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25 January 2021
Judge sentences St. Louis man for threatening to kill a federal law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced W.T. Cortez Lakes to 77 months in prison today. The 34-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to assault or murder federal officers and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Lakes boarded a MetroLink train, on November 24, 2018, without a valid ticket. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department removed Lakes from the train for failing to produce a valid ticket. Lakes began acting suspicious while on the train platform and was repeatedly reaching into his pant pockets. As officers tried to do a pat-down search, Lakes turned and ran onto the railroad tracks. He left his backpack behind. A subsequent search of the backpack found a 9mm caliber semi-automatic handgun. It was loaded with 16 rounds and contained a magazine with a capacity for 18 rounds. Lakes, before November 24, 2018, was a convicted felon.
On November 26, 2018, Lakes called his probation officer to report the law enforcement contact. He admitted to her he was in possession of the firearm. This started a series of calls over eight days in which Lakes became increasingly agitated and stated he thought his supervision was going to be revoked. On December 3, 2018, Lakes left a voicemail with his probation officer. He stated he was “not going back to prison.” He warned, “When y’all come for me make sure y’all have your shit locked and loaded,” and “When y’all come don't have y’all guns in your holsters cause I'm shooting, I'm shooting, I swear to God. I'm not playing man cause I'm not going back to prison.”
In making these threats, Lakes was threatening his probation officer and any officers of the United States Marshals Service who may come to arrest him on a supervised release revocation warrant.
“Simply, our office will not tolerate threats or violence directed toward those who have committed their lives to protecting our communities,” said Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Should you engage in such actionable behavior, we will aggressively and relentlessly prosecute you to fullest extent of the law.”
“Today, justice was served in the case of W.T. Lakes. When he made threats to kill federal law enforcement officers for carrying out their sworn duty, it did not deter us from doing our job and he committed a crime in doing so. W.T. Lakes will have ample time to reflect on this mistake while serving out his sentence at the Bureau of Prisons,” John Jordan, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The United States Marshals Service and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dunkel is handling the case.
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Judge sentences St. Louis man for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced LeVaughn Neal to 156 months in prison today. The 36-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty, in October, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration learned, in August 2019, Neal and a co-defendant were involved in significant methamphetamine distribution in the St. Louis area. The United States Postal Inspection Service, at the same time, was conducting surveillance of suspicious packages mailed from Arizona to St. Louis.
On October 17, 2019, postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Scottsdale, Arizona to a vacant home in Jennings, Missouri. The addressee was not associated with the vacant home. DEA agents conducted surveillance on the vacant house and saw Neal parked in a vehicle near the house. The DEA conducted a controlled delivery of the package and left it on the front porch of the vacant house. Agents then watched Neal get out of a vehicle and pick-up the package off the porch.
Agents tried to arrest Neal, but he dropped the package and ran. Agents eventually arrested Neal and executed a search warrant to search the package. Inside the package, agents found zip-lock bags of crystal methamphetamine wrapped in duct tape and a vacuum-sealed bag inside bubble wrap. Neal admitted he chose the vacant address for delivery and the package should contain five pounds of methamphetamine. A forensics lab confirmed the package contained 2,217 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Neal ultimately admitted to being responsible for distributing between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is handling the case.
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Inmate Sentenced for Having Weapon at FCI BeckleyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Tyrice Perkins, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for possessing a weapon at the correctional facility. This sentence is to run consecutively to the sentence he currently is serving. He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
“Inmates that possess shanks or weapons in federal correctional facilities in this district will be prosecuted,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “It’s 12 more months in prison for Perkins.”
Perkins admitted that on February 9, 2020, he possessed a handcrafted weapon known as a shank. The shank was a 6 ½ inch piece of metal sharpened to a point on one end with a handle on the other end. A staff member at the prison saw Perkins drop the shank in the chow hall. The staff member then recovered the weapon. Perkins admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00179.
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Illegal Alien sentenced for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hashim Hussein, a citizen of Kuwait, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for selling cocaine near West Virginia University, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hussein, also known as “Kuwait,” age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Hydrochloride within 1000 Feet of Protected Location” in August 2020. Hussein admitted to selling cocaine hydrochloride, also known as “Coke,” in December 2019 near the campus of West Virginia University in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S Kleeh presided.
Huntington Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Emmanuel Lee Whitfield, 25, of Huntington, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin.
“Another Huntington heroin dealer convicted and sentenced to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I am proud of the relentless efforts of Huntington law enforcement to rid their streets of poison peddlers.”
Whitfield previously pled guilty and admitted that on March 7, 2019, he distributed approximately 5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant. This distribution of heroin occurred in controlled buy near 5 Washington Court in Huntington.
The Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00107.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Homestead Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Dealing Drugs that Caused Two Overdoses, One Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Homestead, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years of incarceration and 6 years of supervised release on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark A. Hornak imposed the sentence on Clayton Murphy, age 45, of Homestead, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Murphy distributed and possessed with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl on three separate occasions. On one occasion, the individual who received narcotics supplied by Murphy overdosed and died. On another occasion, another individual who received narcotics from Murphy overdosed, but was revived by Narcan.
Prior to imposing sentence, Chief Judge Hornak stated that the sentence, which the parties had agreed was appropriate, was reasonable in light of the significant consequences of the Murphy’s conduct, as well Murphy’s willingness to accept responsibility for his actions and their consequences.
Assistant United States Attorney Doug Maloney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Murphy.
Hobart Man Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - Jerry James, age 65, of Hobart, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann upon his plea of guilty to production of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Bell.
James was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, 15 years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to his known victims.
According to documents filed in this case, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant and searched James' home in Hobart, Indiana and discovered videos depicting child pornography on various electronic devices seized at the house. In his plea agreement, James admitted that between 2012 and January 2013, he produced videos that contained child pornography of minor victims, including some who had not yet attained the age of 12, engaged in sexual acts. The videos also involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence involving minor victims. James paid for minors under the age of 12 to perform sexual acts while he recorded them or streamed live images. The case originated through a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Michigan City Police Department and Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Denise Houston.
Highmore Woman Indicted on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Highmore, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Sale or Transfer of Firearms to a Prohibited Person, and False Statements During Purchase of a Firearm.
Elissa May Schultz, age 40, was indicted on October 14, 2020. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 21, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on August 27, 2020, at Highmore, Schultz knowingly possessed a firearm while being an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance. Schultz is also charged with making false or fictitious statements on ATF 4473 forms, while purchasing firearms on March 5, 2019, and January 24, 2020. Schultz is further charged with transferring firearms to a prohibited person on January 24, 2020.
The charges are merely accusations and Schultz is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation is being conducted by the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Schultz was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl and Crack Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NATHANIEL DeJESUS, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. During the investigation, investigators made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from DeJesus.
DeJesus was arrested on state charges on August 28, 2019. At the time of his arrest he possessed fentanyl and crack packaged for distribution.
On September 13, 2019, DeJesus was arrested on federal narcotics distribution charges. On that date, a search of his Andover Street residence revealed approximately 73 grams of fentanyl, more than two grams of crack, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
DeJesus has been detained since September 13, 2019. On February 26, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”).
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Harrison County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jonathan Michael Smith, of Lumberport, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 27 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Smith, 36, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in August 2020. Smith, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a .22 caliber revolver in June 2019 in Harrison County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Former elementary teacher imprisoned for explicit sexual conversations originating via CraigslistRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Odom man has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to transferring obscene materials to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lazaro Benito Rocha pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales found Rocha to be in a position of trust and varied above the guideline range which resulted in a 36-month federal prison sentence. At the hearing, the court heard additional information, including details regarding the sexually explicit communications Rocha had with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl living in Corpus Christi. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted Rocha was a teacher when he sent the text messages and photographs and that he took photographs of himself while he was inside his classroom.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the court asked Rocha whether he believed he had a problem with his sexual interests in children. Rocha responded with “I believe so.”
Rocha was further ordered to serve three years on supervised release following his incarceration during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Today’s sentencing is the result of outstanding collaboration between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Corpus Christi Police Department’s (CCPD) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS),” said Brad Scott, assistant special agent in charge, HSI Corpus Christi. “Working together we were able to identify this child predator and remove him from his position of trust where he had access to minors.”
At part of his plea, Rocha admitted that he had responded to an ad on Craigslist advertising a “good time” with a teenage girl. He continued communicating with whom he thought was a 14-year-old female which soon escalated into conversations of an explicit sexual nature via text messaging.
Using his cell phone, he eventually sent a photograph of his genitals.
The investigation revealed he was a part-time elementary music teacher at the Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi.
Previously released on bond, Rocha was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HIS, CCPD-ICAC and DPS conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Popejoy prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of VeteransRead the Press Release
A former doctor of osteopathic medicine who previously worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced today for depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.
U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Jonathan Yates, 52, of Bluefield, Virginia, to 300 months in prison and three years of supervised release, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart of the Southern District of West Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Christman of the Pittsburgh Division of the FBI, and VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.
Yates previously pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2020, to three felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. According to the plea documents, Yates rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veteran’s rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine, when in fact he acted without a legitimate medical purpose. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a VA physician and a federal employee, deprived the veterans of their constitutional right to bodily integrity and caused them pain. According to the plea documents, the veterans had sought treatment from Yates to manage chronic pain through osteopathic manipulative therapy. Several veterans addressed the court at sentencing, describing the trauma and mental anguish that Yates had caused them. Yates surrendered his medical licenses as a condition of his plea agreement.
“The sentence today reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s misconduct. In a despicable betrayal of his oath, he used his specialized medical knowledge and expertise to sexually abuse his own patients. He has now been held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel of the Civil Rights Division. “It is a testament to the bravery of our veterans that so many came forward to bring this defendant to justice.”
“Military veterans who serve and sacrifice to protect our nation deserve only the best of care. Yates betrayed his oath as a physician and the veterans under his care,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Today, Yates has been called to account for his heinous acts. While his prison sentence will not undo the significant harm Yates inflicted on the victims, we hope that it will ease their pain. I want to commend the incredible work of the FBI and the Department of Veterans Affairs-OIG in this investigation. I also want to thank the victims and their families for their unwavering support during the prosecution of this case.”
“Yates committed hideous crimes in a hospital room, which should be a sanctuary for patients,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “The facts of this case are disgusting and these patients and their families deserved better care. While today’s sentence won’t take away what happened to these patients who dedicated their lives in service to our nation, Yates will never be able to hurt anyone again. Hopefully, this will serve as justice for his victims.”
“This sentence is the culmination of the exceptional work of the Office of the Inspector General special agents and our law enforcement partners,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “Our thoughts are with the veterans who suffered horrific abuse by a doctor entrusted with their care, and we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep all VA patients safe from harm.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McVey of the Southern District of West Virginia, and Assistant Chief Kilby MacFadden of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at http://www.wvsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.wvsd.uscourts.gov/.
Former PG&E Employee Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Fraud Conspiracy Involving $82.1MRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A former PG&E employee was sentenced today to 22 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,476,295 in restitution for a conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and receiving kickback payments from a Stockton transportation company owned by his cousin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Ronald S. Schoenfeld, 65, of Goodyear, Arizona, formerly of Dublin, California, while employed at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, conspired to obtain contracts from PG&E for his cousin’s transportation business in exchange for kickbacks from that business worth approximately 2.5% of the value of the contracts. Schoenfeld concealed from PG&E his familial relationship with his co-conspirator from PG&E, provided confidential information to his co-conspirator, and, at times, directly intervened in the consideration of contracts between PG&E and his co-conspirator’s business, all contrary to PG&E’s policies.
From March 2007 through February 2015, PG&E paid at least $82.1 million to the business operated by Schoenfeld’s cousin for services it provided pursuant to PG&E contracts. During the same period, Schoenfeld’s co-conspirator paid him at least $1,476,295.15 in kickbacks for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys André M. Espinosa and Tanya B. Syed prosecuted the case.
Former New Bedford Police Officer Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford police officer was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing and distributing child pornography.
Paul Hodson, 44, of Acushnet, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. In December 2019, Hodson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Following an investigation into the use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks for the trade of child pornography, a search was executed at Hodson’s home. Hodson was interviewed on scene and admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing software to trade child pornography. Hundreds of child pornography files were recovered from Hodson’s computer including at least one file that was distributed to undercover law enforcement in the course of the investigation.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Acushnet Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former L.A. City Councilman Mitch Englander Ordered to Serve 14 Months in Federal Prison for Scheming to Obstruct Corruption ProbeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitchell Englander was sentenced this morning to 14 months in federal prison for his conduct surrounding his obstruction of a public corruption investigation into his acceptance of gifts – including $15,000 in cash – from a businessman during trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs in 2017.
Englander, 50, of Santa Monica, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who noted that Englander’s “elaborate and clandestine scheme” to cover up his conduct has “undermined the public trust.” In declining Englander’s request for probation, Judge Walter stated that “justice [was] owed to society.” In addition to the prison term, Judge Walter ordered Englander to pay a $15,000 fine.
At the conclusion of this morning’s two-hour hearing, Englander became the first person to be sentenced in relation to Operation “Casino Loyale,” the ongoing corruption investigation into Los Angeles City Hall that has also led to criminal charges against former City Councilmember Jose Huizar and 10 other defendants. Englander, who represented Los Angeles City Council District 12 in the San Fernando Valley for more than seven years before resigning at the end of 2018 with almost two years left on his term, pleaded guilty last July to one count of scheming to falsify material facts.
Englander schemed to cover up cash payments, expensive meals, escort services and other gifts offered to him from an individual identified as Businessperson A, who sought to increase his business opportunities in the city. From August 2017 until December 2018, Englander knowingly and willfully falsified and concealed material facts pertaining to the federal public corruption investigation. Specifically, Englander covered up facts that he had accepted items of value during June 2017 trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs and that he directed a witness to lie to and mislead federal investigators.
Englander, while serving as a city councilmember and a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, “illicitly cashed in on his status as a purported public servant in casino bathrooms and through VIP bottle service, luxury dinners, and behind hotel room doors,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Over numerous incidents of escalating corruption and self-preservation, [Englander] sold out both oaths, cheaply and repeatedly.”
During the trip to Las Vegas, Englander accepted from Businessperson A an envelope with $10,000 in cash, a hotel room, $1,000 in casino gambling chips, $34,000 in bottle service at a nightclub, and a $2,481 group dinner. Businessperson A also paid for two female escorts to arrive at their hotel and later instructed one of the escorts to go to Englander’s room.
At a golf tournament in Palm Springs, Englander accepted an envelope containing $5,000 in cash from Businessperson A. Shortly after the trips, Englander arranged for Businessperson A to pitch his business to a friend of Englander’s who was a developer.
After learning about the federal investigation into his conduct, Englander sent a reimbursement check to Businessperson A, backdating the check “to give the impression he intended to reimburse the expenses before the FBI reached out to request an interview,” prosecutors noted in the sentencing memorandum.
On at least three occasions, Englander attempted to coordinate statements he made to the FBI and federal prosecutors with Businessperson A, and Englander counseled Businessperson A how to lie to and mislead the FBI agents and federal prosecutors conducting the public corruption investigation.
Englander also made false statements to the FBI and federal prosecutors on three separate occasions in 2017 and 2018.
Englander “was motivated by plain old-fashioned greed, selfishness, and a desperate desire to cling to his status as a wealthy and powerful City official,” prosecutors argued in the sentencing memorandum, which notes that the corrupt conduct has “cause[d] lasting civic damage by undermining the City’s faith in its public servants.”
Englander was the first person to be charged in relation to Casino Loyale, the ongoing corruption investigation being conducted by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office that has focused on a wide-ranging “pay-to-play” scheme in which developers bribed Los Angeles city officials to secure official acts to benefit their real estate projects. A total of nine individuals and two businesses have now been charged as a result of this investigation, including Huizar, who is the lead defendant in a sweeping racketeering indictment that alleges he agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits while serving as the leader of a criminal enterprise. A jury trial for Huizar and several other defendants is currently scheduled for June 22 before Judge Walter.
In addition to Englander, several individuals charged in the investigation have pleaded guilty and await sentencing later this year. Two corporate entities have entered into non-prosecution agreements and collectively have paid $2.25 million.
Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Veronica Dragalin and Melissa E. Mills of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Former KC Fire Captain Sentenced for Illegally Selling Firearms to FelonsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department was sentenced in federal court today for illegally selling dozens of firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.
James Samuels, 55, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Samuels to pay a fine of $11,282, which is the amount of cash seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest.
On Aug. 31, 2020, Samuels pleaded guilty to seven counts of a federal indictment, including one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018.
Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.
Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.
Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.
Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.
The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in Samuels’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.Florida man pleads guilty in moving company scam conspiracyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Miami, Fla. man pleaded guilty to conspiring in a racketeering enterprise to defraud individuals through moving companies located throughout the United States.
Andrey Shuklin, 33, entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today.
Shuklin was one of 12 defendants indicted in July 2018. According to court documents, the defendants operated and worked through several affiliated moving companies to enrich themselves by stealing from customers who hired them to move their household goods.
The enterprise executed their scheme through various moving companies in Florida, Ohio, Maryland, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, California, Connecticut, Colorado and Missouri. Approximately 1,000 customers have been identified as victims.
Shuklin admitted to participating in the scheme from April 2013 through July 2018. The defendant was the owner of affiliated moving companies and worked out of the enterprise’s main business offices in Florida.
One of the enterprise’s warehouses was in West Chester, Ohio, and some of the identified victims reside in the Southern District of Ohio.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants would provide customers with low binding estimates to do their move, promising to beat their competitor’s prices. After the customers agreed to hire the moving companies, employees of the moving companies would load the customers’ goods onto the truck and then the price of the move would be bumped. Co-conspirators would use an inflated cubic footage for the price of moving the customers’ goods.
Shuklin tracked the “actual” or “real” cubic footage for customers’ goods and charged customers based on the fraudulently inflated price.
Identified victims of the moving companies fraud lost more than $1.5 million total.
Shuklin pleaded guilty to one count of participating in the racketeering conspiracy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Andrea Kropf, Regional Special Agent-in-Charge, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT); and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney Painter and Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in this case.
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Five New Guilty Pleas in Nationwide Telemedicine Pharmacy Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn.– Today, Larry Everett Smith, 50, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty before Senior District Judge Ronnie Greer to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Sentencing has been set for October 25, 2021 at 3:00 p.m., in United States District Court in Greeneville. Smith faces a term of up to 10 years in prison.
The First Superseding Indictment, returned December 1, 2020, charged Smith and others with a nationwide conspiracy to defraud pharmacy benefit managers out of $174,202,105 by submitting $931,356,936 in bills to the pharmacy benefit managers for fraudulent prescriptions purchased from a telemarketing company. The indictment alleges the conspiracy began in mid-2015 and lasted through the first months of 2018.
In a written plea agreement, Smith admitted to conspiring with Scott Roix, Mihir Taneja, Arun Kapoor, Sterling-Knight Pharmaceuticals LLC, HealthRight LLC, Alpha-Omega Pharmacy LLC, Germaine Pharmacy Inc., Zoetic Pharmacy, and Tanith Enterprises, and others to defraud pharmacy benefit managers into paying for fraudulent prescriptions for topical pain creams, vitamins, and other products. Smith agreed to pay restitution of $24,919,254 and forfeit approximately $3,052,215.
On September 26, 2018, Roix and HealthRight pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme and agreed to pay restitution of $5,000,000. Roix faces a term of up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing for Roix is set for October 25, 2021.
Smith’s guilty plea follows pleas by Mihir Taneja, Arun Kapoor, Maikel Bolos, and Sterling-Knight Pharmaceuticals in December 2020. In those plea agreements, Taneja, 46, of Tampa, Florida, and Kapoor, 47, of Temple Terrace, Florida, pleaded guilty to felony mis-branding. Maikel Bolos, 35, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, and Sterling-Knight Pharmaceuticals, a Nevada company operated out of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Taneja, Kapoor, and Sterling-Knight agreed to pay restitution of $20,981,786. Sterling-Knight also agreed to forfeit $6,168,398. Taneja and Kapoor, each, face a term of up to 3 years in prison. Bolos faces a term of up to 5 years in prison. Sentencing for Taneja, Kapoor, Bolos, and Sterling-Knight is set for October 18, 2021.
“The protection and integrity of our health care programs are vital to the citizens they serve. Many Tennesseans rely on these health care programs to maintain a healthy quality of life, and it is critical we protect the viability of these programs,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.
“Telemarketing fraud is a major threat to the integrity of government and commercial insurance programs,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “After improperly soliciting patient information, these marketing companies obtained approvals through contracted telemedicine prescribers, then sold those costly prescriptions to pharmacies in exchange for kickbacks.”
“Health care fraud can affect everyone, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to stopping these criminals in their tracks,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley. “This investigation highlights the importance of law enforcement partnerships across the nation and around the world.”
“The U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General is committed to protecting the federal health care programs from schemes that undermine the integrity of the program,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General. “I am very proud of our investigative staff and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work on behalf of American taxpayer.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that companies and individuals who place profits above patient safety will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who jeopardize the U.S. public health.”
“Health care fraud is a severe crime problem that impacts every American. The FBI, with its law enforcement partners, will continue to allocate resources to investigate these crimes and prosecute those that are intent on defrauding the health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Carrico of the FBI Knoxville Field Office.
The trial of the remaining defendants will commence July 13, 2021, in the district court in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The prosecution and plea agreements were coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys TJ Harker, Mac Heavener, Anne-Marie Svolto, and Gretchen Mohr of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorney David Gunn of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch. Assistant U.S. Attorneys TJ Harker and Mac Heavener, and Trial Attorney David Gunn will try the matter for the government and represent the government at court proceedings.
These plea agreements resulted from a multi-year investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (Nashville); Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (Nashville); U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (Buffalo, New York); Federal Bureau of Investigation (Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee); Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (Atlanta); and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (Tampa). The U.S. Marshals Service also assisted in the investigation and the forfeiture of assets.
The case is United States v. Andrew Assad et al (2:18-CR-140). Related cases are United States v. Mihir Taneja (2:20-CR-111), United States v. Arun Kapoor (2:20-CR-110), United States v. Sterling-Knight Pharmaceuticals LLC (2:20-CR-113), United States v. Maikel Bolos (2:20-CR-112), and United States v. Scott Roix and HealthRight LLC (2:18-CR-133).
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/pr/four-men-and-seven-companies-indicted-billion-dollar-telemedicine-fraud-conspiracy;
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/pr/telemarketer-and-his-companies-agree-pay-25-million-settle-allegation-they-operated
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Fayetteville Woman Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Donna Sara Daosavanh, age 33, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing today in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
Detectives with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force (4th JDDTF) identified Daosavanh as a source of supply for methamphetamine in Northwest Arkansas. On March 6, 2020, detectives with the 4th JDDTF, operating in an undercover capacity, purchased a half-pound of suspected methamphetamine from Daosavanh.
The 227g of suspected methamphetamine purchased from Daosavanh was subsequently sent to the DEA laboratory in Miami and was determined to contain 180.1 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Daosavanh was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2020 and entered a guilty plea in October of 2020. Daosavanh had previously been convicted in 2012 in the Western District of Arkansas of Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of Methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
Faking Breast Cancer and Genetic Disorders Leads to Prison Sentence for Highland WomanRead the Press Release
Sarah A. Delashmit, 36, of Highland, Illinois, was sentenced this week to 18 months in
federal prison and 3 years of court supervision after her release. Last October, Delashmit pleaded
guilty to multiple fraud charges after spending years defrauding nonprofit organizations by falsely
posing as person with muscular dystrophy and a breast cancer survivor to receive money, donated
items, and other benefits. The charged offenses took place between 2015 and 2019, but evidence
presented at sentencing established that Delashmit had engaged in similar scams going back as far
as 2006.
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Staci M. Yandle described the
gravity of Delashmit’s offense conduct: “Miss Delashmit deceived and manipulated individuals
and families facing terminal illness and debilitating disorders, and nonprofit organizations and
volunteers who serve those individuals. She preyed on these communities by posing as someone
with muscular dystrophy or a mother who was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal breast cancer. She
exploited people’s trust, their kindness, their sympathy and their generosity for her own benefit.
She accepted donations and allowed volunteers to care for her when she did not need or deserve
that care. She took resources from those who did.”
Judge Yandle’s comments came after the court heard moving statements from two victims:
one who befriended Delashmit while believing she was dying of cancer and another who cared for
Delashmit while she pretended to be wheelchair bound at a camp for people with disabilities.
As part of the sentence, Judge Yandle ordered Delashmit to pay a $1,250 fine, forfeit
several items she received through her scheme, and make full restitution of $7,629 to the nonprofit
organizations and others she defrauded.
The investigation was conducted by the Highland Police Department, the FBI, and the
United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Luke J. Weissler.
Ex-Bank Branch Manager Sentenced to Nearly 3½ Years in Federal Prison for Stealing over $1 Million from Customer with DementiaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Comerica bank branch manager was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million from an elderly customer with dementia, and then using it for her own personal benefit, including to finance her gambling.
Marie Fulle, 38, of Newport Beach, was sentenced via videoconference by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered her to pay $1,091,230 in restitution. Fulle pleaded guilty in September 2019 to two counts of bank fraud.
While she was a branch manager of a Comerica bank in Tustin, Fulle cultivated an exclusive banking relationship with an elderly customer with dementia from February 2013 to April 2014. During this period, Fulle opened various bank accounts with the victim and used those accounts to create a confusing web in which she could hide unauthorized transfers, according to the plea agreement, in which Fulle also admits she fraudulently obtained funds by cashing cashier’s checks drawn on the victim’s accounts.
Between February 2013 and May 2013, Fulle embezzled approximately $43,400 over the course of six transactions. In its sentencing memorandum, the government argued that Fulle lost an anticipated promotion at work in May 2013 and thereafter began embezzling larger amounts of the victim’s money, unilaterally changing the address for one of the victim’s accounts, which prevented the bank statements from being delivered to the victim and his bookkeeper. Fulle also conducted much of the victim’s banking activities in private, one-on-one meetings, away from the view of other bank personnel or security cameras.
In addition to gambling trips to Las Vegas, during the course of the scheme Fulle treated herself to Tiffany jewelry, at least one Louis Vuitton bag, fancy dinners and spa days for herself and her then-boyfriend, prosecutors said in court documents.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Phillips said that the motivation for the crime was “overwhelmingly…the gambling addiction” cited by the defense. However, the court added, “the harm to the vulnerable victim was the same, whatever the motivation.”
Comerica fired Fulle in April 2014 for embezzling money from her cash drawer. When Comerica subsequently discovered the fraud Fulle committed against the victim, it reimbursed the victim nearly $1.3 million for disputed transactions that Fulle processed, lost interest and attorneys’ fees. The total loss that Fulle caused to the victim was $1,057,230. The restitution amount includes the victim’s attorneys’ fees.
This matter was investigated by the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly D. Jaimez of the Major Frauds Section.
Dominican National Sentenced for Trafficking Kilos of Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national that led a conspiracy that imported at least ten kilograms of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine from California, and who conspired with others to work at his direction to store, process, and package the drugs in an apartment he rented in West Warwick to be used as a stash house, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.
On at least three occasions, Rhode Island DEA agents intercepted packages containing one or more kilos of heroin or cocaine shipped from California, that were earmarked for delivery to addresses in Warwick, Pawtucket and Providence. Rafael Lara Sanquintin, 37, of Providence, later admitted to a federal court judge that he directed others to retrieve the packages, and that he recruited others to work at his direction at the stash house to prepare, package, and deliver the drugs to others.
In addition to intercepting the packages, on at least two occasions DEA agents stopped vehicles containing individuals working at the direction of Sanquintin as they drove away from the stash house. On those occasions, DEA agents seized 653 grams and 1,114 grams of heroin.
Sanquintin was indicted in this matter on November 22, 2016. He was arrested by Customs and Border Patrol agents on December 12, 2016, as he attempted to disembark from a cruise ship in West Palm Beach, FL, and illegally reenter the United States from his native Dominican Republic. He was convicted in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida on a charge of attempted illegal reentry after deportation by an aggravated felon and sentenced in March 2017 to 14 months of incarceration.
Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence on August 12, 2020, Sanquintin admitted that he conspired with others to possess and distribute at least 10 kilograms of heroin and 5 kilograms of cocaine, pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Sanquintin to a term of incarceration of 108 months, to be followed by 4 years’ supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Denver Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Armed Carjacking and Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Aaron Dugar, age 35, of Denver, was sentenced to more than twelve years (147 months) in federal prison for his role in an armed carjacking and bank robbery. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to facts contained in the plea agreement, on December 29, 2018, Dugar stole an SUV at gunpoint, demanding that two victims get out of the SUV and leave their personal property including their cellphones. Dugar then fled in the SUV. About a half-hour later, Dugar robbed the Bank of the West in Wheat Ridge. He entered the bank carrying a dark colored backpack. He approached a teller and put his index finger to his lips, indicating that the teller needed to be quiet. He placed the backpack on the teller counter and then raised a semi-auto style handgun in the air so everyone nearby could see it. He racked the slide on the gun, demanded money, and pointed the gun at a teller. Dugar ordered the teller not to activate any alarms and instructed her to hurry. He said “don’t make me tell you to hurry up again.” As the money went into the bag, Dugar demanded “big bills only.” Along with regular bills, the teller then inserted bait money and a covert tracking device into the backpack. Dugar then demanded money from two other tellers, who complied. One of them put more bait bills and another covert tracker into the backpack. Dugar then ran out of the lobby door with almost $15,000 in cash.
The tracking devices became active after Dugar left the bank and one of the devices provided the location of Dugar in Commerce City. Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies located a gray SUV at the location broadcast by the tracker and found Dugar in the driver’s seat. He refused to get out of the vehicle and deputies were forced to break open the window. Inside the SUV, deputies located the backpack, cash, trackers, and a handgun.
“Criminals just don’t seem to catch on that bank robbery is a crime that doesn’t pay, as the robbers almost always get caught,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Thanks to quick thinking bank tellers, Sheriff’s Deputies, FBI agents, local law enforcement, and prosecutors, this defendant walked out of that bank and straight into a long prison sentence.”
“Aaron Dugar’s sentencing of over 12 years for a weapons offense, carjacking, and bank robbery should serve as a strong message that the FBI and our partners will tirelessly work to bring those who use violence and endanger the public to justice,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Wheat Ridge Police Department, and the Westminster Police Department for their thorough and dedicated work in this joint investigation.”
United States District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Dugar on January 19, 2021.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance of the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, the Wheat Ridge Police Department and the Westminster Police Department. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn.
CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00085-RBJ
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Cypriot hacker pleads guilty to extorting website operators with stolen user dataRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Joshua Polloso Epifaniou, a Cypriot national, has pleaded guilty to accessing multiple major websites based in the United States without authorization, stealing user data, and demanding that the website operators pay a ransom to prevent his release of the data. Epifaniou is the first Cypriot national to be extradited from Cyprus to the United States.
“Epifaniou hacked into U.S.-based websites and threatened the disclosure of stolen personal information belonging to users, unless the websites paid him large ransoms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “His arrest, extradition, and conviction demonstrate our resolve to bring to justice any hackers, no matter where they reside.”
“This conviction represents the determination of FBI investigators to hold cyber criminals accountable for extorting U.S. companies and citizens no matter where they may be hiding,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, the successful prosecution of this case would not have been possible without the help of our federal and foreign partners, including the government of Cyprus.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Christine, the charges and other information presented in court: Between at least October 2014 and November 2016, Epifaniou was a teenage hacker in Cyprus who searched website traffic rankings to identify potential targets of his extortion scheme. After selecting targets, Epifaniou worked with co-conspirators to steal personally identifiable information from user and customer databases at victim websites. Epifaniou stole the sensitive information either by directly exploiting a security vulnerability at the websites or by obtaining a portion of the victim website’s user data from a co-conspirator who had hacked into the victim network. Once the personally identifiable information was obtained, Epifaniou used proxy servers located in foreign countries to log into online email accounts and send messages to the victim websites threatening to leak the sensitive data unless a ransom was paid in cryptocurrency.
During his scheme, Epifaniou’s victims included:
- An online sports news website owned by Turner Broadcasting System Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia;
- A free online game publisher based in Irvine, California;
- A hardware company based in New York, New York;
- An online employment website headquartered in Innsbrook, Virginia;
- A consumer report website headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Prior to the plea, Epifaniou paid nearly $600,000 in restitution to the victims, and Epifaniou agreed to forfeit an additional $389,113 and nearly 70,000 euros to the government in his plea agreement.
On September 19, 2017, Joshua Polloso Epifaniou, 21, of Nicosia, Cyprus, was indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, one count of computer fraud conspiracy, and one count of extortion related to a protected computer. In addition, Epifaniou pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud in a 24-count indictment transferred from the District of Arizona for purposes of his plea.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Foreign law enforcement partners also made significant contributions to the investigation, including the exceptional support and cooperation provided by the Office for Combating Cybercrime of the Cyprus Police. Valuable assistance also was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens, Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Cost Man Conspired to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, 22-year-old Cost resident Jaylyn Christopher Molina (aka Abdur Rahim) admitted to conspiring to provide material support to the designated foreign terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria (ISIS), announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer, Molina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography. By pleading guilty, Molina admitted that since May 2019, he conspired with 34-year-old South Carolina resident Kristopher Sean Matthews (aka Ali Jibreel) and others to provide services to ISIS by administering an encrypted, members-only chat group for persons who supported ISIS ideology; by collecting, generating and disseminating pro-ISIS propaganda; by attempting to recruit individuals to join ISIS; and by disseminating bomb-making instructions.
Molina also pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. On September 18, 2020, federal authorities executing a search warrant at the defendant’s residence seized his cell phone, which contained 18 images depicting child pornography.
Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison on the child pornography charge. He remains in federal custody pending sentencing scheduled for April 22, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia in San Antonio.
On November 24, 2020, Matthews pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge to provide material support to ISIS. Matthews, who remains in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on March 4, 2021, before Judge Garcia.
The San Antonio FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with valuable assistance from the San Antonio Police Department, the United States Secret Service and the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg, William R. Harris, Eric Fuchs and Tracy Thompson and DOJ Trial Attorneys George C. Kraehe and Felice J. Viti of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case.
Convicted Felon Charged with Possessing A Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a two-count indictment charging Brandon Barnes (29, Lecanto) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon (sawed-off shotgun). If convicted, Barnes faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Barnes that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, on June 10, 2020, a state search warrant was executed at a Citrus County residence known for illegal drug sales. Barnes was found at the residence with a loaded, sawed-off shotgun on his bed. The shotgun had an overall length of less than 26 inches, making it subject to registration in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The gun had not been registered.
Barnes is a five-time convicted felon for fraud and illegal drug possession. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Convicted Beaver County Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Harold Novick pled guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine between 2017 and 2019, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Novick, age 40, formerly a resident of Beaver County, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing to occur on May 24, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Novick was on state parole for a prior cocaine-trafficking conviction when he committed the additional drug-trafficking crime to which he pled guilty.
The law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Colombian Nationals Plead Guilty to Smuggling Nearly 1,500 Kilos of Cocaine in International WatersRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Three Colombian nationals pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute nearly 1,500 kilograms of cocaine when they were interdicted in an unregistered vessel on the Pacific Ocean.
According to court documents, on August 6, 2020, Eliovar Pineda, 45, Jenuar Angulo, 40, and Marcial Cuero, 68, were intercepted with 1,479 kilograms of cocaine, while traveling in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The street value of the cocaine in Newport News is between $45-55 million. Pineda, Angulo, and Cuero were caught aboard a “Go Fast” vessel, which had no indicia or markings of nationality.
While on routine patrol in international waters, the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Hamilton was dispatched to intercept a go-fast-vessel that had been located approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Coiba Island, Panama. The USCGC Hamilton subsequently launched a helicopter, which was able to come in contact with the go-fast-vessel. The go-fast-vessel then became disabled and a subsequent boarding resulted in the detainment of the three smugglers while still in international waters. Members of the Coast Guard boarding team subsequently seized approximately 1,479 kilograms of cocaine.
Pineda, Angulo, and Cuero are scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2021. Pineda faces up to twenty years in prison while Angulo and Cuero face up to life 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.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the pleas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case.
This investigation was conducted by DEA’s Hampton Post of Duty and the U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from the Hampton Police Department, Newport News Police Department, Newport News Sheriff’s Office, and York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
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. 4:20-cr-66.
Clay County, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed guns pled guilty January 22, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Travis Grote, 43, from Webb, Iowa, was convicted of possessing stolen firearms and possessing firearms as a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing, Grote admitted that on June 25, 2019, he was involved in a transaction to sell multiple stolen firearms to an undercover law enforcement officer. Grote also admitted that knew he had previously been convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, on or about December 19, 2001, and therefore was a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Grote remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Grote faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and 6 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DCI Crime Laboratory, and Spencer Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4014. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Charleston Man Sentenced on Escape ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Douglas Wesley, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for walking away from a halfway house earlier this year. The six month term of imprisonment is to run consecutively to any discharged portion of the sentence in Wesley’s underlying 2012 federal gun conviction.
“If our U.S. Marshals are looking for you, they will find you,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Anyone in federal custody that attempts to escape can expect the result to be more prison time.”
Wesley previously pled guilty and admitted that in late June 2020, he left Dismas Charities, Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility, without permission and did not return. He had been confined at Dismas because of a previous federal gun crime conviction.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar Kordestani handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-00131.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Car Accident Leads to Guilty Plea After Police Find Marijuana, an AR-15 pistol and Ammunition in St. Thomas Man’s CarRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that Kahlid Blyden appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and entered a plea of guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).
According to the written plea agreement, Blyden was involved in an automobile accident on August 21, 2020. A responding Virgin Islands Police Department officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car driven by Blyden. Officers searched the car and found a backpack with a large plastic bag inside containing 15.6 ounces of marijuana, an AR-15 pistol and a box of ammunition. Blyden admitted as true that he was in possession of the marijuana and firearm. Court records reveal that Blyden attempted to flee but was detained by Virgin Islands Police Department officers.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by United States Attorney’s Office of the Virgin Islands.
Boston Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Assaulting Officers with a Firearm During Civil Disorder in BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has agreed to plead guilty to assaulting officers with a firearm during the civil disorder in Boston early in the morning of June 1, 2020.
John Boampong, 37, has agreed to plead guilty to one count each of interfering with a law enforcement officer during the commission of a civil disorder, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony offense, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. Boampong was charged by criminal complaint on June 30, 2020 and has been detained since his arrest on June 1.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Boampong will be sentenced to a term of 42 to 63 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
“We’ve seen protests time and again over the past year. While protesting is a constitutionally protected right, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the public is a crime,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Whether that takes place in the streets of Boston or our nation’s capital, you can be assured that federal law enforcement will investigate those who engage in violence and destruction and hold them to account.”
“John Boampong incited panic downtown after he fired 11 rounds in the direction of police officers and civilians, with a firearm he was not allowed to carry. His appalling actions put everyone—including officers who were there to ensure public safety—in danger,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case should serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will bring all of our investigative resources to bear on those who choose to instigate violence under the guise of peaceful protests.”
“With an illegal firearm, John Boampong shot in the direction of my police officers while thousands of people were expressing their First Amendment rights on June 1, 2020,” said Police Commissioner William G. Gross. “I hope today’s guilty plea will remind people that the Boston Police Department will continue to work with our partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office to send a clear message that committing violent crime in our city, against our residents, and my officers, will not be tolerated.”
“The peaceful protests of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black and brown people were, unfortunately, marred by the dangerous and criminal acts of a small number of individuals,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. “John Boampong was one of those individuals who put the lives of protesters and police in danger. Violence will not be tolerated in our communities. I’m grateful to have the partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in efforts to hold individuals accountable for acts of violence while ensuring the ability of protesters to assert their First Amendment rights and speak out against injustice.”
According to court documents, on the evening of May 31, 2020 and continuing through the morning of June 1, 2020, what began as a peaceful demonstration in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood devolved into widespread acts of violence, vandalism, looting and destruction of police property, including the burning of at least one police vehicle on Tremont Street. Some protestors threw rocks, bricks and commercially-available explosives, such as M-80s, at police officers. Numerous police officers were injured.
On June 1, 2020 at approximately 3:00 am, Boampong was driving his car near the Arlington Street and Boylston Street intersection in front of a store that had been victimized by looting that evening. Police officers instructed Boampong and his passengers to leave the area. The occupants of Boampong’s car initially became verbally combative towards the officers and failed to leave the area as instructed. When Boampong reversed the car, officers told him to stop, as officers and another vehicle were in the way. However, Boampong continued driving in reverse and then drove away. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the area, parked on Providence Street, and shot at least 11 times toward officers, including a deputized federal officer. The officers took cover by bracing or ducking behind cars and other objects. Bullets broke through the windows of two apartments above ground level in a building behind some of the officers.
When officers eventually stopped Boampong’s car, they saw a Sig Sauer P230 9mm firearm lying on the floor of the front passenger-side floor mat, and a black holster underneath the driver’s seat, where Boampong had been sitting. The firearm was later examined and found to have Boampong’s fingerprint on it.
At the time, Boampong was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he faced pending state charges carrying potential sentences exceeding one year.
The charge of assaulting federal officers provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder and being a prohibited person in receipt of a firearm or ammunition provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Lelling, FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta, Boston Police Commissioner Gross and Suffolk County District Attorney Rollins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott L. Garland, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s National Security Unit, are prosecuting the case.
Bookkeeper Charged with Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a firm that provided payroll and payroll tax services to small businesses in New England was charged and agreed to plead guilty to a scheme to defraud her clients by diverting the funds set aside by her clients for payroll taxes.
Patricia Lindau, 65, of Newburg, Maine, was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. According to the plea agreement filed today, the government will recommend a sentence of incarceration at the low end of the Guidelines sentencing range, one year of supervised release and restitution of $1,393,430. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.
As alleged in the charging document, between 2017 and the spring of 2020, Lindau engaged in a scheme to defraud many of her clients by failing to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service and Massachusetts Department of Revenue (Mass. DOR) the payroll taxes that she withdrew from her clients’ bank accounts. Lindau used her access to her clients’ accounts to transfer funds that were to be used to satisfy her clients’ payroll tax liabilities into her firm’s business checking account. Lindau then sent each client a weekly report falsely indicating that the funds had been paid over to the IRS and Mass. DOR.
When Lindau’s clients received letters from the IRS and Mass DOR indicating that their payroll taxes had not been paid, Lindau lied to the clients and falsely told them that the IRS or Mass. DOR letters were a mistake and that she would take care of it. In some instances, she then paid the taxes late.
Lindau’s scheme continued into the first quarter of 2020 when most of her clients closed due to COVID-19 and then discovered that their employees’ payroll taxes had not been and were not being paid.
Over the course of the scheme, Lindau failed to pay over when due more than $2 million and caused a net loss to her clients of over $1.1 million.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation; and Marikae Toye, Director of the Criminal Investigations Bureau, Massachusetts Department of Revenue made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Berkeley County woman sentenced for willful retention of top secret national defense documents and international parental kidnappingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Elizabeth Jo Shirley, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 97 months of incarceration for unlawfully retaining a document containing national defense information and 36 months of incarceration for committing international parental kidnapping. The sentences will run concurrently.
Shirley, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of willful retention of national defense information and one count of international parental kidnapping in July 2020. Shirley admitted to unlawfully retaining a National Security Agency (NSA) document containing information classified at the Top Secret/Secret Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) level relating to the national defense that outlines intelligence information regarding a foreign government’s military and political issues. Shirley also admitted to removing her child, of whom she was the non-custodial parent, to Mexico with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the custodial father’s parental rights.
“Shirley betrayed the trust of the American people when she took classified information from her work with the Intelligence Community,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the National Security Division. “She then sought to profit from her betrayal by seeking to sell this information to Russia, one of America’s foremost adversaries, in order to further her criminal abduction of her daughter. This sentence will hold Shirley accountable for her violations of the American people’s trust, and serves as a warning to others who would seek unlawful profit at America’s expense.”
“Shirley held a position that required the highest level of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Powell for the Northern District of West Virginia. "When she committed these crimes, she not only broke that trust, she potentially endangered the very people who employed her and her neighbors. National security is one of our highest priorities. Shirley deserves her sentence and not a day less.”
“Ms. Shirley was trusted with our nation’s highest-level documents when she was given a high-level security clearance," said Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office. "But she betrayed that trust and put our country at risk by stealing classified national security documents, which she later hoped she could sell to Russian officials. We must safeguard this information from foreign adversaries. Today’s sentence shows the FBI will not let anyone get away with putting the lives of American citizens at risk.”
Shirley served on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, and in August 1994, the Air Force granted Shirley her first TS/SCI security clearance. After leaving active duty, Shirley served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and later in the U.S. Navy Reserves. While serving in the Air Force, she worked on assignments with the NSA. From May 2001 to August 2012, Shirley held various positions with the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, and at least five different cleared defense contractors. In connection with these positions, Shirley held TS/SCI security clearances at various times.In July 2019, Shirley took her six-year-old daughter to Mexico with the intent to contact representatives of the Government of Russia to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her to the United States. Shirley took with her to Mexico national defense information, which she had unlawfully retained. While in Mexico, Shirley prepared a written message to Russian government officials, referencing “an urgent need” to have “items shipped from the USA related to [her] life’s work before they are seized and destroyed.”
On Aug. 13, 2019, the U.S. Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement located Shirley and her daughter at a hotel in Mexico City. Mexican authorities arrested Shirley pursuant to an arrest warrant the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) had obtained on a charge of concealment of a minor from a custodian.
The FBI subsequently executed search warrants on numerous of Shirley’s electronic devices, including devices she took to Mexico in July 2019 and devices the FBI seized from her Martinsburg storage unit in August 2019. Pursuant to the search of the storage unit, the FBI located the NSA document underlying the willful retention of national defense information offense. In addition, pursuant to searches of the electronic devices, the FBI found an Office of Naval Intelligence PowerPoint presentation containing information classified at the secret level and messages Shirley had drafted to Russian government officials while in Mexico, the latter of which the Central Intelligence Agency has determined to include information classified at the secret level.
The FBI Pittsburgh field office and WVSP investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon with the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Webster County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office cooperated in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Berkeley County man sentenced for wire fraud involving Hearts2Heros organizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher T. Engle, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 41 months of incarceration for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Engle, age 30, was the co-owner of Hearts2Heros, a for-profit entity that allegedly was meant to support the military by creating and sending care packages to deployed service members. Hearts2Heros employees solicited contributions and misrepresented that the organization was a charity.
Engle pled guilty in February 2020 to a one-count information, charging him with “Wire Fraud.” Engle admitted that he defrauded donors in the Northern District of West Virginia, taking their donations for Hearts2Heros and using it for personal use. The fraud included thousands of donors from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The total loss is $286,959.95. Engle was ordered today to pay that amount in full in restitution.
“To steal money from generous and caring people is wrong, but to steal money under the guise of assisting the brave men and women of our military is detrimental to reputable and hard-working charity organizations. I commend the FBI and my staff for their tireless work to ensure that Mr. Engle not only is held accountable, but can no longer prey on the kindness of others,” said Powell.
“Mr. Engle should be ashamed of himself,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “Using our military members as pawns to line your pockets is simply disgusting. The FBI values the work our military members do and will always make sure anyone who has the audacity to take advantage of them for financial gain is brought to justice.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Beggs Man Sentenced for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
A man was sentenced this morning after using a firearm to rob a Dollar General, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Trentin Anton Richardson, 21, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge John F. Heil.
“When Trentin Richardson discharged his gun in the middle of the armed robbery of a Dollar General, he earned himself a direct ticket to the federal penitentiary,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “However, Richardson’s remorse for his actions, as expressed by him at his sentencing hearing, did not go unnoticed and suggests that perhaps this violent criminal behavior was an aberration in an otherwise law-abiding life. I certainly hope so. I want to commend the federal and local law enforcement for their swift response, as well as the victim assistance coordinators who helped the victims, adult and children, in the wake of this violent crime.”
On June 4, 2020, Richardson entered a Dollar General in Sapulpa, OK, locked the door, drew a handgun, and ordered everyone to get on the ground. Richardson then proceeded to demand money from the safe and fired a round into the ceiling. He then took money from the safe and the register as well as money and cell phones from the customers in the store. When officers arrived, they detained Richardson who was wearing a mask to conceal his identity, gloves to hide his tattoos, and carrying a bag of money. Law enforcement also found that Richardson was carrying a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sapulpa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella prosecuted the case.
Barbour County man sentenced for drug trafficking and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Scott Upton, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 70 months of incarceration for methamphetamine and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Upton, 41, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2020. Upton, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, admitted to having more than five grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” or “ice,” and having a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in September 2018 in Barbour County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosive, the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Philippi Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bakersfield Man Indicted for Laser Strikes on Sheriff HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Andrew Nathan Hernandez, 18, of Bakersfield, was arrested today for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 26, 2020, Hernandez aimed the beam of a laser pointer at the Kern County Sheriff’s helicopter Air-1. Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Aroostook County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Kaleb Dahlgren, 32, and his co-conspirators distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine. Dahlgren traveled with co-conspirators on at least one such trip to Mexico and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine and transport it back to Maine.
Dahlgren faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. He also faces between three years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Alleged Leaders of the Gangster Disciples Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today that seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, have been charged in a federal indictment accusing them of a years-long interstate RICO conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes. Certain defendants were also charged with murder, attempted murder, and various firearms crimes.The federal indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
“The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictment—including two murders and multiple violent assaults—make plain the threat to our communities posed by criminal organizations like the Gangster Disciples,” said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct.”
“These charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in
America,” said Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. “The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. I am especially grateful for the support of the ATF and the many dedicated law enforcement officers at all levels of government who contributed to this investigation.”“ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable,” said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Kansas City Field Division. “This investigation demonstrates ATF’s commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that Missouri and Illinois communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation.”“Today’s indictment is a result of investigative efforts in our Fairview Heights Resident Agency and strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” said Sean Cox, FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge. “This illustrates, when we work together, how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer.”
According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a violent street and prison gang founded in the 1960’s that has engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national “Board Members” and state “Governors.” Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering.
Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged national “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged national “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged national “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the alleged “Governor” of the state of Missouri, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, the alleged “Assistant Governor” of the state of Missouri, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged “Treasurer” and “Chief of Security” for the state of Missouri, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes.
Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. On April 28, 2018, Clemon,
Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and
Dobbins are accused of killing Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois.Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois, a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and multiple unsuccessful murder plots. The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking by Gangster Disciples members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug “K2” into Missouri state prisons.
“The BOP takes seriously our mission to protect the safety and security of our correctional institutions and the public,” said Miranda Faust, Administrator of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Branch. “The BOP’s intelligence component appreciates the opportunity to assist our federal partners in detecting and disrupting criminal activity related to inmates in the BOP's custody.”
“Investigating organized crime and related financial schemes are a top priority for CI,” said
Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Chicago Field
Office. “Racketeering, such as the alleged charges today, brazenly facilitates all kinds of illegal dealings that negatively affect the community. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.”The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy charged in Count 1, each defendant could receive as much as life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Murder in aid of racketeering is a death- eligible offense.
This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, IRS – Criminal
Investigation, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, and Chicago Police Department.The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers of the Southern District of Illinois, with substantial investigative support from th U.S.Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Illinois.
Alleged Leaders of Gangster Disciples Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
Seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, are in custody after multiple arrests this morning for their alleged participation in a years-long interstate racketeering conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes.
The case was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
“The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictment – including two murders and multiple violent assaults – make plain the threat to our communities posed by criminal organizations like the Gangster Disciples,” said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct.”
“These charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in America,” said Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. “The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. I am especially grateful for the support of the ATF and the many dedicated law enforcement officers at all levels of government who contributed to this investigation.”
“ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable,” said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. “This investigation demonstrates ATF’s commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that Missouri and Illinois communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation.”
“Today’s indictment is a result of investigative efforts in our Fairview Heights Resident Agency and strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” said Sean Cox, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Springfield Field Office. “This illustrates, when we work together, how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer.”
“The BOP takes seriously our mission to protect the safety and security of our correctional institutions and the public,” said Miranda Faust, Administrator of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Branch. “The BOP's intelligence component appreciates the opportunity to assist our federal partners in detecting and disrupting criminal activity related to inmates in the BOP's custody.”
“Investigating organized crime and related financial schemes are a top priority for CI,” said Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Chicago Field Office. “Racketeering, such as the alleged charges today, brazenly facilitates all kinds of illegal dealings that negatively affect the community. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.”
According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples are a violent gang with a decades-long history of lawlessness and a presence throughout the United States, including in state and federal prisons. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national “Board Members” and state “Governors.” Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering.
- Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
- Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
- Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
- Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an alleged “Governor,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
- Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged “Assistant Governor,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
- Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged “Treasurer” and “Chief of Security,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; and
- Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins allegedly killed Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois; a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and multiple unsuccessful murder plots.
The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking by Gangster Disciples members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug “K2” into Missouri state prisons.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, BOP, IRS CI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, and Chicago Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Jeremy Franker of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers of the Southern District of Illinois, with substantial investigative support from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Illinois.
- Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
Alaska man who conspired to set fire to the Seattle Police East Precinct pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 20-year-old Alaska man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit arson in connection with the fire he set Monday, August 24, 2020, at the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. DESMOND DAVID-PITTS was arrested shortly after the fire. DAVID‑PITTS faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on April 27, 2021.
According to records filed in the case, DAVID-PITTS had arrived in Seattle from Alaska just three days before the arson. After marching with the group of protestors in downtown Seattle, DAVID-PITTS is seen on surveillance video piling up trash against the sally-port door at the Seattle Police East Precinct. Over an eleven-minute period, the surveillance video captures DAVID-PITTS not only piling up the trash, but repeatedly lighting it on fire and feeding the flames with more trash. While DAVID-PITTS was lighting the fire, other people who appeared on the surveillance were attempting to use crowbars and cement-like materials to try to disable the door next to the sally-port to prevent officers from exiting the building. At various times, DAVID-PITTS was communicating with the black-clad individuals who were attempting to disable the door and light other fires around the building. Despite efforts to disable the door, officers were able to get outside and extinguish the flames. DAVID-PITTS was seen on surveillance working with the others to cut through a chain-link fence that was a barrier around the building. All the fires were extinguished by Seattle Police Officers and members of the Seattle Fire Department.
DAVID-PITTS was identified less than an hour later in the crowd outside the precinct because of the distinctive pink camouflage trousers he was wearing. He was arrested without incident.
Conspiracy to commit arson is punishable by up to five years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence within the guidelines range calculated by the Court. The ultimate sentence is up to Judge Coughenour based on a number of sentencing factors.
DAVID-PITTS has agreed to pay restitution to the Seattle Police Department for damage to the building.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Akron Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Jordan Dewayne Jeffrey, 24, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Jeffrey is the latest defendant sentenced for his participation in this meth trafficking network that brought significant amounts of meth into our area from Akron,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “As a result of the excellent work of many law enforcement agencies, as well as members of my staff, we have made Huntington and Charleston safer by removing dangerous drug dealers from our communities.”
Jeffrey previously pled guilty and admitted that between the fall of 2018, and May of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia. During the conspiracy, large quantities of methamphetamine were transported from Akron to the Huntington area for distribution. Jeffrey stayed at a residence located at 1235 25th Street in Huntington where the methamphetamine would be stored upon arrival in Huntington. Jeffrey admitted that when customers contacted members of the conspiracy, he would meet the customers at various locations in Huntington and Charleston to deliver the methamphetamine. For example, Jeffrey admitted that on May 20, 2019, he delivered approximately one pound of methamphetamine to a customer in Charleston after the customer contacted another member of the conspiracy and arranged the transaction.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00245.
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22 January 2021
‘Money Mule’ indicted for mail fraud in scheme that stole more than $400,000 from elderly victimsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 30-year-old SeaTac, Washington, man was indicted yesterday by a grand jury for two counts of mail fraud related to his participation in a scheme to defraud elderly victims across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. ARIFKHAN PATHAN was arrested on a criminal complaint January 4, 2021. According to the indictment, between August and December 2020, PATHAN played a role in defrauding victims of more than $400,000.
“Many of us keep getting those calls from someone claiming our Social Security number has been ‘compromised,’ and the best action is to just hang up,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “But for some, especially the elderly, the fear of losing their money or income keeps them on the line and leads them to fall prey to a scammer who drains their bank account. This indictment goes after a key cog in the scam: the money mule.”
According to records filed in the case, in November 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigation and the Seattle Police Department became aware of suspicious packages arriving at Seattle UPS and FedEx locations. The investigation revealed the packages were filled with cash and were sent by victims from as far away as New York, Texas, and Colorado. The packages were sent to conspirators who used fake identity documents, such as driver’s licenses, to pick-up the packages. According to multiple victims in the case, they had received a telephone call from someone who claimed to be employed by the Social Security Administration. The caller claimed the victim’s Social Security number had been compromised, and the only way to protect the victim’s money was to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash from their bank accounts and send it via UPS or FedEx to an “agent” elsewhere in the U.S. for safe-keeping. The callers allegedly demanded the victims withdraw as much as $30,000 in cash. The scammers used UPS and FedEx so the co-conspirators could track the packages and pick-up the packages of cash using the fake identity documents. The investigation revealed the callers were connected to an overseas call center. PATHAN was allegedly a key player in the scheme, who recruited others to pick up packages of cash using fake identity documents.
PATHAN deposited the money in various bank accounts that could be accessed by his co-schemers. He was paid a commission on the money of about two percent. When PATHAN’s residence was searched in early January, investigators seized additional false identity information and a ledger that revealed PATHAN had picked up and allegedly transferred at least $400,000 to his co-schemers.
Mail fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) comprised of representatives from HSI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey S. Conzatti.
pathan_complaint.pdf pathan_indictment.pdfWest L.A. Man Arrested in Federal Stalking Case Alleging Longtime Harassment of Female Doctors at VA Medical FacilitiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man who recently moved to an apartment only blocks from the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center was arrested this morning on a federal stalking charge that alleges a longtime harassment campaign targeting two female doctors at the hospital, as well as three other victims who work at the VA’s Loma Linda facility.
Gueorgui Hristov Pantchev, 49, of West Los Angeles, was arrested without incident this morning by FBI special agents. Pantchev is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Pantchev was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today that details his conduct that began in 2011 with numerous threatening communications sent to West L.A. VA doctors identified as Victim #1 and Victim #2. As a result of this harassment, Pantchev was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and was convicted in 2014 of nine counts of stalking and witness intimidation. After serving a state prison sentence, Pantchev was paroled in 2017 and he was barred from the West L.A. VA Medical Center. Pantchev then began seeking medical services at the VA’s Loma Linda facility, where he “started stalking, harassing, and intimidating Victims #3, #4, and #5,” according to the affidavit in support of the complaint.
Notwithstanding the parole conditions that prohibited him from going to the West L.A. facility, Pantchev last year sought care there and began sending intimidating communications to colleagues of Victims #1 and #2.
“Pantchev has now deluged Victims #1 and #2 and their colleagues with hundreds of lewd, sexually explicit, and false fliers bearing large pictures of Victim #1 and Victim #2 that Pantchev has distributed around West Los Angeles day after day,” this affidavit states. “Some of these fliers include inflammatory, racist language that Pantchev falsely attributes to Victims #1 and #2 along with their contact information and requests the reader to ‘Get rid of them, PLEASE.’”
The criminal complaint contains specific examples of communications sent to the victims, all of whom felt threatened and took actions to have no contact with Pantchev. VA Police officials took action to restrict Pantchev’s access to the two medical facilities by requiring him to have an escort when arriving for an appointment. The affidavit notes that there are more than 40 police reports since 2018 that contain “detailed instances of him being loud, disruptive, rude, and demanding” at the Loma Linda VA campus.
Pantchev began returning to the West L.A. campus last March, even though it was in direct violation of his parole, according to the complaint. After his parole ended in September, he visited the facility three times, one of which resulted in his arrest for trespassing and battery on a police officer for allegedly spitting in his face.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the stalking charge alleged in the complaint, Pantchev would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Members of the public who have information about Pantchev’s activities or believe they may be victims are encouraged to contact the FBI at (310) 477-6565.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Myers and Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Waxhaw, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced today Derek Robert Seely, 32, of Waxhaw, N.C. to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Bell also ordered Seely to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte, and Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI) join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, in September 2018, law enforcement became aware that an individual later identified as Seely was sharing child pornography online. Court records show that, in February 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Seely’s residence and determined that Seely actively traded child pornography online. Law enforcement also recovered multiple electronic devices, including three external hard drives. A forensic examination of the seized items revealed that Seely possessed approximately 500 videos and 240 images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Court documents also show that Seely also produced child pornography, which he distributed to others.
On August 31, 2020, Seely pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked HSI and SBI for their investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Vineland Boys Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Offenses, Including Attempted Murder and Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the San Fernando Valley-based Vineland Boys street gang pleaded guilty today to five felonies, including the attempted murder of three rival gangsters, drug trafficking and illegal firearms sales, including a “ghost gun.”
Jesus Gonzalez Jr., 27, a.k.a. “Lil Chito,” “Gunner” and “Chuy,” of Sun Valley, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, two counts of violent crime in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
As alleged in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in November 2019, to consolidate control over their “territory” in Sun Valley, North Hollywood and Burbank, the Vineland Boys shot and brutally assaulted rival gang members, controlled and conducted drug and firearms trafficking activity, and extorted money in the form of “taxes” from drug dealers, and trafficked narcotics.
According to his plea agreement, Gonzalez conspired with Vineland Boys members and associates to engage in acts of racketeering in the form of attempted murder and drug trafficking. Gonzalez admitted that he was involved in multiple gang-related shootings, including a December 2015 shootout in South Los Angeles with rival gang members believed to have killed a member of the Vineland Boys.
In early April 2016, Gonzalez shot and severely wounded a victim in a drive-by shooting outside a party in Sun Valley where Gonzalez and other Vineland Boys members had gotten in a fistfight with the victim and others. A few weeks later, Gonzalez stalked and shot a rival gang member on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, firing several shots at close range at the victim, who survived. In May 2016, Gonzalez confronted and shot passengers in a vehicle he believed were rival gang members.
Gonzalez further admitted to selling methamphetamine and illegally selling numerous firearms, including an AR-style rifle bearing no serial number – commonly known as a “ghost gun” – that he sold in May 2016 outside a McDonald’s restaurant in San Fernando.
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has scheduled an April 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Gonzalez will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
In January 2019, a federal grand jury indicted 31 Vineland Boys members and associates. So far, prosecutors in this case have secured 14 convictions and several prison sentences exceeding 10 years.
This matter was investigated by the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chou and Sara Milstein of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Minneapolis Police Third Precinct ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty pleas of DAVON DE-ANDRE TURNER, 25, and BRANDEN MICHAEL WOLFE, 23, to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct headquarters. TURNER entered his guilty plea today before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WOLFE entered his guilty plea on December 22, 2020, before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WOLFE will be sentenced on April 22, 2021, and TURNER will be sentenced on May 13, 2021.
According to TURNER’s and WOLFE’s guilty pleas and documents filed with the court, on the night of May 28, 2020, TURNER and WOLFE separately went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down. TURNER and an individual unknown to him at the time (later identified as co-defendant Bryce Michael Williams) worked together to light an incendiary device which they intended to be used to start or further accelerate a fire. The incendiary device was taken into the Third Precinct headquarters by TURNER and was used to start a fire. WOLFE pushed a barrel into a fire located in the entrance of the Third Precinct headquarters that had been set by other unidentified co-conspirators. In his guilty plea, WOLFE admitted that he pushed the barrel with the intent to accelerate the existing fire.
Co-conspirators Bryce Michael Williams and Dylan Shakespeare Robinson have also pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in the arson at the Third Precinct building. Williams will be sentenced on March 9, 2021, and Robinson will be sentenced on April 6, 2021.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the ATF, the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.
Defendant Information:
DAVON DE-ANDRE TURNER, 25
St. Paul, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to commit arson, 1 count
BRANDEN MICHAEL WOLFE, 23
St. Paul, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to commit arson, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Two Malaysian Nationals Plead Guilty to Illegally Exporting Firearm Parts to Hong KongRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Malaysian nationals pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to illegally export firearm parts from the United States to Hong Kong.
Lionel Chan, 36, who previously resided in Brighton, Mass., and Muhammad Mohd Radzi, 27, who previously resided in Brooklyn, N.Y., each pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2021.
Beginning in or around March 2018, Chan began purchasing a variety of U.S.-origin firearm parts online, including parts used to assemble AR-15 assault rifles and 9MM semi-automatic handguns, for a buyer located in Hong Kong. Many of the firearm parts that Chan purchased and exported to Hong Kong are restricted items that cannot be exported from the United States without a license or approval from the U.S. government. Nonetheless, Chan shipped the firearm parts via Federal Express to the buyer in Hong Kong without first obtaining the necessary export licenses. Chan intentionally concealed the contents of the shipments by providing Federal Express with false information about the shipments, and by concealing the parts inside of each package. Between March and May 2018, Chan shipped at least 12 packages containing firearm parts from Brighton to the buyer in Hong Kong.
In or around April 2018, Radzi joined the conspiracy and also began illegally exporting firearm parts from the United States to Hong Kong. Between May and October 2018, Radzi shipped 21 packages from Brooklyn, N.Y., to the buyer in Hong Kong. In October 2018, two of those packages were interdicted by Hong Kong authorities and found to contain numerous firearms parts, including a firing pin and gun sight, which were export controlled. Like Chan, Radzi failed to obtain an export license for any of these shipments.
The charge of conspiring to illegally export controlled firearm parts from the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Massachusetts State Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection also assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Tulsa Woman Pleads Guilty to Killing BoyfriendRead the Press Release
A Tulsa woman today pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of murder, assault, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Sha-Lisa Harlin, 39, pleaded guilty to the three counts before Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell.
“An enraged Sha-lisa Harlin murdered her boyfriend in the midst of a confrontation she had with him and another woman,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Tragically, this scenario is far too common an occurrence. Guns are used to commit more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the United States. Today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Lenhardt deftly represented the United States in this matter, ensuring Ms. Harlin was held accountable for her appalling acts. Credit also goes to the FBI and Tulsa Police Department for their diligent work on this investigation.”
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that at the time of the crime, Harlin was residing at the Extended Stay Hotel in Tulsa with the victim Dalton Whitlow, her boyfriend, after their home burned down. On May 22, 2020, the defendant learned that Whitlow had begun a relationship with another woman, armed herself with her loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and went looking for Whitlow and the woman. Harlin encountered the woman’s roommate. According to the roommate, the defendant pointed the gun at her and demanded to know where she could find the couple. The roommate entered the passenger’s side of the defendant’s vehicle, and the two drove to a nearby hotel in an unsuccessful attempt to find the couple.
Upon returning to the Extended Stay, the defendant then encountered the woman and pointed the gun at her. The victim arrived and got between the two. During the encounter, the gun was fired, and the bullet went into the ground. As Harlin continued to pursue the woman, the gun was fired a second time, hitting Whitlow in the temple, entering his brain. The magazine in Harlin’s firearm would not remain in the gun, requiring her to physically hold the magazine in the firearm in order for it to automatically chamber the second round and fire it. The victim later passed away in the hospital.
Harlln remained with the victim until medics and police arrived. The gun and fired casings were recovered at the scene where defendant confessed to the shooting.
Harlin, who by law was restricted from possessing a firearm, has a prior felony conviction from 2013 in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, for passing a stolen check for approximately $1500 worth of goods.
Judge Dowdell scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2021, at 9:30am, and remanded the defendant into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Lenhardt is a federal prosecutor from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who volunteered to come to Tulsa for 6 months and prosecute violent crimes after the Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined with officers and detectives of the Tulsa Police Department to conduct the investigation that led to the Harlin’s prosecution.