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Friday 23 October 2020
Two Men Sentenced to 15 Years Combined in Federal Court for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Davion Marques Toney, 28, of Cheraw, and Antonio Terrell Anderson, 28, of Lamar, were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Toney was sentenced to 10 years, and Anderson was sentenced to five years.
Evidence presented to the court established that for at least the past three years Toney and Anderson were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Chesterfield and Darlington Counties. On six separate occasions in 2018 and 2019, Toney sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working for law enforcement. These controlled purchases took place in Cheraw and Hartsville. On August 7, 2019, an investigator with the Hartsville Police Department was informed that Anderson, for whom there were active arrest warrants, was in a car in the parking lot of a Hartsville restaurant. After the investigator found Anderson in the front passenger seat and detained him, the female driver of the car informed the investigator that she had in her possession methamphetamine which Anderson had just given to her to hide. She then turned over the methamphetamine to the investigator, after which Anderson admitted that the methamphetamine belonged to him. There were also a significant number of cooperating witnesses who were prepared to testify that during the course of the conspiracy, both Toney and Anderson sold them methamphetamine.
United States Chief District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Toney to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Chief Judge Harwell sentenced Anderson to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hartsville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brad Parham of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Isaleb Anofils, 31, of Vero Beach, pled guilty last Friday, October 16, and Donyell Garland, 32, of Tallahassee, plead guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 13 counts of bank fraud, and 1 count of aggravated identity theft. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
Between January 1, 2018, and April 9, 2018, Anofils and Garland conspired to defraud federally insured financial institutions. The defendants used a combination of a cell phone spoofing app and various Internet websites to obtain personally identifiable information of victims. Anofils and Garland then used that information to conduct 285 fraudulent ATM transactions at Tallahassee-area financial institutions. In total, Anofils and Garland stole or attempted to steal over $151,000 from 47 Wells Fargo customers.
Both men face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud counts, and an additional 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for the aggravated identity theft count.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
Anofils’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 11, 2021, and Garland’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 10, 2021. Both hearings will take place at the United States District Court in Tallahassee before Chief Judge Mark Walker.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - Anofils and Garland Statement of Facts - AnofilsTrio accused of Walmart2Walmart money transfer fraud scheme in Youngstown and Akron areasRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland has returned a 20-count indictment charging John Lee Watkins, age 31, of Stow; Valerie Marie Masongsong, age 29, of Henderson, Nevada and Terrell Tomlin, age 32, of Ogden, Utah with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, the defendants are accused of using Walmart2Walmart, a money transfer service, to defraud banks and enrich themselves. Walmart2Walmart allows a customer to initiate a money transfer at one Walmart store to be picked up by someone else at another Walmart store anywhere in the United States.
As part of their conspiracy, the defendants are alleged to have used either their real name of a false identity to initiate a Walmart2Walmart transfer using a bank card to another co-defendant, co-conspirator, or fictitious person. The person initiating the transfer would then contact his or her bank stating that the transfer was fraudulent and seek a refund for the transfer. The defendant or co-conspirators would then collect the transfer at the second Walmart location and withdraw the money from their bank account before the bank could complete an investigation into the fraudulent activity and reverse the charges, states the indictment.
The defendants executed their scheme using Walmart locations in Youngstown, Poland, Austintown, Stow, Streetsboro, Kent, Canton and elsewhere outside of the Northern District of Ohio. A total loss of more than $400,000 was incurred as a result of the alleged scheme.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn G. Andrachik.
The Honorable Douglas H. Ginsburg Receives Justice Department's 2020 John Sherman AwardRead the Press Release
Watch the ceremony.
Read Judge Ginsburg's remarks.
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice today presented Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg with the John Sherman Award for his lifetime contributions to the development of antitrust law and the preservation of economic liberty. The award is the Department of Justice’s highest antitrust honor. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim presented the award and gave remarks celebrating Judge Ginsburg’s contributions during a ceremony displayed virtually and conducted at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Judge Ginsburg also delivered remarks in accepting the award.
“I can think of no more deserving recipient for the Sherman Award than Judge Ginsburg,” said Assistant Attorney General Delrahim. “His career in public service and his scholarship have shaped the way that antitrust law is understood and practiced. We all are the beneficiaries of Judge Ginsburg’s brilliance, hard work, and dedication to public service.”
Created in 1994, the John Sherman Award is presented by the Justice Department's Antitrust Division to a person or persons for outstanding contributions to the field of antitrust law, the protection of American consumers, and the preservation of economic liberty.
Springfield Man Sentenced on Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that David Laplante, 60, was sentenced today to time served, or 12 months in jail, by Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont. Judge Crawford also imposed a three-year period of supervised release to be served after Laplante completes his jail sentence. Laplante had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a handgun as a convicted felon in October 2019. Laplante acknowledged in court he was using and dealing illegal bath salts at the time he possessed the handgun.
On October 19, 2019, Springfield police participated in a search of Laplante’s residence based on numerous complaints about drug trafficking. At the time, Laplante was on probation for a Vermont drug felony. During the search, officers found a loaded .357 handgun in Laplante’s beside table. Officers also found bath salts at the residence. Court records show that earlier in October Laplante had been arraigned in state court on a charge of possessing bath sales at the time of a car stop in July 2019. Laplante was arrested on the federal firearms charge on October 30, 2019 and held in jail pending his plea and sentence.
“I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for adopting this case and bringing charges against Mr. LaPlante,” stated Springfield Chief of Police Mark Fountain. “Mr. LaPlante had been selling bath salts for a period of time, which seriously affected quality-of-life issues within the community.”
The case resulted from the collaborative efforts of the Springfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Van de Graaf represented the government. Laplante was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Six Individuals Charged with Federal Identity Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Six individuals were charged this week in connection with their misuse of stolen identities to obtain official identification documents and other government benefits. Of the six defendants charged, the true identities of four remain unknown.
According to charging documents, these individuals used Social Security numbers and other identifiers to obtain, for example, Massachusetts driver’s licenses or identification cards or MassHealth benefits. Some of these stolen identities were also used to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Antonio De Carvalho Vicente, 59, a Brazilian nation illegally residing in Fall River, was charged with theft of government funds. De Carvalho Vicente allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for PUA benefits using another person’s name and Social Security number. He allegedly received PUA payments and weekly payments of $600 under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, although the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance later ceased payments after flagging a suspected identity issue.
Angel Bautista Rossi, 43, a Dominican national illegally residing in Lawrence, was charged with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number.
A woman residing in Lawrence and whose true identity has not been confirmed, was charged as Jane Doe with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number.
A man residing in Roxbury and whose true identity has not been confirmed, was charged as John Doe with theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number.
A man residing in Roslindale and whose true identity has not been confirmed, was charged as John Doe with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number.
A man residing in Lawrence and whose true identity has not been confirmed, was charged as John Doe with aggravated identity theft, false statement in a health care matter and false representation of a Social Security number.
“Identity fraud takes a tremendous toll on its victims,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Individuals whose identities have been misused can face difficulties obtaining health care benefits, Social Security benefits or unemployment benefits, and are often left dealing with collateral consequences such as tax liability, bad credit and outstanding arrest warrants in their names. We will continue to hold accountable those engaged in identity fraud.”
“These arrests mark an important landmark in the fight to ensure that benefits owed to American citizens go to whom they belong and not to those illegally present in our country,” said Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. “This is an important enforcement metric reached in the fight against benefit theft crimes, which are especially egregious during today’s these times of serious economic and public health concerns. Today’s achievement serves as testimony to the tireless, dedicated team work of those partners who make up the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). We applaud all of our great partners including the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, whose unprecedented commitment to prosecuting these crimes has never wavered.”
“The Medicaid program is a partnership between the federal government and the states to provide healthcare to some of the most vulnerable members of society,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Service’s Boston Regional Office. “Medical identity theft jeopardizes the safety of its victims while disregarding the taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost. We will continue to root out imposters whose actions threaten the integrity of our healthcare system.”
Since July 2018, 50 defendants have been charged in connection with document, identity and benefit fraud as a result of investigations by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes. The DBFTF investigates individuals who are believed to have obtained stolen identities of United States citizens living in Puerto Rico and who have used those identities to obtain documents and public benefits that they would not otherwise be eligible to receive.
The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year prison sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S Attorney Lelling; HSI Boston SAC Shea; HHS-OIG SAC Coyne; Tonya Perkins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Denis C. Riordan, District Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Boston; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence, Lowell, Woburn, Dartmouth and Fall River police departments.
These cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Kenneth Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shawnee Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing BancFirst Branch in Paden, OklahomaRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bobby Ray Scott III, age 42, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and 2113(d). Bank Robbery is punishable by not more than life imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about June 12, 2020, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, by force, violence and intimidation did take from the person and presence of another, money belonging to and in the care, custody, control, management and possession of BancFirst located in Paden, Oklahoma, the deposits of which were then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and in committing such offense, the defendant, Bobby Ray Scott III, did assault and put in jeopardy the life of another person by the use of a dangerous weapon, that is a firearm.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office, the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task force is made up of a coalition of numerous Federal, State, Local and Tribal partners. The Safe Trails Task Force allows participating agencies to combine limited resources and increase investigative coordination to target violent crime, drugs, gangs, and gaming violations. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represents the United States.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States at the plea hearing.
Selma Resident Convicted on All Counts in Armed Bank Robbery TrialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that a federal jury in Mobile, Alabama found defendant Stanley Young, 32, of Selma, Alabama, guilty on all charges in an armed bank robbery case. United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer presided over the trial, which started on October 19, 2020 and ended three days later. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
After the jury’s verdicts, United States Attorney Richard W. Moore said, “This case demonstrates the efforts that we will take to catch and prosecute bank robbers. Local law enforcement and the FBI vigorously pursued the three suspects in this case and now all of them are going to the federal penitentiary. These three bank robbers believed that they could outsmart the cops and they were wrong. Also, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has some of the very best prosecutors in the country and we will spare no expense in bringing bank robbers to justice. Bank robbery violates the peace and dignity of our small towns like Marion, Alabama and we won’t stand for it. I offer my sincere thanks to all of our law enforcement partners who brought this case to a successful conclusion.”
On December 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Young and his two codefendants, Jabriel Bell and Fortune Hoppins, with bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Hoppins and Bell entered guilty pleas in July. Hoppins is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2020. Bell’s sentencing date is December 3, 2020.
The jury heard evidence that on September 14, 2016, Young, Bell, and Hoppins robbed the West Alabama Bank & Trust, a federally insured bank in Marion, Alabama. The victim tellers testified that one robber, Bell, held them at gunpoint while another robber, Hoppins, stole money from the tellers’ drawers. Eyewitness testimony and expert analysis of historical cell-site records established that Young was the getaway driver. After the robbery, the defendants fled the crime scene and later set fire to the getaway car on the side of a county road a few miles from the bank. There, the robbers moved to a “switch car,” which Young had borrowed earlier on the morning of the robbery, to flee from Marion to Selma. Young and Hoppins then fled to Connecticut, where they were located and arrested by the United States Marshals Service.
The FBI, the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, the Selma Police Department, and the Bridgeport, Connecticut Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller are prosecuting the case.
Self-Described Member of “Boogaloo Bois” Charged with RiotRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal criminal complaint against IVAN HARRISON HUNTER, 26, charging him with participating in a riot. HUNTER, who was arrested on October 21, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas, made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, Texas.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, in late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into members of the “Boogaloo Bois” based on information that members were discussing committing crimes of violence and were maintaining an armed presence on the streets of Minneapolis during civil unrest following the death of George Floyd. The Boogaloo Bois are a loosely-connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term “Boogaloo” itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, between May 27 and May 28, 2020, HUNTER, who claims to be a member of the Boogaloo Bois, traveled in interstate commerce from Texas to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the intent to participate in a riot. Federal agents reviewed a video taken on the night of May 28, 2020, that shows an individual, later identified as HUNTER, discharged 13 rounds from an AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle into the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building. At the time of the shooting there were other individuals believed to be looters still inside the building. Law enforcement recovered from the scene discharged rifle casings consistent with an AK-47 style firearm.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, upon returning to Texas, HUNTER made various statements on social media describing the violence in which he engaged in Minneapolis. On June 3, 2020, officers with the Austin Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a pick-up truck for numerous traffic violations. HUNTER was one of three occupants in the vehicle. HUNTER, the front seat passenger, had six loaded magazines for an AK-47 style assault rifle affixed to a tactical vest he was wearing. Officers found three semi-automatic rifles on the rear seat of the vehicle, one loaded pistol in plain view next to the driver’s seat, and another loaded pistol in the center console. Several days after the traffic stop, federal agents became aware of HUNTER’s online affiliation with Boogaloo Bois member Steven Carrillo, who has been charged in the Northern District of California with the May 29, 2020, murder of a Federal Protective Service Officer in Oakland, California.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter, and Trial Attorneys George Kraehe and Phil Viti of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.
This case falls within the purview of the Attorney General’s Task Force to Combat Violent Anti-Government Extremism. Launched in June 2020, the Task Force is dedicated to supporting the investigation and prosecution of any person or group who commits violence in the name of an anti-government ideology.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
IVAN HARRISON HUNTER, 26
Boerne, Texas
Charges:
- Riot, 1 count
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Second Okemah Man Pleads Guilty to Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mark Kevin Dodson, age 51, of Okemah, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Arson In Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 81, 2, 1151 and 1153, punishable by not more than 25 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about September 15, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Indian Country, the defendant, an Indian, did attempt and conspire, and willfully and maliciously did set fire to and burn a building and dwelling.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Ben Gifford represented the United States.
Roanoke Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va.- James Robert Banks, a Roanoke man responsible for distributing between one and three kilograms of heroin throughout the Roanoke area in 2019, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to 132 months in federal prison following his conviction earlier this year on federal drug distribution charges. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Jesse Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field Office made the announcement today.
Banks, 32, pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.
“Heroin abuse continues to plague our communities in a cycle of painful abuse, and those that distribute it must face justice,” Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “Thanks to the work of the DEA and the members agencies of the Roanoke-area HIDTA on this investigation, there is less heroin on the streets of Roanoke today.”
Criminal charges against Banks arose from his sale of heroin on specific dates in August and November 2019. According to court documents, law enforcement agents arranged for the controlled purchase of approximately $6,000 worth of heroin from Banks on two occasions. In both instances, Banks sold the heroin from a commercial auto repair facility on Centre Avenue in Roanoke, owned by his father. In connection with his guilty plea to distribution charges, Banks has acknowledged distributing between one and three kilograms of heroin in the Roanoke area in 2019.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and member agencies of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA), including the City of Roanoke Police Department, Virginia State Police, Roanoke County Police Department, and Salem Police Department. Additional support was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Assistant United States Attorney Kari Munro prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of law enforcement groups use evidence-based techniques to identify and address violent and related crime in local communities with the aim of focusing law enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders. As part of this strategy, the PSN initiative involves partnerships with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Riverside, California Man Who Admitted Planning Mass Casualty Attacks and Purchasing Firearms Later Used in 2015 Terrorist Attack in San Bernardino Ordered to Serve 20-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A Riverside man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in the Inland Empire and for providing assault rifles later used in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack that killed 14 people.
Enrique Marquez Jr., 28, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal.
Today’s sentencing concludes a case in which Marquez pleaded guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A. In the plea agreement and in open court, Marquez admitted that he conspired with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack Riverside City College (RCC) and commuter traffic on the 91 Freeway.
Marquez also pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922 (a)(6), by serving as the “straw buyer” of two assault rifles that he provided to Farook. More than three years later, Farook and his wife used those rifles in the shooting rampage at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center (IRC) on Dec. 2, 2015. Hours later, both Farook and his wife were killed by law enforcement, ending what at the time was the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.
The investigation into the deadly shooting at the IRC quickly uncovered evidence that, in 2011 and 2012, Marquez purchased two rifles that Farook and his wife used in the IRC attack. According to Marquez’s plea agreement, Farook paid Marquez for the rifles. Marquez also discussed with Farook the use of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the planned attacks on RCC and State Route 91. Marquez admitted purchasing Christmas tree lightbulbs and a container of smokeless powder for use in manufacturing IEDs.
Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum filed last week that Marquez “was a full, willing, and motivated participant of the conspiracy who not only provided the agreement necessary for the conspiracy to attack RCC and SR-91, but also co-designed the attacks with Farook, purchased the two firearms and ammunition to facilitate the attacks, researched bomb making and obtained explosive powder and other bomb-making materials, and visited RCC and SR-91 to sketch out how he and Farook would attack the two locations to maximize casualties.”
Marquez was arrested about two weeks after the IRC terrorist attack and has remained in custody ever since his first court appearance on Dec. 17, 2015. In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Bernal denied Marquez’s request for a five-year sentence, which essentially would have been a time-served sentence that soon would have resulted in his release from custody. In court documents, prosecutors called this request an attempt to “downplay the seriousness of his actions, and skirt that his actions contributed to the mass killing and injuring of innocent people in San Bernardino just a few years later.”
The case against Marquez was the result of an investigation by several members of the Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force, including agents and detectives from the FBI; the San Bernardino Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office; the Chino Police Department; the Redlands Police Department; the Ontario Police Department; the Corona Police Department; and the Riverside Police Department.
The case against Marquez was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Grigg, Chief of the National Security Division; Melanie Sartoris of the General Crimes Section; and Julius J. Nam of the Riverside Branch Office. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section at the Department of Justice provided substantial assistance.
Also as a result of the investigation into the IRC attack, three people have pleaded guilty to being part of a sham marriage scheme in which a Russian woman “married” Marquez to obtain immigration benefits. Syed Raheel Farook, the brother of IRC attacker Syed Rizwan Farook; Tatiana Farook, who is Syed Raheel Farook’s wife; and Mariya Chernykh, who is Tatiana Farook’s sister, pleaded guilty to immigration fraud charges and admitted being part of conspiracy in which Chernykh paid Marquez to enter into a bogus marriage. The three defendants in the marriage fraud case are scheduled to be sentenced early next year.
In another case stemming from the investigation, the mother of Syed Rizwan Farook pleaded guilty in March to a federal criminal charge of intending to impede the federal criminal investigation by shredding a map her son made in connection with the attack. Rafia Sultana Shareef, a.k.a. Rafia Farook, of Corona, is currently scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Bernal on November 16.
Reading Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Francheska Quinones, age 28, formerly of Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamiAccording to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Quinones admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in Luzerne, Lackawanna and Schuylkill Counties between January 2017 and December 2018. Quinones was one of five individuals indicted by a grand jury in December 2018 for methamphetamine trafficking in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Judge Mariani ordered that a presentence report be completed. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines
The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison under federal law. The maximum penalty for the charge is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $10,000,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Puerto Rico CPA Indicted and Arrested on Wire Fraud Charges in Relation to Act 20 and Act 22 SchemeRead the Press Release
On Oct. 14, 2020, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Gabriel F. Hernández, with ten counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1343, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney, District of Puerto Rico, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Tyler R. Hatcher, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office. The indictment was unsealed this week after the arrest of the defendant by federal law enforcement officers from IRS-CI.
According to allegations in the indictment, Hernández, a CPA who served as the tax manager and partner-in-charge of the tax division of a large public accounting, tax, consulting, and business advisory firm, devised a scheme to defraud the IRS. The scheme, as alleged, related in part to two tax incentive acts: Act 20, also known as the Export Services Act, which offers tax incentives for Puerto Rican companies to export services to other jurisdictions, and Act 22, also known as the Individual Investors Act, which offered tax incentives to individuals who relocate to Puerto Rico. Under the scheme, as alleged, Hernández unjustly enriched himself and others by receiving fees in exchange for preparing and filing and causing to be prepared and filed a false federal income tax return with the IRS and fraudulent applications and other records related to the acts. The indictment further alleges that, as part of the scheme Hernández and others evaded the assessment and payment of taxes by engaging in financial transactions devoid of any economic substance (sham transactions). The transactions allegedly were intended to create the illusion that Hernandez’s clients earned income from services performed within Puerto Rico, rather than within the mainland United States.
If found guilty, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for charges relating to wire fraud.
An indictment is a charging document containing allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and PDAAG Zuckerman commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI’s Miami Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe and Department of Justice Assistant Chief Gregory E. Tortella and Special Attorney Francesca L. Bartolomey.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan and Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart Recognize Domestic Violence Month at a Law Enforcement and Domestic Violence RoundtableRead the Press Release
Yesterday, Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Director Jessica E. Hart spoke to federal, state and local law enforcement leaders during a roundtable discussion focused on domestic violence. PDAAG Sullivan and Director Hart joined U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott W. Brady for the discussion, which was followed by a roundtable with leadership from the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
PDAAG Sullivan and Director Hart highlighted the incidence of domestic violence, the threats posed by domestic abusers to their partners and to law enforcement, and Department of Justice resources available to support victims. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, Americans experienced more than 1.2 million domestic violence victimizations in 2019. Data from other sources suggest that lockdowns and stay-at-home orders have precipitated a rise in domestic violence hotline calls and more calls for service to police for domestic violence incidents.
PDAAG Sullivan emphasized the dangers these calls represent for law enforcement. “Officers who respond to domestic violence very often find themselves under attack, and some have lost their lives responding to these calls.” She added, “In providing the safety, protection and support victims need, we realize you are putting your own lives at risk.”
Both described substantial investments made by the Department of Justice to address domestic violence. OVC recently awarded $1.8 billion to states to support victim compensation programs and thousands of local victim assistance programs. Victim assistance programs funded by OVC served more than seven million victims in 2019. Last week, OVC awarded a $1.5 million grant to the National Domestic Violent Hotline to expand its digital services and technology-based tools to assist victims.
At a press event held prior to the roundtable, PDAAG Sullivan and Director Hart announced $4 million in OVC funding to support the establishment or expansion of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, programs on college and university campuses.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Elijah Cupitt, 37, was arrested in December 2019, when U.S. Marshals, working alongside the Richmond Police Department and Chesterfield Police Department, sought to locate him and a murder suspect that Cupitt was suspected to be housing. After obtaining consent to search the residence, U.S. Marshals searched the master bedroom walk-in closet and located a bag of white powder, later confirmed to be crack cocaine, and a firearm described as a Smith and Wesson, .40 caliber. Cupitt admitted to possessing the evidence and had over 15 past criminal convictions, including four felony convictions, at the time of the search.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-48.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for the unlawful possession of a Glock semi-automatic handgun.
According to court documents, Dayquan Antoine Goodwin, 27, of Newport News, was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants in Newport News. Newport News Police encountered Goodwin as he was walking around Patrick Henry Mall and placed him under arrest. When searching Goodwin, officers discovered a small amount of marijuana, five loose oxycodone tablets in his pocket, and a loaded Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Goodwin knew that he was a prior convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms. A Facebook search warrant revealed that Goodwin had posted pictures of himself with the same firearm on earlier occasions.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-16.
Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Peter Hutton, 24, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted at trial with possession of a firearm by a felon, arising from a 911 call placed on July 5, 2019, reporting that a man with a gun was seen on Locust Avenue in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
In February 2020, Hutton was charged by Indictment with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, stemming from the July 2019 incident and the subsequent arrest of the defendant by Philadelphia Police officers. After the emergency call was received, officers arrived at the scene and immediately saw a man, later identified as Hutton, matching the description provided over police radio. The defendant was standing next to the open rear driver’s side door of a white Toyota Camry. As the officers approached, Hutton looked in the direction of the officers and then leaned into the open door to get into the car. As the defendant did this, the officers saw Hutton reaching into his waistband for what appeared to be a black object. Officers then removed the defendant from the car and recovered a black Glock, model 19, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 live rounds of ammunition, in the rear interior of the car.
“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in a city like Philadelphia, where the problem of gun violence continues to grow every day,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “There is a reason convicted felons like Hutton no longer have the right to possess a potentially lethal weapon. The answer to Philadelphia’s violent crime crisis is to get criminals like Hutton off the streets, which is exactly what the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focused on as part of our anti-violence strategy.”
“Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community,” said Eric Degree, acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This conviction highlights the value of the collaborative effort with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce violent crime and helps bring a sense of security to our neighborhoods plagued by gun violence.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kay Costello.
Perkinston Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Edward Lee Thomas, 48, of Perkinston, pled guilty yesterday, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to producing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Gilbert Trill, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
In March of 2020, HSI Gulfport received 95 images and 2 videos of child sexual abuse from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The investigation led agents to a residence in Forrest County, Mississippi, where the sexual abuse images of two minors had been taken. Agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence of Edward Lee Thomas in Perkinston, Mississippi. The seizure and forensic examination of electronic devices taken from Thomas’ residence revealed over 4,000 images and 700 videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Thomas will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 21, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., in Gulfport. He faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in prison. However, if Thomas’s 2004 Mississippi state conviction for sexual battery of a child is determined to be a qualifying prior conviction, he faces a maximum penalty of not less than 25 years nor more than 50 years, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Op End Game Defendants Sentenced for Seeking Sex with Minors OnlineRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga.– Two defendants arrested during “Operation End Game,” a multi-agency effort targeting and arresting adult perpetrators in the Athens-area seeking sex with children, were sentenced to prison, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
On Thursday, October 22, U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal sentenced Michael Turner, 48, of Columbus, Mississippi, to 46 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor. Morgan Kelby Andrews, 28, of Maxeys, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor. Following their prison terms, both defendants will have to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We will never cease working to protect the welfare of Georgia’s children, and we will continue to bring the full force of the law against sexual predators,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Operation End Game is one of many investigations here in Georgia tracking down online predators and bringing them to justice. I want to thank our law enforcement partners both for their work in this operation and for their unyielding efforts to safeguard Georgia’s children.”
“Operation End Game” was a three-day proactive effort centered in Athens, Georgia in July 2019 to arrest adults communicating with children on-line and then traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex. The cases were investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie Freeman is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at https://www.justice.gov/history.
Oktaha Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gage Hayden Ross, age 22, of Oktaha, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Assault With Intent To Commit Murder In Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 113(a)(1), 1151 and 1153, punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about May 24, 2020, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Indian Country, the defendant, an Indian, did assault L.H., with intent to commit murder with a firearm.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Clay Compton represented the United States at the plea hearing.
Okmulgee Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Owens Parker, Jr., age 47, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Felon in Possession of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about August 29, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and knowing of said conviction, knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce a firearm, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Ben Gifford and Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States at the plea hearing.
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On October 22, 2020, Edward Lee Raiburn, age 38, formerly of Southern Oklahoma, appeared before United States District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger and was sentenced to thirty years in prison for one count of production of child pornography announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Raiburn pleaded guilty to the offense on June 16, 2020. Following the completion of his prison term, Raiburn will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for seven additional years.
During the early summer of 2019, Raiburn sexually abused a child victim in Oklahoma.
In August 2019, Raiburn traveled on multiple occasions from Oklahoma to the Des Moines metro with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the same child. Multiple times in August 2019, Raiburn requested the child take sexually explicit “selfie” photos. The child did so and, as requested, sent those sexually explicit photos to Raiburn via cellular phone.
This case was investigated by the Iowa DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Des Moines Police Department, Polk County Attorney’s Office, Durant (Oklahoma) Police Department, and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Okemah Man Pleads Guilty to Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Seth Henry Thomas, age 22, of Okemah, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to Arson In Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 81, 2, 1151 and 1153, punishable by not more than 25 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about September 15, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Indian Country, the defendant, an Indian, did attempt and conspire, and willfully and maliciously did set fire to and burn a building and dwelling.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable John F. Heil III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Ben Gifford represented the United States at the plea hearing.
November 2020 General ElectionRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (“AUSA”) Shamoor Anis will lead his Office’s efforts in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election. AUSA Anis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (“DEO”) for the District of Delaware, responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of any voting rights concerns and election fraud complaints in consultation with Department of Justice headquarters in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
The U.S. Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Federal law also protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
U.S. Attorney Weiss further noted that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise that franchise if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Anis will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA Anis can be reached by the public at (302) 573-6277.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The Wilmington FBI can be reached by the public at (302) 658-4391.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
Please note: In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process,” noted U.S. Attorney Weiss.
Niagara Falls Woman Going to Prison for Selling Crack Cocaine with Her Incarcerated HusbandRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tasheka Stalling, 30, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who handled the case, stated that between November 2015 and January 26, 2017, the defendant conspired with her husband, Jermaine Ellison to sell crack cocaine.
Between November 12, 2015, and June 20, 2016, investigators conducted six controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Ellison. On August 30, 2016, Ellison was ordered into state custody by a Niagara County Court Judge to begin serving a previously imposed state sentence. While Ellison was being held in the Green Correctional Facility, Stalling conspired with him to continue selling crack cocaine to his customers in Niagara County. Stalling utilized Ellison’s cellphone contacts in order to communicate with buyers to distribute the crack cocaine. During their conspiracy, Stalling and Ellison discussed details related to the ongoing sales over recorded telephone calls from the correctional facility. Investigators made a total of 16 controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Stalling.
As part of this investigation, Jermaine Ellison was also convicted federally and previously sentenced to serve 82 months in federal prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Michael Filicetti; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major James Hall; and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast.
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New York City Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 2½ Years in Prison for Committing Multimillion-Dollar Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SAJID JAVED, an owner and operator of a number of pharmacies in the New York City area, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for using his pharmacies to submit more than $7.1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. JAVED previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who imposed today’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Sajid Javed fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid more than $7 million for drugs that were never actually dispensed, inducing others to forego their prescription medications in return for kickbacks. Javed contributed to the multibillion-dollar theft of federally funded public health care subsidies.”
According to the Complaint, the Superseding Information to which JAVED pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:
While owning and operating a number of pharmacies located in Brooklyn and Queens, JAVED conducted a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid programs by seeking reimbursement for prescription drugs that were not distributed to customers. Specifically, from January 2013 through December 2014, JAVED obtained more than $7.1 million in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs that his pharmacies never actually dispensed to customers. JAVED defrauded Medicare and Medicaid into providing him with these reimbursements by obtaining prescriptions from other individuals, who were willing to forego delivery of the medications in exchange for a share of the reimbursed proceeds, in the form of kickbacks. JAVED offered to pay, and did actually pay, kickbacks in furtherance of this scheme.
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In addition to the prison term, Judge Broderick sentenced JAVED, 49, of Fresh Meadows, Queens, to three years of supervised release and ordered JAVED to make court-ordered restitution in the amount of $6,040,451.32 to Medicare and $1,150,562.16 to Medicaid, and imposed forfeiture in the amount of $7,191,013.48.
Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. DiMase is in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Man Indicted for Promoting Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Pemberton, New Jersey, man appeared in court yesterday on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with conspiring to defraud the United States, assisting in the filing of false tax returns, obstructing the internal revenue laws, and failing to file a tax return, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. The Sept. 2, 2020 indictment was unsealed following the court appearance.
According to the indictment, John W. Barry, Jr., conspired with individuals in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and New York to promote a “mortgage recovery” tax fraud scheme in which they obtained for their clients tax refunds from the IRS based on fraudulent tax returns. Barry and his coconspirators allegedly represented to clients that they could extinguish their outstanding mortgage debts by filing forms with the IRS and then caused clients to file forms and tax returns that fraudulently claimed that a substantial amount of taxes had already been withheld from them. These false withholding claims allegedly caused the IRS to issue more than $3 million in refunds to clients. According to the indictment, Barry typically charged each client a fee of between 20 and 35 percent of the refund the client obtained, and then split those fees with his coconspirators. The indictment also charges that Barry did not file his own 2016 return, and thus did not report or pay any taxes on any income generated from his scheme.
The indictment further alleges that when the IRS discovered the fraud and attempted to recover the wrongfully paid refunds, Barry took steps to obstruct the agency by: providing clients with fraudulent documents to send to the IRS, directing clients to conceal from the IRS his role in filing their false returns, and advising a client to remove funds from his bank account in order to thwart IRS collection efforts.
If convicted, Barry faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, three years in prison for each false tax return count, three years in prison for obstructing the internal revenue laws, and one year in prison for failing to file a tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Sean Green of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
New Haven Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging JOEL MARTINEZ, JR., 22, of New Haven, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
This prosecution is part of a coordinated federal, state and local law enforcement effort to address rising gun violence in New Haven. Participating in this effort are the New Haven Police Department; the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As alleged in court documents, on September 17, 2020, during a court-authorized search of a New Haven hotel room being used by Martinez to process and package narcotics, law enforcement seized a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number; a box of 9mm ammunition; approximately 74 grams of crack cocaine including packaging; approximately 150 grams of heroin including packaging; 12 digital scales; three blenders; other items used to process and package narcotics; and $1,825 in cash. Martinez was arrested on state charges at that time.
Martinez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 14, 2020. On October 19, the grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Martinez with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”), which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, New Haven Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 24, 2020Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office are teaming up to publicize the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day being held in Maryland and across the country on Saturday, October 24. The service is free and anonymous. Maryland has approximately 100 available sites. The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs and educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“Pharmaceutical pills can be just as harmful as illegal drugs when they are used without proper medical supervision and without valid medical need,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “DEA’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a great opportunity to get rid of unused and unneeded prescription drugs and prevent drug abuse and I encourage Marylanders to take advantage of this free and anonymous service.”
“Thousands of Maryland residents die every year due to overdose, with a significant number of those overdose deaths caused by opioids. Take Back Day provides a vital opportunity for us to fight against the opioid problem here in Maryland,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “By participating in Take Back Day and disposing of unused prescription medication, you may be able to prevent someone from addiction or overdose.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year, and at many local law enforcement agency sites.
DEA and our state and local partners throughout the area will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site in Maryland, visit www.deatakeback.com.
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NDTX Round-Up: October 16-22Read the Press Release
SENTENCING – ESTEBAN BONILLA LOPEZ
On October 19, Esteban Bonilla Lopez, 35, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. After stopping Lopez’s vehicle in Cleburne, Texas, officers requested to search the car. Lopez denied the request. Officers used a drug detecting canine which altered law enforcement to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Lopez admitted that he had methamphetamine in the truck and that he traveled to Midland to distribute the drugs. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted this case.
SENTENCING – GEOVANNI AARON LUNA
On October 19, Geovanni Aaron Luna, 23, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered firearm silencer. Luna was pulled over in Garland, Texas for a traffic offense. During the traffic stop, troopers uncovered a homemade silencer created from a modified fuel filter with an aluminum tube and threaded adapter to fit his .22 caliber pistol. Luna admitted that the silencer was not registered to in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety and is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin.
GUILTY PLEA – HUGO ALBERTO ESPINOZA-GONZALEZ
On October 20, Hugo Alberto Espinoza-Gonzalez, 38, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and illegal reentry after removal from the United States. Agents observed Espinoza-Gonzalez enter a vehicle containing 46.8 kilograms of methamphetamine. Dallas Police Department officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle, however, Espinoza-Gonzalez refused to stop and sped away. Eventually, Espinoza-Gonzalez abandoned the vehicle and fled on food until officers arrested him. Espinoza-Gonzalez faces up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug-related crimes and 20 years for the illegal immigration offenses. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kull is prosecuting this case.
GUILTY PLEA – DOMINIQUE RAY MCNEELY
On October 20, Dominique Ray McNeely, 37, plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. McNeely traveled to a Dallas residence to take part in cocaine transaction. During the drug deal one coconspirator was shot to death. McNeely also conspired with others to distribute two kilograms of cocaine to others in exchange for $70,000. He admitted to being primarily a marijuana dealer with suppliers located in California. Through the course of his unlawful activity he acquired a Jeep, Porsche, jewelry, and approximately $40,000 in drug proceeds all of which is subject to forfeiture. McNeely faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting this case.
GUILTY PLEA – DANIEL HICKS
On October 22, Daniel Hicks, 55, plead guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. Law enforcement established an undercover profile as a 14-year-old girl on an internet gaming website. Within a short period of time, Hicks sent 31 sexually explicit images or videos to a user which he thought was a minor. When questioned by law enforcement, Hicks admitted to chatting with a person he believed was a minor. Hicks faces up to 10 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Garland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith prosecuted this case.
Montgomery Physician Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution OffenseRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, Dr. D’livro Lemat Beauchamp, 54, of Montgomery, Alabama, appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully distribute oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr.
According to court documents, Beauchamp conspired with others to unlawfully distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II opioid controlled substance. Beauchamp distributed this oxycodone by issuing prescriptions for the drug while practicing medicine at a Montgomery medical practice, Obelisk Healthcare. The prescriptions Beauchamp issued to his co-conspirators were for no legitimate medical purposes and were not issued in the course of normal medical practice. Beauchamp’s co-conspirators paid him $350 for each one of these unnecessary and illegitimate oxycodone prescriptions.
Beauchamp’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the next few months and he is facing up to 20 years in prison. He also faces substantial monetary penalties.
“Physicians like Dr. Beauchamp are a main cause for the persistence of the opioid epidemic in our community,” stated United States Attorney Franklin. “At a time when medical professionals are in such great need, it is disheartening to see a physician betray his Hippocratic Oath just to make a few extra bucks. I am proud that my office is holding Dr. Beauchamp accountable for the harm that he undoubtedly caused through his drug dealing. We will continue to prosecute cases like this one until all medical professionals recognize that powerful drugs like the ones at issue here should be used to make people better—not to give them an addiction.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Alice S. LaCour, and Thomas R. Govan are prosecuting the case.
Monongalia County man and Maryland man admit to their roles in a drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniel Meadows, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Donald Noel Smith, of Oakland, Maryland, have admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Meadows, 49, and Smith, 41, each pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Meadows and Smith admitted to using a to distribute drugs in March 2020 in Monongalia County.
Meadows and Smith each face up to four years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Related press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/seventeen-people-charged-heroin-and-crack-cocaine-distribution-operation
Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly drove pounds of methamphetamine to the Midwest from a source in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2019, was sentenced October 22, 2020, to more than 18 years in federal prison.
Daniel Decker, age 39, from Kenosha, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Decker admitted he drove through Cedar County, Iowa, with approximately five pounds of ice methamphetamine with the intent to redistribute it. At sentencing, evidence showed that Decker had transported approximately twenty pounds of ice methamphetamine from Las Vegas to the Midwest over the course of a couple of months.
Decker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Decker was sentenced to 220 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Decker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Muscatine County drug task force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cr-0096.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur Announces More Than $1.3 Million Investment by the Department of Justice in Research that Supports Public Safety Practices in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur today announced $1,358,011 in Department of Justice grants to institutions, agencies and organizations for research and evaluation projects that identify data-driven programs for reducing crime and promoting justice. The awards span research topic priorities such as prisoner reentry, terrorism prevention, human trafficking and police officer safety and wellness.
The awards are part of a strategic plan developed by OJP’s National Institute of Justice to advance technology, strengthen scientific research and translate knowledge to practice. They represent NIJ’s broader effort to include more diversity of disciplines, such as physical and social sciences, to link areas of research that have not previously been connected.
“Research into the causes of criminal activity allows law enforcement and state and local agencies to develop best practices to prevent such crime, reduce recidivism, and keep our communities safe,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “While enforcement and consequences are essential parts of our crime-reduction strategy, it’s also wise to invest in measures to reduce and prevent crime before it happens, and to provide assistance to returning citizens to help them become productive members of the community.”
“The more we know about crime—the better we understand its causes and consequences—the greater our chances of finding sustainable solutions to the public safety problems confronting our communities,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The research supported by these awards will expand our knowledge about what works to reduce crime, curb reoffending and protect our criminal justice professionals, and this new knowledge will put us a step closer to achieving a more just and lawful society.”
The research addresses critical needs such as prisoner reentry, emphasizing innovative strategies to reintegrate offenders into communities and reduce recidivism. Today’s announcement includes three projects that will study reentry initiatives, including those in rural communities. The research will advance the body of knowledge on promising practices in the field of offender reentry.
The following Maryland organizations received funding:
- The University of Maryland received $369,412, as part of $800,000 granted nationwide to fund research and evaluation projects that inform efforts to prevent and reduce intentional, interpersonal firearm violence and mass shootings in the United States.
- Development Services Group, Inc. received $998,599 of more than $2.2 million granted nationwide, to build knowledge and evidence related to strategies for effective prevention of terrorism in the United States. The research projects will primarily benefit criminal justice agencies and their attendant communities at the state and local levels.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years
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Marion Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Court for Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. announced today that Kevin Delane Davis, 46, of Marion, was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court established that from 2017 to 2019, Davis was involved in a conspiracy to distribute crack in Marion County. On three separate occasions in 2019, Davis sold crack to a confidential informant working for law enforcement. These controlled purchases took place in Marion. Also, on June 25, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Davis’s residence in Marion during which they recovered more crack, cash, and digital scales used to weigh drugs.
United States Chief District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Davis to 72 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Marion County Combined Drug Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brad Parham of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in a Multi-State Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to traffic approximately 18 kilograms of heroin into the Richmond area.
According to court documents, in June 2019, Special Agents with the Department of Homeland Security (HSI) seized approximately 24 kilograms of heroin, nearly 2 kilograms of fentanyl, and nearly 2 kilograms of methamphetamine from targets in Brownsville, Texas. The substances were packaged in five tractor trailer batteries and various quantities were headed for Chicago, Illinois and Richmond. Agents with HSI, working with Virginia State Police, coordinated a controlled delivery of the heroin which was destined to Richmond. Jose Zavala-Higareda, 29, was identified as the individual to whom the heroin headed for Richmond was to be delivered. The agents coordinating the controlled delivery and exchanged phone calls and text messages with Zavala-Higareda in advance of the batteries arriving in Richmond. Additionally, the agents and Zavala-Higareda identified a meeting location to deliver the drugs and when the agents arrived, Zavala-Higareda and another person received the batteries and paid for the heroin with $16,500 in cash. The heroin within the tractor trailer batteries weighed approximately 18.14 kilograms.
Law enforcement later conducted a search of Zavala-Higareda’s residence in Richmond and found him to be in possession of another $33,050 in cash, which was enough to purchase 11 additional ounces of heroin. Zavala-Higareda also possessed ledgers which were consistent with record-keeping in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Never Ending Story. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-15.
Lebanon, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Virginia - Donald Ray Clark, a Lebanon, Virginia man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division made the announcement today.
“Keeping firearms out of felons’ hands is critical to reducing violence and keeping our communities safe, as evidenced by this case,” Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “I commend the ATF, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police for their work in bringing Mr. Clark to justice.”
According to court documents, on December 17, 2018, while investigating a homicide on Pittston Road in Lebanon, officers heard shots fired from a next-door residence. Clark was found inside the home with a .22 caliber revolver and several live and spent rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. The side door of his residence had bullet holes visible in the glass from where shots had been fired through the door.
At the time Clark possessed the firearm and ammunition, he knowingly had been convicted of multiple felonies. Clark also was convicted of second-degree murder and other state charges related to the incidents on December 17, 2018. The firearm associated with Clark’s federal charge was unrelated to the state murder conviction.
Clark, 57, will be sentenced for his firearm charge on January 12, 2021. At sentencing, Clark faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Lawton Man Sentenced to Serve a Decade in Federal Prison for Shooting During Road Rage IncidentRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – MARTAVIOUS ARNEZ GROSS, 23, of Lawton, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in prison for possessing a firearm during a road rage incident on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike while subject to a domestic violence protective order, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
On January 8, 2020, Gross was charged with possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective. On March 10, 2020, he pled guilty to this offense.
According to court documents and public record, on December 11, 2019, Gross was riding in a vehicle driven by co-defendant, Nathan R. Rollins, Jr. Rollins and Gross believed they were cut off by another driver on the turnpike and they caught up to the other vehicle. Gross rolled down his window, yelled at the other driver, made obscene gestures, brandished a firearm for the driver of the other vehicle to see. He then fired at the vehicle with the handgun. In responding to a related 911 call, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper located Rollins’ vehicle, clocking in at 106 miles per hour. After stopping the vehicle, the law enforcement found the handgun that was fired in the incident by Gross, an AR-15 rifle loaded with a high capacity magazine, two black masks, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Rollins and Gross were subsequently arrested.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Gross to serve 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Judge Heaton noted the serious nature of the offense conduct and Gross’ significant history of violence against domestic partners and law enforcement officers.
Judge Heaton had previously sentenced co-defendant Rollins to serve 120 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. For more information about Project Guardian, please see the Attorney General’s announcement here. The case is also part of "Operation 922," the district’s local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian. "Operation 922" prioritizes firearms prosecutions connected to domestic violence, including domestic violence abusers who possess a firearm and are subject to a victim protective order or have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
This case is the result of investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the case.
Killeen Woman Sentenced to 205 Months in Federal Prison for Two Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
In Waco, a federal judge sentenced 23-year-old Killeen, TX, resident Eboni Siamone McMurray to 205 months in federal prison in connection with two armed bank robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer, FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and Killeen Police Chief Charles F. Kimble.
During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright sentenced McMurray to 37 months in federal prison on two bank robbery charges consecutive to 168 months in federal prison on two firearms charges. Judge Albright also ordered that McMurray pay $5,887 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing her prison term.
On June 23, 2020, McMurray pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. By pleading guilty, McMurray admitted that on January 24, 2020, she entered the First Texas Bank in Killeen, approached a teller and removed a handgun from her bag. She then pulled the handgun slide to the rear as if chambering a round. A teller placed money into the bag before McMurray exited the bank.
McMurray further admitted that on the afternoon of February 12, 2020, she entered the First National Bank Texas located in the 4300 of East Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, approached a teller and demanded that the teller “fill the bag.” Court records state that McMurray then pointed a firearm directly at the teller, told the teller she had five seconds to comply, and began counting down from five. The teller filled the bag with money as instructed just before McMurray exited the bank.
Based on video surveillance from the scene, investigators were able to identify and subsequently locate McMurray’s vehicle. FBI agents and Killeen Police officers, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested McMurray at her residence without incident the following day. She has since remained in federal custody.
The FBI and Killeen Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Justice Department Requires Waste Management to Divest Assets in Order to Proceed with Advanced Disposal Services AcquisitionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Waste Management, Inc. (WMI) will be required to divest 15 landfills, 37 transfer stations, 29 hauling locations, over 200 waste collection routes, and other assets in order to proceed with its $4.6 billion acquisition of Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. (ADS). The department said that without the divestiture, the proposed acquisition would substantially lessen competition for small container commercial waste collection or municipal solid waste disposal services in over 50 local markets.
The department’s Antitrust Division — along with five state Attorneys General — filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the department filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the complaint. The participating state Attorneys General offices represent Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
“Without divestitures, this merger would have harmed competition for essential waste collection and disposal services throughout the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim. “By requiring WMI and ADS to divest numerous facilities and assets in ten states, will ensure that businesses, municipalities, and towns continue to benefit from competition for these critical services.”
According to the complaint, WMI and ADS both supply small container commercial waste collection and municipal solid waste disposal services. In each of the local markets alleged in the complaint, WMI and ADS compete vigorously against each other and are either the only two or two of only a few significant providers of one or both of these essential services. The combination of the two companies would eliminate head-to-head competition between them and threaten the lower prices and better service that customers have realized from that competition.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, WMI and ADS must divest assets covering over 50 local markets including landfills, transfer stations, hauling locations, and waste collection routes to GFL Environmental Inc., or to an alternate acquirer approved by the United States. GFL, based in Ontario, Canada, is a provider of small container commercial waste collection and MSW disposal in local markets in Canada and the Unites States.
WMI, a Delaware corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, had total revenues of over $15 billion in 2019.
ADS, a Delaware corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, had total revenues of over $1.6 billion in 2019.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed consent decree, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement during a 60-day comment period to Katrina Rouse, Chief, Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 8700, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may enter the final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.
Justice Department Requires Divestiture in Order for Liberty Latin America to Acquire AT&T's Telecommunications Operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it is requiring Liberty Latin America Ltd. (Liberty), its subsidiary, Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico LLC (LCPR), and AT&T Inc. (AT&T) to divest certain fiber-based telecommunications assets and customer accounts in Puerto Rico, in order for Liberty to proceed with its proposed acquisition of AT&T’s wireline and wireless telecommunications operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The department has approved WorldNet Telecommunications, Inc. (WorldNet) as the acquirer.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed merger. At the same time, the department filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the department’s complaint.
“The merger, as originally structured, would have eliminated competition for critical fiber-optic-based telecommunications services that businesses in Puerto Rico rely on every day,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s settlement will ensure that businesses throughout Puerto Rico continue to benefit from vigorous competition in the provision of these services.”
According to the department’s complaint, Liberty and AT&T are two of the three largest wireline telecommunications providers in Puerto Rico and own two of the three most extensive fiber-based network infrastructures on the island. Liberty and AT&T each use their extensive network infrastructures to provide fiber-based connectivity and telecommunications services to enterprise customers, including businesses of all sizes as well as institutions, such as universities, hospitals, and government agencies. The complaint alleges that competition between Liberty and AT&T has resulted in lower prices and higher-quality services for these customers. According to the complaint, the combination of Liberty and AT&T would leave many customers with only one alternative and others with no competitive choice at all, likely resulting in increased prices and lower-quality services for enterprise customers across Puerto Rico.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Liberty, LCPR, and AT&T must divest certain wireline telecommunications assets and customer accounts in Puerto Rico to WorldNet or to an alternative purchaser approved by the United States. Specifically, the settlement requires the sale of (a) the fiber-based Columbus network in the metropolitan San Juan area that Liberty acquired as part of its purchase of Cable & Wireless Communications in 2016; (b) additional fiber assets, including fiber facilities and indefeasible rights of use, on Liberty’s network across the rest of the island; (c) retail fiber-based enterprise customer accounts served by Liberty today, with limited exceptions; (d) the right to pull fiber through Liberty’s conduit and attach fiber to Liberty’s telephone poles; and (e) an option to purchase segments of AT&T’s aerial fiber-based core network. The divestiture will place WorldNet in the position to become a strong competitor in the provision of fiber-based connectivity and telecommunications services to enterprise customers throughout Puerto Rico.
Liberty, a Bermuda corporation with its headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda, and executive offices in Denver, Colorado, is a leading telecommunications operator in Latin America and the Caribbean. Liberty provides video services, internet access, and home telephony services to more than 6 million subscribers and mobile wireless services to approximately 3.6 million subscribers across this region. Liberty generated approximately $3.9 billion in revenues in 2019.
LCPR, a Puerto Rico limited liability company with its headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty. LCPR is the largest cable company and a leading provider of fiber-based connectivity and telecommunications services in Puerto Rico. LCPR operates more than 3,000 route miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in Puerto Rico and uses this infrastructure to provide fiber-based connectivity and telecommunications services to enterprise customers located throughout the island.
AT&T, a Delaware corporation headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading provider of telecommunications, media, and technology services globally and one of the largest providers of telecommunications services to enterprise customers in the United States. In Puerto Rico, AT&T provides fiber-based connectivity and telecommunications services to enterprise customers over fiber-optic infrastructure that spans over 3,500 route miles. AT&T generated approximately $180 billion in revenues in 2019.
WorldNet, a Puerto Rico corporation with its headquarters in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, is the largest locally owned telecommunications provider in Puerto Rico. WorldNet provides a range of telecommunications services to enterprise and residential customers on the island.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement during a 60-day comment period to Scott Scheele, Chief, Telecommunications and Broadband Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 7000, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
Inland Empire Man Who Admitted Planning Mass Casualty Attacks and Purchasing Firearms Later Used in 2015 Terrorist Attack in San Bernardino Ordered to Serve 20-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in the Inland Empire and for providing assault rifles later used in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack that killed 14 people.
Enrique Marquez Jr., 28, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jesus Bernal.
Today’s sentencing concludes a case in which Marquez pleaded guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to provided material support and resources to terrorists. In the plea agreement and in open court, Marquez admitted that he conspired with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack Riverside City College (RCC) and commuter traffic on the 91 Freeway.
Marquez also pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms by serving as the “straw buyer” of two assault rifles that he provided to Farook. More than three years later, Farook and his wife used those rifles in the shooting rampage at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center (IRC) on December 2, 2015. Hours later, both Farook and his wife were killed by law enforcement, ending what at the time was the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.
“This defendant was an active member of a conspiracy that planned to inflict death and destruction on innocent people,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Wilkison. “Today’s sentence is the direct result of actions that enabled a terrorist and laid the foundation for an attack that took 14 innocent lives, wounded 22 others, and shook the entire nation. By his own admissions, this defendant collaborated with and purchased weapons for a man he definitively knew held radical and anti-American beliefs – and who wanted to kill innocent people.”
“Mr. Marquez could have intervened to support law enforcement instead of supporting terrorists,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “He might have thwarted the December 2nd attack, but he chose to stay silent before being captured. While the terrorists – whose names we may prefer to forget – paid for their crimes with their lives, the prison sentence imposed on Mr. Marquez today may deliver a measure of justice to the victims of the attack for which Mr. Marquez supplied the instruments leading to their deaths and injuries.”
The investigation into the deadly shooting at the IRC quickly uncovered evidence that, in 2011 and 2012, Marquez purchased two rifles that Farook and his wife used in the IRC attack. According to Marquez’s plea agreement, Farook paid Marquez for the rifles. Marquez also discussed with Farook the use of radio-controlled bombs during the planned attacks on RCC and State Route 91. Marquez admitted purchasing Christmas tree lightbulbs and a container of smokeless powder for use in bomb manufacturing.
Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum filed last week that Marquez “was a full, willing, and motivated participant of the conspiracy who not only provided the agreement necessary for the conspiracy to attack RCC and SR-91, but also co-designed the attacks with Farook, purchased the two firearms and ammunition to facilitate the attacks, researched bomb making and obtained explosive powder and other bomb-making materials, and visited RCC and SR-91 to sketch out how he and Farook would attack the two locations to maximize casualties.”
Marquez was arrested about two weeks after the IRC terrorist attack and has remained in custody ever since his first court appearance on December 17, 2015. In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Bernal denied Marquez’s request for a five-year sentence, which essentially would have been a time-served sentence that soon would have resulted in his release from custody. In court documents, prosecutors called this request an attempt to “downplay the seriousness of his actions, and skirt that his actions contributed to the mass killing and injuring of innocent people in San Bernardino just a few years later.”
Once he completes his prison sentence, Marquez will be placed on supervised release for a term of 15 years.
The case against Marquez was the result of an investigation by several members of the Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force, including agents and detectives from the FBI; the San Bernardino Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office; the Chino Police Department; the Redlands Police Department; the Ontario Police Department; the Corona Police Department; and the Riverside Police Department.
The case against Marquez was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher D. Grigg, Chief of the National Security Division; Melanie Sartoris of the General Crimes Section; and Julius J. Nam of the Riverside Branch Office. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section at the Department of Justice provided substantial assistance.
Also as a result of the investigation into the IRC attack, three people have pleaded guilty to being part of a sham marriage scheme in which a Russian woman “married” Marquez to obtain immigration benefits. Syed Raheel Farook, 35, the brother of IRC attacker Syed Rizwan Farook; Tatiana Farook, 36, who is Syed Raheel Farook’s wife; and Mariya Chernykh, 30, who is Tatiana Farook’s sister, pleaded guilty to immigration fraud charges and admitted being part of conspiracy in which Chernykh paid Marquez to enter into a bogus marriage. The three defendants in the marriage fraud case are scheduled to be sentenced later this year and early next year.
In another case stemming from the investigation, the mother of Syed Rizwan Farook pleaded guilty in March to a federal criminal charge of intending to impede the federal criminal investigation by shredding a map her son made in connection with the attack. Rafia Sultana Shareef, a.k.a. Rafia Farook, 67, of Corona, is currently scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Bernal on November 16.
Individual Charged with Cyberstalking Three VictimsRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Kenneth Kurson, also known as “Jayden Wagner” and “Eddie Train,” with stalking and harassing three individuals. Kurson surrendered to authorities earlier today in Brooklyn and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
As alleged in the complaint, between approximately November 2015 and December 2015, Kurson engaged in a pattern of stalking and harassment against three victims. As part of this pattern, Kurson used multiple aliases to file false complaints about two of the victims with their employer, post false negative reviews about one victim’s professional conduct on crowd-sourced review websites and made unsolicited contact with two of the victims. Kurson traveled on multiple occasions to the workplace of two of the victims, taking photographs and inquiring about one victim’s work schedule. During the investigation, the FBI gathered evidence that Kurson simultaneously engaged in a similar pattern of harassment against two other individuals. As a result of Kurson’s conduct, an employer of two of the victims hired a security guard.
“Kurson is alleged to have engaged in a disturbing pattern of retaliatory harassment that intimidated and alarmed several victims and their employer,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office is committed to protecting victims from malicious cyberstalking activity and apprehending criminals who try to rely on Internet anonymity to facilitate their crimes.”
“As alleged, Kurson bullied his victims by attacking their character online and attempted to intimidate them by showing up at their place of employment without a valid reason. The shadows of cyberspace may have provided him with some cover, but once his identity was revealed, he no longer had the benefit of a virtual retreat,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Reilly and Ryan C. Harris are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
KENNETH KURSON
Age: 52
Maplewood, NJE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-990
Greenbrier County Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Michael Darnell Ramsey, 47, of Rainelle, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Upon release from prison, Ramsey will serve a term of 25 years of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.
“As a result of the hard work and dedication of my team and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, Ramsey is being held to account for his heinous crime,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We are working diligently to protect West Virginia children from child sex offenders like Ramsey.”
Ramsey previously pled guilty and admitted that he was communicating via Snapchat with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old minor that he had previously met in person. During these conversations, Ramsey offered to pay the 14-year-old $200 to engage in two sexual acts. On April 3, 2020, Ramsey traveled to a meeting location in Greenbrier County to meet the minor to engage in the commercial sex acts, at which time he was placed under arrest.
The West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-0070.
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Fraudster Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty today to engaging in a COVID-19 related loan fraud scheme with losses of $196,000.
According to court documents, Joseph Cherry, 40, of Norfolk, who was previously convicted of federal felony charges involving fraud and money laundering, engaged in a scheme to obtain COVID-related loan benefits through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and affiliated lenders. In addition to traditional SBA funding programs, the CARES Act, which was signed into law in March 2020, established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Such programs include the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).
In March and April 2020, Cherry submitted multiple applications for PPP and EIDL loans. Cherry provided false information on the loan applications related to his claimed businesses, income, employment and his criminal record. As a result of these false applications, Cherry fraudulently obtained $196,900 in loan proceeds from the U.S. Treasury into a bank account he established at Langley Federal Credit Union. In a brief period of time in April 2020, Cherry withdrew over $100,000 in the form of cash and a cashier’s check and made various purchases inconsistent with the purposes of the PPP and EIDL programs.
Cherry pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government property. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on March 11, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-27.
Fourteen People Charged with Scheming to Defraud Banks and Individuals with Counterfeit CARES Act Stimulus ChecksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Fourteen people have been charged with scheming to defraud banks and individuals with counterfeit economic stimulus checks purportedly issued by the Treasury Department pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud are:
Defendant
Age
Residence
Justin Ezeiruaku
23
Berlin, New Jersey
Torri Pedro
24
Sicklerville, New Jersey
*Akume Ehoggi
25
Glassboro, New Jersey
Kassan Knight
23
Newark
Nakirah Matthews
21
Paulsboro, New Jersey
*Qwan Taylor
22
Pennsauken, New Jersey
*Kwaeson Watts
24
Lindenwold, New Jersey
*Nasir Johnson
23
Newark
*Daeson Monroe
25
Philadelphia
Daron Curry
24
Westville, New Jersey
Talib Crump
26
Philadelphia
*Noah Brent-Magri
21
Somerset, New Jersey
Isaiah White
23
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Ali Shoultz
23
Clementon, New Jersey
*denotes at-large
Knight, Pedro, Shoultz, Matthews and Curry made their initial appearances Oct. 22, 2020, by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio. Ezeiruako will make his appearance on Oct. 26, 2020. Crump is in custody in Philadelphia. White was arrested in Virginia and will have an initial appearance at a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case:
U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) postal inspectors and special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), uncovered a nationwide scheme involving counterfeit economic stimulus checks deposited into bank accounts with the intent to defraud the banks. A network of individuals posted advertisements on Instagram and Snapchat offering people the ability to make “quick cash” if they banked at certain institutions. Some members of the conspiracy acquired individuals’ banking information using a ruse, while others printed the counterfeit stimulus checks that they deposited into the accounts. Members of the conspiracy used ATM machines, and peer-to-peer bank transfers, as well as debit cards, to make large purchases and large cash withdrawals. Individuals financed purchases of luxury cars and paid for their apartments with the stolen funds. In many cases, the individuals whose accounts were compromised suffered financial losses and credit problems, while others were complicit in the fraud.
The count of bank fraud conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors with the USPIS Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, and Eastern Area, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Kenneth Cleevely; special agents of HSI, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; special agents of HSI, Norfolk, Virginia, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva, in Washington, D.C.; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark; the U.S. Marshals Service, District of New Jersey, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos; the office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Josh Shapiro; the Glassboro Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Polillo; the Winslow Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief George M. Smith; the Gloucester Township Police Department, Special Investigations Unit, under the direction of Chief David J. Harkins; the Pennsauken Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jon Nettleton; the Paulsboro Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gary Kille; the Lindenwold Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael McCarthy; the West Whiteland Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lee Benson; the Pennsylvania State Police, under the direction of Capt. James Kemm; the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Gaming Enforcement, under the direction of Lt. Kevin Conrad; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Shver of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Office Manager for the Rapid City Rush Hockey Team Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of two counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Tax Evasion was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
Jennifer Durham, age 42, was sentenced on October 19, 2020, to 37 months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution to The Rapid City Rush, $186,277.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and.
Between February 2010 and June 2019, Durham, while employed as the office manager for Rapid City Professional Hockey, LLC (RCPH), stole $700,000.00 from RCPH. As part of her duties, Durham was responsible for the business accounting records and recording and depositing cash receipts on behalf of RCPH. As part of her scheme to defraud, Durham caused fraudulent payments to herself in excess of her salary agreement, made unauthorized wire transfers from RCPH’s bank account to pay her personal credit card, made unauthorized wire transfers from RCPH’s bank account to her personal account, and fraudulently diverted cash proceeds for her own personal use. In order to cover up her theft, Durham made false entries into the RCPH accounting records to give the illusion the money she was stealing was spent on legitimate business expenses.
During the same time period, Durham also willfully attempted to evade or defeat taxes imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. Durham accomplished this by underreporting her income from tax years 2010 through 2018 by a total of $688,867.67, resulting in a tax loss of $186,277.00.
“Mrs. Durham used her position as Rush’s finance manager to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars for her own personal benefit. She did so for a period of nine years,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Mrs. Durham’s sentencing is a direct result of how serious the courts take federal crimes.”
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Durham was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on January 19, 2021, to begin serving her custody sentence.
Former Gulfport Resident Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Timothy Frank Ross, 54, formerly of Gulfport, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to conspiracy to commit theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave with the U. S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
From September, 2016, through March, 2017, Ross and co-conspirators stole mail from victims’ residences and their mail boxes in the Gulfport and Bay St. Louis areas. Ross and his co-conspirators cashed checks from the stolen mail and made deposits with stolen checks into a bank account controlled by a co-conspirator.
Ross was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 24, 2019. He will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 22, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Former DARPA Program Manager Agrees to Settle Allegations of Improper Conversion of Government TechnologyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Program Manager and Founder and CEO of XeroWind, LLC of Falls Church, has agreed to pay $50,000 and surrender three patents to the United States government to settle allegations relating to his improper patenting of U.S. Government property and technology.
In July, the United States filed a lawsuit against Dr. Deepak Varshneya, of Falls Church, and XeroWind alleging conversion of government technology. The government’s complaint contended that while a DARPA Program Manager, Dr. Varshneya worked on a DARPA research program known as “ONE SHOT,” which developed a crosswind and range measuring rifle scope. Dr. Varshneya requested permission to patent the technology, but DARPA made the determination, pursuant to 37 C.F.R. Part 501, that the ONE SHOT technology was the sole property of the United States government. Dr. Varshneya did not appeal the determination and admitted that he worked on the ONE SHOT technology in the course of his government employment. Despite that determination and admission, Dr. Varshneya nonetheless filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering that same technology, failing to make any mention of the government interest. Shortly after leaving DARPA, Dr. Varshneya filed two follow-on patent applications covering the same technology, and founded XeroWind, LLC to market the ONE SHOT technology.
The $50,000 monetary payment settles allegations that included breach of fiduciary duty of a government employee. In addition, the settlement requires Dr. Varshneya to surrender the three patents to the U.S. Government. The settlement includes a limited non-exclusive license agreement with Dr. Varshneya and XeroWind, allowing them to market the technology in certain markets but requiring payment of royalties to the United States government.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Department of Justice Intellectual Property Section.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Michel Souaya.
The civil claims settled by this settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Civil Case No. 1:20-cv-741.