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Wednesday 9 December 2020
Cambridge area psychiatrists to pay more than half million dollars in False Claims Act settlementRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a False Claims Act Settlement signed this week, two eastern Ohio psychiatrists and their practice group have agreed to pay more than $500,000 to the United States for submitting false claims to Medicare.
According to the settlement, Drs. Ali and Imad Melhelm submitted claims to Medicare from January 2013 through December 2019 that violated the False Claims Act. The doctors are practicing psychiatrists with Neurobehavioral Medicine Consultants, PC, Inc. (NMC), which provides mental health services and substance abuse treatments to patients in several states. Dr. Ali Melhelm is the owner of NMC. Both individuals served as treating psychiatrists at Cambridge Behavioral Hospital in Guernsey County. Ali Melhelm also served as the inpatient facility’s Medical Director.
The United States asserted that the doctors admitted medically ineligible patients to the hospital, improperly delayed patient discharges, and billed for services and visits that did not occur or were billed at a higher rate than was supported by the records.
As part of the settlement, the Melhelms will pay $549,092 to the United States, of which $274,546 is restitution.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew M. Malek, Brandi Stewart and Michael Downey are representing the United States in this case.
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Businessman Pleads Guilty to Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to bank fraud by submitting a fraudulent application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and then using the loan proceeds for his own personal benefit, including making large cash withdrawals and travel to Las Vegas.
According to court documents, Scott Suber, 39, submitted to Celtic Bank a fraudulent application for a loan under the PPP, a program instituted by Congress in an effort to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pay salary or wages to their employees. In the application, it was falsely represented that Suber’s business, Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc., had eight employees and an average monthly payroll of $140,000. In support of the fraudulent application, a false Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return was submitted, claiming that the business had quarterly wages of $420,000 and federal tax withholding of $36,620. These figures were completely false and fabricated. In addition, Suber submitted a bank statement with an altered date in support of the application.
Celtic Bank approved and funded a PPP loan for the business in the amount of $350,000 and transferred the funds to an account Suber maintained in the name of Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc. at Wells Fargo Bank. In the loan application, it was stated that Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc. would use the loan proceeds for business related purposes, such as the costs of payroll, lease, and utilities. Instead, Suber used the proceeds for his own personal benefit, including making large cash withdrawals and travel to Las Vegas, and making non-business related payments to a number of individuals.
Suber is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-110.
Buffalo Public School Teacher Faces up to Life in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Selling Marijuana and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of His Drug Trafficking ActivitiesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Michael Masecchia, 54, of Williamsville, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Tripi and Brendan T. Cullinane, who are handling the case, stated that since at least 1999 through his arrest on August 23, 2019, the defendant was involved in the sale of marijuana in the Buffalo and its surrounding suburbs. Masecchia and others also participated in marijuana grow operations in Ellicottville and Franklinville, in Cattaraugus County, NY. The marijuana grown at those operations was harvested and distributed to resellers and users. In addition, the defendant possessed firearms to protect himself, his proceeds, and property where he stored marijuana and currency.
As part of his written plea agreement, Masecchia admitted that he received sensitive law enforcement information from his co-defendant Joseph Bongiovanni, who worked as a Special Agent of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in Buffalo. The information Masecchia received included the names of potential cooperators and whether or not the defendant and others were under federal investigation, and such information helped Masecchia and others to continue selling marijuana undetected by other members of law enforcement.
On August 23, 2019, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s Main Street residence. During that search, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie County Sheriff's Office, and the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, seized:
• $27,950.00 in U.S. currency;
• Two rifles, five shotguns, and a pistol;
• Various ammunition for the firearms;
• Three Mason jars containing marijuana;
• Various steroids in liquid and tablet form;
• Hypodermic needles;
• THC edibles;
• Cannabis syrup;
• Two grams of a white powder suspected to be cocaine;
• Tylenol with Codeine tablets;
• Suspected hashish;
• A digital scale;
• A suspected marijuana cigarette;
• Numerous plastic bags and small bottles containing marijuana; and
• Four cell phones.Charges remain pending against co-defendant Joseph Bongiovanni. 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 Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Erie County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of John B. Devito.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Misbranding and Smuggling Conspiracy Involving Online Sale and Distribution of Unapproved Drugs Obtained from OverseasRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Chino Valley, Arizona, was sentenced today in federal court for one count of conspiracy to smuggle misbranded drugs into the United States and introduce them into interstate commerce, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab sentenced Jeremy Brooks, 31, to five years of probation, including 180 days of home detention. Brooks was also ordered to forfeit a total of approximately $106,000 that was previously seized during the investigation.
During his plea hearing on August 6, 2020, Brooks admitted that between January 2016 and May 8, 2018, he engaged in a conspiracy to obtain unapproved drugs in bulk quantities from overseas suppliers, including suppliers in China, for the purpose of pressing the drugs into pills and distributing them to customers throughout the United States via an internet-based business—Domestic RCS—that he and a co-conspirator, Justin Ash, controlled. The business’s website, www.domesticrcs.com, advertised multiple unapproved or "misbranded" drugs—clonazolam, diclazepam, flubromazolam, and etizolam—each of which was a non-prescription benzodiazepine or substance with a similar chemical composition. As Brooks further acknowledged, these substances carried risks of dependency, toxicity, and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants. Although the co-conspirators’ website and the packaging contained in their shipments indicated that the substances were for "research purposes only," Brooks admitted that he was aware that the vast majority of customers purchased the drugs for individual consumption. Indeed, Brooks, Ash, or others acting at their direction communicated directly with individual customers about, among other things, the effects of the drugs when used for personal consumption. In an effort to evade detection by United States federal authorities, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection, Brooks also admitted that he and Ash caused their overseas suppliers to ship drugs to multiple addresses under their control and in smaller quantities that would draw less government scrutiny.
On November 24, 2020, in a related case, Judge Schwab sentenced Ash to 24 months’ incarceration and ordered him to forfeit approximately $780,000 in connection with his role in the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The United States Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
30 Members and Associates of the Pagans Motorcycle Club Facing Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has issued three separate, but related, Indictments, charging 30 residents of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio with narcotics trafficking and firearm possession, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
According to U.S. Attorney Brady, the Indictments are a part of an ongoing investigation into members and associates of the Pagans Motorcycle Club (PMC or Pagans) operating in and around western Pennsylvania engaging in illegal activity, including federal violations of drug and firearm laws. The related Indictments are the result of an investigation that began in August of 2018, and ultimately led to a Title III wire investigation with intercepted communications over several telephones from August 2020 through November 2020. The defendants are alleged to have conspired to distribute controlled substances including cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.
"For decades, the Pagans have used violence to control cocaine, heroin and meth trafficking throughout western Pennsylvania: that stops now," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "With the arrests of thirty members and associates of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, including higher-ranking members, we have disrupted their criminal organization and made western Pennsylvania safer."
"The members and associates of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club facing charges today had a complete disregard for the law and the safety of the communities they operate in," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. "Through joint, collaborative investigations and robust partnerships, we will continue to target the leadership of these organizations and bring them to justice for the harm caused by their criminal actions."
According to the Department of Justice, the PMC is a violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang whose membership distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and other illegal drugs. The Pagans are one of the most prominent outlaw motorcycle gangs in the eastern United States. In addition to the PMC insignia, members of the PMC wear a diamond patch with "1%" inscribed inside, which denotes their claim to be among the one percent of motorcycle riders who are not law abiding.
According to information provided to the court, the three Indictments charge 30 individuals with federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. The drugs they distributed include significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. The Indictments are the result of this long-term investigation, including court-authorized wiretaps on the cell phones of key members of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club. The investigation, which was wide-spread, also resulted in identifying large-scale suppliers of narcotics not only to members and associates of the Pagans, but to local drug traffickers and suppliers within the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
During the course of the investigation, which began in August of 2018, law enforcement received information pertaining to the suspected illegal activities of Bill Rana, aka "Pittsburgh Billy", Eric Armes aka "Knuckles", Jason Evans aka "Shahid", and Patrick Rizzo, who have all been identified as suspected members or associates of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, as well as Phillip Bonanno, who has been identified as a suspected member of an Ohio Chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, and others.
The PMC members routinely hold "church", a term used to describe their weekly meetings, on Thursdays. They also appeared to hold frequent, large gatherings or parties between PMC members/associates, non-PMC members, and other outlaw motorcycle gangs, at their McKees Rocks Clubhouse, which was one of more than a dozen locations where agents executed federally-authorized search warrants on December 8, 2020.
The three Indictments were returned under seal on December 1, 2020, and unsealed yesterday.
The first Indictment contains two conspiracy counts and one firearm possession count, and names the following nine individuals as defendants:
• Bill Rana, 40, of Cheswick, PA
• Eric Armes, 42, of Cheswick, PA
• Jason Evans, 44, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Hasani James, 49, of Detroit, MI
• Cody Bonanno, 25, of Uhrichsville, OH
• Phillip Bonanno, 54, of New Philadelphia, OH
• Dominic Quarture, 52, of Washington, PA
• Mark Stockhausen, 39, of Erie, PA
• Patrick Rizzo, 45, of McKees Rocks, PA
According to this Indictment, Rana, Armes, C. Bonanno, P. Bonanno, and Quarture conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance between January and November of 2020. The Indictment also charges Rana, Evans, James, P. Bonanno, and Stockhausen with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, also between January and November of 2020.
The Indictment further alleges that on or about October 21, 2020, Patrick Rizzo, a convicted felon, who is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm, was found to be in possession of a loaded Taurus Judge .45 LC/410 pistol. As it relates to this count, the Indictment seeks forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.
The second Indictment contains two counts and names the following nine individuals as defendants:
• Anthony Peluso, 38, of Hampton Township, PA
• Marissa Botta, 28, of Hampton Township, PA
• David Pietropaolo, 23, of Glenshaw, PA
• Thomas Snelsire, 45, of Baldwin, PA
• Wayne Webber, 42, of Duquesne, PA
• Ronald Simak, 37, of Verona, PA
• Anthony Scatena, 22, of Pittsburgh, PA
• James Stewart, 41, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Dorin Duncan, 42, of Glenshaw, PA
According to this Indictment, the above-named defendants conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance between January and November of 2020. The Indictment further alleges that Peluso, Botta and Snelsire also conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, also between January and November 2020.
The third Indictment contains two counts and names the following twelve individuals as defendants:
• Jeffrey Kushik, 29, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Gary Hairston, 40, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Darian Wofford, 27, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Stephanie Zilka, 27, of Baldwin, PA
• Misty Walker, 39, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Richard White, 18, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Randy Camacho, 34, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Damian Cherepko, 26, of Elizabeth, PA
• Brandon Hulboy, 29, of Pittsburgh, PA
• James Crivella, 27, of Glenshaw, PA
• Seaira Collins, 32, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Jessica Taranto, 37, of Pittsburgh, PA
According to this Indictment, Kushik, Hairston, Wofford, Zilka, Walker, Camacho, Collins, and Taranto conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance between August and November of 2020. The Indictment further charges Kushik, Hairston, Wofford, Zilka, Walker, White, Cherepko, Hulboy and Crivella with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, also between August and November of 2020.
As to the conspiracy counts involving 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine, the law provides for a minimum sentence of five years’ and a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. As to the conspiracy count involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one kilogram or more of heroin, the law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years’ and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both. As to Patrick Rizzo the law provides for a maximum sentence of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of each defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. Other assisting agencies include the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide, Baldwin Police Department, Brentwood Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department and West Deer Township Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A video announcement regarding this case can be found here: https://youtu.be/iWAof7-KgLA
Tuesday 8 December 2020
“Pure Armenian Blood” Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New York, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging eight defendants with a variety of racketeering and fraud offenses. Of the eight defendants, NAREK MARUTYAN, ALBERT MARUTYAN, MIKAYEL YEGHOYAN, DAVIT YEGHOYAN, and VAHE HOVHANNISYAN are associated with a coast-to-coast racketeering enterprise referred to as “Pure Armenian Blood” or “P.A.B.” and are charged in United States v. Narek Marutyan, et al. (the “Indictment”), which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. Of those defendants, MIKAYEL YEGHOYAN and DAVIT YEGHOYAN were taken into federal custody and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn today. Two defendants, ALBERT MURATYAN and VAHE HOVHANNISYAN, were presented in the Central District of California.
Three additional defendants, LUSINE GHAZARYAN, SARO MOURADIAN, a/k/a “Paul Mouradian,” and ZAVEN YERKARYAN, are charged in the Indictment with fraud-related offenses. Of those defendants, GHAZARYAN was taken into federal custody today and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn; YERKARYAN was presented in the Central District of California before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick . MOURADIAN will be presented in the Southern District of Florida before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Pure Armenian Blood members enriched themselves and their criminal associates through a raft of fraudulent schemes that included years’ long efforts to steal others’ identities, falsify documents, and spend other people’s money as though there were no consequences. Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our agency partners, spearheaded by the FBI, members of this nationwide network of crime will now face serious consequences in the form of federal charges.”
FBI Assistant William F. Sweeney Jr. said: "The members of this enterprise acted as if they were in another time, much like fiefdoms operated in the Dark Ages in which tributes were paid to protect fellow criminals and settle disputes between members under the benevolence of the vor. However the actions we allege they've taken, like using electronic devices to steal people's identities, using fake credit cards and setting up fake lines of credit at U.S. banks, are all modern day crimes. As a consequence, they now face modern justice."
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “The only thing pure about this alleged crime syndicate is their thirst for stealing from our communities and endangering the security of our homeland from coast to coast. HSI New York is relentless in our pursuit of dismantling transnational criminal organizations, and we are grateful to have this opportunity working with our federal partners to ensure those involved will now face justice.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[[1]]
Pure Armenian Blood was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of an unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”), a “vor v zakone” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. Members and associates of Pure Armenian Blood operated under the direction and protection of CC-1, a vor of Armenian descent previously based in Los Angeles before being deported in or about 2018. Pure Armenian Blood operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks, particularly identity theft, access device fraud and credit card fraud, among others. While Pure Armenian Blood exploited victims and the financial system in New York City, it had operations in various locations throughout the United States and abroad, including through the use of purportedly legitimate business entities operating under the control and in conjunction with members of P.A.B. at various points throughout the conspiracy.
NAREK MARUTYAN, ALBERT MARUTYAN, a/k/a “Abo,” MIKAYEL YEGHOYAN, a/k/a “Misho,” DAVIT YEGHOYAN and VAHE HOVHANNISYAN are charged in Count One of the Indictment with racketeering conspiracy. P.A.B.’s illicit activities included:
- The use of counterfeit credit cards and stolen personal identifying information;
- Selling goods purchased with counterfeit credit cards for profit;
- Fraudulently opening and exhausting lines of credit, and then falsifying documents to “clean” the credit of account holders in whose names the lines of credit were opened (the “Account Holders”), who were often relatives or acquaintances of members and associates of Pure Armenian Blood;
- Selling access device fraud devices to other criminals to install in order to steal personal identifying information; and
- Making purchases at collusive businesses with counterfeit credit cards or credit cards that were fraudulently opened.
Along with Pure Armenian Blood members NAREK MARUTYAN, ALBERT MARUTYAN, a/k/a “Abo,” MIKAYEL YEGHOYAN, a/k/a “Misho,” DAVIT YEGHOYAN and VAHE HOVHANNISYAN, two additional defendants, LUSO GHAZARYAN and SARO MOURADIAN, a/k/a “Paul Mouradian,” are charged in Counts Two and Three with conspiracy to commit fraud relating to means of identification and conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Each of these seven defendants, as well as ZAVEN YERKARYAN, are charged in Count Four with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Defendants MIKAYEL YEGHOYAN and DAVIT YEGHOYAN are each charged with one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, in Counts Five and Six, respectively.
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Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of FBI New York’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad, as well as the FBI’s New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Miami offices, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“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.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transitional Criminal Enterprise Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benet J. Kearney and Abigail S. Kurland are in charge of the case.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are 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, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Waukesha Man Faces Federal Charges for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 1, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Cornelius M. Jackson (age 31) of Waukesha, Wisconsin, charging him with sex trafficking offenses that spanned over six years and multiple states.
Count One alleges that from 2014 through August 2020, Jackson conspired with others to use force, fraud, and coercion to cause victims to engage in commercial sex acts in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594. Counts Two through Five allege that Jackson used force, fraud, and coercion to cause four individual victims to engage in commercial sex acts, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) & 1591(b)(1).
If convicted of any of the counts, Jackson faces up to life in prison. If convicted of Count Two, Three, Four, or Five, Jackson would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and up to a life term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Jackson also faces a fine of up to $250,000 per count.
“Sex trafficking is a brutal crime that dehumanizes its victims,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “These important charges resulted from extraordinary collaboration among law enforcement agencies who demonstrated remarkable determination in conducting this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, Milwaukee Police Department, Waukesha Police Department, and Oneida Police Department, in collaboration with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Abbey M. Marzick.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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.
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For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
414-297-1700
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Washington County Man Sentenced for Distributing Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Princeton, Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for distributing cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Robert McKenna, 50, to 135 months in prison and three years of supervised release. McKenna pleaded guilty on January 21, 2020.
According to court records, on April 25, 2019, McKenna sold crack to an undercover agent from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency at a residence in Indian Township.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI investigated the case.
The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Virginia Man Indicted on Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 7, 2020, Rishi Budhadev, age 25, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. The case was unsealed following Budhadev’s arrest on December 1, 2020.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that between October 2015 and December 2015, Budhadev, working with other unnamed co-conspirators, defrauded victims using common advance-fee mass marketing scams. Budhadev’s victims included a 72-year-old widow from the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that this victim sent a MoneyGram money transfer to Budhadev after an individual impersonating a U.S. Government agent told her that she needed to pay money to redeem benefits to which she was entitled because of her late husband’s military service.
The indictment also alleges that Budhadev received approximately 500 MoneyGram money orders worth over $500,000, including about 300 MoneyGram money orders worth over $407,000 from more than 250 senders that he picked up from seven different Walmart stores. On November 13, 2015, Budhadev picked up 13 MoneyGram money transfers totaling approximately $27,000 from five different Richmond, Virginia area Walmart stores. Similarly, on December 4, 2015, Budhadev picked up 38 MoneyGram money transfers totaling approximately $34,000 from five different Richmond, Virginia area Walmart stores.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. These charges may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. 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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Upshur County man admits to making a bombRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Eric Reynolds Rowan, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, has admitted to making a bomb, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Rowan, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Making a Destructive Device.” Rowan admitted to making an explosive bomb sometime between August and November 2019 in Upshur County.
Rowan faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000. 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 and the FBI investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
U.S. Department of Justice Recognizes Ogden Police Chief for His Work with Targeted Project Safe Neighborhood AreaRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – The U.S. Department of Justice is recognizing the leadership success of Ogden Police Chief Randy Watt in the city’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Target Enforcement Area. Each year, the Department of Justice recognizes outstanding efforts to restore safety in communities through annual PSN Achievement Awards.
U.S. Attorney John W. Huber presented the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the PSN Program award to Chief Watt Tuesday in Ogden. PSN is a critical piece of the Department’s crime reduction efforts. Generally, the awards are presented at a national ceremony. However, with the pandemic, local presentations are being done this year.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah has been one of the highest performing offices in the PSN initiative for almost 20 years, using the initiative goals to reduce violent crime in Utah communities. PSN, which fosters using local solutions to solve local problems, focuses investigation and prosecution resources on those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities. It also promotes partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct. For example, 255 cases PSN cases were filed by federal prosecutors in 2018; 215 in 2019, and, as of November, 169 in 2020.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office nominated Chief Watt for the award in recognition of his decades of leadership in law enforcement and his efforts to lead a PSN targeted enforcement effort in Ogden, partnering with federal law enforcement agencies.
Chief Watt was the architect of a program to develop a Targeted Enforcement Area (TEA) in Ogden. He selected a 4.86 square mile area, located primarily within Ogden, for enhanced targeted enforcement. The TEA initiative started in April 2018 with support from DOJ PSN grants. Partners adopted a zero tolerance position for anyone committing firearms or narcotics violations in the targeted area. Offenders are screened for federal or state prosecution as a part of a coordinated prosecution strategy. The federal cases are often prosecuted by Weber County Attorneys cross-designated as Assistant U.S. Attorneys. This partnership and geographic surge of resources has resulted in a significant reduction in Type 1 crimes.
“Chief Watt deserves this high honor for his efforts in the Target Enforcement Area. His forward thinking leadership in defining and targeting a specific area, combined with his willingness to partner with the PSN program and federal law enforcement, has made the TEA the success is. His success in crime suppression and prevention has made Ogden a model for other cities to use in addressing violent crime issues,” Huber said today.
As a part of the Ogden TEA initiative, 181 firearms have been seized. The firearms include one grenade launcher, 128 pistols, 15 revolvers, 23 rifles, and 14 shotguns. These are firearms no longer in the hands of criminals in the community.
Huber said prosecutors have even heard from offenders, arrested as a part of the initiative, promoting a crime-prevention mantra: Don’t get caught in the Box.
U.S. Attorney's Office's Approach to Gun Violence: Support Community-Based Prevention Programs and Focus Prosecutions on Those Driving the ViolenceRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Speaking on the subject of gun violence, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Andrew Birge, explained that his office employs an evidence-based, two-pronged approach to violent crime reduction, focusing on prosecuting the most dangerous offenders where there is federal jurisdiction while funding and encouraging law enforcement partnerships with community stakeholders to achieve sustainable and community driven reductions in violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Birge explained that: “Through grant funding, the Department supports violence prevention programs. Through focused federal prosecutions, my office looks to hold the trigger-pullers and most dangerous offenders accountable to federal law. Ideally, community members and law enforcement officers support each other and even work together to sustainably reduce violence and reduce the need for either state or federal charges.”
In 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Michigan oversaw the granting of almost $200,000 in Department of Justice funds to support community organizations and law enforcement partners in efforts to reduce violent crime throughout Western Michigan. Those funds came through DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which was first launched in 2001. DOJ funds support both community organizations and local law enforcement in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Muskegon/Muskegon Heights. This past year, more than ten community organizations and six local police departments received a total of $192,000 in PSN grant funds to support community-based violence prevention programs. The PSN-funded programs focused on the communities with the highest rates of violence and, more specifically, those community members most at-risk of committing or suffering from violent crime. All PSN-funded organizations work in conjunction with local law enforcement to ensure a
sustainable and holistic approach to violent crime reduction.- For example, the Muskegon and Muskegon Heights Police Departments received funding to support basketball games between at-risk youth and community police officers, back-to-school haircuts for kids, and an outreach program where former felons mentor at-risk individuals in an effort to deter them from committing, or becoming victims of, violent crime.
- The Lansing Police Department received PSN grant funds to support a faith-based mobile outreach organization operating in areas that suffer from the highest rates of violence and poverty. One of the goals of this organization is to promote community trust in local law enforcement by helping to build bridges between police officers and community member. Working alongside Lansing Police, this community group used the grant money to fund summer barbeques, a mobile food pantry, and care packages for impoverished community members.
- In Benton Harbor, the PSN grant funds supported a new initiative at the Boys & Girls Club called Project Learn. Project Learn is an after-school program which provides academic support and mentoring to young people. The Boys & Girls Club specifically implemented the Project in a neighborhood which had 124 calls to police for services in a three-month period, including 14 calls reporting shots fired.
- In Kalamazoo, PSN grant funds help support a Group Violence Intervention program (GVI), where police and community members, including ex-offenders, personally reach out to at-risk youth and group members to interrupt cycles of violence.
While these community-based interventions address conditions that can raise the risk of violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with local and federal law enforcement as well as county prosecutors to identify and prosecute federally the individuals who are causing the violence. “Prosecuting the small number of people committing violent acts has a significant and immediate impact on communities suffering from gun violence,” explained Erin Lane, an Assistant U.S. Attorney who handles many of these cases and oversees the grant funding program. “Often a county prosecutor will have the better charge for jurisdictional or other reasons and our county prosecutors do a great job. But we have seen that a federal charge can have a positive impact,” explained U.S. Attorney Birge.
- For example, at the end of this summer, the Grand Rapids Police Department, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s office charged Antwine Chamberlain-Fields with being a felon in possession of a firearm. GRPD referred his case to federal prosecutors with the concurrence of the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office because officers suspected Chamberlain-Fields was involved in, as well as the target of, multiple shootings in the Grand Rapids area during this past summer, including a drive-by shooting on the city’s west side resulting in the injury of a teenage girl. After Chamberlain-Fields was indicted and placed in federal pretrial detention, shootings on the west side of Grand Rapids stopped for almost three weeks. In September, Chamberlain-Fields pled guilty and faces up to ten years’ incarceration for this crime.
- In Kalamazoo, police arrested Fharis Smith and Dontrell Walker after officers received information that they had been involved in a shooting incident with a rival gang. Officers also understood that the rival gang planned a retaliatory shooting against Smith and Walker. Police arrested Smith and Walker on outstanding criminal warrants. When arrested, Walker had a sawed-off rifle and Smith had a loaded gun and methamphetamine on him. Both were charged with federal crimes and placed in federal custody. Removing Smith and Walker from the street interrupted the cycle of shootings in Kalamazoo between the rival groups and prevented further violence. A federal jury convicted Smith of being a felon in possession of a firearm, drug distribution, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He faces up to fifteen years in prison. Walker pled guilty to possessing a short-barreled rifle and was sentenced to eight and a half years’ incarceration.
- Likewise, in August of this year, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) arrested Robert Love, Jr. for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Love had been involved in, and the target of, multiple shootings in the Kalamazoo area during this past summer. After Love was injured in a drive-by shooting, police officers and community members making up the Kalamazoo GVI contacted Love and warned him that he was going to end up dead or in prison if he did not stop his violent behavior. Two days after this attempted intervention, Love’s car was shot up by unknown individuals on the streets of Kalamazoo. Police arrested Love on an outstanding warrant and discovered that he had a firearm. The U.S. Attorney’s office charged Love federally and the court held him in federal custody. Love eventually pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and now faces up to ten years in prison. Like Smith and Walker, Love’s arrest curbed the cycle of retaliatory and criminal group-involved shootings in the Kalamazoo area. KDPS Assistant Chief David Boysen explained, “federally charging individuals that are the most violent offenders and removing them from the street has an immediate impact on reducing the cycle of violence in the city. It is an invaluable resource for KDPS and community partners committed to violence prevention work.”
- Police in Lansing arrested an active shooter, Narrion Caston, for being a felon in possession of ammunition. At the time Caston was arrested, he was only one month into a three-year term of federal supervision for a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Caston pled guilty to the charge and at his sentencing hearing, a detective from the Lansing Police Department testified that the ammunition Caston illegally possessed was found in a car after Caston shot into another vehicle, hitting a Lansing area resident in the leg. Caston was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for illegal possession of ammunition, and 14 months for violations of his federal supervised release.
- In addition to prosecuting the most dangerous offenders for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of thefts from licensed firearm dealers, in order to disrupt the flow of illegal firearms into the hands of violent offenders. For example, Charles Skipp was sentenced to 42 years in prison after being convicted of 10 felony offenses, which included stealing 89 firearms from a licensed firearm dealer. He attempted to cover his tracks by intimidating and retaliating against a witness to the theft, by shooting at the witnesses’ house and later setting it on fire. Skipp also used one of the stolen guns to rob and shoot a drug dealer.
“There are no quick fixes; it will take long-term commitment to not only prosecuting those who are driving the violence but also to crime prevention,” acknowledged U.S. Attorney Birge. This past year, the coronavirus made it difficult to implement community prevention programs. “The pandemic brought into sharp focus the critical role that these programs play in violence reduction and neighborhood safety and stability,” added Assistant U.S. Attorney Lane.
Looking forward to 2021, there are again over $192,000 of PSN grant funds available to nonprofit organizations, community groups, and local law enforcement working on violence prevention in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Muskegon/Muskegon Heights. With the ongoing challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Attorney Birge encourages communities and law enforcement organizations to submit PSN project proposals that are aimed at sustainable, community-based violence prevention programming, which can be implemented during or after the pandemic. For more information about the PSN grant request for proposals or an application, please call Annette Chapman, PSN Fiscal Agent and Senior Vice President at the Battle Creek Community Foundation, at (269) 962-
2181 or email [email protected]. For other federal grant opportunities, please see www.grants.gov.###
Three Hartford, Connecticut Area Men Face Federal Drug Charges from Seizure of Fentanyl and Cocaine Base from Rutland ApartmentRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, charged three men from the Hartford, Connecticut area with an assortment of heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine offenses. The defendants are: Ralph Mariani (a.k.a. “D”), 27, of East Hartford, Connecticut; Cedano Brownswell, 26, of Hartford, Connecticut; and Rashane Wedderburn, 25, of Hartford, Connecticut. The five-count indictment includes charges that: Mariani and Wedderburn distributed Fentanyl; Mariani possessed, with the intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl; and Brownswell possessed cocaine base.
On November 18, 2020 law enforcement executed a federal search warrant for an apartment at 78 Traverse Place in Rutland, Vermont. Mariani, Wedderburn, and Brownswell were present at the time of this search. Law enforcement seized approximately 72 grams of suspected powder cocaine, 45 grams of suspected cocaine base, 69 bags of suspected fentanyl, 52 suspected Oxycodone pills, an amount of suspected marijuana, and four firearms, including a loaded 9mm pistol located on the living room couch. Of those total drug amounts, approximately 29 grams of suspected cocaine base, 44 bags of suspected fentanyl, and 52 suspected Oxycodone pills were located on Mariani’s person. Law enforcement also seized over six thousand dollars in cash: $2,380 from Mariani, $1,880 from Cedano, and $2,134 from Wedderburn.
At his arraignment, Mariani pled not guilty to the charges. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge John Conroy ordered Mariani detained pending trial and held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The arraignment for Wedderburn and Brownswell is currently scheduled for December 10.
The maximum penalties for the charged drug offenses range from 20 years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine for the drug trafficking offenses to three years of imprisonment and $100,000 fine for the drug possession offense. The actual sentence, however, is informed by the advisory Sentencing Guidelines. The Indictment is an accusation only, the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Vermont State Police (Narcotics Investigation Unit), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rutland City Police, and Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Mariani is represented by Elizabeth Quinn, Esq., of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Burlington. Wedderburn is represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq., of Burlington, and Brownswell is represented by Alan Sullivan, Esq. of Manchester, Vermont.
Three Family Members Sentenced in Connection with Defrauding Veterans Health Care in the VillagesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Miller Wilson, Jr. (50, Sparr), his daughter, Myoshi Wilson (26, Citra), and his ex-wife, Erica Wilson (43, Ocala) were sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore for their roles in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care benefits. Each had previously pleaded guilty.
Miller Wilson, Jr. was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and solicitation and receipt of a health care kickback.
Erica Wilson was sentenced to 5 years’ probation for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
Myoshi Wilson was re-sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment, followed by 30 months of supervised release, including 6 months’ home confinement, for a violation of probation. Myoshi Wilson had previously been sentenced to 5 years’ probation for making false statements to law enforcement. She was arrested on a violation of that probationary sentence on November 4, 2020.
According to court documents, Miller Wilson, Jr. was an employee at the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) Clinic located in The Villages. As part of his employment, he provided transportation arrangements for veterans needing medical treatment. From 2014 through 2016, Miller Wilson, Jr. obtained cash kickbacks from the transportation vendors in exchange for awarding them health care contracts from the VA. Thereafter, from 2016-2017, Miller Wilson, Jr. conspired with Erica and Myoshi Wilson to open and manage two different transportation companies to conduct similar schemes. Miller Wilson, Jr. used his official position at the VA to funnel health care contracts to the companies that he had formed with Erica and Myoshi Wilson. During a 17-month period, the two companies billed the federal government $305,673. Myoshi Wilson admitted to making false statements to a federal agent in 2019, to conceal the conspiracy.
“VA employees are public servants with a solemn duty to care for our nation’s veterans,” said David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge of the VA OIG’s Southeast Field Office. “The sentencing of these three defendants demonstrates the VA OIG’s commitment to holding accountable anyone who abuses their position to enrich themselves. The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its strong partnership in sending a clear message that VA employees will be held to the highest ethical standards, which preserves the public trust in VA.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Suspended Bamberg County Councilman Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint on False Statements ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Kerry Trent Kinard, 49, of Bamberg, South Carolina, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint and charged with making material false statements in connection to the attempted acquisition of a firearm.
Kinard had his initial appearance on the federal charge before United States Magistrate Judge Shiva V. Hodges, where the court scheduled a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing for Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 10:00am. At this time, Kinard remains in custody.
According to the complaint, on November 5, 2020, a Bamberg County Grand Jury returned seven felony indictments against Kinard related to the sexual abuse of children over the course of numerous years, as alleged in those indictments. The complaint further alleges Kinard was on notice that he was under felony indictment as a result of the presiding South Carolina Court of General Sessions judge’s initial denial of bond citing the “unreasonable danger to the community” Kinard’s release would then represent, as a result of Kinard’s participation in numerous hearings on the state felony charges, and as a result of Governor Henry McMaster’s suspension of Kinard from service on the Bamberg County Council following the indictments.
As further alleged in the complaint, on October 27, 2020, after finding that Kinard represented a credible threat to the physical safety of a petitioner and that Kinard used or threatened to use physical force expected to cause bodily injury, a presiding South Carolina Family Court judge entered a protective order restraining Kinard from threatening or using physical force against the petitioner. The complaint alleges Kinard was also on notice that he was subject to such an order as a result of his participation in the hearing on the protective order.
The complaint alleges that, while out on bond, under seven felony indictments, and subject to a protective order, Kinard entered a federally licensed firearms dealer and made two false statements material to the lawfulness of the sale in an attempt to acquire a firearm. On December 3, 2020, Kinard attempted to acquire a Taurus, Model G3 9mm pistol from a firearm dealer in Columbia. In the course of doing so, the complaint alleges Kinard made two false statements in violation of federal law: Kinard falsely claimed he was not under felony indictment and Kinard claimed he was not subject to a protective order. The complaint alleges that both false statements were material in that if he had answered truthfully, the sale would have been unlawful and therefore denied.
The maximum penalty for this offense is ten years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who brought the federal criminal complaint, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia Office.
United States Attorney McCoy stated that all charges in this case are merely allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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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.
kinard-_unsealed_complaint.pdfStash house operator who conducted “heat runs” convicted for drug schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Mexican national has admitted to possessing with intent to distribute over 40 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On March 17, authorities conducted surveillance on what they suspected to be a drug stash house in McAllen. There, they observed Hugo Cristobal Garza-Ornelas departing the location in a possible load vehicle.
Later, they witnessed Ornelas conducting “heat runs,” which are unpredictable routes meant to evade law enforcement, and began pursuit. He attempted to flee from his vehicle on foot, but authorities quickly apprehended him.
A search of the abandoned load vehicle led to the discovery of approximately 14.68 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement also searched the stash house Garza-Ornelas operated and seized another 26.74 kilograms of cocaine as well as a rifle and ammunition.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $1.025 million.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa will impose sentencing Feb. 21, 2021. At that time, Garza-Ornelas faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Stealing from Indian Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who engaged in rebate schemes, fraudulent invoice schemes, and stole items belonging to the Winebago Tribe of Nebraska pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Jason Ehlers, age 48, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
In a plea agreement, Ehlers admitted that he stole and embezzled from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska at least $22,432.00. Ehlers admitted to using his position as a General Manager with BluStone Homes, also known as HoChunk Real-Estate, solely owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, to engage in rebate schemes, a fraudulent invoice scheme, and theft of construction supplies, for his own benefit.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ehlers remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ehlers faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4089.
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Pueblo Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Maximillian Zeferino Esquibel, age 32 of Pueblo, was sentenced to serve 58 months (nearly 5 years) in federal prison, followed by 3 years on supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Esquibel was convicted after the first criminal jury trial in the District of Colorado since COVID-19 impacted the court system in March. The FBI and Southern Colorado Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force joined in this announcement.
According to court documents and facts presented at trial, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement agents and officers executed a search warrant at Esquibel’s residence. He was present during the execution of the warrant, along with his girlfriend. There were children present as well.
During the search investigators found four firearms, including an AR-15 style rifle, with the safety switch turned to the “fire” position, loaded with an extended magazine that contained multiple rounds of live ammunition. Three other firearms and over 100 rounds of ammunition were also seized. Esquibel had a prior felony conviction in Pueblo County in 2006 for aggravated robbery, making it a crime for him to possess firearms.
“Reducing gun crime in Pueblo has been a focus of this office and the Safe Streets Task Force for several years now,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “This case is just one example of how, working with the Pueblo Police Department and the District Attorney’s office, we are clearly having a significant impact.”
“The recent sentencing of Maximillian Zeferino Esquibel is a result of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to remove violent criminals from our neighborhoods,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “The citizens of Colorado deserve this collective effort, and I want to thank our Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force for helping to keep our community safe.”
Esquibel was first charged by Criminal Complaint on August 9, 2019. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 12, 2019. He was found guilty following the first post COVID shutdown trial on September 1, 2020, and was sentenced on December 4, 2020.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Southern Coloarado Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force. Esquibel was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason St. Julien and Thomas Minser.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing 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. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partners.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 19-cr-376.
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.
Project Python defendant gets 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 28-year-old resident of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to a long prison term for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Gerardo Cervantes-Valenzuela pleaded guilty July 8.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered him to serve 120 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Cervantes-Valenzuela’s prior federal conviction for drug trafficking.
On June 7, 2018, Cervantes-Valenzuela provided an informant with two drug-laden fire extinguishers. Law enforcement obtained the items and conducted an undercover operation which led to additional arrests and convictions of co-conspirators in Georgia.
The combined weight of the drugs from the two extinguishers was over 4.8 kilos of 99.73% pure meth.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the Organized Crime and Drug Task (OCDETF) operation known as Gelo Podre as part of Project Python – a nationwide operation targeting the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación. It has resulted in more than 600 arrests, 350 indictments and significant seizures of money and drugs across the United States.
Laredo DEA led this investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department; Henry County, Georgia, Police Department; Flint, Georgia, Circuit Drug Enforcement Task Force; Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State Troopers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans prosecuted the case.
Morgantown woman admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marreen Joy Garrett, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Garrett, age 60, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.” Garrett admitted to having heroin in March 2020 in Morgan County.
Garrett 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 Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Member of the Violent Extremist Group “the Base” Pleads Guilty in Maryland to Federal Charges for Transporting an Illegal Alien—A Fellow Base Member Whom He Knew Was Planning to Engage in Subversive and/or Criminal Activity in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced a member of the racially motivated violent extremist group “The Base” William Garfield Bilbrough IV, age 20, of Denton, Maryland, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Bilbrough pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport an alien and to transporting the alien, specifically, a fellow member of The Base.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
“Preserving our nation’s security against terrorist threats continues to be the Justice Department’s top priority. Lives were saved due to the skill and dedication of law enforcement in this case. William Bilbrough and his cohorts intended to inflict violence on the basis of their racist and hateful beliefs. As long as violent extremists take steps to harm innocent people, we will continue to use all of the tools we have to prevent and deter them,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.
“Today's admission of guilt shows how far Mr. Bilbrough was willing to go to support extremist activity,” said Jennifer C. Boone Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “This investigation and the guilty plea underscores the continuing threat we face from domestic extremist groups. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain fully prepared to take actions necessary to safeguard our communities.”
According to his plea agreement, Bilbrough was a member of The Base, a racially motivated violent extremist group. Since 2018, The Base has built a coalition of white supremacist members within the United States and abroad through, among other things, online chat rooms, in-person meetings, propaganda, and military-style training. Bilbrough participated in a regional training camp conducted by members of The Base in Georgia from August 2 through August 4, 2019, including participating in tactical training and firearms drills. Later that month, Bilbrough attended another Base training camp in a different state.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 30, 2019, Bilbrough and a co-conspirator traveled in the co-conspirator’s truck from Maryland to southern Michigan to pick up a member of The Base who had fled from Winnipeg, Canada and illegally entered the United States. Bilbrough admitted that he knew the person they were picking up had entered the United States illegally and that they were picking him up in order to transport him to the East Coast where he could safely reside and continue his participation in The Base. Bilbrough and his co-conspirator remained in Michigan for approximately two hours, after which all three men headed back east. Bilbrough drove at least part of the time and was dropped off at his house in Maryland on the evening of August 31, 2019. Bilbrough brought back a few souvenirs, including a flag for The Base and a book widely distributed in white nationalist circles.
Bilbrough acknowledged that on about October 30, 2019, Bilbrough’s co-conspirator picked him up at his Maryland residence and the two drove to Georgia to attend a training camp at the property of another member of The Base. The illegal alien whom they had picked up in August was already residing at the Georgia property and also attended the training camp. While in Georgia, on November 2, 2019, Bilbrough and his co-conspirator purchased approximately 1,550 rounds of 5.56 ammunition for $558.54. Later that day, Bilbrough, his co-conspirator, and the illegal alien traveled from Georgia to Maryland, with Bilbrough driving at least part of the way.
As detailed in the plea agreement, as of November 2019, Bilbrough’s co-conspirator and the illegal alien lived at a residence in Delaware. Bilbrough visited the Delaware residence on at least one occasion. On December 21, 2019, Bilbrough arrived at the Delaware residence and handled an assault rifle that the illegal alien had constructed with the co-conspirator’s assistance and encouragement. Bilbrough and the two men discussed an upcoming rally in Virginia, activities of The Base, and other members of the organization. Bilbrough also discussed with them the manufacture of DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a controlled substance, and attempted to actually manufacture DMT. Bilbrough stated that he may try to sell DMT to the people to whom he delivers pizza and stated that he knew DMT was illegal and that it was a felony to have DMT.
Bilbrough admitted that he knew the illegal alien had entered the United States to engage in subversive activity or other serious criminal activity, and had never disavowed that purpose while Bilbrough transported and otherwise interacted with the illegal alien.
Federal charges in Maryland and Delaware remain pending against two other alleged members of The Base, Brian Mark Lemley, age 34, of Elkton, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware; and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, age 28, most recently of Newark, Delaware. Both defendants have motions pending and no trial date has been set. The defendants remain detained.
United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and David C. Weiss commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and ATF for their work in the investigation, and thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland State Police, and the Delaware State Police for their assistance. Mr. Hur and Mr. Weiss thanked their offices’ national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Using Counterfeit Credit CardsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bowie, Maryland man pleaded guilty today in federal court to using counterfeit credit cards, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
According to court records, in December 2018, Charles Harris, 37, and his co-defendant, Bryan Boley, used counterfeit credit cards at Maine retail outlets. The credit card numbers were purchased online.
Harris faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. Harris’s co-defendant Boley was sentenced on November 15, 2019, to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The U.S. Secret Service; the Maine State Police; and the Auburn, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth and Yarmouth Police Departments investigated the case.
Lehigh, Iowa Man to Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Thomas Hendrickson, 72, from Lehigh, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison on December 4, 2020.
Evidence showed that from January 2019 through October 2019, Hendrickson was involved in a conspiracy that distributed over five pounds of methamphetamine. On October 10, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Hendrickson was operating. After a K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances, law enforcement searched the vehicle and located approximately one pound of methamphetamine in a plastic baggie. On this same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hendrickson’s residence in Lehigh and seized about one ounce of methamphetamine, approximately one pound of marijuana, and roughly $15,000 in U.S. currency. Hendrickson previously served more than 14 years in prison for a federal firearm offense after being classified as an Armed Career Criminal.
Hendrickson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hendrickson was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hendrickson is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Tri-County Drug Taskforce, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, North Central Iowa Drug Taskforce, Central Iowa Drug Taskforce, and the Iowa DCI.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-3047.
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Laurel Pimp Pleads Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Three Women to Cross State Lines to Engage in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Robert Carl Diienno, age 32, formerly of Laurel, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for enticing three victims to travel in interstate commerce for the purposes of prostitution. Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Diienno must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, from at least November 2016 through June 2017, Diienno acted as a pimp for Victim 1, and at other times for Victims 2 and 3, who were all adult women. During that time, Diienno persuaded, enticed, induced, and coerced the victims to engage in a prostitution enterprise that included travel between Maryland and Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina in order to service “dates” in acts of prostitution. The victims provided any money earned from the commercial sex to Diienno, including transferring payments electronically through Internet-based payment services, such as PayPal and Venmo.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Diienno and the victims resided at a residence in Laurel, which was used as a group home and the base of the enterprise. “Meeting minutes” recovered from the house identify the location as “Duh ho house.” Some of the meeting minutes are signed by one of the victims and include attendance at the meeting; a report on potential new recruits; and the “Comptroller’s Report” showing the amount earned by each of the victims related to their prostitution activities. In the residence and on Diienno’s laptop law enforcement recovered documents titled, “ho Training Manual,” “ho Rules,” and “Pimp/ho Contract.” The documents stated requirements that a “ho” submits to the control of the “Pimp,” including accepting any punishment the Pimp decides to inflict, with certain limitations, such as punishment must not incur permanent bodily harm, and must stop immediately if blood is drawn, among others.
A text exchange in late May 2017, between Diienno and Victim 3 demonstrated how Diienno coerced the victims. When Diienno persuaded Victim 3 to “walk the streets” in Washington, D.C., Victim 3 claimed to be ill. Diienno told Victim 3, “I care about seeing you become a strong ho and a strong person in general…Taking you home is what would show that I don’t care. That would mean I don’t give a f*** about your development as a person.”
On June 1, 2017, Laurel Police Department was called to the residence for a disturbance at that location. Victim 1 and Victim 3 were found hiding in a nearby treeline and reported that Diienno had assaulted Victim 1 when she refused to walk the streets. Diienno was arrested.
During the subsequent investigation, two firearms belonging to Diienno were recovered from the Laurel residence. At least one victim recalled seeing Diienno handle a firearm and was intimidated by that behavior.
This case was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force, part of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.
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Laredo smuggler sentenced after conspiring to import nearly $2M in drugsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 59-year-old man from Laredo has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiring with others to import approximately 4.1 kilograms of heroin and 34.3 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Leonardo Rubio pleaded guilty July 8.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Rubio to serve a 72-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted Rubio’s prior drug convictions as well as the serious nature and amount of narcotics he attempted to smuggle in this case.
Rubio attempted to cross the border at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo on Jan. 24. At that time, law enforcement conducted an inspection of the interior of Rubio’s car and found a total of 33 packages concealed within the back wall and back seat of the vehicle.
Thirty of the packages had an approximate weight of 34 kilograms and field tested positive for cocaine, while the remaining three totaled over four kilograms and tested positive for heroin.
The drugs had an approximate street value of $1.19 million.
Rubio admitted he was importing and transporting the narcotics inside his vehicle.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yoona Lim prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Settles Claim Against Texas IT Company for Using Job Advertisements that Discriminated Against and Deterred U.S. Workers in Favor of Temporary Visa HoldersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it signed a settlement agreement with Ikon Systems, LLC (Ikon), an IT staffing and recruiting company based in Texas. This is the eleventh settlement by the Civil Rights Division under its 2017 Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, which is aimed at targeting, investigating, and taking enforcement actions against companies that discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of temporary visa workers. Today’s settlement resolves claims that Ikon routinely discriminated against U.S. workers by posting job advertisements specifying a preference for applicants with temporary work visas, and that Ikon failed to consider at least one U.S. citizen applicant who applied to a discriminatory advertisement.
“Employers, no matter their size and no matter their industry, cannot limit employment opportunities only to temporary visa holders. When employers post job advertisements that discriminate against U.S. workers, they violate the Immigration and Nationality Act’s citizenship-status discrimination provision,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Our message is clear: if employers discriminate in advertising, recruiting, or hiring against U.S. workers by illegally preferring temporary visa holders, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will act to protect them under the Immigration and Nationality Act.”
The Department’s investigation began after a U.S. citizen filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division against Ikon. Based on its investigation, the Department concluded that from May 8, 2019, to September 21, 2019, Ikon posted at least eight facially discriminatory job advertisements targeting non-U.S. citizens with immigration statuses associated with employment-based visas. For instance, the investigation revealed that one of Ikon’s advertisements stated, “Looking for OPT, CPT, H4 EAD, and H-1B transfer.” The Department also determined that Ikon failed to properly consider a U.S. citizen’s application to one of the job postings due to his citizenship status.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), employers are not allowed to discriminate in recruitment or hiring based on citizenship status. The INA protects U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, refugees, asylees, and recent lawful permanent residents from citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment or referral for a fee. Workers who fall outside of these categories are not protected from citizenship status discrimination under the INA.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Ikon will pay $27,000 in civil penalties to the United States, revise its policies and procedures, and train relevant employees and agents on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision. Separately, Ikon will pay $15,000 to the affected U.S. citizen.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) has reached 11 settlements under the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, and employers have agreed to pay or have distributed a combined total of more than $1.2 million in back pay to affected U.S. workers and civil penalties to the United States. These settlements involve employers that discriminated in their use of the H-1B, H-2A, H-2B and F-1 visa programs. In addition, the Department is currently litigating a U.S. Workers Initiative case, which involves a December 3, 2020 lawsuit filed against a major technology company for allegedly refusing to recruit, consider, or hire qualified and available U.S. workers in favor of temporary visa holders, including in the H‑1B visa program.
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public also can contact IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688; call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
The Civil Rights Division wants to hear about civil rights violations. Members of the public can report possible civil rights violations through the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal.
Judge sentences St. Peters man for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Ramon Gonzalez, Jr. to 268 months in prison today. The 48-year-old St. Peters, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
During 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into a drug trafficking enterprise by several co-defendants. The DEA conducted multiple controlled purchases in July, August and September, from a co-defendant residing in rural Missouri. DEA identified several other co-conspirators, and learned that one of them was in regular telephone contact.
The investigation grew to include targets in Kansas City and California. Investigators used judicially authorized wiretaps to identify co-conspirators and determine their roles. Investigators, in March 2019, intercepted a co-defendant speaking with Gonzalez. The call revealed the co-defendant intended to meet with Gonzalez to pick-up cash from the sales of various controlled substances.
On March 8, 2019, deputies from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department located the co-defendant’s vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 44. During a traffic stop, deputies searched the co-defendant’s vehicle and discovered a box containing $197,660 in drug proceeds.
In March and April 2019, DEA used informants to make controlled purchases of large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl directly from Gonzalez. One of these purchases occurred at Gonzalez’s residence in St. Peters. On April 25, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at that residence, during which they seized 6,386 grams of fentanyl, 5,547 grams of methamphetamine, 5,013 grams of heroin and 3,961 grams of cocaine. In a separate location nearby, they located and seized more than 20 firearms, many of which had been stolen and traded for drugs.
"Big poly-drug trafficking operations like this one require many law enforcement agencies to successfully dismantle," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erik Smith, head of the DEA St. Louis Division. “Fortunately, DEA's partnership with the St. Charles County Drug Task Force, Police Department and Prosecutor's Office, along with other agencies, helped assemble the evidence to end his illegal business practice."
The Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service and multiple law enforcement agencies investigated this case.
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Jewelry Importer to Pay $400,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Unpaid Customs Duties on Chinese EarringsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former jewelry importer, TSI Accessories Group, Inc. (TSI), will pay $402,637 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to pay customs duties on sterling silver earring imports from China.
Under customs laws, duties on sterling silver earrings imported from China vary based on the value of the jewelry—the more expensive the earrings, the lower the duty rate. An earring’s value is calculated per earring (rather than each pair of earrings or collection of earrings).
Between 2012 and 2015, TSI imported display cards of sterling silver earrings from China for resale at department stores. The display cards often included multiple pairs of earrings. The government contends that TSI improperly concealed the number and value of these imports from U.S. Customs and Border Protection by describing on import records the number of display cards imported, rather than the number of individual earrings. TSI’s misstatements increased the declared value of the imports, allowing TSI to pay a lower duty than it should have based on the value of each earring.
“Companies taking advantage of U.S. markets must comply with the law, including paying import duties levied to protect domestic companies from unfair competition,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “This settlement underscores our efforts to ensure that importers uphold their responsibilities in American markets. We credit TSI’s cooperation in this investigation and agreement to make the government whole.”
“In addition to securing our borders from terrorists, terrorist weapons and dangerous goods, CBP is charged with enforcing U.S. trade laws to protect the American economy,” said Michael S. Denning, Director, Boston Field Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “We will continue to use the authorities and tools at our disposal to combat trade fraud to ensure a fair and competitive marketplace for all traders.”
“Homeland Security Investigations takes custom fraud cases very seriously. Mislabeling import documentation in order to pay lower duties improperly inflates costs to everyday consumers,” said David Magdycz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI Boston. “HSI applauds the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their significant assistance in the investigation, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s office for aggressively prosecuting this fraud.”
This civil settlement arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with this settlement, the whistleblower will receive approximately $70,000 of the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Lelling, CBP Director Denning and HSI Boston Acting SAC Magdycz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia of Lelling’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled this matter.
Iowa Man to Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tyler Tinken, 37, from Dakota City, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison on December 7, 2020.
Evidence at showed that from July 2019 through November 14, 2019, Tinken was involved in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the Humboldt and Sac County areas. On multiple occasions in September and October 2019, Tinken distributed just over a pound of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. During a search of Tinken’s vehicle and residence in November 2019, law enforcement seized over 650 grams of pure methamphetamine that Tinken intended to distribute to others.
Tinken was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tinken was sentenced to 47 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Tinken was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-3059.
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Houston Man Arrested for International Money Laundering Conspiracy Stretching from the U.S. Virgin Islands to NigeriaRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Marvellous Eghaghe was arrested in Houston, Texas in connection with international wire fraud and money laundering schemes.
According to the indictment filed in the case, Eghaghe created a Texas company and an associated bank account that he used to funnel money fraudulently obtained from victims in the United States Virgin Islands, Alabama, Texas and Colombia. Part of the scheme involved “spoofing,” in which perpetrators intrude upon victims’ business email communications by setting up an email address similar to that of one of the legitimate participants, thereby diverting money transfers to unknown subjects inside and outside of the United States. The indictment also alleges that in another instance, coconspirators forged over $2 million in checks from the account of an unsuspecting business.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Brooks.
An indictment is merely a formal charging document, and it is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hattiesburg Felon with Extensive Criminal History Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Jermaine Brown, 36, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brown was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
On October 11, 2019, Brown was found in possession a firearm during a safety checkpoint being operated in Forrest County. Brown was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including drug trafficking and robbery.
Brown was originally indicted for this offense on November 19, 2019. He pled guilty on June 11, 2020.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Hattiesburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Hattiesburg Felon Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearm under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Michael Bounds, 30, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett to 15 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Bounds was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
On August 24, 2019, Bounds was found in possession of two firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun, during a traffic stop in Forrest County. Bounds was previously convicted of multiple felonies.
Bounds was originally indicted for this offense on January 29, 2020. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on August 18, 2020.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Hattiesburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Harrison County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 17 YearsRead the Press Release
MARSHALL, Texas – A 27-year-old Marshall, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.
Danny Brian Hernandez pleaded guilty on Sep. 14, 2020, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on Dec. 7, 2020.
According to information presented in court, Hernandez was a member of an organization responsible for importing large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico and selling it in Marshall, Texas. The evidence showed that Hernandez sold more than 13 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions. Hernandez and eight others were indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 19, 2020, and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.
This is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office; and the Marshall Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country and its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States. The prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task forces leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement.
Hamden Man Charged with Mailing Threatening Letters, Some Containing White PowderRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NICHOLAS SEPESKO, 70, of Hamden, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with mailing threatening letters, some of which contained white powder, to an individual.
Following his arrest, Sepesko appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and was released on a $20,000 bond.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, between October 2018 and November 2020, Sepesko mailed multiple letters to an individual threatening to harm the victim and the victim’s spouse. None of the letters contained a return address. The last three letters Sepesko mailed to the victim contained not only threats, but also a white powdery substance. In the most recent letter, Sepesko wrote that the white powder could be rat poison or Ricin.
The three letters containing the unknown powdery substance lead to physical responses by federal, state and local law enforcement and environmental protection agencies. It is alleged that laboratory analysis of the substance contained in a letter mailed by Sepesko in early October contained calcium carbonate. Test results of the substance contained in the other two letters are pending.
The complaint charges Sepesko with mailing threatening communications, and conveying false information and hoax. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a $250,000 fine, restitution and, with respect to a hoax, repayment of reimbursement for any municipal response.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that this alleged crime and other like it will be vigorously prosecuted, as hoax letters containing white powder cause emotional distress for recipients and consume valuable time and resources of our first responders.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Wallingford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Hamden Police Department and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
Gulf Coast Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Joseph Benjamin Posey, II, 19, of Biloxi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
On September 2, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Biloxi Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Posey was a passenger. As a result of the stop, officers located two loaded handguns, one of which was stolen. Posey subsequently admitted that he obtained the guns three days before the traffic stop, and that he and the other occupant of the vehicle were on their way to speak to another individual about a series of shootings in Biloxi. Posey also admitted that he was a member of local gang and that he used marijuana daily.
Posey was indicted on October 6, 2020. He will be sentenced on March 11, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Biloxi Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner.
Grant County man admits to drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jay Dean Hall, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to drug and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hall, 55, pled guilty today to on one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises,” and one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime.” Hall admitted to using his home on Spencer Drive in Petersburg as a drug distribution location and having a 9mm rifle in his home. The crimes occurred in August 2019 in Grant County.
Hall faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the drug charge and faces at least five years of incarceration for the firearm during a drug crime charge. 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Former comptroller of Catholic Diocese of Steubenville sentenced to prison for tax crimes, embezzlementRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The former comptroller of the Catholic Diocese of Steubenville was sentenced in federal court in Columbus today for failing to pay payroll taxes withheld from the paychecks of diocesan employees, filing false tax returns and embezzling $299,500 in diocesan funds between 2008 and 2017.
David A. Franklin, 67, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in July 2020 to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over employment tax, one count of making a false income tax return and one count of wire fraud. Today Franklin was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay $1,332,885.04 in restitution.
According to court documents, from 2004 through 2016, Franklin caused payroll taxes to be withheld from employee paychecks for the Diocese of Steubenville and the Office of Social Ministry (a social services and charitable nonprofit in the Diocese), but did not pay the withheld funds over to the Internal Revenue Service. From 2013 through 2016, Franklin did the same thing at the Mount Calvary Cemetery Association.
As a result, the three Diocesan Entities later paid the IRS more than $2.7 million in withheld payroll taxes and the employer portion of the employment taxes that Franklin had caused not to be paid over. The Diocesan Entities also had to pay nearly $1 million in interest and penalties to the IRS that they otherwise would not have had to pay.
While he was failing to truthfully account for and pay over payroll taxes, Franklin also embezzled $299,500 from the Diocesan Entities by preparing fraudulent checks to be issued to himself. For four tax years, Franklin also filed false personal income tax returns, causing tax losses of more than $33,000.
The Court ordered Franklin to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. Restitution will go to the Diocese of Steubenville, the Office of Social Ministry, the Mount Calvary Cemetery Association, and the IRS. Franklin was also ordered to forfeit the nearly $300,000 he embezzled.
“The Diocesan Entities provide support to individuals and families, youth educational programs, a thrift store, an emergency food bank and more,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Franklin’s actions cost the Diocese – and the community – $1.3 million. Today’s sentence and restitution order show that, in the long run, it does not pay to cheat the government or embezzle. Not only will you be left without your criminal proceeds, you’ll spend time in prison.”
U.S. Attorney DeVillers and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Jane Hanlin are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Convicted Human Trafficker Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Christopher Michael Cockrell, 45, of Bentonia, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On September 2, 2020 the United States Probation Office discovered that Cockrell had possession of cell phone which contained a video showing a firearm in a hunting blind. Cockrell had been previously convicted in federal court in the Western District of Missouri for a Human Trafficking Offense. After having served a lengthy prison sentence, Cockrell was released from prison and came to live in Mississippi. Cockrell was then placed under the supervision of the United States Probation Office in the Southern District of Mississippi.
The United States Probation Office informed the ATF that they believed there was evidence that Cockrell had possessed a firearm. As a convicted felon, it is against federal law for the Cockrell to possess a firearm. ATF agents conducted an investigation and Cockrell eventually admitted that he had possessed firearms for hunting purposes.
Cockrell was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 17th of 2020. He is currently in custody and will be sentenced on March 9, 2021 by Judge Reeves. Cockrell faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Former Brewer Resident Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A former Brewer resident was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Joseph L. Messier, 55, to 220 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release. Messier pleaded guilty on October 17, 2019.
According to court records, Messier possessed videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which he had purposefully sought out and received through the internet in early 2018. These videos depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children under the age of 12. Messier faced an enhanced sentence of 10–20 years in prison because of a prior sex offense conviction.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Five New York Residents Charged with Scheme to Defraud BanksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five people have been charged for their participation in a scheme to engage in bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Jose Lopez Blanco, 22; Jesus Emilio Ruiz Ramirez, 21; Cori Mojica Caminero, 25; Marisol Gomez, 34; and Daury DeLeon, 24, all of the Bronx, New York, are each charged by superseding complaint with one count of bank fraud conspiracy. Blanco was additionally charged with one count of mail theft and one count of unlawful possession of a postal key.
Blanco and two other individuals were charged in December 2019 with one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful possession of a postal key. According to that complaint, Blanco had been observed by law enforcement officers using a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) arrow key (a special master key maintained by USPS employees) to gain unauthorized access to, and steal mail from, a USPS mail collection box in Newark. Blanco remains on pretrial release on those charges and will make his initial court appearance by video conference later this week.
Ruiz Ramirez, Caminero, and Gomez were arrested today and are scheduled to appear by videoconference before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre this afternoon. DeLeon remains at large.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2018 through December 2019, postal inspectors investigated a group of individuals for stealing checks and money orders from the mail; altering those financial instruments; depositing them into bank accounts; and withdrawing the proceeds before the victims discovered the fraud.
The investigation revealed that following various thefts from mail collections boxes, the defendants and others deposited various stolen and altered checks and money orders into accounts that they controlled, as well as accounts controlled by other conspirators. The defendants and conspirators withdrew the stolen proceeds shortly thereafter.
As a result, the defendants and conspirators deposited more than $250,000 worth of stolen financial instruments into certain bank accounts, some of which were opened solely for the purposes of receiving and depositing the stolen financial instruments. The defendants and their conspirators were captured on bank video surveillance footage, on at least 50 occasions engaging in fraudulent transactions in these accounts.
The count of mail theft carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greater. The count of unlawful possession of a postal key carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greater. The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea; the New York City Department of Investigation - Office of the Inspector General, the New York City Housing Authority, under the direction of New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett; New York City Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Dermot Shea; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose; and the Roselle Park, New Jersey Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Daniel J. McCaffery, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason P. Garelick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the superseding complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Five Canadian Nationals Charged with Running Magazine Telemarketing Scam Targeting Elderly Victims in Southern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five Canadian men have been indicted on federal fraud charges alleging they ran a million-dollar telemarketing scam that deceived victims – many of them elderly Southern California residents – into paying off non-existent debts they purportedly owed from magazine subscriptions.
A federal grand jury on Friday returned a 10-count indictment that charges the defendants with conspiracy and nine counts of wire fraud. Those charged are:
- Ahmad Eraif, 35, of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec;
- Mohamed Eraif, 37, of Pierrefonds, Quebec, who is Ahmad Eraif’s brother;
- Jonathan Massouras, 30, of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec;
- William Gampel, 29, of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec; and
- Kevin Gampel, 26, of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, who is William Gampel’s brother.
The indictment alleges that, from 2013 to September 2015, the defendants, from locations in Montreal and Toronto, contacted victims throughout the United States, claiming to be calling from companies such as “Magazine Readers,” “Global Readers,” and “American Reader Services.” During these telephone calls, the defendants allegedly claimed that the victims – many of whom were elderly – owed money for magazine subscriptions.
Participants in the scheme allegedly told victims that if they paid the amount “owed” their purported debts would be satisfied and they would receive no future phone calls. However, victims’ personal information was collected and stored for the purposes of charging the victims’ financial accounts and for making repeated calls demanding payments, according to the indictment.
In reality, the victims did not owe the money demanded by the callers. Even when they paid, the defendants and others acting at their direction often called the victims again, sometimes repeatedly, demanding additional payments for other purported debts related to magazine subscriptions, the indictment alleges.
To further induce the victims to send money, the defendants allegedly threatened to damage the victims’ credit or bring legal action against them if the victims did not pay the amounts demanded.
The indictment alleges specific telephone calls between telemarketers in Canada and victims in Garden Grove, Ventura, Beverly Hills and Granada Hills.
The total losses in this case exceed $1 million, the indictment alleges.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count in the indictment carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is one of six offices participating in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of federal law enforcement and non-governmental organizations to combat international fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors.
Federal authorities to review shooting of Casey GoodsonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney David M. DeVillers announced today the U.S. Attorney’s Office – in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the Cincinnati Division of the FBI and the Columbus Division of Police – will review the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dec. 4, 2020 shooting of Casey Goodson and take appropriate action if the evidence indicates any federal civil rights laws were violated.
As this matter is ongoing, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.
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Essex County Convicted Felon Charged with Drug Offenses and Possessing Three Firearms with Extended Magazines, Including Am-15 RifleRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was charged in connection with possessing several firearms, including an AM-15 rifle, as well as quantities of crack cocaine and heroin with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Cedric Lewis, 30, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, on Dec. 4, 2020, and was detained following an initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement officials learned about Lewis’ involvement in an incident on Sept. 20, 2020, where Lewis was in a car in Elizabeth, New Jersey, while he possessed 118 jugs containing suspected crack cocaine, as well as an AM-15 rifle with a high-capacity magazine that contained thirty rounds of .300 caliber ammunition. On Sept. 25, 2020, law enforcement lawfully searched Lewis’ apartment and recovered the following: one 9 millimeter pistol with an extended magazine; one .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine; drug paraphernalia and a scale; $800 in United States currency; one clear plastic bag containing a distribution quantity of suspected crack cocaine; several bundles of distribution quantities of suspected heroin; and 9 suspected Xanax pills.
The narcotics offenses each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm each carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison – which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; special agents of the ATF, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; deputy marshals with the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of New Jersey, under the supervision of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; as well as deputy marshals with the U.S. Marshals Service in the Northern District of Georgia, under the supervision of U.S. Marshal Michael S. Yeager, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest. He also thanked the Bloomfield Police Department for its assistance with this case.
This case is a 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 ensured 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eleven Defendants Convicted for Involvement with Battle Creek Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Final Two Defendants Convicted After Four-Day Trial
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that on December 4, 2020, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against two defendants following a four-day trial in Kalamazoo: Ricardo Mercado-Lozano, also known as Heriberto Diaz-Lozano and Eddie Diaz, a citizen of Mexico and resident of Greenwood, Indiana, and Stacey Parcell Gibson, a resident of Battle Creek. These two defendants are among eleven total defendants who have been convicted for their respective offenses in furtherance of a drug-trafficking conspiracy spearheaded by co-defendant Andrew Bravo of Battle Creek. Bravo’s drug-trafficking organization distributed kilograms of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, and quantities of heroin, fentanyl, MDMA or ecstasy, and kilograms of marijuana, in and around Battle Creek and Kalamazoo between May 2017 and December 2019. Bravo pleaded guilty to the drug-trafficking conspiracy on June 4, 2020 and was sentenced to 264 months in prison on October 5, 2020.
Mercado-Lozano, a self-admitted associate of the Sinaloa cartel, was a regional supplier of kilograms of cocaine and quantities of crystal methamphetamine to Bravo, who further distributed the controlled substances to other individuals in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Gibson obtained cocaine from Bravo and re-distributed it to customers in Battle Creek.
In announcing the convictions, U.S. Attorney Birge stated, “These convictions are the result of a long-term, multi-agency investigation into the drug trafficking of Andrew Bravo and his co-conspirators, who distributed cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, among other controlled substances, into the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo communities for years. The U.S Attorney’s Office is committed to bringing traffickers of dangerous drugs to justice no matter how long it takes. Our local communities are now safer with these individuals off the streets.”
“As part of a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) long-term transnational criminal organization investigation, there are now eleven convicted for their role in conspiracy to smuggle and distribute deadly drugs across Western Michigan," said Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “HSI used its network of agents and assets stationed across the U.S. and in foreign countries to dismantle this pipeline into the Midwest from Mexico. Multiple foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies helped perfect this investigation and raise the security profile of our borders.”
HSI and the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) began the investigation into Bravo’s drug-trafficking organization in mid-2017, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Michigan State Police (MSP), Emmett Township Police Department, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, St. Joseph Police Department, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, and Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office.
“Undoubtedly without the support, direct cooperation, and capability of this joint effort, of local, state, and federal assistance, these crimes against our community would have continued to cause harm and needless victimization,” stated Jim A. Blocker, Chief of Police, City of Battle Creek Police Department. “I am grateful to seek support, get it and achieve remarkable success. We continue to develop into a better and more capable organization, at every opportunity when we work together,” said Chief Blocker.
Keith W. Martin, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Detroit Division stated: “These convictions are the result of a wide-ranging investigation into this multi-state drug trafficking organization. Our partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies was essential in bringing these two poly-drug traffickers to justice. DEA remains committed to keeping these illegal and destructive drugs out of our communities.”
In December 2019, during the arrests of the defendants and execution of associated search warrants in this case, federal and state investigators seized quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, over a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, over 50 pounds of processed marijuana, over 300 marijuana plants, other controlled substances, three handguns, and over $50,000 in drug proceeds. The eleven defendants, their crimes of convictions, and sentence information are as follows:
Defendant
City
Conviction(s)
Sentence
Andrew Rolando Bravo
Battle Creek
- Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and 100 kilograms or more or 100 plants of Marijuana)
264 months
in prison
Ricardo Mercado-Lozano
also known as
Heriberto Diaz-Lozano and
Eddie Diaz
Greenwood, Indiana
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 500 grams or more of Cocaine)
Pending Sentencing
Mark Anthony Mosley
Battle Creek
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine)
Pending Sentencing
Christopher Michael Dreams
Battle Creek
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine)
Pending Sentencing
Rodney C. Compton, Jr.
Kalamazoo
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine)
100 months
in prison
Erineo Wallace
Lansing
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and MDMA or Ecstasy
60 months
in prison
Troy Edward Bush
Kalamazoo
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (including 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine)
Pending Sentencing
Stacey Parcell Gibson
Battle Creek
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
Pending Sentencing
Wayne Henry Hawley
Battle Creek
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine
120 months
in prison
Cory Karl Cadieux
Hudsonville
- Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 kilograms or more of Marijuana
37 months
in prison
Jeremiah E. Smith
Kalamazoo
- Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility to Cause or Facilitate the Commission of Felonies under the Controlled Substances Act
Pending Sentencing
This prosecution, dubbed Operation After Hours, was 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel T. McGraw and Vito S. Solitro.###
East Hartford Man Charged with Making Cell Phone Videos of Him Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and East Hartford Police Chief Scott M. Sansom today announced that SAEED MUSTAPHA MOUSSA, 30, of East Hartford, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses related to his alleged sexual assault of a minor.
Moussa appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson via videoconference. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on October 27, 2020.
As alleged in court documents, in September 2020, East Hartford Police received a report that Moussa’s cell phone contained videos of Moussa engaging in sexual activity with a young child. East Hartford Police subsequently conducted a court-authorized search of Moussa’s residence and seized Moussa’s cell phone, computer equipment and computer storage media. Investigators also executed a search warrant on Google for the contents of Moussa’s Google Photos account.
It is alleged that Moussa’s Google Photos account contained videos of Moussa sexually assaulting a girl who was approximately eight years old at the time the videos were taken.
The complaint charges Moussa with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
East Bay Man Charged with Selling Fentanyl-Laced Pills That Killed BuyerRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The United States Attorney’s Office charged Gage Pascoe with the distribution of pills containing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of his customer, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The federal complaint alleges that Pascoe, 22, of Pittsburg, California, sold counterfeit pills that appeared to be Oxycodone but instead contained the lethal drug fentanyl. The young adult customer purchased the pills from Pascoe and shortly after taking the apparent Oxycodone pills at a Walnut Creek home died from an overdose of fentanyl.
“This sad, tragic death shows how easy it is to die from drugs bought from drug dealers,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Counterfeit pills marked and sold as one drug, such as Oxycodone pills with “M30” stamps, commonly contain fentanyl instead. Even a tiny amount of fentanyl is deadly. Drug buyers must be aware that pills bought from drug dealers may be laced with fentanyl. Drug dealers should know we vigorously prosecute those who sell drugs that cause fentanyl overdoses.”
“Fentanyl is cheap, man-made and potent. Overdose can occur in the smallest amount and in this case it left a family with unimaginable loss,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. “We will pursue those who distribute this deadly drug and continue to seek justice for those lives that have been lost.”
The complaint charging Pascoe describes how he was a repeat dealer of illegal drugs to the victim. The complaint outlines that Pascoe communicated in the days before the death through a series of text messages with the victim, who he knew from attending the same high school, to sell Oxycodone to the victim. The texts, outlined in the complaint, show that Pascoe offered “more oxy” to his victim customer and they eventually met up in Pittsburg at night for Pascoe to sell the purported Oxycodone pills to the victim. The next day, June 17, 2020, the victim was found dead at a Walnut Creek home. The complaint describes how the victim’s father found pills in the victim’s room with “M30” stamped on them, which is a common stamp on counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. A lab analysis found those pills to contain fentanyl. As the complaint further describes, an analysis of the victim’s body showed the victim died from a fatal fentanyl overdose.
Pascoe was arrested on Saturday, December 5, 2020, and made an initial appearance today in San Francisco federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler. Pascoe is currently being held in custody pending further proceedings. He is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing before United States Magistrate Laurel Beeler on December 14, 2020, at 10:30 am.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Pascoe is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death or great physical injury, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). If convicted of this count, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Concord Police Department, and the Walnut Creek Police Department.
This investigation and prosecution is part of OCDETF, which 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.
Defendant Charged with Attempted Enticement of 12-Year-Old and 9-Year-Old GirlsRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced charges against STEVE ROSADO, a registered sex offender, for attempted enticement of two minor girls in New York, New York. ROSADO was arrested yesterday evening and presented in Manhattan federal court today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss stated: “Steve Rosado allegedly attempted to harm society’s most vulnerable – trying to engage in sexual activity with two young children, whom he believed to be 12 and 9 years old – even after he had been convicted of sex offenses in the past and required to register as a sex offender. I thank the FBI and the NYPD for their work in investigating and arresting Rosado before he could harm any more victims.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, Mr. Rosado knew exactly what he was doing when he arranged to have sex with two children, one of whom he believed was only 9 years old. As a convicted sex offender, he knew the risk and allegedly took it anyway. He is now in federal custody and facing prosecution. It’s not easy to investigate sexual predators. The agents, detectives, and analysts who constitute the FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force do this work each and every day hoping to stop the next offender from harming another child.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “These charges, by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York reflect our continuing commitment to keep those would who prey on children from stalking our streets. I praise our detectives and federal partners for their work in fighting on behalf of society’s most vulnerable individuals.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint charging ROSADO:[1]
On or about November 29, 2020, an undercover FBI agent (“UC-1”), posing as the mother of a 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl, initiated a series of conversations on an instant messaging platform with an individual identified to be ROSADO. Thereafter, UC-1 and ROSADO had numerous communications via the instant messaging platform, text message, and telephone call.
In these conversations, ROSADO repeatedly expressed, in graphic and unambiguous terms, his desire to engage in sexual activity with both children – including both oral and vaginal sex. To help alleviate any concerns UC-1 might have regarding ROSADO having sexual relations with her young children, ROSADO provided UC-1 with his recent test results for COVID-19 and HIV, and he discussed what he and UC-1 could do if he were to impregnate one of the children.
UC-1 and ROSADO arranged to meet at a bar in Manhattan on the evening of December 7, 2020, with the understanding that they would return to UC-1’s apartment afterward and ROSADO would then engage in sexual activity with the children. On the evening in question, ROSADO met UC-1 at the agreed-upon location. After the two of them left the bar and began walking toward UC-1’s purported apartment, law enforcement arrested ROSADO. ROSADO was in possession of a backpack containing, among other things, a toothbrush, a change of clothes, and lubricant.
* * *
ROSADO is charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2422(b) and 2, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of committing the aforementioned offense while being required to register as a sex offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A, which carries a mandatory sentence of an additional 10 years in prison.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Bodansky is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Correctional Officer at Metropolitan Correctional Center Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Engaging in Abusive Sexual Contact with InmatesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that COLIN AKPARANTA, formerly a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), which houses federal inmates in Manhattan, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 40 months in prison for engaging in abusive sexual contact with an inmate. AKPARANTA previously pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox to one count of abusive sexual contact of an inmate, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(a)(4), and one count of deprivation of the constitutional rights of that inmate, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. In connection with the plea, AKPARANTA also admitted that he engaged in abusive sexual contact with six additional victims, and engaged in sexual acts with all seven of the victims. U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who accepted AKPARANTA’s guilty plea, imposed today’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Colin Akparanta repeatedly abused his position of authority as a correctional officer at the MCC by sexually abusing inmates whose safety and security he was duty-bound to protect. Today’s sentence should send a strong message that correctional officers who abuse their authority and commit crimes will be held to account. This Office will remain vigilant to ensure that all inmates are afforded the dignity and security they deserve.”
According to the Indictment, other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:
AKPARANTA was employed as a correctional officer at the MCC starting in 2004. Between in or about late 2012 and in or about April 2018, AKPARANTA used his official position to engage in sexual acts and contact with at least seven female inmates at the MCC while they were under AKPARANTA’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. AKPARANTA digitally penetrated the victims’ vaginas and touched their breasts, buttocks, and/or genitalia. AKPARANTA also had some of the victims touch his penis over his pants. In addition, AKPARANTA smuggled contraband, including, but not limited to, personal hygiene items, makeup, and food into the MCC for some of the victims, and, with respect to at least one of the victims, explicitly conditioned his provision of contraband on the inmate’s continued performance of sexual acts with him. AKPARANTA also asked the victims for their contact information in order to reach them after their release.
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In addition to the prison term, Judge Schofield sentenced AKPARANTA, 44, of Irvington, New Jersey, to two years of supervised release.
Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption, Violent and Organized Crime, and Civil Rights Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Pomerantz, Sarah Krissoff, and Rachael Doud are in charge of the prosecution.
Columbus man sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shottuan Deshawn Galloway, aka “Pablo”, 27 of Columbus was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine in Columbus.
A multi-agency investigation into meth trafficking in west Columbus gathered evidence in August 2019 that Galloway was selling meth. The evidence included an undercover agent purchasing meth from Galloway in a restaurant parking lot. A grand jury indicted Galloway in November 2019. Galloway was ordered held without bond following his indictment. He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison on August 11, 2020 to one count of distributing more than 50 grams of meth. Judge Morrison imposed the sentence today. The sentence includes five years of court supervision after Galloway serves his prison time. Judge Morrison also ordered Galloway to receive substance abuse treatment while in custody.
Another person indicted along with Galloway, Jharen Page, 32, of Columbus, was sentenced on October 27, 2020 to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and distribution of meth. Charges are pending against a third defendant.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence. In addition, the police departments in Upper Arlington and Westerville, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are part of the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila Lafferty is representing the United States in this case.
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Cleveland man admits to selling heroin and fentanylRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Andre Diggs, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Diggs, also known as “Dre” and “Big Homie,” age 38, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Diggs admitted to selling a heroin and fentanyl mixture near Riverview Towers in Wheeling in December 2019.
Diggs faces at least one and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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 Shawn M. Adkins and Clayton J. Reid are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The U.S. Marshal Service, Columbus Police Department Gang Crimes Unit, the Martins Ferry Police Department, and the Bellaire Police Department also assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.