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Wednesday 16 December 2020
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bobby James Sanders, age 34, of Tulsa, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Felon In Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about February 1, 2020, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a felony offense punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and knowing of such conviction, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Nalani Ching represented the United States.
Three from Northwest Arkansas Plead Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Coronavirus Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Melvin Stout, age 40, of Fayetteville, AR, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement on a loan application to obtain money through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Earlier this month, Stout’s wife, Tiffany Acuff, age 36, of Fayetteville, and sister, Valarie Watson, age 43, of Fayetteville, also pleaded to charges in connection with obtaining loans through the PPP, which is intended for businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic.
The program, which provides low-interest, forgivable loans for businesses who use the funds for essential business expenses, such as payroll, is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in March 2020.
According to the plea agreements in each case, Stout, Acuff, and Watson submitted PPP loan applications that falsely represented their ownership of small businesses, which they alleged were eligible for PPP funds. Stout, was approved and received $9,400.00, Acuff, was approved and received $20,800.00, while Watson, applied for $20,800.00, but was declined. Along with the applications, the defendants submitted falsified tax documents and business receipts. None of the defendants owned the businesses listed in the applications.
Stout, Acuff, and Watson’s sentencings will be determined by the court at a later date, following the U.S. Probation Office’s completion of a presentence investigation. Based on their guilty pleas, the maximum penalties for each defendant include imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by IRS, the FBI, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Thirteen Individuals Charged in a Fentanyl and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Thirteen people have been charged in federal court in Boston in connection with a Lawrence-based fentanyl and cocaine conspiracy.
The investigation, which began in May 2018 and intercepted communications on numerous cellphones, revealed that the defendants actively distributed fentanyl and cocaine and that their drug trafficking activities extended throughout Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and Maine.
The following individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams of more of fentanyl and cocaine:
1. Anny Cruz, 37, of Lawrence, Mass.;
2. Jorge Luis Diaz, a/k/a Cosita, 33, a Dominican national residing in Ayden, N.C.;
3. Oliver Alexander Perez Soto, a/k/a Demonio, 45, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass.;
4. Joel Saldana, a/k/a Flaco, 42, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass.;
5. Oscar David Mejia Rodriguez, a/k/a Manguera, 53, a Dominican national residing in Methuen, Mass.;
6. Jorge Ramon Rodriguez Jimenez, a/k/a Cibao, 47, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass.;
7. Junior Rafael De La Rosa, 22, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass.;
8. Rosalba Bernechea a/k/a Rebusera, 19, of Lawrence, Mass.;
9. Elvin Mendoza, 24, of Lawrence, Mass.;
10. James Cann, 55, of Billerica, Mass.;
11. Hector Mejia, a/k/a Tio, 59, of Lawrence, Mass.;
12. Jesus Rojas, 27, of Lawrence, Mass.; and
13. Erick Andres Martinez, 20, of Haverhill, Mass.;
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation revealed that Diaz, Cruz, and Perez Soto led a drug trafficking organization that distributed drugs throughout the Merrimack Valley. Flaco, Mejia Rodriguez, Rodriguez Jimenez, and others were drug sources for this drug trafficking organization. De La Rosa worked at the direction of Rodriguez Jimenez. Bernechea, Mendoza, Cann, Mejia, Rojas, and Martinez worked at the direction of Diaz, Cruz, and Perez Soto distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
Today, agents seized approximately $74,000 cash and approximately four kilograms of suspected fentanyl after executing search warrants across various locations in Billerica, Methuen, Lawrence, and Ayden, N.C.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 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 and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Boston and the Andover, Billerica, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, North Andover, Salem (NH), Tewksbury, and Wilmington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Assaulting A United States Postal Service Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Darius Lee Allen, 26, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months’ imprisonment for assaulting a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier with a firearm. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
As part of his official duties, a USPS mail carrier was delivering mail in a residential neighborhood in Tallahassee on April 2, 2020. As he attempted to deliver to a mailbox, Allen demanded that the carrier hand him the mail instead. In accordance with USPS policy, because the mail carrier did not recognize Allen as a resident of that address, he refused Allen’s demand and placed the mail in the mailbox. About 20 minutes later, as the carrier continued delivering mail to other homes in the neighborhood, Allen approached the mail carrier’s vehicle on foot and discharged a firearm in the air. After doing so, Allen immediately retreated. The mail carrier also fled the scene in his vehicle and called 911 to report the incident. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department responded and located the firearm Allen had discharged as well as the spent casing from the round that was fired. Allen was subsequently arrested.
“The Postal Service has been a cornerstone of our republic for some 245 years, and the American public has relied on it for secure delivery of items both important and routine,” United States Attorney Keefe said. “Individuals commit a crime when they try to disrupt a mail carrier’s solemn duty, and Allen’s assault on this federal officer also endangered others in the area.”
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lazaro P. Fields.
“Protecting the safety of our USPS employees is our most important mission, and Inspectors will continue the great work of bringing those who attack the USPS to justice,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the USPIS, Miami Division.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Press Release - U.S. v. AllenSt. Augustine Man Sentenced to More Than Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Offenses Involving Images and Videos of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Patrick Howard Woodyard (29, St. Augustine) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for distributing child sexual abuse materials. On March 4, 2020, Patrick Woodyard and his twin brother, Nicholas Woodyard, were charged by indictment with distribution, receipt, and possession of images and videos depicting children being sexually abused.
Patrick Woodyard had pleaded guilty on August 28, 2020. Nicholas Woodyard is currently scheduled for trial in February 2021.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating the upload of an image of child pornography that had been distributed from the Woodyard brothers’ residence. Agents executed a search warrant and seized electronic devices that contained hundreds of files of child pornography, including images of the sexual assault of a child approximately two years old. A forensic examination of the devices also revealed Patrick Woodyard’s efforts to secretly record his family members in the nude and his attempts and desires to engage in incest. Records showed that Patrick Woodyard obtained images of his friends’ children and associates from their social media accounts. He then provided those photos to others for the purposes of creating graphic sexual fantasies of the rape and torture of the children.
"For years, this individual preyed on the innocence of our most vulnerable population to satisfy his sick and demented desires,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. "With today's sentencing we have removed him from the community and sent a resounding message that HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit our nation's children."
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sisseton Foursome Charged with Assault with Intent to Commit Murder and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that four Sisseton, South Dakota, people have been indicted by a federal grand jury for aggravated assault and robbery.
Brendon Javon Jacob Rodlund, age 32, and Andrew Renville, age 31, were indicted on November 3, 2020. Each appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on December 14, 2020, and pled not guilty to the superseding indictment.
Tiffany Bernard, age 28, and Randall Delbert Pumpkinseed, age 31, were charged on October 6, 2020. Each appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on October 15, 2020, and pled not guilty.
The Indictment alleges that between November 16, and November 17, 2015, Rodlund, Bernard, Pumpkinseed, and Renville, while aiding and abetting each other, assaulted, with intent to commit murder; unlawfully cut, cut off and disabled a limb with the intent to maim; did by force, violence and intimidation take and attempt to take things of value from the victim; assaulted with a dangerous weapon, with the intent to do bodily harm; and unlawfully assaulted the victim, and said assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each offense is 10 years up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $500 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges are merely accusation and Rodlund, Bernard, Pumpkinseed, and Renville are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Rodlund is currently serving a federal prison sentence and remains in custody. Renville is currently serving a state prison sentence and remains in custody. Bernard was detained pending trial. Pumpkinseed was released pending trial. A trial date has been set for February 16, 2020.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Firearm by Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on December 15, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Vasiliy Vasilyevic Manuylo, age 26, was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Manuylo was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 3, 2020. He pled guilty on September 17, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on or about January 26, 2020, when the Sioux Falls Police Department came into contact with Manuylo who knowingly possessed of a Smith & Wesson, model 640 Centennial, .38 Special caliber, double-action revolver, bearing serial number BRP3384 and 5 rounds of Hornady brand ammunition. Manuylo knew he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and being an unlawful use of and addicted to a controlled substance, and consequently could not possess firearms.
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 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.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash prosecuted the case.
Manuylo was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Second Escape from Federal Custody Leads to Additional Prison Time for Marion ManRead the Press Release
Marion, Ill. – Ray Allen Flener, 32, of Marion, Illinois, has been sentenced to serve 18 months in
federal prison for escaping from custody. Flener pleaded guilty to the charge back in September.
This is Flener’s second escape conviction.In 2013, Flener was charged with making a false statement to the FBI and conveying a false threat.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2014 to 48 months in prison. In 2018, Flener was transferred
from federal prison to the residential reentry center at Centerstone in Marion, Illinois. Shortly
thereafter, Flener left Centerstone without returning, forcing law enforcement to track him down
and arrest him. This led to his first conviction for escaping from custody, for which he received a
sentence of around four-and-a-half months of time served in pretrial detention.In 2020, with just two months remaining on his sentence, Flener left Centerstone again, leading to
his second conviction for escaping from federal custody. The 18-month sentence imposed by the
federal district court in Benton, Illinois, will be served consecutively to the prison sentence
Flener was already serving.The investigation was conducted by the United States Marsha s Service, with the assistance
of the Illinois State Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.Rutherford Co. Resident Is Sentenced to 13 Years for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced Nathan Michael McInnis, 45, of Rutherfordton, N.C., to 156 months in prison yesterday for distribution of child pornography, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. McInnis was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, on September 10, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations became aware that an individual, later identified as McInnis, was using a peer-to-peer network to share with other users files containing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Court records show that an HSI Special Agent, who accessed the network and was able to connect with McInnis’ device, downloaded multiple files containing child pornography, much of which had been produced in and distributed from foreign countries.
According to court records, on October 18, 2018, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at McInnis’ residence in Rutherfordton. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized six devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained multiple images and videos depicting children as young as infants being sexually abused. In total, law enforcement located approximately 1,457 images and 93 videos of child pornography on McInnis’ devices.
On September 23, 2020, McInnis pleaded guilty to distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. He is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney Murray commended HSI for handling the investigation, and thanked the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Alexis Solheim, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case. Ms. Solheim is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District, and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Solheim is duly sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children. By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Rioting for His Role in Violence Associated with Civil UnrestRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Javon Hardy, 24, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to rioting. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Javon Hardy is the first of 16 defendants charged in connection with violence which occurred during protests held across our District earlier this year to be convicted,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “By his plea, the defendant has admitted that his behavior was not constitutionally protected expression but criminal conduct. Lawlessness, violence, and property damage are inherently unjust and antithetical to the objectives of those well-intentioned individuals who come together seeking positive change in our community. The defendant, and those like him, who engage in these sorts of criminal acts contribute only to our crime rate and add nothing in terms of meaningful growth or progress in our community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who is handling the case, stated that on May 30, 2020, in the City of Rochester, the defendant, along with numerous other individuals, participated in a public protest near the Public Safety Building located at 185 Exchange Street. At various times during the protest, the gathering turned violent, resulting in significant property damage and looting.
During the course of his rioting, Hardy approached a mobile office trailer located at the corner of Court Street and Exchange Boulevard. The trailer was rented by the Penn Lyon Homes Company headquartered in the state of Wisconsin, from ModSpace, a company located in Syracuse, NY. After walking up the stairs to the trailer, the defendant threw a flammable liquid inside the trailer and started a fire. Hardy exclaimed “Let that (expletive) burn,” and “If it’s not on fire, I didn’t do my job.” The burning of the trailer and defendant’s statements were captured on Facebook Live, which streamed the burning of the trailer on the internet. Hardy also posted his own statement on Facebook Live, admitting to being at the protests in downtown Rochester. He was wearing the same clothing as he wore when he started the fire at the mobile office trailer. The mobile office trailer was completely destroyed by fire.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan; the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief James VanBrederode; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team; and the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Fire Chief Willie Jackson.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 15, 2021, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in Pawn Shop ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Wade Shadders, 23, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between October 2018 and November 2019, the defendant was an employee at Royal Crown Pawn & Jewelry on Dewey Avenue in Rochester, which is owned by co-defendant Devin Tribunella. As part of the conspiracy, Tribunella and Shadders engaged persons they knew were shoplifting (commonly referred to as “boosters”). They routinely advised the boosters what goods to steal from retail stores located in the Rochester area, including Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Walmart, and Wegmans. Once the items were stolen, the boosters would sell the stolen, new in-box items to Tribunella and Shadders at the Royal Crown pawn shop, for a fraction of retail value. Tribunella and Shadders then listed the stolen goods for sale on eBay using accounts registered to or controlled by Tribunella. The goods were advertised as “New” or “New-In-Box” and priced below retail value, but well in excess of the money Tribunella and Shadders had paid to the boosters for the stolen goods. Throughout Shadder’s involvement in the conspiracy, Tribunella and Shadders purchased millions of dollars’ worth of stolen goods from boosters, knowing such goods had in fact been stolen. Between April and November 2019, the two defendants sold and shipped approximately $1,561,000 worth of those stolen goods to buyers located outside of the State of New York.
Shadders and Tribunella were arrested in November 2019 for their role in the conspiracy. Charges remain pending against defendant Tribunella. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Phelan; and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 22, 2021, before Judge Siragusa.
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Rochester Man Indicted by A Federal Grand Jury for Robbing the Chase Bank on East Ridge RoadRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Eric Fountain, 32, of Rochester, NY, with bank robbery, entering a bank with intent to commit a larceny, and bank larceny. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on March 3, 2016, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the entered the Chase Bank on East Ridge Road in Rochester, wearing a black or dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, a black baseball hat, blue jeans, tan boots, dark-colored gloves, and a black mask covering his nose and mouth. He approached a teller station and stated, “I want it all in the bag, no GPS, no (inaudible).” The defendant then placed a white plastic bag on the counter. The teller proceeded to place cash from the teller drawer into the bag, at which point defendant took the bag and fled the bank on foot.
An off-duty Rochester Police Department Investigator, who happened to be conducting personal business at the Chase Bank, told investigators that he was sitting in a cubicle in the bank when he heard a muffled voice demanding money from a teller. The RPD Investigator did not intercede because he didn’t know if Fountain was armed. At that time, he told a bank employee to call 911 as he believed the bank was being robbed. After the defendant left the bank, the RPD Investigator chased Fountain through the parking lot of the bank. The chase continued to a fence which the defendant climbed over. The RPD Investigator saw the driver’s side door of a black Ford Mustang close, and the vehicle quickly drove off spinning its tires and driving recklessly. At that time, the RPD Investigator observed the New York license plate of the vehicle. A records check determined that the vehicle was registered to Fountain’s brother. A short time later, investigators located the vehicle in a pharmacy parking lot but not the defendant. Images of Fountain were released to local media outlets in an effort to obtain information. Later that evening, a tip was received identifying the defendant as the individual who robbed the Chase Bank.
On March 7, 2016, a search warrant was executed on the Ford Mustang. Inside, investigators found a black hooded sweatshirt, a black jacket with a zipper on the left side of the chest, a black baseball hat, and a white dust mask with black electrical tape covering the outside, which were consistent with the clothing and mask worn by Fountain during the bank robbery on March 3, 2016. Several rounds of ammunition, both in the trunk of the car and in the passenger compartment, were also found in the vehicle. Subsequent DNA testing on the items recovered from the vehicle matched the defendant’s DNA.
Fountain is currently on federal probation for a drug and gun conviction.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for 16 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Sean R. Sullivan, 50, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of production of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 192 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between 2005 and 2009, the defendant produced several images of Minor Victim 1 (MV1) sleeping in a bed. MV1 was approximately five years old in 2005. The images show Sullivan performing a sexual act on MV1 while she slept. In addition, between 2009 and 2014, Sullivan hid surveillance cameras in MV1’s bedroom. Using those cameras, defendant produced several images of MV1 in various stages of undress which constitute child pornography. MV1 also produced images of MV1 engaging in a sexual act with Minor Victim 2 (MV2), another individual under the age of 18.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for 14 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors for MoneyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Quondall Davis, 26, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between April 2017 and July 2018, the defendant, a/k/a Hotdog, recruited Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to engage in commercial sex acts. Davis posted ads on “Cityxguide.com,” to entice customers to engage in commercial sex acts with the minor victims. Cityxguide.com is a website providing classified advertising across the United States and internationally. Minor Victim 1 and
Minor Victim 2 each engaged in commercial sex acts and gave a portion of the profits to the defendant. Davis knew that both victims were under the age of 18.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced on False Statement, Drug, and Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm, Assault on a Federal Officer, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
Uriah Lafferty, age 35, was sentenced on December 11, 2020, to seven years in federal prison on each charge, to run concurrently, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, $3,563.05 in restitution to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, $21,765.87 in restitution to the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and $564.45 in restitution to a local property owner for damages incurred while law enforcement was attempting to arrest Lafferty.
The charges relate to Lafferty knowingly making a false written statement when attempting to purchase a firearm in October 2019 at Rapid City. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Lafferty on the federal warrant related to that false statement, he fled and engaged law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit lasting nearly an hour. The pursuit began on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and Lafferty was ultimately arrested near Hermosa, South Dakota. During the pursuit, Lafferty assaulted three Oglala Sioux Tribe police officers, a deputy U.S. Marshal, and a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper by crashing his vehicle into law enforcement vehicles, swatting at the officers attempting to arrest him, and refusing to comply with orders to stop resisting. Following his arrest, Lafferty was found to be in possession of more than 17 grams of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others.
“These crimes are gut-wrenching and there is no question that this sentencing is just," said Robert Perry, Assistant Special Agent In Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis field office stationed in Rapid City. "The FBI is responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and we, along with our federal state, local and tribal partners, will continue to work together to pursue people like Mr. Lafferty. The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting all of our communities, helping victims, and ensuring that justice is served.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshal Service, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Lafferty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Randolph Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph was arrested yesterday and charged with sex trafficking a minor.
Admilson Pires, 23, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Pires was detained pending an arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 22, 2020.
According to the indictment, Pires trafficked a minor in Norwood in July and August 2019.
The charge of sex trafficking a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty; Norwood Police Chief William G. Brooks; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Randolph Police Departments and the Massachusetts State Police. The case was investigated by the Human Trafficking-Child Exploitation Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ramah Navajo man charged for assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ricky Coho, 49, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance in federal court today on a charge of assault in Indian Country. Coho remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 18.
According to a criminal complaint, on April 8 on the Navajo Nation, Coho allegedly shook, lifted and dropped the victim, identified in court records as Jane Doe, before dragging her into his house and assaulting her with a metal rod. Jane Doe was transported to the Zuni Hospital and then flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital for brain surgery.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Coho faces up to 10 years in prison.
The FBI investigated this case in conjunction with the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood: Comprehensive Strategy Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Operating at Full Speed in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Project Safe Childhood, a unified and comprehensive strategy to combat child sexual exploitation, continues to operate at full speed in Utah. Initiated in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood (PSC) in Utah continues to bring together statewide law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases and raise the level of public awareness and accountability of sexual predators in our communities.
“We have very serious problems with child sexual exploitation in Utah. Fortunately, a strong team of experienced prosecutors and investigators remain committed to protecting child victims and holding perpetrators accountable,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today.
“While the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges in protecting children, there has been no slowdown in our efforts. Our investigations and prosecutions of new exploitation cases continue to move forward with determination,” Huber said.
Huber said that as a result of the pandemic, prosecutors have also been engaged in opposing the early release of PSC defendants, who are serving lengthy federal prison sentences based upon egregious offense conduct. These compassionate release motions, if granted, could result in significant reductions in the sentences imposed in the case.
Over the last several years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah has prosecuted approximately 55 cases a year involving the production, possession, and distribution of child pornography and coercion and enticement of minors in Utah. These cases result from investigations conducted by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. This task force was formed in June 2016 to ensure a rapid, effective response to federal crimes against children and the victimization of children by online predators. These investigations, including chat operations conducted by the task force, account for the majority of cases charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also takes cases referred by the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
“Sadly, when it comes to the sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of children, there's never a shortage of work for our special agents and partners. The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in Utah, Idaho, and Montana receives and responds to hundreds of cases each year. As more kids are spending time online, the case load is even greater right now,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Haertel of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Parents and guardians need to keep a close eye on their kids’ online activities because any child, no matter the age or demographic, can be a victim. Keeping our children safe will always be a top priority for the FBI and our task force."
Members of the task force include Adult Probation and Parole, Clearfield, Layton, Lehi, Park City, Roy, Salt Lake City, Syracuse, and Tooele police departments, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office, the Davis County Attorney’s Office, the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, the Weber County Attorney’s Office, the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Dixie State University Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
State and federal prosecutors routinely coordinate on prosecutions when cases are referred by agents or law enforcement officers. Generally, state prosecutors handle the hands-on sexual abuse portion of the investigation while the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah undertakes the prosecution of any connected production, distribution and possession of child pornography or enticement of a minor. This coordination is effective because federal sentencing guidelines allow for enhanced sentences of repeat sex offenders and prosecutors can seek imposition of lifetime supervision of a defendant once they finish their prison sentence.
PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY:
2016: United States vs. Lyman Dale Black
Black was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Black traded child sexual abuse material and through live stream chats Black sexually abused his 14-month-old victim. Black was also convicted in state court for the sexual abuse of the victim. This case is an example of the coordinated efforts with our state partners in holding offenders accountable for all conduct involved in the exploitation of children in our community. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. George.
2017: United States vs. Geoffrey James Cheney
Cheney was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Cheney sexually abused an infant child and then distributed images of the sexual abuse to law enforcement during an undercover online operation.
2018: United States vs. Nathan Ward
Ward was sentenced to 262 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Ward, an obstetrician-gynecologist, live streamed the sexual abuse of his victim, who was between 12 and 14-years-old, with another sex offender, Robert Edwin Francis, who was also identified and convicted in federal court. Ward was also convicted for the sexual abuse of the same victim in state court. This case is an excellent example of the close working relationship the U.S. Attorney’s Office has with our state prosecuting agencies. A prosecutor in the Davis County Attorney’s Office, cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, played a significant role in this case.
2019: United States vs. Dennis Andreasen
Andreasen was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Andreasen recorded the sexual abuse he perpetrated on his 6-year-old victim. This case is an example of our coordinated efforts with state prosecuting agencies. Andreasen was also convicted of the sexual abuse in state court.
2020: United States vs. Eduardo Ponce:
Ponce was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Ponce recorded the sexual abuse of his victim. Ponce was also convicted of the sexual abuse in state court where he was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence of 25 years to life.
2020: United States vs. Michael Travers
Travers was sentenced to 210 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Travers, a long haul truck driver from Mississippi, participated in the production of sexually explicit images of an 8-year-old child.
POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY:
2017: United States vs. Donald Ray Fritcher
Fritcher was sentenced to 330 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. Fritcher, a previously twice convicted sex offender, distributed child sexual abuse material that included images and videos of Fritcher sexually abusing two minor girls. This investigation was a coordinated effort with Homeland Security Investigations and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
2018: United States vs. Jason David Lott
Lott was sentenced to 132 months in prison, followed by 240 months of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Lott, who had two previous sex offender convictions, was found to be in possession of child sexual abuse material of infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children.
2020: United States vs. Aaron Scott Smith
Smith was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Smith, a prior convicted sex offender, possessed child sexual abuse material.
COERCION AND ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR:
2018: United States vs. Christopher Lambert
Lambert was sentenced to 80 months in prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release, after pleading guilty to travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Lambert traveled from New Mexico to Utah to meet a 15-year-old female he met online with the intent to engage in sexual activity. He then transported the female minor back to New Mexico where Lambert engaged in illegal sexual activity with her.
2018: United States vs. Skyler Mark Hansen
Hansen was sentenced to 150 months imprisonment, followed by 120 months of supervised released, after pleading guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. Hansen, a long haul truck driver, admitted that over a two-year period, he coerced a minor to engage in sexual acts with him in exchange for money.
2019: United States vs. Sean Timothy O’Neill
O’Neill was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 240 months supervised release, after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography. O’Neill, via Facebook, attempted to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. O’Neill moved from Michigan to Utah and continued in his efforts to persuade the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. O’Neill was also found to be in possession of child sexual abuse material during the course of this investigation. This case was prosecuted in federal court in St. George.
2020: United States v. Lyle Reveral Leifson
Leifson was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after pleading guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Leifson, a prior convicted sex offender, arranged to meet with someone he believed was a 13-year-old minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. This is an example of the proactive efforts of law enforcement in undercover online operations in our communities.
COMPASSIONATE RELEASE CASES
United States vs. John Dennis Bowen
Bowen was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 180 months supervised release, in February 2020 after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Bowen possessed a large amount of child pornography, distributed child pornography on his YouTube account, and live streamed a video feed of female children being sexually assaulted by adult men. U.S. District Judge Richard Shelby denied relief because Bowen had not demonstrated the existence of extraordinary and compelling reasons despite Bowen claiming he had several underlying medical conditions that put him at risk if infected with COVID-19. However, even if Bowen had demonstrated the existence of extraordinary and compelling reasons, Judge Shelby found that Bowen was a danger to the community based upon the conduct in this case and his criminal history, which included prior sexual abuse convictions.
United States vs. Aaron Elliott
Elliott was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by 60 months supervised release, in 2015 after pleading guilty to sex trafficking of children. Elliott advertised and arranged for a female minor to engage in commercial sex acts with clients of his escort service in exchange for money. Elliott sought relief claiming he had serious health conditions that put him at risk if infected with COVID-19. Judge David Nuffer found that Elliott had failed to demonstrate that his circumstances constituted extraordinary and compelling reasons to justify compassionate release. In addition, U.S. District Judge Nuffer found that the conduct of the offense and Elliott’s criminal history also did not support granting the relief.
United States vs. Darin Fronk Clark
Clark was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release, in 2013 after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography. Clark induced his victim into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexually explicit material. Although Clark claimed to suffer from several chronic medical conditions that put him at risk if infected with COVID-19, the medical conditions did not constitute extraordinary and compelling reasons to warrant relief. In addition, relief was denied because Clark was found to be a danger to the community if released.
United States vs. Chad Ryan Huntsman
Huntsman was sentenced to 270 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, in 2016 after pleading guilty to production of child pornography. Although Huntsman sought release based on his health condition and the COVID-19 pandemic, Judge Ted Stewart found that Huntsman had not exhausted all of his administrative remedies. However, even if Huntsman had exhausted his administrative remedies, Judge Stewart found that Huntsman was a danger to the community and he would not be released.
Owner of Texas chain of hospice companies sentenced for $150 million health care fraud and money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A corporate executive has been ordered to prison after his conviction related to falsely telling thousands of patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia, they had less than six months to live and subsequently enrolling them in hospice programs.
A federal jury in McAllen convicted Rodney Mesquias, 48, San Antonio. The one-month trial in November 2019 was one of the first criminal hospice fraud prosecutions the Department of Justice has presented to a federal jury.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Mesquias to serve a total of 240 months in federal prison and to pay $120 million in restitution.
“Financial healthcare fraud is abhorrent enough, but to fraudulently diagnose patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s is the pinnacle of medical cruelness to both the patient and their family,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas. “They falsely gave patients life ending diagnosis and they will pay the price with years behinds bars.”
“Mesquias funded his lavish lifestyle by exploiting patients with long-term, incurable diseases by enrolling them in expensive but unnecessary hospice services,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This significant sentence represents the department’s continued commitment to pursue those who orchestrate and commit healthcare fraud schemes.”
Mesquias and his co-conspirator Henry McInnis, 48, were both convicted of one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to obstruct justice as well as six counts of health care fraud. Mesquias was separately convicted on one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks.
From 2009 to 2018, Mesquias and McInnis engaged in a scheme that involved $150 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice and other health care services. Mesquias owned and controlled the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. McInnis was Merida Group’s CEO.
“Families seek to give comfort and support to their ailing loved ones when all other medical options are gone,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, FBI San Antonio Division. “It is unconscionable and evil to prey upon the most vulnerable in our community to commit fraud against government-funded programs. The FBI is committed to protecting our communities from those who may not have the strength to protect themselves.”
“Mesquias’ scheme included paying kickbacks to physicians and fraudulently enrolling vulnerable beneficiaries in hospice care that prevented them from accessing curative care -- all done to steal millions of dollars from Medicare to fund lavish personal spending,” said Special Agent in Charge Miranda L. Bennett, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (DHHS-OIG) Dallas Region. “This victimization is intolerable, and our investigators and law enforcement partners will continue to work hard to bring such criminals to justice and to protect those relying on federal health care programs.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the Merida Group, Mesquias and McInnis adopted a strategy to market their hospice programs as providing medical benefits “you don’t have to die to use.” They also aggressively enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia, and limited mental capacity who lived at group homes, nursing homes and in housing projects.
In some instances, Merida Group marketers falsely told patients they had less than six months to live and sent chaplains to lie to the patients. They also discussed last rites and preparation for their imminent death.
Hospice services require patients to be suffering from a terminal illness expected to result in death within six months. Not only were patients not in such circumstances, they were walking, driving, working and even coaching athletic sporting events in some instances. However, Mesquias, McInnis and others kept patients on services for multiple years in order to increase revenue.
Placing patients on such palliative hospice care meant they were unable to obtain medical coverage for curative medical services.
Mesquias also fired employees who refused to go along with the fraud. He often directed them not to “[expletive] with his patients or [expletive] with his money” by discharging patients from services. One co-conspirator said with respect to hospice patients “the way you make money is by keeping them alive as long as possible.” This included engaging in surgical and other medical interventions that were designed to extend life through the use of medical technologies, according to trial testimony.
The evidence further established Mesquias and McInnis obstructed justice by causing the creation of false and fictitious medical records. Further, they produced them to a federal grand jury in order to attempt to avoid indictment. The records added false diagnostic information, making it appear that patients were dying when, in fact, they were not.
Mesquias and McInnis also were convicted in connection with laundering the proceeds of the fraud. The jury found they used monies to purchase expensive vehicles such as a Porsche, expensive jewelry, luxury clothing from high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton, exclusive real estate, season tickets for premium sporting events and a security detail and bottle service at high-end Las Vegas nightclubs. Mesquias and McInnis also treated physicians to lavish parties at these elite nightclubs, providing them with tens of thousands of dollars in alcohol and other perks in exchange for medically unnecessary patient referrals.
McInnis will be sentenced at a later date. Two other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
DHHS-OIG, FBI and Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz of the Southern District of Texas and Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section re prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, DHHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the DHHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Owner of Texas Chain of Hospice Companies Sentenced for $150 Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A corporate executive has been ordered to serve 20 years in prison after his conviction related to falsely telling thousands of patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia, they had less than six months to live and subsequently enrolling them in hospice programs.
A federal jury in McAllen, Texas, convicted Rodney Mesquias, 48, of San Antonio, Texas. The one-month trial in November 2019 was one of the first criminal hospice fraud prosecutions the Department of Justice has presented to a federal jury.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Rolanda Olvera ordered Mesquias to serve a total of 240 months in federal prison and to pay $120 million in restitution.
“Mesquias funded his lavish lifestyle by exploiting patients with long-term, incurable diseases by enrolling them in expensive but unnecessary hospice services,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This significant sentence represents the department’s continued commitment to pursue those who orchestrate and commit healthcare fraud schemes.”
“Financial healthcare fraud is abhorrent enough, but to fraudulently diagnose patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s is the pinnacle of medical cruelness to both the patient and their family,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas. “They falsely gave patients life ending diagnosis and they will pay the price with years behinds bars.”
“Families seek to give comfort and support to their ailing loved ones when all other medical options are gone,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Division. “It is unconscionable and evil to prey upon the most vulnerable in our community to commit fraud against government-funded programs. The FBI is committed to protecting our communities from those who may not have the strength to protect themselves.”
“Mesquias’ scheme included paying kickbacks to physicians and fraudulently enrolling vulnerable beneficiaries in hospice care that prevented them from accessing curative care – all done to steal millions of dollars from Medicare to fund lavish personal spending,” said Special Agent in Charge Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region. “This victimization is intolerable, and our investigators and law enforcement partners will continue to work hard to bring such criminals to justice and to protect those relying on federal health care programs.”
Mesquias and his co-conspirator Henry McInnis, 48, were both convicted of one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to obstruct justice as well as six counts of health care fraud. Mesquias was separately convicted on one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks.
From 2009 to 2018, Mesquias orchestrated a scheme that involved $150 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice and other health care services. Mesquias owned and controlled the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mesquias and the Merida Group adopted a strategy to market their hospice programs as providing medical benefits “you don’t have to die to use.” They also aggressively enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia, and limited mental capacity who lived at group homes, nursing homes and in housing projects.
In some instances, Merida Group marketers falsely told patients they had less than six months to live and sent chaplains to lie to the patients. They also discussed last rites and preparation for their imminent death.
Hospice services require patients to be suffering from a terminal illness expected to result in death within six months. Not only were patients not in such circumstances, they were walking, driving, working and even coaching athletic sporting events in some instances. However, Mesquias and others kept patients on services for multiple years in order to increase revenue.
Placing patients on such palliative hospice care meant they were unable to obtain medical coverage for curative medical services.
Mesquias also fired employees who refused to go along with the fraud. He often directed them not to “[expletive] with his patients or [expletive] with his money” by discharging patients from services. One co-conspirator said with respect to hospice patients “the way you make money is by keeping them alive as long as possible.” This included engaging in surgical and other medical interventions that were designed to extend life through the use of medical technologies, according to trial testimony.
The evidence further established Mesquias obstructed justice by causing the creation of false and fictitious medical records. Further, Mesquias produced them to a federal grand jury in order to attempt to avoid indictment. The records added false diagnostic information, making it appear that patients were dying when, in fact, they were not.
Mesquias also was convicted in connection with laundering the proceeds of the fraud. The jury found they used monies to purchase expensive vehicles such as a Porsche, expensive jewelry, luxury clothing from high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton, exclusive real estate, season tickets for premium sporting events and a security detail and bottle service at high-end Las Vegas nightclubs. Mesquias also treated physicians to lavish parties at these elite nightclubs, providing them with tens of thousands of dollars in alcohol and other perks in exchange for medically unnecessary patient referrals.
McInnis will be sentenced at a later date. Two other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The Department of Health and Human Service – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG); FBI and Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted the investigation. Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, DHHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the DHHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Owner of Waseca Travel Agency Charged with Defrauding Travel Agents Nationwide of Nearly $500,000 in Commission MoneyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal indictment charging MATTHEW HARALD SCHUMACHER, 44, with four counts of wire fraud. SCHUMACHER will make his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 4, 2020.
According to the allegations in the indictment, SCHUMACHER was owner and operator of Travel Troops, LLC, and Vacation Agent Nation, LLP, which were host travel agencies based in Waseca, Minnesota. Through his businesses, SCHUMACHER purported to provide host travel services to independent travel agents throughout the United States in exchange for a monthly fee. SCHUMACHER represented that his host travel business was a reliable and profitable means for his fee-paying travel agents to receive higher commission rates from travel industry suppliers, such as airlines, resorts, and cruise companies, than if the individual travel agents booked their customers’ travel arrangements. Pursuant to service agreements that SCHUMACHER entered into with travel agents, SCHUMACHER claimed to receive and collect on behalf of travel agents commission payments from travel industry suppliers and to distribute those commission payments to the various travel agents who booked the travel and earned the commissions.
However, according to the allegations in the indictment, SCHUMACHER defrauded at least 36 travel agents by misappropriating for his own personal use and benefit at least approximately $484,000 in commission payments owed to them from travel suppliers. SCHUMACHER tried to retain his travel agents’ money and to lull them into a false sense of security by, among other things, providing the travel agents with partial payments and by giving them materially false and fraudulent information.
As further alleged in the indictment, SCHUMACHER misappropriated travel agents’ commission payments for his own personal use and benefit by, among other things, depositing at least approximately $160,000 to a personal account, funding of at least approximately $150,000 for his own travel expenses, including travel to Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, and multiple European countries, withdrawing of at least approximately $33,000 in cash, purchasing approximately $3,117 of electronics at Best Buy, as well as making payments for personal expenses, such as retail purchases, restaurant bills, car payments, credit card bills, StubHub ticket purchases, and loan payments.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
MATTHEW HAROLD SCHUMACHER, 44
Waseca, Minn.
Charges:
- Wire fraud, 4 counts
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Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to 209 Months, $1,200 Restitution for Kidnapping, Robbery, Possessing and Brandishing A Firearm During A Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rafael Torres, age 35, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was sentenced to 209 months’ imprisonment, and 5 years of supervised release for Kidnapping, Interference With Commerce By Robbery, Use, Carry, And Brandish A Firearm During And In Relation To A Crime Of Violence, and to Felon In Possession Of Firearm. Torres was also ordered to pay $1,200.00 in restitution. When on supervised release, Torres will not be able to possess a firearm or any controlled dangerous substances, he must submit to DNA testing, and he must participate in treatment for drugs, alcohol, and mental health issues. The charges arose from an investigation by the Morrilton Police Department (Arkansas), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Indictment alleged that on February 3, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant unlawfully and willfully seized, confined, inveigled, kidnapped, abducted and carried away J.S., and held J.S. for the purpose of acquiring transportation, and willfully transported J.S. in interstate commerce from Oklahoma to Arkansas.
Additional counts in the Indictment alleged the defendant unlawfully obstructed, delayed and affected, and attempted to obstruct, delay and affect, commerce as that term is defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951, and the movement of articles and commodities in such commerce, by robbery; that he knowingly brandished, carried and used a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Interference with Commerce by Robbery; and that the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “The defendant in this case forced his way into the victim’s vehicle and for hours forced him to drive around at gun point with no apparent destination in mind – a truly horrific situation for the victim. Fortunately the victim took advantage of an opportunity to separate from the defendant and was able to alert law enforcement. The victim’s night of terror ended with the defendant being taken into custody. The memories of that night may fade slowly, but hopefully justice served will be another step toward fully recovering from the emotional trauma the defendant inflicted.”
“The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate violent crimes such as the ones committed by Mr. Torres”, said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Division. “We are grateful for the partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, and its successful prosecution of this case which removed a violent criminal from the community.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Northern Alabama Doctor and Practice Manager Convicted for Conspiring to Unlawfully Distribute OpioidsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Northern Alabama doctor and her husband, who also served as her practice manager, pleaded guilty today for their roles in unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances while the doctor was absent from the clinic.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona of the Northern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerly of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Orleans Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. of the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
Elizabeth Korcz, M.D., 47, a licensed physician, and Matthew Korcz, 47, her husband and former practice manager, both of Hoover, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. As part of the plea, the defendants also agreed to forfeit $46,181.79.
The defendants owned and operated Hoover Alt MD, a purported medical clinic with an in-house dispensary. As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to providing dangerous doses of hydrocodone to patients who were not first examined by a medical professional, and at times when Dr. Korcz was absent from their clinic. The defendants did not employ registered nurses or other qualified medical professionals to examine patients, despite Dr. Korcz’s frequent absences. According to the plea agreement, the defendants admitted to allowing hydrocodone to be dispensed from their in-house dispensary on multiple occasions when Dr. Korcz was out of state.
Austin Haskew, 31, of Leeds, a pharmacy technician at Hoover Alt MD, pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. DEA and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Devon Helfmeyer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward of the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force and the Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 85 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 65 million pills. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the number of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim of this crime should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Northern Alabama Doctor and Practice Manager Convicted for Conspiring to Unlawfully Distribute OpioidsRead the Press Release
A Northern Alabama doctor and her husband, who also served as her practice manager, pleaded guilty today for their roles in unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances while the doctor was absent from the clinic.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona of the Northern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Brad L Byerly of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Orleans Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
Elizabeth Korcz, M.D., 47, a licensed physician, and Matthew Korcz, 47, her husband and former practice manager, both of Hoover, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. As part of the plea, the defendants also agreed to forfeit $46,181.79. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to providing dangerous doses of hydrocodone to patients who were not examined by a medical professional and while Dr. Korcz was absent from their clinic. The defendants owned and operated Hoover Alt MD, a purported medical clinic with an in-house dispensary. The defendants did not employ registered nurses or other qualified medical professionals, despite Dr. Korcz’s absences. The defendants admitted to allowing hydrocodone to be dispensed from their in-house dispensary while Dr. Korcz was out of state on multiple occasions, according to the plea agreement.
DEA and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Devon Helfmeyer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward of the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 85 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 65 million pills. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
New York For-Hire Vehicle Driver Admits Federal Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man today admitted to enticing a minor and transporting the minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity, and to receiving images of child sexual abuse from another minor, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Richard Gabriel Piedra Ordonez, 36, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to a three-count information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity; and one count of receiving child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April 2019, Piedra began communicating with a New Jersey resident who was under the age of 16 using Snapchat and other social media and messaging platforms. Piedra was aware of the minor’s age and misrepresented his own age as 19 when he was actually 35 years old. Over the course of the subsequent months, Piedra and the victim met in person and engaged in a sexual relationship. Piedra traveled to New Jersey to have sex with the victim and twice drove the victim to his home in New York City, where they engaged in sexual activity.
Federal law enforcement agents executing a search warrant on Piedra’s residence in December 2019 found sexually explicit images and videos of minors on a hard drive located in Piedra’s bedroom. Further investigation revealed that, in 2017, Piedra had communicated with an Indiana resident who was under the age of 15 using various social media and messaging platforms. Piedra was aware of the minor’s age and misrepresented his own age as 19 years old. Piedra requested and received sexually explicit images and videos from this victim.
The count of transporting a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The count of coercion and enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The count of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Piedra will be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with FBI’s Atlantic City Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner, and the N.J State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland, for its assistance with the investigation.
The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: James J. Leonard, Esq., Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey Man Charged with Stealing Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man will make his initial court appearance today on charges of using other individuals’ personal identification information to obtain unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Maurice Mills, 28, of Union Township, New Jersey, is scheduled to appear by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act created a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment, such as people who are self-employed, independent contractors, and gig economy workers. The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program (FPUC) that provides an additional $600 weekly benefit to those eligible for PUA and regular unemployment insurance benefits.
A single IP address was used to submit unemployment insurance benefits claims on behalf of approximately 20 individuals to the State of New York. Many of these claims were in the names of individuals located in Texas and directed the benefits to be sent to locations in New Jersey. Mills was associated both with the IP address as well as a telephone number used to make some of the claims. Mills also was observed using an unemployment insurance benefits debit card to make a withdrawal from an ATM. To date, the claims made using the IP address have resulted in more than $400,000 in actual losses and more than $600,000 in potential losses. The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross profits or loss, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka in New York; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero in Newark; and special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Carpenito also thanked the New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations for its assistance in the investigation.
This case is being investigated as part of the Department of Justice’s COVID Fraud Task Force. To learn more about the Department’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline by phone at (1-866-720-5721) or via an online reporting form available at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark and Trial Attorney Jessica Peck, Trial Attorney, of the DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Nearly three dozen Savannah-area defendants charged in drug trafficking indictment in Operation Deadlier CatchRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A total of 29 defendants face multiple federal felony charges in a drug trafficking investigation targeting a violent Savannah-area network that distributed cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
Investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Deadlier Catch involved multiple federal agencies who traced a major source of cocaine distributed in Chatham County to a drug trafficking organization that channeled drugs from Mexico through a California supplier, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This investigation represents yet another significant infiltration and disruption of a violent, gang-related drug distribution network in the Southern District,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our dedicated law enforcement partners continue to demonstrate our shared commitment to target and eliminate those who would spread poison and fear in our communities.”
In Operation Deadlier Catch, investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), and the Savannah Police Department monitored and infiltrated the drug trafficking network to trace the source of supply and points of distribution in the greater Savannah area, and to identify and eliminate sources of violent crime in the community. In a series of searches, investigators seized more than 24 kilograms of cocaine, more than 180 pounds of marijuana, 3 kilos of heroin, and at least 14 firearms – many of them in the possession of previously convicted felons.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia also has initiated civil forfeiture proceedings for the firearms and $1.5 million in cash and other assets including vehicles and jewelry, along with two homes in Savannah that are alleged to have been used as part of the drug distribution network.
“There is no better example of the value of our partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies than ‘Operation Deadlier Catch’,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The removal of drugs, guns and alleged gang members immediately makes the streets of Savannah safer, thanks to those partnerships.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “DEA places the highest priority of not only removing dangerous drugs from the street, but also on seizing the ill-gotten gains of illegal drug trafficking. DEA's intent clearly is to put drug traffickers out of business by using every available resource. This case was successful because of the collaborative efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
“The United States Postal Inspection Service was proud to play a role along with its local, state and federal partners in this operation, to target individuals trafficking in illegal narcotics in the Savannah region,” said Antonio Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division. “Criminals that traffic in narcotics and its associated violent crimes will continue to be targeted by these law enforcement agencies, and will face their day in court.”
“CNT is proud to work with the United States Attorney’s Office, and our many law enforcement partners, in pursuit of our mission to target drug traffickers in this community. The importance of prosecution led, multi-agency investigations, such as this one cannot be understated,” said CNT Director Michael G. Sarhatt. “Our Chatham County community is safer when we combine our efforts to remove the criminal organizations bringing drugs into this area.”
A 27-count indictment unsealed in U.S.A. vs. Bulloch, et.al, alleges multiple felony charges against 29 defendants. Each of the defendants is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana, a charge that carries a maximum penalty upon conviction of up to life in federal prison. Those charged and any additional charges include:
- Joseph Bulloch, a/k/a “Lil Joe,” 32, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Ildelfonso Sanchez-Inzunza, a/k/a “Jessie,” 29, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Kashif Collins, a/k/a “Sheef,” a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 34, of Savannah, also charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine and An Amount of Marijuana; and two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Jontae Keel, a/k/a “Biyha” 29, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Rashamel Brown, a/k/a “2Stiff Respeckk,” 25, of Savannah, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms;
- Bernard Carter, a/k/a “Nard,” 28, of Savannah;
- Jarnard Williams, a/k/a “June,” 30, of Savannah;
- Charles Collins, a/k/a “Greg,” 66, of Savannah, also charged with Distribution of Cocaine; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Craig Scott, a/k/a “Major Flavor,” 26, address unknown, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms;
- Lamar Harris, a/k/a “Foolie,” 19, of Savannah, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Yusef Scott, a/k/a “Self,” a/k/a “Bolton St Self,” 21, an inmate at the Chatham County Detention Center, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Jermaine Robbins, a/k/a “Juggy,” a/k/a “Jug Love,” a/k/a “Chicken Man,” 41, an inmate at the Chatham County Detention Center, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Barshalai Jones, a/k/a “Paidfully AK,” 19, an inmate at the Chatham County Detention Center, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Shakeem Douse, a/k/a “G Street NBA,” a/k/a “Pothead,” 26, of Savannah, also charged with Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Andre Woolford, a/k/a “Hoggie,” 27, of Savannah, also charged with Distribution of Cocaine;
- Temperance Fennell, 37, of Pooler, Ga., also charged with Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- Joseph Parrish, a/k/a “Wifi,” a/k/a “Wee Wee,” 29, of Savannah, also charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and two counts of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises;
- David Fuentes, a/k/a “Shaggy,” 31, of Pooler, Ga., also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana;
- Javontae Parrish, a/k/a “Vontae,” 30, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana;
- Jashavious Keel, a/k/a “Bub,” 27, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Thomas Holland, a/k/a “White Boy,” 37, of Savannah, also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana;
- Joann Keel Robinson, a/k/a “Ma Dukes,” 53, of Savannah;
- Gumecindo Ramirez-Perales, 46, of Bakersfield, Calif., also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana;
- Omar Alejandro Gonzalez, 41, of Bakersfield, Calif.;
- Jose Joel Elicier Christophers, 38, of Bakersfield, Calif.;
- Tyreik Watson, 42, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Yazoo City Low, in Yazoo City, Miss.;
- Darin Smith, a/k/a “Evil Twin,” 49, an inmate at the Chatham County Detention Center;
- Morissa Pollard, 34, of Savannah, also charged with Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and,
- Michael Simmons, a/k/a “Unc,” 57, of Savannah.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. It is being investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, CNT, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington and Noah Abrams, with asset forfeitures coordinated by Xavier A. Cunningham, Section Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Recovery Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Gary Purvis, Asset Litigation Financial Analyst.
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine, joined by federal and local law enforcement officials on Dec. 16, 2020, announces the indictments of 29 defendants in Operation Deadlier Catch, a drug trafficking investigation targeting a gang-related network in the greater Savannah area.Monongalia County woman admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Loren Delaney, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Delaney, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.” Delaney admitted to having cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in May 2020 in Monongalia County.
Delaney faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and, the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Monongalia County man admits to role in firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dylan Conaway, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a firearms conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Conaway, age 27, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Violate Federal Firearms Laws.” Conaway admitted to working with others to illegally purchase firearms in May 2018 in Monongalia County.
Conaway faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Missoula man sentenced to prison for illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man, who admitted illegally possessing a firearm that he discharged in his apartment, was sentenced today to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release, said Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson.
Brandon Mitchell Darrah, 35, pleaded guilty on Aug. 20 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that in December 2019, Darrah was on state probation for a felony drug conviction and was being supervised by the Montana Department of Corrections. On Dec. 11, 2019, Missoula police officers responded to a call of a discharged firearm and, after interviewing a witness, determined that the shot came from Darrah’s apartment. An officer located Darrah on the street near the apartment building. Darrah admitted the shot was fired from his apartment but denied being the shooter. Darrah said the shooter ran off. His statement conflicted with a witness’s statement that Darrah was alone.
Darrah’s probation officer authorized a search of his apartment, and police officers found a revolver, a holster, ammunition, spent casings, gun cleaning accessories and drug paraphernalia. The handgun and some of the ammunition were found in a shoe box in a crawl space above the bathroom.
Darrah admitted to law enforcement that the firearm belonged to him and said the firearm discharge in his apartment was accidental. Darrah also admitted he hid the gun in the box found in the ceiling and that he had lied to police officers. Darrah said he knew he was not supposed to have the firearm.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missoula Police Department, FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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Mifflin County Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 10, 2020, Daniel P. Sickels, age 46, of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and false statement charges.
According to David J. Freed, the indictment charges Sickels, a Network and Systems Manager at Pennsylvania State University (“PSU), with fraudulently acquiring equipment that he subsequently sold to third parties. The scheme lasted from 2005 to 2017. Sickels is also charged with falsely telling investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he never received payment for items that were purchased by PSU.
The matter was investigated by investigators at PSU and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
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.
Sickels faces maximum penalties of 25 years’ imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross gain or loss, and 8 years of supervised release when he is sentenced. 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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Michigan Based Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Tax Offenses ChargedRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, returned an indictment today charging Michigan businessmen John Angelo from Royal Oak, Cory Justin Mann from West Bloomfield, Michael Daneshvar from Bingham Farms, Glenn Franklin from Harrison Township, and Brent Sitto, from Bloomfield Township with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and further charging John Angelo and bookkeeper Rosina Angelo, also known as Rosina Caruvana, from Mountainside, New Jersey, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. John Angelo and Rosina Angelo were also each charged with three counts of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return and Cory Mann was charged with two additional counts of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, from at least January 2014 through October 2019, John Angelo, Mann, Daneshvar, Franklin, and Sitto, along with others, conspired to fraudulently use a Detroit Police Department (DPD) password to unlawfully obtain State of Michigan Traffic Crash Reports from a third-party private vendor, when many of the reports were not then publicly available and bore the watermark “Unapproved Report.” They allegedly used these reports to solicit crash victims and direct them to the personal injury law firm operated by Franklin and Sitto, a chiropractic business operated by Daneshvar, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) businesses owned and operated by Angelo, Mann, and other conspirators. The indictment further alleges that from approximately August 2014 through February 2017, Franklin and Sitto delivered weekly payments to John Angelo for providing access to the fraudulently obtained crash reports and managing the solicitation of automobile crash victims.
From at least September 2010 through November 2016, John Angelo and Rosina Angelo also allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS’s efforts to assess taxes and to collect approximately $1.3 million in taxes and penalties due from John Angelo, by directing fees earned by John Angelo to a nominee entity. The indictment further alleges that John Angelo and Rosina Angelo assisted in the preparation of John Angelo’s false 2015, 2016, and 2018 individual income tax returns. Finally, the indictment alleges Mann assisted in the preparation of his own false 2018 individual tax return and a false 2018 entity tax return.
If convicted, the conspirators face a maximum sentence of twenty years for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count. John Angelo and Rosina Angelo face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the IRS. John Angelo, Rosina Angelo, and Mann face a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of a false return. Each defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald, Eric Schmale, and Christopher O’Donnell of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
Menifee Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Charge for Fraudulently Obtaining over $500,000 in COVID-19 Jobless ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits for herself.
Cara Marie Kirk-Connell, 32, of Menifee, pleaded guilty to a single-count information charging her with use of an unauthorized access device.
According to her plea agreement, from May to October 2020, Kirk-Connell knowingly used approximately 50 unauthorized access devices. Specifically, she used stolen personal identifiable information, such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in the names of other people.
Based upon Kirk-Connell’s false and fraudulent applications, she obtained from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) multiple debit cards that contained more than $500,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled, the plea agreement states.
Kirk-Connell admitted she knew people who access the “dark web” to purchase stolen identities that she used to then file fraudulent claims with EDD. She further admitted to watching YouTube videos that instructed viewers on how to commit EDD fraud.
When Murietta police arrested Kirk-Connell on September 11 during a traffic stop, she possessed eight EDD debit cards in other people’s names and, the day before her arrest, Kirk-Connell used fraudulently obtained EDD debit cards to withdraw more than $1,000 in cash. When federal law enforcement arrested Kirk-Connell on October 9, she possessed in her purse four EDD debit cards in victims’ names, four additional debit cards in victims’ names in her car trunk, and approximately $10,000 in cash, according to the plea agreement.
EDD records showed that the cards and identities that Kirk-Connell possessed had been used to apply for and authorize approximately $534,149 in COVID-related unemployment benefits from California’s EDD program, of which nearly $270,000 had already been spent, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case.
The California EDD distributes unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passed by Congress in March. The CARES Act expanded unemployment benefits to cover those who were previously ineligible, including business owners, self-employed workers, and independent contractors, who were put out of business or significantly reduced their services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. has scheduled an April 9, 2021 sentencing hearing, at which time Kirk-Connell will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This investigation, which is a result of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force, was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. California EDD Criminal Investigations and the Murrieta Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Member of "Boogaloo Bois" Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to HamasRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald and National Security Division Assistant Attorney General John Demers today announced the guilty plea of BENJAMIN RYAN TEETER, 22, to conspiracy to provide material support and resources, namely property, services and weapons, to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. TEETER, who was charged via a superseding indictment on November 6, 2020, pleaded guilty today before Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.
“The defendant was a self-described member of the Boogaloo Bois whose extremist ideologies had moved into the realm of violent action,” said United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. “I am grateful for the quick and effective action by law enforcement to keep our community safe.”
“This case highlights the real threat posed by domestic violent extremists who self-radicalize and threaten to violently attack others opposed to their views, with little or no warning,” said Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “Preventing terrorist attacks is the FBI’s number one priority and the primary mission of our Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The FBI and its task force partners will persist in using every investigative tool available to identify, assess and disrupt those willing to compromise the safety of our neighbors and communities.”
According to documents filed with the court, in late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into TEETER and co-defendant Michael Robert Solomon, two members of the “Boogaloo Bois,” and a sub-group called the “Boojahideen.” The Boogaloo Bois are a loosely-connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term “Boogaloo” itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government.
According to TEETER’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, in early June, the FBI received information about TEETER, Solomon, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and the Boojahideen through a confidential human source (“CHS”), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. In audio-recorded conversations, TEETER and Solomon expressed that Hamas shares anti-U.S. government views that align with their own views. TEETER and Solomon also expressed their desire to employ themselves as “mercenaries” for Hamas to generate cash for the Boogaloo Bois/Boojahideen movement, including funding for recruitment and purchasing land for a training compound. TEETER admitted in his guilty plea that he knew Hamas was a designated foreign terrorist organization, and that the organization had engaged and was engaging in terrorist activity or terrorism.
According to TEETER’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, throughout the summer of 2020, TEETER and co-defendant Solomon met with the CHS on multiple occasions.
On June 14, 2020 TEETER met with the CHS and proposed ways to assist Hamas including using explosives to destroy government buildings in the United States. In exchange, TEETER sought financial backing from Hamas for the Boogaloo Bois. On June 18, 2020, TEETER identified to the CHS a courthouse in northern Minnesota that TEETER and Solomon believed was a suitable target for destruction. On June 19, 2020, TEETER and Solomon met with the CHS and continued to discuss, among other topics, the plot to destroy a courthouse.
On June 28, 2020, TEETER, Solomon, and the CHS, met an undercover employee of the FBI (“UCE) that TEETER believed was a member of Hamas. During this meeting, TEETER and Solomon proposed manufacturing suppressors, untraceable firearms, and fully automatic firearms for Hamas.
On July 6, 2020, TEETER and Solomon purchased a drill press for the purpose of manufacturing suppressors for Hamas. TEETER admitted in his guilty plea that he planned to produce suppressors, some of which could be sold to others. TEETER and Solomon brought the drill press to Solomon’s home and later used the drill press to manufacture five suppressors. TEETER and Solomon delivered the five suppressors to the CHS and UCE on July 30, 2020, believing those devices would be used by Hamas. During that meeting, TEETER and Solomon agreed to manufacture additional suppressors for Hamas believing that the next batch of suppressors would be used against Israeli and United States military personnel overseas.
TEETER and Solomon again met the UCE on August 29, 2020. During this meeting TEETER and Solomon gave the UCE a 3-D printed “auto sear” believing that the auto sear would be used by Hamas to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic rifles. At this time TEETER and Solomon agreed to obtain, and did obtain, another order of auto sears for the CHS and the UCE.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Phil Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the cases.
These cases fall with the purview of the Attorney General’s Task Force to Combat Violent Anti-Government Extremism. Launched in June 2020, the Task Force is dedicated to supporting the investigation and prosecution of any person or group who commits violence in the name of an anarchist ideology.
The charges against defendant Michael Robert Solomon are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
BENJAMIN RYAN TEETER, 22
Hampstead, N.C.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (Hamas), 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Medical Equipment Company Handicare USA, LLC, Agrees to Pay $800,000 to Resolve False Claims Act ActionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On August 17, 2020 Handicare USA (doing business as Prism Medical Services), agreed to pay the United States $800,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to the Department of Veteran Affairs (“VA”) in the performance of various contracts to install patient ceiling lifts in VA hospitals.
Handicare USA manufactures and installs patient lift and mobility systems for hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Handicare USA entered into various contracts with the VA to install patient ceiling lifts in VA hospitals and other VA medical or health care facilities. The VA contracts specifically required that all parts and products must be compliant with the Trade Agreements Act, a statute that provides that the government may acquire only products made within the United States or from “designated” countries who abide by certain trade laws with the United States. Handicare USA knew of the importance of this requirement and submitted a certification at the time of contracting that every part installed was “made in the United States,” and further submitted engineering certifications that the parts installed were from a manufacturer who manufactured and sold only American-made products.
Based on a tip from a whistleblower, an agent from the VA Office of the Inspector General inspected the patient lift systems of several VA hospitals and found that Handicare USA used inferior and cheaper parts made in China, a non-designated country, for the mounting system that secured the patient lift to the ceiling. Even more, the Office of the Inspector General learned that Handicare USA supervisors at the project sight specifically instructed personnel to install the parts so that the “Made in China” stamps on the metal parts would be against the building bulkheads or otherwise not visible for inspection.
“The VA Office of Inspector General tirelessly pursues fraud, waste, and abuse affecting VA, and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold violators accountable,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “The use of inferior products that can put veterans, staff, and visitors to VA medical facilities at risk will not be tolerated. Our nation’s veterans, families and VA staff deserve the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability from government contractors.”
“This agreement demonstrates our resolve to hold accountable any organization that mishandles federal funds intended for the benefit of our veterans. Handicare was entrusted to provide vital medical equipment of the highest quality and safety, utilizing manufacturers in the United States. That trust was violated when Handicare falsely claimed that the parts were manufactured in the United States, and instead used lower quality hardware” said Acting United States Attorney Michael R. Sherwin.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The investigation in this matter was conducted by Special Agent Christopher Holcombe of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of the Inspector General and Assistant United States Attorney Darrell Valdez of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
McAlester Man Sentenced to 160 Months for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles P. Hendricks, age 32, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment, and 5 years of supervised release for Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846. The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that from in or about April, 2017, and continuing until on or about June 26, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the Defendant knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, and agreed with others, to commit offenses against the United States in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) & 841(b)(1)(A), by distributing 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “This defendant had been orchestrating the sale of methamphetamine in eastern Oklahoma for years. This sentence, which will begin when he completes his time in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, has put an end to his business. As a result, the communities he was poisoning are safer.”
“ATF and its partners are committed to helping keep our communities safe. Our neighborhoods are now safer because Mr. Hendricks will not be able to poison it with illegal narcotics,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.Martinsburg man admits to role in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin Clinton, of Martinsburg West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Clinton, 25, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone and Cocaine Base.” Clinton admitted to working with others to distribute Eutylone and Cocaine Base from October 2019 to April 2020 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.Clinton faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/west-virginia-and-virginia-residents-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-berkeley-and
Martin Man Sentenced for Assault with Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Martin, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Jonathan Bad Wound, age 54, was sentenced on December 7, 2020, to time served, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bad Wound was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2017. The charge related to Bad Wound and the victim engaging in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation in May 2016. After throwing Bad Wound to the ground, the victim got into his truck to leave Bad Wound’s driveway. Bad Wound went to the back of his house, grabbed a rifle, loaded it, and fired three rounds at the victim’s truck. Bullet fragments landed in the victim’s back causing bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Man from Albuquerque pleads guilty to federal drug smuggling chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Arturo Gilberto Estrada, 22, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty in federal court on Dec. 7 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to his plea agreement, Estrada admitted that he tried to enter the United States at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in Don͂a Ana County, New Mexico, on July 31 with four wrapped bundles of 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl and 1.2 kilograms of heroin hidden in the rear passenger side panel of the vehicle. Estrada intended to distribute the drugs, which he was smuggling into the United States in exchange for $10,000. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspected the vehicle and located the hidden contraband.
Estrada is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
Man Charged with Second Degree Murder in Drunk Driving DeathRead the Press Release
An alleged drunk driver who struck and killed a woman in a 2019 collision was charged this week with second degree murder in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
According to the indictment, Hector Manuel Hernandez, 36, of Tulsa, is alleged to have hit another car, and as he fled the first accident, he hit the victim’s vehicle head on. The victim died from injuries sustained in the collision. The accident occurred on Nov. 26, 2019.
“Driving while intoxicated is both irresponsible and selfish. Far too many lives have been taken at the hands of drunk drivers. That’s why it is important to prosecute these types of cases,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Bish, a visiting attorney from Western New York, will be the lead on this case to pursue justice for the victim.”
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
The Broken Arrow Police Department, FBI and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Bish is prosecuting the case. AUSA Bish is a prosecutor from the Western District of New York. He volunteered to assist prosecution efforts here in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to the increased volume of cases since the Supreme Court’s ruling which stated the Creek Nation Reservation had never been officially disestablished by Congress. The United States and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have jurisdiction of all cases that occur on the reservation involving Native American victims or defendants.
Male Escort Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. -- A South Florida male escort who lied to the IRS about his income pled guilty today in federal court in Ft. Lauderdale to filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, 46-year-old Jami Kopacz worked as a paid escort for clients across the United States. Kopacz received payments directly from his escort clients and from a private business for whom he worked as an independent contractor. From 2015 to 2018, Kopacz used his corporation, JK Training, LLC, to receive income. Then, he filed false corporate tax returns (Forms 1120S) that substantially underreported the company’s gross receipts and total income. The understatement on JK Training’s corporate tax returns consequently passed through to Kopacz’s individual tax returns, which were also false as they underreported his total income. Kopacz caused a total tax loss of $278,325.
Kopacz’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 5, 2021, in Ft. Lauderdale before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. Kopacz faces up to three years in prison plus supervised release, penalties, and restitution.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Tyler R. Hatcher, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS-CI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne and Trial Attorney Grace Albinson are prosecuting it.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-cr-60096.
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Lucchese Crime Family Soldier Admits Aggravated AssaultRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family today admitted planning and carrying out an aggravated assault on the current husband of one of the former stars of the Bravo television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
John Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of the indictment pending against him, charging him with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The indictment also charges Thomas Manzo, 55, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
According to documents filed in his case and his statements made in court:
In the spring of 2015, Manzo, one of the owners of the Brownstone Restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey, and the ex-husband of the Bravo star, hired Perna to assault his ex-wife’s new boyfriend (now husband) in exchange for a deeply discounted wedding reception to be held at Manzo’s upscale Passaic County venue. Perna, who is a “made man” in the Lucchese Crime Family, planned and carried out the assault on July 18, 2015, with the help of a member of his crew. Perna was armed with a “slapjack” during the assault. In exchange for committing the assault, Perna held a lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s restaurant, just one month later, for a fraction of the price he would otherwise have paid. The reception was attended by over 330 guests, many of whom were members of the Lucchese Crime Family.
The violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the indictment remaining against Manzo are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Stacy Biancamano Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
Local Physician Indicted for Illegally Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a local physician with illegally distributing controlled substances.
Larry Clyde Daniels, 65, of Keithville, Louisiana, was charged in the indictment with 82 counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice. Daniels is a licensed physician in the State of Louisiana and has held himself out to be a family practice physician since approximately March 1984.
The indictment alleges that from May 2016 through September 2017, Daniels knowingly and intentionally distributed, and aided and abetted the distribution of, mixtures and substances containing detectable amounts of Buprenorphine, Clonazepam, and Adderall, without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, on 82 occasions. These alleged instances of illegal distribution of controlled substances, and aiding and abetting of the distribution of same, form the basis of the 82-count indictment against Daniels.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is conducting the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Lewis Wallach Admits to Defrauding Investors and Embezzling $26 Million from Marin Real Estate CompanyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Lewis Wallach pleaded guilty today in federal court to fraud charges for his role in a large-scale fraud involving the Marin County real estate company Professional Financial Investors, or PFI, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. The plea was accepted by the Hon. Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge.
Wallach, 64, of Los Angeles, is the former CEO of PFI. He was charged in a criminal information filed on September 29, 2020, alleging that he and PFI’s now-deceased founder ran the company as a Ponzi scheme. The information charged Wallach with one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in a scheme to defraud and conspiracy that went back to at least 2015.
According to his plea agreement, Wallach admitted that he was hired by the founder of PFI and related entity Professional Investors Security Fund, or PISF, in 1990, and that he was later named president and CEO of PFI. Both companies were based in Novato, California. Wallach admitted that PFI and PISF investors were told that the investors’ regular interest and distribution payments would be paid from income on the residential and commercial properties owned and managed by PFI. In fact, as Wallach admitted, he knew that PFI was not profitable and that income from the properties was not sufficient to pay both interest and distributions. In fact, both Wallach and the company founder knew that PFI and PISF had to raise new investments to pay existing investors.
Wallach admitted that he lied to investors, including falsely telling investors that PFI had significant reserves to allow it to survive and expand during the economic downturn caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. He admitted that he conspired with the PFI founder to mislead investors and solicit investor funds using false statements.
Wallach also admitted that he engaged in a years-long scheme to embezzle funds from PFI and PISF in which he took more than $26 million from 2015 until June 2020, including money he used for large investments, the purchase of real estate, and payment of personal expenses.
Under a plea agreement entered by Wallach and the United States Attorney’s Office, Wallach agrees to the entry of an order by the court requiring him to pay restitution of no less than $26.7 million. Pursuant to the agreement, Wallach also agrees to continue to cooperate in the criminal investigation and to assist prosecutors with identifying, securing, and transferring any assets derived from or related to the charged offense.
Wallach was charged by information on September 29, 2020, with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Wallach pleaded guilty to both counts.
The maximum statutory penalties for each of the two counts, wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, are 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Wallach is currently on pretrial release after posting a $500,000 bond. The case was set for a status hearing on March 24, 2020, at 2:15 p.m., before the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge; no sentencing hearing has been scheduled.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate Fraud Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Leader of Latin Kings in Massachusetts Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A leader of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today for drug conspiracy charges.
Bienvenido Nunez, a/k/a “King Apache,” 33, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2020, Nunez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. Nunez was charged in December 2019, at which time he was identified as the Inca, or leader, of the Massachusetts Latin Kings.
Nunez admitted that he conspired with other Latin Kings members and leaders to possess cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine) with the intent to distribute it. In September 2019, Nunez conspired with others to obtain cocaine base from members of the Latin Kings in New Bedford for resale. On Sept. 29, 2019, Nunez was captured in a video recording in the basement of a Latin Kings trap house in New Bedford bagging about an amount of cocaine base for street-level distribution.
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 in Boston returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Bienvenido Nunez is the eighth 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 Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent 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. Attorney Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Leader of Rochester Area Drug Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Andres Escalera, 29, of Phelps, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a leader in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl throughout the Western District of New York. Escalera was arrested on June 2, 2020, after attempting to purchase six kilograms of cocaine in Ontario County, and was found to be in possession of over $200,000 in cash. Simultaneously, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence where law enforcement officers recovered quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, as well as drug packaging paraphernalia and cash. As part of his guilty plea, Escalera will forfeit over $574,000 in seized United States currency and a Mercedes Benz automobile.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Kevin Henderson; and the Geneva Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael J. Passalacqua.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Lake Traverse Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lake Traverse, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sexual abuse of a minor.
Okokipe Jones, age 46, was indicted on September 1, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on December 10, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
According to the indictment, in July 2010, Jones engaged in or attempted to engage in a sexual act with a child under 12 years of age. Then again in or about 2016, Jones engaged or attempted to engage in a sexual act with the same victim. The sexual abuse took place at a residence in Roberts County, South Dakota.
Jones faces three charges. The maximum penalties upon conviction for Counts 1 and 2 is up to life imprisonment; Count 3 carries a maximum of up to 15 years. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine, or both fine and imprisonment; a mandatory minimum term of five (5) years, up to life, of supervised release; $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund; $5,000 assessment to the domestic trafficking fund; and restitution may be ordered.
The charges are merely accusations and Jones is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
Jones was detained pending trial. A trial date of February 16, 2021 has been set.
Kissimmee Man Pleads Guilty to Bringing More Than $600,000 in Cash and A Handgun to Purchase Cocaine from Undercover AgentsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Jacob Luis Bonilla-Rivera (27, Kissimmee) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug conspiracy. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning on September 11, 2020, Bonilla-Rivera engaged in a series of phone calls with individuals who he believed to be cocaine dealers but who were, in fact, undercover agents working on behalf of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). These discussions culminated in an agreement for Bonilla-Rivera to purchase 20 kilograms of cocaine in Orlando. On September 16, 2020, HSI agents met with Bonilla-Rivera and a conspirator, Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr. They showed the agents $600,000 in cash that they had transported in a hidden compartment in one of their vehicles. The agents then brought Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez to the 20 kilograms of cocaine they had arranged to purchase. After inspecting the cocaine, Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez returned to their car to retrieve the cash from the hidden compartment and were arrested. Upon searching both vehicles, agents discovered that both Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez had loaded firearms, along with a total of $639,325 in cash.
Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr. is currently scheduled for trial in January 2021.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Seminole County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Cholo Abdi Abdullah with six counts of terrorism-related offenses arising from his activities as an operative of the foreign terrorist organization al Shabaab, including conspiring to hijack aircraft in order to conduct a 9/11-style attack in the United States. Abdullah was arrested in July 2019 in the Philippines on local charges, and was subsequently transferred on Dec. 15, 2020 in connection with his deportation from the Philippines to the custody of U.S. law enforcement for prosecution on the charges in the indictment. Abdullah was transported from the Philippines to the United States yesterday, and is expected to be presented today before Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Analisa Torres.
“This case, which involved a plot to use an aircraft to kill innocent victims, reminds us of the deadly threat that radical Islamic terrorists continue to pose to our nation. And it also highlights our commitment to pursue and hold accountable anybody who seeks to harm our country and our citizens. No matter where terrorists who plan to target Americans may be located, we will seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the detectives, agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this defendant’s arrest.”
“Today’s announcement shows that foreign terrorist organizations, like al Shabaab, remain determined to plot, plan, and conspire to commit terrorist acts across the globe against the United States, our interests and our foreign partners,” said FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Jill Sanborn. “Let there be no doubt that the FBI and our law enforcement colleagues, and in this case specifically those in the Philippines and Kenya, will not stop in our mission to hold terrorists accountable for their actions. The charges announced today against Cholo Abdi Abdullah eerily draws parallels to the heinous attacks on this country on September 11, 2001. The FBI, along with our U.S. Government and international partners, will continue to be in lockstep against terrorism and will not allow the safety or security of the public to be threatened – no matter where in the world it may be or whomever is responsible.”
“As alleged, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, as part of a terrorist plot directed by senior al Shabaab leaders, obtained pilot training in the Philippines in preparation for seeking to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the United States,” said Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. “This chilling callback to the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, is a stark reminder that terrorist groups like al Shabaab remain committed to killing U.S. citizens and attacking the United States. But we remain even more resolute in our dedication to investigating, preventing, and prosecuting such lethal plots, and will use every tool in our arsenal to stop those who would commit acts of terrorism at home and abroad. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the FBI’s global partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the world, Abdullah’s plot was detected before he could achieve his deadly aspirations, and now he faces federal terrorism charges in a U.S. court.”
“Nearly 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there are those who remain determined to conduct terror attacks against United States citizens. Abdullah, we allege, is one of them,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. “He obtained a pilot’s license overseas, learning how to hijack an aircraft for the purpose of causing a mass-casualty incident within our borders. Fortunately, the exceptional work by the men and women assigned to the many agencies that comprise the FBI’s New York JTTF have, once again, disrupted a threat to our communities.”
“As alleged in the federal indictment against him, Cholo Abdi Abdullah had obtained pilot training and begun plotting a terrorist attack against a target in the United States,” said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea. “But the outstanding work of our NYPD detectives and federal agents of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with all of our law enforcement partners, put an end to those plans and ensured that no one would be harmed.”
As alleged in the Indictment,[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The charges in the Indictment unsealed today arise out of a coordinated scheme by the terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” to target Americans both at home and abroad. Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and serves as al Qaeda’s principal wing in East Africa, is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Recently, al Shabaab has embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation purportedly in response to the United States’ decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab include an attack on Jan. 15, 2019, at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a Sept. 30, 2019, attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a Jan. 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
As alleged in the Indictment, Abdullah was an al Shabaab operative who participated in a plot to hijack commercial aircraft and crash them into a building in the United States. Beginning in 2016, at the direction of a senior al Shabaab commander who was responsible for, among other things, planning the 2019 Nairobi hotel attack, Abdullah traveled to the Philippines and enrolled in a flight school there (the “Flight School”), for the purpose of obtaining training for carrying out the 9/11-style attack. Between 2017 and 2019, Abdullah attended the Flight School on various occasions and obtained pilot’s training, ultimately completing the tests necessary to obtain his pilot’s license.
While Abdullah was obtaining pilot training at the Flight School, he also conducted research into the means and methods to hijack a commercial airliner to conduct the planned attack, including security on commercial airliners and how to breach a cockpit door from the outside, information about the tallest building in a major U.S. city, and information about how to obtain a U.S. visa.
Thanks to the extraordinary work of the FBI, law enforcement authorities foiled this plot. Abdullah has remained in custody since his arrest on the local charges in the Philippines.
Abdullah, 30, of Kenya, is charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (al Shabaab), conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, conspiring to destroy aircraft, and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Abdullah faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. The specific penalties for each of the charges is reflected in the chart below. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. They also thanked the FBI Hudson Valley office and the New York State Police. Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; “...the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya, and the Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and the Philippine National Police, Philippine Department of Justice, the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group - Philippines, and Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton, Jr., Sidhardha Kamaraju, and Elinor Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al ShabaabRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH with six counts of terrorism-related offenses based on his activities as an operative of the foreign terrorist organization al Shabaab, including conspiring to hijack aircraft in order to conduct a 9/11-style attack in the United States. ABDULLAH was arrested in July 2019 in the Philippines on local charges, and was subsequently transferred on December 15, 2020, in connection with his deportation from the Philippines, to the custody of U.S. law enforcement for prosecution on the charges in the Indictment. ABDULLAH was transported from the Phillippines to the United States yesterday, and is expected to be presented today before Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Analisa Torres.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, as part of a terrorist plot directed by senior al Shabaab leaders, obtained pilot training in the Philippines in preparation for seeking to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the United States. This chilling callback to the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, is a stark reminder that terrorist groups like al Shabaab remain committed to killing U.S. citizens and attacking the United States. But we remain even more resolute in our dedication to investigating, preventing, and prosecuting such lethal plots, and will use every tool in our arsenal to stop those who would commit acts of terrorism at home and abroad. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the FBI’s global partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the world, Abdullah’s plot was detected before he could achieve his deadly aspirations, and now he faces federal terrorism charges in a U.S. court.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said: “This case, which involved a plot to use an aircraft to kill innocent victims, reminds us of the deadly threat that radical Islamic terrorists continue to pose to our nation. And it also highlights our commitment to pursue and hold accountable anybody who seeks to harm our country and our citizens. No matter where terrorists who plan to target Americans may be located, we will seek to identify them and bring them to justice. We owe a debt of gratitude to the agents, detectives, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this defendant’s arrest.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Nearly 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there are those who remain determined to conduct terror attacks against United States citizens. Abdullah, we allege, is one of them. He obtained a pilot’s license overseas, learning how to hijack an aircraft for the purpose of causing a mass-casualty incident within our borders. Fortunately, the exceptional work by the men and women assigned to the many agencies that comprise the FBI’s New York JTTF have, once again, disrupted a threat to our communities.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “As alleged in the federal indictment against him, Cholo Abdi Abdullah had obtained pilot training and begun plotting a terrorist attack against a target in the United States. But the outstanding work of our NYPD detectives and federal agents of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with all of our law enforcement partners, put an end to those plans and ensured that no one would be harmed.”
As alleged in the Indictment,[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The charges in the Indictment unsealed today arise out of a coordinated scheme by the terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” to target Americans both at home and abroad. Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and serves as al Qaeda’s principal wing in East Africa, is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Recently, al Shabaab has embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation purportedly in response to the United States’ decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab include an attack on January 15, 2019 at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a September 30, 2019 attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a January 5, 2020 attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.
As alleged in the Indictment, ABDULLAH was an al Shabaab operative who participated in a plot to hijack commercial aircraft and crash them into a building in the United States. Beginning in 2016, at the direction of a senior al Shabaab commander who was responsible for, among other things, planning the 2019 Nairobi hotel attack, ABDULLAH traveled to the Philippines and enrolled in a flight school there (the “Flight School”), for the purpose of obtaining training for carrying out the 9/11-style attack. Between 2017 and 2019, ABDULLAH attended the Flight School on various occasions and obtained pilot’s training, ultimately completing the tests necessary to obtain his pilot’s license.
While ABDULLAH was obtaining pilot training at the Flight School, he also conducted research into the means and methods to hijack a commercial airliner to conduct the planned attack, including security on commercial airliners and how to breach a cockpit door from the outside, information about the tallest building in a major U.S. city, and information about how to obtain a U.S. visa.
Thanks to the extraordinary work of the FBI, law enforcement authorities foiled this plot. ABDULLAH has remained in custody since his initial arrest in the Philippines.
* * *
ABDULLAH, 30, of Kenya, is charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (al Shabaab), conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, conspiring to destroy aircraft, and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. ABDULLAH faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. The specific penalties for each of the charges is reflected in the chart below. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton, Jr., Sidhardha Kamaraju, and Elinor Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Jason Denney and Rebecca Magnone of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Count
Charges
Penalties
1
Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339B)
20 years’ imprisonment
2
Provision of Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339B)
20 years’ imprisonment
3
Conspiracy to Murder U.S. Nationals (18 U.S.C. § 2332(b))
Life imprisonment
4
Conspiracy to Commit Aircraft Piracy (49 U.S.C. § 46502)
Life imprisonment; mandatory minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment
5
Conspiracy to Destroy Aircraft (18 U.S.C. § 32(a))
20 years’ imprisonment
6
Conspiracy to Commit Acts of Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries (18 U.S.C. § 2332b)
Life imprisonment, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.