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30 November 2020
Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman described in court as a “major pipeline” for trafficking methamphetamine into Rhode Island was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Alexa Samoiloff, 51, who was serving a Rhode Island state probation sentence for drug trafficking at the time of her arrest by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force on methamphetamine trafficking charges in October 2019, previously admitted to the court that she facilitated drug deals from, among other places, her apartment and from motel rooms. She often provided instructions using an encrypted app to others working at her direction. Payments for meth in furtherance of the conspiracy were often sent to her via Walmart/MoneyGram wire transfers.
During their investigation, the Safe Streets Task Force conducted nine undercover purchases from members of the conspiracy of between 7 and 46 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” that proved to be at least 90% pure.
On October 18, 2019, members of the Safe Streets Task Force conducted a search of Samoiloff’s residence and seized approximately 31 grams of crystal meth, 5 digital scales, an ammunition container with 109 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 10 knives, 3 swords, a crossbow, multiple cell phones, hypodermic needles, and various items used in the packaging and distribution of methamphetamine.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on September 9, 2020, Samoiloff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; and three counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Samoiloff to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Two other individuals involved in this conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine are awaiting sentencing. Steven Robinson, 48, of Providence, pleaded guilty on March 11, 2020, and Jacob Abbruzzese, 46, of Cranston, pleaded guilty on July 23, 2020, to conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, the Rhode Island National Guard, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Chattanooga, Tennessee returned a two-count indictment on November 24, 2020 against James J. Martin, Lee Antonio Clements Jr., and Ricky Harper, all of Chattanooga, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
The indictment alleges that from May to October 2020, in the Eastern District of Tennessee, the defendants, James J. Martin, aka “Fat Deuce”; Lee Antonio Clements Jr., aka “Tone G,” aka “Tone G Da Boss,” aka “Tone”; Ricky Harper; and others known and unknown to the grand jury, conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A). Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is highly addictive.
Martin is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
If convicted of the drug conspiracy charge, Martin, Clements, and Harper each face a term of 10 years to life in prison, supervised release for five years, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Additionally, Martin faces a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for three years, and a fine of up to $250,000 if he is convicted of the firearms charge.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Chattanooga Resident Office, United States Postal Inspection Service, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. Numerous agencies from the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force assisted in the investigation.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown will represent the United States. Brown is employed by the City of Chattanooga and assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute gang-related crime in federal court.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his/her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Los Angeles Woman Sentenced to 29 Months for Cocaine and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Los Angeles woman, Nancy Santos, 30, was sentenced in federal court last week, to 29 months in prison, before U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money.
According to her plea agreement, Santos admitted that she conspired with others to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Lexington. Santos admitted that her role in the conspiracy was to transport loads of Cocaine, from locations in Colorado, to Lexington. Santos was not involved in the later, street-level distribution; but her other conspirators, Alberto Santos and another conspirator, were responsible for that distribution. The drug proceeds were collected by Adalberto Santos and another conspirator, who would load it into hidden compartments of vehicles. Santos would then transport the vehicles to Colorado.
Santos pleaded guilty in June 2020. Her co-conspirator was sentenced earlier this year. Adalberto Santos was sentenced in October 2020, receiving 162 months.
Under federal law, Santos and her co-conspirators must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon her release, Santos will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J.T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and IRS. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
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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Local man who attempted to orchestrate $51 million fraud scheme sent to prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Houstonian is now behind bars for his conviction of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
John Wesley Sarpy pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore ordered him to serve a 135-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. At the hearing, the court noted that not only did he attempt to commit fraud while out on bond, he also obstructed justice when he cut off his GPS ankle monitor prior to sentencing. In handing down the sentence, Judge Gilmore noted his criminal history of committing fraud and the sophisticated nature of this offense.
“Sarpy, a recidivist fraudster, repeatedly tried to obtain multi-million dollar loans using falsified documents,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI. “While the fruit of his perseverance didn't result in obtaining any money, our case agents feared that at some point he would successfully get funded with a multi-million dollar payday, all based on fraud. Our agents were determined to make sure that didn't happen, and they stopped Sarpy in his tracks.”
Sarpy knowingly submitted fraudulent documents in an attempt to obtain multimillion-dollar loans from various lending institutions. During the scheme, Sarpy incorporated several different companies to perpetuate his fraud including Sarpy Investment Corporation and Legacy International Production & Exploration Corporation. Some of the false documents he submitted included financial audit opinions for Sarpy Investment Corporation which purported to be from the auditing firms KPMG, BDO and PricewaterhouseCoopers. However, the investigation revealed Sarpy was not a client of any of these companies and all the financials he submitted in support of all the loans were forged and fictitious.
On four separate occasions in 2018, Sarpy submitted such false audit reports with forged signatures and false financials to four different institutions in failed attempts to secure approximately $51 million in loans.
Sarpy was previously released on bond but violated his conditions of release when he cut off his GPS monitor and fled. Law enforcement later found him in the Northern District of Texas and took him into custody where he remains pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case.
Lehigh Valley Attorney Sentenced for Orchestrating $2.7 Million Ponzi Scheme That Targeted His Own Clients to Invest in Fake Business OpportunitiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Todd H. Lahr, 60, of Nazareth, PA, was sentenced to six and one half years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,106,918 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Edward G. Smith for orchestrating a $2.7 million Ponzi scheme and securities fraud that targeted his own law clients, and involved the fraudulent sale of the securities of two entities, THL Holdings, LLC and Ferran Global Holdings, Inc.
Lahr, an attorney licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, and with offices in Allentown, pleaded guilty in April 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and four counts of wire fraud. In furtherance of his fraudulent schemes, the defendant solicited investments from his clients, telling them that their money would be used for a variety of business opportunities which were, in fact, nonexistent (like mining operations in Papua New Guinea, the acquisition of the shares of a penny stock, and property leases in Spain and England). In reality, the money was used for Lahr’s personal expenses and to make Ponzi-scheme payments to prior investors. Among these personal expenses were his home mortgage, his child’s school tuition, utility bills, and other personal debt. Total investor losses are estimated to be over $2.7 million.
Even after he was caught, Lahr continued his deception by lying in sworn testimony before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this testimony, Lahr denied writing checks to his personal accounts when, in fact, he had written at least 25 separate checks to himself over a three-year period.
Last month, the SEC filed a parallel civil enforcement action to the criminal charges listed above, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, based on the same course of conduct. In this SEC civil case, the court has entered judgment against Lahr, ordering injunctive relief and disgorgement and prejudgment interest.
“Lahr took advantage of the very people he had an obligation to represent in good faith: his own clients,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Stealing millions of dollars from people paying him for a professional services, legal counsel and expert judgment is reprehensible. My Office will continue to aggressively pursue securities and other financial frauds, particularly when perpetrated by lawyers and other professionals who are obligated to respect the law and protect their clients.”
“Todd Lahr’s clients trusted him,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Lahr knew that and used it to his devious advantage, selling them on bogus investment opportunities and pocketing those funds. After years of living off of other people’s money, he’s finally being held accountable. The FBI will continue to shut down crooks like this, to help find justice for their victims and prevent anyone else from being harmed.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Rinaldi and Trial Attorney Philip B. Trout of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the substantial assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in this matter.
Lead Defendant Pleads Guilty in Long Island Federal Court to Transnational Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Ajay Sharma, a citizen of India and the director and owner of APS Technology, a telemarketing call center located in New Delhi, pleaded guilty via videoconference to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme directed at thousands of individuals in the United States. Today’s proceeding took place before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson. When sentenced, Sharma faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as forfeiture of $1,005,421 and a fine of up to $2,500,000. Sharma has been detained since his arrest in October 2018.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“Ajay Sharma and his crew perpetrated a sprawling, transnational fraud scheme that preyed on unsuspecting victims’ fears that they were running afoul of the law,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This case makes clear that U.S. law enforcement will not stop at our borders to locate and vigorously prosecute criminals, whether foreign or domestic, who cause financial harm to others in the United States.”
Mr. DuCharme thanked the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, New York City Police Department and Garden City Police Department for their invaluable assistance with the case.
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings and proceedings, Sharma was a leader and organizer of the fraud scheme. Between January 2018 and September 2018, operating from call centers in India, the defendants targeted victims in the United States and falsely claimed to be employees of the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration or the Drug Enforcement Administration. The victims were informed that they owed a sum of money to the United States government or one of its agencies and that they would be arrested if the debts were not promptly paid. After the victims wired payments to bank accounts that the defendants had opened in the names of inactive and shell corporations to receive the fraud proceeds, the funds were withdrawn and laundered through additional bank accounts. The scheme is estimated to have netted over $2 million from victims across the United States.
Four of Sharma’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty, and two are scheduled for trial in February 2021 before United States District Judge Sandra J. Feuerstein.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Diane Leonardo are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
AJAY SHARMA
Age: 44
Mumbai, IndiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-024
Defendants Who Have Previously Pleaded Guilty:
ANKUR SHARMA
Age: 25
Bellerose, New YorkHARPREET SINGH
Age: 33
Queens Village, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-024
JAMAL ZAFAR
Age: 48
Huntington, New YorkARMUGHANUL ASAR
Age: 68
College Point, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-385 (SJF)
Kinston Man Arrested on Federal Charges for Carjacking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Kinston man was arrested today on charges of carjacking and firearm offenses in relation to a shooting that occurred on November 19, 2020 in Kinston, NC.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence disturbance call at a residence. When officers arrived, Robert Lee Strother, 30, turned around, opened fire, striking one officer in the neck. The round shot at the officer proceeded through another occupied residence. The following day, Strother shot an individual then carjacked their vehicle at gunpoint. The vehicle was later recovered but Strother remained at large. On November 21, law enforcement received a tip concerning Strother’s location. They responded to that location and urged Strother to surrender. Strother exchanged gunfire with law enforcement where he was shot several times. Strother was found to have an AR rifle along with several rounds of ammunition.
Strother is charged with carjacking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Lenoir County, Craven County, and the US Marshals are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.4:20-MJ-1237-KS.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Joseph Bryan Robertson Sentenced to 27 Years for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On November 24, 2020, Joseph Bryan Robertson, aka “Chief,” 52, of Elizabethton, Tennessee was sentenced to 324 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Robertson pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Robertson was sentenced to serve 324 months (27 years) in prison, followed by five years’ supervised release.
A joint investigation of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), uncovered a large group of individuals, led by Robertson, who were obtaining large quantities of crystal methamphetamine from sources in Atlanta and Knoxville and distributing it in northeast Tennessee. Robertson ruled the group through fear and violence. Robertson directed multiple kidnappings and violent assaults of individuals that owed drug debts to the organization. Multiple individuals were held captive at gunpoint, tied up, kicked, and beaten with fists and clubs, resulting in serious injuries.
Robertson was previously sentenced, in 2006, to serve a 78-month sentence in federal prison, also for the distribution of methamphetamine.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force was a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.
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Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Used in ShootingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm that was used to shoot another man in the leg, using the victim’s own illegally-possessed firearm.
William D. Fullbright, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Fullbright admitted that he possessed a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol, which belonged to Colby Srite, 30, of Independence, and was used to shoot Srite in the leg. When Independence police officers responded to a residence in the 3600 block of N. Pleasant Street on Sept. 3, 2019, there was a brief standoff with the officers, which ended when Srite came running up the stairs from the basement having been shot in the leg and yelling, “He’s got a gun!” Fullbright attempted to escape through a downstairs door and fled on foot with an officer in pursuit. During the pursuit, Fullbright jumped over a fence and discarded the firearm along the fence line. As the officer searched for Fullbright, he heard a cell phone ringing near the fence line and found Fullbright attempting to hide. Fullbright was taken into custody and later showed officers where the pistol had been discarded.
Srite pleaded guilty in a separate case on Sept. 17, 2020, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fullbright has prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and burglary. Srite has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
Under federal statutes, Fullbright and Srite each are subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
These cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb J. Aponte, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. They were investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced that Derrick Pritchett, 37, of Huntington, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana.
“Pritchett had approximately 17 grams of heroin and 56 grams of marijuana in his car,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Another Huntington drug dealer is snared in Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge.”
Pritchett admitted that on December 5, 2019, Troopers with the West Virginia State Police searched his vehicle located on Artisan Avenue in Huntington. Troopers located approximately 17 grams of heroin and 56 grams of marijuana.
Pritchett faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 1, 2021.
The West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00034.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced that Kelly Ray Ingels, Sr., 46, of Huntington, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and transfer of a firearm to a juvenile.
“Ingels is a meth dealer and addict who sold a gun to a juvenile,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their excellent work in this case. Ingels now faces a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes.”
On May 20, 2020, Ingels sold a firearm to a juvenile for cash and marijuana over Facebook Messenger. Due to a subsequent investigation involving the firearm, officers obtained a search warrant for Ingels’ residence at 920½ 23rd Street in Huntington. In the residence, officers located approximately 11 grams of methamphetamine as well as digital scales. In a Mirandized interview, Ingels admitted to possessing the methamphetamine to sell it, that he was addicted to methamphetamine at the time he possessed the gun, and that he sold the gun to the juvenile.
Ingels faces up to 31 years in prison when sentenced on March 1, 2021.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00140.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Houston man gets huge sentence for sex trafficking minorsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25 year-old resident of Houston has been ordered to federal prison after he threatened two young girls and required them to engage in commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
A Houston federal jury deliberated for one hour before returning a guilty verdict against Romello Lee following less than three days of trial on March 6. He was convicted on one count of trafficking a minor for commercial sex and one count of trafficking a minor by force for commercial sex.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Lee to serve a total of 480 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to pay restitution to known victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised released following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Too many of our children are falling victims to sex trafficking and predators like Romello Lee,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI. “We hope today's sentence sends a strong message to those who continue to exploit our youth, but we also hope it sheds promise to sex trafficking victims waiting to be rescued.”
During the trial, the jury heard Lee used Backpage.com, a defunct solicitation website, to advertise the sexual services of two minor victims, ages 14 and 16.
From July 2017 to March 2018, Lee harbored, advertised and profited from commercial sex acts of the 16-year-old minor victim. He required her to earn a quota of up to $500 per night and would threaten and beat her if she disobeyed him.
A second victim was held against her will and required to engage in sexual acts by threats of violence and coercion.
Jurors heard from the second victim as well as another adult victim he managed. They testified as to the consequences if they were to escape and how they were expected to be branded with a tattoo of his name or rap label.
The jury also saw numerous Backpage ads Lee posted as well as Instagram posts and text messages between him and the minor victim, detailing his control of her dates, her nightly quota and her beatings.
Law enforcement ultimately arrested Lee in a sting operation with one of the minors at a hotel in northwest Houston.
Lee has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.
Hacker Collective Member Who Made Online Threats Against Schools and Airline Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A North Carolina man who engaged in a series of cyber and swatting attacks, including sending bogus threats of shootings and bombings to schools in the United States and United Kingdom, was sentenced today to 95 months in federal prison.
Timothy Dalton Vaughn, 22, whose online aliases included “WantedbyFeds” and “Hacker_R_US,” of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II.
Vaughn pleaded guilty in November 2019 to one count of conspiracy to convey threats to injure, convey false information concerning use of explosive device, and intentionally damage a computer; one count of computer hacking; and one count of possession of child pornography.
Judge Wright sentenced Vaughn to prison terms of 95 months for the child pornography possession charge and 60 months for each of the other charges. The terms are to be served concurrently.
Vaughn was a member of the “Apophis Squad,” a worldwide collective of computer hackers and swatters. The collective caused disruptions by making threatening phone calls, sending bogus reports of violent school attacks via email, and launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on websites.
Vaughn and others sent emails to at least 86 school districts threatening armed students and explosives. The threatened attacks included the imminent detonation of a bomb made with ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, rocket-propelled grenade heads placed under school buses, and the placement of land mines on sports fields.
In another instance, Vaughn and others called in a false hijacking report related to a flight traveling from London to San Francisco, claiming that four men with weapons and explosives had hijacked the plane.
In early 2018, Vaughn demanded 1.5 bitcoin (then worth approximately $20,000) from a Long Beach company, to prevent denial-of-service attacks on its website. When the company refused to pay, he launched a DDoS attack that disabled the company’s website.
Vaughn also possessed nearly 200 sexually explicit images and videos depicting children, including at least one toddler.
This matter was investigated by the FBI with assistance provided by the United States Secret Service as part of the Electronic Crimes Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julia S. Choe of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Gorham Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Gorham man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Portland to receiving and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, in May 2018, investigators with the Gorham Police Department executed a search warrant at the home of Carl Loomis, 64. Loomis admitted to investigators that he had child pornography images on his phone and that he had sent images to others using chat sites. A later review of Loomis’s iPhone revealed that in February 2018, he had received child pornography images on the chat application Kik. His iPhone and a thumb drive found in his home contained large numbers of images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Loomis faces no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison on the receipt charge, and up to 20 years in prison on the possession charge. He faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge. He also faces a term of supervised release following his release from prison of no less than 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Gorham Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
General Manager of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Charged with Honest Services Wire Fraud for Taking Bribes in Public Bidding ProcessRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Harlan Kelly, the General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SF PUC), has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with honest services wire fraud, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair.
The complaint alleges that Kelly, 58, of San Francisco, engaged in a long-running bribery scheme and corrupt partnership with Walter Wong, a San Francisco construction company executive and permit expediting consultant who ran or controlled multiple entities doing business with the City of San Francisco. The complaint alleges that as part of the scheme, Wong provided items of value to Kelly in exchange for official acts by Kelly that benefited or attempted to benefit Wong’s business ventures.
“Public officials owe their honest services to the people of San Francisco,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Bribery scams undermine our faith in City government. Our investigation into City Hall corruption will continue.”
“The allegations against Harlan Kelly and the nine other individuals charged in this case are extremely troubling. The citizens of San Francisco deserve nothing less than transparency, honesty, and integrity from their city officials. However, through the course of this ongoing investigation, the FBI has uncovered a pattern of criminal activity committed by those in positions of trust,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. “The FBI is surging our resources in this investigation, and we urge anyone with information on this matter, or any other suspected public corruption, to come forward and contact the FBI.”
The complaint alleges that Kelly, appointed in 2012 to be the SF PUC’s General Manager by Mayor Ed Lee, developed an extensive relationship with Wong that involved coded text messages, multiple international trips paid for or subsidized by Wong, cash exchanges, free meals, and even personal car service provided by Wong or by Wong’s employees to Kelly. One example in the complaint alleges that Wong paid travel and expenses for Kelly and his family during a March 2016 vacation that the Kelly family took to Hong Kong and China. The complaint alleges Wong paid for hotel expenses and incidentals such as meal and jewelry purchases. The complaint also alleges that Kelly’s airfare was purchased with a credit card to create a record of the expense, but the airfare was later reimbursed by Wong with cash deposited into Kelly’s bank account. The complaint further alleges that Kelly acknowledged the gifts he received from Wong in China using an encrypted messaging application, writing to Wong: “Thank you for the best family vacation ever! A little something for everyone!”
The complaint further alleges that during this same time Wong was seeking a multi-million dollar contract from the SF PUC for Green Source Trading, LLC, a company Wong ran through his son, to convert thousands of San Francisco city streetlights to smart LED technology. Shortly after the bidding for that contract ended, the complaint alleges Wong performed extensive repair work on Kelly’s personal residence, provided to Kelly at a substantial discount.
As part of Wong’s agreement with the government, he pleaded guilty to conspiracies to commit honest services fraud and money laundering and is now providing information to the government. According to the complaint, Wong provided evidence that he gave these benefits to Kelly because of Kelly’s position at the PUC, and Wong expected that Kelly would in return use his official position to benefit Wong’s business ventures, including helping Wong’s attempts to win business from the PUC to convert streetlights to LED. The complaint alleges Kelly and Wong repeatedly communicated about the project before it was bid, and during the bid process Kelly provided Wong with confidential non-public information, including documents containing inside information that were hand-delivered to Wong. Kelly engineered at least one delay in the process, the complaint alleges, to benefit Wong. These acts gave Wong an unfair competitive advantage in the bid process, though in the end Wong withdrew his bid due to multiple contract changes.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Kelly is charged with one count of honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1346. If convicted of this count, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or not more than the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Kelly is out of custody and is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on December 8, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate Fraud Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Former Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Transporting Minors for Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK – A former Little Rock youth pastor pleaded guilty today to transporting minors across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity. Robert Shiflet, 50, now of Denton, Texas, entered his guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the FBI, announced today’s guilty plea
Shiflet pleaded guilty to two separate instances of criminal conduct. One of these accounts began in 1996, when Shiflet met a 14-year-old girl in the youth group he pastored in Denton, Texas. Shiflet frequently made inappropriate comments to the minor and often told her he loved her. In May of 1997, when the minor was 15 years old, Shiflet led an eighth grade camping trip to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. Shiflet was able to isolate the minor away from the group and then sexually assaulted her. He told her not to tell anyone.
Another minor reported that in 2002, when Shiflet was her youth pastor at a Little Rock church, Shiflet engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with her when she was 16 years old. Shiflet had sex with the minor multiple times during 2002-2003, when Shiflet was 32. In the summer of 2002, the youth group attended an event in Panama City, Florida. On that trip, Shiflet asked the minor to ride on the charter bus with him instead of riding on another bus with her friends. On the bus ride, he sexually assaulted the minor.
“This defendant took advantage of his position of trust as a mentor to young people and instead used his power to isolate and sexually abuse them,” stated U.S. Attorney Hiland. “This predatory behavior is never acceptable, but it is particularly disturbing when the offender is a youth pastor. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who commit these deplorable crimes.”
Shiflet was indicted in June 2020 with three counts of transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity. In exchange for his guilty plea, the remaining charges were dismissed.
Judge Rudofsky will sentence Shiflet at a later date. Transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity is punishable by not more than 15 years imprisonment and not more than three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Prosecutor and Police Chief Sentenced for Framing Their Relative with a Crime to Conceal Their Own FraudRead the Press Release
Special Attorneys Michael Wheat (619) 546-8437, Joseph Orabona (619) 546-7951, Janaki Chopra (619) 546-8817, and Colin McDonald (619) 546-9144
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 30, 2020
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Former prosecutor Katherine Kealoha and former police chief Louis Kealoha were sentenced during separate hearings in federal court today to 13 years and seven years in prison, respectively, following a number of convictions, including conspiring to frame a relative with a crime to conceal their own fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright of the District of Hawaii also ordered the Kealohas to pay $454,984.78 and $237,698.56, respectively, in restitution to their victims, and ordered forfeiture of property representing proceeds of fraud, including the Kealohas’ former home in Honolulu, a Rolex watch, and $228,746.79. Katherine Kealoha is already in custody; Louis Kealoha was ordered to report to prison on April 12, 2021.
Judge Seabright rebuked the Kealohas for their “grotesque deprivation of civil rights,” which “staggered the community in many ways” and had “truly shaken confidence in our governing institutions.” He further remarked that “the Kealohas used their power to nurture, feed, and conceal their corrupt activity.”
The sentences imposed today mark the end of a series of criminal cases against the Kealohas. In June 2019, after six weeks of trial and one day of deliberation, a federal jury in Honolulu convicted the Honolulu power couple and Honolulu police officers Derek Hahn and Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen of conspiracy and attempted obstruction of justice pertaining to the false arrest and prosecution of Katherine’s uncle, Gerard Puana. The evidence at trial established that the Kealohas used their considerable power, including commandeering the Honolulu Police Department’s elite Criminal Intelligence Unit, to frame Gerard with stealing their mailbox. To accomplish this, the conspirators prepped the mailbox to be “stolen,” selectively edited grainy surveillance video to conceal their preparatory acts, falsely identified Gerard as the culprit captured by the video, falsified police reports, withheld and destroyed evidence, and repeatedly lied about their activity to investigators, the federal grand jury, and the District Court for the District of Hawaii.
The Kealohas’ motive for framing Gerard was to discredit and intimidate him after he accused Katherine Kealoha of fraud. Trial evidence established that Katherine stole over $200,000 from him and Katherine’s elderly grandmother, Florence Puana. Acting as her grandmother’s “attorney,” Katherine convinced Florence—who was 89 years old at the time—to place a reverse mortgage on Florence’s family home. Katherine promised Florence that she would pay off the reverse mortgage after using some of the proceeds to consolidate the Kealohas’ debt. Instead, unbeknownst to Florence, Katherine funneled the reverse mortgage proceeds into a bank account that Katherine controlled. And within seven months, the Kealohas drained the account dry—spending over $148,000 on various personal expenses, including mortgage payments, Elton John concert tickets, Mercedes and Maserati car payments, a trip to Disneyland, and a $23,976 brunch tab at the Sheraton Waikiki to celebrate Louis Kealoha’s induction as Honolulu Police Chief in 2009. In the meantime, Katherine made no payments on the reverse mortgage, allowed the balance to balloon out of control, and diverted mortgage statements away from Florence’s mailbox to keep Florence from finding out. Once Florence did find out—almost a year and a half later—she was forced to sell her family home.
After they learned of the missing money and ballooning mortgage, Florence and Gerard confronted Katherine Kealoha about her actions. Katherine responded indignantly, threatening in a letter to seek “the highest form of legal retribution against ANYONE and EVERYONE who has written or verbally uttered those LIES about me!” True to her word, after Florence and Gerard filed a civil lawsuit against her, Katherine attempted to have Florence declared legally incompetent, and Katherine and her co-conspirators had Gerard arrested for a crime he did not commit. At Gerard’s theft trial, Louis Kealoha testified falsely that Gerard was the person displayed taking the mailbox in the grainy surveillance video. “That’s what makes this case so shocking: this could not have succeeded but for you and your position,” Judge Seabright told Louis Kealoha.
“Today, after years of manipulating the levers of justice to shroud their own crimes, justice was delivered to two corrupt public officials,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “This was a flagrant and stunning abuse of power that victimized an entire community by undermining public confidence in its leaders and the rule of law. If not for the initial dogged investigation by former First Assistant Federal Defender Alexander Silvert, who brought this matter to the attention of federal authorities, followed by incredible work by FBI agents and prosecutors Michael Wheat, Joseph Orabona, Janaki Chopra and Colin McDonald, the Kealohas would still be manipulating justice, not meeting it.”
“Our citizens entrust public servants with great powers and authorities. It is our responsibility to serve our community with integrity and authenticity – with truth and justice as our hallmark,” said Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda. “The Kealohas betrayed this trust for their own selfish entitlements, using deception and breaking the same laws they swore to uphold. The FBI will enthusiastically continue to investigate any corrupt public official who willfully and maliciously abuse their office.”
Today’s sentences also accounted for separate crimes committed by the Kealohas. In October 2019, Katherine pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony after using her position of authority within the city prosecutor’s office to actively conceal the drug distribution activities of her brother, Rudolph B. Puana, an anesthesiologist in Hawaii. In her plea agreement, Katherine admitted she arranged to have herself assigned as the prosecutor overseeing the investigation of her brother’s co-conspirators and that she cultivated a close relationship with one co-conspirator—a defendant Katherine was then prosecuting—to reduce the likelihood that the individual would reveal Rudolph Puana’s role in the drug conspiracy. “I always got ur back, I love you and will protect you always!!!” read one private text message Katherine sent to the defendant she was prosecuting. “GO TEAM!!! Can’t wait for this s*** to be over,” read another, to which the defendant replied, “Ditto[.] Then we’re free[.]”
Finally, in October 2019, the Kealohas pleaded guilty to bank fraud. As part of their pleas, the Kealohas admitted that between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014, they spent more than $591,000 derived from stolen funds or loan proceeds obtained through fraud. Their bank fraud scheme included falsely claiming assets that belonged to others (including money belonging to children over whom Katherine had been appointed guardian), falsely inflating their monthly income, and falsely denying derogatory information on their credit. To legitimize their denial of poor credit, the Kealohas submitted a forged police report in loan applications that purported to document Katherine’s false claims of identity theft. The act of forging the police officer’s signature on the report was itself identity theft, for which Katherine pleaded guilty. Katherine further admitted using an alias “Alison Lee Wong” to facilitate the bank fraud. This alias also played a role in Gerard Puana’s claims of fraud. As evidence at trial established, in 2009, Katherine used the “Wong” alias to notarize and create a fraudulent trust in Gerard’s name. And in 2008, under the customer name “Kathryn Aloha,” Katherine ordered a notary seal for “Alison Lee Wong” from the American Association of Notaries and had it mailed to the State of Hawaii’s Office of Environmental Quality Control, where Katherine served as Director. As Judge Seabright stated today, Katherine “perverted justice over and over and over and over again.”
The Kealohas’ co-conspirators, Derek Wayne Hahn and Bobby Nguyen, are scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2020 for their involvement in framing Gerard Puana. Katherine Kealoha’s brother, Rudolph B. Puana, is currently facing drug distribution and firearm charges, and is scheduled for trial in April 2021.
DEFENDANTS
Katherine P. Kealoha Age: 50 Honolulu, Hawaii
Louis M. Kealoha Age: 60 Honolulu, Hawaii
SUMMARY OF CONVICTIONS
Katherine Kealoha
CR No. 17-00582-JMS-WRP
Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Obstruction of Official Proceeding – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1512(c) (three counts)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine
CR No. 18-00068-JMS-WRP
Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344
Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine
Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A
Maximum Penalty: Mandatory term of imprisonment of two years, to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed for any underlying charge; fine of up to $250,000
CR No. 19-00015 JMS-WRP
Misprision of Felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4
Maximum Penalty: Three years in prison; fine of up to $250,000;
Louis Kealoha
CR No. 17-00582-JMS-WRP
Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Obstruction of Official Proceeding – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1512(c) (three counts)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine
CR No. 18-00068-JMS-WRP
Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344
Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Honolulu, Portland, and San Diego Divisions
Florida man sentenced to more than 7 years for role in methamphetamine distribution operations in Harrison, Marion, and Monongalia CountiesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juwan Floyd, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced today to 87 months of incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Floyd, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in June 2019. Floyd admitted to working with another to distribute methamphetamine in November 2017 in Harrison County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Florida Man Sentenced to 21 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Matthew Handley, 38, formerly of Elberta, Alabama, was sentenced Friday in federal court on a charge of failure to register as a convicted sex offender. Handley pled guilty to the charge in August of 2020.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Handley was previously convicted in Cullman County Circuit Court of Indecent Exposure. He was sentenced to 24 months of probation and required by the State of Alabama to register as a sex offender quarterly for life. From 2014 until 2019, Handley was a resident of Baldwin County. In November 2019 Handley failed to update his quarterly registration with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, which prompted an investigation. BCSO issued warrants for Handley’s arrest in December 2019. On February 20, 2020, Handley was arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials searched their system and reported that Handley never registered as a sex offender in Florida. Handley had previously been convicted of Failure to Register in 2015.
United States District Court Chief Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a sentence of 21 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Handley to serve a five-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Handley will be required to engage in drug treatment, mental health treatment, and to have no contact with minors. Judge DuBose ordered that Felder pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal’s Service. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Five Arrested for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Garrick Bailey, age 29, Chavon Sutton, age 30, Timothy Kingsland, age 56, and Tracey Kingsland, age 48, all of Schenectady, New York, and Christina Altieri, age 46, of Clifton Park, New York, were arrested last week and charged by criminal complaint with drug crimes. Sutton is charged with distributing cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) and heroin. The other four defendants are charged with distributing cocaine base. The alleged conduct occurred between September 15 and November 17, 2020.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants initially appeared in court on November 24, 2020 before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart. Following detention hearings, Bailey and Sutton were ordered detained pending trial, and Timothy Kingsland, Tracey Kingsland and Christina Altieri were ordered released on conditions.
If convicted, Bailey faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 8 years and up to life. The remaining defendants each face sentences of at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The arrests and investigation are the culmination of a multi-agency investigation conducted by the ATF, the New York State Police, the Schenectady Police Department, the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, the Rotterdam Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Sharpe.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced that Kevin Holmes, Jr., 31, of Huntington, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On December 22, 2019, an officer with the Huntington Police Department pulled a vehicle over around the intersection of 20th Street and 6th Avenue in Huntington. Holmes was the only person in the vehicle. After determining there were warrants for his arrest, the officer asked Holmes to get out of the vehicle. After a brief foot pursuit, the officer arrested Holmes. While conducting an inventory search of the vehicle, officers found a loaded .357 Magnum revolver. Holmes was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because of a 2015 conviction in Kentucky for trafficking a controlled substance, fleeing police, and wanton endangerment.
Holmes faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 8, 2021.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00017.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Exeter Woman Admits to Lying on Firearm Purchase FormRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Exeter woman today admitted to a federal court judge that she lied on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) form and a State of Rhode Island state application while attempting to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer.
Nicole Marie Brassell, 41, admitted that in January 2018, she intentionally misrepresented that she lived at a West Warwick address when, in fact, she lived at a residence in Exeter. An ATF investigation determined that Brassell had been evicted from her West Warwick residence in August 2017. Provision of truthful and accurate information on gun acquisition papers, much of which is used in the background check process, is required.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Brassell pleaded guilty to false statement during purchase of firearms, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
Brassell is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2021.
False statement during purchase of firearms is punishable by statutory penalties of up to ten years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Essex County Woman Charged with Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, woman was charged with defrauding elderly victims through a lottery scam in which victims were falsely told that they had won large sums of money, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Shanile Lyle, 27, of Orange, New Jersey, was arrested today and charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer and was released on $200,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2018, several elderly victims received telephone calls alerting them that they had won large sums of money and various other prizes. The victims were informed that they would have to pay taxes on these winnings and, as a result, sent numerous checks totaling at least $675,000 to Lyle and her conspirators. Lyle deposited these funds into back accounts she controlled and transferred portions of the money to her conspirators.
The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum of penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss involved, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrimes Unit in Newark.
Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and is one of the Department of Justice’s key priorities. In 2018, the Department ordered each of the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices to appoint an Elder Justice Coordinator tasked with fulfilling the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) of 2017’s mandate of: serving as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to elder abuse; prosecuting, or assisting in the prosecution of, elder abuse cases; conducting public outreach and awareness activities relating to elder abuse; and ensuring the collection of data required to be collected under the EAPPA.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Participation in Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his role as a member of a heroin trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Raheem Tarry, 34, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty by video conference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to two counts of a third superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and distribution of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence by videoconference today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Tarry and others were members of a drug trafficking organization that dealt heroin and crack cocaine in and around Newark, specifically, at Hayes Street and 14th Avenue in the area of the New Community Corporation housing development (NCC). The organization is comprised of members of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang.
The investigation revealed that in addition to selling narcotics, members of the organization alerted each other to police and rival gang member or drug dealer presence within NCC; shared narcotics supply, narcotics proceeds, and customers; and raised bail money for each other following arrests. Members of the organization have also engaged in violence and been the subject of violence in connection with their narcotics trafficking activities.
Between March and August 2018, Tarry and 27 other individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base; one individual also was charged with firearms offenses relating to his drug trafficking. On Aug. 20, 2019, a grand jury returned a 22-count third superseding indictment charging Tarry and four other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearms offenses; the alleged leader of the organization also was charged with participating in a continuing criminal enterprise. The charges in the complaint and third superseding indictment remain pending as to several of the defendants and one is charged in a separate indictment. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Tarry to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Corrections, the New Jersey State Parole Commission, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
The case was investigated as part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou and Christopher D. Amore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Defendant Convicted at Trial in Massive Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Twelve YearsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Malik Martin a/k/a “Leek”, 37, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release by United States Senior District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick for his role in an extensive, national drug trafficking conspiracy.
Martin was convicted after a four week trial in October 2018 of conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms of more of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Martin and his co-conspirators were part of a long-running drug-trafficking organization which distributed thousands of kilograms of marijuana, and then laundered the drug proceeds. The organization used tractor-trailer drivers to transport bulk quantities of marijuana from Arizona, California, and Texas to the East Coast, for distribution in the greater Philadelphia area. Martin worked closely with the head of the organization to bring money out to the West Coast, coordinate the purchase of the marijuana while there, and load the delivery of marijuana to the East Coast.
“Martin and his co-conspirators shipped tons of drugs from one end of this country to the other for decades,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “The sentence handed down today demonstrates our office’s commitment to taking down criminal organizations in order to keep our communities safe from the scourge of drug trafficking.”
“Malik Martin took part in a cross-country conspiracy that saw thousands of pounds of marijuana trucked here to Philadelphia,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The FBI will continue to investigate and disrupt sprawling drug trafficking operations like this, as we work to take illegal drugs off the street and make this city safer.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.
Correctional Officer Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Prison Corruption Racketeering Charge Related to Maryland Correctional Institute JessupRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Correctional Officer Janel Griffin, age 41, of Baltimore, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal racketeering charge related to her participation in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Maryland Correctional Institute Jessup (MCIJ), including narcotics, unauthorized flash drives, tobacco, and cell phones.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert L. Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
“This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate employees in positions of trust violating their oaths. Janel Griffin will now serve more than two years in federal prison—where there is no parole, ever. Federal, state, and local officials will continue to work together to root out corrupt employees and others who undermine the administration of justice at our prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
According to court documents, MCIJ was a medium-security prison in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, that housed approximately 1,100 male inmates, with 262 custody staff or Correctional Officers (COs) and 52 non-custody staff, including case management, medical, and administrative staff.
According to her plea agreement, Griffin smuggled contraband into MCIJ for at least inmate Corey Alston, including narcotics and tobacco. At Alston’s direction, Griffin met with co-conspirator facilitators, including Tyirisha Johnson, to receive contraband as well as bribe payments. Recorded jail calls between Alston and others confirm that between April 16 and August 14, 2017, Griffin met with Johnson or facilitator Ashley Alston on at least six occasions to obtain contraband and at least $2,800 in bribe payments. Griffin smuggled the contraband, including Suboxone and Percocet, into MCIJ.
Inmate Corey Alston previously pleaded guilty, admitting that he was a leader in the racketeering conspiracy. As detailed in the plea agreement, Alston conspired with four outside facilitators—Tryishia Johnson, Jamia Lawson, his sister, Ashley Alston, and his father, Aldon Alston—who obtained and packaged contraband, met with the correctional officers and employees to provide contraband and bribe payments, and managed the proceeds of illegal contraband sales for Alston. According to his plea agreement, Griffin and another MCIJ employee brought the contraband into the prison for Alston, in exchange for bribe payments, and Alston conspired with another inmate, Schvel Mack, to sell the contraband to other inmates. Alston was overheard by law enforcement on a series of recorded calls arranging for contraband to be smuggled into MCIJ and arranging payment for the contraband and for bribes.
In addition to Janel Griffin and Corey Alston, 12 other defendants—six outside facilitators, three prison employees, and three inmates—have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy, including Schvel Mack, Tyrishia Johnson, Jamia Lawson, Ashley Alston, and Aldon Alston. Twelve defendants are awaiting sentencing and five defendants are pending trial.
This case arose from the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and comprised of local, state, and federal stakeholders that meet regularly to share information and generate recommendations to reform prison procedures and attack the gang problem that has plagued Maryland in recent years. The work of the Task Force previously resulted in the federal convictions of 77 defendants, including 16 correctional officers, at the Eastern Correctional Institution, and 40 defendants, including 24 correctional officers, at the Baltimore City Detention Center. DPSCS staff initiated the MCIJ investigation and have been full partners in this investigation.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Perry and Sean R. Delaney, who are prosecuting this case.
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Columbia Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that Trent Jerrod Daniels, 33, of Columbia, was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on May 8, 2018, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department were conducting surveillance on Abbott Road after receiving information about drug dealing in the area. Deputies observed what they believed to be drug deals between an individual in a vehicle and others in the roadway. Thereafter, deputies attempted a traffic stop on the driver of the vehicle, who was later identified as Daniels. A high-speed chase ensued, and officers saw Daniels throwing a bag out of the car window. Ultimately, the vehicle was stopped on Shop Road and South Beltline Boulevard. Deputies recovered the bag and found inside a loaded Hi-Point .380 caliber handgun, marijuana, and digital scales. A small quantity of crack cocaine was found in the vehicle, and counterfeit money was found in Daniels’ pocket. Daniels admitted to distributing marijuana and crack cocaine earlier on Abbott Road and to throwing the bag containing the marijuana and loaded gun out of the car during the chase. Daniels also admitted to purchasing the firearm off the street as he knew he was prohibited from possessing one.
Daniels, who was on state parole at the time of the instant offense, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (two separate counts), use of a motor vehicle without the owner’s permission, grand larceny (two separate counts), strong arm robbery, and distribution of crack cocaine.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Daniels to 130 months in federal prison, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
A ballistics analysis through National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) revealed that the Hi-Point .380 caliber handgun was linked to shell casings recovered at an unsolved December 2017 burglary in Richland County. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin .
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the prosecution.
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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.
Colombian Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges for His Role in International Cocaine Importation ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gustavo Adolfo Pareja, 26, of Cali, Colombia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to import 50 kilograms of cocaine for distribution in the United States. Pareja was extradited from Colombia to the Northern District of Florida last month, following an extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty plea.
“There is no better example of North Florida law enforcers uniting against drug traffickers than this case,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked tirelessly to investigate and prosecute all of the conspirators attempting to flood North Florida communities with large amounts of cocaine for personal profit. Pareja’s extradition and holding him accountable here in the United States sends a clear message that if you traffic drugs in our District, we will come for you no matter how far away you are.”
By pleading guilty to the two federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges, Pareja admits he was involved in an international conspiracy with co-defendants Daniel Gould and Henry Royer. Pareja awaited international extradition for over a year before Colombian authorities surrendered him to the United States Marshals Service in October 2020, to be returned to the United States to face the charges filed against him.
Between January and August 2018, in the Northern District of Florida and in the country of Colombia, former Master Sergeant Daniel Gould of the United States Army and Henry Royer, formerly of the United States Army and Army National Guard, conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
The conspiracy began in early 2018 when Gould and Royer initially imported 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Royer traveled to Colombia with U.S. currency to use as payment. Gould placed the cocaine in a gutted punching bag and had the package transported to Bogota to be placed on a United States military aircraft. A few days later, the cocaine-filled punching bag arrived at Duke Field, which is an auxiliary airfield of Eglin Air Force Base. Gould and Royer distributed the 10 kilograms of cocaine in Northwest Florida.
Gould and Royer then reinvested the money from the first load of cocaine into a second load of 40 kilograms of cocaine. Gould placed approximately $65,000 in cash on a United States military cargo aircraft destined for Colombia as funds for the next purchase. In early August 2018, Gould and Royer returned to Colombia and provided the money to Pareja, their supplier, in exchange for the 40 kilograms of cocaine. Gould and Royer loaded the cocaine into two gutted punching bags, and coordinated transport to the embassy before flying back to the United States. Suspicion was aroused at the embassy when packages were x-rayed, revealing cocaine within gutted out punching bags.
On August 13, 2018, when the cocaine was seized at the embassy, Gould had already returned home and was awaiting its arrival. The 40 kilograms of cocaine would have an estimated value in excess of $1 million in the Northern District of Florida. Gould and Royer have also pled guilty to their involvement in the criminal activity and are serving sentences in federal prison.
DEA’s Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis was pleased with the development, adding, “Pareja’s admission of guilt is proof that the hard work done investigating his drug trafficking crimes by our national and international law enforcement partners was extremely successful.”
Pareja faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., before Senior United States District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Colombia. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
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, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - ParejaChambersburg Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian A. Salvado, age 46, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 25, 2020, to 20 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for exploitation of minors.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between 2016 and 2107, Salvado used a dating site and his cellular telephone to communicate online and via text message with 11 minor victims for the purpose of producing child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Captain of Vessel Pleads Guilty to Smuggling $287,660 into St. Thomas Following High-Speed Chase and Apprehension Near Savana IslandRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Arioc Diaz Melendez, resident of Puerto Rico, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in the District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charge of concealing $287,660.00 in U.S. currency while onboard a vessel outfitted for smuggling in violation of Title 46, United States Code, Section 70503(a)(3).
According to court documents, on September 30, 2019, at approximately 2:00 A.M., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Marine Unit agents identified a boat traveling without navigational lights north of Savana Island. CBP agents pulled their vessel alongside the 24-foot yola-type vessel that was operating without lights. CBP agents activated their police blue lights and discharged a flare, in an effort to convince the other vessel to yield. When CBP agents attempted to initiate a stop, the other vessel did not yield but instead increased speed. The CBP agents shot one round into one of the engines of the other vessel at which point the vessel decreased speed and stopped. The passenger threw a duffel bag overboard. The bag was recovered by CBP agents and later found to contain $287,660.00 in U.S. currency and a Glock firearm. After CBP agents disabled one of the boat’s motor, they boarded the vessel, and apprehended the captain, who was later identified as Arioc Diaz Melendez, and the passenger, later identified as Jose Carlos Diaz Melendez, of the vessel.
The passenger is expected to plead guilty at a future date.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino.
Bay Area Man Pleads Guilty to Central Valley-Based Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Tien Van Phan, 56, of the San Jose area, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana that was shipped from Fresno to Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, agents intercepted calls between co-defendants Elias Zambrano Jr., of Fresno; Tan Minh Vo, of San Jose; Halen Steven Patrick Frazier, of Kingsville, Missouri; and David Agustus McGowan, of Kansas City, Missouri, regarding the coordination of the shipment of approximately 92 pounds of marijuana to Frazier in Kansas City. On Nov. 9, 2018, law enforcement agents saw Phan load two suitcases into Frazier’s vehicle in Kansas City. After conducting a traffic stop, 92 pounds of marijuana was seized from Frazier’s vehicle.
Phan is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 22, 2021. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Frazier previously entered a guilty plea to the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. Patrick Maldonado, of Madera, and Zambrano, who also face charges relating to the cocaine and firearms, along with Vo, are scheduled for a status conference in federal court in Fresno on Dec. 14. As to these defendants, the charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force consisting of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sheriff’s Offices of Tulare, Kings, and Fresno Counties, the Fresno Police Department, the Arizona Department of Health, and the Kansas City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Aryan Brotherhood Associate Pleads Guilty to a Racketeering Conspiracy that Directed Murders and Other Violent Crimes from Inside California PrisonsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of 16 members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood (AB), a prison-based gang, charged in 2019 for organized criminal activity inside and outside of California’s prisons has pleaded guilty today, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Samuel Keeton, 41, of Menifee, an AB gang associate, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (known as the “RICO” statute) and to conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, AB members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder and drug trafficking offenses. From their shared cell in California State Prison (CSP) Sacramento, Ronald Yandell and William Sylvester oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation using smuggled-in cellphones to communicate with AB members and associates.
In June 2019, sixteen defendants were indicted on federal racketeering and other charges. The allegations include murders, drug trafficking and other violent crimes. Nine of the defendants were inmates in California prisons and six of those were serving life sentences for murder.
According to the plea agreement, between March 2016 and at least October 2016, Keeton knowingly associated with the AB and knew that this group regularly engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that included murder, assault, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking. For his part, Keeton assisted the AB by picking up and distributing methamphetamine and heroin on behalf of AB members Yandell, Sylvester, and Travis Burhop. Keeton also delivered drug proceeds to AB associates outside of prison. During the RICO conspiracy, Yandell, Sylvester, and Burhop were all incarcerated within the California prison system, and Keeton communicated with them over contraband cellphones.
As part of his guilty plea, Keeton admitted that he knew that Yandell and Sylvester were AB members based upon his discussions with them during 2016, including the crimes that he was asked to commit and that he agreed to commit, such as assisting in smuggling cellphones, drugs, and other contraband into prison. As part of the RICO conspiracy, on July 11, 2016, Keeton transported and delivered at least 100 grams of heroin from Southern California to Jeanna Quesenberry in Sacramento on behalf of Yandell and the AB. On Aug. 11, 2016, Keeton participated in a plot to smuggle methamphetamine and other contraband into CSP Sacramento for Sylvester with the agreement and assistance of Kevin MacNamara, a licensed California lawyer living in Southern California. Keeton also collected AB drug money on Aug. 12, 2016.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Keeton is scheduled for a hearing regarding sentencing before U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on March 29, 2021. Keeton faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a fine up to $10 million. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges against the other defendants are pending. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Akron Man Sentenced to More than Five Years in Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced that Lennie T. Whisenant, Jr., 26, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Whisenant was dealing meth in Huntington and Charleston and is now headed to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “As long as out of state drug dealers keep peddling their poisons in this District, they will be prosecuted.”
Whisenant previously pled guilty and admitted that during the months of April and May of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia. During the conspiracy, Whisenant and others utilized a residence located at 1235 25th Street in Huntington to store methamphetamine after it was shipped from the Akron area. Whisenant and others then conducted distributions of the methamphetamine to various customers in the Huntington and Charleston areas. Whisenant also reported back to sources in Akron regarding amounts of methamphetamine that had been sold and amounts that remained in Huntington. As part of his plea, Whisenant admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-00245.
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Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition of Co-Founder of Global Cryptocurrency Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that GUTEMBERG DOS SANTOS, a citizen of Brazil and the United States, was extradited from Panama on November 25. DOS SANTOS is charged by indictment with co-defendants Pablo Renato Rodriguez, Scott Hughes, Cecilia Millan, Karina Chairez, and Jackie Aguilar for their roles in an internationally coordinated fraud and money laundering ring involved in defrauding individuals through investments in AirBit Club, a purported cryptocurrency mining and trading company. DOS SANTOS was arrested on August 18, 2020, in Panama City, Panama, and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. Rodriguez, Hughes, Millan, and Aguilar were arrested in the United States on August 18, 2020, and Chairez was arrested in the United States on October 20, 2020. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels.
Acting United States Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Gutemberg Dos Santos played a key role in an international investment scam that promised extraordinary rates of return on phantom investments in cryptocurrencies, defrauding victims of tens of millions of dollars. Thanks to HSI, Dos Santos is now in U.S. custody.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “The extradition of Dos Santos reflects the determination of agents from HSI New York’s El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Force to dismantle global criminal organizations, wherever the investigation takes us. Utilizing our broad authorities and network of law enforcement partners, HSI will continue to hunt those who allegedly prey upon innocent citizens for financial gain.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictments: [1]
Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Hughes, Millan, Chairez, and Aguilar participated in a coordinated scheme in which victim-investors (the “Victims”) were induced to invest in AirBit Club based on the promise of guaranteed profits in exchange for cash investments in club “memberships” (the “AirBit Club Scheme” or the “Scheme”). Beginning in late 2015, AirBit Club, through its founders, Rodriguez and DOS SANTOS, as well as its promoters (the “Promoters”), including Millan, Chairez, and Aguilar, marketed AirBit Club as a multilevel marketing club in the cryptocurrency industry. Promoters falsely promised Victims that AirBit Club earned returns on cryptocurrency mining and trading and that Victims would earn passive, guaranteed daily returns on any membership purchased.
Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Hughes, Millan, Chairez, and Aguilar traveled throughout the United States, and around the world to places in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, where they hosted lavish expos and small community presentations aimed at convincing Victims to purchase AirBit Club memberships. In furtherance of the AirBit Club Scheme, the Victims were induced to buy memberships in cash, including in the Southern District of New York. Following a Victim’s investment, a Promoter provided the Victim with access to an online AirBit Club portal to view the purported returns on memberships (the “Online Portal”). While Victims saw “profits” accumulate on their Online Portal, those representations were false: No Bitcoin mining or trading on behalf of Victims in fact took place. Instead, Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Millan, Chairez, and Aguilar enriched themselves, and spent Victim money on cars, jewelry, and luxury homes, and financed more extravagant expos to recruit more Victims.
Hughes, an attorney licensed to practice law in California, had previously represented Rodriguez and DOS SANTOS in a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) investigation related to another investment scheme known as Vizinova before aiding Rodriguez and DOS SANTOS in perpetrating the AirBit Club Scheme by, among other things, helping to remove negative information about AirBit Club and Vizinova from the internet.
In many instances, as early as 2016, Victims who attempted to withdraw money from the AirBit Club Online Portal and complained to a Promoter were met with excuses, delays, and hidden fees amounting to more than 50% of the Victim’s requested withdrawal, if they were able to make any withdrawal at all. In one instance, Aguilar told one Victim of the AirBit Club Scheme who was complaining about her inability to withdraw AirBit Club returns that she should “bring new blood” into the AirBit Club Scheme in order to receive her returns.
In April 2020, another victim received a notice on the AirBit Club Online Portal that his account was closed – and principal investment lost – due to “execution of financial sustainability Reserve, policy #34 of the Airbit Club Terms and Conditions, due to the economic and financial crisis caused by (Covid-19).”
Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Hughes, Chairez, and Millan sought to conceal the AirBit Club Scheme, as well as their respective control of the proceeds of that Scheme, by requesting that Victims purchase memberships in cash, using third-party cryptocurrency brokers, and by laundering the Scheme’s proceeds through several domestic and foreign bank accounts, including an attorney trust account managed by Hughes (the “Hughes Trust Account”). The Hughes Trust Account was ostensibly intended to maintain custody of Hughes’s law practice’s client funds. Instead, the Hughes Trust Account was used by Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Hughes, and Millan to conceal the nature and origin of the AirBit Club Scheme’s illicit proceeds. Through that account, Hughes directed Victim funds to the personal expenses of Rodriguez, DOS SANTOS, Millan, and himself, and funded promotional events and sponsorships designed to further promote the AirBit Club Scheme. In total, the defendants laundered at least $20 million in proceeds of the Scheme through these various methods.
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DOS SANTOS, 45, of Panama City, Panama, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and the bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 30 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force, HSI Panama, the HSI Panama City Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit, and HSI New Orleans. Ms. Strauss further thanked the attorneys and investigators at the SEC whose expertise and diligence were integral to the development of this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Cecilia E. Vogel, and Elizabeth A. Espinosa are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictments and the description of the Superseding Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
27 November 2020
Previously-Removed Dominican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Jose Fatima Rosario-Remigio was sentenced Wednesday on his conviction for illegal re-entry into the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Robert Molloy sentenced Rosario-Remigio to 24 months imprisonment and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, Rosario-Remigio is a national of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States without inspection at a place not designated as a point of entry. On October 1, 2019, Rosario-Remigio traveled on a vessel from the British Virgin Islands to St. John, United States Virgin Islands. He then traveled from a beach on St. John to the ferry terminal, where he boarded a ferry traveling to St. Thomas. Rosario-Remigio was previously convicted for the criminal sale of cocaine in New York, and he had been removed from the United States on May 7, 2019.
This case was investigated by Virgin Islands Port Authority, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Sleeper.
More than 700 Members of Transnational Organized Crime Groups Arrested in Central America in U.S. Assisted OperationRead the Press Release
Today, senior law enforcement officials from the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras announced criminal charges in Central America against more than 700 members of transnational criminal organizations, primarily MS-13 and 18th Street gangs, which resulted from a one-week coordinated law enforcement action under Operation Regional Shield (ORS).
ORS began in 2017 and is a Justice Department-led initiative to combat transnational organized crime that brings together gang prosecutors and investigators from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States. Through quarterly meetings, this group has coordinated multi-country investigations and simultaneous takedowns throughout the region.
Authorities also announced the arrest of 36 individuals in El Salvador and Honduras involved in human smuggling networks that span Central America and the United States. Among those arrested in Honduras, include one police commissioner, one police deputy inspector, and three law enforcement agents. All arrestees were charged with human smuggling, money laundering and illegal association to commit a crime. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr, Attorney General Raul Melara of El Salvador, Attorney General María Consuelo Porras Argueta of Guatemala, and the Attorney General of Honduras, Oscar Fernando Chinchilla, through the Public Ministry’s Press Office.
“The U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in Central America are committed to continued collaboration in locating and arresting gang members and associates engaged in transnational crimes,” said U.S. Attorney General Barr. “Our countries are made safer by working together to protect national security and to ensure public safety in our neighborhoods.”
In 2017, the U.S. Attorney General, together with the Attorneys General of the three Central American countries, committed to combatting transnational organized crime and reducing illegal migration to the United States through increased cooperation and capacity building of law enforcement partners. These efforts have led to the following results this week:
Prosecutors in El Salvador filed criminal charges against 1,152 members of organized crime groups in the country, primarily MS-13 and 18th Street Gangs. Within hours, the National Civil Police had captured 572 of the defendants for charges involving terrorism, murder, extortion, kidnapping, vehicle theft, robbery, conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, weapons violations, human trafficking and human smuggling. Prosecutors and the Police also seized assets from these organized crime groups for forfeiture purposes.
In Guatemala, the Anti-Extortions Prosecution Office, the Prosecutor’s Office against Transnational Crimes, the Special Unit against Transnational Gangs, and police officers executed 80 search warrants, arrested 40 individuals, and served 29 arrest warrants against individuals already in custody, all of who are members of the 18th Street gang and MS-13. Authorities seized drugs and a firearm, and filed charges for extortion, illicit association, conspiracy to commit murder, and extortive obstruction. This investigation involves four transportation companies as victims of extortion in the amount of $54,523.
In Honduras, ORS joint operation took place in different phases during a one-week period resulted in the arrest of over 75 MS-13 and 18th Street gang members and five police officers and the execution of over 10 search warrants. Illegal firearms, cellular phones, drugs and money were seized. The arrestees were charged with illicit association, murder and conspiracy to commit murder, extortion and drug trafficking.
On February 9, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking to dismantle and eradicate transnational criminal organizations threatening the safety of our communities. Pursuant to that order, the U.S. Department of Justice has made dismantling transnational human smuggling networks and gangs, including MS-13, a top priority.
Regional Shield anti-gang efforts have led to charges against more than 11,000 gang members since 2017, including gang leaders nationwide. Many of these indictments included the seizure of gang assets including firearms and money. Also, during that time, more than a dozen smuggling/trafficking structures were dismantled. The capacity-building efforts in Central America of the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) have played a key role in bringing together the Attorneys General from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to form the regional operations targeting MS-13, 18th Street, and other gangs, as well as human smuggling transnational organizations. Additionally, as a result of OPDAT’s capacity building efforts, the Justice Department’s partners in Central America have strengthened cooperation and developed the skills, tools, and techniques to maximize results against all forms of transnational organized crime impacting the region and the United States.
“Since 2017, we have taken a joint and coordinated approach as northern triangle countries with our strategic partner, the United States of America,” said Attorney General Raul Melara of El Salvador. “To give our Salvadoran people a response and ensure that criminals face justice, we have strengthened the work of our Specialized Prosecution Units to be more effective in combating organized crime and terrorist organizations. I am committed as Attorney General to continuing this coordinated effort. We will only eradicate transnational organized crime by combining efforts as a region and by continuing to work together.”
“As Attorney General of the Republic and Chief of the Public Ministry, I reaffirm my commitment to the fight against transnational organized crime, one of the main goals of my administration,” said Attorney General María Consuelo Porras Argueta of Guatemala. “To this end, we have increased efforts to provide an effective response to the population through the creation of the Prosecutor’s Office against Transnational Crimes, the Special Unit against Transnational Gangs, the Special Unit against Crimes in Airports and Airfields, the signing of the statement of the Advisory Group of General Prosecutors of the Northern Triangle, which I have the honor to preside; among other strategic actions to combat transnational organized crime with frontal actions against drug trafficking, gangs, organized crime and smuggling of migrants.”
“I consider that, due to the regional threat posed by these transnational crimes, equal interagency and regional efforts should come into effect,” said Attorney General Oscar Fernando Chinchilla of Honduras. “Only by joining forces, the damaging consequences produced by these criminal organizations could be neutralized.”
In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, the investigations into transnational criminal organizations is being handled by regional gang prosecutors who receive State Department-funded training and mentoring from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and OPDAT. With support from State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, prosecutors from OPDAT helped establish task forces in the region and work with FBI’s local Transnational Anti-Gang (TAG) units, as well as HSI’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIUs). These efforts have helped Central American partners convict thousands of criminals, seize over $1 billion in illicit assets, and coordinate dozens of transnational investigations with their U.S. counterparts.
Law enforcement agencies involved in this latest sixth ORS operation included El Salvador’s Fiscalia General de la Republica (FGR) and the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC); Honduras Policía Nacional, la Dirección Nacional de Servicios Especiales de Investigación (DNSEI), Agencia Técnica de Investigaciones Criminales (ATIC), and Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y Pandillas (FNAMP) and Guatemala’s Prosecutor’s Office against Transnational Crimes, National Civil Police, Special National Division of Criminal Investigation, National Civil Police’s Anti-Gang Unit, Public Ministry, Anti-Extortions Prosecution Office, and the Special Unit against Transnational Gangs.
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.
Photo courtesy of El Salvador Attorney General’s Office. Salvadoran Police arrest multiple gang members in Operation Regional Shield. Photo courtesy of El Salvador Attorney General’s Office. Salvadoran authorities seize cash from gang members which they will forfeit as proceeds of criminal activities. Photo courtesy of El Salvador Attorney General’s Office. Members of the 18th Street gang are arrested in Operation Regional Shield.Mas De 700 Miembros De Grupos Criminales Transnacionalales Son Arrestados En Centro America En Operativo Con Asistencia De Los Estados UnidosRead the Press Release
Oficiales principales de las agencias del orden público de los Estados Unidos, El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras anunciaron hoy la radicación de imputaciones de más de 700 miembros de organizaciones criminales transnacionales, principalmente miembros de las pandillas de la MS-13 y Calle 18 en Centroamérica, en una operativo judicial coordinado que duró por una semana conocido como Operación Escudo Regional (OER). OER comenzó en el 2017 y es una iniciativa liderada por el Departamento de Justicia para combatir el crimen organizado transnacional que une a fiscales anti-pandillas e investigadores de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico y los Estados Unidos. A través de reuniones de coordinación celebradas trimestralmente, este grupo ha coordinado investigaciones que abarcan varios países y arrestos a través de la región.
Las autoridades también anunciaron los arrestos de 36 individuos en El Salvador y Honduras involucrados con redes de tráfico de personas que abarcan Centroamérica y los Estados Unidos. Entre los imputados en Honduras se encuentra un comisionado de la policía, un sub-inspector de la policía y tres agentes del orden público. Los arrestados están imputados con violaciones de tráfico de personas, el lavado de dinero, y asociación ilegal para cometer un delito. Las imputaciones fueron anunciadas por el Fiscal General de los Estados Unidos William P. Barr, el Fiscal General Raúl Melara de El Salvador, la Fiscal General María Consuelo Porras Argueta de Guatemala, y el Fiscal General de Honduras Oscar Fernando Chinchilla, a través de la Oficina de Prensa del Ministerio Público.
“El Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos y nuestros aliados del orden público en Centroamérica están comprometidos con la colaboración continua para localizar y arrestar a los miembros y asociados de las pandillas involucrados en crímenes transnacionales,” dijo el Fiscal General Barr. “Nuestros países están más seguros cuando se trabaja conjuntamente en aras de proteger la seguridad nacional y asegurar la seguridad pública en nuestros vecindarios.”
En el 2017, el Fiscal General de los Estados Unidos en conjunto con sus homólogos de la región se comprometieron en combatir el crimen organizado transnacional y reducir la migración ilegal a los Estados Unidos a través de mayor cooperación y asistencia técnica con los aliados del orden público. Estos esfuerzos han causado los siguientes resultados esta semana:
Fiscales en El Salvador radicaron acusaciones en contra de más de 1,152 miembros de grupos criminales organizados en el país, primordialmente contra las pandillas MS-13 y Calle 18. En cuestión de horas, la Policía Civil Nacional había capturado a 572 individuos imputados por los delitos de terrorismo, asesinato, extorsión, secuestro, robo de vehículos, hurto, conspiración, narcotráfico, el lavado de dinero, violaciones a la ley de armas de fuego, tráfico de personas y trata de personas. Los fiscales y la Policía Nacional incautaron bienes de estos grupos del crimen organizado con el propósito de decomisarlos.
En Guatemala, la Fiscalía Contra el Delito de Anti-Extorsión, la Unidad Contra Delitos Transnacionales de la Fiscalía y la Unidad Especial Anti-Pandillas Transnacionales y la policía ejecutaron 80 órdenes de allanamiento, arrestaron 40 personas, y notificaron 29 órdenes de arresto a personas en custodia, todos ellos miembros de las pandillas Calle 18 y MS-13. Se incautó drogas y un arma de fuego, y se radicaron por cargos de extorsión, asociación ilícita, conspiración para cometer asesinato y obstrucción a la justicia. En este caso hay cuatro compañías de transportistas víctimas de extorsión por un monto que asciende a $54,523
En Honduras, la operación conjunta OER se llevó a cabo en diferentes fases durante el periodo de una semana y resultó en el arresto de aproximadamente 75 miembros de las pandillas MS-13 y Calle 18, y la ejecución de más de 10 órdenes de allanamiento. Armas de fuego ilegales, teléfonos celulares, drogas y dinero fueron incautados. Los individuos arrestados fueron imputados con asociación ilícita, asesinato y conspiración para cometer asesinato, extorsión y narcotráfico.
El 9 de febrero de 2017, el Presidente Donald J. Trump emitió la Orden Ejecutiva Para Hacer Cumplir la Ley Federal Sobre las Organizaciones de Crímenes Transnacionales y Prevenir el Tráfico Internacional para desmantelar y erradicar las pandillas transnacionales que amenazan la seguridad de nuestras comunidades. Conforme a esa orden, el Departamento de Justicia ha hecho su prioridad el desmantelar las redes criminales transnacionales de tráfico de personas y pandillas incluyendo la MS-13.
Los esfuerzos anti-pandilla de Escudo Regional han conducido a la radicación de cargos criminales en contra de más de 11,000 miembros de pandillas desde el 2017, incluyendo líderes de pandillas a nivel nacional. Muchas de estas imputaciones incluyen la incautación de bienes pertenecientes a las pandillas incluyendo armas de fuego y dinero. También durante este tiempo más de una docena de redes involucradas en el tráfico y/o trata de personas fueron desmanteladas. La asistencia técnica provista por la Oficina Internacional para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Técnica del Departamento de Justicia (OPDAT) en la región de Centroamérica ha tenido un rol clave para reunir a los Fiscales Generales de El Salvador, Guatemala, y Honduras para desarrollar operaciones regionales enfocadas en combatir pandillas incluyendo la MS-13 y Calle 18, como también organizaciones transnacionales dedicadas al tráfico de personas. Además, como resultado de la asistencia técnica provista por OPDAT, los aliados del Departamento de Justicia en Centro América han fortalecido la cooperación y desarrollado las habilidades, herramientas y técnicas para maximizar resultados contra todo tipo de crimen organizado transnacional impactando la región y los Estados Unidos.
“Desde el 2017, se ha trabajado de manera conjunta y coordinada entre los países que conforman el triángulo norte y nuestro socio estratégico, los Estados Unidos de América,” dijo el Fiscal General de El Salvador Raúl Melara. “Para dar respuesta a la población salvadoreña y procurar que los criminales respondan ante la justicia, hemos reforzado el trabajo que realizan las Unidades Especializadas de la Fiscalía para ser efectivos en lucha contra el crimen organizado y estructuras terroristas. Estoy comprometido como Fiscal General a continuar en este esfuerzo coordinado. Solo lograremos erradicar el crimen transnacional uniendo esfuerzos regionales y continuando el trabajo conjunto.”
“Como Fiscal General de la República y Jefe del Ministerio Público, reafirmo mi compromiso en el combate de la delincuencia organizada transnacional, uno de los ejes primordiales de mi gestión,” dijo la Fiscal General de Guatemala María Consuelo Porras Argueta. “Para el efecto, hemos incrementado los esfuerzos para dar una respuesta efectiva a la población mediante la creación de la Fiscalía contra Delitos Transnacionales, la Unidad Especial Antipandillas Transnacionales, la Unidad Especial contra Delitos en Aeropuertos y Aerodromos, la suscripción de la declaración del Gurpo Asesor de Fiscales Generales del Triángulo Norte, la cual tengo a honra presidir; entre otras acciones estratégicas para combatir la delincuencia organizada transnacional con acciones frontales contra el narcotráfico, pandillas, crimen organizado y tráfico ilícito de migrantes.”
“Considero ante la amenaza regional que presentan estos delitos transnacionales, la respuesta debe ser de igual forma interagencial y regional,” dijo el Fiscal General de Honduras Oscar Fernando Chinchilla. “Solo de esta forma se puede neutralizar los efectos dañinos de estas organizaciones criminales.”
En El Salvador, Guatemala, y Honduras, las investigaciones de organizaciones criminales transnacionales se manejan por fiscales regionales anti-pandillas que reciben capacitaciones financiadas por el Departamento de Estado y asesoría por el Negociado Investigaciones Federales (FBI), la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (HSI), y la Oficina Internacional para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Técnica del Departamento de Justicia (OPDAT). Con el apoyo de la Oficina de Narcóticos Internacionales y Asuntos de Aplicación de la Ley del Departamento de Estado (INL), los fiscales de OPDAT han ayudado a establecer fuerzas de tarea en la región y trabajan con las Unidades Transnacionales Anti-Pandillas (TAG) del FBI y también las Unidades de Investigaciones Criminales Transnacionales de HSI (TCIU). Estos esfuerzos han ayudado a nuestros aliados en Centroamérica a condenar a miles de criminales, confiscar más de USD$ 1 billón de activos ilícitos, y coordinar docenas de investigaciones transnacionales con sus homólogos de Estados Unidos.
Las agencias del orden público involucrados en esta última sexta operación OER incluyeron El Salvador’s Fiscalia General de la Republica (FGR) y la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC); Honduras Policía Nacional, la Dirección Nacional de Servicios Especiales de Investigación (DNSEI), Agencia Técnica de Investigaciones Criminales (ATIC), y Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y Pandillas (FNAMP) y Guatemala’s Fiscalía Contra Delitos Transnacionales, Fiscalía Contra el Delito de Extorsión, y la Unidad Especial Anti-Pandillas Transnacionales, Policía Nacional Civil, División Especializada en Investigación Criminal y División Nacional Contra las Pandillas de la Policía Nacional Civil.
En Inglés
Mas De 700 Miembros De Grupos Criminales Transnacionalales Son Arrestados En Centro America En Operativo Con Asistencia De Los Estados UnidosRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Oficiales principales de las agencias del orden público de los Estados Unidos, El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras anunciaron hoy la radicación de imputaciones de más de 700 miembros de organizaciones criminales transnacionales, principalmente miembros de las pandillas de la MS-13 y Calle 18 en Centroamérica, en una operativo judicial coordinado que duró por una semana conocido como Operación Escudo Regional (OER). OER comenzó en el 2017 y es una iniciativa liderada por el Departamento de Justicia para combatir el crimen organizado transnacional que une a fiscales anti-pandillas e investigadores de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico y los Estados Unidos. A través de reuniones de coordinación celebradas trimestralmente, este grupo ha coordinado investigaciones que abarcan varios países y arrestos a través de la región.
Las autoridades también anunciaron los arrestos de 36 individuos en El Salvador y Honduras involucrados con redes de tráfico de personas que abarcan Centroamérica y los Estados Unidos. Entre los imputados en Honduras se encuentra un comisionado de la policía, un sub-inspector de la policía y tres agentes del orden público. Los arrestados están imputados con violaciones de tráfico de personas, el lavado de dinero, y asociación ilegal para cometer un delito. Las imputaciones fueron anunciadas por el Fiscal General de los Estados Unidos William P. Barr, el Fiscal General Raúl Melara de El Salvador, la Fiscal General María Consuelo Porras Argueta de Guatemala, y el Fiscal General de Honduras Oscar Fernando Chinchilla, a través de la Oficina de Prensa del Ministerio Público.
“El Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos y nuestros aliados del orden público en Centroamérica están comprometidos con la colaboración continua para localizar y arrestar a los miembros y asociados de las pandillas involucrados en crímenes transnacionales,” dijo el Fiscal General Barr. “Nuestros países están más seguros cuando se trabaja conjuntamente en aras de proteger la seguridad nacional y asegurar la seguridad pública en nuestros vecindarios.”
En el 2017, el Fiscal General de los Estados Unidos en conjunto con sus homólogos de la región se comprometieron en combatir el crimen organizado transnacional y reducir la migración ilegal a los Estados Unidos a través de mayor cooperación y asistencia técnica con los aliados del orden público. Estos esfuerzos han causado los siguientes resultados esta semana:
Fiscales en El Salvador radicaron acusaciones en contra de más de 1,152 miembros de grupos criminales organizados en el país, primordialmente contra las pandillas MS-13 y Calle 18. En cuestión de horas, la Policía Civil Nacional había capturado a 572 individuos imputados por los delitos de terrorismo, asesinato, extorsión, secuestro, robo de vehículos, hurto, conspiración, narcotráfico, el lavado de dinero, violaciones a la ley de armas de fuego, tráfico de personas y trata de personas. Los fiscales y la Policía Nacional incautaron bienes de estos grupos del crimen organizado con el propósito de decomisarlos.
En Guatemala, la Fiscalía Contra el Delito de Anti-Extorsión, la Unidad Contra Delitos Transnacionales de la Fiscalía y la Unidad Especial Anti-Pandillas Transnacionales y la policía ejecutaron 80 órdenes de allanamiento, arrestaron 40 personas, y notificaron 29 órdenes de arresto a personas en custodia, todos ellos miembros de las pandillas Calle 18 y MS-13. Se incautó drogas y un arma de fuego, y se radicaron por cargos de extorsión, asociación ilícita, conspiración para cometer asesinato y obstrucción a la justicia. En este caso hay cuatro compañías de transportistas víctimas de extorsión por un monto que asciende a $54,523
En Honduras, la operación conjunta OER se llevó a cabo en diferentes fases durante el periodo de una semana y resultó en el arresto de aproximadamente 75 miembros de las pandillas MS-13 y Calle 18, y la ejecución de más de 10 órdenes de allanamiento. Armas de fuego ilegales, teléfonos celulares, drogas y dinero fueron incautados. Los individuos arrestados fueron imputados con asociación ilícita, asesinato y conspiración para cometer asesinato, extorsión y narcotráfico.
El 9 de febrero de 2017, el Presidente Donald J. Trump emitió la Orden Ejecutiva Para Hacer Cumplir la Ley Federal Sobre las Organizaciones de Crímenes Transnacionales y Prevenir el Tráfico Internacional para desmantelar y erradicar las pandillas transnacionales que amenazan la seguridad de nuestras comunidades. Conforme a esa orden, el Departamento de Justicia ha hecho su prioridad el desmantelar las redes criminales transnacionales de tráfico de personas y pandillas incluyendo la MS-13.
Los esfuerzos anti-pandilla de Escudo Regional han conducido a la radicación de cargos criminales en contra de más de 11,000 miembros de pandillas desde el 2017, incluyendo líderes de pandillas a nivel nacional. Muchas de estas imputaciones incluyen la incautación de bienes pertenecientes a las pandillas incluyendo armas de fuego y dinero. También durante este tiempo más de una docena de redes involucradas en el tráfico y/o trata de personas fueron desmanteladas. La asistencia técnica provista por la Oficina Internacional para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Técnica del Departamento de Justicia (OPDAT) en la región de Centroamérica ha tenido un rol clave para reunir a los Fiscales Generales de El Salvador, Guatemala, y Honduras para desarrollar operaciones regionales enfocadas en combatir pandillas incluyendo la MS-13 y Calle 18, como también organizaciones transnacionales dedicadas al tráfico de personas. Además, como resultado de la asistencia técnica provista por OPDAT, los aliados del Departamento de Justicia en Centro América han fortalecido la cooperación y desarrollado las habilidades, herramientas y técnicas para maximizar resultados contra todo tipo de crimen organizado transnacional impactando la región y los Estados Unidos.
“Desde el 2017, se ha trabajado de manera conjunta y coordinada entre los países que conforman el triángulo norte y nuestro socio estratégico, los Estados Unidos de América,” dijo el Fiscal General de El Salvador Raúl Melara. “Para dar respuesta a la población salvadoreña y procurar que los criminales respondan ante la justicia, hemos reforzado el trabajo que realizan las Unidades Especializadas de la Fiscalía para ser efectivos en lucha contra el crimen organizado y estructuras terroristas. Estoy comprometido como Fiscal General a continuar en este esfuerzo coordinado. Solo lograremos erradicar el crimen transnacional uniendo esfuerzos regionales y continuando el trabajo conjunto.”
“Como Fiscal General de la República y Jefe del Ministerio Público, reafirmo mi compromiso en el combate de la delincuencia organizada transnacional, uno de los ejes primordiales de mi gestión,” dijo la Fiscal General de Guatemala María Consuelo Porras Argueta. “Para el efecto, hemos incrementado los esfuerzos para dar una respuesta efectiva a la población mediante la creación de la Fiscalía contra Delitos Transnacionales, la Unidad Especial Antipandillas Transnacionales, la Unidad Especial contra Delitos en Aeropuertos y Aerodromos, la suscripción de la declaración del Gurpo Asesor de Fiscales Generales del Triángulo Norte, la cual tengo a honra presidir; entre otras acciones estratégicas para combatir la delincuencia organizada transnacional con acciones frontales contra el narcotráfico, pandillas, crimen organizado y tráfico ilícito de migrantes.”
“Considero ante la amenaza regional que presentan estos delitos transnacionales, la respuesta debe ser de igual forma interagencial y regional,” dijo el Fiscal General de Honduras Oscar Fernando Chinchilla. “Solo de esta forma se puede neutralizar los efectos dañinos de estas organizaciones criminales.”
En El Salvador, Guatemala, y Honduras, las investigaciones de organizaciones criminales transnacionales se manejan por fiscales regionales anti-pandillas que reciben capacitaciones financiadas por el Departamento de Estado y asesoría por el Negociado Investigaciones Federales (FBI), la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (HSI), y la Oficina Internacional para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación Técnica del Departamento de Justicia (OPDAT). Con el apoyo de la Oficina de Narcóticos Internacionales y Asuntos de Aplicación de la Ley del Departamento de Estado (INL), los fiscales de OPDAT han ayudado a establecer fuerzas de tarea en la región y trabajan con las Unidades Transnacionales Anti-Pandillas (TAG) del FBI y también las Unidades de Investigaciones Criminales Transnacionales de HSI (TCIU). Estos esfuerzos han ayudado a nuestros aliados en Centroamérica a condenar a miles de criminales, confiscar más de USD$ 1 billón de activos ilícitos, y coordinar docenas de investigaciones transnacionales con sus homólogos de Estados Unidos.
Las agencias del orden público involucrados en esta última sexta operación OER incluyeron El Salvador’s Fiscalia General de la Republica (FGR) y la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC); Honduras Policía Nacional, la Dirección Nacional de Servicios Especiales de Investigación (DNSEI), Agencia Técnica de Investigaciones Criminales (ATIC), y Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y Pandillas (FNAMP) y Guatemala’s Fiscalía Contra Delitos Transnacionales, Fiscalía Contra el Delito de Extorsión, y la Unidad Especial Anti-Pandillas Transnacionales, Policía Nacional Civil, División Especializada en Investigación Criminal y División Nacional Contra las Pandillas de la Policía Nacional Civil.
En el 2020 el Departamento de Justica cumple sus 150 años de aniversario. Use el enlace para conocer más sobre la historia de nuestra institución, www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Boston Man Arrested Carrying Loaded Firearm at MBTA Station in BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested last night and charged with illegally carrying a loaded pistol. The defendant, who allegedly purchased a firearm and body armor, and material that could be used to assemble explosives, adheres to the anti-government/anti-authority sovereign citizen extremist ideology.
Pepo Herd El a/k/a Pepo Wamchawi Herd (El), 47, of Dorchester, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following an initial appearance, El was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 2, 2020.
According to the criminal complaint, El is suspected of compiling chemicals that can be used to manufacture explosives and has been under law enforcement surveillance.
It is alleged that in the early afternoon of Nov. 26, 2020, El took a bus from his house in Dorchester to the Ruggles MBTA station. At Ruggles, El was detained and searched pursuant to a search warrant. During that search, law enforcement discovered that El was in possession of a loaded pistol, three spare magazines that were also fully loaded, a knife and a bullet-proof vest. El was also wearing a security jacket although he is not believed to work as a security guard. Due to a 2004 state conviction for possessing firearms without permits, El is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The investigation remains ongoing.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 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 United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from the Boston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck and Benjamin Tolkoff of Lelling’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25 November 2020
Venezuelan Business Executive Charged in Connection with International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A dual Venezuelan-Italian citizen who controlled multiple companies via U.S. based bank accounts was charged in an indictment returned Tuesday for his role in laundering the proceeds of inflated contracts that were obtained by making bribe payments to officials at Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Tyler R. Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Natalino D’Amato, 61, of Venezuela, was charged in an 11-count indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida. D’Amato was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, four counts of international money laundering, three counts of promotional money laundering, and three counts of engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in January 2013 and continuing through December 2017, D’Amato conspired with others, including officials at joint ventures between PDVSA and various foreign companies in the oil-rich Orinoco belt of Venezuela, to launder the proceeds of an illegal bribery scheme to and from bank accounts located in South Florida. These joint ventures were majority owned and controlled by PDVSA. According to the indictment, D’Amato offered and paid bribes to numerous Venezuelan officials who worked at the PDVSA joint ventures in order to obtain highly inflated and lucrative contracts to provide goods and services to the PDVSA joint ventures. The indictment further alleges that over the course of the conspiracy, companies controlled by D’Amato received approximately $160 million from the PDVSA joint ventures into accounts he controlled in South Florida. According to the charges, D’Amato used a portion of those funds to make payments to or for the benefit of the Venezuelan officials.
The indictment also includes allegations seeking criminal forfeiture of bank accounts involved in the charged offenses, with funds totaling approximately $45 million.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the HSI Miami Field Office and IRS-CI Miami Field Office. Trial Attorney Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Berger of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne E. Rosen of the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
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 Youngstown men each sentenced to more than 15 years for multiple armed robberiesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced that Melvin Lee Jackson, 18, and Edgar Ramirez, 22, both of Youngstown, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson after they each pleaded guilty to committing a string of armed robberies at several locations in the Youngstown, Struthers and Boardman areas.
“Both of these men will now spend almost two decades behind bars for their actions that terrorized a community,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “The length of these sentences should show that pointing a gun at the head of innocent people simply trying to do their job and demanding money will put you in jail for a very long time.”
Melvin Lee Jackson was sentenced to 192 months imprisonment and required to pay $7,870.99 in restitution. Edgar Ramirez was sentenced to 228 months and ordered to pay $4,787.62 in restitution.
From December 17 to December 21, 2019, Jackson and Ramirez committed a series of armed robberies at a Speedway in Boardman, a Subway in Youngstown and a Kwik Fill in Struthers. During each robbery, Ramirez and Jackson held store employees at gunpoint, threatened violence and demanded money.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank investigators with the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center and the Youngstown, Boardman, and Struthers police departments for their cooperation with this matter. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Toepfer and Yasmine Makridis.
Swedish Medical Center First Hill settles allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in caring for patients who are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearingRead the Press Release
Seattle - The U.S. Department of Justice and Swedish Medical Center First Hill have settled allegations that the medical center violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its care and treatment of three different patients with vision and hearing impairments, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. Swedish will pay $50,000 to the government and $90,000 to the impacted individuals whose rights were violated. Swedish Medical Center First Hill will make significant changes to its policies and procedures and to its training programs to ensure it meets the needs of all patients who have hearing or visual impairments.
“In this, the 30th year of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is critical that all organizations—but especially health care providers—deliver services in a way that meets the needs of people with different impairments,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “I am pleased to see that Swedish is adopting a detailed plan to improve its services and will report back to my office on its ongoing efforts.”
The ADA mandates that public accommodations, including healthcare providers, provide auxiliary aids and services free of charge to patients who need them in order to communicate effectively. According to the settlement documents, on multiple occasions Swedish First Hill failed to provide qualified tactile or sign language interpreters to communicate with two patients who are deaf-blind and one who is deaf. The medical center failed to provide patient D.A. who is deaf‑blind with a qualified tactile interpreter necessary to effective communication on several occasions in 2018, including pre-surgical consultation, surgery, and post-surgical care. At times, D.A. was offered video remote interpreting (“VRI”), which relies on the ability to see a screen. In order to communicate at all, D.A.’s brother was put in the difficult position of serving as both a supportive companion and medical interpreter, a position for which he is not qualified. Swedish is paying D.A. $50,000 and his brother $10,000 as part of the settlement.
A second patient who is deaf-blind, B.V., also did not get a qualified tactile interpreter necessary to effective communication during his March 2019 visit to the emergency room and during his discharge from the hospital. B.V. was also offered VRI instead of a tactile interpreter. B.V. will receive $15,000 as part of the settlement.
Finally, the medical center failed to provide J.A. who is deaf with a qualified American Sign Language (“ASL”) interpreter necessary to effective communication during her post-surgical consultation/discharge meeting with her health care provider. J.A. is also receiving $15,000 as part of the settlement.
Under the terms of the settlement, Swedish will train staff on new procedures for ensuring qualified interpreters are present for patients who need them. The hospital will log the use of interpreters and provide that information to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months. Further, the medical center will notify the U.S. Attorney’s Office of any complaints alleging that Swedish First Hill failed to provide auxiliary aids and services to patients or companions who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing, or otherwise failed to provide effective communication with such patients or companions.
The investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Fogg. Ms. Fogg coordinates the Civil Rights Program for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sussex County Woman Charged with Concealing Terrorist Financing to Syrian Al-Nusra Front, a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman, Maria Bell, a/k/a “Maria Sue Bell,” 53, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, was arrested at her home today and charged with one count of knowingly concealing the provision of material support and resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey announced.
She is scheduled to appear by videoconference this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor.
According to documents filed in Court, beginning at least as early as March of 2017, Bell used mobile applications to communicate with and provide advice to fighters based in Syria who were members of various factions fighting the Assad regime. The complaint is centered on her communications with, and provision of money to, one specific fighter based in Syria, a self-identified member of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alias for the the designated Foreign Terrorist Organization the al-Nusra Front (ANF). Notably, Bell sent currency to this fighter via Western Union using an intermediary to conceal the source of the funds, and also provided him advice on weapons and ammunition.
The charge of concealment of terrorist financing to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean C. Sovolos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit with the assistance of the Department of Justice, National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sussex County Woman Charged with Concealing Terrorist Financing to Syrian Al-Nusra Front, a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, woman, was arrested at her home today in connection with concealing sending money to a Syrian foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Maria Bell, a/k/a “Maria Sue Bell,” 53, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of knowingly concealing the provision of material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. She is scheduled to appear by videoconference this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From February of 2017, Bell used encrypted applications to communicate with and provide advice to fighters based in Syria who were members of the al-Nusra Front (ANF), also known by other aliases, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), fighting the Assad regime. Bell communicated with and provided money to one self-identified member of HTS based in Syria, identified in the complaint as “User 1.” Bell sent currency to User 1 via Western Union, using an intermediary to conceal the source of the funds, and also provided him advice on weapons and ammunition.
In communications with HTS fighters, Bell cited her professional experience – including her specialized weapons training while on active duty in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard – to provide guidance concerning operational security issues, firearms purchases, and military knowledge. She had thousands of encrypted communications with User 1 about operational planning and provided details with regard to concealing payments sent to User 1.
User 1 made his status as an HTS fighter clear. In one communication, Bell and User 1 discussed User 1’s pledge to HTS and the ongoing Syrian conflict. Bell stated: “If Assad wins, mujahideen will be persecuted again,” and “If Assad wins, I cannot get a visa into Syria. I cannot come to you.” In the same communication, the defendant later asked User 1 if he was ready to fight:
Bell: Are you ready to fight in front line with other fighters? You are no longer young child like you used to be.
Bell: It will be frightening. But I am with you
In another communication, User 1, after discussing U.S. support for the Syrian regime, which HTS and other groups were fighting at the time, stated: “If you want to hit the Syrian airports, we will return to revenge within New York.” Later in the encrypted communication, Bell states “If there were ever an attack in New York, all Muslims and helpers like me will be arrested….”
Bell provided advice to User 1 regarding the purchase of a firearm and ammunition for User 1. They discussed the cost and type of weapons that would be good for User 1, in addition to various types of ammunition.
Bell also wired money, often at the direction of User 1, to individuals in Turkey and Syria who are supporters of HTS, knowing that the funds would support acts of terrorism by HTS. The defendant concealed the nature, location, and ownership of payments, sending at least 18 payments totaling $3,150 to several accounts used by User-1’s associates. In one communication, she expressed concern that her transfers could be tracked by U.S. law enforcement:
Bell: But I will not have my account watched more closely than it is already.
Bell: Each time I withdraw money, it is noted because Western Union is trying to track fraud and terrorists for the government.
The charge of concealment of terrorist financing to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean C. Sovolos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the Department of Justice, National Security Division.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Second Extradited Israeli Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Conducting Illegal Gambling Business, Money Laundering, and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Orel Gohar, 30, formerly of San Francisco, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conducting an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and failure to appear, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gohar participated in operating an organization that installed and maintained illegal video slot machines at businesses open to the public across Northern California. Gohar also participated in two different conspiracies to launder the proceeds of the lucrative gambling business through co-defendants’ other businesses. In total, Gohar participated in laundering at least $650,000.
Court documents also detail Gohar’s escape from the United States by charter jet through Mexico, France, and Israel. Gohar was first arrested on Dec. 8, 2017, in connection with his initial charges and granted pretrial release. On Jan. 8, 2018, he failed to appear in federal court for a hearing, and he remained a fugitive for nearly two years until his arrest in Israel in December 2019.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Israeli authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Eran Buhbut, 35, of Oakland, has also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. The remaining co-defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
Gohar is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge John A. Mendez on March 2, 2021. Gohar faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for the illegal gambling offense, 20 years in prison for each of the money laundering conspiracies, and five years in prison for the failure to appear (to be served consecutively to the other sentences imposed). The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Rumney Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Shane Thompson, 46, of Rumney, pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 4, 2019, law enforcement officers went to Thompson’s home to arrest him on outstanding warrants. Officers encountered Thompson as he was fleeing from them in the woods by his home. When officers arrested him, they found a handgun in his pocket. Officers obtained a warrant to search Thompson’s home and seized large quantities of ammunition as well as a .40 caliber magazine. As a convicted felon, Thompson is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2021.
“In order to protect the public from violent crime, we need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will continue to work closely with ATF, New Hampshire State Police and all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who violate federal law by illegally possessing firearms.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing EcstasyRead 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 Tomas Martinez-Devedia, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possessing with intent to distribute and distributing MDMA (Ecstasy). The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha Couslon, who is handling the case, stated that in June 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating the defendant's possession and distribution of controlled substances that he acquired via Bitcoin. On October 26 and December 3, 2018, HSI conducted controlled purchases of MDMA from Martinez-Devedia. On December 10, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at the defendant’s University Avenue apartment in Rochester. They recovered cutting agents, a scale, $4,990.00, multiple electronic devices, and three bags containing suspected ketamine.
The defendant was charged by a criminal complaint December 2018 and, following his initial appearance in District Court, was released on conditions, including that he not commit any offense in violation of federal, state, or local law. On January 6, 2020, Customs and Border Protection notified HSI that three international mail parcels originating in Barcelona, Spain, and destined for two addresses in the Rochester area, had been inspected and found to contain a brown chunky substance that field tested positive for MDMA. On January 10, 2020, members of the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted a controlled delivery of the three suspicious postal packages. Investigators then executed search warrants at the two locations. When questioned, the recipients of the packages advised investigators that the packages were supposed to be delivered to the defendant. Later that day, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of two parcels filled with sham to the defendant, who was arrested at that time.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Repeat Narcotics Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold narcotics out of his home near Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced November 24, 2020, to more than four years in federal prison.
Virgil Lee Hubbard, age 40, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute near a protected location. There was also a firearm found inside the residence.
At the guilty plea, Hubbard admitted he possessed at least five grams of pure ice methamphetamine with the intent to distribute or sell it. He possessed the meth and a gun at a home located near Loras College. This was not his first conviction for drug trafficking. Hubbard was previously convicted of distributing heroin within 1,000 feet of a park in Iowa.
Hubbard was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams. Hubbard was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hubbard 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 Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-1004.
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Rapid City Priest Sentenced to 7 Years and 9 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, Transportation of Stolen Money, and Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz, age 42, an ordained priest assigned to the Catholic Diocese in Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced on November 23, 2020 by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge, on fifty counts of Wire Fraud, nine counts of Money Laundering, one count of Transportation of Stolen Money, and five counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return. Garbacz was convicted in March 2020 following a week-long jury trial at the federal courthouse in Rapid City.
Garbacz was sentenced to 7 years and 9 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Garbacz was ordered to pay a $6,500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $258,696.19 in restitution to be split equally between three churches - St. Therese the Little Flower, Blessed Sacrament, and Cathedral of our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH), and $46,008 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
The evidence at trial established Garbacz, while employed as a priest and Chaplin with the Catholic Diocese in Rapid City, devised a scheme to steal cash collected from parishioners at various church services by secretly entering the areas in three parish churches where weekly donations were stored. Garbacz entered the church buildings late in the evening, removing and replacing special, tamper-proof bank bags, and making multiple same-day deposits totaling tens of thousands of dollars of stolen cash donations. Between 2012 and 2018, Garbacz stole $258,696.19 from St. Therese, Blessed Sacrament, and Cathedral OLPH Catholic Parishes in Rapid City. Garbacz also filed false tax returns for tax years 2013 through 2017.
Garbacz used the more than $250,000.00 in stolen donations to purchase for himself over a dozen gold-plated chalices, numerous bronze statues, a $10,000 diamond ring, a grand piano, Mont Blanc fountain pens, and other items.
Once he was made aware of the federal investigation, Garbacz drained his bank account of $50,500 and bought a one-way plane ticket to Poland. Fortunately, he was arrested by federal agents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in May 2019 just before his flight was to depart.
“Parishioners put their faith and trust in this man, and in return, he put their money in his pocket, all in the name of selfishness and greed. Marcin Garbacz not only betrayed the parishioners, he betrayed his fellow priests, so he could carry out his vendetta against the Catholic Church,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This office will always stand up and help protect victims of financial fraud, and I appreciate the hard work of the IRS, which worked tirelessly to investigate this case and Garbacz’s criminal behavior.”
“While serving as a priest from 2012 through 2018, Mr. Garbacz violated the trust of the members of St. Therese the Little Flower, Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Blessed Sacrament for his own personal gain. Now, as a convicted felon, it is time for Mr. Garbacz to face his community and pay back the money he stole from the three parishes plus pay 5 years of unpaid federal taxes to the IRS,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office remain committed to protect the integrity of the tax system and innocent victims that suffer monetary loss.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted and tried the case, and the investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Garbacz was immediately remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his custody sentence.
Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Indicted for Bank, Tax Fraud and Theft of Union Benefit FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Donald Dougherty, 54, of Philadelphia, PA, the owner of Dougherty Electric, Inc., (DEI) an electrical contracting business based in Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with multiple charges of bank fraud, tax fraud and theft from employee benefit plans. Also charged in the Indictment is Michael McKale, 47, of Warrington, PA, an accountant who worked for Dougherty, with counts related to tax fraud.
Specifically, Dougherty was charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, six counts of filing false tax returns, bank fraud, making a false statement to a bank, ten counts of filing false reports with unions, and 18 counts of failing to make contributions to union employee benefit funds on behalf of employees. McKale was charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and three counts of aiding and abetting the preparation and filing of false income tax returns.
According to the Indictment, Dougherty and his accountant, McKale, worked together to falsify corporate records so that Dougherty could pay less federal income tax than he was legally required to pay. The Indictment also charges that Dougherty gave his wife a no-show job at DEI, which paid $166,400 annually, mere weeks before she purchased a Jersey shore condominium for more than $900,000, and that he caused the falsification of corporate records in order to disguise her no-show salary as a legitimate business expense. In total, the defendant is charged with claiming a total of approximately $1.16 million in improper business expense deductions, causing a tax loss of approximately $416,300.
The Indictment further charges that in November 2015, Dougherty learned that the IRS had received an anonymous letter which reported that his wife had been given a no-show job and that DEI labor had renovated her condominium. Allegedly, after receiving that information, Dougherty filed amended income tax returns which removed certain improper business deductions but which still claimed false business deductions for his wife’s salary and car expenses. The Indictment alleges that McKale helped him commit this fraud while working remotely on DEI’s internal bookkeeping records by secretly changing properly recorded personal expenditures to make them appear to be business expenses in order to suppress Dougherty’s tax liability through fraud.
The Indictment also charges that Dougherty fraudulently represented to Wells Fargo Bank that he and his wife could not pay the mortgages on their $1.7 million South Philadelphia home, ultimately causing the bank to accept a one-time payment of $900,000 to settle the mortgages. However, according to the Indictment, Dougherty’s claims of financial distress were false and, in reality, DEI’s gross income increased from roughly $3 million in 2010 to about $23 million in 2013, causing the defendant’s personal income to surpass $2 million.
In addition to the above, the Indictment alleges that Dougherty committed multiple thefts from employee benefit plans. Specifically, the Indictment charges that Dougherty employed nonunion labor in Pittsburgh and paid them through a pass-through company created by his brother, all in order to avoid more than $500,000 in required contributions to the employee benefit fund of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 5 in Pittsburgh. The Indictment also alleges that Dougherty hired nonunion labor in Philadelphia and failed to pay $26,000 in contributions to IBEW Local 98’s employee benefit fund on their behalf.
“Donald Dougherty’s alleged schemes to enrich himself had multiple victims: hard-working union employees, bank stakeholders, and honest American taxpayers who pay their tax obligations,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Further, he found an accountant to help him defraud the IRS by secretly changing properly recorded expenses into fraudulent ones. And when the defendants thought their scheme might be uncovered, they allegedly cooked the books even further to cover their tracks. The wide-ranging fraud alleged in this Indictment displays greed compounded by more greed, and it will be met with criminal consequences befitting such audacious conduct.”
“Donald Dougherty and Michael McKale are suspected of falsifying financial records to hide Donald Dougherty’s use of his business as a personal piggy bank,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso. “Criminal behavior like this is a slap in the face to all hardworking Americans who pay their tax obligations. Rest assured that protecting the integrity of the tax system continues to be a top priority for IRS-CI, as we strive to ensure that everyone pays their fair share.”
“Donald Dougherty allegedly cheated the government, his bank, and his employees,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Simply put, anyone seeking to evade their legitimate financial obligations through blatant and willful deception needs to answer for that fraud.”
“Employers may not, by scheme or subterfuge, deprive their employees of the hard–earned contributions due their employee benefit plans. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and its law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate this activity and pursue criminal charges as warranted,” said Michael Schloss, Regional Director of EBSA’s Philadelphia Regional Office.
If convicted, Dougherty faces in excess of 200 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a $9,250,000 fine, and McKale faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul L. Gray and Frank R. Costello.