Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 19 November 2020
Stanislaus County Man Charged with Cyberstalking Airbnb GuestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. – A federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment against Kevin James Strutz, 49, of Ceres, charging him with cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today.
According to court documents, Strutz secretly made a video recording of an adult female who stayed at the residence where Strutz was living in Ceres in February 2020. The victim ended her stay at the residence when she discovered a message on a cellphone that Strutz had left in a shared bathroom. Over the next several months, Strutz continued to contact the victim through Facebook accounts, one of which used a false identity. The messages became increasingly aggressive and one included an image of the victim exiting a shower that had been taken without her knowledge or consent at the Airbnb residence. Strutz sent the image to her with a demand that she send him a sexually explicit video or he would send the photo to her friends and family.
Law enforcement has learned that Strutz may have victimized more than one person. Anyone with additional information or who believes that they might be a victim can contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Ceres Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Strutz faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Somerset Man Sentenced to 408 Months for the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Somerset, Kentucky man, Bradley D. Hall, 38, was sentenced to 408 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, after being convicted of two counts of production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on September 15, 2019, Hall engaged in a conversation with an undercover FBI employee, using the Kik messenger application. Hall admitted to operating a Kik messenger group that focused on child exploitation, and to recording, live streaming, and sending videos of child pornography to the undercover FBI employee.
Hall pleaded guilty in June 2020.
Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
This case was prosecuted 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.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
— END —
Somerset Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London man, Andrew Dick, 29, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, for possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on March 28, 2019, Dick admitted to possessing sexually explicit images of nude prepubescent minors on his computer devices. He also acknowledged that he downloaded child pornography images from particular website, via the Internet, and that he possessed explicit images of minors that appeared to be as young as six years old.
Dick had previously been convicted, in a military court martial, in February 2013, of wrongful possession of child pornography and wrongful receipt of child pornography.
Dick pleaded guilty the federal charges in July 2020.
Under federal law, Dick must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
This case was prosecuted 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.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
— END —
Sinaloa Cartel Drug Trafficker Extradited from ItalyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 19, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Ramon Santoyo-Cristobal, aka Dr. Wagner, a former Mexican Federal Police officer and alleged Sinaloa Cartel drug trafficker, was extradited to the United States from Italy yesterday.
On August 19, 2016, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of California returned an indictment charging Santoyo-Cristobal with participating in a long-running worldwide conspiracy to traffic substantial quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from Mexico into the United States, as well as laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
A fugitive for almost three years, Santoyo-Cristobal was apprehended by Italian authorities in August 2019 while visiting Rome. Santoyo-Cristobal contested extradition in the Italian courts, but in July 2020, the Supreme Court of Cassation rejected his arguments, and the following month the Ministry of Justice authorized his extradition to the United States. He arrived in San Diego on November 18, 2020, and made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Schopler. He is scheduled for a detention hearing before Judge Schopler on November 24, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.
“This extradition ruling by the Italian courts demonstrates that those who violate U.S. laws and seek to evade justice will find no place to hide,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “The Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation of the Italian authorities in this matter. With the assistance of our law enforcement colleagues at home and around the world, we will aggressively pursue every avenue available in bringing drug traffickers to justice.” Brewer praised prosecutor Matthew J. Sutton and DEA agents for their excellent work on this case.
“DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to use all available resources to bring drug traffickers to justice,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. “This extradition should serve as a warning to other members of the Sinaloa Cartel: we will find you no matter where in the world you try to hide and we will bring you back to the United States for prosecution.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the United States’ extradition effort. The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Italian Ministry of Justice, and prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extradition possible. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant back to the United States.
This case is part of a five-year investigation led by the Southern District of California, that, in total, has resulted in charges against over 125 people and has had a significant impact on the worldwide operations of the Sinaloa Cartel. This investigation has also offered one of the most comprehensive views to date of the inner workings of one of the world’s most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels. Cartel members and associates were targeted in this massive investigation involving multiple countries, numerous law enforcement agencies around the United States, a number of federal districts and over 250 court-authorized wiretaps in this district alone.
This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The United States is represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defendant Information
Defendant Number: 4 Criminal Case No: 16-cr-1896-DMS
Name: Ramon Santoyo-Cristobal, aka Dr. Wagner
Age: 44
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Summary Of Charges
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1956(h). Term of custody up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved.
AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations Customs and Border Protection, Office of Border Patrol United States Marshals Service
Internal Revenue Service
Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Seven MS-13 Gang Members Indicted in Violent Crime and Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, returned a 16-count superseding indictment Wednesday, charging seven MS-13 gang members with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and serious firearm-related offenses, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Those charged include Carlos Ochoa-Martinez, 31, aka “El Serio,” Jason Sandoval, 35, aka “Bin Laden,” Jorge Flores, 28, aka “Peluche,” all of Nashville; Jose Pineda-Caceres, 22, aka “Demente,” and Franklin Hernandez, 21, aka “Happy,” both of Honduras; Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 33, aka “Frijole,” of El Salvador and Juan Melendez,” aka “Shaggy,” of Lebanon, Tennessee.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2014 and continuing until yesterday, the defendants conspired with each other to obtain bulk quantities of marijuana and cocaine for redistribution in and around middle Tennessee. Once the drugs were received, the defendants would reduce them into smaller quantities and sell them in and around nightclubs in Nashville and from the parking lots and restrooms of these establishments. In order to maximize drug distribution in these nightclubs, the defendants would threaten rival and competing drug dealers who sold and attempted to sell cocaine and marijuana in the nightclubs.
In order to protect their drugs, territory and proceeds, the defendants would acquire, carry and discharge firearms. To maintain and extend control over their drug distribution, the defendants would commit acts involving murder, intimidation and assault against individuals who jeopardized its operations, including rival drug dealers.
All defendants are in custody and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at a later date.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime & Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Seven MS-13 Gang Members Indicted in Violent Crime and Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – November 19, 2020 – A federal grand jury in Nashville returned a 16-count superseding indictment yesterday, charging seven MS-13 Gang members with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and serious firearm-related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and Brian C. Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.
Those charged are: Carlos Ochoa-Martinez, 31, aka “El Serio,” Jason Sandoval, 35, aka “Bin Laden,” Jorge Flores, 28, aka “Peluche,” all of Nashville; Jose Pineda-Caceres, 22, aka “Demente,” and Franklin Hernandez, 21, aka “Happy,” both of Honduras; Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 33, aka “Frijole,” of El Salvador and Juan Melendez,” aka “Shaggy,” of Lebanon, Tennessee.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2014 and continuing until yesterday, the defendants conspired with each other to obtain bulk quantities of marijuana and cocaine for redistribution in and around middle Tennessee. Once the drugs were received, the defendants would reduce them into smaller quantities and sell them in and around nightclubs in Nashville and from the parking lots and restrooms of these establishments. In order to maximize drug distribution in these nightclubs, the defendants would threaten rival and competing drug dealers who sold and attempted to sell cocaine and marijuana in the nightclubs.
In order to protect their drugs, territory and proceeds, the defendants would acquire, carry and discharge firearms and to maintain and extend control over their drug distribution they would commit acts involving murder, intimidation and assault against individuals who jeopardized its operations, including rival drug dealers.
All defendants are in custody and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at a later date.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 40 years.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime & Gang Section are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
# # # # #
Schenectady County Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Kirk, age 37, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child, and distributing and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Kirk previously admitted that on two occasions in July 2018, he used a sleeping child to create sexually explicit images and videos on his phone, including videos and images of himself touching the vagina of the minor over clothing and of the minor’s unclothed vaginal area. Kirk also admitted to distributing child pornography, including an image of the minor, as well as images depicting other children, over a group messaging application, and to possessing hundreds of images of child pornography.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also sentenced Kirk to a 25-year term of supervised released, to begin following his term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Giglio Suarez.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Removal Order Upheld Against Tennessee Man Who Served as Nazi Concentration Camp Guard During WWIIRead the Press Release
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has dismissed the appeal of Tennessee resident Friedrich Karl Berger, a German citizen who was ordered removed from the United States earlier this year on the basis of his service in Nazi Germany in 1945 as an armed guard of concentration camp prisoners in the Neuengamme Concentration Camp system (Neuengamme).
“Berger’s willing service as an armed guard at a Nazi concentration camp cannot be erased and will not be ignored,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “On the eve of tomorrow’s 75th anniversary of the commencement of the Nuremberg trials of the surviving leaders of the defeated Nazi regime, this case shows that the passage of time will not deter the department from fulfilling the moral imperative of seeking justice for the victims of their heinous crimes.”
“Berger was an active participant in one of the darkest chapters in human history. He attempted to shed his nefarious past to come to America and start anew, but thanks to the dedication of those at the Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations, the truth was revealed,” said Deputy Assistant Director Louis A. Rodi III of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) National Security Investigations Division, which oversees the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. “War criminals and violators of human rights will not be allowed to evade justice and find safe haven here.”
The BIA upheld a Memphis, Tennessee, Immigration Judge’s Feb. 28, 2020, decision that Berger was removable under the 1978 Holtzman Amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act because his “willing service as an armed guard of prisoners at a concentration camp where persecution took place” constituted assistance in Nazi-sponsored persecution. The court found that Berger served at a Neuengamme sub-camp near Meppen, Germany, and that the prisoners there included “Jews, Poles, Russians, Danes, Dutch, Latvians, French, Italians, and political opponents” of the Nazis. The largest groups of prisoners were Russian, Dutch and Polish civilians.
After a two-day trial in February, the presiding judge issued an opinion finding that Meppen prisoners were held during the winter of 1945 in “atrocious” conditions and were exploited for outdoor forced labor, working, “to the point of exhaustion and death.” The court further found, and Berger admitted, that he guarded prisoners to prevent them from escaping during their dawn-to-dusk workday, and on their way to the worksites and also on their way back to the SS-run subcamp in the evening.
At the end of March 1945, as allied British and Canadian forces advanced, the Nazis abandoned Meppen. The court found that Berger helped guard the prisoners during their forcible evacuation to the Neuengamme main camp – a nearly two-week trip under inhumane conditions, which claimed the lives of some 70 prisoners. The decision also cited Berger’s admission that he never requested a transfer from concentration camp guard service and that he continues to receive a pension from Germany based on his employment in Germany, “including his wartime service.”
In 1946, British occupation authorities in Germany charged SS Obersturmführer Hans Griem, who had headed the Meppen sub-camps, and other Meppen personnel with war crimes for “ill-treatment and murder of Allied nationals.” Although Griem escaped before trial, the British court tried and convicted the remaining defendants of war crimes in 1947.
The trial and appeal of the removal case were handled by Eli Rosenbaum, Director of Human Rights Enforcement and Policy in the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), HRSP Senior Trial Attorney Susan Masling, and attorneys from ICE New Orleans, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (Memphis), with assistance from HRSP Chief Historian Jeffrey S. Richter, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. The investigation was initiated by the HRSP and was conducted in partnership with the Nashville ICE HSI office.
Since the 1979 inception of the Justice Department’s program to detect, investigate, and remove Nazi persecutors, it has won cases against 109 individuals. Over the past 30 years, the Justice Department has won more cases against persons who participated in Nazi persecution than have the law enforcement authorities of all the other countries in the world combined. HRSP’s case against Berger was part of its ongoing efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals who engaged in genocide, torture, war crimes, recruitment or use of child soldiers, female genital mutilation, and other serious human rights violations. HRSP attorneys prosecuted the first torture case brought in the United States and have successfully prosecuted criminal cases against perpetrators of human rights violations committed in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Liberia, Cuba, and the former Yugoslavia, among others.
To learn more about HRSP, visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-hrsp.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Randolph County woman sentenced for methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Patsy Meredith DeMary, of Beverly, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
DeMary, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in April 2019. DeMary admitted to working with another to distribute methamphetamine in Randolph County in 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Nine Years for String of Wake County RobberiesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for robbing multiple businesses in Wake County in early 2019.
According to court documents, Tevan Immanuel Ferguson, 21, was named in an eight-count Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on January 24, 2020. Counts 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 charged Interference of Commerce by Threats or Violence (Hobbs Act Robbery) on February 21, 2019; February 22, 2019; February 24, 2019; February 25, 2019; and February 26, 2019, respectively, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951. Counts 4, 6, and 8 charged Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence on February 24, 2019; February 25, 2019; and February 26, 2019, respectively, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).
Ferguson committed Hobbs Act Robberies at the Game Stop, 3023 Capital Blvd., Raleigh, on February 21, 2019, Han-Dee Hugo’s Gas Station, 3525 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, on February 22, 2019 and February 24, 2019, La Quinta Inn located at 2610 Westinghouse Blvd. in Raleigh, on February 25, 2019, and the Super 8 Hotel at 3801 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh, on February 26, 2019. Additionally, Ferguson possessed a firearm in furtherance of three of the aforementioned robberies.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00050-BO.
###
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Previously Convicted Bank Robber Charged with Robbing Two Camden County Banks Two Days ApartRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man made his initial appearance today in connection with the February 2020 robberies of two Camden County, New Jersey, banks, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Leon I. Stanford, 51, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, is charged by complaint with two counts of bank robbery. The defendant was previously arrested by state authorities. He appeared by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 22, 2020, Stanford entered the TD Bank in Oaklyn, New Jersey, and handed the bank teller a note, which announced a robbery and demanded cash. The bank teller complied, and witnesses saw Stanford depart in a white SUV.
On Feb. 24, 2020, Stanford entered the Republic Bank in Cherry Hill, and similarly handed the bank teller a note which announced a robbery and demanded cash. The bank teller complied and witnesses saw Stanford depart in a white SUV.
Law enforcement officers were able to obtain a partial license plate number for the white SUV from surveillance videos in the area of both bank robberies, which generated a lead to a vehicle driven by Stanford. Numerous individuals familiar with Stanford identified him as the person in the bank surveillance videos.
At the time of these bank robberies, Stanford was on federal supervised release as a result of his prior bank robbery convictions, for which he served a 10-year prison term. Each bank robbery charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Stanford could face additional penalties for violating his term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Driscoll in Philadelphia; the New York / New Jersey United States Marshals Regional Task Force Camden Division, under the direction of Jason McHugh; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Oaklyn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Moore; and the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Camden Office.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pearcy Arkansas Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Hot Springs, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Buddy Lee Harris, age 42, of Pearcy, Arkansas, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
In the fall of 2019, detectives with the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force launched an investigation into drug trafficking in the Western District of Arkansas. In August of 2019, detectives conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and a firearm from Harris.
Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2019, and entered a guilty plea in May of 2020.
This case was investigated by the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Achorn and Special Assistant United States Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
PA Pharmacist Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Unlawfully Dispensing PainkillersRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unlawfully distributing or dispensing a controlled substance, and was sentenced to six months probation and fine of $3,000, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Joseph Martella, Jr., 57, pleaded guilty before, and was sentenced, by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that between November 2013 and June 2016, Martella, a licensed Pennsylvania pharmacist, dispensed oxycodone, morphine sulfate and hydrocodone by filling prescriptions at Martella Pharmacy in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, knowing said prescriptions were not issued for legitimate medical purposes.
In addition, Martella agreed in a settlement with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that he would not dispense Schedule II or III narcotics for a period of three years and that Martella’s Pharmacy would pay a civil settlement of $300,000 and follow regulatory and reporting requirements established by the DEA.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Martella.
Orlando Cordia Hall Executed for 1994 Kidnapping and Murder of 16-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Today, Orlando Cordia Hall was executed at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute in accordance with the capital sentence unanimously recommended by a federal jury and imposed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in 1996. Hall was pronounced dead at 11:47 p.m. EST.
In September 1994, Hall and several accomplices ran a marijuana trafficking operation out of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. After a failed drug transaction involving $4,700, Hall and his accomplices drove to the Arlington, Texas, home of a man they believed had stolen their money. The man’s 16-year-old sister, Lisa Rene, refused to let them inside. Although Rene — an honor roll student with dreams of becoming a doctor — had no role in the drug transaction, Hall and his accomplices broke into the apartment and kidnapped her at gunpoint. In the assailants’ car, Hall raped her and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Hall’s accomplices subsequently drove her to a motel in Arkansas, where they tied her to a chair and repeatedly raped her. Hall arrived at the motel room the next morning, took Rene into the bathroom for fifteen to twenty minutes, and emerged to announce that “she know too much.” That night, Hall and his accomplices took her to a park where Hall and another accomplice had dug a grave that afternoon, but they could not find the grave site in the dark. The next morning, they returned to the park with Rene. At the grave site, Hall placed a sheet over Rene’s head and hit her in the head with a shovel. Rene screamed and tried to run away, but the men tackled her and took turns beating her with the shovel. After soaking her with gasoline, they dragged her into the grave and buried her alive.
In 1995, a federal jury found Hall guilty of, among other offenses, kidnapping resulting in death, and unanimously recommended a death sentence, which the court imposed. His convictions and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and his requests for collateral relief were rejected by every court that considered them.
Oklahoma City Residents Plead Guilty to Mail and Wire Fraud Offenses in Attempt to Take Title to Metro Homes Without Owners’ KnowledgeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, LAURA R. JOHNSON, 45, THOMAS JOHNSON, SR., 52, and CHERYL M. ASHLEY, 70, all residents of Oklahoma City, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a conspiracy to take ownership of more than a dozen homes without the consent or knowledge of the actual owners, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to filed charges, the defendants used fraudulent documents from 2014 until 2019 to obtain title to homes and other properties. A number of properties the defendants targeted had delinquent property taxes and therefore were subject to being auctioned by the Oklahoma County Treasurer’s Office. By paying off one or more years of back taxes, the defendants caused the properties to be removed from the county tax auction. The defendants then filed fraudulent warranty deeds to transfer properties into the names of fictitious companies and individuals. The conspiracy also included fraudulent confidential stamp tax affidavits and fake mortgages, all of which contained forged notary signatures and seals.
Some homeowners vacated their homes based on phony eviction notices. When certain victims fought the takeover of their homes in court, the defendants filed pleadings with the names of fictitious lawyers and submitted affidavits in court signed by fictitious people.
The defendants targeted one home that had been owned by a woman who died in 2012. After they gained control of the decedent’s property, the defendants used bank records they found in the home and forged a power of attorney to lie to the bank in an attempt to withdraw more than $100,000 from the decedent’s bank account. When that attempt failed, the conspirators attempted to steal money by writing forged checks on the decedent’s account and causing electronic transfers out of the account for their personal benefit. They also filed a false will in Oklahoma County District Court after the woman’s nephew learned of the death and filed a probate action. Based on fraudulent information, the court appointed Laura Johnson as the personal representative of the estate, which enabled her to withdraw $63,950 from the decedent’s bank accounts and obtain $45,000 from her oil and gas interests.
On November 17, 2020, each defendant pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
At sentencing, which is anticipated to take place in about 90 days, defendants Thomas Johnson Sr., and Cheryl Ashely face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison or a fine of no more than $250,000, or both, in addition to a term of supervised release of three years. Defendant Laura Johnson, faces a maximum penalty of thirty years in federal prison or a fine of $1,000,000, or both, in addition to a term of supervised release of five years.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kerry A. Kelly and Jessica L. Perry are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for more information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced that Troskey Banks, 23, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Banks, yet another Ohio drug dealer, was peddling dangerous methamphetamine,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Meth overdose deaths are on the rise in West Virginia. We continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of drug dealers and hold them accountable.”
Banks previously pled guilty and admitted that in January 2020, he directed Clay Dempsey to drive to Cleveland, Ohio, to obtain controlled substances for Banks to distribute. Banks told Dempsey to park the van containing the drugs at a location in South Charleston upon his return so Banks could retrieve the drugs. When law enforcement officers searched the van, they recovered methamphetamine weighing 108 grams.
Dempsey, who also has pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 2, 2020.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica Coleman is handling 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-00035.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Cory Lamar Cohen, Jr. (22, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Cohen had been indicted on August 19, 2020.
According to facts presented in court, on January 29, 2020, Cohen was the front seat passenger in a vehicle stopped by the Ocala Police Department for a traffic infraction. After a police canine alerted to the odor of illegal drugs in the car, a search revealed a black backpack on the floorboard that contained a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a second magazine loaded with ammunition, a glass jar containing a large amount of marijuana, five white opioid tablets, a digital scale, and Cohen’s State of Florida identification card. A subsequent laboratory analysis showed Cohen’s DNA profile at numerous locations on the recovered firearm. Cohen, a multi-convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Victims Using Online ScamsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty today in connection with defrauding victims using various online scams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nosayamen Iyalekhue, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2021. Iyalekhue was arrested in June 2020 along with a co-defendant, Esogie Osawaru, 27, who pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2020.
Iyalekhue and Osawaru participated in a series of romance, pandemic unemployment insurance, and other online scams designed to defraud victims by convincing them to send money to accounts controlled by the defendants. To carry out the scams, the defendants used false foreign passports in the names of others, but with their photos, to open numerous bank accounts, and in turn directed the victims to send money to these accounts. Iyalekhue and Osawaru then rapidly withdrew the victims’ money from various bank branches and ATMs, often multiple times during a single day. The schemes included collecting unemployment insurance in the name of others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The defendant is also subject to deportation proceedings. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
New York Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announces the sentencing, on November 18, 2020, of MYLES NICHOLAS, age 33, of Jamaica, New York, by U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter. Judge Vitter sentenced NICHOLAS to 25 months in prison pursuant to his prior guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. These charges arose from NICHOLAS’S June 2019 trip with his co-defendant to southeast Louisiana where they attempted to commit fraud at several Baton Rouge-area Best Buy stores.
According to court documents, members of the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force received information that NICHOLAS and his co-defendant, Terrence Nealy, would be flying to New Orleans from New York on the morning of June 21, 2019. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Secret Service agents initiated surveillance at New Orleans International Airport, where they observed NICHOLAS and Nealy arrive on their flight from New York’s JFK Airport. NICHOLAS and Nealy then rented a car and immediately drove to Baton Rouge. While in Baton Rouge, the defendants opened a $4,000 line of credit at a Best Buy store using a stolen identity. Shortly thereafter, however, their attempt to purchase an Apple MacBook Pro using that line of credit was denied. NICHOLAS and Nealy returned to their car and drove back to New Orleans. Later that day, they were arrested near their hotel in downtown New Orleans by state and federal members of the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force.
Terrence Nealy has likewise pleaded guilty. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the agencies that contributed to this conviction, which represents a coordinated effort of federal and state law enforcement authorities within the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. State Department, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Covington Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Kenner Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Mandeville Police Department, Slidell Police Department, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John The Baptist Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
New Orleans Man is Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser, announced that JOSEPH CAMPO (CAMPO), age 78, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on November 17, 2020 with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering.
According to the Bill of Information, CAMPO was a licensed pharmacist in the State of Louisiana and worked as the Pharmacist-in-Charge (“PIC”) at Prime Pharmacy Solutions (“Prime”), which was located in Slidell, Louisiana. Between 2014 and 2016, Prime operated as a primarily closed-door pharmacy that was in the business of mixing and filling prescriptions for compounded medications that were reimbursed by health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, a health care benefit program for United States military personnel and their families.
CAMPO, and other co-conspirators, acting on behalf of Prime, selected formulas for compounded medications, not based on scientific evaluations of effectiveness or individualized patient need, but rather, to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs.
Prime then mass produced these High-Yield Compounded Medications and created a series of preprinted prescription forms encouraging and directing prescribers/doctors to prescribe these High-Yield Compounded Medications. The scheme involved defrauding TRICARE of approximately $16 million dollars.
If convicted, CAMPO faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.
The United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana stated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn McHugh.
New Bedford Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was indicted today by a federal grand jury with illegally possessing three firearms and ammunition.
Jose Montanez, 23, was indicted on one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon. Montanez will make an appearance in federal court in Boston tomorrow.
According to the indictment, on or about July 20, 2020, Montanez possessed a Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard; an H&R .22 caliber revolver; a Springfield XD-40 .40 caliber handgun; 6 rounds of .380 ammunition; and 279 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition inside of a hotel room he was staying in.
The charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 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; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gotlob of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Naval Pilot Admits to Coercing a Minor, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Lieutenant Commander Ronald W. Zenga, 44, of Middletown, RI, a retired U.S. Navy pilot most recently stationed at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to charges he coerced a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography, all while actively serving and following his retirement from active service with the U.S. Navy.
According to court documents and information provided to the Court, in September 2018, HSI agents in Providence received information from the Bedfordshire Police Department (BPD) in the United Kingdom that an individual, later identified as Zenga, was communicating with a BPD agent through a Russian file sharing website. The communications graphically described ongoing sexual encounters with a young minor child. Zenga described several years of sexual encounters with a child, dating back to the child’s prepubescent years.
On October 17, 2018, HSI agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a federal court authorized search of Zenga’s Middletown residence. Forensic previews of Zenga’s electronic devices resulted in the discovery of emails and files of child pornography allegedly shared, received and possessed by Zenga.
At sentencing on February 2, 2021, Zenga faces statutory penalties of 10 years to life in federal prison followed by 5 years to lifetime supervised release on the charge of coercion; 5-20 years imprisonment followed by up to lifetime supervised release on the charges of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography; and up to 10 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release on the charge of possession of child pornography.
Zenga’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge David Magdycz, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Newport Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
###
Mountain Pine Arkansas Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with A Dangerous Weapon and for Discharging A WeaponRead the Press Release
Hot Springs, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Cedric Allen Wiley, age 30, of Mountain Pine, Arkansas, was sentenced to a total of 166 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm and one count of Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, at approximately 7:00 p.m., National Park Service (NPS) agents responded to a shooting that occurred along Summit Drive of West Mountain within Hot Springs National Park, in the Western District of Arkansas. NPS Dispatch reported the shooting and that a victim had been shot in the back. Responding NPS officers were able to identify a possible suspect(s) based on information provided by the victim both on scene and at the hospital. Additionally, the victim later confirmed that the person who shot him or her was, Cedric “Ced” Wiley.
According to the victim, prior to the shooting, he or she had been riding around in a vehicle with Wiley and others when they stopped at the Hot Springs National Park. While at the Hot Springs National Park, Wiley turned around, drew a weapon from his person and fired the weapon as the victim ran toward the shoulder of the road. The victim stated that he or she was hit in the back and went over the embankment, and that as he or she ran into the woods and down the embankment, Wiley continued to shoot at them. Wiley left the scene and the victim was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
On February 24, 2019, investigators interviewed Wiley in reference to this investigation. After being advised of his Miranda rights and voluntarily and knowingly waiving them, Wiley admitted he contacted the victim to arrange a meeting with him or her. Wiley advised that he was upset with the victim, and that he shot the victim in the National Park on February 21, 2019, with a firearm that Wiley had obtained prior to the shooting.
“Investigating and prosecuting violent crimes such as this one is a top priority in the Department of Justice and the Western District of Arkansas,” said First Assistant Fowlkes. “We will continue to work relentlessly to make our communities safer by ensuring that violent criminals are prosecuted using the full extent of our federal and state resources.”
Wiley was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2019, and entered a guilty plea in August of 2019.
This case was investigated by, the National Park Service. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Montrose Resident Sentenced to Serve over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Possession and Distribution of Methamphetamine and Heroin as well as Witness IntimidationRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Angelina Maestas, of Montrose, Colorado, was sentenced yesterday to serve a total of 160 months (over 13 years) in federal prison for possession and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin as well as witness, victim or informant tampering. Following her prison sentence, Maestas was ordered to serve 5 years on supervised release. Maestas is 1 of 13 people indicted in January of 2020 as part of a large-scale drug trafficking investigation in Montrose. The Denver Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration joined in this announcement.
According to court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in the defendants’ plea agreements, Maestas conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and less than 100 grams of heroin.
In addition to her drug charge, Maestas also committed witness, victim or informant tampering. According to court records, she posted discovery documents protected by court order on Facebook. This included material that identified at least one co-conspirator who Maestas alleged cooperated with police.
“This substantial sentence is an appropriate one for someone that caused tremendous damage to a small Colorado community and then tried to undermine the judicial process by intimidating a witness,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “We look forward to continuing the prosecutions in the case and ensuring that this drug ring is stomped out permanently.”
“The DEA applauds the sentencing of Maestas,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter of the DEA Denver Field Division. “It sends a clear message that the people of this community won’t tolerate these peddlers selling these deadly poisons, or their attempts to intimidate witnesses.”
Maestas was sentenced to 130 months for the drug crimes, and 30 months for the witness, victim or informant tampering, with both sentences to run consecutive. U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello pronounced the sentences. Of the 13 defendants indicted in this case, 3, including Maestas, have pleaded guilty. The only other defendant who has so far been sentenced, Joseph Davis, was ordered to serve 151 months in federal prison. The cases against the other 10 defendants are pending.
This case was investigated by the DEA with substantial support from the Montrose Police Department and the Montrose County Sheriff.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Numbers 19-cr-535 and 20-cr-0166. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Phillips.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Monessen Man Sentenced to 6½ Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Monessen, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months’ imprisonment and 15 years of supervised release on his conviction of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jack Brian LaForte, 56, of Monessen, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Mr. LaForte for violations of online child exploitation offenses after receiving information about an individual who had uploaded an image depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Agents were able to trace the upload of this child sexual abuse material to Mr. LaForte’s residence in Monessen, Pennsylvania. Upon executing a search warrant at Mr. LaForte’s residence in June 2019, Agents seized a laptop computer from Mr. LaForte that contained material, namely videos, of minors engaging in the lewd and lascivious display of their genitals, as well as engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The child sexual abuse material recovered from Mr. LaForte’s computer included videos depicting prepubescent minors who had not attained 12 years of age. At that time, Mr. LaForte spoke to agents and admitted to engaging in the criminal conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of LaForte.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mobile Man and Woman Sentenced for Violent CarjackingsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Earnest Jonathan Law, 26, and Kiara Shantel Green, 27, of Mobile, Alabama, were sentenced in federal court for their respective roles in a series of violent carjackings in Mobile in April and May 2018. Green pleaded guilty to three charges in January 2020—one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking and two counts of carjacking. Law pleaded guilty to two charges in August 2020—one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In connection with his guilty plea, Law admitted that in the early morning hours of May 16, 2018, he intentionally rear-ended a car at an intersection in Mobile. As Green engaged the two occupants of the car in conversation, Law pointed a black and silver handgun at them. Law held the victims at gunpoint, stole both victims’ cell phones, and ordered the victims to run into an adjacent field. While the victims ran away, Law yelled “faster” and fired a shot into the air. Law then got into the victims’ car and fled the scene. Approximately nine hours later, police found Law driving the stolen car. He led officers on a brief high-speed pursuit and attempted to flee on foot. Officers apprehended Law after chasing him through a field.
Following his arrest, Law made several recorded phone calls to Green from the Mobile County Metro Jail. Law instructed Green to return to the area where police had caught him in order to retrieve his gun, which he said he had ditched behind a stack of tires. When Green told Law she could not find the gun and suggested the police must have found it, Law replied, “They got my gun, they got my gun, what the f***, bro?” Law added, “I need money. You were fixing to go sell that.” Police later found the gun—a loaded black and silver .40-caliber pistol—tucked behind a stack of tires at the location Law had referenced on his jail calls.
In connection with her guilty plea, Green admitted to her role in the May 16, 2018 carjacking. Green further admitted that in the late evening hours of April 9, 2018, she and a male coconspirator carjacked another victim after intentionally ramming into the victim’s car at an intersection in Mobile. As Green approached the victim to engage in conversation, the male assailant grabbed the victim by the neck, put the victim in a chokehold so severe that the victim nearly lost consciousness, and repeatedly struck the victim on the top of the head. The male assailant punched the victim in the face and stole the victim’s cell phone before fleeing the scene in the stolen car. Law denied any involvement in the April 9, 2018 carjacking.
On November 18, 2020, Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced Law to a total term of 183 months’ imprisonment, consisting of 63 months on the carjacking charge and 120 months on the gun charge, ordering that the sentences run consecutively. Law will serve a term of three years on supervised release upon the completion of his sentence. For her role in these offenses, Judge Granade sentenced Green to 24 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release. Law and Green were not ordered to pay a fine, but the judge ordered the defendants to pay victim restitution of at least $760, with further restitution to be determined. The court also ordered that Law and Green pay $200 and $100 in special assessments, respectively.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile Police Department. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Roller.
Missoula Substance Abuse Connect receives $248,000 grant to develop meth prevention, treatment planRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—Missoula Substance Abuse Connect, a coalition created to develop a comprehensive community plan to reduce substance abuse, including methamphetamine-related violent crime, in Missoula County, has received a $248,000 federal grant as part of an overall initiative to fight violent crime, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy awarded initial funding of $248,000 through 2021 to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Rocky Mountain HIDTA allocated the funds to the Missoula Police Department. The MPD will administer the grant through United Way of Missoula County, which is leading the Missoula Substance Abuse Connect effort.
Missoula Substance Abuse Connect is a coalition of more than 40 non-profit, business and government organizations working to reduce demand for meth by developing a drug prevention, treatment and recovery support plan for the community. The coalition was organized through the leadership of United Way and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a U.S. Department of Justice initiative reinvigorated two years ago to reduce violent crime through enforcement and prevention.
Violent crime increased 49% from 2011 to 2017 in Missoula County. PSN, which focuses on prosecuting meth dealers, armed robbers, and violent offenders with firearms, began at the end of April 2018. Over the next two years, murders, robberies and aggravated assaults decreased 25 percent. Since COVID-19 arrived, however, those same violent crimes increased 40% for the seven months of April through October when compared with the same period last year.
As part of PSN Missoula County, federal, state and local law enforcement unanimously identified meth as the leading cause of the increase in violent crime. Since COVID-19 began, Millenium Health reported in July that urinalysis positivity rates for meth increased 34% in Montana.
“We are pleased the community received this grant, which funds an important part of PSN’s goal to reduce violent crime. Strong enforcement by our federal, state and local enforcement partners is critical to shutting down meth trafficking organizations that push this highly addictive drug, but it is not enough. We also need prevention and treatment services to help reduce demand. We are pleased to be part of Missoula Substance Abuse Connect.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
“Drug enforcement is more effective if done in partnership with prevention and treatment programs that reduce demand. An epidemic of substance abuse – particularly meth use – is overwhelming local courts, jail and hospitals and is ravaging families. We must break this terrible cycle by providing greater access to effective prevention and treatment programs and support for people in recovery,” said Susan Hay Patrick, chief executive officer of United Way of Missoula County.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our community to collaborate on one of the most pressing challenges of our time—methamphetamine. Working together, we can prevent youngsters from ever using meth, provide local treatment for those struggling with addiction and prosecute and bring to justice drug dealers who come here to push meth,” said Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst.
“The Missoula Police Department is proud to be a part of Missoula Substance Abuse Connect. We look forward to the prevention and treatment opportunities this program will provide our community. Missoula Substance Abuse Connect, coupled with our enforcement efforts with our law enforcement partners, will help us reduce drug-related crimes in Missoula,” Missoula Police Chief Jaeson White said.
“The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office looks forward to this partnership with the United Way to provide assistance through Missoula Substance Abuse Connect to those in our community who are dealing with addictions and substance abuse issues. I’d also like to thank United Way of Missoula CEO Susan Hay Patrick for her efforts on this project,” Missoula County Sheriff TJ McDermott said.
Missoula Substance Abuse Connect will be managed by United Way of Missoula County and a volunteer board of business and community leaders. The project director is Shannan Sproull, who is an authority on substance abuse prevention with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. The project chair is Janna Lundquist, a respected organizational consultant and former United Way board president with an extensive background in business and nonprofit leadership. Project leaders are recruiting an executive committee and working group from among the 40 public and private coalition member organizations.
PSN Missoula County’s partners include the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Missoula County Attorney’s Office; Montana Department of Justice’s Prosecution Services Bureau, Highway Patrol and Division of Criminal Investigation; the Montana Department of Correction’s Adult Probation and Parole Division; the Missoula Police Department; the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office; Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
For more information about Missoula Substance Abuse Connect, contact Susan Hay Patrick, CEO, United Way of Missoula County, [email protected]; 406-360-0596.
XXX
Mercer County Man Admits Possessing Firearm Loaded with 30 Rounds of Ammunition in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Hamilton, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing a handgun in furtherance of a drug crime, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Armond Holloway, 44, of Hamilton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp via videoconference to Count Two of an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 31, 2017, Holloway was on parole after having served a term of imprisonment. Holloway’s parole officer received information from an anonymous source that Holloway, who had known gang affiliations, was in possession of a gun, 300-400 bricks of heroin, and a large amount of money at his residence.
On Aug. 1, 2017, the parole officer, along with other law enforcement officers, conducted a parole search of Holloway’s residence, where they recovered a Masterpiece Arms 9 mm firearm with an obliterated serial number, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, under Holloway’s bed. They also found a barrel extension that fit the gun. Also recovered from Holloway’s bedroom was more than $14,000 in cash and more than 400 bricks of heroin from Holloway’s basement.
The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to which Holloway pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. If accepted by the court at the time of sentencing, Holloway’s plea agreement would result in Holloway serving a stipulated total sentence between eight and 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark; the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri Jr.; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisa T. Wiygul and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Member of Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Davon Owens, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2020, to possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Owens was a member of the Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) which distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from at least November 2018 through April 3, 2019, Owens participated in the DTO, taking custody of narcotics that he would then store in his house in Baltimore. When the DTO needed to re-supply street-level drug distributors, Owens would provide the narcotics to a supervisor in the DTO.
As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement intercepted communications where Owens discussed the storage and movement of large quantities of heroin. On April 3, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Owens’ residence in the 700 block of Denison Street in Baltimore, and recovered a duffle bag containing over one kilogram of heroin, and a loaded 9mm pistol. Owens admitted that he possessed the heroin with the intent to distribute and that he possessed the firearm during and in relation to the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Owens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 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. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the DEA, the Montgomery County and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the City of Rockville Police Department; the Baltimore County, Howard County, and Montgomery County Police Departments; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Maryland State Police; the West Virginia State Police; the Virginia State Police; the Warren County (VA) Sheriff’s Department; the Winchester (VA) and Front Royal (VA) Police Departments; and the Frederick County and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Offices. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Member of International Burglary Crew Pleads Guilty to RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, a/k/a “Damian,” a/k/a “CoCo,” to participating in a criminal organization that committed a series of burglaries and engaged in the interstate transportation of stolen goods between 2006 and 2017. PEJCINOVIC pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. Gzimi Bojkovic, a/k/a “Jimmy,” pled guilty on October 7, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Adrian Fiseku pled guilty on March 13, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Elvis Cirikovic, a/k/a “Gorilla,” pled guilty on August 26, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As they have now admitted, the defendants were part of a sophisticated criminal enterprise that carried out burglaries on both sides of the Atlantic, to the tune of over $10 million. We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate criminal organizations that commit crimes in New York City and elsewhere. We especially want to thank the FBI and the NYPD for their outstanding work on this case.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in open court:
Between 2006 and April 2017, DAMIR PEJCINOVIC, a/k/a “Damian,” a/k/a “CoCo,” Gzimi Bojkovic, a/k/a “Jimmy,” Adrian Fiseku, and Elvis Cirikovic, a/k/a “Gorilla,” participated in a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, the commission of burglaries and interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods. The criminal organization operated principally in New York City, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, and Europe. Members and associates of the organization committed, conspired to commit, and attempted to commit numerous burglaries of jewelry stores and banks, as well as the interstate transportation and sale of stolen property from the burglaries. PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, Fiseku, Cirikovic, and other members and associates of the criminal organization committed the following burglaries and attempted burglaries:
On March 29, 2008, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2.5 million.
On October 11, 2008, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Germany, attempting to steal gold valued at more than €10 million.
On July 26, 2009, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $850,000.
On August 25, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
On August 28, 2010, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Beverly Hills, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $70,000.
On September 5, 2010, PEJCINOVIC participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Kansas City, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $1 million.
On February 19, 2011, PEJCINOVIC, Cirikovic, and Fiseku participated in a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
In the summer of 2011, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Brooklyn.
On September 16, 2011, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in a burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $150,000.
In the fall of 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Bojkovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Philadelphia.
On June 30, 2012, PEJCINOVIC and Cirikovic participated in an attempted burglary of a bank in Scarsdale.
On July 22, 2012, PEJCINOVIC participated in an attempted burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan.
In the fall of 2013, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Cirikovic participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in New Jersey.
On December 31, 2016, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Manhattan, which resulted in the theft, interstate transportation, and sale of jewelry valued at over $3 million.
On March 20, 2017, PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, and Fiseku participated in the burglary of a jewelry store in Los Angeles, which resulted in the theft of jewelry valued at over $2 million.
* * *
PEJCINOVIC, Bojkovic, Fiseku, and Cirikovic each pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
PEJCINOVIC is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2021.
Bojkovic was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on November 17, 2020, to 36 months in prison.
Fiseku is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2021.
Cirikovic was sentenced by Judge Marrero on January 13, 2020, to 27 months in prison.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Ms. Strauss also thanked the Los Angeles Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Kansas City Police Department, Portland Police Department, German Federal Police, Interpol, Europol, the Office of International Affairs, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Margaret Graham, and Jamie Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
McDowell Co. Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Jonathan Brooks Floyd, 43, of Marion, N.C. was sentenced to 178 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also sentenced Floyd to five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
According to today’s sentencing hearing and documents filed with the Court, in November 2019, law enforcement became aware that Floyd was trafficking methamphetamine. During a subsequent search at Floyd’s residence, law enforcement discovered more than 625 grams of methamphetamine and five firearms. Floyd pleaded guilty to the drug charge on June 1, 2020. Floyd’s previous convictions in North Carolina, including a Habitual Felon conviction, contributed to the Court’s prison sentence.
Floyd is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Going to Prison for Defrauding an Orchard Park Aerospace Company Out of More Than 800,000Read the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Amir Jahed a/k/a Amir Jahedmotlagh, 50, of Montgomery Village, Maryland, who was convicted of mail fraud, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that between 2010 and July 19, 2018, the defendant was an employee of Cobham Mission Systems, a company headquartered in Orchard Park, NY, that was engaged in the development, delivery, and support of aerospace and defense technology and systems. Cobham also had an office located in Westminster, Maryland. As part of his employment, Jahed was assigned company credit cards (purchase cards) and was authorized to make certain purchases on behalf of Cobham for its business operations. The defendant used his company purchase cards to conduct approximately 600 unauthorized transactions. Jahed claimed that the transactions were purchases of parts for Cobham’s business operations. In truth and in fact, the defendant did not purchase any parts for Cobham; rather, he used the purchase cards to direct funds into accounts controlled by him, resulting in a loss of $832,003 to Cobham. After Jahed used a purchase card fraudulently to obtain funds, he mailed fraudulent invoices to Cobham headquarters in support of the fraudulent transactions to give the appearance that the purchases were made to support Cobham’s business operations.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
# # # #
Maryland Man Facing Federal Indictment for Threatening Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris During the Presidential CampaignRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment late yesterday charging James Dale Reed, age 42, of Frederick, Maryland, on the federal charge of threats to a major candidate for President or Vice President—specifically, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris. Reed is currently in state custody and a federal warrant has been lodged as a detainer to ensure his appearance in U.S. District Court at a future date. A federal criminal complaint for the same charge was filed against Reed on October 21, 2020.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.
“We take these types of threats extremely seriously. The right to vote and peacefully support the candidate of your choice are bedrocks of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Alleged conduct like this that threatens major candidates and fellow citizens only undermines our democracy and the principles upon which America was founded. We will hold accountable those who seek to intimidate, harass or dissuade Americans from exercising their right to vote.”
According to the single-count indictment and court documents, on October 4, 2020, a letter threatening candidates for President and Vice President—specifically, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris—with physical harm and execution, was left on the doorstep of a resident in Frederick in the early hours of the morning. The resident had several signs in the yard supporting the candidates threatened in the letter. The likeness of the subject delivering the letter was captured by a door camera.
If convicted, Reed faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Joan C. Mathias, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Maryland Based Cattle Exporters Indicted for FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two brothers, Daniel Gutman, age 38, and Benjamin Gutman, age 38, both of Maryland, were indicted on November 18, 2020, by a federal grand jury on multiple conspiracy, false statement and wire fraud charges.
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Daniel and Benjamin Gutman are the owners of Gutman Brothers, LTD, a Baltimore, Maryland based cattle export business with farms in New Holland, Pennsylvanian and Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. They are charged in the indictment with conspiring with a veterinarian, Dr. Donald Yorlets, of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the buyers of their cattle in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and Qatar by submitting more than a thousand false bovine blood samples to a Harrisburg laboratory for bovine disease testing between November 2016 and February 2020.
The indictment alleges that Daniel and Benjamin Gutman and Dr. Yorlets routinely substituted the blood from cattle they knew to be disease free for the blood of larger numbers of untested animals in order to obtain the required Certificates of Health Inspection for all the animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires cattle who are transported in interstate and international commerce to be tested for various bovine diseases, including Bovine Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Bovine Leucosis, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea. Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis are communicable diseases that can be transmitted to humans under certain circumstances.
The indictment also alleges that additional Unique Antibody Profile testing of some of the Gutman Brothers blood samples by a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed that only 122 of 1,069 samples were genuine.
While other bovine diseases are tested for by conducting a laboratory blood test, Bovine Tuberculosis is tested for by what is known as a Caudal Fold skin test. The indictment further alleges that Daniel and Benjamin Gutman did not conduct the skin test on a large number of animals but falsely represented to the government that they did.
Dr. Yorlets pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor in August 2020. He is currently awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Wilson. No date has yet been scheduled for the sentencing.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the proceeds from many of Daniel and Benjamin Gutman’s sales to buyers in Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico and Qatar, an amount that exceeds $7 million dollars.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Douglas Daniel and Ravi Sharma are prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charge of conspiracy is 5 years of imprisonment; the charge of wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment for each count; and the charge of false statements is 5 years of imprisonment for each count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Mandeville Woman Pleads Guilty to Distributing Prescription MedicationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that NATALIE BARTON, age 41, of Mandeville, Louisiana, pled guilty on November 18, 2020 to one count of misbranding prescription drugs, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 331(a) and 333(a)(2).
Court records indicate that BARTON and her husband distributed prescription medications through websites and in a brick-and-mortar store. These prescription drugs were dispensed without valid prescriptions issued by licensed practitioners, and without labels that complied with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Instead, these substances included labels that were misleading, in that they stated that the substances were not for human consumption, which was false. BARTON and E.B. were not practitioners licensed by law to administer prescription drugs.
If convicted, BARTON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 3 years of imprisonment followed by up to 1 year of supervised release on the anabolic-steroid conspiracy count and a $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Strasser expressed appreciation for the support provided by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Shih is in charge of the prosecution
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
* * *
Lewisburg Man Indicted on Visa Fraud and False Statement ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tengteng Wan, age 42, of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on November 18, 2020, by a federal grand jury on visa fraud and false statement charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Tengteng Wan allegedly applied for an H-4 nonimmigrant visa in April 2015. At that time, H-4 visa holders were not eligible for employment in the United States. Wan allegedly stated in his visa application that he was “not employed.” At the time, however, Wan allegedly owned and operated one or more businesses. Wan’s alleged statement that he was “not employed” constituted visa fraud and a false statement under penalty of perjury.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offenses; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for an offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Lawyer Sentenced for His Role in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Joseph S. Anile, II (56, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return. As part of the sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $3,283,467, the proceeds of the fraud. Anile was also ordered to forfeit his interest in multiple pieces of real property, including a luxury residence in Sarasota, high-end vehicles, currency, gold coins, and silver bars, which are traceable to proceeds of the fraud.
Anile had pleaded guilty on September 26, 2019.
According to court documents, from November 2011 through April 18, 2019, Anile conspired with others to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Through false and fraudulent representations and material omissions, the conspirators persuaded at least 700 victims to invest more than $72 million in a foreign exchange market (“FOREX”) fraud known as Oasis International Group. Anile, a licensed attorney, created offshore entities, secured broker-dealer licenses, drafted promissory notes and disclosures, monitored incoming wire transactions, directed outgoing wire transactions and interacted with victim-investors to help carry out the scheme. The conspirators also developed and administered a “back office” operation—a secure website that falsely and fraudulently depicted account balances and earnings—to convince victim-investors that their principal balances were safe and that their investments were performing.
In fact, the conspirators used only a portion of the victim-investors’ funds for FOREX trading, which resulted in catastrophic losses that were concealed. They used the balance of the victim-investors’ funds to make payments toward expenses associated with perpetuating the scheme, and to purchase million-dollar residential properties, high-end vehicles, gold, silver and other liquid assets, to fund a lavish lifestyle for the conspirators, their family members and friends, and for their personal enrichment. Anile used fraud proceeds to purchase other assets, including a Ferrari California T convertible. Anile did not report the victim-investors’ funds he received on his federal income tax returns.
“Make no mistake, white collar criminals absolutely destroy lives. Joseph Anile disgracefully conspired to orchestrate a scheme that ultimately did just that,” stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Oasis International not only fraudulently depleted the life savings of its investors, many of them seniors, but also caused their victims and families untold mental anguish, emotional distress, and broken trust. These offenses are most heinous, and we are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners to bring these crooks to task.”
OFR Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III, said “I thank OFR’s investigators and our partners in law enforcement for their efforts in this case. Criminals who perpetrate these types of financial schemes will be brought to justice, and I appreciate the valuable work of OFR’s team, the FBI, and the IRS in bringing this case to resolution.”
“It’s tough to hear the stories of financial hardship this scheme created. Rest assured, the FBI and its law enforcement partners will never cease to bring to justice heartless fraudsters like Joseph Anile who swindle hard-earned money from honest Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael F. McPherson.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. A related civil action was brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which resulted in, among other actions, the appointment of a receiver.
The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
Las Vegas Resident Pleads Guilty to Robbing Two USPS Mail CarriersRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty today to robbing two U.S. Postal Service mail carriers of the mail they were delivering, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada.
Rodolfo Rafael Rodriguez-Silva, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II, to two counts of robbery of mail, money, or property of the United States. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled on February 18, 2021.
According to court documents and admissions made in court by Rodriguez-Silva, on January 18, 2020, he and another individual — each wearing a ski mask — robbed a USPS mail carrier who was delivering mail. Rodriguez-Silva intimidated the mail carrier while the other person stole mail from the victim’s USPS vehicle. A few days later, on January 25, Rodriguez-Silva, who was masked, accosted another mail carrier and said: “I don’t want to hurt you, get to the side of the vehicle.” An individual with Rodriguez-Silva then stole mail from the USPS vehicle.
Rodriguez-Silva faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 for each count. The sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Daniel Clarkson are prosecuting the case.
###
Laredo, Texas Man Sentenced for Possession of HeroinRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Neguel Alfonso Morris, 40, of Laredo, Texas, was sentenced today on drug trafficking charges, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Morris to 57 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Morris pleaded guilty on July 16, 2020.
On August 24, 2018, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies were conducting a foot patrol in the parking lot of a truck stop in Sulphur, Louisiana when they observed a suspicious vehicle. Deputies approached the car and identified the driver of the vehicle as Neguel Alfonso Morris. Upon conducting a search of the vehicle, deputies found a clear glass pipe under the driver’s seat. Morris admitted that the pipe belonged to him and that he had just finished smoking crack in the pipe. After a further search of the vehicle, deputies discovered a package tightly taped in duct tape under the passenger seat. Morris was arrested and taken into custody. A crime lab analysis was conducted on the package found in Morris’ vehicle and it was confirmed that it contained 1,287.7 grams of heroin. Morris was traveling from San Antonio, Texas to New York when he was apprehended in Sulphur.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
# # #
Lake County Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Douglas V. Oakes has pleaded guilty to tax evasion. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Oakes tried to evade and defeat the payment of federal income taxes that he owed for tax years 2002 to 2005. In August 2015, after the IRS initiated collection actions, Oakes submitted a signed statement to the IRS in which he represented that he was not employed or self-employed, earned no income, and did not have a financial interest in any business entities. In fact, at that time, Oakes was working for Dealerindustry.com, LLC (“DI”) d/b/a Automotive Capital Corporation, a company in which he had a significant financial interest and from which he was earning approximately $400,000 per year. To conceal from the IRS his financial interest in DI, Oakes registered his daughters and others as DI’s managing members with the Florida Department of State, removed his name from DI’s website and bank account, and removed his profile from the website LinkedIn.
In addition, in September 2015, Oakes submitted a sham rent agreement to the IRS representing that he and his wife were renting their 4,321 sq. ft. lakefront home in Orlando from DI for $1 per month. In November 2015, Oakes further attempted to conceal his assets from the IRS by purchasing a new beachfront home in Merritt Island for $1 million in the name of a nominee.
In July 2017, following the death of his daughter, Oakes and another individual caused posthumous tax returns to be prepared for Oakes’s deceased daughter in which DI’s income from 2010 through 2015 was falsely claimed to be entirely his deceased daughter’s income. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, Oakes earned approximately $2.2 million in income from DI, including payments that Oakes caused to be made from DI’s business bank account for credit card payments, luxury car payments, and the rent for his lakefront home.
The total tax loss to the United States in this case was $1,112,651.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Jennifer M. Harrington.
Laconia Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Monica Kemper, 36, of Laconia, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on various occasions between January and April of 2020, Kemper and her partner, John Daigle, altered stolen checks and cashed or attempted to cash them at various banks in New Hampshire. Some of the checks were stolen from a community mailroom in Bedford and others from mailboxes in Manchester. On April 1, 2020, Kemper and Daigle attempted to use a stolen driver’s license to cash a check at a credit union.
On April 23, 2020, Kemper and Daigle were arrested by Manchester Police officers. Officers searched a vehicle they had been driving and found over $16,000 in stolen checks, stolen credit cards, the stolen driver’s license used at the credit union on April 1, and various other pieces of stolen mail.
Daigle previously pleaded guilty on August 6, 2020 and is awaiting sentencing.
Kemper is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2021.
“Fraud crimes involving stolen mail can damage victims in a variety of ways,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the integrity of the mail and our financial system, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the criminals who attempt to profit by stealing mail and defrauding banks with stolen checks.”
“The theft of mail in the furtherance of various fraud schemes has a significant financial and emotional impact on its victims,” says Chief Allen Aldenberg. “Hopefully, the charges that both Mr. Daigle and Ms. Kemper now face will serve as a warning to all would-be mail thieves that there are serious consequences for this type of activity."
This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service in cooperation with the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.
###
Justice Department Reaches Landmark Agreement with Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to Address Discrimination Against Parents with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that they reached a landmark agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The agreement resolves findings by the Justice Department and HHS that DCF discriminated against parents with disabilities in the administration of its child welfare program in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This is the first Department of Justice settlement to address disability discrimination by a state child welfare agency.
“The stakes are never higher than when a parent faces the possibility of losing a child,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Individuals with disabilities have just as much a right to raise their children as any other person in this free country, and no government should unnecessarily infringe upon that sacred right. While child welfare agencies are faced with challenging and weighty decisions on a daily basis, they must always strive to ensure that no child is removed from a parent on the basis of unsupported stereotypes, discriminatory attitudes, or other unlawful reasons. This agreement will ensure that parents with disabilities are treated as individuals, and that they receive the supports and services they need to have an equal opportunity to retain or regain custody of their children. We believe this agreement will not only help thousands of families in Massachusetts, but also will provide a roadmap for child welfare agencies nationwide on how to treat parents with disabilities with the fairness, dignity, and respect that they deserve.”
“Parents with disabilities should never lose custody of their children due to discriminatory assumptions about their abilities. The love of a parent, coupled with proper support services, can overcome a multiplicity of challenges,” said Roger Severino, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “We are pleased to have reached this great result with the Department of Justice and Massachusetts.”
In 2015, the Department of Justice and HHS jointly found that DCF discriminated against a mother with a developmental disability and sought to terminate her parental rights to her infant daughter based on assumptions about her disability. Over the past five years, the Department of Justice and HHS received similar complaints against DCF from parents with physical, hearing, developmental, and other disabilities. The departments also received numerous complaints alleging that DCF denied requests for reasonable modifications, failed to provide interpreters to individuals with hearing impairments, and otherwise denied parents with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from DCF’s programs and services. The Justice Department investigated and substantiated many of these allegations, as well as allegations that DCF’s methods of administering its programs and services have the effect of discriminating against parents with disabilities.
Under today’s agreement, DCF will take critical steps to ensure the ADA’s protections extend to parents with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. DCF will not base decisions about removal of a child on stereotypes or generalizations about persons with disabilities. Rather, DCF will base such decisions on an individualized assessment of the parent with a disability and objective facts. Additionally, DCF will appoint statewide and regional coordinators to oversee DCF’s efforts to comply with the ADA and Section 504; create a new Parents with Disabilities Policy, including processes for requesting disability-based accommodations and filing disability-based complaints; train staff on DCF’s obligations to parents with disabilities and its new policies and procedures; and periodically report to the Department of Justice and HHS on its handling of accommodation requests and disability-related complaints.
The ADA requires that child welfare agencies provide parents with disabilities an equal opportunity to access and benefit from their services. Such agencies must reasonably modify policies and practices when necessary to avoid disability discrimination. They must ensure that communication with parents with disabilities is effective. And they must not use criteria or other administrative methods that result in disability discrimination.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the ADA. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. To learn more about the ADA’s history and impact, please visit the department’s ADA Anniversary webpage.
To read the Department of Justice and HHS’s previously issued technical assistance for child welfare agencies, please click here. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
Justice Department Files Complaint against Jeffrey Lowe and Tiger King LLC for Violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare ActRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint against Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe, Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park LLC, and Tiger King LLC, to address recurring inhumane treatment and improper handling of animals protected by the Endangered Species Act.
The complaint alleges violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act and asks the court to declare that defendants have violated and will continue to violate the Endangered Species Act by illegally taking, possessing, and transporting protected animals, and the Animal Welfare Act by exhibiting without a license and placing the health of animals in serious danger. The complaint also asks the court to require the defendants to relinquish certain animals to the United States, to cease violating these laws, to award the United States costs, and to grant other relief as appropriate.
“The Lowes’ failure to provide basic veterinary care, appropriate food, and safe living conditions for the animals does not meet standards required by both the Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered Species Act,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan D. Brightbill of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Exhibitors cannot evade the law simply by shutting out the USDA and moving their animals elsewhere. The Department of Justice will support the USDA in pursuing those who violate federal animal protection laws.”
“Animal exhibitors, whether they exhibit in person or on-line, must possess a license and provide adequate care for their animals as provided for by Animal Welfare Act regulations,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) General Counsel Stephen A. Vaden. “This action reflects the priority that USDA places on the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.”
Until August 2020, Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe operated the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, located in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. The Wynnewood facility exhibited numerous animals protected by the Endangered Species Act, including tigers, lions, and other big cats, a grizzly bear, and ring-tailed lemurs.
In June and July 2020, USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service inspectors found numerous animals in poor health and living in substandard conditions at the Wynnewood facility, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act. The Lowes did not provide timely and adequate veterinary care, causing the animals to suffer from easily treatable conditions, in some cases resulting in untimely death. Animals were not provided with sufficient quantities of appropriate food and were underweight and suffering from nutritional deficiencies, making them susceptible to fractures, unable to stand or walk, and exhibiting neurological problems.
The Lowes also failed to maintain sanitary and safe conditions, resulting in fly strikes on the animals’ bodies. Fly strike dermatitis is a preventable condition in which flies continuously attack, bite, and penetrate the skin of an animal. The flies lay eggs on open or irritated skin, causing infestations of maggots and painful sores. Inspectors also found foul-smelling, partially burned and decomposing big cat carcasses and a broken-down refrigerator truck containing rotting meat. They found no other properly refrigerated meat on site for the animals. The Lowes also routinely separated big cat cubs and lemur pups from their mothers at too early an age for public “playtime” events, resulting in long-lasting harm.
As one example of this inhumane treatment, in June 2020, USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service inspectors observed a lion cub named Nala. The cub was lethargic, depressed, thin, and would not get up out of the mud even after prompting. She had discharges emanating from her nose and eyes, and sores on her ears. The inspectors directed the Lowes to immediately obtain veterinary care for Nala. Nala was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, dehydration, and urinary tract infection, and was also suffering from fly strikes, parasites, and fleas. Nala was transferred to a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado in September. She has been diagnosed with malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies so severe as to cause a chronic bone fracture and lameness.
USDA suspended Jeffrey Lowe’s Animal Welfare Act exhibitor license and initiated an administrative action to permanently revoke his license. Lowe has previously claimed to be above the law and, “If we lose a lawsuit, we simply change the name and open another business someplace else.” Days later, Lowe unilaterally terminated his license and sought to put his operation beyond USDA inspection and investigation. The Lowes then moved animals to a property in Thackerville, Oklahoma, located in the middle of a rural, residential area. The Lowes have made public statements that the new Thackerville facility will be named “Tiger King Park” and will operate as a film set for television shows and other video content. The Lowes do not have a license to exhibit animals.
The complaint also seeks a court order to permit immediate inspection of the facility, to prevent the Lowes from exhibiting their animals in person or through online platforms, to prevent the Lowes from acquiring or disposing of any animals during the injunction, and for any and all veterinary records for any animals treated during the injunction.
The case is being handled by attorneys from the Environment and Natural Resources Division. The case is being investigated by USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service and the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Burn Pit Lion Cub with Damaged Ear Tiger with Damaged Ear Tiger with Damaged EarJustice Department Files Antitrust Case and Simultaneous Settlement Requiring National Association of Realtors® to Repeal and Modify Certain Anticompetitive RulesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today filed a civil lawsuit against the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) alleging that NAR established and enforced illegal restraints on the ways that REALTORS® compete.
The Antitrust Division simultaneously filed a proposed settlement that requires NAR to repeal and modify its rules to provide greater transparency to home buyers about the commissions of brokers representing home buyers (buyer brokers), cease misrepresenting that buyer broker services are free, eliminate rules that prohibit filtering multiple listing services (MLS) listings based on the level of buyer broker commissions, and change its rules and policy which limit access to lockboxes to only NAR-affiliated real estate brokers. If approved, the settlement will enhance competition in the real estate market, resulting in more choice and better service for consumers.
“Buying a home is one of life’s biggest and most important financial decisions,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Home buyers and sellers should be aware of all the broker fees they are paying. Today’s settlement prevents traditional brokers from impeding competition — including by internet-based methods of home buying and selling — by providing greater transparency to consumers about broker fees. This will increase price competition among brokers and lead to better quality of services for American home buyers and sellers.”
According to the complaint, NAR’s anticompetitive rules, policies, and practices include: (i) prohibiting MLSs that are affiliated with NAR from disclosing to prospective buyers the commission that the buyer broker will earn; (ii) allowing buyer brokers to misrepresent to buyers that a buyer broker’s services are free; (iii) enabling buyer brokers to filter MLS listings based on the level of buyer broker commissions offered; and (iv) limiting access to the lockboxes that provide licensed brokers with access to homes for sale to brokers who work for a NAR-affiliated MLS. These NAR rules, policies, practices have been widely adopted by NAR-affiliated MLSs resulting in decreased competition among real estate brokers.
NAR is a trade association of more than 1.4 million-member REALTORS® who are engaged in residential real estate brokerages across the United States. NAR has over 1,400 local associations (called “Member Boards”) organized as MLSs through which REALTORS® share information about homes for sale in their communities. Among other activities, NAR establishes and enforces rules, policies, and practices that are adopted by the Member Boards and their affiliated MLSs.
The proposed settlement will be published in the Federal Register as required by the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. Any person may submit written comments regarding the proposed final judgment within 60 days of its publications to Chief, Office of Decree Enforcement and Compliance, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the proposed final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.
Jury convicts Wolf Point man of assaulting, abusing minorRead the Press Release
Great Falls – A federal jury today convicted a Wolf Point man accused of assaulting and abusing a minor on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
After a three-day trial that began on Nov. 17, the jury found Luke John Scott, Sr., 33, guilty of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and felony child abuse.
Scott faces a maximum sentence of a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for March 24, 2021 and ordered Scott detained.
“One of the most important obligations we have as a society is protecting our children. Those who harm them, like Mr. Scott, will be held accountable. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley, the FBI and Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services for their investigation and prosecution of this case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution presented evidence in court documents and at trial that in March 2019 in Wolf Point, Scott assaulted a minor child, who was under the age of 18, by repeated blunt force trauma to the face and strangulation. The victim was treated for serious injuries.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services.
XXX
Judge sentences St. Louis man for being a felon in possession of ammunitionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Keyshawn Brown to 45 months in prison today. The 23-year-old St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
On December 2, 2019, officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were informed someone was driving a stolen car in the area of Goodfellow and St. Louis Avenues. The officers pursued the car and deployed spike strips, which caused the car to stop in the middle of the street. Brown, who was the driver, got out of the car and fled the scene. Brown was detained a short distance away by officers.
After interviewing others in the stolen car, officers went to a residence in St. Ann. After further investigation, officers seized two boxes of Federal Ammunition 300 Savage. During an interview with Brown, he told officers that he and two others bought the two boxes of Federal Ammunition 300 Savage from the Cabela’s in Hazelwood, Missouri. Brown stated he then took the ammunition to the residence in St. Ann and tried to load it into a double drum magazine for a “chopper,” but realized he had bought the wrong ammunition.
Investigators learned Brown is a previously convicted felon.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case.
#####
Judge Sends Two to Federal Prison for Stealing and Selling more than $2.4 Million Worth of Sensitive U.S. Military Equipment from Camp MabryRead the Press Release
Calling it “the ultimate breach of trust,” U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel sentenced 36-year-old former U.S. Property and Fiscal Office Program Analyst Joseph Mora and 27-year-old former Texas Army National Guardsman Cristal Avila to three years and two years in federal prison, respectively, for selling on the internet over $2.4 million in sensitive military equipment stolen from Camp Mabry in Austin, announced U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer; Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos, Southwest Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (Army CID) Special Agent in Charge Ray Rayos, Southwestern Fraud Field Office; and, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, Houston Division.
In addition to the prison terms handed down during sentencing today in Austin, Judge Yeakel ordered that both defendants pay, jointly and severally, $2,420,065 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing their respective prison terms. Judge Yeakel also ordered that the defendants forfeit to the government a 2016 Cadillac Escalade and a total of $53,310.32 seized from two bank accounts owned by Mora.
According to court records, from 2016 to 2019, Mora and Avila stole large quantities of government property, including scopes, infrared laser aiming devices and thermal night vision goggles, with an estimated value in excess of $2.4 million. Mora and Avila later sold the stolen goods on eBay and elsewhere.
“Stealing military equipment and offering it to the highest bidder endangers our communities and the brave men and women who protect us here at home and abroad. Thanks to the hard work of DCIS Southwest Field Office, HSI, Army CID, and USPIS, the individuals who purloined more than $2.4 million worth of sensitive military gear have been held accountable and we can rest easier knowing that these items are not being offered up to criminals or those who would use them for nefarious purposes,” stated U.S. Attorney Sofer.
On August 4, 2020, Mora pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Avila did the same two days later. Both remain on bond pending formal notification from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as to where and when to report to begin serving their prison terms.
“Today's sentencings are a result of a highly successful joint investigative effort by the DCIS Southwest Field Office, HSI, Army CID and USPIS,” said DCIS Southwest Field Office Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding sensitive military property and Department of Defense supply chains in order to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense, the investment of our taxpayers, and most importantly, the warfighter.”
“The sentencing of Mora and Avila sends a clear message to those who break their military oath of protecting this nation by stealing and selling military technology for profit,” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Folden. “Scopes, infrared laser aiming equipment, and thermal night vision goggles are highly advanced technologies, giving our military a much deserved edge on today’s battlefield. These schemes could potentially provide an opportunity for foreign adversaries to obtain sensitive U.S. equipment.”
“Today’s sentencing is another example of the great teamwork among law enforcement agencies,” said Army CID Southwestern Fraud Field Office Special Agent in Charge Rayos. “These two defendants devised a criminal enterprise that deprived Soldiers of the equipment they needed for training. It is inexcusable and hopefully this sentence will send a strong message to those who think they can steal from the U.S. government.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is committed to defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use, no matter who the user is,” said Inspector in Charge Gonzalez. “In this case, it includes ensuring that greedy individuals like Joseph Mora and Cristal Avila, who used positions of trust within the U.S. Military to steal sensitive equipment, do not use the U.S. Mails as the means to sell their ill-gotten goods. Postal Inspectors will continue to work tirelessly with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The DCIS Southwest Field Office, HSI, Army CID, and USPIS conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Galdo and Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
#####The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Jefferson County man admits to role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Duane Curtis Jackson, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jackson, also known as “Duke,” 28, pled guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl.” Jackson admitted to having heroin and fentanyl in March 2019 in Jefferson County.
Jackson faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Images Using Social Media AppRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Earl Frederic Owens (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sex abuse images over the internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. Additionally, Owens will be required to register as a sex offender and to forfeit several computer devices seized from his residence. Owens has been in custody since his arrest on November 19, 2019.
According to court documents, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center received a report from Kik, a social messaging application (“app”), that several different user accounts had uploaded and distributed images depicting the sexual exploitation of children to an online chat platform using the Kik app. Further investigation revealed that these materials were distributed from an apartment in Jacksonville where Owens lived.
On November 19, 2019, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Owens’s apartment. During an interview, Owens admitted that he uses the Kik app to chat with strangers about his “urges,” he has an interest in “pedophilia,” and that he traded child sex abuse materials with others online through group chats and private messages using the Kik app. A forensic examination of Owens’s laptop computer revealed that he had collected at least 2,149 images depicting young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville, and the HSI Child Exploitation Investigations Unit – Cyber Crime Center in Fairfax, Virginia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Selling a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Michael Mays a/k/a Michael Mayes, 35, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Tom S. Lee to knowingly selling a firearm to a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michele Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
On July 19, 2018, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation observed Mays sell a firearm in Jackson to a convicted felon, and upon questioning, Mays admitted to knowing the person to whom he sold the firearm was a convicted felon. It is illegal for a person to sell a firearm to a person he knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a convicted felon.
Mays was indicted on August 11, 2020. He will be sentenced by Judge Lee on March 18, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.