waynesville, Missouri.
Agents observed multiple cars, including the car stopped for speeding in Oklahoma, make brief stops at the residence and depart shortly after, which is a common indicator of narcotics sales. The court issued a search warrant for the residence, which investigators executed on February 14, 2018. During the execution of the warrant, investigators took into custody one of Brown’s co-defendants. Officers also seized a home surveillance system, various firearms and narcotics, and cell phones.
A search warrant obtained and executed on the seized home surveillance system revealed Wilkins and a co-defendant were using the home on Sweet Lane to distribute narcotics, including fentanyl, in Waynesville.
In July 2018, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and 10 grams of crack cocaine from Brown in St. Louis County. Brown conducted a hand-to-hand transaction with a confidential informant in exchange for money. Following that sale, officers searched a home in the 1200 block of Chaparall Creek Drive in Hazelwood where Brown was found to be in possession of $29,812 in cash and multiple cell phones containing a co-defendants’ contact information. Investigators also discovered an electric grinder and digital scale both containing drug residue.
Investigators subsequently learned that Brown traveled to Pulaski County two times a week for more than a year to deliver narcotics for distribution.
“Working together with other agencies pays off and helps rid our communities of drugs and illegal possession of firearms,” said Pulaski County Sheriff Jimmy Bench.
“The joint cooperation between local and federal agencies is imperative to the successful apprehension and prosecution of individuals who engage in continuing criminal activity,” said St. Louis County Police Chief Mary Barton.
The FBI, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey Ogden is handling the case.
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Jennifer Faith Charged with Obstructing Investigation into Husband’s DeathRead the Press Release
The wife of a Dallas man allegedly gunned down by her paramour has been charged with obstruction of justice, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Jennifer Lynne Faith, 48, was arrested at her residence in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, charged via criminal complaint with one count of destruction of an object with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation. The complaint was unsealed on Thursday. Ms. Faith will make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver on Friday.
“Even as she publicly claimed she was ‘desperate for answers’ regarding her husband’s murder, Jennifer Faith was communicating with the alleged killer, actively urging him to destroy evidence and attempting to delete incriminating communications from her phone,” said U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “Thanks to the dedication of our agents and officers, Ms. Faith could not keep law enforcement from identifying her husband’s killer. Even so, we cannot allow her obstruction of justice to stand. We are determined to hold her accountable for her crime.”
“Sometimes things just aren’t what they seem. Special Agents and Detectives knew Mrs. Faith was hiding something and were able to expose her darkest secrets. She was indeed entangled with the man we believe to have murdered her husband,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Her cowardly attempts to utilize the media to conceal her involvement did not hamper relentless investigators. She will now face the consequences for her misdeeds.”
“I am pleased to see that there were no stones left unturned during the course of this investigation, and that our collaborative efforts have brought those involved to justice,” said Dallas Police Department Chief Eddie Garcia. “I am also excited to continue this partnership with the USDOJ in our ongoing determination to remove the criminal elements off the streets.”
According to the complaint, a search of Ms. Faith’s phone revealed she was having what she described as “a full-blown emotional affair” with Darrin Ruben Lopez, the 48-year-old Tennessee man who allegedly murdered Ms. Faith’s husband, James Faith, on Oct. 9, 2020.
Investigators determined that Mr. Lopez drove from his home in Tennessee on Oct. 9 to the Faiths’ home in Dallas, where he allegedly laid in wait until the couple left to walk their dog, then shot Mr. Faith seven times before fleeing the scene.
Ballistic tests proved that a .45 caliber handgun found inside Mr. Lopez’s home on Jan. 11, 2021 was the weapon used to kill Mr. Faith. Law enforcement agents also learned that Mr. Lopez owned a Nissan Titan pickup that matched witnesses’ description of the shooter’s vehicle. In November, law enforcement agents in Tennessee observed a distinctive “T” decal on the truck’s back window, which matched witness’ descriptions of a “T” sticker on the rear window of the shooter’s truck.
In an interview with law enforcement in January, Ms. Faith allegedly admitted that she communicated daily with Mr. Lopez via cell phone, but denied an intimate relationship.
An analysis of Mr. Lopez’s cell phone, seized after his arrest on Jan. 11, revealed that Ms. Faith and Mr. Lopez were intimately involved. Ms. Faith used her cell phone to update Mr. Lopez on her efforts to collect on Mr. Faith’s life insurance policy and to coach Mr. Lopez on how to respond to potential police questioning.
Text messages revealed that even as she publicly projected the grieving widow persona on TV, privately, Ms. Faith instructed Mr. Lopez to remove the distinctive “T” decal off of his truck – the same decal that witnesses had reported to law enforcement on the day of the murder.
“So I woke up in a little bit of a panic… something is eating away at me telling me you need to take the sticker out of the back window of the truck,” she texted Mr. Lopez on Dec. 3.
“I don’t want to just take it off all at once the girls would notice that,” he responded thirty minutes later. “But I have been working on it.”
“I have a bad feeling and I really think you need to get that sticker off ASAP….like today,” Ms. Faith texted the following day.
“Sticker done,” Mr. Lopez responded on Dec. 6, confirming he had removed the “T” sticker from his truck as Ms. Faith had instructed.
“Oh YAY!!! Thank you!!” Ms. Faith replied. “I feel SOOOOOO much better.”
Law enforcement agents conducting surveillance in Tennessee noted that the “T” sticker had been removed from Lopez’s vehicle when they observed the truck on Dec. 8.
Then, on Jan. 10, a day before Ms. Faith was scheduled to be interviewed by police, Ms. Faith texted Mr. Lopez and told him she planned to wipe down the contents on her cell phone prior to meeting with investigators.
“Don’t text me Monday. I am going to factory reset my phone on Sunday night after deleting texts,” Ms. Faith texted.
“If asked about you, you are an old friend going through a divorce. We talk every night because I am helping/giving support with the girls since you have sole custody. If it ever comes to it, I’ll answer the same way. Just so you and I have the same explanations. Just thinking in case they [law enforcement] pulled phone records and asked,” she added.
After meeting with Ms. Faith on Jan. 11, investigators searched her cell phone and determined she had deleted most of the text messages from her phone, including her texts with Mr. Lopez.
Despite the factory reset of Ms. Faith’s cell phone, investigators were able to recover the deleted text messages off of Mr. Lopez’s cell phone.
Mr. Lopez has been charged by the state with murder and by the feds with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Ms. Faith and Mr. Lopez are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Ms. Faith faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the obstruction count. Mr. Lopez faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the federal firearm count and up to life in a state penitentiary on the murder charge brought by Dallas County.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of the ATF’s Nashville Field Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Aviation Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. NDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case.
Irmo Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison on Narcotics and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that Steve Seman Hattar, 57, of Irmo, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that, on October 31, 2019, officers from Richland County Sheriff’s Department made a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Hattar and located suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and other narcotics, as well as three firearms and ammunition. Later that day, law enforcement searched a hotel room used by Hattar and found methamphetamine and other narcotics. Further investigation revealed Hattar had trafficked some 43 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin in the six months prior to the traffic stop. Hattar had previously served a significant sentence for a federal drug crime in another state.
Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Hattar to 228 months in federal prison, to be followed by a ten-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.
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IRS Employee Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Linda Williams, 52, of Memphis, Tennessee, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax examiner, was indicted for defrauding the IRS by filing false tax returns for various tax payers in the Memphis area. Williams claimed over $500,000 in false deductions for these citizens. Many of these citizens were unaware of the false deductions discovered on their tax returns. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney, announced the indictment today.
According to the indictment, from 2015 to 2017, Williams executed a scheme to prepare and file false tax returns for friends and family members. The tax returns contained false deductions to inflate tax payers’ refunds. Specifically, these deductions were pertaining to medical expenses, charitable contributions and business expenses. Williams would then take a portion from the refunds and transfer the funds to her personal bank account.
Williams was indicted for filing (10) false tax returns. She faces up to three years imprisonment for this offense and a fine in the amount of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Protection of the United States Treasury and individual taxpayers is a core value and critical mission for this office and the Department of Justice. Whenever there is fraud against our tax system, we will use all available resources to expose, punish, and deter such dishonest criminal behavior. I commend the outstanding investigation by our federal law enforcement partners in this important case."
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated this case.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon K. Griffin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Howard University Employee Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud Government Continues Crackdown on People Who Defraud MedicaidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Folashade Adufe Horne, 51, of Laurel, Maryland, pled guilty on February 17, 2021 in federal court to defrauding the D.C. Medicaid program out of more than $370,000.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal Division; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for the region that includes Washington, D.C.; and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Horne pled guilty to health care fraud in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Horne faces a likely recommended sentence of between 18 and 24 months in prison. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton took the plea and scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2021.
At various times between January 2014 and June 2020, Horne was employed by four different home health agencies to serve as a personal care aide for D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries. Horne also was employed full-time by Howard University during this same period. The home health agencies employed Horne to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and eating. Horne was supposed to document the care she provided to the Medicaid beneficiaries on timesheets and then submit the timesheets to the home health agencies, which would in turn bill Medicaid for the services that she rendered.
Horne acknowledged that between January 2014 and June 2020, she caused the D.C. Medicaid Program to issue payments totaling $373,564 for services that she did not render. As part of her fraud scheme, she submitted false timesheets to different home health agencies purporting that she provided personal care aide services that she did not provide. She claimed she provided such services during times when she actually was working her shift as a full-time employee at Howard University Hospital. She claimed to work more than twenty hours in a given day on more than 200 occasions, including 28 days when she asserted that she provided 32 hours of PCA services. She also claimed to provide personal care aide services in the District of Columbia on days when she was not even in the United States.
The FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who defraud the D.C. Medicaid program. Since October 2019, six former personal care aides have been sentenced in U.S. District Court for defrauding Medicaid. Cases against two other personal care aides remain outstanding.
The government counts on the public for tips and assistance in helping stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at (800) HHS‑TIPS [(800) 447-8477].
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman of the Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Five TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported five times was sentenced yesterday to over one year in federal prison.
Carlos Antonio Giron-Amador, age 29, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Hampton, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on November 18, 2020, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a conviction for a felony.
At the guilty plea, Giron-Amador admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Giron-Amador was deported to Honduras from Texas in September 2011, May 2012, and May 2013. In November 2016, Giron-Amador was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Franklin County for operating while intoxicated (OWI). In March 2017, Giron-Amador was convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of illegally reentering the United States, a felony, and was deported a fourth time in May 2017. In April 2018, Giron-Amador was convicted in Texas of illegally entering the United States, a misdemeanor, and deported a fifth time in September 2018. Giron-Amador most recently came to the attention of immigration agents in October 2020 following an arrest in Franklin County, Iowa, related to his earlier conviction for OWI.
Giron-Amador was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Giron-Amador was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Giron-Amador 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 Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-3039.
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Hazelwood Man Indicted on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on February 3, 2021, named Robert Burkes-Kelley, 23, of the City's Hazelwood neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on December 18, 2020, Burkes-Kelley possessed with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and quantities of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Additionally, Burkes-Kelley possessed a Springfield Arms XD Elite 9mm semiautomatic handgun; a Walther, Model PPS, 9 mm semiautomatic handgun; and a Diamond Arms, Model DB 15, semiautomatic rifle, in furtherance of the aforementioned drug trafficking crime.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years to a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $4,000,000 or both for the drug trafficking charge, as well as another sentence of not less than 5 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000 or both for the firearms charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ira M. Karoll is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Goshen, Indiana Woman Entered Plea of GuiltyRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Ronya Phillips, age 47, of Goshen, Indiana, entered a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty for two counts of subornation of perjury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell.
According to documents in this case, Ms. Phillips was formerly a bankruptcy petition preparer in the Northern District of Indiana. In that capacity she prepared bankruptcy petitions and other documents for debtors who filed cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
As part of her guilty plea, Ms. Phillips admitted that she willfully suborned and procured two individuals to commit perjury by submitting material false declarations in federal bankruptcy proceedings. Both incidents were related to Ms. Phillips inducing the individuals to falsely state in forms related to their bankruptcy petitions that they had paid Ms. Phillips half of the amount that they had actually paid her for her services.
The charges resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10) to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service in collaboration with the Northern Indiana Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee for Region 10. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer W. Prokop from the U.S. Trustee’s Office.
“Together with Acting U.S. Attorney Gary Bell and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Region 10. The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Ind., and Peoria, Ill.
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Georgia Man Is Sentenced to 6.5 Years for Defrauding the North and South Carolina Medicaid ProgramsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Markuetric Stringfellow, 37, of Powder Springs, Georgia, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for defrauding the North and South Carolina Medicaid programs, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Stringfellow to pay $5,278,550 as restitution.
The North Carolina Scheme
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Stringfellow was a resident of Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, and a partner in Everlasting Vitality, LLC (EV) and Do-It-4-The Hood Corporation (D4H). D4H operated after-school programs in Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Rocky-Mount, North Carolina. Beginning in or about January 7, 2016, and continuing through November 12, 2018, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators executed a conspiracy to defraud the North Carolina Medicaid program by soliciting illegal kickbacks from various drug testing laboratories, in exchange for referrals of North Carolina Medicaid beneficiaries obtained through the after-school programs operated by EV and D4H.
According to court documents, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators paid individuals to recruit at-risk youths, in particular children who were Medicaid eligible, for EV’s or D4H’s after-school and youth mentoring programs. Once enrolled, children were required to submit urine specimens for drug testing. Stringfellow and his co-conspirators conspired with certain laboratories to perform the drug testing of the urine specimens submitted in the names of children enrolled at EV and D4H and received kickbacks after the laboratories were reimbursed by the North Carolina Medicaid.
In addition to the kickback scheme, Stringfellow and his conspirators devised a scheme to defraud North Carolina Medicaid by referring clients to laboratories which they knew would file fraudulent claims and receive reimbursement based on drug testing services that did not meet the drug testing policy requirements. For example, on some occasions, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators obtained personal identifying information (PII) of D4H clients, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and Medicaid beneficiary numbers, which they provided to drug testing laboratories. In turn, the laboratories used D4H clients’ PII to submit drug testing claims to the North Carolina Medicaid that were fraudulent because, among other reasons, the drug tests were not medically necessary, or the urine specimens were not of the Medicaid beneficiaries under whose names they were submitted. Once North Carolina Medicaid paid the fraudulent claims submitted by the testing laboratories for these unauthorized and medically unnecessary drug tests, the labs then paid companies under the control of Stringfellow and others, at an agreed percentage of their Medicaid reimbursement.
The South Carolina Scheme
In addition to executing a fraudulent scheme in North Carolina, Stringfellow defrauded the South Carolina Medicaid program. According to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court in South Carolina, Stringfellow was a franchise owner of Wrights Care Services LLC (Wrights Care), a qualified provider of Medicaid rehabilitative behavioral health services in South Carolina. Wrights Care was located at 1320 Main Street, in Columbia, South Carolina, and maintained separate franchise locations throughout South Carolina, including in Spartanburg, Pickens, Cheraw, Society Hill, Bennettsville, Hartsville, and Conway. In April 2014, Wrights Care became a participating provider in the South Carolina Medicaid program, which allowed Wrights Care to submit claims for behavioral mentoring services reimbursable under Medicaid.
Starting in or around 2014, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators defrauded the South Carolina Medicaid program by filing fraudulent claims for services that were either not provided, partially provided, or did not qualify for reimbursement. According to court records, to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims filed with the South Carolina Medicaid, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators submitted falsified patient billing records and fake medical notes. Furthermore, court records show that after learning there was a Medicaid audit for Wrights Care, Stringfellow and his co-conspirators attempted to deceive South Carolina Medicaid auditors. In or about March 2015, Stringfellow met other associates of Wrights Care in Columbia for a “note party,” during which the co-conspirators created false and fraudulent billing records to substantiate previously-submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims, forged signatures, and falsified records subject to the audit, which they then submitted to South Carolina Medicaid auditors in response to the audit.
In July 2020, the criminal case pending against Stringfellow in South Carolina federal court was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for further proceedings. On August 21, 2020, Stringfellow pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud in connection with both federal prosecutions.
Stringfellow will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence upon designation of federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray and U.S. Attorney McCoy commended the investigative work of the FBI field offices in Charlotte, Columbia and Atlanta, and the Medicaid Investigation Divisions in Raleigh, Columbia and Atlanta, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for their assistance and coordination.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Savage with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Brook Andrews with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia prosecuted the case.
Fresno Man Is Indicted for Federal Firearms Offenses for Third TimeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Wendell Ladell Lafrance Moton, 30, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 11, Moton was in possession of an assault rifle without serial numbers that had a partially loaded 200‑round magazine attached. In 2009, Moton was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon not a firearm, and in 2012 and 2014, was convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of ammunition or a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Moton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Fort Worth Doctor Sentenced to 10 Years in Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth osteopath who attempted to incinerate clinic records has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a $10 million healthcare fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Mark Kuper, the 43-year-old owner of the Texas Center for Orthopedic and Spinal Disorders (TCOSD), was indicted in June 2020. Three months later, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
According to plea papers, Mr. Kuper admitted he conspired with his wife, Melissa Kuper, and a TCOSD physical therapist, Travis Couey, to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE.
The defendant admitted he fraudulently billed insurers for services the clinic never actually rendered, including physical therapy and psychotherapy, and required patients to attend these bogus appointments in order to receive Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions.
He also admitted that he gave his wife access to the secure device and passcode he used to sign controlled substance prescriptions, allowing her to improperly dispense pain medications on her own initiative, without his input.
In plea papers, Mr. Kuper acknowledged that he submitted claims stating that TCOSD had developed individualized physical therapy plans of care for each patient, knowing full well that the clinic had simply issued a boilerplate template, and for one-on-one physical therapy, even though the patients were actually meeting in groups with an athletic trainer who was not qualified to perform physical therapy.
Mr. Kuper further admitted that although he billed insurers for professional 60-minute psychotherapy sessions, most patients actually spoke with unqualified professionals for just 15 to 20 minutes – often when Mr. Kuper was out of the office.
On multiple occasions, Mr. Kuper billed as though he’d provided more than 100 hours’ work in a single 24-hour day. From 2014 to 2017, he submitted more than $10 million in claims to Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE.
As the scheme unraveled, Ms. Kuper attempted to destroy TCOSD documents in an outdoor fireplace at their home. The blaze destroyed their residence, but firefighters were able to recover some of the charred records from the outdoor fireplace.
Mr. Kuper also tried to cover up evidence of the fraud by accessing hundreds of electronic patient records and altering the purported treatment notes to make them appear more comprehensive.
Both Ms. Kuper and Mr. Couey pleaded guilty in September 2020 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. They were sentenced to 18 months and 36 months, respectively.
A civil investigation into TCOSD began after whistleblower Richard Brown filed a qui tam suit alleging that Dr. Kuper was committing fraud through his clinic.
On May 29, 2020, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s office filed a complaint in partial intervention against Dr. Kuper, Mr. Couey, and Dr. Kuper’s clinic. The Government’s False Claims Act complaint alleged that Dr. Kuper submitted fraudulent claims for physical therapy, psychotherapy, and pain injection services to federal healthcare programs.
In addition to his guilty plea, Dr. Kuper and his clinic agreed to settle the False Claims Act lawsuit by entry of an agreed judgment against Dr. Kuper and his clinic in the amount of $11,190,222. As part of the settlement, Dr. Kuper also agreed to liquidate his real estate portfolio and other assets to satisfy the civil judgment. The whistleblower, Richard Brown, will receive 17% of the government’s recovery.
The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office, conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Beran and Steve Fahey, NDTX Criminal Chief, prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Guiltinan and Kimberly McCoy handled the False Claims Act case for the United States.
Former Second-in-Command of Boston Latin Kings Chapter Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former second-in-command of the Boston-based Devon Street Kings Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today for racketeering charges.
Alexis Peguero, a/k/a “King Lexi,” a/k/a “King Looney,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2020, Peguero pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
Named for its origin on Devon Street in Boston, the Devon Street Kings or D5K Chapter of the Latin Kings, included approximately a dozen members who reported to Alexis Peguero, who served as “Cacique” or the second-in-command of the Chapter. The Devon Street Kings, in turn, reported to the Massachusetts State Leadership of the Latin Kings, providing information, structure, funds and other resources to further the Latin Kings goals and directives in the state.
As described in court documents, Alexis Peguero produced various music videos touting his allegiance to the Latin Kings, distributed controlled substances and threatened rival gang members. During the investigation, various meetings were covertly recorded where Alexis Peguero and members of the Devon Street Kings discussed the business of the racketeering enterprise. In addition, Alexis Peguero was present during meetings where members were beaten and violence against rival gangs was discussed and decided upon.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Alexis Peguero is the 17th defendant to be sentenced in the case.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case 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.
Former Muscatine Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa—On February 24, 2021, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Patrick Vincent Maddox, age 42, of Mobile, Alabama, formerly of Muscatine, to 180 months in prison for the production, receipt, and distribution of child pornography announced Acting United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Maddox was additionally ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
The investigation of Maddox began in 2017, when Maddox moved out of a Muscatine residence he abandoned seven electronic storage devices. The electronic devices were reviewed and suspected child pornography was discovered. The items were turned over to law enforcement. After forensic review, law enforcement uncovered child pornography in six images and a video he produced. The video captured Maddox setting up his cellular phone concealed in a bathroom, videotaping a minor child nude.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Former Cape Cod Bookkeeper Sentenced for Embezzlement Charges in Two Criminal CasesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cape Cod woman was sentenced today in two separate criminal cases for embezzling more than $1.5million from two previous employers.
Jessica L. Greenan, 42, of Centerville, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Judge Burroughs also ordered Greenan to pay restitution of $1,528,128 to the fraud victims, $412,354 to the IRS and to forfeit two vehicles.
In November 2021, Greenan pleaded guilty to a September 2019 indictment charging five counts of wire fraud and five counts of filing false federal tax returns for embezzling $1.1 million from a previous employer. She also pleaded guilty to a December 2019 indictment charging seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft for embezzling more than $390,000 from a different employer. Several of the charges in the December indictment occurred after Greenan was released on conditions in the earlier prosecution.
Greenan admitted to embezzling funds from a Hyannis company for which she handled bookkeeping and payroll services. From October 2014 until she was terminated in March 2018, Greenan embezzled $1,135,460, including 536 occasions when she wired funds from the store’s operating bank account to pay her credit card bills. Greenan doctored the company bank statements and internal records to make the payments to her credit cards appear to be legitimate expenses, and also failed to report any of her illegal income to the IRS over the five year duration of the embezzlement scheme, thereby evading more than $325,000 in federal taxes.
After Greenan was fired by the first employer, she obtained employment as the bookkeeper for a Cape Cod construction company in August 2018 and immediately began stealing company funds. Until her new scheme was discovered, Greenan embezzled more than $287,000 by wiring payments from a company bank account to pay her credit cards, made more than $5,300 in unauthorized charges to a company credit card and converted more than $11,000 of company funds to pay auto loans. Greenan forged the company owner’s signature to transfer company funds, and then fraudulently obtained more than $6,300 in unauthorized payroll after her employment had been terminated.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Chatham Police Department provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the cases.
Former Air Force contractor pleads guilty to illegally taking 2,500 pages of classified informationRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A former contractor with the United States Air Force pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally taking approximately 2,500 pages of classified documents.
Izaak Vincent Kemp, 35, of Fairborn, was charged on Jan. 25 by a Bill of Information.
According to court documents, Kemp was employed as a contractor at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) from July 2016 to May 2019, and later as a contractor at the U.S. Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). While working at AFRL and NASIC – both located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn – Kemp had Top Secret security clearance.
Despite having training on various occasions on how to safeguard classified material, Kemp took 112 classified documents and retained them at his home.
Law enforcement discovered the more than 100 documents, which contained approximately 2,500 pages of material classified at the SECRET level, while executing a search warrant at Kemp’s home on May 25, 2019.
Unauthorized removal or retention of classified documents is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division of the Department of Justice; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; and Fairborn Police Chief Terry Bennington announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Air Force Contractor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Taking 2,500 Pages of Classified InformationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former contractor with the U.S. Air Force pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio today to illegally taking approximately 2,500 pages of classified documents.
Izaak Vincent Kemp, 35, of Fairborn, was charged on Jan. 25, 2021, by a Bill of Information.
According to court documents, Kemp was employed as a contractor at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) from July 2016 to May 2019, and later as a contractor at the U.S. Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). While working at AFRL and NASIC – both located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn – Kemp had Top Secret security clearance.
Despite having training on various occasions on how to safeguard classified material, Kemp took 112 classified documents and retained them at his home.
Law enforcement discovered the documents which contained approximately 2,500 pages of material classified at the Secret level, while executing a search warrant at Kemp’s home on May 25, 2019.
Unauthorized removal or retention of classified documents is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division of the Department of Justice; David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cincinnati Division; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; and Fairborn Police Chief Terry Bennington announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. The Department of Justice’s Deputy Criminal Chief Dominick S. Gerace and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie of the National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
Florida Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Bradenton, Florida, man convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering was sentenced on February 22, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Kent Duane Anderson, age 50, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $15,311,927.00, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2020. He pled guilty on November 5, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between 2012 and 2018, when Anderson owned and operated a business enterprise that exploited the organic grain market. Anderson purchased thousands of tons of small grain and seed products from non-organic suppliers and then re-sold those products as “organic” to wholesale distributors, brokers, and other buyers at marked-up prices. Those buyers, who believed the grain sold them to be organic, were defrauded.
Anderson carried out his fraud through a group of inter-related business entities formed in South Dakota, which he directed and controlled. These business entities included the Bar Two Bar Ranch and Green Leaf Resources Inc., and four other businesses with the Green Leaf name.
Much of Anderson’s business sales of the misrepresented products occurred through emails, phone calls, and electronically transmitted invoices. The sales transactions often originated in Florida, where Anderson’s business entities operated, with buyers located in other states, including, Minnesota and Illinois, and thus, caused electronic wire communications between those states. Other interstate electronic wire transmissions occurred when his business entities received payment via electronic transfer of funds. Some of those transactions involved the electronic transfer of money from purchasers with bank accounts in South Dakota.
“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals engaged in the practice of defrauding the National Organic Program,” said Anthony Mohatt, Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-Office of Inspector General. “It should also serve as a warning to all that participate in the organic supply chain, that fraud will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and all its federal, state, and local partners that have a stake in ensuring that fraud is eliminated from taxpayer funded programs.”
“Over the course of 5 years, Mr. Anderson engaged in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme where he falsely labeled products as organic products unbeknownst to consumers and USDA inspectors,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge David Talcott. “Individuals who commit fraud with this degree of dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. IRS Criminal Investigation along with the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the American consumers.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Anderson has been allowed to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by March 15, 2021.
Five Indicted for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va.- A federal grand jury sitting in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville has indicted five individuals for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and City of Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema announced today.
The grand jury returned a 14-count superseding indictment yesterday charging Jeremel Lawrence Storey, Donnell Lamont Miller, Maggie Lee Smith, Ricky Donnell Abner, and Charay Lamont Trent each with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. According to allegations in the indictment, Storey was involved in distributing more than five kilograms of cocaine and Miller, Smith, and Abner were involved in distributing more than 500 grams of cocaine.
In addition, Storey, 43, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, one count of distribution of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, specifically a short-barreled rifle. Miller, 41, of Lynchburg, is charged with an additional count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine
Smith, 27, of Lynchburg, is charged with an additional two counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of distribution of cocaine. Trent, 41, of Lynchburg, is charged with five additional counts of distribution of cocaine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Abner, 42, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, beginning around January 2016 and continuing through January 2021, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
Court documents allege that Storey was the main source of supply for the conspiracy from his residence in Charlotte, North Carolina. Storey regularly traveled from Charlotte to Lynchburg to supply multiple individuals with kilogram quantities of cocaine and collect payment. Storey also directed couriers to perform these trips and invited distributors, such as Trent, Smith, and Miller, to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to obtain narcotics. The indictment also includes notice of the forfeiture of several vehicles, approximately $89,000 in United States currency, and 32 items of jewelry, purses, and shoes alleged to be the proceeds of drug trafficking.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police’s Central Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force, and the City of Lynchburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case for the United States.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Attempting to Obtain ContrabandRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of CURTIS BRENT CARICO, 46, to an additional three months in prison for attempting to obtain a controlled substance in prison. CARICO, who pleaded guilty on September 9, 2020, was sentenced earlier today by Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, CARICO was an inmate at the Sandstone Federal Correctional Institution (Sandstone) on January 24, 2020, when he attempted to obtain synthetic cannabinoid, a prohibited Schedule 1 controlled substance. In order to bypass security protocols, CARICO conspired with a co-defendant to have a magazine mailed to him at Sandstone that contained a page that had been soaked with liquid synthetic cannabinoid.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker.
Defendant Information:
CURTIS BRENT CARICO, 46
Inmate at Sandstone FCI
Convicted:
- Attempting to obtain contraband in prison, 1 count
Sentenced:
- Three months in prison
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Jury Finds Ocala Man Guilty of Possessing Firearm/Ammunition as A FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – A federal jury has found Xavier Sims (36, Ocala) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 21, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in February 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a residence. The victim and her three children had been sleeping when multiple gunshots hit their home. Sims, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, had threatened to “shoot up” her house earlier that day during an argument. Following the shooting, deputies observed Sims’s vehicle near the scene—he was the driver and sole occupant. During a search of the vehicle, deputies recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol in the trunk along with 10 spent .40 caliber shell casings and 20 live rounds. Subsequent forensic analysis confirmed that the casings and a bullet fragment found at the scene of the shooting matched the firearm from Sims’s vehicle. DNA analysis also confirmed the presence of Sims’s DNA on the live .40 caliber rounds. Sims, a multi-convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Michael P. Felicetta.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Illegal Weapon PossessionRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. - Anthony Meyers, an inmate at United States Penitentiary (USP) Lee in Jonesville, Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to possession of contraband, specifically a prison-made shank, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced.
Meyer, 37, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of contraband and now faces a maximum penalty of an additional 60 months in prison. He will be sentenced on May 18, 2021.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Special Assistant United States Attorney Debbie Stevens prosecuted the case for the United States.
Federal Indictment Charges Three Individuals with Setting Fire to Chicago Transit Authority VanRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Three individuals have been charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to a Chicago Transit Authority van during a period of civil unrest last spring.
DENZAL STEWART, 24, of Chicago, LAMAR TAYLOR, 23, of Chicago, and DARION LINDSEY, 19, of Park Forest, are each charged with one count of arson, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. The indictment accuses the three of maliciously damaging and destroying the CTA van by setting fire to it on May 30, 2020.
Stewart and Taylor were arrested Wednesday morning. They pleaded not guilty at their arraignments Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman. Detention hearings for Stewart and Taylor are scheduled for Friday at 10:30 a.m. Lindsey was already in law enforcement custody on an unrelated charge. Lindsey’s arraignment on the arson charge has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen deTineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in Chicago; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Transit Authority, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Transportation Security Administration. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry III.
The arson charge is punishable by a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Fairbanks Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Jason Patzke, 47, has been indicted on charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Patzke was arrested on Feb 22, 2021 and was arraigned on the charges this morning in federal court.
The indictment alleges that on or about June 3, 2018, Patzke knowingly received and distributed child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Additionally, Patzke has prior State of Alaska felony convictions for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and First Degree Indecent Exposure involving minors.
If convicted, Patzke could face up to 40 years for the charges listed in the indictment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Doty.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In May 2006, DOJ launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Estherville Man Sentenced to Prison for MethRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine in Lakes area was sentenced February 23, 2021, to 7 years in federal prison.
Chance Jacob Wetter, age 26, from Estherville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 22, 2020, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a protected location.
In a plea agreement, Wetter admitted he and others distributed methamphetamine in the Lakes area from October 2019 through February 2020.
On October 23, 2019, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy from Wetter utilizing an undercover officer in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Wetter sold the undercover officer approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine at the public library and then another 2 ounces of methamphetamine at his apartment which was within 1,000 feet of Memorial Park in Spirit Lake.
Wetter was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wetter was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 7-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wetter 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 Mikala Steenholdt and investigated by the 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-CR-4016.
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El Dorado Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that, Justin Dewayne Johnson, 30, of El Dorado, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, in the United States District Court’s El Dorado Division.
According to court records, on December 22, 2019, at approximately 12:50 AM, an officer with the El Dorado Police Department was driving behind a black 2006 Honda Accord operated by Johnson. After establishing probable cause, the officer attempted to stop the vehicle by activating his emergency blue lights. After a vehicle pursuit resulting in Johnson wrecking the vehicle and fleeing on foot, he was apprehended and arrested by officers. A search of the vehicles trunk resulted in officers locating approximately 414.5 grams of heroin.
Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2020 and entered a guilty plea in August of 2020.
This case was investigated by the El Dorado Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
Dover Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Preston Elliott, 25, of Dover, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2019, a New Hampshire State Police trooper conducted a motor vehicle stop in North Hampton. In addition to the driver, Elliott was the sole passenger in the back seat of the vehicle. After the driver consented to a search of the vehicle, the trooper found over 503 grams of fentanyl in a bag at Elliott’s feet. Elliott also had $1,065 in cash.
Elliott previously pleaded guilty on November 19, 2020.
“Fentanyl traffickers are endangering our community by distributing a toxic substance that can take the life of anyone who uses it’” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “If the defendant had been successful in his efforts to distribute over 500 grams of fentanyl, the consequences could have been tragic. Thanks to the excellent work of the New Hampshire State Police and the DEA, a substantial amount of fentanyl was removed from the streets and significant drug trafficker is now behind bars.”
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Elliott accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Dominican National Admits Trafficking Fentanyl After Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national deported in August 2016 to his native Dominican Republic after having been arrested twice for drug trafficking, and who later re-entered the United States illegally, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence on Wednesday to trafficking fentanyl and illegal re-entry into the United States.
Franklin Carlos Soto, 33, admitted to a federal court judge that he sold an individual approximately 50 grams of fentanyl for $2,500 on June 9 and again on June 18, 2020, and that he sold the same individual approximately 25 grams of fentanyl for $1,250 on June 25, 2020.
According to information presented to the court, during the June 9th transaction which took place in Soto’s residence, the individual purchasing fentanyl from Soto observed Soto take the fentanyl from a larger bag of suspected fentanyl. Soto told the individual that he had sold 800 grams the prior day. During the arrangements for the June 25th delivery of fentanyl, Soto offered to sell crack cocaine to the individual.
On July 2, 2020, members of the SSTF arrested Soto and executed a federal court-authorized search warrant at Soto’s residence and at a second Providence residence used by Soto as a stash house. Agents and officers seized a total of approximately 136 grams of fentanyl and a loaded 9mm ammo clip.
Fingerprints taken from Soto upon his arrest confirmed his identity as Franklin Carlos Soto. The investigation revealed that Soto had been living in RI under the name of Luis E. Sanchezsoto. In a prior encounter with law enforcement in January 2020, Soto falsely identified himself to Rhode Island State Police as Luis Sanchezsoto, producing a Dominican Republic driver’s license in that name.
Appearing on Wednesday before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Franklin Carlos Soto pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, and illegal re-entry, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Soto, who has been detained since his arrest on July 2, 2020, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2021. An immigration detainer has been lodged against Soto by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta thank the DEA and the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Area Task Force for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Death Penalty Sought for Murder of Fort Campbell SoldierRead the Press Release
PADUCAH, Ky. – The United States filed Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty for Victor Everette Silvers, in connection with the death of Brittney Niecol Silvers, announced Acting United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett. Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen authorized and directed the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky to seek the death penalty.
According to the superseding indictment, returned on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Victor Everette Silvers murdered Brittney Niecol Silvers on October 14, 2018, by shooting her with a firearm at the Fort Campbell, Kentucky military installation. Brittney Niecol Silvers was, at the time of her death, assigned to the 96th Aviation Support Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The penalty for First-Degree Murder (Premediated) is Death or Life Imprisonment.
Victor Everette Silvers is also charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder, Domestic Violence, Violation of a Protection Order, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and two counts of the Use/Carry/Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Hancock and Leigh Ann Dycus and Special Assistant United States Attorney Captain Joseph Murphy from the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (CID), with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Clarksville, Tennessee Police Department.
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
DOC Inmate Faces Max 20-Year Federal Sentence for Conducting Large Meth Deals from PrisonRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – An inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections system has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from prison, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Frankie Baza, 33, of Flowery Brance, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on February 24, 2021. Baza faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. A sentencing date is scheduled for May 6, 2021. There is no parole in the federal system.
Law enforcement officers in Athens-Clarke County developed a Cooperating Source (CS) in January 2019 that explained Baza was its source of meth since 2018. Baza was an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections who used contraband cell phones to connect customers with his associates to distribute methamphetamine. On January 10, 2019, the CS placed a call to Baza and ordered a large amount of methamphetamine. Baza directed the CS to a Homewood Suites in Metro Atlanta to meet Baza’s associate, who would conduct the drug transaction as directed by Baza. Under surveillance, agents observed Baza’s associate walk to the parking lot carrying a bag to meet the CS as planned. The associate was taken into custody and a legal search of the motel room resulted in the seizure of a large amount of methamphetamine, more than two ounces of heroin, a cell phone and a shotgun. The associate admitted to renting the room and distributing the methamphetamine and heroin. Baza now admits he conspired to direct the distribution of one kilogram of methamphetamine mixture.
“Prisoners using contraband cell phones to direct criminal activities from behind bars will face severe consequences in the federal system, where there is no parole,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those inmates who brazenly disregard the law, putting both our communities and the prison community where they are housed in danger.”
“Keeping criminals like this drug trafficker behind bars is not only an accomplishment for law enforcement, but a victory for the community,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Filed Division Robert J. Murphy. “Mr. Baza can no longer ‘push’ dangerous drugs while on the streets or while serving time in prison. This guilty plea was possible because of unified law enforcement cooperation.”
The case was investigated by the DEA and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Tamara Jarrett is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Officer (Contractor), U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Corpus Christi bank robber sent to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old felon has been ordered to federal prison for robbing the Kleberg Bank in Corpus Christi and brandishing a firearm during the robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jesse Lemmons pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton handed Lemmons a 31-month sentence for the bank robbery. He also received a consecutive seven years for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 117-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On Jan. 10, 2020, Lemmons entered the Kleberg Bank at 3945 Crosstown SH #286 in Corpus Christi. He proceeded directly to the teller stations where he demanded cash while holding bank employees at gunpoint. He yelled repeatedly at bank employees to hurry and threatened to shoot several of them during the robbery.
Authorities apprehended him shortly after attempting to flee the scene with the money.
Lemmons will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Corpus Christi Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.
Consultant Indicted on Federal Charges for Allegedly Providing Bribes to City of Chicago Officials to Benefit ClientsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A consultant has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly offering and providing bribes to City of Chicago officials in an effort to benefit his clients.
ROBERTO CALDERO in 2016 offered and arranged for bribes to be provided to a City of Chicago alderman and a Chicago Public Schools employee in exchange for them taking official actions to benefit Caldero’s clients, who were seeking a custodial services contract at CPS, an honorary street name designation in Chicago, and the renaming of a Chicago park, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The benefits Caldero allegedly offered the CPS employee included future employment, champagne, discounted event space for a family event, and admission to an annual benefit for a museum. To influence the alderman, Caldero arranged for campaign contributions to be made to political organizations affiliated with the alderman or his ward, the indictment states. Unbeknownst to Caldero, the alderman was cooperating with the FBI and acting at the direction of law enforcement in connection with Caldero’s bribery efforts, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Caldero, 68, of Chicago, with four counts of honest services wire fraud, two counts of federal program bribery, and two counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kutcher and Michelle Kramer.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Honest services wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Federal program bribery is punishable by up to ten years. Using a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery is punishable by up to five years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Construction Contractor Sentenced to 41 Months for Conspiring to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud and Defrauding the U.S. TreasuryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Hugo Cruz-Medina (33, Jacksonville) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiring to defraud the United States, and illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Cruz-Medina to pay his victims $3,266,506.33 in restitution and a money judgment of $1,408,712.08 was entered, the proceeds of the mail and wire fraud conspiracy.
Cruz-Medina had pleaded guilty on September 29, 2020.
According to court documents, Cruz-Medina acting with others, operated a construction contracting business in Jacksonville that partially paid workers “off the books.” By compensating employees with a mix of checks and cash, he and his co-conspirators avoided withholding the full amount of payroll taxes owed to the United States. This practice lead to a loss to the U.S. Treasury of approximately $1,857,794.25. Further, by underreporting the number of hours his laborers worked, Cruz-Medina defrauded his company’s workers’ compensation insurer and payroll management vendors, all of which relied on his false reporting to calculate the cost of their services and the amounts that they charged. This false reporting caused an additional loss of $1,408,712.08 to the insurer and the payroll companies.
Cruz-Medina is a citizen of Mexico and was previously deported from the United States in 2012. He later illegally reentered the country without the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Donnell Salethian Woodard, a/k/a “Tank,” age 33, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court to 25 years imprisonment after pleading guilty in September 2019 to conspiracy to sex traffic minors and benefiting from sex trafficking of minors.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on November 21, 2017, undercover officers with the Lexington Police Department encountered a minor advertising sex via a website. An undercover officer set up a time to meet with the minor at a local motel, wherein officers observed the minor being dropped off by Woodard and India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler, a/k/a “Lady Tank,” age 26. Officers placed both Woodard and Cuyler under arrest. The investigation led to another nearby motel where a second minor, who was also involved in the illegal venture, was located. The investigation revealed Woodard and Cuyler were using a cell phone to post advertisements for commercial sex with the minors on a website and taking a portion of the proceeds. Woodard and Cuyler were both charged federally.
During the sentencing, United States District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs also ordered Woodard to make restitution to the victims involved. Following service of his term of imprisonment, Woodard will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Co-defendant India Cuyler previously pled guilty in federal court to using a facility of interstate commerce (a cell phone) to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 17, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Lexington Police Department, and the West Columbia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes.
It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Charlotte Man Who Produced Child Pornography Is Handed Down A 30+ Year SentenceRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Ted D. Melton, 46, of Charlotte, to 365 months in prison on child pornography charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Melton was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve the rest of his life under court supervision after he is released from prison. Judge Bell also ordered Melton to have no contact with victims of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 21, 2020, Melton pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and possession with intent to view child pornography containing a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. According to filed documents and statements made in court, in February 2015, officers with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force determined that an individual later identified as Melton was using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to distribute child pornography. According to court records, in June 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Melton’s residence, and seized his computers, a camera and a cell phone. Over the course of the investigation law enforcement determined that Melton had also sexually abused two minor females and had produced child pornography. A forensic analysis of Melton’s devices revealed that he possessed more than 18,000 images and 850 videos containing sexually explicit conduct involving children, including the child victims Melton had sexually assaulted.
Melton was arrested on state charges in 2015. He was transferred to federal custody in November 2019 upon his indictment on federal charges. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray commended the FBI in Charlotte and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case and thanked the Statesville Police Department for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children. By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
Charleston Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Jymere Alan Pratt, 23, of Charleston, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will begin serving this sentence after he has completed serving sentences on unrelated felony cases from Monongalia and Kanawha counties. Following his release from prison on this case, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Pratt previously pled guilty and admitted that he possessed a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol in the early morning hours of May 24th, 2019, near the intersection of Tennessee Avenue and Randolph Street on Charleston’s west side. Law enforcement responded to the location after learning that the vehicle was parked across the sidewalk and into the bushes of a nearby business with all the occupants unconscious. Once officers arrived, they were able to observe Pratt, the driver, wearing a bag with a shoulder strap which he placed in the back seat prior to exiting the vehicle. Officers later searched the vehicle, finding a pistol and several rounds of ammunition inside the bag. Pratt was prohibited by law from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction for robbery in the second degree in Monongalia County Circuit Court on August 14, 2017. Pratt was still on probation from that conviction when this incident occurred.
The Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Irene Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00049.
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Cecil County Pimp Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Xavier Lee, a/k/a “X,” age 41, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of sex trafficking of a minor.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Matthew J. Donnelly of the Elkton Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.
According to his plea agreement, for the past decade Lee has operated an illicit prostitution business for financial gain, including operating the website, www.wehavefuntimes.com, where Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sexual acts with paying customers. That website was seized by the FBI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Maryland State Police. For a time, Lee also operated a different website, where he offered a subscription pornographic service to paying customers.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Lee admitted that he had sexual contact with Minor Victim 5, beginning when Minor Victim 5 was 14 years old. Lee recorded his sexual contact with Minor Victim 5 when Minor Victim 5 was 15 and 16 years old. Investigators recovered eight separate videos from Lee’s electronic devices, each of which had been recorded by Lee and each of which documented the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 5, depicting Minor Victim 5 engaged in sexual acts with Lee or with another adult man. Lee admitted that he was aware of Minor Victim 5’s true age.
For approximately the past five years, Lee’s prostitution business was run almost exclusively out of a hotel located in Elkton, Maryland. Not only did Lee primarily use the same hotel in Elkton to prostitute women, Lee always used the same room to prostitute women. Lee ran his prostitution business according to a set pattern and protocol. Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sex acts with paying customers. The “profiles” of the females whom Lee was prostituting included photographs, descriptions, and fictitious names. The website also listed the cost of prostitution appointments, described services that were available, and allowed customers to post comments.
According to the plea agreement, a typical day proceeded as follows: Lee arrived at the hotel in Elkton at around 11:00 a.m. with a group of women in his car whom he would prostitute that day, rented his usual room, and if he had sufficient business, additional room(s) from the hotel staff. Lee remained on the premises of the hotel throughout the day, met with customers in the room as they arrived and collected the money due from the customer, then sat in his car in the parking lot. After the last customer, Lee and the women left, typically by 6:00 p.m. Lee often transported the women whom he prostituted to the hotel in Elkton, including transporting them across state lines to work for his prostitution business.
Finally, Lee admitted that in 2013, including in or about April 2013, Lee also had Minor Victim 4, who was sixteen to seventeen years old, do prostitution dates at Lee’s direction. These prostitution dates were arranged through Lee’s website. Lee was aware of Minor Victim 4’s true age during the time because Minor Victim 4 advised Lee of her true age.
Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Lee on April 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Elkton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., Adam K. Ake, and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting the case
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Brothers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Arson and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Imad Dawara, 40, of Swathmore, PA, and Bahaa Dawara, 32, of Woodlyn, PA, both entered pleas of guilty today before United States District Court Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In pleading guilty, the defendants admitted to planning and causing the arson of their business, RCL Management LLC, at 239-241 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia a little more than three years ago on February 18, 2018, and to evading the assessment of their income tax liabilities from 2015-2017. Imad Dawara also admitted to fraud in connection with his receipt of health care and other government benefits including Medicaid, SNAP and TANF.
From around December 2012 until February 18, 2018, the defendants owned and operated various restaurants and entertainment establishments in Philadelphia, including a restaurant and hookah lounge at 239-241 Chestnut Street. As detailed in the Indictment, the Dawara brothers were struggling in their Chestnut Street business and had a years-long history of fighting with their landlord. By October 2017, the Dawara brothers had ceased all business operations at the Chestnut Street location and attempted to sell the business, but as they had failed to renew their lease or pay rent, no one would buy it.
On January 31, 2018, their landlord directed the defendants to vacate the premises by February 2, 2018 and advised them that they owed over $64,000 in overdue payments. Nonetheless, the Dawaras failed to vacate the premises, and on February 2, 2018, RCL Management purchased a $750,000 insurance policy providing coverage in the event of an accidental fire at 239-41 Chestnut Street.
On February 18, 2018, a fire was intentionally started with gasoline in the basement of 239 Chestnut Street, which destroyed the entire building, displaced approximately 160 people, closed the 200 block of Chestnut Street for months, and closed numerous businesses. With today’s guilty plea, both Dawara brothers admitted to planning and causing this fire.
“Just over three years ago, the fire on Chestnut Street permanently altered many people’s lives, some losing their homes and livelihoods,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “If not for the heroism of the Philadelphia Fire Department, the devastation from that night would have been unthinkable and much more extensive. Even though many victims of this fire can never be made completely whole, I hope that today’s admission of guilt by the defendants gives these individuals and the City of Philadelphia at large some sense of relief and justice.”
“Arson for profit or any other reason is a serious crime of violence that will not be tolerated,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF’s partnership with the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office and the Philadelphia Police Department, whose work was instrumental in the success of this investigation, will continue to ensure the safety of our communities. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligent work in prosecuting this case.”
“Schemes designed to evade income tax, such as those perpetrated by the Dawara brothers, are unfair to every taxpayer who obeys the law and pays his or her fair share,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso. “The Dawara brothers set out to cheat and steal from the American public and the government. Their admission of guilt today is a victory for all Americans who play by the rules.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Philadelphia Parking Authority Taxi and Limousine Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Linehan and Katherine E. Driscoll.
Box Elder man sentenced for scheme to smuggle meth into Cascade County jailRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man who admitted his role in scheme to smuggle methamphetamine into the Cascade County Detention Center by having inmates hide the drug inside their bodies was sentenced today to 42 months in prison and to three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Franklin Troy Caplette, 36, pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2020 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that in May 2019, while Caplette was incarcerated at the Cascade County Detention Center, detectives began to investigate a drug smuggling scheme. Caplette arranged for people outside of the jail to bond out inmates, provide the defendants with drugs to conceal in their rectums and have the defendants smuggle the drugs back into the jail.
When defendants returned to the jail, they told detention officers who their enemies were at the jail so they could get placed into the right pod to distribute the drugs.
In June 2019, a judge temporarily released Caplette to attend a relative's funeral on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation and directed him to return by 5 p.m. the next day.
While on release, Caplette spoke by cell phone with jail inmates and told one inmate he was "coming in hot." Detectives waited at the jail for Caplette, who arrived late. While Caplette went to the booking area, Caplette's wife told detectives that they never made it to the funeral and instead went to other places before returning to Great Falls.
Detectives served a warrant on Caplette to search his body for drugs and took him to an emergency room for an x-ray. The x-ray showed three oblong-shaped objects in Caplette's abdomen. Caplette eventually passed the bags. An analysis determined that one of the bags contained meth, while two of the bags contained tobacco.
Other inmates told detectives that Caplette was in charge of contraband entering the jail and that he would use young inmates to be runners to bring back drugs into jail, where they would have parties at night.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff's Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bioventus Agrees to Pay More Than $3.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Bioventus, LLC, a global medical technology company, has agreed to pay the government $3,609,087.00 to resolve allegations that Bioventus violated the False Claims Act by submitting improperly completed certificates of medical necessity (CMN) for medically unnecessary devices from October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2018, U.S. Attorney Matthew G. T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina announced.
This settlement results from a self-disclosure to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), which was later transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina. Bioventus made the written self-disclosure on November 30, 2018 relating to its Exogen device, an ultrasonic bone growth stimulator. Bioventus disclosed that it had discovered its sales representatives were sometimes completing Section B of the CMN for Exogen devices from October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2018. Medicare requires that Section B of the CMN be completed by the treating physician or the physician’s office. Bioventus completed a review of such claims with improperly completed CMNs to verify the medical records supported the medical necessity of the Exogen devices. Bioventus fully cooperated with the government’s investigation of the self-disclosure.
“Medicare funds must only be appropriately dispensed for medically necessary purposes and to those who comply with all rules and regulations,” said Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We appreciate Bioventus’s disclosure of these issues and hope this matter reminds other Medicare enrollees that they must have internal controls in place to ensure proper compliance with Medicare. Better to catch it and self-disclose than for us to discover it and come calling”
The settlement in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina and HHS-OIG.
“Medicare rules on medical necessity are enforced to protect patients and the integrity of this federal health care program,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for HHS-OIG. “We encourage providers to voluntarily disclose evidence of potential fraud, as in this case, to resolve these matters.”
Medicare enrollees may self-disclose evidence of potential fraud to HHS-OIG. The Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol (SDP) provides Medicare enrollees with a framework for disclosing, coordinating, evaluating, and resolving potential instances of fraud involving Federal health care programs.
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