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7 January 2021
Virginia Man Sentenced for Using Stolen Identity in Attempt to Secure Loan from Worcester Credit UnionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for making a false statement on a loan application and aggravated identity theft. At the time of the offense, he was on supervised release for a previous conviction.
Rashad Al-Terek Walker, 39, of Hampton, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 32 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In September 2020, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a loan application and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In November 2019, Walker attempted to obtain a loan using a stolen identity from a Worcester-area credit union. Walker provided employees of the credit union several fraudulent records, including a counterfeit license, employer pay record and utility bill. Employees of the credit union immediately reported the matter to law enforcement authorities, who responded to the credit union and arrested Walker.
Walker was previously convicted of bank fraud in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia and was on supervised release for that offense when he committed the crimes in Worcester.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Utah man who trafficked meth from camper on Fort Peck Indian Reservation sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Utah man who towed a camper to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and trafficked methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Andrew Michael Gomez, 33, of Ogden, Utah, pleaded guilty on Sept. 14, 2020 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that Gomez, and his co-defendant, Jeffrey Allen Dabb, 39, of Ogden, Utah, towed a camper from Utah and rented a vacant lot on the reservation. In August 2019, a Wolf Point Police officer received information about drug activity on property where the camper was parked. The officer obtained a tribal search warrant to enter the property and seize the camper. Gomez, Dabb, and another individual were in the camper. Dabb said that they were in the area to work in the North Dakota oil fields and denied there was anything illegal in the camper.
During a search of the camper, law enforcement found more than 6.5 ounces of meth, drug ledgers, electronic money transfer receipts showing money wires to individuals in Utah, a set of brass knuckles with a built-in knife, scales, baggies and other drug paraphernalia.
Gomez attempted to further the meth trafficking conspiracy while incarcerated on state charges by urging individuals to recover and sell the drugs, which he thought were still hidden in the camper.
Dabb was convicted in the case and sentenced to 51 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services, Wolf Point Police Department and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 48% from 2013 to 2019. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Upshur County man sentenced for methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Benton Barcus, of Ellamore, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months of incarceration for methamphetamine distribution, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Barcus, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine” in July 2020. Barcus admitted to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in March 2019 in Upshur County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum Announces ResignationRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Marc Krickbaum, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, announced he is resigning today. “Serving as United States Attorney has been the privilege of my professional life,” Mr. Krickbaum said. “I am grateful to the law enforcement and agencies we serve with, and to the people of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They have done great things, and they have many more to come.”
Mr. Krickbaum has served as United States Attorney, the district’s chief federal prosecutor, since 2017, and before that worked for almost a decade as a career prosecutor in two United States Attorney’s Offices. During his tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office brought significant prosecutions against violent street gangs and others responsible for gun crime, targeted those who sexually exploit children, and obtained significant civil settlements against those who commit health care fraud and other fraud against the government.
U.S. Attorney's Office Statement on the Review of Facts and Evidence in October 18, 2020, Motorized Scooter IncidentRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office issues the following statement in reference to the Office’s review of the facts and evidence available regarding the incident that occurred in Providence on October 18, 2020, that seriously injured the operator of a motorized scooter:
“This office has reviewed all of the evidence, interviews, and statements collected and cooperatively shared by the Attorney General’s Office to determine if there is evidence of a federal criminal civil rights violation. The review determined that evidence did not constitute a federal criminal offense; and that there is insufficient evidence to obtain and sustain a federal conviction.”
The United States Attorney’s Office will have no further comment on this matter.
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U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart Issues Statement Regarding Violence at Nation's Capitol BuildingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement:
“The Rule of Law is paramount to the maintenance of freedom. The right to peaceful assembly and demonstration is a fundamental right, but that right does not extend to committing violence in the name of any cause or purpose. The violence at the Nation’s Capitol Building was reprehensible and counter to every value we share as Americans. My team is working with our counterparts in law enforcement and, as the facts dictate, are prepared to enforce the Rule of Law and the laws of these United States. I fully support and endorse the statement of Acting United States Attorney General Rosen regarding yesterday’s intolerable events. I want to commend the brave men and women of law enforcement for their selfless service yesterday and always. These men and women are incredible public servants in defense of our citizens, our communities and the Rule of Law.”
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.
- Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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The United States Department of JusticeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021
WWW.JUSTICE.GOV/NEWS
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFFREY A. ROSEN REGARDING THE OVERRUNNING OF THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDINGWASHINGTON - Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen issued the following statement:
"The violence at our Nation’s Capitol Building is an intolerable attack on a fundamental institution of our democracy. From the outset, the Department of Justice has been working in close coordination with the Capitol Police and federal partners from the Interior Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Guard, as well as the Metropolitan Police and other local authorities. Earlier this afternoon, the Department of Justice sent hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service to assist the Capitol Police in addressing this unacceptable situation, and we intend to enforce the laws of our land."
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U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst Announces His Departure from Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Mike Hurst, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, announced today that he has submitted his resignation to President Donald J. Trump and Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen and will leave the Department of Justice on January 19, 2021.
“Serving as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for over half of our state has been the highest honor of my professional career. During my time as U.S. Attorney, I have tried to do everything within my power to make our neighborhoods safer, support our law enforcement, engage and empower our communities and citizens, protect victims, prevent and reduce crime, and uphold our constitutional rights. The secret to the success of this office is its people – hard-working, tenacious, and full of integrity, they are committed to seeing that justice is always done, every day. I wish them all the best in their continued service to our fellow man and to this noble work,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“Mike Hurst is the ultimate public servant. He has routinely taken on tough fights in order to preserve the rule of law – because he believes in it. He has been a champion for the people of Mississippi, and we wish him well in his next adventure,” said Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves.
“Mike Hurst has served the people of Mississippi with honor and distinction as U.S. Attorney,” said United States Senator Roger Wicker. “He’s a talented lawyer and dedicated public servant. I wish him well in his next chapter.”
“Mike Hurst has served as the consummate U.S. Attorney, serving Mississippi and our nation extremely well. Like so many in our state, I am grateful for his achievements in the Southern District of Mississippi to prosecute crimes and to bring special focus on fighting human trafficking and illegal drug trafficking. I wish him and his family all the best as he leaves office,” said United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
“The Mississippi Sheriffs Association offers its gratitude to Mike Hurst for his service as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. Since October 2017, Mike has faithfully served the State of Mississippi and supported Mississippi law enforcement officers. The Mississippi Sheriffs Association appreciates his service to Mississippi and the United States and wishes him the very best,” said Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, President of the Mississippi Sheriffs Association.
“It is imperative the many levels of criminal justice to work as a team to be successful. Having worked with U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for nearly 4 years, I have seen firsthand his passion to put swift, fair and just efforts into providing justice for victims. Mike is a law enforcement-minded person and he has always been there to stand on the front lines with Mississippi law enforcement. His criminal prosecution of the worst in Mississippi should be commended and our communities are safer because of his efforts. The men and women of law enforcement who combat evil in Mississippi send their sincerest best wishes to Mike and know the best for him is yet to come,” said Ridgeland Police Chief John Neal, President of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.
“As District Attorney of the 15th Judicial District, it is my pleasure to commend and thank Mike Hurst for a job well done during his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. Mike began the Project EJECT program a few years ago, which targets the investigation and prosecution of violent crime in the Pine Belt area. Through this program, Mike and his prosecution team have created an effective collaboration between federal authorities and state and local agencies, and they have successfully brought many serious offenders to justice. This contribution has assisted my office immeasurably in efforts to ensure public safety in my district, and I appreciate his leadership in this pursuit,” said Fifteenth Circuit District Attorney Hal Kittrell, former President of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association.
CRIMINAL
Southern District of Mississippi Ranked First in Nation for Indictments by Medium-Size Offices in FY19; Most Federal Indictments, Federal Defendants Ever Prosecuted in One Year in Mississippi History
In Fiscal Year 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi indicted just 188 cases. U.S. Attorney Hurst was determined to change that. Knowing this office, and the capacity it had to do even more, Hurst increased prosecutions by Fiscal Year 2019 to 522 indictments, a 178% increase and almost tripling the number from just three years before. Those 522 indictments encompassed 641 federal defendants – the most ever in the history of the state of Mississippi. And this number places the Southern District of Mississippi as the number one Medium-size district in the nation for indictments and prosecutions.
Shortly after becoming United States Attorney, Hurst was named President of the Greater Jackson Law Enforcement Officers Association in February 2018. Through this group, U.S. Attorney Hurst brought federal, state and local law enforcement together in the greater Jackson metro area to hear from a variety of speakers and increase their coordination and collaboration in their fight again crime and in keeping citizens safe.
Violent Crime
Project EJECT
With violent crime on the rise in Mississippi and throughout the nation, U.S. Attorney Hurst launched Project EJECT in Jackson in December 2017. Project EJECT, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s initiative under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian programs, was a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. In its first year in Jackson, overall violent crime fell by 7%, including a 50% reduction in carjackings alone, resulting in 108 fewer victims of violent crime in our capital city in 2018.
Recognizing the success of Project EJECT, and the need for more affirmative enforcement of our civil laws, Attorney General Jeff Sessions allocated five brand new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to the Southern District of Mississippi, more than many other, larger districts throughout the nation. Four of these positions were to combat violent crime, and the other position was to increase our affirmative civil enforcement work.
Because of this ground-breaking, collaborative and innovative work to reduce violent crime, Project EJECT was recognized and awarded in December 2018 as one of only two Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Forces by the U.S. Department of Justice among all 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the entire country.
In February 2019, Project EJECT was expanded into Hattiesburg, Natchez, Meridian and Moss Point, with Gulfport joining the list in September 2020. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” For the first time in its history, the U.S. Attorney’s Office assigned a full-time federal prosecutor to each of these areas with responsibility to carry out Project EJECT and reduce violent crime. Project EJECT brought together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Likewise, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
At the end of U.S. Attorney Hurst’s second year in office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi ended Fiscal Year 2019 ranked as the number one medium-size office in the nation for number of indictments (outpacing the other 24 medium-size U.S. Attorney’s Offices). That is an outstanding improvement in just three years, where the Southern District was ranked 19 out of 25 medium-sized districts in Fiscal Year 2016. Since FY16, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has almost tripled the number of federal criminal indictments throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, charging more defendants with federal crimes than has ever been charged before in the history of the State of Mississippi.
Operation Triple Beam
In June 2018, U.S. Attorney Hurst teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, along with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, to conduct a six-week-long violence reduction initiative in the Southern District of Mississippi known as "Operation Triple Beam," resulting in the arrests of 270 individuals for various crimes, including approximately 90 gang members, and the seizure of 50 firearms, illegal narcotics, and approximately $26,000 in cash. In addition, approximately 300 registered sex offenders were individually checked for compliance, resulting in approximately 20 arrests for sex offender registry violations. While the Marshals Service has conducted these types of initiatives elsewhere around the country, this is the first time Operation Triple Beam has been conducted throughout an entire U.S. Attorney’s district and is believed to be one of the most successful Operation Triple Beams of this scale that the Marshals have ever accomplished since the program began in 2010.
Domestic Violence and Operation Pheonecia
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Hurst recognized a rising trend of increased domestic violence throughout the country. In response to these national statistics, coupled with anecdotes from local law enforcement and nonprofit organizations, U.S. Attorney Hurst launched a new initiative entitled “Operation Pheonecia,” in honor of a local victim of domestic violence, Pheonecia Ratliff of Canton, Mississippi, to combat this growing threat. Under this initiative, and by working with federal, state and local law enforcement and nonprofit entities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has made the investigation and prosecution of federal domestic violence crimes a priority. In addition, “Operation Pheonecia” involves a campaign to put domestic abusers on notice of their prohibition to possessing firearms, train law enforcement on how to investigate federal domestic violence crimes, provide education for local judges as to the impact of their orders on potential federal criminal prosecutions, and bring awareness to local bar associations and the public on how to report domestic violence crimes to and work with federal authorities, with the overarching goal to reduce domestic violence, save lives and assist victims.
Opioids
On the cutting edge of prosecutions and investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi announced in October 2017 that it had indicted a Chinese national for conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and other deadly chemicals in the United States, marking the first manufacturer and distributor of fentanyl and other opiate substances to be indicted in the history of the United States while being designated as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT). CPOT designations are those who have "command and control" elements of the most prolific international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and are considered by DEA to be some of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world.
Immigration
Astronomical Increase (1,482%) in Immigration Prosecutions in Three Years
In U.S. Attorney Hurst’s first full year, Fiscal Year 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office increased its number of immigration prosecutions by 536% from just two years prior (11 in FY16 v. 70 in FY18). However, the following year, Fiscal Year 2019, the immigration prosecutions increased another 149% from the just prior year (70 in FY18 v. 174 in FY19). This represents a 1,482% increase in just three years (from FY16 to FY19).
Largest Single-State Worksite Enforcement Operation in Nation’s History
In August 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, conducted the largest single-state worksite enforcement action in our nation’s history, executing multiple federal criminal and administrative search warrants at seven locations across the State of Mississippi, which resulted in the collection of evidence of federal crimes and the arrest of 680 illegal aliens. This was the most humane enforcement operation ever conducted by ICE, processing all 680 illegal aliens within an approximate 24 hour period and releasing approximately 300 aliens on humanitarian grounds and physically returning these illegal aliens, with ankle monitors, to the place where they were originally encountered.
As a result of this operation, 119 illegal aliens have been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal crimes ranging from misusing social security numbers of American citizens, to fraudulently claiming to be a U.S. Citizen, to falsifying immigration documents, to reentering the United States after having previously been deported or removed.
Just one year later, in August 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Managers, Supervisors, and Human Resource Personnel, charging them with Harboring Illegal Aliens, Assisting in Representing False Citizenship and Obtaining False Social Security Cards, Lying to Law Enforcement, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. These prosecutions continue this office’s long, successful history of prosecuting employers for violating our nation’s immigration laws. [link]
Human Trafficking
Recognizing the growing threat and issue that is human trafficking, U.S. Attorney Hurst partnered with U.S. Attorney Chad Lamar of the Northern District of Mississippi, and Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshal Fisher to establish and launch a statewide, umbrella organization to tackle all facets of this crime – the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council. Led by AUSAs from both districts in Mississippi, as well as the Mississippi Human Trafficking Coordinator, the Council’s mission is to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute criminals through a partnership model using a victim-centered, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary model. The Council consists of a Steering Committee, five subcommittees to address various issues concerning human trafficking, and small, regional Task Forces, made up of local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement, local prosecutors, and victim service providers, and will be led by an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
In the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Attorney Hurst established five (5) Human Trafficking Task Forces covering every county throughout the district and led by an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Fraud and Public Corruption
Largest Healthcare Fraud Scheme in Mississippi History
For the last three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been prosecuting business owners, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and many others relating to the largest healthcare fraud scheme in Mississippi history, which has come to be known as the "Compounding Pharmacy" or “pain cream scheme” case in Hattiesburg. This case involves close to $1 billion in fraud by defendants using pharmacies, doctors and unnecessary compounding prescriptions to drive up prices charged to TRICARE, the healthcare system for the military, and other insurance companies. The massive pain cream scheme, which began in Mississippi, has defrauded TRICARE and other insurance companies more than $1.5 billion nationwide, with a third of that fraud attributed to participants in Mississippi. To date, at least 25 have been charged in the scheme in Mississippi alone, and twenty have been convicted at trial or pled guilty, with others awaiting trial. In addition to prosecuting these criminals, the office has assisted in recovering millions of dollars and ill-gotten gains and assets through the forfeiture process. [link]
Largest Ponzi Scheme in Mississippi History
In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted what is believed to have been the largest Ponzi scheme in Mississippi history. Arthur Lamar Adams was sentenced to almost 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud involving a large, multi-state Ponzi scheme involving more than $164 million dollars stolen from more than 320 investors located in at least 14 different states spanning a number of years.
Public Corruption
The office continued its storied tradition of bringing corrupt public officials to justice, whether businessmen bribing state officials, or spouses of public officials paying kickbacks, or state officials rigging bids for money or law enforcement officials committing extortion or wire fraud schemes, or correctional officers accepting bribes.
Civil Rights
Steeped in a hallowed history of effective enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued prosecuting those who would violate the civil rights of others, including law enforcement and correctional officers using excessive force [link] [link] [link], as well as those committing hate crimes such as crossburnings. [link] [link]
CIVIL
False Claim Act Fraud
In November 2017, one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements involving a nursing home in the history of the Southern District of Mississippi was resolved when a nursing home facility, its related companies, and their owners agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and the Mississippi Medicaid program for providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Lumberton, Mississippi, from late 2005 through 2012. [link]
In December 2017, in what is believed to be the largest False Claims Act healthcare settlement in Mississippi history, Region 8 Mental Health Services agreed to pay the United States in excess of $6.93 million under the False Claims Act to resolve allegations that Region 8 was paid for services that it either did not provide or that were not provided by qualified individuals as part of its preschool Day Treatment program.
Free Speech, First Amendment and Religious Liberties
In December 2019, the office joined our colleagues in the Civil Rights Division in filing a Statement of Interest in a federal lawsuit brought by a student organization and J. Michael Brown, a former student at Jones County Junior College, explaining that public colleges cannot trample on their students’ First Amendment rights to free speech. Jones County Junior College’s policies required campus administrators to pre-approve all “meetings or gatherings,” and Mr. Brown alleged that college officials called the campus police on him when he sought to engage on campus with fellow students about topics such as free speech and civil liberties. Our Statement of Interest pointed to Supreme Court case law explaining that the First Amendment rights of speech and association extend to the campuses of state universities. While Jones County Junior College’s “extreme preconditions to speech might not be out of place in Oceania, the fictional dystopian superstate in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the Statement of Interest explains, “[t]he First Amendment to the United States Constitution . . . ensures that preconditions like these have no place in the United States of America.”
In April 2020, the office joined Attorney General William Barr, our colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi and the Civil Rights Division in filing a Statement of Interest in support of a church in Greenville, Mississippi that allegedly sought to hold parking lot worship services, in which congregants listened to their pastor preach over their car radios, while sitting in their cars in the church parking lot with their windows rolled up. The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services – while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open.[1] The City appears to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing.
Protecting Our Military and Service Members
In June 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office accepted a settlement agreement with Syncom Space Services, LLC (S3) that resolved allegations that S3 violated the employment rights of Louisiana Air National Guardsman, Jason Cooper, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA safeguards the rights of uniformed servicemembers, including National Guardsmen, to all benefits of employment following periods of absence due to military service obligations. Cooper had applied for a promotion while he was deployed on active duty with the National Guard. Although Cooper had the most PT&I experience of all applicants, S3 failed to promote him to the position upon his return from deployment. As a result of the employer’s failure to promote him to a position that he was qualified for, because of his military service, Cooper lost promotional income and benefits. S3 agreed to pay Cooper for lost wages and to make his promotion effective as of the date on which he returned to work from active duty.
ADMINISTRATIVE
Over the past three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi saved taxpayers more than $1.7 million dollars, returning this saved money from its budget to the Department of Justice, while at the same time accomplishing more than has ever been done in the history of our district.
Upon his departure from the Department of Justice, Hurst plans to join a law firm in Jackson, Mississippi.
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U.S. Attorney John H. Durham Encourages People with Information about U.S. Capitol Incursion to Contact FBIRead the Press Release
New Haven – “We encourage people with information related to the activity yesterday at the U.S. Capitol to contact the FBI (https://tips.fbi.gov.) If the District of Connecticut is the appropriate venue for the prosecution of individuals involved in that disgraceful and criminal activity, our office will aggressively pursue any such matter.”
U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank Issues Statement on Violence at U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank Statement on Violence at U.S. Capital
"Our democratic republic is designed to resolve contentious disagreements in a peaceful and orderly fashion. It accommodates differences of opinion, political speechmaking, and peaceful protest. It does not tolerate mob violence. Such violence is antithetical to our values and is a crime. If the District of Maine has jurisdiction over any of the criminal activity that took place at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, we will prosecute it."
U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert Asks Virgin Islanders to Recognize and Celebrate Our Law Enforcement Officers: National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, January 9thRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands encourages everyone to join her this Saturday, January 9th, by saluting our law enforcement officers and showing support on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. “Local and federal law enforcement officers are our first responders whenever our communities are threatened by criminal activity, natural disasters, or other public safety emergencies. The men and women of law enforcement risk their lives and sacrifice their personal interests in order to protect and defend all of us,” Shappert said. “And each year, approximately 140 to 160 officers sacrifice their lives in the line of duty. It’s our job to acknowledge and recognize their enormous contributions to public safety and to our well-being.”
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day will be observed across the country, this Saturday, January 9th. The holiday was originally created in 2015 by multiple organizations to express gratitude for law enforcement officers throughout the United States. One of the leading organizations to support this holiday is C.O.P.S—Concerns of Police Survivors. For more information about C.O.P.S. and how to support law enforcement on January 9th, see https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org/l-e-a-d .
Anyone who appreciates law is encouraged to consider ways to show appreciation to law enforcement officers during Law Enforcement Appreciation Day:
- Change your profile picture on social media show support for Law Enforcement.
- Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement.
- Send a letter, card or email to your local police department or federal agency expressing support and appreciation.
- Share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media.
- Ask children to write letters in support of law enforcement.
- Participate in Project Blue Light by proudly displaying a blue light in support of law enforcement.
Most importantly, if you see a law enforcement officer, thank a law enforcement officer.
Two Oregon Men Face Federal Charges for Pocketing Millions in Covid-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Two Oregon men are facing federal charges for fraudulently converting to their personal use loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Andrew Aaron Lloyd, 50, of Lebanon, Oregon, and Russell A. Schort, 38, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, have been charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.
Lloyd and Schort took advantage of economic relief programs administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans and small businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the complaint, the FBI began investigating Lloyd and Schort after discovering suspicious financial transactions indicating that the pair may have fraudulently obtained PPP loans. A review of bank records revealed that between April 7, 2020 and May 8, 2020, Lloyd and Schort applied for and received at least three PPP loan payments using three separate entities, totaling more than $2.2 million. The loan application packages included some of the same information across the different business entities, including the businesses’ physical locations and the names of several dozen employees.
After receiving the funds, Lloyd transferred at least $1.8 million to a personal online brokerage account and purchased various securities. In the months that followed, these investments substantially increased in value. On the date of the seizure, the securities purchased with the fraud proceeds and with a loan secured by equities purchased with fraud proceeds, were valued at over $10 million.
Schort was arrested on January 6, 2021 by FBI agents and made his initial appearance in federal court the same day. Lloyd was arrested today FBI agents and will make his initial appearance tomorrow, January 8, 2021, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Eugene.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Small Business Association and IRS. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Criminal complaints are only accusations of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man has been sentenced today after he attempted to send obscene material to an individual he believed was a 14-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Aaron Charles Merritt, 34, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release in front of U.S. District Court Judge John E. Dowdell. Further, Merritt will have to forfeit the electronic devices that were used or intended to be used to facilitate his crime.
From March, 2020 until May, 2020, Merritt used an online messaging service to send numerous messages of a sexual nature to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl; however, it was an undercover agent. Throughout his messages, Merritt asked questions about the young girl’s age and if she had a history of “hooking up” with older men she met on the internet. Further, Merritt acknowledged the legal consequences for engaging in sexual activity with her. Merritt continued sexual inquiries and sent a photo of his face, multiple photos of him masturbating, and a photo of he and a woman engaging in a sex act. Merritt went as far to say that he was not just communicating out of fantasy, but wanted to have children with the young woman he believed he was corresponding with. Merritt was ultimately arrested at his home, where officers located the mobile device used in the communications.
“Sadly, the facts of this case are far too common a story in today’s society: an adult male used the internet to sexually exploit a young child,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Fortunately, in this case, it was an undercover officer on the other end of that conversation and this predator was brought to justice.”
The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Melody Noble Nelson prosecuted the case.
Third Clan Del Golfo associate extradited to face charges for international cocaine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Another alleged associate of one of the most serious transnational organized criminal organizations will make his initial appearance in U.S. federal court today on charges of distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jose Alfredo Valencia, 43, is set to appear at 2 p.m. in Houston before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Henovice Palermo.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Alfredo-Valencia and others Aug. 16, 2018. Colombian authorities took him into custody at the request of the United States in November 2018. He was extradited and landed in Houston yesterday.
Valencia is an alleged close associate of Joaquin Guillermo David-Usuga aka Guillermo, 43, who is believed to be a ranking member of the Clan Del Golfo. David-Usuga was extradited to Houston Dec. 5, 2019, and is pending trial. Another Clan Del Golfo associate charged is Jhony Fidel Cuello-Petro aka Mocho, 45, who was extradited to Houston in October 2020. He pleaded guilty to international cocaine distribution in December 2020 and is pending sentencing.
The Department of Justice designated Clan Del Golfo as one of the most serious transnational organized criminal organizations that threatens the United States.
The indictment alleges Valencia, Cuello-Petro, David-Usuga and others were involved in the importation of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States. Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally and one count of international cocaine distribution.
Valencia, Cuello-Petro and David-Usuga were allegedly involved in an ongoing five-year conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Colombia to the United States. In May 2019, they and others participated in distributing approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia knowing it was to be imported into the United States, according to the allegations.
The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed “Operation Macondo.”
The operation is part of an 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 specific mission of the Houston Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking organizations that designated Consolidated Priority Organization or Regional Priority Organization Targets head with their affiliates that impact Houston and south Texas.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs was responsible for securing the extradition. The Justice Department also extends its gratitude to the government of Colombia and the Colombian police and military for its cooperation and assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal Alaniz are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Uploading Child Pornography to FacebookRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Randy Tremfer, age 44, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Binghamton to one count of transportation of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In pleading guilty, Tremfer admitted that on January 24, 2019, he uploaded to Facebook a video containing child pornography, and that he possessed 37 additional videos of child pornography on his Facebook account. Tremfer also admitted that he has a prior conviction in federal court for receipt and possession of child pornography, for which he served a 60-months prison sentence, and that he was on supervised release at the time of the offense for which he pled guilty today.
The charge to which Tremfer pled guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Tremfer will be sentenced on May 6, 2021, by United States District Judge David N. Hurd, who presides over the case.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Suburban Chicago Businessman Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago businessman has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $420,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
CARLOS SMITH, 56, of Park Forest, Ill., allegedly engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), two sources of relief under the CARES Act. Smith was charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois with two counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, and one count of money laundering. Arraignment is set for Jan. 14, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Hannibal Ware, Inspector General of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Greening.
“The Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program were designed as lifelines for small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out abuse of the important relief programs established under the CARES Act.”
Pursuant to the CARES Act, a PPP loan allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll, rent, and utilities, while the EIDL provides loan assistance or grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses.
According to the indictment, Smith applied for and obtained $270,000 in PPP funds for CLS Financial Services Inc., an Indiana-based company that he owned. In his loan application, Smith stated that the company had 61 employees and an average monthly payroll of $108,000, even though Smith knew the company had no actual employees and no payroll expenses, the indictment states. Smith also fraudulently represented in the application that he was not convicted of a felony criminal offense within the last five years, even though he knew he had been convicted of such an offense, the indictment states.
Smith similarly obtained $151,900 in EIDL loans by stating in the application that his company had two employees and $1.8 million in gross revenue last year, even though he knew the company had no such employees or revenue, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or filing an online complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Statement of United States Attorney Kenji M. PriceRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – "I strongly condemn the assault on democracy that unfolded before our eyes yesterday at the very heart of the Nation’s capital. I’ve devoted much of my professional life—both as a uniformed servicemember and prosecutor—to protecting and defending the rule of law, our institutions, and, most importantly, the safety and security of those who reside in this great country. The acts of those who attacked the Capitol—and more importantly, attempted to stop the process by which free people determine who will lead this Nation during the years that lie ahead—contravene the very principles that scores of public servants like me stand for and have, at times, risked life and limb to defend.
As Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said earlier today, ‘The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law.’ My office condemns this unlawful behavior and will conduct or assist in conducting any investigation or prosecution with an appropriate nexus to our jurisdiction."
Statement of Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. RosenRead the Press Release
“Yesterday, our Nation watched in disbelief as a mob breached the Capitol Building and required federal and local law enforcement to help restore order. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law. Our criminal prosecutors have been working throughout the night with special agents and investigators from the U.S. Capitol Police, FBI, ATF, Metropolitan Police Department and the public to gather the evidence, identify perpetrators, and charge federal crimes where warranted. Some participants in yesterday’s violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, charge crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law.”
Statement from United States Attorney Russell ColemanRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – “Whether vandalizing our nation’s most sacred secular structure or looting neighborhood businesses, there is a line that, when crossed, First Amendment protected protest becomes criminal conduct,” said United States Attorney Russell Coleman. “Such violence has no place on Capitol Hill or our Commonwealth. Just as we aggressively pursued federal prosecutions to protect the community, police, and protesters from violence during a tense season in Louisville last year, I join my colleagues from across the country in promising to vigorously enforce federal law as it relates to anyone from the Western District of Kentucky who assaulted the democratic process and put people at risk yesterday.”
Statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling on Breach of U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
“Yesterday’s events in Washington were shocking and, once peaceful demonstrations turned violent, they became criminal. The Constitution protects the right to freedom of speech and assembly. What is does not protect is a violent assault on government institutions. Americans on the right and left must re-learn the difference. Anyone who traveled from Massachusetts with the intent to commit such crimes will be prosecuted in the District of Massachusetts.”
Statement of U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.Read the Press Release
“We have received a number of leads and tips regarding yesterday’s events at the Capitol Building. Working with our law enforcement partners, we are actively investigating the information we have obtained. Should we determine that there is a legal nexus between the crimes committed at the Capitol and our jurisdiction, we will not hesitate to charge those responsible. Violence is never an acceptable means of protest. We are one Nation, and as such, the unity which comes from a shared respect for both the rule of law and one another represents our only hope for lasting solutions to the challenges we face. Escalating hostility and violence diminishes us all.”
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Statement of Acting United States Attorney Regarding Yesterday’s Activities at the U.S. Capitol BuildingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler provides the following statement:
“The violence and destruction that occurred yesterday at our Nation’s Capitol Building was reprehensible and repugnant. Our office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law any individual who traveled from the Middle District of Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. with the intent to incite or commit those violent and destructive acts. We also stand ready to assist our law enforcement partners to identify any individual who committed any federal offense connected to those abhorrent activities.”
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Statement by U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey on Protecting the Constitution and Upholding the Rule of LawRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey joins Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen and other U.S. Attorneys in the continued commitment to protect the Constitution and uphold the Rule of Law under all circumstances.
“I am shocked and appalled by the mob violence that occurred yesterday in our nation’s Capitol,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “As the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, which carries with it a duty to uphold the Rule of Law.”
“Our office remains dedicated to preserving the public’s constitutional right to peaceably assemble, demonstrate, and petition the government for a redress of grievances. However, it is also our duty to protect citizens from violence and criminal activity. Accordingly, where appropriate under the facts, our office will consider the prosecution of those whose conduct crosses the line from peaceful protest to violence and other criminal activity in violation of federal law.”
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin that Led to Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death pled guilty and was sentenced on January 5, 2021, by District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol.
Aaron Anthony Wodzinski, age 24, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wodzinski was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 10, 2020.
The conviction stems from an incident that took place in November 2018, when Wodzinski knowingly and intentionally distributed heroin to an individual in Sioux Falls who used that heroin, overdosed, and died.
The investigation was conducted by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, United States Customs and Border Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga.
Wodzinski was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on January 5, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol.
Matthew Edmond Donegan, age 23, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Donegan was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2020. He pled guilty on October 21, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on December 16, 2019, when Donegan was arrested in possession of 144 grams of methamphetamine, which was tested and found to be 97% pure. Donegan intended for some, or all, of that methamphetamine to be distributed.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.
Donegan was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Seven People Charged with Trafficking Cocaine in the Fox ValleyRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that seven defendants have been charged with offenses related to a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of cocaine in the Fox Valley in Wisconsin.
Name
Charge(s)
Residence
Luis A. Morales (40)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 5 Kilograms of Cocaine
Possession with Intent to Distribute at least 500 Grams of Cocaine
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Appleton, WI
Eduardo F. Morales (26)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 5 Kilograms of Cocaine
Rialto, CA
Sandra M. Munoz (36)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 5 Kilograms of Cocaine
Appleton, WI
Jennifer Almeida-Sandoval (30)
Possession with Intent to Distribute at least 500 Grams of Cocaine
Hilbert, WI
Javier Guzman-Becerra (32)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 500 Grams of Cocaine
Menasha, WI
Frank DiMatteo (66)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 5 Kilograms of Cocaine
New London, WI
Cory J. Ulrich (42)
Conspiracy to Distribute at least 5 Kilograms of Cocaine
Appleton, WI
According to the criminal complaint, Luis Morales is the owner of several restaurants in the Fox Valley, including Mr. Taco (Appleton, Kimberly, and Hilbert locations) and Savor Food & Spirits.
The investigation revealed that Luis Morales and his co-conspirators distributed numerous kilograms of cocaine in the Appleton, Wisconsin area since June of 2019. On several occasions, Luis Morales arranged for employees of Mr. Taco to distribute and accept payments for large amounts of cocaine at the Mr. Taco (Kimberly) restaurant. During the takedown on December 2, 2020, over two kilograms of cocaine were seized from Luis Morales’ vehicle and residence.
If convicted, Luis Morales, Eduardo Morales, Sandra Munoz, Frank DiMatteo, and Cory Ulrich face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Jennifer Almeida-Sandoval and Javier Guzman-Becerra face a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison.
“Drug-trafficking organizations harm our communities by maintaining arsenals of weapons and fueling addiction,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “This case underscores the extraordinary cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat drug trafficking in Wisconsin.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is committed to working with its local, state and federal law enforcement partners to keep Wisconsin citizens safe from the distribution of illegal drugs and the violence that is always associated with it,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Bell. “This indictment shows the resolve of law enforcement to bring to justice those who profit from drug trafficking.”
“Outstanding work by agents with Wisconsin DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation and local and federal law enforcement led to the arrests in this case and seizures of large quantities of narcotics,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. “This case is a great example of the impact that enforcement efforts focused on large-scale drug trafficking can have.”
The defendants were charged based on a multi-year investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration – Green Bay Residential Office (DEA-GBRO), the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM), and the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Several other law enforcement agencies assisted throughout this investigation, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wisconsin National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Appleton Police Department, the Calumet County District Attorney’s Office, the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office, and the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros and Assistant United States Attorney William Roach are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
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For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
414-297-1700
Saturday, January 9, 2020 Law Enforcement Appreciation DayRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that this Saturday, January 9th, 2021, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. This day was established to thank and show support to our local law enforcement officers for their dedication to duty and service to their communities.
U.S. Attorney Hyslop stated, “Each and every day, our law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and leave the safety of their homes and the comfort of their families to protect and serve our communities. National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is a time to show them we appreciate their sacrifice and that we stand with them as they work to make our communities safe and secure. I ask everyone to send a note of thanks to their local law enforcement agency; their addresses are readily available online. And when you see an officer, wave to them and say ‘Thank you for all you do.”
Hyslop added, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with all federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement. We can’t complete the work we do without the support of our law enforcement partners. We appreciate them every day. We’re asking the residents of Eastern Washington to say Thank You this Saturday.”
Please take time this Saturday, January 9th, 2021 to show your appreciation to the law enforcement professionals by:
- Wear blue in support of law enforcement
- Send a card or letter of support to your local police department, county sheriff, tribal or state agency
- Tell an officer “Thank You”
- Share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media
- Participate in Project Blue Light – Proudly display your blue light in support of law enforcement
- Turn your social media channel blue
- Fly a blue ribbon on your car antenna, mailbox, or anywhere a ribbon can be tied
Most importantly, if you see a police officer, thank a police officer.
Russian Hacker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Involvement in Massive Network Intrusions at U.S. Financial Institutions, Brokerage Firms, A Major News Publication, and Other CompaniesRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ANDREI TYURIN, a/k/a “Andrei Tiurin,” was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 144 months in prison for computer intrusion, wire fraud, bank fraud, and illegal online gambling offenses in connection with his involvement in a massive computer hacking campaign targeting U.S. financial institutions, brokerage firms, financial news publishers, and other American companies. TYURIN is charged with committing these crimes with Gery Shalon, a/k/a “Garri Shalelashvili,” a/k/a “Gabriel,” a/k/a “Gabi,” a/k/a “Phillipe Mousset,” a/k/a “Christopher Engeham,” Joshua Samuel Aaron, a/k/a “Mike Shields,” and Ziv Orenstein, a/k/a “Aviv Stein,” a/k/a “John Avery,” in furtherance of securities market manipulation, illegal online gambling, and payment processing fraud schemes perpetrated by Shalon, Aaron, Orenstein, and their co-conspirators. TYURIN previously pled guilty to these charges, and was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “From his home in Moscow, Andrei Tyurin played a major role in orchestrating and facilitating an international hacking campaign that included one of the largest thefts of U.S. customer data from a single financial institution in history, stealing the personal information of more than 80 million J.P. Morgan Chase customers. The conspiracy targeted major financial institutions, brokerage firms, news agencies, and other companies, and netted Tyurin over $19 million in criminal proceeds. Now Tyurin has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments to which TYURIN pled guilty, other filings in this case, and statements made during court proceedings, including TYURIN’s guilty plea hearing:
From approximately 2012 to mid-2015, TYURIN engaged in an extensive computer hacking campaign targeting financial institutions, brokerage firms, and financial news publishers in the U.S. (including but not limited to J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, E*Trade, Scottrade, and the Wall Street Journal), and was responsible for the theft of personal information of over 100 million customers of the victim companies. TYURIN’s hack of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank alone resulted in the theft of personal information of over 80 million customers. TYURIN engaged in these crimes at the direction of his partner Gery Shalon, and in furtherance of other criminal schemes overseen and operated by Shalon and his co-conspirators, including securities fraud schemes in the United States. For example, in an effort to artificially inflate the price of certain stocks publicly traded in the U.S., Shalon and his co-conspirators marketed the stocks in a deceptive and misleading manner to customers of the victim companies whose contact information TYURIN stole in the intrusions.
In addition to the U.S. financial sector hacks, from approximately 2007 to mid-2015 TYURIN also conducted cyberattacks against numerous U.S. and foreign companies in furtherance of various criminal enterprises operated by Shalon and his co-conspirators, including unlawful internet gambling businesses and international payment processors. Nearly all of these illegal businesses, like the securities market manipulation schemes, exploited the fruits of TYURIN’s computer hacking campaigns. TYURIN’s hacking activity included the targeting of companies known to be used for email marketing campaigns, competitor online casinos, and a merchant risk intelligence firm based in the United States, in order for the co-conspirators to monitor the firm’s efforts to audit potentially criminal online credit card transactions on behalf of major credit card networks, and thus avoid detection of their own criminal schemes.
In furtherance of his hacking activities, TYURIN used computer infrastructure located across five continents, which he controlled from his home in Moscow, and maintained persistent access over extended periods of time to the victims’ networks, regularly refreshing the stolen data by repeatedly downloading information from these companies. And once his hacking activities were detected, TYURIN worked with Shalon to destroy the evidence of their criminal activity and undermine U.S. law enforcement’s efforts to identify and arrest them.
Through these various criminal schemes, TYURIN, Shalon, and their co-conspirators obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, and TYURIN himself earned over $19 million in profits from his hacking activity.
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TYURIN, 37, of Moscow, Russia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. In addition, TYURIN pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, from charges that were transferred from the Northern District of Georgia for purposes of his plea. In addition to the prison term, Judge Swain ordered TYURIN to serve three years of supervised release, and to pay forfeiture in the amount of $19,214,956. The Court will determine TYURIN’s restitution obligations at a hearing scheduled for April 6, 2021. TYURIN has been in U.S. custody since he was extradited from the country of Georgia in September 2018, and will commence serving his sentence immediately.
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Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, and expressed her sincere gratitude to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia and the Ministry of Justice of Georgia for their support and assistance with the extradition proceedings. She also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Homeland Security Investigations, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Office of International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division for its assistance with the extradition, and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which significantly aided the investigation by facilitating information sharing among the victim institutions.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eun Young Choi, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Sarah Lai are in charge of the prosecution.
Rankin Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court on convictions of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence of five years of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, on Marcell Sewell, 60, of Rankin, PA.
According to information presented to the Court, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock section of Pittsburgh. Law enforcement identified several individuals who were illegally distributing controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh Region, as members of a neighborhood-based street gang, self-titled "SCO" and whose leader was identified as Howard McFadden.
In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wiretap investigation, which continued through May of 2019. As a result of this investigation, Sewell, along with 32 others were indicted in June of 2019 by a federal grand jury in three separate, but related, Indictments.
The Court was informed that early in the investigation, Mr. Sewell was identified as an associate of SCO and, in particular an associate of Howard McFadden. Investigators observed Mr. Sewell meeting with Howard McFadden at a stash house location on Seddon Avenue, via pole camera footage. Once law enforcement began intercepting communications, in January of 2019, the government confirmed that these meetings pertained to drug trafficking. Mr. Sewell was intercepted communicating with Howard McFadden, discussing their drug customers and drug-trafficking businesses. Mr. Sewell regularly met with Howard McFadden at various locations, in and around Braddock, to obtain cocaine and cocaine base from Howard McFadden and/or to pay him. Mr. Sewell admitted to conspiring to distribute 182 grams of cocaine and 114 grams of cocaine base.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the multi-agency team, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sewell.
Partners in this investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies included the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. It is the keystone of the drug reduction strategy of the Department of Justice. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.
Pocahontas County man facing several firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Julian N. Waddell, of Durbin, West Virginia, appeared in federal court today to face several firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Waddell, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Wheeling in October 2020. He is facing four counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.” Waddell, a person who isn’t permitted to have a firearm because of a prior conviction, is accused of having three revolvers, a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, and an unregistered silencer from April to August 2019 in Pocahontas County.
Waddell is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the first four counts and face up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000 for the unregistered firearm charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Magistrate Michael John Aloi presided.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Threatening Communications and Impeding FBI InvestigationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Khaled Miah, 27, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and former student at the University of Pittsburgh, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of making interstate threatening communications, one count of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a Federal law enforcement officer, and one count of destruction of records in a federal investigation, United States Attorney Scott Brady announced today. Miah was arrested on Wednesday and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court via video teleconference. A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, January 8, 2021, at 10 a.m., before Chief Magistrate Judge Cynthia Eddy.
"Khaled Miah’s use of multiple Twitter accounts to threaten and harass federal law enforcement officers and their family members and to obstruct a federal investigation are clear violations of federal law," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "We will not hesitate to pursue and prosecute individuals who cross the line from interest to intimidation."
"This arrest is the culmination of a year-long investigation which included threatening federal law enforcement officers," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. "Threatening online statements, whether directed to a federal officer or any other person, is not harmless activity. It is serious criminal activity with consequences. Threats against law enforcement officers are particularly egregious in that it interferes with our ability to protect the communities we are charged with serving. We should all understand that the First Amendment is not a license to threaten others with harm and that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who pose a threat to the community."
According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, on or about December 27, 2020, Miah posted threats directed at individual FBI agents who were investigating him, as well as the FBI generally. In December 2020, FBI personnel identified a publicly visible Twitter account created by Miah. From the date of its creation to on or about January 1, 2021, Miah used this Twitter account to threaten, intimidate and harass FBI Pittsburgh Agents and the FBI. In addition, after posting the threatening statements, and with full knowledge of the FBI investigation into his conduct, Miah subsequently deleted those posts which impeded, obstructed, and influenced the FBI investigation.
Specifically, as referenced in the criminal complaint, among other statements, Miah posted the following statement on Twitter: "Currently eating pasta and watching videos of the secind plane hit the south tower."
Based upon their lengthy investigation of Miah, the FBI assessed that by referring to watching "videos of the second plane hit the south tower," Miah was referring to the coordinated Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, at which time two commercial airplanes were hijacked and crashed into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. As a result, the North and South towers ultimately burned and collapsed causing the deaths of more than 2900 people. Miah went on to state that "the deed will be done, at a time which is most opportunistic for me, chosen by myself."
Miah additionally commented on December 29, 2020, that the "zero hour" was approaching and posted the geographic location of FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Miah also traveled to Washington, D.C., and was surveilled on at least 11 occasions in the immediate vicinity of the FBI headquarters building in Pittsburgh between November 1, 2020, and January 3, 2021.
The criminal complaint affidavit also details that, after seizing and searching Miah’s electronic devices pursuant to a federal search warrant, FBI’s forensic analysis revealed that Miah apparently idealized the Boston Marathon Bombers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and visited several landmarks in Massachusetts associated with the bombings, including where each of the two bombings took place, where the Tsarnaev brothers participated in a violent shootout with local police, and the gym where Tamerlan Tsarnaev previously trained in mixed martial arts.
Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Probation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Lieber Smolar and Soo C. Song of the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Charges pursuant to a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Role in Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Keith Brinkley, a/k/a “K Murder,” 30, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to fentanyl and knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Brinkley and his conspirators are all members and associates of the 230 Boys street gang, which operates primarily around Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue in Paterson. Through investigative techniques, including numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement determined that from at least September 2018 through Oct. 1, 2019, Brinkley and his conspirators conspired to distribute narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Brinkley to three years of supervised release.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora; detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes; and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
Owner of Westwego, Louisiana Accounting Business Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Henry J. Timothy, 69, of Westwego, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to four counts of tax fraud.
Timothy is the owner and sole tax preparer for B&B Accounting Services, located in Westwego, Louisiana. He operates his business out of his home and has been a tax preparer since 2012. According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, Timothy admitted to preparing and electronically submitting false and fraudulent U.S. Individual Tax Returns on behalf of himself and his wife for the tax years of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Timothy purposefully omitted approximately $83,304 in gross receipts for year 2013; $80,932 in gross receipts for year 2014; $73,391.79 in gross receipts for year 2015; and $82,592 in gross receipts for year 2016 from Schedule C of his 1040 U.S. Individual Tax Returns where the gross receipts are listed. The omission of this income resulted in an additional tax liability of $88,593. As a tax preparer, Timothy was well aware that he had to list all of his gross receipts but failed to do so in order to reduce his tax liability.
Timothy faces a maximum penalty of up to 3 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, at sentencing. The sentencing hearing has been set for April 15, 2021 at 2:00.
The Internal Revenue Service and FBI conducted the investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and David J. Ayo are prosecuting the case.
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Ohio men admit to roles in drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Dominique Revell Dungey, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Denico Anderson, of Columbus, Ohio, have admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Dungey, also known as “Murda,” age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Dungey admitted to selling cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in May 2019 in Ohio County.
Anderson, also known as “Tone,” age 23, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Anderson admitted to selling methamphetamine in September 2019 in Ohio County.
Dungey and Anderson each face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Clayton J. Reid are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The U.S. Marshal Service, Columbus Police Department Gang Crimes Unit, the Martins Ferry Police Department, and the Bellaire Police Department also assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Original case indictment here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/26-charged-drug-conspiracy-involving-heroin-fentanyl-crack-cocaine-and-meth-wheeling
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Robinson Twp. BankRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Wintersville, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to an armed bank robbery charge, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Montague Howard, 33, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that on January 15, 2020, Howard entered the First Commonwealth Bank located at 198 Park Manor Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, approached each of the three tellers and pointed a bb gun in their direction, requesting that they give him all the money. In all, Howard took $8,583.00 from the bank. Howard fled from the bank in a vehicle. Later that day, Howard was stopped by law enforcement in the get-away vehicle, and investigators located a black garbage bag containing all but $20.00 of the stolen money. Howard, after waiving his rights, confessed to committing the bank robbery and informed law enforcement where they could find the clothing, shoes and mask he wore during the bank robbery as well as the bb gun that he used during the robbery.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Howard remains incarcerated pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation the Robinson Township Police Department and the Wintersville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced for Financial Fraud Scheme Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in connection with engaging in a complex scheme to conduct fraudulent financial transactions using stolen account information and other personally identifiable information (PII) of victims in Massachusetts and elsewhere throughout the United States.
Jonathan Nguyen, 23, of Windham, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to a year and a day in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $250,000 in forfeiture. In June 2020, Nguyen pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud, access-device fraud and identity theft.
Nguyen and others involved in the scheme used Bitcoin to purchase names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, email addresses and passwords as well as credit card account numbers, expiration dates, card verification values and other forms of PII. Nguyen and others then used this information to purchase tickets to sporting events and gift cards that Nguyen sold for profit. Nguyen also created e-commerce websites for sham companies and obtained payment-card processing capabilities for these sham companies in order to cash out the stolen credit cards. He used various technological means to thwart the fraud-detection mechanisms deployed by the internet merchants where he made purchases with the stolen PII.
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 today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Missoula man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted illegally possessing a gun after having been convicted of a felony was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Roosevelt Kenneth Thompson, 35, pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2020 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that a Missoula Police Department officer stopped a vehicle in which Thompson was riding on Feb. 4, 2020. The officer learned from dispatch that Thompson was on parole. The driver informed the officer that Thompson had a gun on his person. Thompson had prior felony convictions. The officer had Thompson exit the vehicle, and Thompson informed the officer of the gun. Officers located a .45-caliber gun in a holster on Thompson’s chest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula Police Department.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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McKees Rocks Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking in the Greenway ProjectsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of McKees Rocks, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 144 months’ imprisonment on her convictions of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Tamra Moore, age 37.
According to information presented to the court, in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Tamra Moore conspired to distribute quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine primarily in and around the area of the Greenway Projects.
Prior to imposing sentence, Senior Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Moore.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Troy Cote, 52, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to fentanyl trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cote was part of a drug trafficking organization that sold fentanyl and cocaine to customers in Manchester. In July 2019, a cooperating individual purchased fentanyl from Cote. The investigation revealed that Cote had sold drugs as part of a drug trafficking organization on numerous occasions.
Cote is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2021. Rosemarie Cote pleaded guilty on November 25, 2020 and awaits sentencing. Christopher Juneau pleaded guilty on September 28, 2020 and awaits sentencing. Two other defendants are scheduled to go to trial in March.
“Criminal drug trafficking organizations make dangerous substances like fentanyl and cocaine available for purchase in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Their illegal activities undermine public health and safety, diminishing the quality of life for all who are impacted. I am grateful for the strong enforcement action taken by the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force in this case. By facilitating cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies they make the Granite State a safer place.”
“This group’s constant churn of drug transactions kept their customers in Manchester awash in deadly fentanyl and cocaine. Shutting them down makes the community safer, and with today’s guilty plea---Troy Cote is out of business,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Investigations like this illustrate the continuing impact our Safe Streets Gang Task Force has on illegal drug trafficking organizations that prey on our communities amid the opioid epidemic.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hampshire State Police, Dover Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Nashua Police Department. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance as well. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Man Who Sold Midland/Odessa Shooter AR-15 Used in Massacre Sentenced for Unlicensed Firearms DealingRead the Press Release
The man who sold the AR-15 used to gun down 32 people in Midland and Odessa, Texas has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.
Marcus Anthony Braziel, 45, of Lubbock, Texas, pleaded guilty in October to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. He was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
“Federal firearm laws, including those that mandate background checks by licensed dealers, ensure that guns don’t fall into the hands of prohibited persons,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “By subverting those laws, Mr. Braziel enabled a deranged mass shooter. We hope this case sends a message: The U.S. Department of Justice will not give unlicensed dealers a pass. To do so would endanger our communities.”
“Knowingly dealing firearms without a license is a significant crime and often times leads to extreme violence. In this particular case, Mr. Braziel’s acts were implicit in the murders of seven innocent victims. In subverting the law, an individual otherwise prohibited from obtaining firearms was able to purchase a gun from Mr. Braziel. ATF will continue to do whatever necessary to keep firearms out of the hands of those that should not have them,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he sold Midland Odessa shooter Seth Aaron Ator an AR-15-style rifle on October 8, 2016 – nearly three years before Mr. Ator used the gun to murder seven people and wound 25 more.
Mr. Ator, who had been adjudicated “mentally defective” and was therefore legally prohibited from possessing firearms, first attempted to purchase a gun from a sporting goods store, but was rejected after the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) flagged his mental status. He later circumvented the NICS system by purchasing a gun from Mr. Braziel, who elected not to run background checks on any of his buyers.
Background checks are not necessarily required for in-state, private transfers. However, Mr. Braziel admitted he was “engaged in the business of selling firearms” – repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – and thus should have been licensed and conducting background checks.
In his plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he routinely bought firearm firing mechanisms (termed “lower receivers”), used milling equipment to build them into full-fledged guns, and then sold the completed weapons for roughly $100 - $200 profit. He said he typically listed his firearms for sale on Armslist.com and conducted the sales in the parking lot of a local sporting goods store or out of his garage.
In a four-year span, Mr. Braziel inadvertently sold firearms to four prohibited persons: a convicted felon, an man under felony indictment, an immigrant in the U.S. illegally, and Mr. Ator, a man who the courts deemed unfit to possess a firearm.Agents traced the lower receiver of the gun Mr. Braziel sold to Mr. Ator to Mulehead Dans, a federally licensed firearm dealer in Lubbock. The owner of Mulehead Dans confirmed that Mr. Braziel often purchased lower receivers and firearms there.
In addition to concealing his unlicensed dealing, Mr. Braziel admitted he also concealed the income from his firearms sales from the IRS.
“IRS-CI is dedicated to using the full strength of the federal government to ensure strict and lengthy sentences for those who violate our country’s tax laws. In this case, Mr. Braziel made illegal business decisions directly contributing to the death and injury of multiple civilians and today’s sentence reflects the courts’ acknowledgment of this preventable tragedy,” stated IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Pearson, Dallas Field Office, who praised the joint efforts of the IRS-CI agents and their federal partners.
Mr. Braziel has been ordered to self-surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by April 7, 2021.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Courtney Matthias was sentenced today on his conviction for transporting an illegal alien, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Robert Molloy sentenced Matthias to a 24 month term of imprisonment, a 3 year term of supervised release, a $7,500 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents filed in the case, on October 1, 2019, five aliens traveled by boat from Tortola to St. John, United States Virgin Islands, where they entered the United States without inspection at a place not designated as a point of entry. Matthias then transported several of those aliens in his vehicle to the ferry terminal in St. John. In addition, Matthias purchased a ferry ticket to St. Thomas for one of the aliens and boarded the ferry with her.
This case was investigated by Virgin Islands Port Authority, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Sleeper.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Wendy A. Eckert, 40, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Eckert to 17 years, six months in the Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system. Eckert was also sentenced to a 10-year term of supervised release.
As a result of a traffic stop on October 23, 2019, the vehicle Eckert was driving was searched. Officers located about 28 grams of methamphetamine on her person, in an eyeglass case, and in the handle of a dog leash. Officers continued their investigation of her and found that between November 1, 2018 and October of 2019, she was responsible for the distribution of at least 2 kilograms (over 4 pounds) of methamphetamine in the Lincoln and Omaha areas. She had previously been convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Justice Department Announces Civil Investigation into Chemical Restraint Use at Two Nevada Juvenile FacilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the use of pepper spray at two juvenile correctional facilities run by the Nevada Juvenile Justice Services Agency: the Nevada Youth Training Center and the Summit View Youth Center. The investigation will examine whether staff at the two facilities use pepper spray in a manner that violates youth’s rights under the Constitution.
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Both statutes give the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the constitutional rights of young people in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. The department’s work has led to important reforms to protect the rights of young people housed in those facilities.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1- 833-591-0426 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Joint Statement of United States Attorney Erica MacDonald and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul on the Violence at the U.S CapitolRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office condemn the violence and terror that took place at our Nation’s Capitol and surrounding area. This was a reprehensible affront to our institution of democracy. We are committed to upholding the rule of law and will hold accountable any individual who traveled from the District of Minnesota to commit illegal, violent acts.
The FBI is seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, DC. The FBI is accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021.
If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol
You may also call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and/or information related to this investigation.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Illinois Man Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - Daniel Cooke, 32, of Mendota, Illinois was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 240 months (20 years) in prison followed by a 15-year term of supervised release following his guilty plea to charges that he received and distributed child pornography featuring one minor and attempted to entice another minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced Acting United States Attorney Gary T. Bell.
From December 2018 to February 2019, Mr. Cooke caused a 16-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including sadistic and masochistic conduct, for the purpose of producing and receiving visual depictions of that conduct. Then, from July to October 2019, Mr. Cooke attempted to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a person he believed to be a 14-year-old minor, but who was an undercover law enforcement officer, into likewise sending him sexually explicit depictions. On September 3, 2019, Mr. Cooke sent the undercover officer a sexually explicit video of his 16-year-old victim.
As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Cooke agreed to pay the 16-year-old victim restitution of $10,000 to compensate her for her reasonably projected psychotherapy costs, lost income while attending therapy, and her transportation (mileage) expenses associated therewith.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jill R. Koster and Molly A. Kelley.
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Houston man admits to hijacking interstate freight shipmentRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 22-year-old Houston man has entered a guilty plea to theft from an interstate cargo shipment, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Maksims Klopovs admitted he was to be paid for picking up a large load of electronics originally set for delivery to a college in Corpus Christi
The investigation revealed that on June 17, 2019, authorities suspected a shipment of approximately $100,000 worth of computers and other electronics might be stolen. They were bound for Del Mar College in Corpus Christi.
After the shipment left the warehouse in Illinois, someone had changed the delivery instructions using an online system. Rather than deliver it directly to Del Mar College, the shipping company was asked to hold the load at their Corpus Christi warehouse for pickup.
Del Mar College did not request the change.
Klopovs arrived at the warehouse driving a rented U-Haul truck. He presented a fraudulent Texas driver’s license bearing his photo, but with the name Martin Smith. He also showed what was determined to be a fraudulent Del Mar College ID card with the title of Operations Manager also bearing his photograph and with the Smith name. He also had a Del Mar College business card in the name of Martin Smith.
Klopovs claimed the shipment and began to load the electronics into the rental truck. Authorities then took him into custody.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentence April 6. At that time, Klopovs faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Klopovs has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Health Care Company Indicted for Labor Market CollusionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Surgical Care Affiliates LLC and its related entity (collectively SCA), which own and operate outpatient medical care centers across the country, for agreeing with competitors not to solicit senior-level employees, the Department of Justice announced today. These are the Antitrust Division’s first charges in this ongoing investigation into employee allocation agreements.
“The charges demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s continued commitment to criminally prosecute collusion in America’s labor markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “A freely competitive employment market is essential to the health of our economy and the mobility of American workers. Along with our law enforcement partners, the division will ensure that companies who illegally deprive employees of competitive opportunities are not immune from our antitrust laws.”
“The charges demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to ensuring a free market and protecting opportunities for American workers,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to root out this type of illegal activity and deter employer collusion that harms the American people and workers.”
“Companies competing for top-level talent is the bedrock of the American labor market,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “The Northern District of Texas is proud to partner with the Antitrust Division to prosecute Sherman Act violations.”
The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, charges SCA with entering into and engaging in two separate bilateral conspiracies with other health care companies to suppress competition between them for the services of senior-level employees, in violation of the Sherman Act. Beginning at least as early as May 2010 and continuing until at least as late as October 2017, SCA conspired with a company based in Texas to allocate senior-level employees by agreeing not to solicit each other’s senior-level employees. Beginning at least as early as February 2012 and continuing until at least as late as July 2017, SCA separately conspired with a company based in Colorado to allocate senior-level employees through a similar non-solicitation agreement.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum.
Today’s announcement is the result of an ongoing federal investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and the Washington Field Office of the FBI. Anyone with information on market allocation or price fixing by employers should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/citizen-complaint-center.
Gang Member Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl and Crack in East HartfordRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE RESTREPO, also known as “Crack Baby,” 39, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. Judge Meyer also ordered Restrepo to serve the first six months his supervised release in home confinement.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force has been investigating drug trafficking and related criminal acts being committed by members and associates of the Los Solidos and Latin Kings street gangs. Restrepo is a member of Los Solidos. The investigation revealed that Restrepo and other gang members were distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine in Hartford and surrounding communities. In March 2020, law enforcement learned that Restrepo was feuding with other members of Los Solidos and was selling narcotics in East Hartford. Investigators subsequently made three controlled purchases of crack and one controlled purchase of fentanyl from Restrepo in East Hartford.
Restrepo was arrested on March 17, 2020. At the time of his arrest, he possessed approximately 200 bags of fentanyl.
Restrepo has been detained since his arrest. On August 12, 2020, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Restrepo’s criminal history includes drug and firearm convictions, including a 2007 federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Fort Mccoy Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Illegal Firearm SilencerRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Gary Dewayne Martin (31, Fort McCoy, FL) has pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm silencer. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Martin had been indicted on July 15, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on September 20, 2019, law enforcement officers responded to Martin’s residence to investigate reports that he had been threatening individuals with a gun. Deputies located 37 firearms and large quantities of ammunition, including a .22 caliber rifle with a homemade silencer attached to the barrel. Martin subsequently admitted that the firearm and silencer belonged to him. Martin had never registered the silencer, nor sought permission to manufacture it, as is required under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Former deputy sentenced to federal prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A former Bulloch County sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography.
Travis Tuenge, 44, of Statesboro, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and fined $1,500 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison sentence, Tuenge must serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Travis Tuenge’s deviant behavior victimized innocent children, even as he violated the public trust as a law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We applaud the citizen who reported Tuenge’s crime, and the law enforcement agencies for their quick action in bringing him to justice.”
According to court documents and testimony, Tuenge – who served as a Bulloch County Superior Court security officer – came under investigation after the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office received a report of Tuenge sending text messages in which he discussed victimization of children. With assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, investigators discovered images of child pornography on Tuenge’s cell phone.
“It is of utmost importance that public officials, especially sworn law enforcement officers, committing crimes be held accountable for their actions,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the GBI. “The GBI remains committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure that these type cases are aggressively investigated and prosecuted in order to maintain the faith and trust of the public.”
The case was investigated by the GBI and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Bearden and Marcela C. Mateo.
Former Newark Police Officer Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud Newark Conservation and Development CorporationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Newark police officer was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation (NWCDC) and giving kickbacks to its former executive director, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Janell Robinson, 45, of Newark, was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the NWCDC facilitated by use of mails and wire transmissions, two counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right affecting interstate commerce, following a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Between March 2010 and May 2013, while Robinson was a Newark police officer, she controlled Protected and Secured Services LLC (P&S), a company that purported to provide security consulting services to its only client, the NWCDC. Robinson conspired with Linda Watkins Brashear of West Orange, New Jersey, the former executive director of the NWCDC, to pay Brashear a stream of concealed and undisclosed kickbacks from the proceeds that P&S received from the NWCDC. In exchange for Brashear’s assistance with securing P&S a contract with the NWCDC and approving completely fraudulent or inflated invoices that Robinson submitted, Robinson paid Brashear cash kickbacks from the proceeds of the fraud.
The NWCDC paid P&S approximately $289,000 during the scheme, approximately $50,000 of which was used by Robinson used to pay Brashear kickbacks.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Robinson to three years supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $288,950 to the NWCDC.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch in Newark, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Leslie F. Schwartz of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.