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18 February 2021
Virginia Inmate Pleads Guilty and Gets 20-Month Sentence for Conspiring to Launder Drug Trafficking Proceeds in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Sterling Marshall pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in prison for conspiring to launder drug-trafficking proceeds between 2017 and 2019, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Marshall, age 26 of Allegheny County, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan directed that the prison sentence be served consecutively to the federal prison sentence Marshall was serving for prior heroin-trafficking and firearm crimes.
Marshall was incarcerated at USP-Lee in Virginia in 2017 and 2018 when he conspired to launder the proceeds of the distribution of Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substances. Such substances have caused severe illness and deaths throughout the United States in recent years.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Vessel Operator and Engineers Sentenced for Oil Waste Discharge OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A vessel operating company was sentenced today in Hagatna, Guam, for illegally discharging oil into Apra Harbor, Guam, and for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel Kota Harum.
Pacific International Lines (Private) Limited (PIL), Chief Engineer Maung Maung Soe, and Second Engineer Peng Luo Hai admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Kota Harum directly into the ocean and into Apra Harbor, Guam, without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law.
“This case was particularly egregious as it not only involved oily waste discharges out at sea, but also in the Port of Guam itself,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “I’d like to thank the stevedores at the Port of Guam who reported the oil discharge to authorities. The Department of Justice and our partner agencies will continue to ensure that polluters who threaten our natural resources are held fully accountable under the law.”
“This case demonstrates our continued commitment to enforcing federal environmental laws in our districts,” said U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson of the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. “We will not allow our waters to be dumping grounds for vessel owners and their crews. The substantial penalties imposed by the court are a strong measure of accountability for these unconscionable acts.”
“This case is a strong example of how the U.S. Coast Guard environmental protection missions safeguard our shared natural resources,” said Josh Empen, Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Sector Guam. “We are very thankful to have an expert team of pollution investigators, port state control examiners, and Coast Guard Investigative Service agents who are dedicated to the mission and allowed referral of the case to the U.S. Attorney. I would also like to thank the professional men and women of the Port Authority of Guam who reported the illegal discharge to the National Response Center.”
Specifically, on Oct. 4, 2019, Hai, who was employed by PIL, used the Kota Harum’s emergency fire/ballast pump to discharge oily bilge water directly overboard, leaving an oil sheen upon the water of Apra Harbor. Additionally, Soe, who was also employed by PIL, admitted that excessive leaks in the vessel caused oily bilge water to accumulate in the vessel’s engine room bilge at a rate that exceeded the oil water separator’s (required pollution prevention machinery) processing capacity.
Rather than repairing these leaks before continuing to sail or storing the oily bilge water in holding tanks to be discharged to shore-side reception facilities, it was the routine practice onboard the Kota Harum to discharge the oily bilge water directly overboard into the ocean. Soe then failed to record these improper overboard discharges in the vessel’s oil record book. Additionally, Soe admitted that he altered the vessel’s sounding log so that it would appear as though oily bilge water was being stored in the vessel’s holding tank instead of being pumped overboard.
PIL pleaded guilty to five felony violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to accurately maintain the Kota Harum’s oil record book, and one felony violation of the Clean Water Act for knowingly discharging oil into a water of the United States in a quantity that may be harmful. The judge sentenced PIL to pay a total criminal penalty of $3 million and serve a four- year term of probation, during which all vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan.
Soe and Hai previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to two years of probation and one year of probation, respectively. Additionally, both Soe and Hai are prohibited from serving as engineers onboard any commercial vessels bound for the United States during their respective terms of probation.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic P. David for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Vessel Operator and Engineers Sentenced for Oil Waste Discharge OffensesRead the Press Release
A vessel operating company was sentenced today in Hagatna, Guam, for illegally discharging oil into Apra Harbor, Guam, and for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel Kota Harum.
Pacific International Lines (Private) Limited (PIL), Chief Engineer Maung Maung Soe, and Second Engineer Peng Luo Hai admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Kota Harum directly into the ocean and into Apra Harbor, Guam, without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law.
“This case was particularly egregious as it not only involved oily waste discharges out at sea, but also in the Port of Guam itself,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “I’d like to thank the stevedores at the Port of Guam who reported the oil discharge to authorities. The Department of Justice and our partner agencies will continue to ensure that polluters who threaten our natural resources are held fully accountable under the law.”
“This case demonstrates our continued commitment to enforcing federal environmental laws in our districts,” said U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson of the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. “We will not allow our waters to be dumping grounds for vessel owners and their crews. The substantial penalties imposed by the court are a strong measure of accountability for these unconscionable acts.”
“This case is a strong example of how the U.S. Coast Guard environmental protection missions safeguard our shared natural resources,” said Josh Empen, Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Sector Guam. “We are very thankful to have an expert team of pollution investigators, port state control examiners, and Coast Guard Investigative Service agents who are dedicated to the mission and allowed referral of the case to the U.S. Attorney. I would also like to thank the professional men and women of the Port Authority of Guam who reported the illegal discharge to the National Response Center.”
Specifically, on Oct. 4, 2019, Hai, who was employed by PIL, used the Kota Harum’s emergency fire/ballast pump to discharge oily bilge water directly overboard, leaving an oil sheen upon the water of Apra Harbor. Additionally, Soe, who was also employed by PIL, admitted that excessive leaks in the vessel caused oily bilge water to accumulate in the vessel’s engine room bilge at a rate that exceeded the oil water separator’s (required pollution prevention machinery) processing capacity.
Rather than repairing these leaks before continuing to sail or storing the oily bilge water in holding tanks to be discharged to shore-side reception facilities, it was the routine practice onboard the Kota Harum to discharge the oily bilge water directly overboard into the ocean. Soe then failed to record these improper overboard discharges in the vessel’s oil record book. Additionally, Soe admitted that he altered the vessel’s sounding log so that it would appear as though oily bilge water was being stored in the vessel’s holding tank instead of being pumped overboard.
PIL pleaded guilty to five felony violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to accurately maintain the Kota Harum’s oil record book, and one felony violation of the Clean Water Act for knowingly discharging oil into a water of the United States in a quantity that may be harmful. The judge sentenced PIL to pay a total criminal penalty of $3 million and serve a four-year term of probation, during which all vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan.
Soe and Hai previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to two years of probation and one year of probation, respectively. Additionally, both Soe and Hai are prohibited from serving as engineers onboard any commercial vessels bound for the United States during their respective terms of probation.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic P. David for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin Announces His DepartureRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that he has submitted his resignation as United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, effective February 28, 2021. Mr. Fremin was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the position of United States Attorney in February 2018.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Serving our nation, our state, and our community as the United States Attorney has been the highest honor of my career as a prosecutor. I will always remain grateful for being entrusted with the awesome responsibility of leading an office of the highest caliber attorneys and support staff, who have earned a great reputation for fairness, diligence, and honesty in the pursuit of justice. The success of the office belongs to them, and they have my admiration and respect. I also wish to thank our many law enforcement partners on the local, state, and federal levels, whose tireless and unwavering dedication to public safety were critical in striving to achieve our common goal of making our communities safer.”
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Fremin’s priorities have been protecting Americans from terrorism and threats to national security as well as combating violent crime, cyber threats, the opioid epidemic, and fighting healthcare and disaster fraud. Protecting the country’s most vulnerable – children, the elderly, and victims of exploitation – has also been a focus of Mr. Fremin’s office.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Middle District of Louisiana, Mr. Fremin oversaw the investigation and prosecution of all federal criminal violations within the district. Under Mr. Fremin’s leadership, the Criminal Division has aggressively fought violent crime by pursuing violent offenders. In his first year in office, these efforts resulted in an increase in the prosecution of gun cases of 103% compared to the average of the prior four years and in the following year, 2019, resulted in an increase of 176% in gun case convictions compared to the average of the prior four years. Relationships with state, local, and community leaders and law enforcement agencies were strengthened, and through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), Mr. Fremin led his office to amplify efforts in removing violent criminals from the streets. In one operation alone, 43 offenders were prosecuted, one of the largest such prosecutions in the history of the district, and in various other operations, major drug traffickers and violent criminals were sent to federal prison with large sentences of 300 months, 360 months, 384 months, and life.
Mr. Fremin’s tenure as the United States Attorney was not without challenges. Among them were the longest government shutdown in American history; nationwide civil unrest, riots, and violence; and a viral pandemic unlike any other since 1918. Despite the challenges, the Middle District continued to obtain successful results. With the Department of Justice committed to strengthening efforts to reduce gun violence, Mr. Fremin oversaw the implementation of two new DOJ initiatives. The first to launch was Project Guardian, a nationwide initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws through information-sharing and enforcing gun prohibitions based on domestic violence convictions and mental health denials. Under this initiative, a Baton Rouge man was convicted of multiple firearms violations, including possession of a firearm by a person adjudicated as a mental defective in the first federal trial in the Middle District during COVID-19 restrictions. The second initiative, focusing on domestic violence, was launched in 2020 and was implemented to work with state and local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to generate domestic violence referrals involving firearms. Mr. Fremin and his office, along with local District Attorneys, were at the forefront of this initiative, creating educational materials for distribution and conducting a statewide CLE training on the federal response to domestic violence crimes to generate more federal referrals in Louisiana. Additionally, during Mr. Fremin’s tenure, Baton Rouge was designated as one of ten new National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) sites, whose goal was to focus on areas with elevated violent crime rates. Mr. Fremin and his office collaborated with local leadership in areas such as data collection and analysis; violence reduction initiatives; crime-science research findings; and ways to enhance partnerships in the community to reduce violence and increase public safety.
Under Mr. Fremin’s direction, white collar criminals were vigorously prosecuted. Among them included one of the largest healthcare prosecutions in our district involving a genetic testing scheme with a loss of $240 million to Medicare. This prosecution was in concert with four other federal districts engaged in a sweeping federal law enforcement action that resulted in charges in five federal districts against 35 defendants associated with dozens of telemedicine companies and cancer genetic testing laboratories for their alleged participation in one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever charged. According to the charges, these defendants fraudulently billed Medicare more than $2.1 billion nationally for these tests. Other white collar prosecutions included the former President of Our Lady of the Lake Foundation for wire fraud and money laundering and a former Southern University band director for embezzlement. Mr. Fremin’s tenure also saw the prosecution and sentencing of a Florida man sentenced to 121 months for an investment fraud scheme involving Baton Rouge area victims, all of whom were elders, and which resulted in the forfeiture of nearly $4 million in assets through seizures including over $2 million in a Swiss Bank account, all of which has been returned to the victims; the conviction and sentencing (144 months) of a Baton Rouge man for multi-million dollar bank and wire fraud schemes; the conviction of a financial adviser sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for stealing $1.1 million from elderly investors; and the conviction and sentencing of a Zachary man to 195 months for production of child pornography.
Throughout his time as the United States Attorney, Mr. Fremin was committed to the prosecution of those persons who violated the civil rights of others, including the conviction of a former major at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola for beating a handcuffed and shackled inmate. Recently, the Middle District joined forces with the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in D.C. for a civil investigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) into the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections’ prisoner release practices and policies.
Under Mr. Fremin’s leadership, the office’s commitment to law enforcement and our communities went beyond the courtroom. During his tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s law enforcement community outreach program sponsored and conducted trainings for over 2,400 state and local law enforcement officers from over 105 agencies across the state of Louisiana and beyond. Topics included Gangs and Drugs, Protecting Churches, Officer-Involved Shoots, Opioid/Fentanyl Procedures, Meth Investigations, Jail Gang Intelligence, Pharmaceutical Drug Investigations, Follow the Money, and many, many more.
Mr. Fremin led the Civil Division in fighting healthcare fraud, protecting the interests of the United States, aggressively pursuing the forfeiture of criminal proceeds, and ensuring the collection of millions of dollars in criminal and civil judgments for federal programs and victims of crime. Notable achievements in the Civil Division included a $13.42 million settlement under the False Claims Act with the Louisiana Department of Health; a $2.5 million settlement against home health companies who defrauded the Medicare and Louisiana Medicaid programs; a $1.262 million false claims settlement against Louisiana pediatric dental providers for defrauding Louisiana Medicaid; and the successful resolution of a 40 year old desegregation case in St. Helena Parish. Mr. Fremin’s leadership saw an increase in criminal and civil asset forfeitures and criminal and civil collections, with over $30 million collected by the Civil Division’s Asset Recovery Unit and the majority of that amount returned to victims of crimes.
During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Fremin also served as the Executive Director of the National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”). The NCDF receives and processes disaster fraud-related complaints nationwide and facilitates complaints to the appropriate federal, state, and local investigative agencies. Since March 1, 2018, the NCDF has received and processed over 28,000 disaster-related complaints. Under Mr. Fremin’s leadership, the NCDF quickly engaged in the fight against COVID fraud, as directed by the Attorney General, and has received and processed over 18,000 COVID-related complaints since March 2020. The NCDF team reviewed, identified, and referred a multitude of matters to numerous agencies, including, but not limited to, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Labor – OIG, local authorities, and many other agencies. Under Mr. Fremin’s direction, the NCDF created and launched a web-intake portal to expedite the process for intaking complaints from the public, which has proven instrumental given the volume of matters received.
Mr. Fremin also served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee for Cyber & Intellectual Property, which collaborated with the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys, and other federal components to discuss current trends in cybercrime; and the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee for Civil Rights, which focused on human trafficking, voting rights, and hate crimes. To further hate crime prevention efforts, Mr. Fremin and his office made it a priority to meet with and build relationships with community and religious leaders, understanding the needs and priorities of the community and opening the lines of communication to increase public safety.
“U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin has been instrumental in bringing violent criminals to justice, helping to reduce violent crime rates, and improving cooperation within law enforcement,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “It’s been my pleasure to serve with him in our efforts to make our communities safer.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “I would like to thank Mr. Fremin for his relentless friendship and partnership with DEA. With resolve and conviction, Mr. Fremin has successfully led the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Louisiana, all while combatting drug trafficking and the violent crimes associated with it, making our communities safer places to live. Together, DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, have successfully put drug traffickers and violent criminals in prison where they belong.”
“The outstanding partnership that the FBI New Orleans has shared with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Louisiana has resulted in a reduction in violent crime, gang violence, fraud, and public corruption. This is a direct result of the leadership of Mr. Fremin,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bryan Vorndran. “We thank him for his friendship and his unyielding desire to protect our communities and make them safer for the citizens of Louisiana.”
Special Agent in Charge Leslie Pichon of the United States Secret Service New Orleans Field Office, which includes the Middle District of Louisiana said, “Mr. Fremin has been an outstanding partner to the Secret Service and has gone above and beyond to ensure the success of the Secret Service‘s integrated mission; protecting our nation’s leaders and investigating complex cyber enabled financial crimes were executed with the full support and leadership of the United States Attorney. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Mr. Fremin is a career prosecutor who has served the community and his country for many years. Prior to his appointment as the U.S. Attorney, he served as the Director of the Criminal Division for the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General. He has also served as a Criminal Investigator, Assistant District Attorney, and Section Chief in the Office of the District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District of Louisiana and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Louisiana. Mr. Fremin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, with honors, from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. Mr. Fremin is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he earned the rank of sergeant.
Two Sioux Falls Men Sentenced for Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two men from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Gigilo Terrance Terrett, a/k/a GT, a/k/a Ronnie Phillips, age 42, was sentenced on February 10, 2021, to 240 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Abdi Abdullahi Ismail, a/k/a Ish, a/k/a Juice, age 24, was sentenced on January 22, 2021, to 157 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Ismail and Terrett were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 3, 2020. Terrett pled guilty on September 3, 2020 and Ismail pled guilty on September 4, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning on an unknown date until on or about March 2, 2020, in the District of South Dakota, when Ismail and Terrett knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together with each other, and others known and unknown, to intentionally distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash prosecuted the case.
Ismail and Terrett were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencings.
Two Rochester Fugitives Arrested in Mexico, Charged in Arson IndictmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the arrest of JOSE ANGEL FELAN, JR., 34, and MENA DHAYA YOUSIF, 22, for their roles in multiple arsons on May 28, 2020. FELAN and YOUSIF were detained on February 15, 2021, in Mexico by Mexican authorities for immigration violations after the U.S. Marshals Service located them. A superseding indictment charges FELAN with three counts of arson and YUSIF with being an accessory after the fact. FELAN and YOUSIF made their initial appearances on February 17, 2021, before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. The defendants were ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on February 23, 2021.
“Thanks to the skilled investigative work of the ATF and the tireless apprehension efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service these two defendants, who have been on the run for more than eight months, will be returned to Minnesota to face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.
According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, on May 28, 2020, FELAN maliciously damaged and destroyed by means of fire the Goodwill retail store, the Gordon Parks High School, and the 7 Mile Sportswear store, all of which were located on University Avenue in St. Paul. YOUSIF assisted FELAN in preventing his apprehension by law enforcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the St. Paul Police Department, the St. Paul Fire Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division. The fugitive apprehension efforts were led by the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Emily Polachek.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
JOSE ANGEL FELAN, JR., 34
Rochester, Minn.
Charges:
- Arson, 3 counts
MENA DHAYA YOUSIF, 22
Rochester, Minn.
Charges:
- Accessory after the fact (arson), 1 count
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Two Individuals Indicted for Trafficking Firearms from FloridaRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 17, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Edsel Samuel Torres-Cancel and Yomisheika Marie Morales-Rivera with illegally trafficking in firearms and receiving guns from out of state, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the indictment, Edsel Samuel Torres-Cancel and Yomisheika Marie Morales-Rivera were members of a conspiracy that wired money to Orlando, Florida, in 2020 and 2021, and illegally received firearms in Puerto Rico, where the guns were then sold without a license. In February 2021, federal agents intercepted a package sent from Florida to the defendants’ residence containing six Glock pistols and seventeen pistol magazines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette Collazo of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case. Homeland Security Investigations and United States Postal Inspectors are in charge of the investigation. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison.
An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Indicted for Fraud Scheme Targeting El Dorado County VictimRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Laxmikanth Biyani, 27, and Akshar Patel, 27, of New Jersey, charging them with conspiracy to launder money, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from October to December 2020, a victim in El Dorado County sent over $600,000 to a caller who pretended to be an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He directed her to transfer money to him for safekeeping during the investigation of a drug trafficking case that involved her social security number. Some of the funds were transferred via Bitcoin, and $270,000 was transferred through cash drops in the parking lot of an elementary school in El Dorado Hills. On four occasions in November and December 2020, Biyani picked up cash drops left by the victim and delivered or attempted to deliver the money to co-conspirators. On two of those occasions, Patel assisted Biyani in the pickup and delivery of the cash drops. Biyani and Patel were arrested by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office on December 15, 2020, and remain in custody.
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mira Chernick is prosecuting the case.
If you believe you may be a victim of this fraud scheme, please contact the United States Secret Service at [email protected].
If convicted, Biyani and Patel each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tuscaloosa Man Sentenced to 5 ½ Years in Prison for Possession of Guns and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Tuscaloosa man to federal prison for possession of marijuana and guns used in furtherance of drug dealing, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon sentenced MONTRELL LEROBERT WHITE, 20, to 66 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As a result of his guilty plea, White received a sentence of 6 months on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of 60 months for the firearms count. On October 9, 2019, Tuscaloosa Police Department officers and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies, assisted by ATF and the United States Marshal’s Service, went to White’s residence to arrest him on a warrant. Individuals inside the residence permitted officers to come inside to confirm White’s absence. While walking through the apartment, officers smelled marijuana and observed firearms, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia in White’s bedroom. As a result, they obtained a search warrant and seized four pistols, various magazines, ammunition, marijuana, and other evidence of drug distribution activities. Subsequent search warrants revealed White’s communications evidencing drug sales.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty prosecuted the case.
Telford Man Sentenced for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE Tenn. – On February 8, 2021, Lyle Vernon Tarlton, 30, of Telford, was sentenced by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Tarlton plead guilty to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of an offense punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year. Tarlton was sentenced to 63 month’s imprisonment followed by three years on supervised release.
On August 13, 2019, deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office found Tarlton asleep in a vehicle parked on the side of a road in Telford, Tennessee. Tarlton, who was sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition, was asked to step out of the vehicle. Deputies observed a short barrel shotgun laying between the driver’s seat and the driver’s door. Tarlton, who had previously been convicted of a felony, was prohibited from possession of a firearm. Additionally, it is a violation of federal law to possess a shotgun with a barrel shorter than 18 inches that has not been registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The criminal indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.
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St. Louis County man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –Harry Hamm, 79, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of access with intent to view child pornography. Hamm appeared, Wednesday, before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark.
On April 19, 2019, officers from the St. Ann Police Department, obtained a search warrant to search Hamm’s premises and conducted the search on the same day. Police then contacted the St. Louis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A special agent obtained a federal search warrant to search the items seized by St. Ann Police from Hamm, his home and Hamm’s employer, including two iPhones, an Acer laptop computer, an iPad and a Toshiba laptop. The items were then searched by a forensic examiner.
A forensics examiner located on Hamm’s iPhones deleted web history showing the phones were used to search for and view child pornography. The examiner also found images of child pornography.
The examiner found: (1) deleted images of child pornography on Hamm’s Acer laptop; (2) deleted web history showing searches for a viewing of child pornography on Hamm’s iPad; and (3) computer search terms consistent with child pornography on Hamm’s Toshiba laptop computer.
The special agent obtained, through Canada’s legal process, Hamm’s Shoebox account, which revealed images of child pornography. Hamm used his iPhone and the internet to access his Shoebox account between March 1, 2018 and April 18, 2019.
Altogether, Hamm possessed 57 images of child pornography. Some included prepubescent minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, sadistic or masochistic conduct or other acts of violence.
Each charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine.
Judge Clark has not yet set a sentencing date for Hamm.
The FBI and St. Ann Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case.
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St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Firearm by a Defendant Under IndictmentRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – A’keem Stanley, 24, of St. Croix, appeared before Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon in District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charge of Aiding and Abetting Possession of Firearm by Person Under Indictment, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
This offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of up to 5 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. Sentencing is set for June 18, 2021.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2016, Ameade Williams was charged by information with felony offenses in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (SX-16-CR-311). On May 23, 2018, the Superior Court entered an order releasing Williams into the custody of A’keem Stanley and required that they reside at 4E Two Williams, Frederiksted, St. Croix. On May 25, 2018, Stanley signed a document acknowledging his consent and obligation to monitor Williams’ compliance with his terms of release as a third party custodian.
During a search of 4E Two Williams on September 11, 2018, while the charges were still pending against Williams, police seized a Kel-Tech pistol from the living room and a Taurus 9mm pistol in bedroom where Stanley was located. The Kel-Tech firearm contained a magazine with 29 live rounds of ammunition. According to court documents, Williams, who was present, stated that the firearms belonged to him and that other persons had nothing to with the firearms.
During a post arrest interview, Stanley told police that he had made the arrangements to acquire possession of 4E Two Williams and that he observed the firearms being brought into the residence two weeks earlier. However, Stanley did not report Williams’ possession of the firearm to appropriate officials, thus permitting Williams’ possession to remain undetected by law enforcement. Both firearms were manufactured outside of the United States Virgin
Islands.The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.Springfield Woman Charged with Aggravated Identity Theft and Stealing Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman was arrested today on charges of aggravated identity theft and theft of government money.
Jane Doe, whose identity is unknown, was indicted on two counts of theft of public money, one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
It is alleged that Doe falsely represented another individual’s Social Security number as her own on an application for Section 8 housing assistance benefits in October 2018. In addition, Doe is charged with stealing Social Security disability benefits from August 2017 to August 2018, and Section 8 benefits from April 2019 through February 2021.
Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Tonya Perkins, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Sioux Falls Man Indicted for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Julio Rodriguez, III, a/k/a Julio Rodriquez, III, age 19, was indicted on February 8, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on July 10, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Rodriguez knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, a sexual act with a minor under the age of 16.
The charge is merely an accusation and Rodriguez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Rodriguez was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Drug-Fueled Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Gerald Griffith, also known as “Jerry Porecca,” 47, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to nine years and two months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro for a nearly six-month-long crime spree during which he robbed eight banks and businesses.
In December 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery, two counts of armed bank robbery, and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery. The charges arose from a drug-fueled crime spree between July and December 2018, during which Griffith robbed or attempted to rob four separate banks, as well as four convenience or grocery stores, all in Philadelphia.
The defendant’s series of robberies began on July 9, 2018, when he attempted to rob the BB&T Bank on Roosevelt Boulevard by threatening to blow up the bank, and then robbed the Firstrust Bank on Krewstown Road approximately ten minutes later, again by verbal threat. In August, Griffith moved on to armed bank robbery, holding up the BB&T Bank on East York Street on August 21, and then the BB&T Bank on Orthodox Street the very next day. During these last two bank robberies, Griffith brandished what the bank tellers described as a long, shiny silver handgun, threatening them not to press “any buttons” and demanding that they give him “hundreds.” In addition, Griffith robbed the ShopRite grocery store on Oxford Avenue earlier that summer, and between December 5 and December 8, he robbed the Wawa convenience store on Richmond Street, and attempted to rob the Sonoco-A-Plus gas station also on Richmond Street and the Dollar General store on Cedar Street.
“The complete disregard that this defendant displayed for the safety of others over such a sustained period of time is chilling,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “He terrorized a large swath of this city for months, affecting dozens of people who are now living with the repercussions of having been in the wrong place at the wrong time: working in or patronizing businesses that Griffith decided to target. The streets of Philadelphia are safer now that the defendant will be in prison for nearly a decade.”
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Matthew T. Newcomer.
Senior Care Company Agrees to Pay $714,996 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey senior care company will pay $714,996 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by making false representations in connection with submissions to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
CareOne Management LLC, now known as ABC1857 LLC (CareOne), submitted claims for payment to Medicare for reimbursement of Medicare bad debt from Jan. 1, 2012, to July 2, 2018. Medicare reimburses health care providers for uncollectable deductible and coinsurance amounts from Medicare beneficiaries – known as “bad debts.” The company made false representations of compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory criteria, including “criteria for allowable bad debt,” which require a provider to “be able to establish that reasonable collection efforts were made” of amounts owed by beneficiaries before a provider submits the claim as bad debt to Medicare.
The allegations were originally made in a lawsuit filed by Margaret Gathman under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Ms. Gathman will receive $143,000 from the federal share of the settlement.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Gathman v. CareOne LLC, 17-cv-6180 (D.N.J.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
San Gabriel Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud Charge for Fraudulently Obtaining over $500,000 in COVID-19 Jobless ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Dimas man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge that he fraudulently obtained more than $500,000 in COVID-19-related unemployment benefits in the names of foreign nationals he falsely claimed were local real estate agents hit hard financially by the pandemic.
Bonifacio Jastilana Marinas, 50, pleaded guilty to a single-count criminal information charging him with mail fraud.
According to his plea agreement, from April 2020 to August 2020, Marinas took advantage of provisions in the CARES Act to file approximately 85 unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) that falsely asserted that the named claimants were self-employed real estate agents in Los Angeles County whose jobs had been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Marinas often listed his own real estate business – Vintage Realty & Finance Inc., located in West Covina – as the purported workplace of the named claimants.
In actuality, the named claimants resided in Saipan or the Philippines, were not registered as real estate agents in Los Angeles County, had no employment history in California, and were not eligible for the benefits Marinas claimed.
Marinas listed his own residence as the mailing address for each of the named claimants, the plea agreement states. As a result, the debit cards used to distribute the unemployment benefits were mailed to Marinas, who then used them to withdraw the fraudulently obtained funds. In his plea agreement, Marinas admitted that his scheme caused losses to EDD and the United States Treasury of at least $516,244.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into law in March 2020, helped provide unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic to people who did not otherwise qualify, including business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and those with a limited work history.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin has scheduled a June 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Marinas will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service. EDD Investigations provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein, Chief of the Major Frauds Section.
Rosebud Man Indicted on Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Lloyd Jacob One Star, a/k/a Lloyd One Star, III, age 31, was indicted on February 8, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 17, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on December 14, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, One Star assaulted an individual with shod feet with the intent to do bodily harm and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
The charges are merely accusations and One Star is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
One Star was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Repeat Sex Offender Who Abused and Produced Sexually Explicit Photos of A Deaf Child Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Adam Lee Hollis (42, Polk County) to 45 years in federal prison for producing sexually explicit photographs of a seven-year-old child in his custody, and for having committed that offense while being required to register as a sex offender. Hollis was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.
Hollis had pleaded guilty on November 30, 2020.
According to court documents, in January 2013, Hollis advertised, produced, and distributed sexually explicit images of a deaf, seven-year-old child to whom he had access. Hollis also molested that child, in addition to sexually abusing another eight-year-old child. For years, Hollis groomed these children by forcing them to watch pornography with him, threatening their relatives, and threatening that their mother would lose custody of them if they reported his abuse. Hollis advertised, created, and traded these child sex-abuse images using the internet, in part, so that he could add to his personal collection of child exploitation materials, which consisted of more than 250 images and more than 80 videos.
In 2014, Hollis was convicted in Polk County for sexual battery on a child. Hollis was in violation of his sex offender registration requirements when law enforcement officers approached him in 2013. Before the offense conduct, in 2000, Hollis had been convicted of directing/promoting the sexual performance of a child by distributing child-exploitative images using America Online (“AOL”).
“This criminal deviant committed the most horrible atrocities on young, helpless children,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “This sentencing ensures this repeat child predator will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Prince George’s County Couple Linked to Two Overdoses Facing Federal Indictment for Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Andrew Joseph Trimmer, a/k/a D and Smoke, age 32, and Alicia Marie Walls, a/k/a Porsha and Alicia Porsha, age 28, both of Bowie, Maryland, on federal charges related to a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The superseding indictment adds Walls as a defendant and adds three counts, including conspiracy and two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. The superseding indictment also includes the two counts from the original indictment charging Trimmer with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and with assault on a federal officer. The superseding indictment was returned on February 17, 2021.
The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can kill you. Our law enforcement team in Maryland is working together to build cases and prosecute those who peddle this deadly drug,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Enhanced federal penalties for drug dealers whose distribution results in an overdose increases their odds of federal prosecution and lengthy sentences in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.”
According to the five-count superseding indictment, from May 2018 through September 25, 2020, Trimmer and Walls conspired to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, Trimmer and Walls, who were romantically involved and had a child together, were the subjects of an investigation into narcotics trafficking activity. The investigation revealed that Trimmer and Walls had been living with their child in a rental home in Bowie, Maryland, but had moved on September 15, 2020. In August 2020, Walls allegedly posted two videos on her YouTube channel discussing her narcotics use and the activities of her drug-dealer boyfriend, whom law enforcement believed to be Trimmer. Walls stated that she and “her man” lived in fear of police detecting their whereabouts and drug customers finding their location. As a result, Walls and Trimmer would use hotels as temporary residences and frequently moved between hotels while storing and distributing narcotics in order to avoid detection.
The superseding indictment alleges that on May 28, 2018, Trimmer distributed fentanyl to an individual, causing serious bodily injury to that person. On September 25, 2020, law enforcement located Trimmer living in a hotel in the area of the Bowie Towne Center. As detailed in court documents, law enforcement found Trimmer sitting in his vehicle outside the hotel. As soon as investigators identified themselves as police officers, Trimmer fled. The superseding indictment alleges that when law enforcement caught and attempted to arrest Trimmer, he assaulted a federal law enforcement officer. As detailed in court documents, during the physical altercation, another officer deployed his Taser, but Trimmer continued to fight. Trimmer was able to get to his feet and run to a nearby fast-food restaurant, where he was apprehended by a third law enforcement officer. Court documents allege that Trimmer continued to resist arrest and physically assaulted the third officer during the arrest. Further, the superseding indictment alleges that Trimmer possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute the drug. Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that, in October 2020, Walls distributed fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury to a victim.
If convicted, Trimmer and Walls each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy; a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for each count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury. Trimmer also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and eight years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence, after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Trimmer and Walls are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, although no date has been scheduled. Trimmer and Walls remain detained on a related federal criminal complaint.
A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by superseding indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Crofton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.
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President of Albany Movement, Federally Charged for His Non-Violent Leadership During Civil Rights Movement, Addresses USAO MDGARead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Dr. William G. Anderson, the President of the Albany Movement, a coalition of activists including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Ralph David Abernathy that worked to end segregation in Albany, Georgia, served as the guest speaker for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia’s Black History Month presentation, held virtually on Wednesday, February 17.
Dr. William G. Anderson was chosen as President of the Albany Movement in 1961. In 1963, Dr. Anderson, along with other Albany Movement leaders, was indicted on charges of conspiring to injure a juror. These charges stemmed from the 1963 picketing of an Albany grocery store owner who served as a juror in a case where the sheriff was acquitted of murdering a black man. Albany leaders maintained they were picketing the store because black employees were not promoted, but the owner believed it was a retaliation. The case resulted in a mistrial. Dr. Anderson was later brought before a federal judge in Detroit, Michigan, where he was residing and serving as a practicing physician and surgeon.
According to Dr. Anderson, “The Judge indicated that I was subjected to 20 years in a federal penitentiary at hard labor. But then he took a deep breath and said, ‘However.’ And, what followed was suspending that sentence and placing me on probation. It was death and resurrection. Death--when he announced that I was subjected to 20 years in the federal penitentiary. Resurrection--when he placed me on probation. That is how it ended. I was never called back, and I never had to serve one day in a federal penitentiary.”
“You can’t always argue with fate. I was proud to have been a part of (the Albany Movement),” remarked Dr. Anderson.
“Dr. Anderson epitomizes leadership and commitment to justice, and he was wrongfully prosecuted by this office for his role during the Albany Civil Rights Movement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “There is what is the law, and then there is what is right. In an ideal world, those two principles align. However, they don’t always line up, as is the case with Dr. Anderson. Our office never should have prosecuted this great man. We are eternally grateful to Dr. Anderson for sharing his life story with our office and for dedicating his life to the service of civil rights for all.”
Dr. Anderson was presented with a certificate by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for his “courage, leadership, and commitment to justice.” Dr. Anderson continues to be a seminal figure in the struggle for American Civil Rights, and has been instrumental in the creation of the “Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey” lecture series at Michigan State University. The civil rights icon, who is a retired osteopathic physician, was the first black surgical resident in Detroit and the first black president of the American Osteopathic Association. Dr. Anderson, 93, lives in Michigan.
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.
Political Donor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Lobbying and Campaign Contribution Crimes, Tax Evasion, and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A venture capitalist and political fundraiser was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison for falsifying records to conceal his work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials, evading the payment of millions of dollars in taxes, making illegal campaign contributions, and obstructing a federal investigation into the source of donations to a presidential inauguration committee.
Imaad Shah Zuberi, 50, of Arcadia, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered him to pay $15,705,080 in restitution and a criminal fine of $1.75 million.
In November 2019, Zuberi pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by making false statements on a FARA filing, tax evasion, and making illegal campaign contributions. In June 2020, Zuberi pleaded guilty in a separate case to one count of obstruction of justice. His sentence today pertains to both cases.
“Zuberi turned acting as an unregistered foreign agent into a business enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “He used foreign money to fund illegal campaign contributions that bought him political influence, and used that influence to lobby U.S. officials for policy changes on behalf of numerous foreign principals. He not only concealed his lucrative agreements with those foreign principals, but also made false statements about them in a FARA filing. After learning he was under investigation, Zuberi doubled down on his criminal conduct, obstructing justice by creating false records, destroying evidence, and attempting to purchase witnesses’ silence. This sentence should deter others who would seek to corrupt our political processes and compromise our institutions in exchange for foreign cash.”
“Mr. Zuberi flouted federal laws that restrict foreign influences upon our government and prohibit injecting foreign money into our political campaigns. He enriched himself by defrauding his clients and evading the payment of taxes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California. “Today’s sentence, which also accounts for Mr. Zuberi’s attempt to obstruct an investigation into his felonious conduct, underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to maintain transparency in U.S. elections and policy-making processes.”
"As Mr. Zuberi’s greed and wealth increased, his elaborate influence-peddling scheme collapsed,” said Assistant Director in Charge Kristi K. Johnson of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “By lending a veneer of credibility through name dropping and flashing photos with high-level government officials, Zuberi was able to con foreign donors. Now that he’s been sentenced, he will be held accountable by the United States government which he so recklessly misrepresented.”
“Through myriad international contacts and business partners, Imaad Shah Zuberi was able to raise money and gain influence among the U.S.’s highest political circles. Zuberi used his status to solicit funds for lobbying, campaign contributions, and investments, but ultimately swindled his business partners and pocketed most of the funds for himself,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner of IRS-Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office. “An opportunist at his core, Zuberi worked with political figures across the aisle, depending on who was in power, to lend an appearance of credibility to his political charades. At the end of the day, IRS Criminal Investigation worked closely with our partner federal agencies to ensure Zuberi’s criminal behavior would not pay off, and that he was held accountable for paying himself rather than using the funds he solicited for their original intended purpose.”
Zuberi operated Avenue Ventures LLC, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, and solicited foreign nationals and representatives of foreign governments with claims he could use his contacts in Washington, D.C., to change U.S. foreign policy and create business opportunities for his clients and himself.
Clients gave Zuberi money for consulting fees, to make investments, or to fund campaign contributions. As part of his efforts to influence public policy, Zuberi hired lobbyists, retained public relations professionals, and made campaign contributions that gave him access to high-level U.S. officials, some of whom acted in support of his clients. As evidence of his access and influence, Zuberi distributed to his clients photographs of himself discussing policy with elected officials.
While Zuberi had a limited degree of success with some U.S. officials, most of his business efforts failed and his clients suffered significant financial losses. Many of the lobbyists, public relations consultants, and other subcontractors also suffered losses when Zuberi refused to pay them. Meanwhile, Zuberi became wealthy, largely through his theft of client funds and unlawful lobbying on behalf of foreign interests.
For example, Zuberi made efforts to convince the government of Bahrain to lift sanctions on a Bahraini citizen in order to allow the citizen to develop a large resort in that country. The scheme falsely created the appearance that Avenue Ventures had made a major investment in the resort project. Citing this purported investment, Zuberi lobbied members of Congress to apply political pressure on Bahrain to cease its interference in the project, claiming that it was adversely affecting him as a U.S. investor. At Zuberi’s urging, at least a dozen members of Congress sent letters to the government of Bahrain requesting that it stop interfering with the project. In fact, however, Zuberi designed these efforts to benefit the Bahraini citizen, who paid Zuberi consulting fees. Zuberi violated FARA by failing to register as an agent of the Bahraini citizen in connection with this scheme.
Zuberi also siphoned money invested in U.S. Cares, a company set up to export humanitarian aid to Iran. In 2013 and 2014, investors deposited approximately $7 million into U.S. Cares, but Zuberi used more than 90 percent of investor funds for his personal benefit, which included purchasing real estate, paying down debt such as mortgages and credit card bills, remodeling properties, investing in brokerage accounts, and donating $250,000 to a non-profit organization established by a former high-ranking elected official.
In addition, the government of Sri Lanka hired Zuberi in 2014 to rehabilitate the country’s image in the United States, which had suffered because of allegations that its minority Tamil population had been persecuted. Zuberi promised to make substantial expenditures on lobbying efforts, legal expenses, and media buys, which prompted Sri Lanka to agree to pay Zuberi a total of $8.5 million over the course of six months in 2014. Days after Sri Lanka made an initial payment of $3.5 million, Zuberi transferred $1.6 million into his personal brokerage accounts and used another $1.5 million to purchase real estate.
In total, Sri Lanka wired $6.5 million pursuant to the contract, and Zuberi used more than $5.65 million of that money to the benefit of himself and his wife. Zuberi paid less than $850,000 to lobbyists, public relations firms and law firms, and refused to pay certain subcontractors based on false claims that Sri Lanka had not provided sufficient funds to pay invoices.
Relatedly, Zuberi failed to report on his 2014 tax return millions of dollars in income he received from the Sri Lankan government. While his 2014 federal income tax return claimed income of $558,233, Zuberi failed to report more than $5.65 million he received in relation to the Sri Lanka lobbying effort. Zuberi’s tax evasion over the course of four years – 2012 through 2015 – caused tax losses ranging from $3.5 million to as much as $9.5 million.
Zuberi also violated the Federal Election Campaign Act in 2015 by making conduit contributions in the names of other people, reimbursing contributions made by others, and being reimbursed for contributions he made. Over a five-year period – 2012 through 2016 – he made or solicited more than $250,000 in illegal campaign contributions.
The obstruction charge to which Zuberi pleaded guilty in June 2020 stemmed from a federal investigation into a $900,000 donation from Zuberi through his company to a presidential inaugural committee in late 2016. Some of the funds Zuberi donated to the committee came from other people, including one individual who gave him a $50,000 check.
After media reports that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York was investigating donations to the presidential inaugural committee, Zuberi met with the individual at a California restaurant on Feb. 25, 2019. During that meeting, the individual asked Zuberi to refund the $50,000, which Zuberi did, but backdated the check to Feb. 1, 2019, to make it appear the refund was sent before he learned of the federal investigation.
This matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and Elisa Fernandez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith A. Heinz of the National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Political Donor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Lobbying and Campaign Contribution Crimes, Tax Evasion, Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A venture capitalist and political fundraiser was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison for falsifying records to conceal his work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials, evading the payment of millions of dollars in taxes, making illegal campaign contributions, and obstructing a federal investigation into the source of donations to a presidential inauguration committee.
Imaad Shah Zuberi, 50, of Arcadia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered him to pay $15,705,080 in restitution and a criminal fine of $1.75 million.
In November 2019, Zuberi pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by making false statements on a FARA filing, tax evasion, and making illegal campaign contributions. In June 2020, Zuberi pleaded guilty in a separate case to one count of obstruction of justice. His sentence today pertains to both cases.
“Mr. Zuberi flouted federal laws that restrict foreign influences upon our government and prohibit injecting foreign money into our political campaigns. He enriched himself by defrauding his clients and evading the payment of taxes,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “Today’s sentence, which also accounts for Mr. Zuberi’s attempt to obstruct an investigation into his felonious conduct, underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to maintain transparency in U.S. elections and policy-making processes.”
“Mr. Zuberi’s entire business centered on acting as an unregistered foreign agent,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. “He used foreign money to fund illegal campaign contributions that bought him political influence, and used that influence to lobby United States officials for policy changes on behalf of numerous foreign principals. He not only concealed his lucrative agreements with those foreign principals, but also made false statements about them in a FARA filing. After learning he was under investigation, Mr. Zuberi doubled down on his criminal conduct, obstructing justice by creating false records, destroying evidence, and attempting to purchase witnesses’ silence. This sentence should deter others who would seek to corrupt our political processes and compromise our institutions in exchange for foreign cash.”
“As Mr. Zuberi’s greed and wealth increased, his elaborate influence-peddling scheme collapsed,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “By lending a veneer of credibility through name dropping and flashing photos with high-level government officials, Zuberi was able to con foreign donors. Now that he’s been sentenced, he will be held accountable by the United States government which he so recklessly misrepresented.”
“Through myriad international contacts and business partners, Imaad Shah Zuberi was able to raise money and gain influence among the U.S.’s highest political circles. Zuberi used his status to solicit funds for lobbying, campaign contributions, and investments, but ultimately swindled his business partners and pocketed most of the funds for himself,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation L.A. Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner. “An opportunist at his core, Zuberi worked with political figures across the aisle, depending on who was in power, to lend an appearance of credibility to his political charades. At the end of the day, IRS Criminal Investigation worked closely with our partner federal agencies to ensure Zuberi’s criminal behavior would not pay off, and that he was held accountable for paying himself rather than using the funds he solicited for their original intended purpose.”
Zuberi operated Avenue Ventures LLC, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, and solicited foreign nationals and representatives of foreign governments with claims he could use his contacts in Washington, D.C., to change U.S. foreign policy and create business opportunities for his clients and himself.
Clients gave Zuberi money for consulting fees, to make investments, or to fund campaign contributions. As part of his efforts to influence public policy, Zuberi hired lobbyists, retained public relations professionals, and made campaign contributions that gave him access to high-level U.S. officials, some of whom acted in support of his clients. As evidence of his access and influence, Zuberi distributed to his clients photographs of himself discussing policy with elected officials.
While Zuberi had a limited degree of success with some U.S. officials, most of his business efforts failed and his clients suffered significant financial losses. Many of the lobbyists, public relations consultants, and other subcontractors also suffered losses when Zuberi refused to pay them. Meanwhile, Zuberi became wealthy, largely through his theft of client funds and unlawful lobbying on behalf of foreign interests.
For example, Zuberi made efforts to convince the government of Bahrain to lift sanctions on a Bahraini citizen in order to allow the citizen to develop a large resort in that country. The scheme falsely created the appearance that Avenue Ventures had made a major investment in the resort project. Citing this purported investment, Zuberi lobbied members of Congress to apply political pressure on Bahrain to cease its interference in the project, claiming that it was adversely affecting him as a U.S. investor. At Zuberi’s urging, at least a dozen members of Congress sent letters to the government of Bahrain requesting that it stop interfering with the project. In fact, however, Zuberi designed these efforts to benefit the Bahraini citizen, who paid Zuberi consulting fees. Zuberi violated FARA by failing to register as an agent of the Bahraini citizen in connection with this scheme.
Zuberi also siphoned money invested in U.S. Cares, a company set up to export humanitarian aid to Iran. In 2013 and 2014, investors deposited approximately $7 million into U.S. Cares, but Zuberi used more than 90 percent of investor funds for his personal benefit, which included purchasing real estate, paying down debt such as mortgages and credit card bills, remodeling properties, investing in brokerage accounts, and donating $250,000 to a non-profit organization established by a former high-ranking elected official.
In addition, the government of Sri Lanka hired Zuberi in 2014 to rehabilitate the country’s image in the United States, which had suffered because of allegations that its minority Tamil population had been persecuted. Zuberi promised to make substantial expenditures on lobbying efforts, legal expenses, and media buys, which prompted Sri Lanka to agree to pay Zuberi a total of $8.5 million over the course of six months in 2014. Days after Sri Lanka made an initial payment of $3.5 million, Zuberi transferred $1.6 million into his personal brokerage accounts and used another $1.5 million to purchase real estate.
In total, Sri Lanka wired $6.5 million pursuant to the contract, and Zuberi used more than $5.65 million of that money to the benefit of himself and his wife. Zuberi paid less than $850,000 to lobbyists, public relations firms and law firms, and refused to pay certain subcontractors based on false claims that Sri Lanka had not provided sufficient funds to pay invoices.
Relatedly, Zuberi failed to report on his 2014 tax return millions of dollars in income he received from the Sri Lankan government. While his 2014 federal income tax return claimed income of $558,233, Zuberi failed to report more than $5.65 million he received in relation to the Sri Lanka lobbying effort. Zuberi’s tax evasion over the course of four years – 2012 through 2015 – caused tax losses ranging from $3.5 million to as much as $9.5 million.
Zuberi also violated the Federal Election Campaign Act in 2015 by making conduit contributions in the names of other people, reimbursing contributions made by others, and being reimbursed for contributions he made. Over a five-year period – 2012 through 2016 – he made or solicited more than $250,000 in illegal campaign contributions.
The obstruction charge to which Zuberi pleaded guilty in June 2020 stemmed from a federal investigation into a $900,000 donation from Zuberi through his company to a presidential inaugural committee in late 2016. Some of the funds Zuberi donated to the committee came from other people, including one individual who gave him a $50,000 check.
After media reports that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York was investigating donations to the presidential inaugural committee, Zuberi met with the individual at a California restaurant on February 25, 2019. During that meeting, the individual asked Zuberi to refund the $50,000, which Zuberi did, but backdated the check to February 1, 2019, to make it appear the refund was sent before he learned of the federal investigation.
This matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and Elisa Fernandez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, Assistant United States Attorney Judith A. Heinz of the National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jarrell Dawson, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Mr. Dawson is one of 40 defendants charged in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment returned in the case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019. In addition to communications about drug trafficking between Dawson and several of his coconspirators, agents made numerous seizures of fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs from members of the organization, as well as maintained critical physical surveillance of Dawson’s drug-trafficking activities.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine of up to $8,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
Dawson remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Carolyn J. Bloch are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Peever Man Charged with Interstate Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, and Possession of Firearm by Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Peever, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Interstate Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Brandon Lee Renville, age 29, was indicted on January 12, 2021. He last appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on February 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
According to the Indictment, on or about November 6, 2020, Renville caused his spouse to travel in interstate commerce and to enter and leave Indian country by force, coercion, duress, and fraud, and in the course of and as a result of that conduct, he intentionally committed or attempted to commit a crime of violence, that is, an assault or attempted assault with a dangerous weapon.
On or about December 21, 2020, Renville, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly possessed a firearm.
The maximum penalties upon conviction are ten years (interstate domestic violence and the firearm charge) up to life imprisonment (kidnapping); a maximum $250,000 fine, or both fine and imprisonment; a maximum term of three (3) to five (5) years of supervised release; and $100 to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charges are merely accusations and Renville is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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 its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation is being conducted by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Renville was detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for April 13, 2021.
North Dakota Man Charged with Possession of Firearm by Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mandan, North Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Joel Dean Kraft, Jr., age 34, was indicted on December 8, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on February 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered, and the firearm involved in the offense may be forfeited.
The Indictment alleges that on May 25, 2020, Kraft, then being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly did possess a handgun in Walworth County, South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation and Kraft is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the City of Mobridge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Kraft was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
New Milford Gun Manufacturer and Dealer Sentenced for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JON VICTOR BENSON, 62, of New Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to five years of probation and a $5,000 fine for violating federal firearms laws. Benson owned and operated The Freedom Shoppe, a former federally-licensed firearms manufacturer and dealer located in New Milford.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, The National Firearms Act (“NFA”) provides that it is unlawful for any person or entity to possess any NFA-regulated firearm that is not registered to that person or entity. In December 2017, ATF Industry Operations Investigators (IOIs) began a firearms compliance inspection of The Freedom Shoppe in New Milford. At the time, Benson held a firearm manufacturers and dealer’s license and was the “responsible person” with respect to the business. ATF IOIs determined that Benson and The Freedom Shoppe had manufactured, possessed and transferred several NFA-regulated firearms that were not registered to it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) maintained by ATF. Benson admitted to investigators that he had not kept a record of manufacture for any firearms that had been converted from a pistol or from a frame/receiver, as required for all licensed manufacturers.
The ATF’s inspection confirmed that Benson did not maintain proper Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records for the firearms he manufactured, and that he did not properly complete Firearms Transaction Records (Form 4473s) for firearms sold to customers. The ATF IOIs reviewed more than 750 Form 4473s and discovered that more than a third of the forms had blank or incomplete information.
On October 27, 2020, Benson pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain firearms records. As part of his guilty plea, Benson agreed not to challenge the administrative revocation of his federal firearms licenses to manufacture firearms and to deal firearms.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Michael Quantrell Barr, 30, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin and distributing heroin.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in June and July of 2019, the Myrtle Beach Police Department Street Crimes Unit used a confidential informant to make three controlled drug purchases from Barr. In each purchase, an informant exchanged police funds for what a forensic scientist later confirmed to be heroin.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. sentenced Barr to 46 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department Street Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local 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.
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Montgomery County Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Omar Santiago-Muniz, age 30, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 17, 2021, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 127 months’ imprisonment for production of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Santiago-Muniz previously admitted that in June-July 2017, he enticed and persuaded two minors, ages 9 and 10, from Schuylkill County, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of such conduct, and that he used a cell phone and the internet to commit the crimes.
Judge Mariani also ordered Santiago-Muniz to serve 10 years on supervised release following his prison sentence, and pay a special assessment of $5,100. Santiago-Muniz will have to undergo sex offender treatment and must comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Michigan man admits producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Michigan man has admitted producing child pornography while previously residing in Savannah.
Bobby Fields, 40, of Lansing, Mich., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release after completion of the prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Bobby Fields eluded justice for nearly three years, but his crimes have found him out thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “The significant prison sentence that awaits should serve as a stark warning to anyone who would exploit vulnerable children.”
Fields was indicted in July 2020 after an FBI investigation into child pornography discovered on a laptop linked him to the illegal material’s creation through images that captured distinctive tattoos on Field’s arm.
A date for Field’s sentencing has not yet been set.
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our local and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
Mexican national faces federal charges in violent Albuquerque carjackingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal judge today ordered that Gael Antonio Rodriguez, 18, of Mexico, will remain detained pending trial for carjacking.
According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 16, Rodriguez allegedly approached an elderly victim in northwest Albuquerque outside her apartment complex and asked her for a cigarette. The victim responded that she had no cigarettes and Rodriguez then allegedly demanded her purse and the keys for her vehicle. When the victim resisted, Rodriguez allegedly slashed her hand with a knife, causing her to drop the keys. Rodriguez allegedly grabbed the keys and fled in the victim’s vehicle.
An Albuquerque Police Officer was dispatched to the scene and relayed a description of the vehicle and Rodriguez to the Rio Rancho and Corrales police departments. Police were able to locate the vehicle in Corrales. After a pursuit on foot, police subdued and arrested Rodriguez.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 25 years in prison.
The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Corrales Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Who Fired a Handgun at Officer Receives 198 Months in JailRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Sean Smith, 32, of Onslow County, was sentenced on February 17, 2021, to 198 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The investigation, along with evidence presented in court, revealed that on October 22, 2019, an Onslow County Sheriff’s Deputy was investigating a possible burglary on West Morton Street in Jacksonville. The deputy was dressed in his police uniform and arrived in a patrol car. While the deputy was speaking to an individual at the scene, Smith emerged from the side of the residence and fired a gun at the deputy from a distance of approximately 8-12 yards. The deputy, who was uninjured, retreated to his patrol vehicle and retrieved his rifle. Smith fled the scene but was later found seated on the steps of a nearby residence. The 9mm handgun was found underneath the porch where Smith was seated. Smith ultimately admitted to firing the gun. Smith was searched following his arrest and was found in possession of approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of cocaine.
During the investigation, law enforcement obtained evidence that Smith had possessed more than 400 grams of methamphetamine from September 2019 until the time of his arrest.
On January 1, 2021, Smith was captured on a recorded Facetime jail phone call bragging about how he had fired the gun at the officer, even demonstrating shooting the gun and laughing about the incident. Smith also described how law enforcement would be unable to find a large amount of methamphetamine that he had hidden at an earlier time.
Mr. Higdon commented: “We are certainly gratified by the sentence imposed by the court in this case. Sean Smith is a dangerous, cruel drug dealer, and that alone makes his prosecution critical to ‘Taking Back North Carolina’ for drug traffickers and violent criminals. But his decision to risk the lives of law enforcement officers investigating his crimes puts him at the head of the line for prosecution as we attempt to support the brave officers who do the dangerous work of investigating armed drug trafficking.”
According to law enforcement, Smith was a member of a violent white supremacist organization. Smith had prior convictions including possession or distribution of methamphetamine precursors; assault on a government official; possession of methamphetamine and, assault inflicting physical injury on a detention officer or employee. Smith was on probation for possession of methamphetamine and felony assault inflicting physical injury on a detention employee or officer at the time of this offense.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of large quantities extremely pure methamphetamine throughout the United States.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol took part in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00005-M.
Member of New Bedford Latin Kings Chapter Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced today on racketeering charges. The defendant admitted to participating in a June 2019 shooting of another Latin Kings member who was in bad standing with the gang.
Shelton Johnson, a/k/a “King Shellz,” 31, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2020, Johnson 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.
Johnson admitted that he conspired with other Latin Kings members and leaders and participated in a June 2019 shooting of a member who was in bad standing with the gang. Johnson also admitted to participating in a beating of members of the Latin Kings who had violated its rules.
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. Johnson is the 15th 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 New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro 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 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 remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Member of New Bedford Latin Kings Chapter Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty today to racketeering and drug charges.
Roberto Vargas, a/k/a “King Royalty,” 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute, manufacture and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
Vargas admitted that on Sept. 30, 2019, he was one of multiple members of the Latin Kings who travelled to Ruth Street and McGurk Street in New Bedford in order to confront rival gang members. After “flagging” – brandishing a yellow and black Latin Kings bandanna – in the territory of the rival gang, the Latin Kings members approached one of the rival gang members, surrounded him, pointed a firearm at him and demanded his phone. During the robbery, the victim ran from the Latin Kings, and another Latin Kings member chased the victim and fired one gunshot, hitting the victim in the back. The victim fell to the ground and was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and ultimately survived the incident.
Vargas also admitted to participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy that the Latin Kings operated in multi-unit apartment buildings controlled by the gang, known as trap houses, throughout New Bedford.
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.
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. Robert Vargas is the 35th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; 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 New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro 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 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 remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Manderson Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter was sentenced by Judge Karen K. Schreier, U.S. District Court.
Charles Merrival, age 28, was sentenced on February 11, 2021, to 46 months custody in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Merrival was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2020. The charge related to Merrival driving while intoxicated and killing a pedestrian, who was walking on the shoulder of the highway east of Pine Ridge on May 5, 2020. Merrival’s blood alcohol content was .215% approximately 5 hours after the accident.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Merrival was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Adam W. Gagnon, 43, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to 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 January 30, 2020, Manchester police detectives received information that Gagnon would be travelling to Lawrence, Massachusetts in an Uber to pick up a significant quantity of fentanyl for distribution. There were several outstanding warrants for Gagnon’s arrest. Detectives observed Gagnon travel to Lawrence in an Uber, enter a building for approximately 10 minutes and get into another Uber to head northbound. Detectives stopped the vehicle, arrested Gagnon on the warrants, and observed a cellophane wrapped package at Gagnon’s feet. The Uber driver consented to a search of the vehicle and the package was seized. A lab later confirmed the package contained over 480 grams of fentanyl.
Gagnon is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2021.
“Those who bring large quantities of fentanyl into New Hampshire are endangering public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect our communities, Operation S.O.S. is targeting the fentanyl dealers who are distributing this deadly drug in Hillsborough County. I am grateful to the Manchester Police Department for their successful efforts to prevent this significant quantity of fentanyl from being sold on the streets of Manchester.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Major Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficker Receives 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Darion “Pluck” Graham, 31, of New Hanover County, North Carolina, was sentenced on February 16, 2021, to 365 months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 1,000 grams or more of heroin; two counts of distribution of a quantity of heroin and aiding and abetting; and possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and aiding and abetting.
The investigation, along with evidence presented in court, revealed that beginning in October 2015 until May 2017, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wilmington Police Department made several controlled purchases of more than 90 grams of heroin from Graham and persons working at his direction in various locations in Wilmington, North Carolina.
On August 29, 2017, the Wilmington Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, executed a search warrant at Graham’s residence on Summertime Lane in Wilmington. Graham was on house arrest for pending state charges at the time the search took place. During the search, law enforcement found a small quantity of heroin and fentanyl, packaging material, and more than $13,000. As law enforcement made forced entry into the residence, Graham managed to flush a large quantity of heroin down the toilet. As a result, Graham was detained exiting the bathroom.
From February 2019 until May 2019, the Wilmington Police Department, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made several controlled purchases of 30 grams of heroin from Graham in the Wilmington area.
On June 28, 2019, the Wilmington Police Department, together with the FBI, executed a search warrant on a River Front Place Apartment in Wilmington. The apartment was rented in the mother’s name of one of Graham’s co-conspirators. As law enforcement was conducting the search of the residence, Graham and his co-conspirator arrived at the residence and attempted to flee upon seeing the police. Law enforcement found 761 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture and more than $16,000 in drug proceeds.
The investigation revealed that Graham held a position of leadership in a large heroin and/or fentanyl drug trafficking organization which had more than 10 people. Graham was supplying heroin and/or fentanyl and working with several members of a violent gang in Wilmington. Graham obtained heroin from New York, and, on one occasion, he and a co-conspirator picked up 3 kilograms of heroin. Graham was responsible for the distribution of more than 7 kilograms of heroin overall, more than 750 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and a quantity of a heroin/methamphetamine mixture. Graham had a prior conviction for Conspiracy to Sell a Schedule I Controlled Substance. Graham was one of the largest heroin suppliers in New Hanover County at the time of his arrest in 2019. While awaiting sentencing, Graham attempted to intimidate witnesses by disclosing their identity on social media.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This OCDETF focuses on a Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization and Gang Activity that has been responsible for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the United States.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wilmington Police Department, Holly Ridge Police Department, and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00005-M.
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Maine Man Indicted on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for travelling to have sex with a minor and child pornography.
Patrick Plummer, 29, of Parsonsfield, Maine, was indicted on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age and one count of transportation of child pornography. Plummer was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2021.
It is alleged that Plummer communicated via various messaging applications with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl and devised a plan to meet the purported child in Georgetown, Mass. to have sex. On Sept. 26, 2020, Plummer allegedly drove from Maine to a predetermined location in Georgetown, as they had planned. Officers arrested Plummer on scene, and found him in possession of four cell phones, a computer and a spring-release knife. Preliminary analysis of the electronic evidence seized from Plummer’s car revealed in excess of 100 images and videos of child pornography on at least three of the devices. Preliminary analysis also revealed evidence that Plummer was logged into the account from which he had communicated with the undercover officer. Forensic analysis of the devices is ongoing.
According to court documents, Plummer admitted that he had traveled from Maine to meet the purported 13-year-old girl, that he was talking to approximately 10 underaged girls and that investigators would find child pornography on his devices.
The charge of attempted enticement of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. The charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. All three charges carry a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon 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; and Georgetown Police Chief Donald C. Cudmore made the announcement today. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Salisbury and Newbury Police Departments provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Lake County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Douglas V. Oakes (62, Lake County) to 30 months in federal prison for tax evasion, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Oakes had pleaded guilty on November 18, 2020.
According to court documents, Oakes tried to evade and defeat the payment of federal income taxes that he owed for tax years 2002 to 2005. In August 2015, after the IRS initiated collection actions, Oakes submitted a signed statement to the IRS in which he represented that he was not employed or self-employed, earned no income, and did not have a financial interest in any business entities. In fact, at that time, Oakes was working for Dealerindustry.com, LLC (“DI”) d/b/a Automotive Capital Corporation, a company in which he had a significant financial interest and from which he was earning approximately $400,000 per year. To conceal from the IRS his financial interest in DI, Oakes registered his daughters as DI’s managing members with the Florida Department of State, removed his name from DI’s website and bank account, and removed his profile from the website LinkedIn.
In addition, in September 2015, Oakes submitted a sham rent agreement to the IRS representing that he and his wife were renting their 4,321 sq. ft. lakefront home in Orlando from DI for $1 per month. In November 2015, Oakes further attempted to conceal his assets from the IRS by purchasing a new beachfront home in Merritt Island for $1 million in the name of a nominee.
In July 2017, following the death of his daughter, Oakes caused posthumous tax returns to be prepared for Oakes’s deceased daughter in which DI’s income from 2010 through 2015 was falsely claimed to be entirely his deceased daughter’s income. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, Oakes earned approximately $2.2 million in income from DI, including payments that Oakes caused to be made from DI’s business bank account for credit card payments, luxury car payments, and the rent for his lakefront home.
The total tax loss to the United States in this case was $1,112,651.
“We teach our kids that lying is often what gets them in the most trouble. That does not change when we become adults,” stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Oakes broke the law when he failed to uphold his duty to pay an honest tax, but then he made his situation worse by spinning a tangled web of lies. IRS Special Agents take great pride in persistently uncovering the truth, and that’s what they did in this case. This tax filing season, I am putting would-be tax evaders on notice that cheating does not pay.”
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
LaFollette Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 18, 2021, Timothy Wayne Turben, 40, of LaFollette, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable R. Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge, to serve 97 months in federal prison for knowingly distributing child pornography in interstate commerce.
Following his imprisonment, Turben will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years and will be required to register with the state sex offender registry in any state in which he lives, works, or attends school.
The investigation began after a social media company notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that the defendant’s social media account was utilized to send child pornography to others through the internet. In October 2018, the FBI executed a federal search warrant and seized computer devices containing 75 digital videos and over 1000 images of child pornography from Turben’s residence. Turben confessed that he had sent child pornography to others with his social media account.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Morris represented the United States in court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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KCK Man Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing methamphetamine.
Jeffery N. Sharp, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 10, 2020, Sharp pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Sharp sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer on five separate occasions from Aug.6 to Nov. 1, 2018.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg R. Coonrod and Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Justice Department Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Alleging Disparate Treatment Against Female Correctional Officers by the Michigan Department of CorrectionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement, through a court-supervised settlement agreement, with the State of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to resolve a sex discrimination lawsuit brought by the United States of America.
The settlement agreement, filed today in federal district court in Detroit, resolves allegations that the defendants have engaged in two unlawful employment practices that discriminate against female correctional officers at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (WHV) because of sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. The United States’ complaint, filed on June 13, 2016, alleged that the defendants violated Title VII by classifying four job assignments as female-only and by denying female correctional officers job transfers.
The lawsuit is based on charges of sex discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Detroit Area Office by 28 female correctional officers who work or worked at WHV. The EEOC investigated the charges and found that there was a reasonable basis to believe that violations of Title VII had occurred. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts by the EEOC, the charges were referred by the EEOC to the Department of Justice.
“The female correctional officers employed by the Michigan Department of Corrections will finally be able to work under conditions that are fair and consistent with equal employment opportunity principles,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement agreement is an important first step in eliminating the sex discrimination that has so hampered the workplace for female correctional officers currently assigned to the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.”
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, which is subject to court approval, Defendants will pay $750,000 in compensatory damages to eligible female correctional officers who worked at WHV between 2009 and the present, including those who filed charges with the EEOC. Additionally, the State and MDOC will take a number of actions to remedy the alleged discrimination, including efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of female correctional officers at WHV, providing for a lift of the transfer freeze at WHV when the staffing level of female correctional officers reaches a certain level, allowing for a specific number of female correctional officers to transfer out of WHV to other MDOC facilities, and implementing a Title VII-compliant review process for female-only assignments.
“We must fight barriers to equal employment for women at all levels,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Saima S. Mohsin of the Eastern District of Michigan. “In those rare circumstances where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification, employers must ensure that it is narrowly applied and does not impose more onerous working conditions on women. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its role as a staunch defender of equality.”
In a joint filing today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Justice Department, along with the State of Michigan and MDOC, moved for a court order provisionally approving the terms of the settlement agreement. The motion also asks the court to schedule a fairness hearing to provide an opportunity for individuals potentially affected by the proposed agreement to provide comments on the terms of the settlement.
The case was brought by Senior Trial Attorneys Taryn Wilgus Null, Nadia Said, and Jennifer Swedish of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section, as well as Susan K. DeClercq of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Judge sentences St. Louis County man for role in fentanyl distribution ringRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Kevin White to 120 months in prison today. The 27-year-old Hazelwood, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Beginning in 2018 and continuing until November 20, 2019, White and his co-conspirators began distributing large quantities of fentanyl in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Their initial supplier was Juan Gonzalez, who was charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute both fentanyl and methamphetamine. Gonzalez continued to supply White and his co-conspirators until DEA and U.S. Marshals arrested Gonzalez in September 2019. Prior to his arrest, Gonzalez would either ship fentanyl through mail or hand-deliver the narcotics to co-conspirators who traveled to Arizona at the request of co-conspirators including Marcius Futrell. Futrell was also charged with drug conspiracy in the same case as Gonzalez. While Gonzalez and Futrell were fugitives from the charges in that indictment, they continued to conspire with White and others to distribute fentanyl.
After September 2019, White and his co-conspirators then obtained another source of fentanyl in Arizona and continued their distribution. Once the raw fentanyl arrived in the the St. Louis area, co-conspirators would "cut" or "stretch" the fentanyl with products like Dormin to increase its volume and their profit. The cut fentanyl was then put in capsules and sold by members of the conspiracy. The conspiracy was responsible for distributing in excess of four kilograms of fentanyl.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Louis County and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is handling this case.
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Jackson County Man Is Sentenced to 18 Months for Embezzling Funds from Indian Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Fredrick Thomas Gettins Strohm, 41, of Jackson County, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for embezzling more than $95,000 from an Indian tribal organization. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger presided over the hearing. In addition to the prison term imposed, Judge Reidinger also ordered Strohm to pay $199,077.06 to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) as restitution.
Chief Doug Pheasant of the Cherokee Indian Police Department joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents filed in the case and today’s sentencing hearing, Strohm was employed as an Office Manager at Cherokee Broadband Enterprises (CBE), an entity of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In that capacity, Strohm had access to CBE’s bank accounts and bank cards, which he was authorized to use to pay for business related expenses. Beginning in August 2014, and continuing through February of 2018, Strohm used his access to CBE’s bank accounts and bank cards to pay for personal expenses and to make large cash withdrawals. For example, Strohm unlawfully used CBE funds to pay for numerous personal purchases on Amazon, and to pay approximately $52,040.55 in personal credit card debt. During the relevant time period, Strohm also used CBE funds to make approximately $45,855.01 in PayPal payments, some covering personal purchases and some consisting of cash payments to himself. In total, during the relevant time period, Strohm embezzled approximately $199,077.06 of CBE funds.
Court records also show that, throughout the years in which he was engaged in the wrongdoing, Strohm attempted to conceal his embezzlement from the authorities within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. To do so, Strohm altered bank statements for the CBE bank account he submitted to Tribal Finance, and further attempted to conceal evidence by deleting QuickBooks files from the CBE computer located in his office. According to court records, the authorities within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were able to recover the deleted files and uncover Strohm’s theft.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray commended the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of this case and thanked EBCI Attorney General Michael McConnell and his office for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bradley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Harrisburg Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that George Jones, age 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 17, 2021, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment charges Jones with distribution of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, being in possession of a .44 magnum firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, between July 2020 and September 2020, in Harrisburg.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio 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.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a 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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Granite Bay Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jesse Alan Tory, 35, of Granite Bay, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 1, 2020, Tory was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 28 revolver. Tory has previously been convicted of seven felonies in El Dorado County, including convictions for domestic violence, illegal firearm possession, and hit and run causing injury.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rocklin Police Department, and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Redding is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Tory faces a maximum statutory penalty of life 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.
Gloversville Man Arrested for Possessing Pipe BombsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael D. Darling, age 41, of Gloversville, New York, was arrested earlier this week on a charge of possessing pipe bombs as unregistered destructive devices.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Gloversville Police Chief Anthony Clay.
A criminal complaint alleges that on February 12, 2021, Gloversville Police Officers observed pipe bombs in plain view while conducting a requested welfare check at Darling’s residence. Officers applied for, and received, a search warrant. While executing the warrant, law enforcement located six capped metal pipes that each appeared to contain propellant powder and small metal balls (commonly known as “BBs”). They also recovered rolls of fuse, a container of Pyrodex (a propellant) and other items that could be used to manufacture explosive devices. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Darling, who is in custody, is scheduled to appear in Albany federal court on February 24 for a detention hearing.
If convicted of the charge set forth in the complaint, Darling faces up to 10 years in prison, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. 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 is being investigated by the ATF and Gloversville Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Police Bomb Disposal Unit, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Amsterdam Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sharpe.
Gastonia Man Is Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Samuel Lamont Harris Sr., 28, of Gastonia, North Carolina, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over the hearing.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on March 30, 2019, a state trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Harris was driving in Lincoln County, North Carolina. During the traffic stop, law enforcement determined that Harris was driving with a suspended license and located a loaded firearm between the center console and the passenger side seat of the vehicle. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the firearm was reported stolen on or about November 5, 2018, out of Caldwell County, North Carolina. Harris has a prior felony conviction and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
On September 11, 2021, Harris pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the North Carolina Highway Patrol for their investigation of this case, and thanked District Attorney Mike Miller, of North Carolina’s 39th Prosecutorial District, for his office’s invaluable assistance and coordination.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Gastonia Man Is Indicted for Threatening the President of the United States and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Kyle Reeves, of, Gastonia, N.C., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Charlotte for making threats against the President of the United States and related charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Reginald A. DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray for making today’s announcement.
Reeves was arrested on Friday, February 5, 2021, via a federal complaint. According allegations in the affidavit filed with the complaint and the indictment, between January 28 and February 1, 2021, Reeves contacted multiple times the White House switchboard via telephone and made threats against President Biden and others. Court documents allege that, a Secret Service agent contacted Reeves to discuss the threats. Reeves allegedly proceeded to call back the Secret Service agent multiple times throughout the day, and repeated the threats against the President, the Secret Service agent, and others. Court documents further allege that, on the same day, Reeves also contacted the U.S. Capitol Police switchboard and communicated similar threats.
The indictment charges Reeves with making a threat against the President of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine; two counts of interstate communications with intent to injure, which carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count; and influencing a federal official by threat, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Reeves is currently in federal custody. Reeves’ court hearing on the new charges has not been scheduled yet. The charges against Reeves are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Four Alleged Smugglers Charged for Importing Banned Catfish into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Timothy Donovan, Assistant Director of the Northeast Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), Office of Law Enforcement (“OLE”), and Bethanne M. Dinkins, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA-OIG”), announced the unsealing today of a Complaint charging MAHMUD CHOWDHURY, a/k/a “Masum Chowdhury,” a/k/a “Uncle Masum,” SHAKIL AHMED, BELAYET HUSSAIN, a/k/a “Belayet Sohel,” and FIROZ AHAMMAD with participating in a conspiracy to smuggle banned catfish into the United States through the Southern District of New York. All four defendants were taken into custody today and will be presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, food safety for U.S. consumers was seriously compromised by these defendants, who disguised their importation and distribution of dangerous fish and fish products. Thankfully, investigators with HSI, NOAA, and USDA-OIG detected something fishy and reeled in the defendants, who now face serious federal charges.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “Something smelled fishy, and this investigation led to this transnational criminal organization as the center of an alleged smuggling operation moving multiple shipments of catfish from prohibited countries into our ports to further a very lucrative scheme. It is a major concern when food entering the U.S. does not meet our strict health and safety guidelines, and HSI New York, working with CBP and our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect the public from potentially contaminated, diseased or adulterated food products and bring to justice those who choose to line their pockets at the expense of our food supply chain.”
NOAA-OLE Northeast Division Assistant Director Timothy Donovan said: “This case demonstrates the importance of our cooperation with U.S. government partners to interdict illegal products before they enter the country. OLE continues to work to protect consumers and fishermen from seafood fraud and the illegal importation of seafood through initiatives like our Seafood Import Monitoring Program.”
USDA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins said: “Protecting the safety of food is a top priority for USDA-OIG, and we will continue to dedicate investigative resources and work with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to protect the integrity of the food supply and bring to justice those who circumvent food safety protocols and put consumers at risk.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Since in or about 2017, the importation into the United States from most countries of fish of the order Siluriformes, which includes multiple species of fish commonly referred to as catfish, has been prohibited by federal law, in order to ensure the safety of food for human consumption in the United States. From at least in or about January 2018 up to and including at least in or about October 2019, notwithstanding this ban, MAHMUD CHOWDHURY, a/k/a “Masum Chowdhury,” a/k/a “Uncle Masum,” SHAKIL AHMED, BELAYET HUSSAIN, a/k/a “Belayet Sohel,” and FIROZ AHAMMAD, the principals of Asia Foods Distributor Inc. (“AFD”), a trading company based in New York City, conspired to smuggle large quantities of prohibited catfish into the United States through the Southern District of New York for distribution to their customers around the United States. The defendants implemented a scheme through which the banned catfish were listed as other species of fish in the shipping documents of foreign exporters presented at customs, and also in the commercial invoices that they provided to their customers, thereby disguising their importation and distribution. In or about 2019, a customs inspection of a shipping container bound for AFD led to the discovery of the prohibited catfish. Further quantities of illegally imported catfish were also found at AFD’s warehouse and at certain of AFD’s customers’ stores during site inspections. The ensuing investigation of HSI, NOAA, and USDA-OIG led to the seizure of multiple shipping containers bound for AFD, in which banned catfish were identified. Moreover, the execution of a search warrant at AFD’s warehouse resulted in the seizure of evidence documenting AFD’s orders to foreign exporters and communications between the defendants about how to avoid the detection of their scheme and the accompanying risk of potential arrest and imprisonment.
* * *
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, NOAA, and USDA-OIG, as well as the assistance of United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”).
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas John Wright is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Catfish smuggling conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
MAHMUD CHOWDHURY,
a/k/a “Masum Chowdhury,”
a/k/a “Uncle Masum,”
SHAKIL AHMED,
BELAYET HUSSAIN,
a/k/a “Belayet Sohel,” and FIROZ AHAMMAD
5 years in prison
2
Catfish smuggling
18 U.S.C. § 545
MAHMUD CHOWDHURY,
a/k/a “Masum Chowdhury,”
a/k/a “Uncle Masum,”
SHAKIL AHMED,
BELAYET HUSSAIN,
a/k/a “Belayet Sohel,” and FIROZ AHAMMAD
20 years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.