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13 November 2020
Haverhill Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today for illegal firearm and drug possession.
Kevin Gomez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Feb. 25, 2020, Gomez pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Between August 2019 and October 2019, during an undercover investigation, agents seized from Gomez approximately 80 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, a Tec-9 pistol, an AR-15 rifle and two other pistols.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and the Massachusetts State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Gang Members Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two local gang members were sentenced this week to nearly 16 years in prison combined for being felons in possession of firearms.
According to court documents, Davidro Leondre Smith, aka Kastor Troy, 30, and Dequan Leshawn McKee, aka The General, 23, both of Norfolk, are members of the Norfolk-based Cream/200K/2K criminal street gang.
In July 2019, Norfolk police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car driven by Smith, a five-time felon, with McKee in the passenger seat. Smith refused to stop and led several police vehicles on a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, Smith maneuvered around police vehicles stopped in the middle of the road and at one point drove in the opposite lane facing oncoming traffic. Smith and McKee finally abandoned the car in an apartment-complex parking lot, and police officers chased them on foot. While running from one of the officers, Smith drew his gun, brandished it, and tried to throw it into one of the apartments, but it bounced off the rear screen door. He then fought the pursuing officer, and was arrested after backup arrived. The arresting officer recovered from Smith roughly 7.1 grams of marijuana and 62 pills of varying colors and sizes, separated into three bags. Lab results confirmed the presence of Oxycodone.
The officers also recovered McKee’s handgun, which had been lying underneath the car’s front passenger floor mat, and his phone, which had been sitting on the front passenger seat, unlocked and recording on Facebook Live. The footage shows McKee sitting in the car’s passenger seat with his gun between his legs. It also shows McKee’s and Smith’s reactions at the moment the officers turned on their emergency lights to initiate the traffic stop—as they panic and discuss throwing drugs out of one of the car windows. Facebook friends of McKee who were viewing the live recording posted messages encouraging Smith and McKee to do so. McKee’s gun was one of 16 firearms that had been reported stolen from a federally licensed gun store a week earlier.
Smith was sentenced Tuesday to 120 months in prison, while McKee was sentenced today to 71 months.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Bloodline. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-18.
Former postal carrier sentenced to prison for stealing, selling meth & marijuana contained in mail packagesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former United States Postal Carrier was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in prison for stealing mail parcels that contained narcotics and then selling those narcotics in his neighborhood.
Ricky Lee Harris Germany, 33, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a detectable amount of marijuana.
According to court documents, Germany had been employed as a city postal carrier at the United States Postal Service’s Oakland Park Station in Columbus from 2013 until 2018.
In September 2018, investigators received information that Germany had stolen mail parcels containing marijuana while employed as a postal carrier. According to a complainant, Harris Germany stole more than 100 pounds of marijuana over the course of six months. The complainant stated Harris Germany would look for large parcels from California, Texas and Arizona and would check the packages on his lunch break to see if they contained drugs.
The investigation revealed Germany intercepted mail parcels on multiple occasions from delivery routes other than his assigned route. During a search of his residence, investigators discovered opened packages containing marijuana, THC oil and methamphetamine.
Germany admitted to stealing mail coming from out of state and selling stolen narcotics to people in his neighborhood.
Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) Eastern Area Field Office, stated: “Postal employees are paid to deliver the mail, not steal from it and sell drugs in our community. When employees like Germany choose to use their position to go into the drug dealing business, Special Agents with the USPS OIG will work with our law enforcement partners to arrest them and put them in federal prison. To report crimes committed by postal employees, or to report drug dealers using the postal system, contact us at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.”
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Special Agent in Charge Cleevely announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J.C. Grey represented the United States in this case.
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Former President of Private Tennis Academy Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former president of a private tennis academy in Texas was sentenced today in connection with his involvement in a scheme to use bribery to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities.
Martin Fox, 63, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three months in prison and 15 months of supervised release, with the first three months to be in home confinement. He must also complete 250 hours of community service. Fox was also ordered to pay a fine of $95,000 and forfeiture in the amount of $245,000. In November 2019, Fox pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.
In 2015, Fox introduced co-conspirator William “Rick” Singer to Michael Center, a tennis coach at the University of Texas (U-Texas). Center facilitated the admission of a son of one of Singer’s clients to U-Texas as a purported tennis recruit in exchange for a bribe. In return for assisting with the bribe transaction, Singer paid Fox $100,000.
Between 2015 and 2018, Fox also agreed with Singer and others to facilitate cheating on the ACT and SAT college entrance exams. Fox funneled bribe payments from Singer to Niki Williams, a test administrator for the ACT and SAT, for four of Singer’s clients. In exchange, Williams allowed another co-conspirator, Mark Riddell, to purportedly proctor the exams, despite knowing that Riddell was not proctoring the exam consistent with ACT and SAT requirements. Singer typically paid Fox $25,000 per exam, a portion of which Fox funneled to Williams.
Singer, Center, Williams and Riddell previously pleaded guilty. Singer, Williams and Riddell are pending sentencing, and Center was sentenced in February 2020 to six months in prison.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, Stephen E. Frank and Karin M. Bell of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Police Chief and Sheriff Candidate Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 13, 2020, Alexander P. Bebris (age: 51) of Denmark, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach for distribution of child pornography.
According to court records, in September of 2018, Facebook notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users had sent images of child pornography via its messenger system to another Facebook user account. The Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce launched an investigation and determined that the images were sent from an IP address in use at Bebris’s residence in Neenah. On December 19, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at Bebris’ residence, and an examination of Bebris’ computer revealed images of pornography involving children ranging in age from approximately one to fifteen years old.
Bebris spent his career in law enforcement, most recently as Public Safety Chief in Oakwood, Ohio. In 2018, he ran unsuccessfully for the position of Outagamie County Sheriff.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge and the need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, Bebris will spend six years on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s ICAC Task Force, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin W. Proctor and Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
414-297-1700
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Former Executive Vice President of J& R Manufacturing Sentenced to Prison Failing to Pay Taxes, False StatementsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va.- Teresa Barringer, the former executive vice present of J&R Manufacturing in Bluefield, Va., was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to serve three years in federal prison on charges of failing to pay taxes and making false statements. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement.
Barringer, 59, was convicted in December 2019 following a three-day jury trial of three counts of willfully failing to pay payroll taxes and three counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers.
According to court documents, Barringer failed to pay more than $175,000 in payroll taxes withheld from employees. In July 2019, Barringer lied to federal agents when questioned about her employment and forms she falsely completed to make 401(k)withdrawals. At sentencing, the District Court found Barringer lied under oath when testifying during her trial.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan and Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Former Employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs Pleads Guilty to the Misuse of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Edwin Torres Arenas (49, Oviedo) has pleaded guilty to seven counts of stealing government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, over the course of two years, Torres Arenas misused vehicles rented through the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Short Term Rental Program (STR) on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and, in so doing, caused a loss of $58,114.12 to the VA. In or about October 2017, Torres Arenas began renting STR vehicles for his personal use, in violation of the STR program policy, and converted rentals associated with seven government contract bids to his own use. Torres Arenas also loaned STR rentals to his family members and provided them with the fuel cards assigned to their respective STR vehicles. Torres Arenas and his family incurred toll fees and utilized the fuel cards to fuel their respective STR rentals, the costs of which were charged to the VA.
Torres Arenas also caused a car accident with one of the STR rentals. The damage from this accident resulted in the total loss of that STR vehicle, the cost of which was also charged to the VA.
“VA employees are public servants who owe a solemn duty to the veterans they serve,” said David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge of VA OIG’s Southeast Field Office. “Today’s guilty pleas by the defendant demonstrate VA OIG’s commitment to holding accountable anyone who abuses the public trust. VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and GSA OIG for their strong partnership in this important matter.”
"GSA OIG is committed to preserving the integrity of GSA programs such as the GSA Fleet Short-Term Rental Program, which is intended to supply federal agencies with easy, one stop access to vehicles and equipment," stated Floyd Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of GSA OIG's Southeast and Caribbean Field Office. "We will continue to work with our investigative partners in pursuing those individuals who fraudulently exploit GSA programs for personal benefit and financial gain."
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.Former Director of Security sentenced to prison for defrauding hospital to acquire firearmsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Russell Richardson has been sentenced for fraudulently using hospital funds to acquire 93 firearms for profit as well as his personal use.
“Richardson abused his position as the hospital’s Security Director and manipulated the system to acquire firearms for his personal benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He fraudulently caused the hospital to spend money that should have gone towards the purchase of medical necessities, not to line his pockets.”
“Mr. Richardson betrayed the trust of his position” said Arthur Peralta, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Atlanta. “This sentence should send a strong message to anyone who would set aside their values, ethics and common sense in a similar fashion.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: While Richardson was the Director of Security at DeKalb Medical Center, Inc., he received authorization to purchase a few firearms for the Security Department. Between June 2016 and April 2018, Richardson placed additional orders for approximately 93 firearms and falsely represented to the vendor that the firearms were likewise for the department.
The vendor invoiced the hospital for the additional firearms and provided the invoices to Richardson. He then fraudulently caused the hospital to mail payments to the vendor by submitting fake invoices that listed false descriptions of the items purchased. Richardson took possession of all the firearms and sold many them for 100% profit while keeping some for use in gun classes he taught.
Russell Richardson, 44, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to one year, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $83,275.21.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracia M. King prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Felon with Firearm Who Fled from Ocala Police Sentenced to More Than Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Kayden James Billings (22, Oxford) to four years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Billings had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.
According to court records, in February 2020, Billings was released from state prison following three separate convictions. On April 11, 2020, a female companion drove Billings to an Ocala gas station. She ran inside to ask the clerk to summon police because Billings had been battering her and threatening her with a firearm. Two officers from the Ocala Police Department quickly responded and Billings fled from the gas station on foot. As he ran across Pine Avenue, Billings discarded a loaded .45 caliber handgun, along with his driver license. Billings surrendered after the pursuing officer caught up with him and threatened to deploy a Taser. The firearm, which had been previously reported stolen in Marion County, was identified by the victim as the same one Billings had used to threaten and batter her.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This is another case as 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. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Felon with Firearm Who Fled from Citrus County Deputies Sentenced to 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Eric Lee Sputa (33, Homosassa) to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sputa had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.
According to court documents, on May 26, 2020, a detective with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office observed Sputa on a motorcycle, with no license plate, driving at a high rate of speed. Sputa evaded the detective by speeding away and refusing to stop. Approximately one hour later, Sputa was spotted again and attempted to flee a second time. Sputa fled down a dead end street and was blocked by the pursuing detective. Sputa tried to pass the detective, and in doing so, crashed his motorcycle into a fence and the detective’s patrol car, thereby disabling the motorcycle.
At the time of the incident, Sputa possessed 1.5 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded .25 caliber pistol. Sputa has multiple felony convictions, the most recent occurring in 2019. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Sputa admitted to fleeing because he did not want to go back to jail.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This is another case prosecuted as 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. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Felon Who Stole and Resold Firearm Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced James Matthew Johnson (32, Summerfield) to 40 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on August 10, 2020.
According to court records, Johnson was a suspect in a case involving a firearm stolen from a vehicle on May 7, 2020. On May 18, 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home and recovered heroin and other firearms belonging to the occupants. Johnson, who is a convicted felon, admitted to stealing and reselling the firearm to another person to pay for drugs. Upon further investigation, deputies recovered the firearm—a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol—that Johnson had illegally transferred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This is another case prosecuted as 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. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to 41 Months for Laundering Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Thomas Hopes was sentenced to 41 months in prison for conspiring to launder drug-trafficking proceeds between 2017 and 2019, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Hopes, age 29, formerly of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan directed that 15 months of the 41-month prison sentence be served consecutively to the federal prison sentence Hopes was serving at the time of the crime. Hopes’s prior federal prison sentence was for conspiring to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin. He was serving that sentence at FCI-Elkton in Ohio when he committed the money-laundering crime between 2017 and 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. OCDETF was established in 1982 to support comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. It is the keystone of the drug reduction strategy of the Department of Justice. By combining the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their state and local law enforcement partners, OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations.
Federal Indictment Charges Grundy County Man with Illegally Possessing Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Grundy County man has been indicted in federal court in Chicago on charges he illegally possessed explosive devices and handguns.
JOHN FEENEY, 30, of Minooka, is charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of illegal possession of an explosive by a convicted felon, one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device, and one count of carrying explosives during the commission of a felony.
According to the indictment, Feeney illegally possessed two handguns and three explosives on Jan. 25, 2020, in Morris. The explosives included a 4-inch diameter cardboard aerial shell containing perchlorate explosives and black powder; a 2-inch diameter cardboard aerial shell containing perchlorate explosives; and a 2-inch diameter cardboard aerial shell secured to a plastic cup and containing metal Phillips head bits, cut copper wire, and perchlorate explosives, the indictment states. Feeney was previously convicted of a felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm or explosive.
The indictment was returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Feeney is currently in law enforcement custody. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen deTineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cornelius Vandenberg.
The count of carrying explosives during the commission of a felony includes a mandatory ten-year prison sentence that must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed for the three other counts, each of which is punishable by up to ten years.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal Charge: For $10,000, Murder Would Look Like RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas City, Kan., men have been charged in federal court here with offering to kill a man for $10,000 and make it look like robbery, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Miguel A. Pizarro, 20, and Brian Pizarro, 19, both of Kansas City, Kan., are charged with traveling from Kansas to Missouri for the purpose of carrying out a contract killing.
According to an affidavit by a member of an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives task force, the Pizarro brothers planned to shoot the victim from a distance with an AR-15 rifle and then steal the victim’s billfold. The murder never happened because what the defendants did not know is they were dealing with an undercover sting operation carried out by federal agents and a detective from the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department who was assigned to an ATF task force.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing,” U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. “The price of a man’s life is set at $10,000. A would-be hitman offers a description of a previous killing as his credentials for the job. The defendants don’t even ask why the victim is to be killed.”
James Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City Field Division, said: “This case embodies ATF’s core mission of holding armed, violent criminals accountable for their actions. Investigations such as this one are making our communities safer places to live, work and play.”
In documents filed in federal court, prosecutors allege the investigation began in Kansas City, Kan., in June 2020 with a series of meetings arranged by the Pizarro brothers during which undercover investigators were able to buy guns, including a .40-caliber Glock pistol, a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol, an HS Produkt .45-caliber pistol and a Glock 9 mm pistol. During one of the transactions, Miguel Pizarro said one of the guns he was selling was “dirty.” In subsequent meetings with an undercover agent, the Pizarro brothers admitted their involvement in two separate Kansas City, Kansas homicides.
The ATF conducted ballistic testing and matched shell casings from a homicide with one of the guns they bought from the Pizarros.
During a subsequent conversation, the undercover agent asked Miguel Pizarro if he had someone he trusted for a possible job. Pizarro said he trusted his brother. Brian Pizarro was known to police in Kansas City, Kan., as an F-13 gang member. The ATF undercover told both Pizarros that he needed someone to perform an execution and make it look like a robbery. The Pizarros said they were the ones for the job.
The undercover agent told the Pizarros that the murder was to be carried out in Springfield, Mo. The Pizarros said they would charge $10,000 for the two of them to do the killing, or $15,000 if they had to bring along a third person.
On Nov. 4, 2020, the undercover officer met in his car with the Pizarros. He gave Brian Pizarro $800 as a down payment. The Pizarros said they would drive a stolen to car to Springfield and would expect the rest of the payment after the murder.
On Nov. 9, 2020, the Pizarro brothers were arrested in Springfield after arriving there armed to carry out the murder.
If convicted, the defendants could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Essex County Man Admits Role in Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted robbing five banks between October 2018 and January 2019, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Myron Anderson, 40, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with five counts of bank robbery and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Anderson admitted robbing the following banks:
Bank
Location
Date
Bank of America
Florham Park, New Jersey
Oct. 1, 2018
TD Bank
Hackensack, New Jersey
Nov. 13, 2018
Provident Bank
Bridgewater, New Jersey
Nov. 14, 2018
Chase Bank
Nanuet, New York
Nov. 15, 2018
TD Bank
Franklin, New Jersey
Jan. 14, 2019
In each of the bank robberies, Anderson walked into the banks with a hat pulled down closely over his eyes to shield his face from view and presented the teller with a note demanding money be placed in an envelope. Anderson intimidated the tellers, who, fearing for their safety, complied and handed Anderson money. In each instance, Anderson took evasive actions in travelling to and from the banks so as not to get caught.
Each count of bank robbery in which Anderson is charged carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2021.
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 today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Florham Park, Hackensack, Bridgewater, and Franklin police departments in New Jersey and the Clarkstown, New York, police department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Scrivo of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
El Dorado Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
El Dorado, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that on November 10, 2020, Thomas Lovett, 36, of El Dorado, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.
In July 2019, as part of an ongoing operation targeting South Arkansas drug traffickers, agents of the FBI and the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine that was arranged and facilitated by Lovett.
Lovett was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2019, and entered a guilty plea in May of 2020.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the El Dorado Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
Effingham County man sentenced to federal prison for distributing illegal drugs via U.S. MailRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: An Effingham County man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for a scheme to buy and sell illegal drugs online and through the U.S. Mail.
Sheldon Kennedy, 32, of Springfield, Ga., was sentenced to 135 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after pleading guilty to Possession With Intent to Distribute Tapentadol, a synthetic opioid; Use of a Communications Facility (U.S. Mail); and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Kennedy must serve three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Sheldon Kennedy clearly didn’t learn his lesson the first time he went to prison as an illegal drug distributor,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Years behind bars will protect the community from his poison.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Kennedy – who previously spent time in prison after his conviction for drug trafficking via the notorious Silk Road site on the dark web – attracted the attention of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in August 2019 because of suspicious domestic and international shipments routed through various addresses, airports and drop boxes.
Kennedy was arrested during a traffic stop on Sept. 16, 2019, and during a subsequent search of his residence, investigators seized thousands of miscellaneous pills, along with computers and memory devices, an AR-style rifle and ammunition, and materials for packaging and shipping. Agents also intercepted multiple packages of controlled substances shipped through post offices in Springfield and Savannah.
“This case highlights that if the mail is involved, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will tirelessly work to track down suspects near and far, even through the perceived anonymity of the Dark Web, to bring them to justice,” said Antonio Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“Criminals can’t hide from justice even on the dark web,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Kennedy’s tangled web that distributed poison, helping fuel the opioid crisis, is thankfully dismantled and I am proud of the great work done in this case by HSI and its federal, state and local partners.”
“This case provides a prime example of the results of collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who all have a common goal of protecting the American public,” said Donald F. Yando, Atlanta Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations. “CBP is proud to be involved in these efforts to keep drugs off the streets.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Pennington and Organized Crime Drug Task Force Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Dominican Republic National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-entering United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI- United States Attorney, Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Eilin Castillo Montano of the Dominican Republic pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States after being ordered deported and removed.
According to court documents, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer received information from a credible source of information that an individual who was previously deported from the United States was back in St. Thomas.
Criminal and immigration records checks revealed that on April 19, 2016, Eilin Castillo Montano was removed from the United States by immigration officials to his native country of the Dominican Republic, following a federal conviction for possessing a firearm by an illegal alien on August 31, 2015, in the United States District Court of the Virgin Islands.
On August 10, 2020 an ICE deportation officer found the defendant in St. Thomas and took him into custody. He was transported to the ICE office where he confessed to illegally reentering the United States.
The defendant will be sentenced at a later date.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
Department of Justice Acts to Stop Sale of “Nano Silver” Product as Treatment for Covid-19Read the Press Release
The United States filed suit to halt the sale by a New Jersey entity of an unapproved “nano silver” product previously touted as a COVID-19 treatment, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a civil complaint for permanent injunction filed November 13, 2020 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States alleged that Natural Solutions Foundation, Dr. Rima Laibow, and Ralph Fucetola sold and distributed a nano silver product that the defendants claim will cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent COVID-19. Defendants’ nano silver product purportedly contains silver particles in a solution. According to the government’s complaint, nano silver is not generally recognized as safe and effective by qualified experts for the use promoted by the defendants.
“The Department of Justice will not allow individuals to take advantage of the ongoing public health emergency by peddling unproven, unapproved drugs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work closely with the Food and Drug Administration to halt the illegal sale of such products during this pandemic.”
“FDA will not hesitate to take strong action to enforce the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and protect the public from the unlawful distribution of products that have not been shown to be safe and effective in treating or preventing COVID-19,” said FDA Chief Counsel Stacy Amin. “Distributors of such products—especially those such as the defendants in this case, who have a history of violating the Act and, despite warning, failed to take prompt voluntary action to sufficiently correct their conduct—place unsuspecting American consumers at risk by offering their unproven products to treat serious diseases like COVID-19.”
The complaint alleges that the defendants introduced an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce, and that the disease claims defendants make lack support from well-controlled clinical studies or other credible scientific substantiation. Additionally, the complaint asserts that, because defendants’ product does not have adequate directions for lay users, the product is misbranded.
On May 19, 2020, FDA issued a joint Warning Letter with the Federal Trade Commission notifying the defendants that they violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by, among other things, distributing unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs in interstate commerce. According to the complaint, the defendants removed certain claims regarding the nano silver product from their public-facing websites but failed to remove others.
In two other recent actions, the Department of Justice worked with FDA and other partners to halt the sale of silver products touted as COVID-19 treatments. In May, a federal court in the Eastern District of Oklahoma entered a temporary restraining order and then a preliminary injunction against Xephyr LLC, doing business as N-Ergetics, and its owners to stop the distribution of a colloidal silver product the defendants claimed would cure, mitigate, or treat COVID-19. In July, prosecutors obtained an indictment against Utah resident Gordon H. Pedersen alleging that he posed as a doctor to promote an ingestible silver-based product as a COVID-19 cure. In a related case, the company Pedersen previously co-owned, My Doctor Suggests LLC, agreed to plead guilty to a one-count criminal information.
The enforcement action is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Brianna M. Gardner of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Deputy Chief of the Government Fraud Section David Dauenheimer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Jaclyn Martínez Resly of the FDA, Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove to receive a permanent injunction against the defendants.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj. For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, consumers may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO websites.
The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or by e-mailing the NCDF at [email protected]
Coralville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding GovernmentRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa — On Thursday, November 12, 2020, United States District Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Walkesha Shavon Jamison, age 41, of Coralville to fifteen months in prison for Concealment of Events Affecting Benefits, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Following her prison term, Jamison was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay $161,627.76 to the Commissioner of Social Security and $31,727.64 to the Iowa City Housing Authority in restitution, as well as pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
This investigation began in 2017 when the Social Security Administration (SSA) learned Jamison obtained employment in 2015, which she failed to report while she was receiving government benefits. This employment information, coupled with a psychiatric analysis, was inconsistent with Jamison’s reports of disability to SSA. An investigation concluded Jamison fraudulently obtained the diagnoses upon which her benefits were premised and SSA officially terminated the benefits in 2018. Further, Jamison obtained benefits from the Iowa City Housing Authority, which were funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jamison obtained these benefits partially as a result of her fraudulent SSA disability claim and through other false statements. In total, the loss amount to these federal programs attributed to Jamison was $193,355.40.
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Columbus man charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man has been charged federally with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The charge was filed against Angelo S. Blackwell, 22, this afternoon. Blackwell has a prior burglary felony offense at the local level, as well as two currently pending firearms charges.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on Nov. 12, special agents and task force officers with ATF were conducting surveillance related to an ongoing investigation into two armed carjackings and a burglary of a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) that resulted in the theft of 16 firearms.
Officers conducted a traffic stop of Blackwell when he allegedly fled in his vehicle, according to the court document.
The affidavit details that while fleeing from the officers, Blackwell was traveling west on E. Fulton Street and made a left hand turn (southbound) on Kelton Ave., which is a one way, northbound street. Just through the turn it is alleged Blackwell collided with a vehicle driven by an ATF agent who was traveling northbound on Kelton Ave.
According to the affidavit, Blackwell was observed in possession of a firearm. He allegedly jumped out of the vehicle and began to run with the firearm visible in his right hand, in the direction of other uniformed CPD officers and citizens. An ATF agent fired his weapon and struck Blackwell.
The agent’s use of force will be subject to routine review by the ATF’s Force Review Branch in D.C. and by the Columbus Division of Police’s Critical Incident Response Team.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Owner of Architecture Firm Indicted for Bribery and ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the owner of an architecture firm were arrested today and charged in connection with a bribery scheme involving plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton.
Cedric Cromwell, 55, of Attleboro, the Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and David DeQuattro, 54, of Warwick, R.I., were each indicted on two counts of accepting or paying bribes as an agent (or to an agent) of an Indian tribal government and one count of conspiring to commit bribery. Cromwell was also indicted on four counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion. The defendants will make initial appearances via videoconference this afternoon.
“The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Many American Indians face a host of difficult financial and social issues. They require - and deserve - real leadership. But it appears that Cromwell’s priority was not to serve his people, but to line his own pockets. We will continue to aggressively investigate public corruption, including by those who purport to serve our American Indian tribes.”
“Instead of working honestly on behalf of the Mashpee Wampanoags as their duly elected representative, Cedric Cromwell is accused of using his position as Chairman of the Tribe to enrich himself by extorting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and engaging in a conspiracy with David DeQuattro to commit bribery. These allegations are extremely troubling and indicate a disdain for the rule of law,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Both men’s alleged actions undercut the efforts of hard-working tribe members and betrayed their trust. Cases like this fuel our commitment to rooting out public corruption, and as our investigation continues, we urge anyone with information to contact us.”
According to the indictment, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Gaming Authority, led by Cromwell, contracted with an architecture-and-design company, owned by DeQuattro, in connection with the Tribe’s plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton. Between approximately July 26, 2014 and May 18, 2017, the architecture firm, through DeQuattro, provided Cromwell with a stream of payments and in-kind benefits valued at $57,549, and, in exchange, the architecture firm was paid approximately $4,966,287 under its contract with the Gaming Authority.
It is alleged that the payments to Cromwell included $44,000 in personal checks written by DeQuattro to CM International Consulting LLC, an entity owned by a friend of Cromwell. Cromwell directed his friend to deposit DeQuattro’s checks and use the funds to buy treasurer’s checks payable to either Cromwell or a shell entity that Cromwell had incorporated called One Nation Development. DeQuattro also wrote one $10,000 personal check directly to One Nation Development. The indictment alleges that Cromwell spent all of the money on personal expenses, including payments to his mistress. The president of the architecture firm authorized and signed company checks reimbursing DeQuattro for his payments to Cromwell, falsely characterizing the reimbursements as payroll expenses to conceal what they really were.
The alleged in-kind benefits included a used Bowflex Revolution home gym that DeQuattro and the architecture company’s president bought for Cromwell and had delivered to his home. They also agreed to pay for Cromwell’s weekend stay at a Boston hotel after Cromwell texted that he wanted DeQuattro to “get me a nice hotel room at the Four Seasons or a suite at the Seaport Hotel” for his birthday weekend, adding, “I am going to have a special guest with me.”
The charge of paying a bribe to an agent of an Indian tribal government, or being an agent of an Indian tribal government who accepts a bribe, provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiring to commit bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of extortion under color of official right and conspiring to commit extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Lelling and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Attleboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bowie County Man Sentenced to Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A 32-year-old Bowie County, Texas, man has been sentenced to prison for distribution of child pornography in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.
Troy Dewayne Daniels pleaded guilty on August 6, 2020, to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III. Judge Schroeder also ordered Daniels to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender.
According to information presented in court, in October 2019, Daniels used social media apps to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer. During the conversation, Daniels described his progress in grooming a female child for sexual exploitation, including stating that he was “hoping” to go “[a]ll the way” with her. During the conversation, Daniel admitted to the undercover officer that he had been looking at pictures and videos of younger girls “for a while.” Daniels then sent the undercover officer an image of child pornography claiming that the prepubescent female child depicted looked like the child he had been grooming. Daniels did so in exchange for nonpornographic images of the undercover officer’s (fictional) daughter. Several days later, Daniels reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he could “play” with the officer’s (fictional) daughter on Snapchat. In November 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Daniels’s home. Inside, officers found electronic devices containing more than 600 images of child pornography. The images found depicted prepubescent minors, sadistic or masochistic abuse or other depictions of violence, and depictions of the sexual exploitation of infants and toddlers.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug distribution charges.
David A. Wood, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 16, 2021. Wood was charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 19, 2019.
According to the charging documents, Wood distributed fentanyl in Boston on Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 2019, distributed crack cocaine in Boston on Dec. 10, 2019, and on Dec. 19, 2019, possessed fentanyl in Boston with the intent to distribute it.
The charge of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today.
This case is part of 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.
Bank Heist Sends Waterloo Felon to Federal Prison for over a DecadeRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who robbed a bank five days after committing an armed robbery of a convenience store was sentenced on November 12, 2020, to 13 years in federal prison. Lucas Raymond Thompson, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 2, 2020 guilty plea to one count of bank robbery.
Information from a plea agreement and the sentencing hearing showed that Thompson robbed a Waterloo bank of $1,589 on October 25, 2018. Thompson was wearing a tight black hoodie over his face and sunglasses with blue lenses. He was carrying a cloth bag. Thompson demanded that a teller put money in the bag and, when the teller was not doing so fast enough for Thompson, grabbed at something under his jacket and said, “don’t make me pull it out.” The teller believed Thompson had a gun. Thompson then escaped in a truck driven by another person. Later in the day, an employee of a store near the bank saw the same truck and followed it through Waterloo. The employee relayed the truck’s license plate to law enforcement, and law enforcement later arrested Thompson.
Before his federal prosecution, Thompson was convicted in state court for committing an armed robbery of a convenience store in Waterloo on October 20, 2020, just five days before the bank robbery. In that case, Thompson pointed a firearm at the clerk’s head. Thompson was sentenced to at least seven years’ imprisonment in state court for the convenience store robbery.
Thompson has an extensive criminal history, including eight prior convictions for burglary and two prior convictions for robbery. At the time Thompson robbed the bank, he was on parole or probation in five different cases. He was paroled from an Iowa state prison less than three months before he robbed the convenience store and the bank.
Thompson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Thompson was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment for the bank robbery, to run consecutively to Thompson’s seven year sentence in state court for the robbery of the convenience store. He was ordered to make $1,589 in restitution to the bank. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the federal prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson 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 Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2010.
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Austin Bank Robber's "Wild Ride" Ends in Lengthy Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
After describing his crime spree as a “wild ride,” 60-year-old Austin bank robber Rodney Glenn Green careened into a 35-year federal prison sentence today announced U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, Houston Division; Austin Police Chief Brian Manley; and San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman imposed Green’s sentence in United States District Court in Austin.
On January 15, 2020, a federal jury convicted Green of five counts of bank robbery, five counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm after the jury found that Green robbed multiple Austin-area banks in 2018.
The evidence showed that while wearing a homemade mask, Green took a total of over $35,000 from four banks during the course of five robberies as follows:
- January 24, 2018 – approximately $4,000 from Chase Bank in Austin;
- February 8, 2018 – approximately $3,337 from BBVA Compass Bank in Austin;
- February 24, 2018 – approximately $11,939 from BBVA Compass Bank in Austin;
- April 7, 2018 – approximately $5,495 from BB&T Bank in Austin; and
- April 28, 2018 – approximately $10,841 from Bank of America in San Marcos.
Green committed all five bank robberies in a similar manner. While wearing gloves, a mask, and a dark hooded sweatshirt or jacket, he brandished a small semi-automatic handgun while demanding money from bank tellers. Approximately a day after the last of the five robberies, police officers and federal agents apprehended Green and searched his hotel room, vehicle, and storage unit pursuant to search warrants. In addition to finding currency still wrapped in bank straps that Green had in a bag on his person, law enforcement discovered a number of distinctive items in Green’s possession that were visible on surveillance images of the robberies.
From the storage unit police recovered a black hooded sweatshirt that appeared to match the one worn by the robber. They also found a small semi-automatic handgun with Green’s fingerprint on the magazine along with two pairs of work gloves recognizable from the surveillance images due to brand names and logos printed on the backs of the gloves. A pair of gloves recovered from Green’s vehicle was stained with pink dye, apparently from a dye pack that was among the bills that Green took from one of the robberies. The police also recovered a distinctive homemade mask that appeared to match the mask the robber wore during two of the robberies. The mask was located inside of a sleeve of the sweatshirt recovered from Green’s storage unit.
The FBI; Central Texas Violent Crimes Task Force; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Austin Police Department; and San Marcos Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Harding, Gabriel Cohen, Alan Buie, and Robert Almonte prosecuted this case for the government.
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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.
Aurora Felon Sentenced to Nearly 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing 14 Firearms, Including Two Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Jeffrey Mons Olson, age 50, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to serve nearly 7 years (80 months) in federal prison, followed by 3 years on supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Olson appeared at the hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) joined in the announcement.
Olson was a convicted felon being supervised by the Colorado Department of Adult Parole. According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on March 28, 2019, Parole officers were conducting surveillance on Olson as part of a criminal investigation. During the surveillance, parole officers observed Olson at a storage locker in Aurora. They later contacted Olson at his home where they searched his Dodge Ram truck. They located a loaded firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers also discovered a black duffle bag behind the driver’s seat with four additional firearms. Four of the five recovered firearms in the truck were loaded and previously reported stolen.
On March 29, 2019, investigators with the Denver Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) went to the storage locker in Aurora, which had been rented by Olson’s wife. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the locker where agents and officers seized nine additional firearms, including two semi-automatic rifles and seven handguns and various calibers of ammunition.
“Mr. Olson wasn’t just a convicted felon with a gun. He had an arsenal of high powered weapons and ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “He will now spend a long time in federal prison, and the community is safer for it.”
“Olson has a lengthy history that clearly demonstrates he has no regard for the law, as today’s sentence shows,” said Steven Cagen, special agent in charge, HSI Denver. “ HSI and our law enforcement partners, working together, will investigate and ultimately bring to justice all those who seek to disregard our nation’s laws.”
U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore pronounced Olson’s sentence on November 10, 2020. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on September 5, 2019. He pleaded guilty on December 23, 2019. This case was investigated by HSI, the Colorado Department of Adult Parole and the Denver Police Department. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Flanigan.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 19-cr-395.
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.
Attorney General William P. Barr Honors Department of Justice Employees and Others for the 68th Annual Attorney General’s Awards; Two San Diego Prosecutors Receive RecognitionRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9408
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 13, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Attorney General William P. Barr has announced the recipients for the 68th Annual Attorney General’s Awards, recognizing Department of Justice employees and partners for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws.
Of the 267 recipients, 240 DOJ employees received awards while 27 non-department individuals are also being honored for their work. This year, due to coronavirus restrictions, Attorney General Barr is honoring recipients virtually.
“I am honored to recognize the recipients of this year’s Attorney General’s Awards, whose tireless work and steadfast dedication have proven critical to enforcing the rule of law and protecting all Americans,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Those honored have demonstrated exceptional efforts and made tremendous personal sacrifices throughout their time working at the Department of Justice, and for that, I am truly thankful.”
In San Diego, David Leshner and Todd W. Robinson were awarded the John Marshall Award in the Trial of Litigation category. The John Marshall Awards are the highest DOJ awards offered to attorneys, recognizing extraordinary contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. Thirteen awards in nine categories are being presented this year.
Leshner and Robinson were recognized for successfully trying and convicting multiple defendants who murdered U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Over a 10-year period, Leshner and Robinson doggedly and successfully sought justice for the family of Agent Terry, who was murdered in 2010 by an armed group of illegal alien bandits. Due to the staggered extradition of the defendants responsible for the murder of Agent Terry, Leshner and Robinson successfully conducted two lengthy and high-stakes trials, obtaining convictions and life sentences for those responsible for Agent Terry’s death.
“These are two of the finest lawyers in our district, a fact that is demonstrated by their high level leadership positions in this office,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “David Leshner currently serves as our Criminal Division Chief, and Todd Robinson was a highly regarded Senior Litigation Counsel before the Senate confirmed him as a U.S. District Court judge on September 16, 2020. Their work on this case exemplifies the best of what DOJ stands for: honor, integrity, professionalism, skill and the wholehearted dedication to seeking justice for a fallen law enforcement officer.”
For a list of all recipients, please see https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-honors-department-justice-employees-and-others-68th-annual.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III Receives Attorney General AwardRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey is pleased to announce that Assistant United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, has received the Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility. This award is one of several honors recently announced by Attorney General William P. Barr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hamilton joins other recipients of the 68th Annual Attorney General’s Awards, recognizing Department of Justice employees and partners for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws.
In announcing the awards, Attorney General Barr said, “I am honored to recognize the recipients of this year’s Attorney General’s Awards, whose tireless work and steadfast dedication have proven critical to enforcing the rule of law and protecting all Americans. Those honored today have demonstrated exceptional efforts and made tremendous personal sacrifices throughout their time working at the Department of Justice, and for that, I am truly thankful.”
U.S. Attorney Overbey added, “We are delighted a member of our team has been recognized by Attorney General Barr for his contributions to the rule of law and the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hamilton is most deserving of this award.”
The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility recognizes Justice Department attorneys who have made significant contributions in the area of professional responsibility by successfully handling a sensitive and challenging professional responsibility issue in an exemplary fashion and/or leading efforts to ensure that department attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct.This year’s Claudia J. Flynn Award was presented to Senior Legal Advisor Patrice M. Mulkern, Professional Responsibility Advisory Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee; Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecil VanDevender, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, and; Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony R. Arvin, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
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Anchorage Man Sentenced to More than 13 Years in Prison for Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Kek Nyathor Bol, 22, of Anchorage, was sentenced to 157 months imprisonment for bank robbery and discharging a firearm during separate violent crimes on June 1, 2019, and June 15, 2019. Senior U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline also ordered Bol to serve a five year period of supervised release after his prison sentence.
As part of a plea agreement, Bol admitted to entering a Cash America store on Gambell Street in Anchorage on June 1, 2019, with a Glock pistol. He fired a shot into the ceiling, threatened to shoot the employees if they called the police, and then escaped with approximately $383.75 in cash.
Two weeks later, Bol entered a Credit Union 1 branch located on Debarr Road in Anchorage with the same pistol. He immediately fired a shot into the ceiling and demanded money from the tellers while he pointed the pistol at each of them. He escaped with more than $8,000 in cash.
Federal agents executed a search warrant on Bol’s apartment and vehicle later that week, and recovered thousands of dollars and a Glock pistol. Serial numbers of currency bills were confirmed of those stolen from the bank. Ballistics testing matched the pistol to shell casings recovered from both the Cash America and Credit Union 1 robberies.
At sentencing, several victims came forward to describe to Judge Beistline the horrifying events, emphasizing that Bol’s crimes continue to traumatize them.
“The impact of this robbery is far beyond financial. Mr. Bol’s actions have made a deep and irreparable impact on our employees, members and local Anchorage community. Beyond the scope of monetary loss, his reckless, premeditated actions threatened lives and permanently damaged the emotional wellbeing of innocent people in a manner that can never be truly fixed,” said Rachel Langtry, Credit Union 1 Chief Operating Officer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD), as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Jennifer Ivers.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced HEATHER RAE THOMAS, 34, of Gillette, Wyoming on November 6, 2020 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Thomas was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. She received seventy months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay community restitution in the amount of $400.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced JENIFER ANN MOSS, 34, of Gillette, Wyoming on November 13, 2020 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Moss was arrested in Lusk, Wyoming. She received one hundred sixty nine months and fifteen days of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
30 Individuals Indicted and Arrested for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 6, 2020, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment charging 30 individuals with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States, and attempt to import a controlled substance into the United States. Each of these charges carries a mandatory prison sentence of ten years and up to life imprisonment. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Rafael Riviere Vázquez made the announcement.
The defendants indicted are:
Rafael Texidor Pérez
Carlos Javier Nieves Rivera
José Raúl Dotel
Roberto Cedeño Olivencia
Maywilliams José Salazar Salazar
Andrys Mata Salazar
Josué Rafael Gutiérrez Salazar
Mauro Rafael Lugo González
Isaías Hipólito Salazar Salazar
Edison Luis Ramos Gómez
Jorman Román Rodríguez Carreño
Adruzal José Rojas Rojas
Franklin José Rodríguez Rivera
Osward José Salazar Rodríguez
Juan Carlos Suniaga Suniaga
José Luis Salazar Guerra
Alexis José Salazar Rivera
Marco Antonio Romero Romero
Ángel Miguel Rodríguez Jauregui
Jesús Antonio Carreño
Leonel Alexander Camacho Lugo
Carlos José Alcalá Rivas
Valentín Antonio Espinoza Salazar
Ángel Placido Manta Salazar
Adrián José Romero Salazar
Pedro Alejandro Salazar
Jacier Alejandro Salazar Marcano
Alexis Raúl Moreno Guerrero
José Moreno
José Sucre
“This indictment and arrests are a reflection of our resolve to combat drug trafficking and a clear indication of the success of our joint investigative efforts,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Transnational Criminal Organizations seeking to import narcotics into the Continental United States should know that the Puerto Rico law enforcement agencies are working together to eradicate their threat, and that we will continue to aggressively attack their drug smuggling and money laundering operations.”
“The FBI is and will remain ever vigilant in the pursuit of criminal organizations and individuals who wish to do their harmful business in our jurisdiction. Bad actors should know the FBI and its law enforcement partners are everywhere, all the time and we are a team,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Riviere Vázquez. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners who worked with us in this large-scale operation, specifically, Police of Puerto Rico – FURA Intel, U.S. Marshal Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Puerto Rico Department of Correction, U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard. This outstanding result would not have been possible without their collaboration.”
According to the allegations in the indictment, beginning on an unknown date and continuing up to November 1, 2020, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and conspired to import 500-700 kg of cocaine from Venezuela. After the arrest operation on November 1, the total weight of the cocaine recovered was 679.2 kg. The estimated street value of that quantity of cocaine, based on the per kilogram value in Puerto Rico, is over $20 million.
The two Venezuelan boats, a 50-foot vessel named Los ojos de mi negra and a 65-foot vessel named Frania-1, each of which had 13 Venezuelan nationals aboard, are included in the forfeiture allegation of the indictment. All of the defendants are at the Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Murphy is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
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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12 November 2020
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JULIO PARIS, also known as “Moreno,” 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and fentanyl.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department revealed that Nestor Sosa-Ortiz operated a Waterbury-based drug trafficking organization that received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County. The organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and to process and package the drugs for street sale. After Nestor Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators.
The investigation revealed that Paris purchased distribution quantities of heroin and fentanyl from another member of the organization and sold the drugs in smaller quantities to his own customer base.
Sixteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.
Paris has been detained since his arrest on state drug charges on August 14, 2019.
On October 29, 2019, in association with the arrest of several of Paris’ co-defendants, law enforcement officers executed five search warrants and seized approximately six kilograms of suspected heroin/fentanyl, approximately 100,000 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm and approximately $50,000 in cash.
On May 28, 2020, Paris pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Paris’ criminal history includes multiple state convictions for narcotics and other offenses.
Sosa-Ortiz pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Lauren Clark and Brendan Keefe.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced for Fraud Schemes Involving COVID-19 Protective Equipment, Tax Refunds, and Class Action Settlement PaymentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Washington, D.C., man was sentenced November 10, 2020 to 36 months of incarceration for his convictions on charges of mail fraud and wire fraud in relation to the sale of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (“PPE”) and the filing of fraudulent tax refund request and class action settlement claims.
The announcement was made by Michael R. Sherwin, the Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and, Jeff Dewitt, Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue, Criminal Investigation Division.
Craven Randall Casper, 38, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in two separate prosecutions, first to mail fraud on March 12, 2020, and later to wire fraud on July 14, 2020. His sentencing was consolidated into one proceeding. On November 10, 2020, Casper was sentenced by Judge Amit Mehta to 36 months’ incarceration. He was placed on three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $235,807.11 in restitution to victims.
According to the government’s evidence, in connection with the mail fraud prosecution, Casper obtained personally identifiable information (“PII”) for taxpayers from around the country and, posing as those taxpayers, filed false state tax income returns that contained refund claims. Casper successfully negotiated approximately 47 of those fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks between approximately February 2018 and July 2019. This amounted to approximately $197,518.82. In some instances, Casper also used individuals’ PII to open bank accounts in their names to further assist him in the scheme. Casper also submitted online fraudulent claims, in other peoples’ names, to various class action settlement funds for payments of money from class action settlements. Between approximately December 2017 and February 15, 2018, Casper successfully negotiated at least 120 fraudulently-obtained class action settlement checks, totaling approximately $34,487.84.
In connection with the wire fraud prosecution, in February and March 2020, Casper created and operated a website, www.coronavirusprotectionmasks.org, on which he advertised for sale personal protection equipment (“PPE”) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These PPE items included N95 respirator masks, protective masks, and hand sanitizer. Casper did not provide the PPE to the vast majority of his paying customers. He stole at least $3,800.45 from his customers.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sedky and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Marando. Assistance was provided by Victim Witness Coordinator Tonya Jones and Victim Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Waldorf Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine in Prince George’s and Charles CountiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Marvin Windell Gray, a/k/a Marv, age 45, of Waldorf, Maryland to 66 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on the federal charges of: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl; and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in connection with a drug distribution organization operating in Prince George’s and Charles Counties in Maryland, that sold fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution. We’re also targeting drug dealers who use guns and increase the risk of gun violence in Maryland. Working together with our local, state, and federal partners, we are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland.”
According to his plea agreement, between August 2018 and August 2019, Gray conspired with Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., James Harvey, Marcellus Woodland, and Tiara Mackall to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland and elsewhere. Gray and Dotson were drug distributors who operated in Charles County, Maryland, and sold drugs to users and street-level drug dealers. Harvey, Woodland, and Mackall were “runners,” subordinate drug distributors who sold drugs on behalf of Gray and Dotson.
The plea agreement details numerous drug transactions between Gray, Dotson, and their suppliers, runners, and customers, using coded language, including controlled purchases of drugs made at the direction of law enforcement. For example, between January and May 2019, several individuals made controlled purchases of fentanyl and heroin from Gray and Dotson, at the direction of law enforcement. As detailed in the plea agreement, on July 9, 2019, Gray and Dotson discussed strategies for selling drugs over the phone. During that conversation, Gray told Dotson, “I’m a bag up most of them all in balls. I got like, I got like 70 of good,” meaning that he had 70 grams of high-quality controlled substances and intended to package the drugs into eight balls, or 3.5-gram quantities. Five days later, Gray told Dotson over the phone that he received an order for “14 grams . . . of down,” meaning 14 grams of fentanyl. The next month, on August 4, 2019, Dotson texted Gray a photograph depicting 13.99 grams of fentanyl on a digital scale, then asked Gray to delete the text message.
On August 15, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at nine different locations, including Gray’s residence. From Gray’s residence, law enforcement seized: a .40-caliber pistol; a .45-caliber pistol; a .380-caliber pistol; a 9mm-caliber pistol; 35 rounds of various caliber ammunition; $1,800 in cash, which was the proceeds from Gray’s drug distribution; and several small bags of crack cocaine. A search of Gray’s truck recovered three 9mm magazines and 29 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one .45 magazine and nine rounds of .45-caliber ammunition, 92 rounds of .357-caliber ammunition, and six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition. Gray knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Gray admitted that he possessed the firearms and ammunition to facilitate his distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances, and that he purchased his truck with drug proceeds and used the truck to commit or facilitate his drug distribution. As agreed upon in his plea, Gray will forfeit the firearms, ammunition, and his 2007 Ford F-150 truck, as well as the $1,800 in cash.
Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., a/k/a Streetz, Ghost, and Rico, age 34, of Clinton, Maryland; James Anthony Harvey, Jr., a/k/a Fat Bread, and Patches, age 48, of King George, Virginia; Marcellus Jerome Woodland, a/k/a Cellus, age 30, of Waldorf; and Tiara Mackall, a/k/a Tee, age 27, of Waldorf have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug distribution organization. Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Dotson on December 15, 2020. Harvey was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and Woodland and Mackall were sentenced to time served.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Virginia woman admits to role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kaleah Scott, of Winchester, Virginia, has admitted to her role in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Scott, 40, pled guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl.” Scott admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl from June to November 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Scott faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Virginia Return Preparer Indicted for Evading her Own Taxes and Not Filing Her ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, returned an indictment charging a return preparer with tax evasion and failure to file individual income tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to the indictment, Willette J. Holland owned Tax Professionals, a tax preparation firm located in Richmond, Virginia. In August 2014, the IRS allegedly contacted Holland regarding her failure to file her 2010 through 2013 personal tax returns. Holland then allegedly presented false returns for those years, which understated her business income, gross receipts, and net profit, to an IRS Revenue Agent. In 2013 and 2014, Holland allegedly attempted to evade taxes by depositing income into a bank account held in the name of a nominee, thereby concealing her income from the IRS. Finally, in 2015 and 2016, Holland allegedly failed to file tax returns despite being required to do so by law.
If convicted, Holland faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion and faces a maximum sentence of one year of incarceration for each count of failure to file individual income tax returns. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Terwilliger commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Francine Davis and Michael C. Boteler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Maguire, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
University researcher pleads guilty to lying on grant applications to develop scientific expertise for ChinaRead the Press Release
TranslationCOLUMBUS, Ohio – A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme.
Song Guo Zheng, 58, of Hilliard, appeared in federal court today, at which time his guilty plea was accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
As part of his plea, Zheng admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.
Zheng was a professor of internal medicine who led a team conducting autoimmune research at The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. According to his plea, Zheng caused materially false and misleading statements on NIH grant applications, seeking to hide his participation in Chinese Talent Plans and his affiliation and collaboration with a Chinese university controlled by the Chinese government. Making false statements to the federal government is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Zheng was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China. When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.
He was transported to the Southern District of Ohio and made his first federal court appearance in Columbus on July 7, 2020.
“Federal research funding is provided by the American tax payers for the benefit of American society—not as a subsidy for the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”
“The FBI and its partners are a unified front in protecting taxpayer-funded research, so there is no escape for those who break America’s laws. Whether it’s a midnight flight through Alaska or hiding in plain sight, we will find you and bring you to justice,” stated Alan E. Kohler, Jr., Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division.
“Zheng promised China he would enhance the country’s biomedical research. He was preparing to flee the United States after he learned that his American employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with American taxpayer-funded grant rules,” said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s plea reinforces our proven commitment to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation, and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to engage with universities to protect sensitive research from being illegally transferred to foreign governments,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “Today's plea represents an acknowledgement by Zheng not only of his violation of the trust given to him by the U.S. government in the form of federal grant funds, but also of norms for research integrity and an abuse of the openness and transparency in the U.S. academic system.”
“The purpose of reporting potential conflicts of interest is to protect the integrity of professional judgement and ensure the public’s trust in the research being conducted,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “This defendant violated that trust by failing to report his financial interests and affiliations with foreign parties in an effort to improperly obtain research grant funding through the National Institutes of Health. The OIG is committed to identifying and investigating instances where individuals intentionally fail to report or falsify information regarding their sources of research support in order to ensure the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”
According to court documents, since 2013, Zheng had been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since that time, Zheng used research conducted in the United States to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his American employers or to the NIH.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney DeVillers acknowledged the assistance of the Anchorage FBI Division who arrested Zheng, interviewed him and executed multiple warrants while he was detained, and the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska. This case was investigated by the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and S. Courter Shimeall, Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
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University Researcher Pleads Guilty to Lying on Grant Applications to Develop Scientific Expertise for ChinaRead the Press Release
A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme.
Song Guo Zheng, 58, of Hilliard, appeared in federal court today, at which time his guilty plea was accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
“Federal research funding is provided by the American tax payers for the benefit of American society — not as a subsidy for the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “The American people deserve total transparency when federal dollars are being provided for research, and we will continue to hold accountable those who choose to lie about their foreign government affiliations in an attempt to fraudulently gain access to these funds.”
“The FBI and its partners are a unified front in protecting taxpayer-funded research, so there is no escape for those who break America’s laws. Whether it’s a midnight flight through Alaska or hiding in plain sight, we will find you and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.
“Zheng promised China he would enhance the country’s biomedical research. He was preparing to flee the United States after he learned that his American employer had begun an administrative process into whether or not he was complying with American taxpayer-funded grant rules,” said David M. DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s plea reinforces our proven commitment to protect our country’s position as a global leader in research and innovation, and to punish those who try to exploit and undermine that position.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to engage with universities to protect sensitive research from being illegally transferred to foreign governments,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “Today's plea represents an acknowledgement by Zheng not only of his violation of the trust given to him by the U.S. Government in the form of federal grant funds, but also of norms for research integrity and an abuse of the openness and transparency in the U.S. academic system.”
“The purpose of reporting potential conflicts of interest is to protect the integrity of professional judgment and ensure the public’s trust in the research being conducted,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “This defendant violated that trust by failing to report his financial interests and affiliations with foreign parties in an effort to improperly obtain research grant funding through the National Institutes of Health. The OIG is committed to identifying and investigating instances where individuals intentionally fail to report or falsify information regarding their sources of research support in order to ensure the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”
As part of his plea, Zheng admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.
Zheng was a professor of internal medicine who led a team conducting autoimmune research at The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. According to his plea, Zheng caused materially false and misleading statements on NIH grant applications, seeking to hide his participation in Chinese Talent Plans and his affiliation and collaboration with a Chinese university controlled by the Chinese government. Making false statements to the federal government is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Zheng was arrested Friday, May 22, 2020, after he arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, aboard a charter flight and as he prepared to board another charter flight to China. When he was arrested, he was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.
He was transported to the Southern District of Ohio and made his first federal court appearance in Columbus on July 7, 2020.
According to court documents, since 2013, Zheng had been participating in a Chinese Talent Plan, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with knowledge or access to foreign technology intellectual property. Since that time, Zheng used research conducted in the United States to benefit the People’s Republic of China. Zheng failed to disclose conflicts of interest or his foreign commitments to his American employers or to the NIH.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires and S. Courter Shimeall, Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher N. St. Pierre, and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
United States reaches settlement with Federal Way Public Schools to resolve student complaints of harassment on the basis of religion and national originRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced a settlement agreement with Federal Way Public Schools in Washington to resolve an investigation into allegations of peer-on-peer harassment on the basis of religion and national origin.
The complaints made to the United States alleged that students had repeatedly been targeted by their peers with verbal and physical harassment because of their religion or national origin, and that the district did not respond adequately to the students’ complaints about the harassment. The department has authority to investigate and resolve complaints of religious and national origin harassment through its enforcement of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The settlement agreement also resolves complaints about the district’s failure to properly communicate with parents and guardians in the district who are not English language proficient, as required by the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.
“School districts must never ignore harassment of students because of their faith or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Eric S. Dreiband. “Discrimination in schools based on religion or national origin violates federal law and is antithetical to our nation’s values. We are encouraged by Federal Way’s agreement to change its policies and provide additional training to make sure that its teachers and other staff protect school children from harassment because of their religion or where their families came from. In this country, all people are entitled to be treated with respect and decency and without regard to their faith or their ancestral background.”
“Every student should be able to attend school without fear of being harassed and bullied because of his or her skin color or religious beliefs,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Brian T. Moran. “I am encouraged by Federal Way’s willingness to take immediate steps to ensure that students attending its schools are free of this type of harassment and bullying.”
Following an investigation into the families’ complaints, the United States notified Federal Way of its concern that the district had failed to respond promptly and appropriately to numerous students’ complaints of harassment, including complaints from Muslim students and a Latino student that they were subjected to serious and repeated verbal and physical harassment. The department also found that the district failed to properly communicate with parents and guardians who are not English language proficient about the complaints. The district worked cooperatively with the United States to ensure appropriate protections for all students and their families. Among other things, the settlement agreement requires the district to: work with a consultant to review and update its anti-harassment policies, ensure that it responds quickly and effectively to student complaints of harassment, and train staff members how to properly communicate with non-English proficient parents and guardians.
The enforcement of Title IV is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which enforces federal laws that protect individuals from discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status, or loss of other constitutional rights. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
If you believe your civil rights, or someone else’s, have been violated, submit a report using our online form at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Fogg, the Civil Rights Coordinator in the Western District of Washington. To learn more about the civil rights program visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/civil-rights .
doj-federal_way_settlement_agreement_final.pdfUnited States Reaches Settlement with Federal Way Public Schools to Resolve Student Complaints of Harassment on the Basis of Religion and National OriginRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced a settlement agreement with Federal Way Public Schools in Washington to resolve an investigation into allegations of peer-on-peer harassment on the basis of religion and national origin.
The complaints made to the United States alleged that students had repeatedly been targeted by their peers with verbal and physical harassment because of their religion or national origin, and that the district did not respond adequately to the students’ complaints about the harassment. The department has authority to investigate and resolve complaints of religious and national origin harassment through its enforcement of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The settlement agreement also resolves complaints about the district’s failure to properly communicate with parents and guardians in the district who are not English language proficient, as required by the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.
“School districts must never ignore harassment of students because of their faith or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Eric S. Dreiband. “Discrimination in schools based on religion or national origin violates federal law and is antithetical to our nation’s values. We are encouraged by Federal Way’s agreement to change its policies and provide additional training to make sure that its teachers and other staff protect school children from harassment because of their religion or where their families came from. In this country, all people are entitled to be treated with respect and decency and without regard to their faith or their ancestral background.”
“Every student should be able to attend school without fear of being harassed and bullied because of his or her skin color or religious beliefs,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Brian T. Moran. “I am encouraged by Federal Way’s willingness to take immediate steps to ensure that students attending its schools are free of this type of harassment and bullying.”
Following an investigation into the families’ complaints, the United States notified Federal Way of its concern that the district had failed to respond promptly and appropriately to numerous students’ complaints of harassment, including complaints from Muslim students and a Latino student that they were subjected to serious and repeated verbal and physical harassment. The department also found that the district failed to properly communicate with parents and guardians who are not English language proficient about the complaints. The district worked cooperatively with the United States to ensure appropriate protections for all students and their families. Among other things, the settlement agreement requires the district to: work with a consultant to review and update its anti-harassment policies, ensure that it responds quickly and effectively to student complaints of harassment, and train staff members how to properly communicate with non-English proficient parents and guardians.
The enforcement of Title IV is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which enforces federal laws that protect individuals from discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status, or loss of other constitutional rights. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
If you believe your civil rights, or someone else’s, have been violated, submit a report using our online form at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona October 2020 Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
I. Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
322 individuals were charged in October with illegal reentry
A. 213 of those 322 individuals had previously been convicted of non-immigration criminal offenses in the U.S.
Of the 213 individuals with non-immigration criminal records:
1. 36 had violent crime convictions, including:
0 individuals had homicide convictions
5 individuals had sex offense convictions
8 individuals had domestic violence convictions2. 19 had property crime convictions
3. 56 had DUI convictions
4. 99 had drug crime convictions
B. 151 of those 322 individuals had been deported three or more times
II. Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
38 individuals were charged in October with alien smuggling
III. Illegal Entry (Criminal Consequence Initiative) (8 U.S.C. 1325)
0 individuals were charged in October with illegal entry on the CCI calendar
Criminal conviction information is based on preliminary criminal history reports provided by the arresting agency.
These numbers represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. These numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
*The Department of Homeland Security instituted a policy in late March of expeditiously returning aliens who illegally enter the United States rather than detaining them. The decreased number of individuals presented to this Office for prosecution coincides with the implementation of that policy and other COVID-19 related border restrictions.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-099_October Immigration and Border Crimes Report
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Attorney Announces Operation LeGend 12-Week ResultsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO— In response to the staggering level of violent crime in May, June and July of this year, St. Louis implemented Operation LeGend. The goal of the operation is to provide additional federal and state law enforcement resources and support to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and to combat aggressively the rising rates of gun violence in our community.
Federal law enforcement personnel from the Department of Homeland Security, United States Marshal’s Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Drug Enforcement Administration, and state law enforcement at the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Attorney General’s Office have all effectively joined forces with local authorities to attack violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office has dramatically increased the volume and speed of federal prosecutions to support the Operation.
Operation LeGend is working. As of November 5, 2020, Operation LeGend has resulted in 828 arrests, including 43 homicide suspects, and 259 guns seized. The arrests and seizures of crime guns were conducted by units supported by Operation LeGend agents and funding.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri has federally charged 357 defendants in St. Louis City and County. The federal prosecutions include firearms offenses, drug crimes, and sex crimes against children.
During this same 12-week period, crime in St. Louis City alone has been reduced from the extraordinarily high levels seen in the 12-week period preceding Operation LeGend as demonstrated below.
CRIME
BEFORE LeGEND
(May 21-Aug. 12)
DURING LeGEND
(August 13-Nov. 5)
LeGEND CHANGE (Total)
LeGEND CHANGE %
Homicide
111
53
-58
-52.25%
Rape
29
27
-12
-41.38%
Robbery
341
331
-10
-2.93%
*Carjacking
96
97
1
1.04%
Aggravated Assault
1417
991
-426
-30.06%
*Aggravated Assault with Firearm
1041
723
-318
-30.55%
Total Crimes Against Persons
1898
1392
-506
-26.66%
*Subcategories do not add to totals
As was the case after eight weeks, comparing the 12 weeks after Operation LeGend was fully implemented, crime has dropped. These numbers are based on the Uniform Crime Reports gathered by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. These reports are publicly available at https://www.slmpd.org/crime_stats.shtml
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. Announces Latest Results of Operation False Haven: Convicted Sex Offender Arrested in Guilford County on Naturalization Fraud and Passport Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Guilford County man arrested on charges of naturalization fraud, and passport fraud had an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge James E. Gates in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging Simbala Gory, age 44, a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Mali, residing in Guilford County, North Carolina, with naturalization fraud and passport fraud.
According to the indictment, Gory knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings in 2016 that he had committed the crime of sex offense in a parental role and had forced a minor child under 18 years of age to engage in vaginal intercourse in 2009, in Guilford County, North Carolina. Gory was thereafter naturalized as a U.S. citizen on July 26, 2016.
Gory is charged in a seven-count indictment with naturalization fraud and passport fraud. If convicted of naturalization and passport fraud, he faces up to a maximum imprisonment term of 25 years per count, a $250,000 fine per count, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. A conviction for naturalization fraud also carries an automatic revocation of U.S. citizenship.
The North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry states in its public website that Gory was convicted of a sexual offense with certain victims on September 28, 2020. Gory, according to the Registry, committed the offense on June 1, 2009, and was sentenced to 84 months confinement.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
An indictment 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.
U.S. Attorney Overbey Announces $92,740 in Justice Grants to the County of FranklinRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey announced today $92,740 in Department of Justice grants to the County of Franklin for adult drug and veteran treatment courts in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs have awarded more than $96 million to fund specialized treatment courts. These courts provide treatment instead of detention for nonviolent juveniles, veterans and adults who have been criminally charged and who have a substance use disorder. The awards are part of more than $340 million in OJP grants awarded in October to fight America’s addiction crisis.
“My years interacting with drug-involved offenders as a state judge gave personal validation to the findings of researchers – drug courts have enormous potential to reduce crime, curb abuse and change lives,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m so proud to make these important investments in strategies that have been shown to improve public safety and deliver badly-needed treatment resources to those, like our nation’s veterans, who have been caught up in a cycle of crime and addiction.”
“With the expansion of drug courts throughout the United States, individuals charged with offenses related to substance abuse have a chance through treatment to avoid custodial sentences. These federal funds may help struggling individuals in Franklin County return to their communities as productive members of society,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.
The first American drug court system began in 1989 in Miami-Dade, Florida, in response to the crack cocaine epidemic. Drug courts there and elsewhere have demonstrated that they reduce recidivism and substance abuse among high-risk, high-need participants and increase their likelihood of successful rehabilitation. There are now more than 4,000 drug courts throughout the United States. In addition, more than 350 veteran treatment courts now serve over 15,000 American veterans.
OJP has funded several fiscal year 2020 drug court programs, including the Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program administered by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. More than $57 million is being distributed under this program, which provides financial assistance to states, state courts, local courts, units of local government and tribal governments to develop, implement and enhance drug courts. BJA also awarded more than $12 million for related training and technical assistance. BJA awarded $2.6 million to fund the National Community Courts Site-based and Training and Technical Assistance Initiative, which supports community court grantees and practitioners in developing effective responses to low-level and non-violent offenses and address substance abuse, including opioid use.
OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded the Family Drug Court Program with more than $19 million to build the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government and federally recognized tribal governments to sustain existing family drug courts or establish new ones. These courts serve parents who require treatment for a substance abuse disorder and who are involved with the child welfare system as a result of child abuse or neglect.
The Family Drug Court awards will fund two areas. The first area will expand treatment services for parents in existing family drug courts, which include screening, assessment, case management, recovery support and program coordination. The second area will enhance or expand family drug court treatment at the state and county levels to more effectively serve families affected by opioid, stimulant and other substance use disorders.
More than $5 million from OJJDP funded the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program to provide resources to state, local and tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug treatment court programs for youth in the justice system who are substance abusers, with a specific focus on opioid abuse. The Category 1 grants will be used for jurisdictions where no juvenile drug court currently exists or has been operational for less than a year. Category 2 grants will support jurisdictions with a fully operational juvenile drug treatment court.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts and jurisdictions that will receive funding to support drug and veterans treatment courts and other programs to fight America’s addiction crisis, click here.
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Two men indicted for attempting to transport minor victim from Texas to Louisiana for sexRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas — Two men are set to appear in McAllen federal court on various charges related to the kidnapping and transportation of a minor across state lines, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment Nov. 5, against Brandon Galvez, 22, and Jose Serrano-Ramos, 23, both from Chalmette, Louisiana. Today, they are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9:00 a.m.
Both are charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Galvez was also indicted on charges of kidnapping and coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the charges, the investigation began after the mother of an 13-year-old girl reported she had left the family home in McAllen. Later, authorities allegedly encountered Galvez and Serrano-Ramos traveling north with her and noticed signs of possible abuse. Law enforcement then took the men into custody.
The investigation revealed Galvez had allegedly groomed the victim and traveled to Texas with the intent to transport her back to Chalmette. The charges allege Galvez paid Serrano-Ramos to transport him and the victim from McAllen to Louisiana. The charges allege Serrano-Ramos knew the victim had been sexually abused.
If convicted, both men potentially face up to life in federal prison.
The FBI and McAllen Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
Two Women Sentenced in Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that two women, KEYIRA GABLE, age 33, of Harvey and BRITTANY WHITE, age 34, of New Orleans, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe for their participation in a years-long credit card fraud conspiracy.
Judge Ashe sentenced GABLE to a total of 61 months in prison. She had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Ashe sentenced WHITE to a total of 37 months in prison based on her previous guilty plea to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices.
GABLE and WHITE were the second and third defendants to be sentenced in this seven-defendant conspiracy case. According to court documents, GABLE, WHITE, and their co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to obtain merchandise and cash from stores through fraud. The defendants obtained stolen credit and debit card information, encoded it onto cards, and then used that information to purchase items at stores. The defendants would then return the items at a different store of the same chain, but they would deceive store workers in order to have the chargeback credited to their own bank accounts. Federal agents were able to determine that members of this conspiracy took flights around the country to execute the scheme, including Oregon, South Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, and Florida.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the agencies that contributed to this conviction, which represents a coordinated effort of federal and state law enforcement authorities within the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans Police Department, Covington Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Kenner Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Mandeville Police Department, Slidell Police Department, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John The Baptist Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. State Department, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. U.S. Attorney Strasser also thanked the Franklin (TN) Police Department, the Mobile Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Minnetonka (MN) Police Department, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne and K. Paige O’Hale are in charge of the prosecution.
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Two Martin County Men Plead Guilty to Violating Federal Law Governing Ginseng SalesRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Two Lovely, Kentucky men, Sherman Jude, 73, and Johnathon Jude, 40, pleaded guilty on Thursday, October 30, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward Atkins, to violations of the Lacey Act regarding ginseng purchases and record keeping of said purchases.
The harvesting and sale of ginseng is governed by state regulations, and includes record keeping requirements and a limited harvest season. According to their plea agreements, Sherman Jude was a dealer of wild American ginseng; and his son, Johnathon Jude, worked with him to keep records of the ginseng purchased from diggers and harvesters.
The investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service revealed that over a period of years, the Judes had falsified the required Kentucky Ginseng Purchase Forms for multiple purchases of wild ginseng, including not keeping records of all the purchases, and purchasing ginseng that was known to have been harvested from another state, without being properly certified before entering Kentucky. Sherman Jude also acknowledged that, as of August 2019, he had purchased 12.5 pounds of ginseng that had been harvested improperly, out of season.
The Judes were indicted in June 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
The Judes are scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2021. Sherman Jude faces a maximum of five years in prison. Johnathon Jude faces up one year in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes.
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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Two Canadian Brothers and their Company, Payza, Sentenced for Conspiring to Launder Money Service BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On November 10, 2020, Firoz Patel and Ferhan Patel, the founders and operators of Payza.com, AlertPay.com, and Egopay.com, and their company MH Pillars were sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for operating an Internet-based unlicensed money service business that processed more than $250 million in transactions.
Firoz Patel was sentenced to 36 months of incarceration; Ferhan Patel was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration; and MH Pillars, Inc., doing business as Payza, was sentenced to three years of corporate probation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit more than $4.5 million that had already been seized by the United States. The defendants were also required to forfeit the websites through which they committed their offenses, Payza.com and AlertPay.com.
On July 17, 2020, Firoz Patel, 46, and Ferhan Patel, 39, both of Quebec, Canada, each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Crimes against the United States by Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business and by Laundering Monetary Instruments. The Honorable Ketanji B. Jackson of the United States District Court took the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them.
“Operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that launders the transactions of other crimes and frauds is a serious criminal offense. Without the money laundering, the frauds run by Payza’s customers could not have been completed,” said U.S. Attorney Sherwin. “These convictions will remind criminals that the United States will do everything within its power to take the profit out of crime and convict those who enable fraud.”
The defendants, through Payza.com, operated a money transmitting business that operated without the necessary state licenses and knowingly transmitted funds that were derived from illegal activity. Despite receiving cease and desist letters from States and being told by a consultant that operating a money transmission business without the necessary licenses was a crime, Firoz and Ferhan Patel continued their illegal activity. For example, Firoz Patel admitted to operating a prior money service business, AlertPay, which ignored repeated warnings from state regulators about its unlicensed activities. Firoz Patel transitioned AlertPay into Payza after Firoz Patel was the subject of a Tennessee indictment for laundering narcotics proceeds through AlertPay. The defendants admitted that no substantive changes took place during this rebrand.
Payza had numerous merchants which the defendants knew to be Ponzi/pyramid schemes. The defendants admitted to sanitizing Payza’s customers list by removing known illegal merchants, before producing that information to third parties requesting customer information. For example, a co-conspirator informed Ferhan Patel in a series of emails that he was looking through the merchant list to remove “any merchants who have gross violations such as adult, gambling, drugs, violence ect. [sic]. And what I think is the tricky part: Identify MLM’s [multi-level marketing schemes] that are set up as obvious illegal Pyramid schemes.” Payza failed to follow its own “Merchant Risk Guideline,” as internal documents revealed specific failures in relation to preventing the taking on and servicing of pyramid and Ponzi schemes.
The defendants further admitted that Payza struggled to maintain its relationships with financial institutions, because Payza so frequently was found to have customers engaged in illegal activity. Firoz Patel’s solution to this was to create a new company, Egopay, which took on all of Payza’s high risk customers. Firoz Patel and Ferhan Patel caused an email to be sent to high-risk Payza customers directing them to migrate their accounts to Egopay. Ferhan Patel told Firoz Patel that Egopay was a problem in the U.S. because Egopay collected no customer due diligence data which created “obvious money laundering concerns.” Ferhan Patel further admitted to Firoz Patel that Egopay was classified as a money service business and that it had no know your customer checks in place. In spite of these known money laundering problems, Firoz Patel continued to allow Egopay to operate freely via the Payza platform. Ultimately, Egopay was shut down by regulators in Belize, after which Payza began again directly servicing many of Egopay’s customers.
The defendants each admitted that their scheme caused over $250 million to be illegally transmitted and to failing to conduct proper due diligence of their customers. The defendants also acknowledged that their actions were done willfully, knowingly, and with the specific intent to violate the law.
In announcing the sentencing, Mr. Sherwin praised the efforts of those who have investigated and prosecuted the case. He expressed appreciation to the agents who worked on the investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Washington Field office. He also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegals C. Rosalind Pressley and Toni Donato, Paralegals Elizabeth Swienc and Brian Rickers, Records Examiner Angela De Falco, Contract Financial Analyst Jason Hall, Victim Witness Specialists Yvonne Bryant and Basizette Stribling, Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, and Thomas Royal and Joshua Ellen from the Litigation Support Section.
Finally, he praised the work of Assistant United States Attorney Arvind Lal and former Assistant United States Attorneys Zia Faruqui and John Marston.
Two Brothers, Both Senior City of Philadelphia Officials, Charged with Fraud and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that two brothers, Leo and Paul Dignam, were charged by Information with fraud and embezzlement, and a third person, Barbara Conway, was also charged by Information with theft.
Leo Dignam, 61, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of embezzling from a program receiving federal funds. Leo’s brother, Paul Dignam, 58, also of Philadelphia, was charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of embezzling from a program receiving federal funds. Barbara Conway, 61, of Drexel Hill, PA, was charged with one count of theft of funds from a program receiving federal funds. At the time of the charged offenses, Leo and Paul Dignam were senior officials with the City of Philadelphia, and Conway was the Food Voucher Coordinator for the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation (PHMC), an agency contracted by the City to manage the Food Voucher Program.
Leo Dignam was an Assistant Managing Director in the Managing Director’s Office and, prior to serving in that position, was the Deputy Commissioner for Programs with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (“PPR”) Department. In these positions, he oversaw the administration of major events in the city, such as the Philadelphia Marathon, the Broad Street Run and the Mummers Parade. Mr. Dignam worked for the City of Philadelphia for approximately 38 years.
Over the course of several years, from 2012 through 2019, Leo Dignam allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia of approximately $150,000 by misusing two bank accounts he controlled on behalf of the City that existed to support the work of PPR, namely, recreational activities for citizens. In particular, he opened a bank account purportedly to support the activities of PPR in connection with a non-profit organization, the Junior Baseball Federation (“JBF”). The JBF partnered with the Philadelphia Phillies to raise most of its funds through the sale of tickets for Phillies games.
Instead of using the JBF bank account solely for its intended public purpose, Leo Dignam allegedly misused the account by converting funds from the account to pay for personal expenses he incurred on an American Express (“AMEX”) credit card that he opened in connection with the JBF account. He used the AMEX card, and shared it with family members, for purchases from retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, online retailers and service providers, and other businesses. He then used the funds in the JBF bank account to pay off the personal expenses on the credit card.
According to the Information, he similarly misused another account that was created for the benefit of PPR and the citizens of Philadelphia, the Program Advisory Fund Account. The defendant used this account to pay personal expenses by transferring funds directly to a personal account, solely for his own benefit, and by using it to pay personal expenses on a Verizon Wireless Account.
Paul Dignam was the Regional Manager for the South Region of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. In this position, he oversaw the administration of local recreation centers and playgrounds and supervised the activities of several PPR district managers. In 2011, Paul Dignam opened a bank account that purported to be for use by a recreation advisory council, a commonly used governance structure in PPR that exists to support local recreation centers and playgrounds by helping to raise funds, develop programs, and maintain play sites.
Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2019, he allegedly misused this bank account by repeatedly writing checks on the account made payable to himself. He helped conceal this fraud by having bank statements mailed to his personal residence and having another individual act as a signatory on the account. The defendant then forged the other individual’s signature on the misappropriated checks and falsely noted in the memo line of the checks that they were “reimbursements” for expenses he incurred by making purchases on behalf of PPR. In sum, Paul Dignam wrote himself approximately 102 checks worth approximately $119,000.
Finally, Barbara Conway was the Food Voucher Coordinator for the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation (PHMC), an organization contracted by the City to manage a Food Voucher Program designed to provide emergency assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS. This initiative is funded by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a federal program that provides grants to states, cities, counties, and other local organizations to fund care and treatment services for individuals living with the disease.
The Information alleges that beginning in 2015 through 2019, Conway stole more than $39,000 worth of food vouchers intended for HIV/AIDS patients receiving services through the Food Voucher Program.
“All three of these defendants allegedly made the same bad choice to steal funds from federally-funded programs,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Further, in all three cases, the defendants stole money from programs designed to benefit groups that desperately needed the assistance – from patients struggling with HIV/AIDS who require emergency assistance to meet basic necessities to a youth baseball organization serving many underprivileged children. The callousness that the defendants displayed by stealing from these programs is stunning.”
“We share a collective and long-standing devotion to integrity in City government, and I wish to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their partnership in the investigation of the Dignam brothers and our broader mission,” said City of Philadelphia Inspector General Alexander DeSantis. “Further, the Conway case shows our continuing commitment to root out fraud and corruption in all forms, including by employees of city contractors involved in programs that affect some of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations.”
If convicted, Leo Dignam faces a maximum possible sentence of 50 years in prison, Paul Dignam faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, and Barbara Conway faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years in prison.
All three cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General. The cases of Paul and Leo Dignam are being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen, and the case of Barbara Conway is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Barrett.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.