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7 October 2020
U.S. Attorney McAllister: Kansas to Receive $16.8 Million to Assist Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Kansas will receive more than $16.8 million in Department of Justice grants to fund victim assistance programs and provide compensation to victims of crime, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
“Promoting justice by providing support to victims of crime is an important part of our mission,” McAllister said. “These funds will be used both to assist victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and to support them over the longer term as they rebuild their lives.”
The grants to Kansas include:
- $750,000 to the Wichita Children’s Home from funds committed to supporting victims of human trafficking.
- $14.9 million for victim assistance to the State of Kansas from the Crime Victims Fund that was established by the Victims of Crime Act.
- $1.15 million to the Office of the Kansas Attorney General for crime victim compensation.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has released awards totaling more than $1.8 billion to state victims’ assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions of dollars in compensation to victims of crime.
“Advocates, service providers and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The new funding resources continue the administration’s commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crime to be able to heal and recover.”
U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Hosts Law Enforcement Roundtable with Top Drug Enforcement Administration OfficialsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Seeking to build on the success of a multi-agency effort to stanch the distribution of methamphetamine and related violent crime in Franklin County, Florida, United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe of the Northern District of Florida hosted Timothy Shea, Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), for a law enforcement roundtable discussion with sheriffs from throughout the District to identify additional partnership opportunities. The Honorable Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General, and Keith Weis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Miami Division, also participated in the event.
“The United States Attorney’s Office was honored to host Acting Administrator Shea for a substantive discussion with sheriffs from throughout the Northern District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “He rolled up his sleeves, along with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and got into trenches with these sheriffs who were elected by the people of their counties. Together, we worked to create new strategies in our ongoing effort to disrupt the distribution of methamphetamine and related violent crime in Northern Florida, using our recent success in Franklin County as a model.”
The closed roundtable focused on the impact of Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Northern Florida. Dialogue between Sheriffs from Franklin, Bay, Taylor, Calhoun, Lafayette, Jefferson, Gilchrist and Leon Counties and DEA leadership focused on intelligence sharing and identifying further opportunities for local, state, and federal law enforcement to work together to reduce meth trafficking, use, and associated violent crime. Officials from the Florida Sheriff’s Association, leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jacksonville Division and the U.S. Marshal Service’s Northern District and State Attorney Jack Campbell of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit participated in the talks.
Following the closed roundtable, U.S. Attorney Keefe, A.J. “Tony” Smith, Sheriff of Franklin County, and DEA Acting Administrator Shea spoke to the media. Sheriff Smith spoke about the significant impact that the support of the DEA has made in reducing the trafficking, sale, and use of methamphetamine in Franklin County. DEA Acting Administrator Shea then shared information about nation-wide DEA efforts to combat methamphetamine trafficking and emphasized the importance of partnerships with state and local law enforcement.
“Those who say drug trafficking is not a violent crime couldn’t be more wrong,” said Acting Administrator Shea. “Drug trafficking affects the safety and security of all of us. The criminals who engage in drug trafficking fuel the epidemic of addiction in our country – and profit from it – while feeding the violence that it plaguing so many communities.”
U.S. Attorney Keefe concluded the press conference by discussing the topics and outcomes of the closed law enforcement roundtable.
For additional information, footage and/or photography requests, please contact the News Service of Florida (Mr. Tom Urban, [email protected], or Mr. Jim Turner, [email protected]) or the Tallahassee Democrat (Mr. Karl Etters [email protected], or Ms. Tori Schneider [email protected]).
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. Attorney Keefe Hosts Law Enforcement Roundtable With Top Drug Enforcement Administration Officials Lawrence Keefe, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Timothy Shea, Acting Administrator of the DEA, Keith Weis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA's Miami Division, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody conduct a law enforcement roundtable with sheriffs from throughout the District, creating new strategies to stanch the distribution of meth and reduce related violent crime in Northern Florida.U.s. Attorney Wrigley Announces over a Half-Million Dollars to Improve Services for Crime Victims in District of North DakotaRead the Press Release
NORTH DAKOTA – U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley announced today that $699,920 in Department of Justice crime victim service improvement grants have been approved for North Dakota. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed to enhance each states response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
"The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery."
The awards made to organizations in the North Dakota will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
"The Department of Justice and our office partner with those who share our commitment to securing justice for victims," said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, "and these grants help ensure progress toward one of our most sacred responsibilities."
"As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights."
The following organizations received funding:
• $399,920 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians for the Adam Walsh Act program that gave over $16.7 million to 61 recipients to assist jurisdictions with developing and enhancing programs designed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
• $270,000 to the North Dakota Office of Attorney General for the Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist program that gave over $8.6 million to 22 recipients to develop or enhance crime victim specialist programs within law enforcement agencies to better support victims through the criminal justice process, and another $2 million to one organization to support training and technical assistance for the grantees.
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.s. Attorney Kurt Alme Announces $6,243,585 to Assist Victims in MontanaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme today announced $6,243,585 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in Montana. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost $1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
The awards made to organizations in Montana will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.
"These funds support important organizations in Montana providing critical protection and assistance to crime victims. They will also be used to lessen the financial losses experienced by victims. We are pleased these funds are coming to help Montana victims," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The awards to Montana include the Montana Board of Crime Control, $5,785,585, for Victim Assistance; and the Montana Department of Justice, $458,000, for Victim Compensation.
State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U.s. Attorney Kurt Alme Announces $1,894,452 to Improve Services for Crime Victims in MontanaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme today announced $1,894,452 in Department of Justice grants to improve services for crime victims in Montana. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed to enhance the district's response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
“The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery.”
The awards made to organizations in Montana will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
"It takes remarkable courage for crime victims to recover and to hold the perpetrators accountable so they harm no more victims. We are very pleased these funds are coming to Montana to provide help and support to our victims," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
“As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights.”
The following organizations in Montana received funding:
- Montana Legal Services Association, $1,000,000
- Montana Board of Crime Control, $500,000
- Chippewa Cree Tribe, $394,452
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Two Massachusetts Men Indicted for Tax Scheme Targeting Immigrant CommunityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Massachusetts men were arrested today in connection with a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by falsely inflating taxpayer’s federal income tax refunds and diverting a portion of those refunds to accounts they and their co-conspirators controlled.
Boris Shadari, 44, of Swampscott, and Christian Zynga, 45, of Everett, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Shadari was additionally charged with three counts of filing a false tax return, three counts of aiding or assisting in filing a false tax return, two counts of theft of government funds, five counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of witness tampering.
According to the charging documents, from 2012 to 2018, Shadari and Zynga held Shadari out as a tax professional, particularly targeting the Congolese community of Greater Boston. Until 2017, they took their customers’ tax information to a tax professional at a tax preparation company, and provided the tax professional with false information concerning their customers’ dependents, dependent and child care expenses and business income and losses in order to inflate the customers’ federal income tax refunds. They then caused the refunds to be split between the customers’ bank accounts and accounts they and their co-conspirators controlled. After 2017, Shadari prepared customers’ returns himself and added false information to the returns to inflate the refunds due. Shadari also allegedly failed to report the income he received from this scheme on his own tax returns.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of filing a false tax return and aiding or assisting in filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of witness tampering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any sentence received on the other charges. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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.
Twenty-Three Indicted in Large-Scale Heroin RingRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn today announced that 23 individuals have been indicted with 37 counts for their role in running a large-scale, Denver-based heroin trafficking organization. The Denver Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration joined in today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment as well as information from detention hearings, defendants Azusena Maribel Sierra and her husband Juan Antonio Amaya-Nunez were at the center of the organization. Sierra was the heroin dispatcher and money collector who, on a daily basis, received calls and texts from dozens of street-level customers. Sierra took heroin orders, dispatched multiple runners to meet with, make deliveries to, and collect money from customers, and collected money at the end of the day. The organization distributed approximately 1 kilogram of heroin every week.
Following an investigation that was initiated in September 2019, agents and officers seized approximately 33 kilograms of heroin, approximately $100,000 in cash, and two firearms.
The defendants face charges including conspiracy to distribute heroin, money laundering, transporting heroin in aid of racketeering, and using telephones in connection with drug trafficking.
Of those indicted, 14 defendants have been arrested and have made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court where they were advised of their rights and the charges pending against them. Nine other defendants are pending arrest and are considered fugitives.
Those charged include:
Benjamin Lopes-Alvarado, age 31 and a Mexican National Azusena Maribel Sierra, age 33 and a U.S. Citizen
Hector Nunez-Sandoval, age 34 and a U.S. Citizen
Jorge Reyes Cruz-Garcia, age 19 and a Mexican National
Bradley Michael White, age 32 and a U.S. Citizen
Michael Ian Mills, age 37 and a U.S. Citizen
Anna Marie Rebekah Davis, age 47 and a U.S. Citizen
Keven Alexander Perez, age 29, and a U.S. Citizen
Victoriano Hinojosa, age 31, and a Mexican National
Oscar Manuel Oliveros, age 19, and a Mexican National
Diego Romero-Cruz, age 28, and a Mexican National
Christian Anthony Carver, age 29, and U.S. Citizen
Abisai Escobar Flores, age 42, and a Mexican National
Nicho Garcia, age 24, and a U.S. Citizen
Jesse Cervantes, age 37, and a U.S. Citizen
Victor Alonso Carreon, age 24, and a Mexican National
Adrianna Rafaela Holguin, age 19, and a U.S. Citizen
In addition to the named defendants, six indicted individuals have not been identified.
“Thanks to the great work of the DEA and our team, we’ve dismantled a significant drug trafficking organization in the metro-area,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “While others may seek to fill the newly created vacuum, they are on notice that we will come for them with the same zeal that we pursued these defendants.”
“Taking down an organization like this and removing a pipeline of this magnitude can only be accomplished with our law enforcement partners,” said Deanne Reuter, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Denver Field Division. “As long as this poison continues to wreak havoc in our communities the DEA will find those responsible and hold them to account.”
These defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Podolak. Law enforcement agencies involved in investigation and/or takedown include – the Denver Field Division of the DEA and Denver OCDETF Strike Force Group-1, to include the IRS, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Arvada Police Department, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshal Service, Parker Police Department, and North Las Vegas Police Department.
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. The defendant’s case number is 20-cr-292.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. 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.
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.
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Wesley Scott Stonebarger, 37, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy before Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell. Stonebarger admitted that from October 2019 to February 2020, he conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine to others who then redistributed the drug to third parties in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
“Methamphetamine and fentanyl are two of the most notorious killers of our time. They wreak havoc through addiction and death. This drug dealer had both at the time of his arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Sadly, methamphetamine remains the most widely abused illicit drug in Oklahoma, and we are seeing more and more fentanyl being trafficked into our communities. Thanks to the interdiction efforts of federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, we were able to stop this dope from making it to the streets.”
“Homeland Security Investigations special agents will always partner with law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma and around the globe to arrest drug traffickers who pose a significant public safety risk to our communities. Anyone that distributes dangerous substances, such as methamphetamine, that destroys countless lives to make a profit has no place in our society, said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge, HSI Dallas. “Countering these type of threats is a top priority for HSI, and we are committed to holding those who take advantage of vulnerable consumers fully accountable.”
During a law enforcement operation, agents suspected that Stonebarger received methamphetamine and fentanyl from sources outside the Northern District of Oklahoma and that he received some deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service. Agents learned that Stonebarger was wanted on a series of warrants and arrested him on Dec. 19, 2019.
Chief Judge Dowdell set sentencing for Jan. 7, 2021.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick prosecuted the case. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the United States Attorney’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
The initial indictment press release can be found here.
Traffic Stop on I-70 Results in Drug Trafficking Charges for Henderson ManRead the Press Release
GRAND JUNCTION – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Beau Aaron Howarth of Henderson, Colorado has been indicted by a federal grand jury, charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin. The indictment was returned on October 2, 2020. Howard was ordered detained pending trial. The Denver Field Division of the DEA joined in the announcement.
According to allegations in court documents, Howarth was driving a minivan on I-70 in Mesa County heading eastbound. He was pulled over by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department in a traffic stop. A Sheriff’s Deputy deployed a canine trained to detect the odor of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. The dog alerted near the rear passenger door. A search of the van identified 13 packages of suspected narcotics, including 11.75 kilograms of suspected heroin and 2.10 kilograms of opiate pills containing suspected fentanyl.
Howarth was ordered detained by United States Magistrate Judge Gordon P. Gallagher pending further proceedings.
This matter is being investigated by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office together with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Hautzinger is handling is matter.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted. Howarth faces not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison, and up to a $10,000,000 fine.
Ten Alleged Members of Crips Gang in Baltimore Face Federal Indictment for Racketeering and Drug Conspiracies, Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Robbery, and Related Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging 10 alleged members of the Eight Tray Gangsta (ETG) Crips gang in Baltimore with racketeering and drug conspiracies, murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, robbery, and related firearms charges. The superseding indictment was returned on September 30, 2020, and unsealed upon the arrest of six of the defendants. Four other defendants were already in custody.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “This is the second federal indictment filed in several weeks charging Baltimore gang members who terrorize their neighborhoods with drug dealing, gun violence, and witness intimidation. We continue to root out the drivers of violent crime and deadly drug dealing and hold accountable those who bring them to our streets. These defendants now face decades in federal prison, where there are no suspended sentences or parole—ever. And witness intimidation and retaliation will not be tolerated—period. We need the community’s help to continue these efforts.”
“Members of the ‘ETG’ Crips used violence as their calling card, leaving that card all over this neighborhood with a goal of flooding the streets with fear while they tried to tear down our neighborhoods. We cannot let them get away with it,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “These indictments send a message to all gang members in West Baltimore and beyond – we will be relentless in our pursuit of violent gang members who have besieged communities like Lexington Terrace and the Baltimore Hilton neighborhood for far too long.”
The ETG Crips were a violent subset of the Crip gang that operated on the streets and in correctional facilities in Maryland and elsewhere. For many years, the ETG Crips controlled the drug trade in particular territories in Baltimore City, including the area around the intersection between West Baltimore Street and South Hilton Street in West Baltimore (the “Baltimore Hilton neighborhood”), the area around the intersection between West Lexington Street and North Fremont Avenue (the “Lexington Terrace neighborhood”), and the area around the intersection between Frankford Avenue and Sinclair Lane in North Baltimore (the “Frankford Sinclair neighborhood”).
The ETG Crips originated in Los Angeles, California in the 1970s, and derived their name from 83rd Street, where they were formed. Within the ETG Crips, various cliques emerged corresponding to different neighborhoods in Los Angeles, such as the Baccwest ETG Crips in West Los Angeles and the Nutty North Side ETG Crips in North Los Angeles. Eventually, the ETG Crips spread across the country, and they became prevalent in Maryland beginning in the 2000s. In Baltimore, the ETG Crips members from the Baltimore Hilton and Lexington Terrace neighborhoods referred to themselves as the Baccwest ETG Crips—modeling themselves after the Baccwest ETG Crips in Los Angeles—and ETG Crips members from the Frankford Sinclair neighborhood called themselves the Nutty North Side ETG Crips. The two groups allegedly work together for common criminal purposes.
The ETG Crips were organized hierarchically, with members climbing the ranks from “BG” (Baby Gangster), to “YG” (Young Gangster), to “G” (Gangster), to “OG” (Original Gangster), to “OOG” (Original Original Gangster), and so on. ETG Crips members were required to follow certain rules of conduct. Members who violated these rules or who disobeyed an order from a superior were subjected to disciplinary measures called “sanctions,” which ranged from fines to murder. Violations that were punishable by murder included “snitching” (i.e., cooperating with law enforcement); “homosexuality”; and murdering a fellow Crip without a “greenlight” (i.e., authorization and approval from the gang leadership).
According to the 12-count superseding indictment, from at least 2008 through the date of the superseding indictment, the defendants participated in a racketeering conspiracy related to their gang activities, which included murder, robbery, drug distribution, witness tampering, and witness retaliation.
The superseding indictment alleges that the acting leader of the Baccwest ETG Crips in Baltimore was Trayvon Hall, who was referred to as a “G” of the gang. In or about 2013, Hall flew to California to meet with West Coast leaders of the ETG Crips and gain their official approval for his Baccwest ETG Crips set in Baltimore. The ETG Crips operated street-level drug distribution “shops” in Baltimore, distributing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, among other controlled substances. Non-members who attempted to sell drugs in the ETG Crips’ territories were targeted for violence by ETG Crips members. The gang’s primary drug shops were located in the Baltimore Hilton neighborhood (which the Baccwest ETG Crips considered to be their headquarters), the Lexington Terrace neighborhood, and the Franklin Sinclair neighborhood.
The ETG Crips allegedly used social media websites to assert their claim to particular drug territories, intimidate rival gangs and witnesses against the gang, enhance the ETG Crips’ status, and enhance individual members’ status within the gang. Members of the ETG Crips posted photographs and rap videos to these social media websites in which they flaunted firearms and threatened to kill those who stood in the way of the gang.
As detailed in the superseding indictment, the defendants sold drugs and committed robberies to earn money for the enterprise. Members of the gang allegedly purchased, maintained, and circulated firearms, which they used to commit murders and robberies, and to further their drug trafficking activity. For instance, from May 2016 through November 2016, ETG Crips conspired to murder members of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang who operated a rival drug shop in the Lexington Terrace neighborhood. On June 23, 2016, ETG Crips members attempted to murder two BGF gang members, instead shooting two victims who were in the area at the time. On July 18, 2016, Hall murdered BGF member Albert Pittman, shooting him to death in the 4800 block of Midline Road. On November 11, 2016, in the 800 block of West Lexington Street, Hall opened fire on members of the rival BGF gang, murdering BGF member Shyheim Brown and wounding two other victims. Immediately afterward, Hall sent an unindicted co-conspirator a series of text messages about the shooting, saying he had “Jus bashed the monkeys” (a derogatory term for members of BGF), and they “Wasn’t exspecting [sic] me be out early lmGCao [laughing my Gangster Crip ass off].”
Further, the superseding indictment alleges that from July 2017 through July 2019, members of the ETG Crips conspired to murder members of the Abington Avenue drug trafficking organization, whose territory the ETG Crips had taken over. The ETG Crips allegedly murdered two members of the Abington Avenue organization and shot several others. According to the superseding indictment, ETG members also threatened a witness who testified against a fellow gang member in a state murder trial, posting the witness’s photograph on social media, labeling the witness as a “snitch,” and threatening to kill that witness as retaliation.
The following defendants, all from Baltimore, are charged in the superseding indictment:
Trayvon Hall, a/k/a Tru and G-Tru, age 29; Ronnie Finney, a/k/a Fin, age 34; Donnell Foster, a/k/a Fuss, age 30; Daran Hickman, a/k/a Chizzle, age 28; David Jackson, a/k/a Dev and Lil David, age 25; Alvin Johnson, a/k/a Jug, age 29; Keith Pinson, a/k/a Gotti, age 27; Devon Powell, a/k/a Smuppy, age 29; Ridgley Shipley, a/k/a Crazy, age 30; and
Marcus Williams, a/k/a Gangsta C and GC, age 32.If convicted, the defendants all face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy. Hall also faces a maximum sentence of death or life in federal prison for each of two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. Powell faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering; Powell and Shipley face a maximum of life in prison for using, carrying, brandishing, and/or discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Shipley faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of two counts of commercial robbery; and Shipley, Powell, and Hall face a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendants had their initial appearances today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson ordered the defendants be detained pending detention hearings scheduled to begin on Friday, October 9, 2020.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the ATF, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Peter J. Martinez, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Tampa Pill Mill Owners Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Distribution of OpioidsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Ernest Gonzalez (68, Tampa) to 46 months in federal prison and Rosa Colon (30, Tampa) to 24 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice. As part of their sentences, the court also entered money judgments of $47,780.96 against Gonzalez and $765,356.76 against Colon which were for the proceeds of the conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense controlled substances.
Gonzalez and Colon had pleaded guilty on September 11, 2018.
According to court documents, Gonzalez served as the president and owner of Health and Pain Center (HPC), a pain management clinic. In June 2011, Gonzalez transferred his executive title and ownership of HPC to Colon. Gonzalez and Colon hired physicians who routinely prescribed controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose to HPC’s patients. Gonzalez and Colon participated and facilitated the physicians’ illegal prescribing practices by instructing HPC employees to overlook failed urine screens and by procuring MRI studies that the physicians used to justify their opioid prescriptions. Additionally, Gonzalez and Colon operated HPC as a cash-only business that had little to no medical equipment on site, staffers with no medical training, and a high volume patient base. Gonzalez and Colon actively participated in the management and administration of HPC through October 2016 when the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the clinic.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
Statement of United States Attorney KruegerRead the Press Release
This afternoon, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office announced that it will not pursue criminal charges related to the officer-involved shooting of Alvin Cole.
Federal law enforcement in Wisconsin is sworn to protect First Amendment rights, which include the rights to speak and assemble “peaceably.” In the past year, however, in addition to witnessing peaceful protests, some Wisconsin communities have suffered episodes of violent civil unrest.
Federal law enforcement is joined with state and local authorities to address any further violence. Federal law imposes serious penalties for arson, rioting, firearms offenses, and other violent crimes, which we will prosecute to the fullest extent possible. No one else in Wisconsin should become a victim of needless violence or face destruction of a business as a result of unrest.
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For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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South Florida Federal Prosecutors Charge Eleven Individuals in Telemedicine Fraud Scheme, Part of Nationwide Federal Law Enforcement EffortRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. -- Ten Florida residents and one Boston resident have been charged in the Southern District of Florida for their roles in a massive nationwide prescription medication telemedicine scheme. The announcements are part of a federal law enforcement effort to crack down on health care fraud nationwide.
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to provide health care services remotely. The eleven defendants charged in this telemedicine scheme are:
- Mark L. Vollaro, 38, of Boynton Beach, Florida,
- Anthony J. Loveland, 43, of Boynton Beach, Florida,
- Luis Garcia, 30, of Boca Raton, Florida,
- Robert C. Clark, 54, of Boca Raton, Florida,
- Jason T. Faley, 39, of Deerfield Beach, Florida,
- Joseph A. Cavallo, 42, of Cooper City, Florida,
- James D. Engimann, 37, of Lake Worth, Florida,
- Benjamin C. Heath, 37, of Boca Raton, Florida,
- Antonio J. Gousgounis, 34, of Boca Raton, Florida,
- Christopher Margait, 43, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and
- Margaret Chiasson, 32, of Boston, Massachusetts (formerly of Pompano Beach).
The information charges defendants with unjustly enriching themselves by recruiting patients who were insured by various health benefit insurance plans, including Tricare, and causing the submission of fraudulent and invalid prescriptions for compounded medications that were not medically needed by the recruited individuals. According to the information, the defendants’ activities caused the various health benefit insurance plans to reimburse compounding pharmacies for the fraudulent compounded medication prescriptions, which were much more expensive than mass-produced prescription medications. Telemedicine consultations were used in the scheme.
Several of the defendants are also charged with money laundering crimes, in connection with their activities concerning the proceeds from the scheme.
All defendants had their initial appearances today in federal court. The 10 defendants who live in Florida appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Patrick Hunt, who sits in Fort Lauderdale. The defendant who lives in Boston appeared before Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler in the District of Massachusetts.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Cynthia A. Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Southeast Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia R. Wood is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
This announcement is part of a nationwide federal law enforcement effort to combat telemedicine and prescription fraud. As part of this effort, the Department of Justice announced last week the largest amount of alleged fraud loss ever charged - $4.5 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims submitted by more than 86 criminal defendants in 19 judicial districts around the country – related to nationwide schemes involving telemedicine. See DOJ press release.
The charges and allegations contained in an information are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. under case no. 20-cr-60104.
Six Additional Individuals Indicted on Antitrust Charges in Ongoing Broiler Chicken InvestigationRead the Press Release
Note: The defendants in this case, Jayson Penn, Roger Austin, Mikell Fries, Scott Brady, and William Lovette, were acquitted by a jury of the charges alleged in the indictment.
A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado, returned a superseding indictment charging six additional defendants for their roles in a previously indicted conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, and containing additional allegations against the previously charged defendants in the same conspiracy, the Department of Justice announced today. The superseding indictment also charges one defendant with making false statements and obstruction of justice.
“The division will not tolerate collusion that inflates prices American shoppers and diners pay for food,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Executives who choose collusion over competition will be held to account for schemes that cheat consumers and corrupt our competitive markets. The division will also continue to charge those who knowingly lie to our law enforcement partners and obstruct our investigations — such conduct undermines our criminal justice system and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The charges in this ongoing investigation show the commitment of the FBI and our partners to work together to uncover these crimes and hold these individuals responsible,” said James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “To date, there have been 10 individuals charged for their participation in this conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids. The American people and restaurant owners should not be the ones to pay unnecessary rising costs of food while executives and employees line their pockets.”
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to root out corruption that harms consumers and the competitive market,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Scott Kieffer of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General. “The superseding indictment should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar criminal actions.”
“We appreciate the ongoing commitment and concerted efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General to investigate a long-running scheme affecting competition through the rigging of bids and price fixing of broiler chicken products,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General. “During these uncertain times, USDA, OIG will continue to dedicate resources and prioritize work that benefits hard working Americans through competitive prices for agricultural producers and fairness in pricing and quality of agricultural products for consumers.”
The three-count superseding indictment charges 10 executives and employees at major broiler chicken producers for their participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products from at least 2012 until at least early 2019. Broiler chickens are raised for human consumption and sold to grocers and restaurants. The six additional defendants are Timothy Mulrenin, William Kantola, Jimmie Little, William Lovette, Gary Roberts, and Rickie Blake. Mulrenin was a sales executive at a chicken supplier headquartered in Maryland and a sales executive at a chicken supplier headquartered in Arkansas. Kantola was a sales executive at a chicken supplier headquartered in Illinois. Little was a sales director at a chicken supplier headquartered in Colorado. Lovette was President and Chief Executive Officer at a chicken supplier headquartered in Colorado. Roberts was an employee at a chicken supplier headquartered in North Carolina and a manager and director at a chicken supplier headquartered in Arkansas. Blake was a director and manager at a chicken supplier headquartered in Arkansas.
The previously indicted defendants who were co-conspirators in the same conspiracy and remain charged in the superseding indictment are Jayson Penn, Roger Austin, Mikell Fries, and Scott Brady. All 10 individuals charged were executives or employees of several different companies that supply broiler chicken products in the United States. Finally, defendant Little is charged with one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001, and one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2). The investigation remains ongoing.
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Sherman Act offense charged carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than $1 million. The false statements offense charged carries a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The obstruction of justice offense charged carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging, and other anticompetitive conduct in the broiler chicken industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging, or other anticompetitive conduct related to the broiler chicken industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Sacramento Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento man was arrested yesterday afternoon on charges of sex trafficking of a child, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On Oct. 1, a federal grand jury in Sacramento returned a sealed indictment against Michael Anthony Butler Jr., 41, aka Spice916 and Spice, charging him with sex trafficking of a child. The indictment was unsealed today after Butler’s arrest.
Butler recruited, harbored, and transported a minor victim, knowing that the minor victim was younger than 18 years old and would be caused to engage in prostitution. Butler also advertised the minor victim’s prostitution activity.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Yuba City Police Department with assistance from the Yuba County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Quinn Hochhalter are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Butler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Rockland Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rockland man pleaded guilty yesterday to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Lamont Boswell, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Feb. 11, 2021. Boswell has been in custody since he was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 1, 2020.
In the early morning hours of March 5, 2020, police officers were dispatched to a Hanover convenience store where they approached a vehicle with the engine revving and an occupant, later identified as Boswell, who appeared to be sleeping in the driver’s seat with a sweatshirt pulled up over his head. Plainly visible on Boswell’s lap was a black revolver handgun. Officers were able to secure the firearm without incident. The revolver, a .38 Special caliber Smith & Wesson, was loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber special ammunition in the cylinder. Boswell could not produce any documentation for the firearm or a license to carry, and was subsequently arrested.
Boswell was also in possession of quantities of suspected heroin and cocaine packaged individually in 10 small clear plastic bags at the time of his arrest. According to court documents, Boswell revealed during booking that he is a member of the Latin Kings gang. Due to previous state drug convictions punishable by more than one year of incarceration, Boswell is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz; and Hanover Police Chief Walter Sweeney made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Rochester Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Chinappi's Gun Store Burglary and Lying About Military MedalsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Marcos D. Guzman, 36, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of theft of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and fraudulent representations about the receipt of military medals, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Guzman was also ordered to pay $41,500 in restitution to August Chinappi, former owner of Chinappi’s Firearms & Supplies.
“Guzman is the opposite of a hero,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “The heartless crimes that he and his co-conspirators committed continue to bring harm and wreak havoc in our community as the guns that they stole and sold on our streets almost inevitably end-up in the hands of those who acquire them for criminal purposes. The crimes they committed are acts of treason against the safety and well-being of our community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that the defendant, along with co-defendants Dakota Sarfaty and Luis D. Marcano-Agosto, broke into Chinappi’s Firearms & Supplies, a gun store on West Ridge Road in Spencerport, NY, in the early morning hours of August 16, 2018. Defendant Sarfaty entered the basement through a hole in the wall and, together with Guzman and Marcano-Agosto, stole approximately 87 firearms, most of which were handguns. Many of the firearms were sold on the streets of Rochester.
In April 2019, Guzman pleaded guilty for his role in the gun story burglary. The defendant then lied to the U.S. Probation Office about his military service and being awarded two Purple Hearts in order to try to get a lower sentence on his pending firearms offenses. Specifically, Guzman lied about serving in the United States National Guard, being deployed to Iraq for 18 months, and receiving two Purple Hearts for saving another soldier on the battlefield in Iraq. The defendant provided photographs to the U.S. Probation Office that purported to show the two Purple Heart certificates. The Purple Heart certificates were fake.
Co-defendants Dakota Sarfaty and Luis D. Marcano-Agosto were previously convicted for their roles in the gun store burglary. Sarfaty was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison, while Marcano-Agosto is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Mark Simmons; the VA Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Algieri; and the Yates County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Ron Spike.
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Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – William Don Dollarhide, 44, of Nardin, Oklahoma (Kay County), pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to court documents and records, Dollarhide, who is a registered sex offender due to a prior Oklahoma state child pornography conviction, used his cell phone to film himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in his recreational vehicle (RV) in September of 2018. The child’s mother called the Grant County Sheriff’s Department on May 12, 2019, reporting Dollarhide had assaulted the girl. Officers responded to Dollarhide’s residence and arrested him. Officers later searched his electronic devices under a search warrant and discovered photographs and videos of Dollarhide sexually abusing the girl as well as images of a naked girl he had produced with a hidden video camera.
On June 16, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Dollarhide with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Today, Dollarhide pleaded guilty to production of child pornography before Judge Scott L. Palk. Due to his prior conviction, he faces not less than 25 years and up to 50 years in federal prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, with forensic analysis assistance from the Enid Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, 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.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Obstruct JusticeRead the Press Release
Defendant conspired to fake her own death to avoid federal fraud sentence found hiding in her own closet
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Julie M. Wheeler entered a guilty plea to the federal felony offense of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Wheeler, 44, of Beaver, faces up to five years of incarceration, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when she is sentenced on January 6, 2021.
“Egregious. Wheeler risked the lives of first responders and wasted the critical resources of law enforcement and taxpayers in an attempt to evade her sentence in a federal fraud case only to be found safely hiding in a closet at her home,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The only thing she gained was a subsequent federal conviction, up to an additional 5 years behind bars and a fine of up to $250,000.”
In a case that garnered national attention, Julie Wheeler admitted to conspiring with her husband, Rodney Wheeler, to fake her own death at the New River Gorge. To fake her death, her husband and another family member placed a 911 call on May 31, 2020, claiming Julie Wheeler had fallen from the Grandview Overlook in the New River Gorge in West Virginia. The overlook is a steep cliff with a series of ledges leading down to the New River. This 911 call prompted a massive search and rescue operation with hundreds of people looking for Wheeler at the base of the overlook and the surrounding area. False statements were given to state and federal investigators by Julie Wheelers’ family as part of the conspiracy, including statements to National Park Service officers and the United States Probation Office. The purpose of these statements was to continue Wheeler’s ruse that she had fallen and was missing. Julie Wheeler was actually hiding in her own home.
After two days of searching, the West Virginia State Police located Julie Wheeler in her home hiding in the closet. Once removed from her closet, she was taken into custody. In statements to state and federal investigators, Wheeler admitted she faked her disappearance to avoid her pending federal sentencing in a health care fraud case. Julie Wheeler was sentenced on June 30, 2020, to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release for health care fraud relating to her overbilling a VA program for spina bifida care. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $289,055.07 for the overbilling scheme.
The National Park Service and the West Virginia State Police conducted the criminal investigation, assisted by the Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The United States Probation Office in the Southern District of West Virginia also conducted an independent investigation of Julie Wheeler’s disappearance and conduct related to the obstruction. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), the Office of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) conducted the investigation of the underlying health care fraud.
Co-defendant Rodney Wheeler’s case is set for trial on November 17, 2020 and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Wheelers are both presently charged with numerous felony and misdemeanor offenses in Raleigh County Circuit and Magistrate Courts relating to the false reporting of an emergency.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00145.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant AnnouncementRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force announced the availability of approximately $154,931 in PSN grant funds for the Western District of Louisiana. The Department of Justice, the Office of Justice Programs and the Bureau of Justice Assistance is seeking applications for funding of a grant under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. At least 30% ($41,831) of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current gang violence reduction strategies in the Western District. In addition, approximately $97,607 can be designated to fund both new and/or current comprehensive gun crime and gang violence reduction strategies within the Western District.
PSN furthers the Department of Justice=s mission to reduce violent crime by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to create safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime and gang violence committed with firearms utilizing prevention, enforcement and intervention methods.
Various types of single or multi‑grantee grant proposals are welcome including those that address the following:
- Gang violence and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education;
- Enforcement, adjudication and supervision programs;
- Prisoner re-entry programs; or
- Other innovative related projects.
Grant proposals must be submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATTN: PSN Grant Competition, 800 Lafayette Street, Suite 2200, Lafayette, LA 70501, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, October 30, 2020.
The FY 2020 PSN Grant Announcement, OMB No. 1121-0329 can be found on the website for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana at: . More information about the program can be located at www.psn.gov or www.bja.gov/programs/psn.
Interested applicants may also contact Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSN Coordinator Jamilla A. Bynog at (337) 262-6618 for additional information.
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Postal Employee Arrested for Dumping Mail, Including Election Ballots Sent to West Orange ResidentsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier from Hudson County was arrested today for discarding mail, including 99 general election ballots sent from the County Board of Elections and intended to be delivered to West Orange residents, from his assigned routes in Orange and West Orange, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of delay, secretion, or detention of mail and one count of obstruction of mail. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Approximately 1,875 pieces of mail – including 627 pieces of first class, 873 pieces of standard class, two pieces of certified mail, 99 general election ballots destined for residents in West Orange, and 276 campaign flyers from local candidates for West Orange Town Council and Board of Education – were recovered from dumpsters in North Arlington and West Orange on Oct. 2, 2020, and Oct. 5, 2020. The mail had been scheduled to be delivered on Sept. 28, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2, 2020, to addresses on certain postal routes in Orange and West Orange. On the delivery dates for which mail was recovered, Beauchene was the only mail carrier assigned to deliver mail to the addresses on the recovered mail.
The recovered mail was placed back into the mail stream for delivery to its intended recipients. Copies of the recovered mail were made and retained as evidence.
The delay of mail charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The obstruction of mail charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the USPS-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the North Arlington Police Department, under the direction of Scott Hedenberg, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara F. Merin of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Portland Residents Accused of Obstructing Federal Officers Protecting Federal PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Essence Maya Sylvester, 18, and Alexis Richter, 20, both of Portland, Oregon, made initial appearances today in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman.
The court arraigned Sylvester and Richter on a 2-count information alleging two misdemeanors: Failing to Obey a Lawful Order and Disorderly Conduct on Federal Property.
On the early morning hours of October 7, 2020, a protest group was protesting in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Building, where Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Services (FPS) Officers were assigned to protect federal property during protests and demonstrations taking place in Portland. Sylvester and Richter blocked the entrance to the building by lying across the entryway, preventing law enforcement vehicles from entering or leaving the premises. Both failed to move despite repeated warnings not to impede vehicular traffic. Both were arrested and refused to provide their names to officers. Sylvester and Richter were released on conditions pending trial scheduled for December 8, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez.
This case was investigated by Federal Protective Services and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Plainville Man Indicted for Child Enticement and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Plainville man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston on child enticement and child pornography offenses.
David Cerasuolo, 47, of Plainville, Mass., was indicted on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Cerasuolo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in July 2020.
According to charging documents, Cerasuolo used chat applications to engage in conversations with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover federal agent. During these conversations, Cerasuolo attempted to entice the 13-year-old to engage in sexual activity and sent her several photographs of himself, including one displaying his genitalia. He was also found in possession of child pornography.
The charge of enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor 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 possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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.
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. The Plainville, Arlington, Boston and Newton Police Departments and Massachusetts Department of Correction provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Lelling Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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 Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Raymont Harris was sentenced to 68 months in prison for committing fentanyl and heroin trafficking and gun crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Harris, age 25, of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Judge Stickman also sentenced Harris to serve three years of supervised release at the conclusion of his prison sentence.
In September 2018, while on bond in a state heroin-trafficking case, Harris distributed fentanyl and heroin and possessed a 9mm Ruger pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes. He was subsequently indicted and convicted in federal court via guilty pleas.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the North Fayette Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the fBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which is 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.
Owner of Rockstar Burgers Among 18 Defendants Indicted for $1.7 Million Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of the Rockstar Burgers restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, is among 18 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin, valued at more than $1.7 million. Most of the defendants are also charged with illegally possessing firearms.
Rockstar Burgers owner Brian Douglas Smith, 42, Kamel Mahgub Elburki, 32, Ashley Brooke Clevenger, 38, Rachel Gale Simpson, 37, Daniel Jessie Ruiz, 36, Matthew John Fabulae, 31, and Ian Lee Cook, 27, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Cory Matthew Jobe, 28, of Independence, Mo.; Mary Ruth Craft, 42, of Gladstone, Mo.; Tayler Charles Jones, 26, of Liberty, Mo.; Ashley Anne Fries, 23, of Riverside, Mo.; Justin Ren’e Ramirez, 24, of Bolivar, Mo.; James Russell Schroeder, 47, of Marshfield, Mo.; Michael Paul Lambert, 43, of Hartville, Mo.; Seth Alan Turbyfill, 31, of Chillicothe, Mo; Amy Leann Nieman, 49, of Moorseville, Mo.; and Richard Dean Saettone II, 39, and Megan Elizabeth (Lawson) Jackson, 27, addresses unknown, were charged in a 25-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 30, 2020.
The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants, including Smith. This superseding indictment replaces the original indictment returned on Dec. 12, 2019, and includes eight additional defendants and additional charges.
The federal indictment alleges that all 18 defendants participated in a conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2020, to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin. All of the defendants are also charged in a money-laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
In addition to the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies, Elburki, Jones, Simpson, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Schroeder, Lambert, and Jackson are charged together in one count of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one kilogram or more of heroin to distribute.
Smith, Elburki, Jones, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fries, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Turbyfill, and Nieman each also is charged with illegally possessing firearms in connection with their drug-trafficking crimes.
Elburkie, Jones, Jobe, Fries, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Turbyfill, and Nieman each also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ramirez, Ruiz, and Fabulae each also is charged with being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The federal indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government all property derived from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including a money judgment of $1,745,000. This sum, in aggregate, was received in exchange for, or is traceable thereto, the unlawful distribution of more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street price of $250 per ounce, and the unlawful distribution of more than 10 kilograms of heroin, based on an average street price of $1,200 an ounce.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. 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.Owner of North Carolina Temporary Staffing Firms Sentenced to Prison for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Greensboro, North Carolina, business owner was sentenced to 42 months in prison yesterday for failing to pay employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Rebecca Adams, 57, and her daughter Elizabeth Wood, 40, operated temporary staffing businesses in Greensboro under the names A & R Staffing Solutions Inc., Wood Executive Services Inc., and Adams Staffing Enterprises Inc. Adams and her daughter withheld federal and state taxes from employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes to the IRS. In 2015, Wood pleaded guilty to embezzling employee tax withholdings that were due to the state and was sentenced to prison. During Wood’s period of incarceration for the state payroll tax fraud, Adams continued to withhold taxes from employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS. Adams also did not file with the IRS a required quarterly payroll tax return.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge N. Carlton Tilley Jr., ordered Adams to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $2,222,834 in restitution to the United States.
On June 25, 2020, Wood was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to pay over employment taxes, and ordered to pay approximately $2,338,766 in restitution to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Chut, who prosecuted the case.
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Owner of North Carolina Temporary Staffing Firms Sentenced to Prison for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Greensboro, North Carolina, business owner was sentenced to 42 months in prison yesterday for failing to pay employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Rebecca Adams, 57, and her daughter Elizabeth Wood, 40, operated a temporary staffing businesses in Greensboro under the names A & R Staffing Solutions Inc., Wood Executive Services Inc., and Adams Staffing Enterprises Inc. Adams and her daughter withheld federal and state taxes from employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes to the IRS. In 2015, Wood pleaded guilty to embezzling employee tax withholdings that were due to the state and was sentenced to prison. During Wood’s period of incarceration for the state payroll tax fraud, Adams continued to withhold taxes from employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS. Adams also did not file with the IRS a required quarterly payroll tax return.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge N. Carlton Tilley Jr., ordered Adams to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $2,222,834 in restitution to the United States.
On June 25, 2020, Wood was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to pay over employment taxes, and ordered to pay approximately $2,338,766 in restitution to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Chut, who prosecuted the case.
Operation Rubber Stamp: Major health care fraud investigation results in significant new chargesRead the Press Release
USAO-SDGA From left: Peter M. McCoy, U.S. Attorney, District of South Carolina; Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Georgia; Glen Kessler, Resident Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Savannah Office; Will Clarke, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Savannah Office; Douglas Dye, Special Agent, FBI; and Jonathan Porter, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Georgia.SAVANNAH, GA: The third in a nationwide series of telemedicine fraud prosecutions includes cases in the Southern District of Georgia identifying more than $1.5 billion in fraudulent billings to government healthcare insurance programs.
The takedown – dubbed Operation Rubber Stamp, and following two similar nationwide Department of Justice initiatives in 2019 – brings prosecution totals up to 30 defendants now charged in the Southern District of Georgia, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The cases were announced in a joint news conference with District of South Carolina U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy.
At its core, this criminal network targeted by these investigations involves individuals and companies that collect patient data and sell it to one or more durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, pharmacies, or labs. Patients often were lured into the scheme by an international telemarketing network and the co-conspirators promise of often inappropriate durable medical equipment, test results, and medication misled patients and delayed their chance to seek appropriate treatment for medical complaints. As part of these schemes, defendant telemedicine executives allegedly paid doctors and nurse practitioners to order unnecessary durable medical equipment, genetic and other diagnostic testing, and pain medications, either without any patient interaction or with only a brief telephonic conversation with patients they had never met or seen. Durable medical equipment companies, genetic testing laboratories, and pharmacies then purchased those orders in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes and submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government insurers.
“This coordinated, deliberate and methodical series of investigations and prosecutions in the Southern District represents an ongoing, exhaustive team effort with our law enforcement partners to protect the taxpayers’ safety net programs from fraud and theft,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The warning should now be abundantly clear: Unscrupulous providers will find themselves in hot water if they attempt to illegally enrich themselves from these programs.”
Charges announced today include those against a former compliance officer for a company that facilitated more than $1 billion in fraudulent durable medical equipment billings to the Medicare program and other health benefit programs. Cases brought by the Southern District of Georgia team include prosecutions of Georgia medical professionals, marketers, and telemedicine companies who caused millions in fraudulent claims, including:
- An indictment charging Sherley Leon Beaufils, a Georgia nurse practitioner, for Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Health Care Fraud; five counts of Health Care Fraud; five counts of False Statements Related to Health Care; and one count of False Statements. Beaufils is alleged to have facilitated orders for more than 3,000 orthotic braces that generated more than $3 million in fraudulent or excessive charges to Medicare.
- An Information charging Toni De Lanoy, the former compliance officer of one of the more prolific facilitators of the overall conspiracy, with Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. As alleged in the Information, the defendant and her employer provided access to an extensive digital platform that processed more than $1 billion in fraudulent or excessive orders for durable medical equipment billed to Medicare, Medicaid, and others.
“Telemedicine has become a valuable tool for delivering health services in this time of pandemic. However, bad actors are abusing these tools to commit health care fraud,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “When marketing and so-called telehealth services are misused, alleged violators can expect aggressive investigation and swift prosecution.”
“Fraudulent billing schemes cost every taxpayer and our healthcare system, and when it targets programs like Medicare that assist the elderly and poor, it potentially threatens their health care needs,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Our partnerships within law enforcement are so important in uncovering such abuse by individuals driven by thoughtless greed and we remain determined to expose it.”
“Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler, U.S. Secret Service. “Our nation’s healthcare system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer-funded healthcare dollars.”
The most recent takedown – dubbed Operation Rubber Stamp, and following two similar nationwide Department of Justice initiatives in 2019 – brings prosecution totals up to 30 defendants now charged in the Southern District of Georgia. Across the nation, the most recent takedown brings the total charges and guilty pleas in 19 judicial districts involving the submission of over $4.5 billion in false billings from fraudulent telemedicine schemes for 86 criminal defendants.
Defendants include telemedicine executives, more than two dozen licensed medical professionals, marketers, and the owners of durable medical equipment (DME) companies, genetic testing laboratories, and pharmacies. As part of the takedown, guilty pleas by more than 30 individuals will be entered or unsealed, including those by more than a dozen medical professionals.
In conjunction with the takedown, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services/Center for Program Integrity separately took the largest number of adverse administrative actions resulting from a single administrative health care fraud investigative initiative in history in revoking the Medicare billing privileges of over 250 additional medical professionals for their involvement in telemedicine schemes.
Criminal indictments and informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases brought today in the Southern District of Georgia are part of the joint FBI and HHS Operation Rubber Stamp and the 2020 telemedicine takedown, coordinated by the recently-announced National Rapid Response Strikeforce of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, led by Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner.
The cases were investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; the FBI; and the U.S. Secret Service. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan Porter in the Southern District of Georgia and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim May, Derek A. Shoemake, and Will Lewis in the District of South Carolina.
Operation Legend: Case of the DayRead the Press Release
Each weekday, the Department of Justice will highlight a case that has resulted from Operation Legend. Today’s case is out of the Northern District of Illinois. Operation Legend launched in Chicago on July 22, 2020, in response to the city facing increased homicide and non-fatal shooting rates.
An Indiana man has been charged with a federal firearm offense for allegedly illegally selling dozens of handguns and assault rifles in the Chicago area.
Wayne Adam Tucker, 55, of Albion, IN, was charged with one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. According to the charging document, Tucker sold 39 guns on four occasions from April 2019 to February 2020. Three of the alleged sales occurred in south suburban Dolton, while one deal was allegedly conducted in Hammond, IN. Unbeknownst to Tucker, the buyer in all of the deals was confidentially working on behalf of law enforcement, the complaint states.
It is alleged that Tucker carried out the four unlicensed sales of firearms to the confidential source on April 28, 2019, Aug. 17, 2019, Nov. 16, 2019, and Feb. 8, 2020. In setting up the deals, Tucker allegedly explained to the confidential source that he had several people supplying him with firearms that had been purchased at gun shows in Indiana.
The drug charge accuses Tucker of selling approximately a pound of marijuana to the confidential source during the February transaction.
The details contained in the charging document are all allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Background on Operation Legend
Since its inception, Operation Legend has yielded more than 3,500 local, state, and federal arrests, with more than 800 defendants charged with federal crimes.
President Trump promised to assist America’s cities that have been plagued by violence. In July, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime in cities across America that were experiencing an uptick in violence. Operation Legend is named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed on June 29th in Kansas City, Missouri, while asleep in his home.
Operation Legend was launched in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8, 2020, and expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr has directed federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to these cities to help state and local officials fighting violent crime. The Department of Homeland Security is also contributing agents to these efforts in St. Louis.
Ocean Springs Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Sawed Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Shiloh Kalani Pisarich, 29, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 96 months in prison for selling an illegal sawed-off shotgun, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pisarich was also ordered to serve 3 years of supervised released following his prison sentence and pay a $5,000 fine.
In March 2019, Pisarich sold methamphetamine on two separate occasions. In addition, on March 29, 2019, Pisarick sold a shotgun that had been modified to have a barrel length less than 18 inches, which is illegal under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Ocala Convicted Felon Receives Almost Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James Whittemore has sentenced Kwasi Francis (30, Ocala) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Francis to forfeit the firearm and all ammunition associated with the offense.
Francis had pleaded guilty to the offense on January 30, 2020.
According to court documents, officers from the City of Ocala Police Department arrested Francis on state burglary and drug possession charges on May 7, 2019. While he was being processed at the Marion County Jail, the jail staff discovered that Francis had concealed a 9mm firearm on his person, between multiple pairs of pants. The firearm was loaded, including a bullet in the chamber. Francis, who has prior felony convictions for burglary and heroin distribution, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the City of Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Ocala Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm/AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James Whittemore has sentenced Shelley Devaughn Cook (42, Ocala) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Cook to forfeit the firearm and all ammunition associated with the offense.
Cook had pleaded guilty on January 8, 2020.
According to court documents, detectives from the City of Ocala Police Department observed Cook with an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a public area—a violation of a city ordinance. Cook ignored repeated requests from the detectives to pour out his drink, then fled on foot when the detectives approached him. Once apprehended, the detectives discovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol in Cook’s waistband. He also had quantities of MDMA (ecstasy), heroin, fentanyl and marijuana on his person.
Cook has eight prior state felony convictions, including for robbery with a deadly weapon (firearm), aggravated battery, felony battery, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and illegal drug possession. Because of these felony convictions, Cook is prohibited from possessing either firearms or ammunition under federal law.
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 Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Niagara Falls Man Going to Prison for 11 Years for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Jake Seright, 40, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha A. Coulson, who handled the case, stated that on five separate occasions between October 2018 and June 2019, the defendant sold fentanyl and cocaine to an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. At approximately 11:20 p.m. on August 5, 2019, a stop was conducted of the defendant’s vehicle, and Seright was arrested after a quantity of marijuana was discovered. The defendant was also in possession of approximately $500 in cash and $625 worth of money orders. On August 6, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Seright’s apartment on Zito Drive in Niagara Falls. Investigators recovered a digital scale, suspected cocaine and fentanyl, cutting agents, a kilogram press, and a vacuum sealer with bags.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Shipping Fentanyl Analogue to North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Plainfield, New Jersey man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.
According to court documents, Darrell Lee Watson, 39, pled guilty to the charge on May 21, 2020.
The investigation was initiated on October 11, 2017, when agents observed co-conspirator Thornton Lewis Watson IV conducting what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug transactions in Raleigh. Agents found Thornton Watson in possession of $3,485, a 9mm handgun and 70 pills that appeared to be Oxycodone.
When tested, the pills were determined to contain 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl, an analogue of Fentanyl.
On December 14, 2017, agents seized marijuana, $7,869, a firearm, and a cell phone from Thornton Watson. The cell phone was later searched pursuant to a search warrant, and agents found text messages in which Thornton Watson provided Darrell Watson with the Durham address of a woman named Shantevia Evans. Darrell Watson responded by providing a tracking number for a package.
Agents then determined that between October and December 2017, seven packages had been sent to Evans, and one was still in transit.
On December 15, 2017, agents seized the package that was still in transit, and it was found to contain 414 pills that were marked as if they were Oxycodone. In fact, they were found to contain 47.83 grams of 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.
Further analysis of Thornton Watson’s cell phone showed that Darrell Watson had sent a total of 13 tracking numbers to Thornton Watson. Based on the investigation, Darrell Watson is accountable for approximately 5,382 pills containing 621.79 grams of 4-Fluroisobutyryl Fentanyl.
Thornton Watson and Shantevia Evans pleaded guilty and were sentenced in connection with this investigation. Thornton Watson was sentenced to 114 months custody (Case No. 5:18-cr-315-D-1), and Shantevia Evans was sentenced to 24 months custody (Case No. 5:18-cr-315-D-2).
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
Mr. Higdon commented: “This case is a perfect example of the dangers in buying and using prescription drugs you get on the street or in some way illegally. You have no guarantee that you are getting what you are paying for. These pills appeared to be oxycodone – a dangerous enough drug when abused – but, in reality they were actually fentanyl analogues which could cause an unbreakable addiction and perhaps death. Stay away from any drug not prescribed to you by a reputable and responsible doctor.”
Wake County Board of Alcoholic Control (ABC) Law Enforcement Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00292-D-1.
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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.
Nevada Man Admits Role in Defrauding Banks in $9 Million Shotgun Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Henderson, Nevada, man today admitted his role in a scheme to use bogus information and simultaneous loan applications at multiple banks – known as “shot-gunning” – to attempt to obtain home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Joseph A. Gonzalez, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to Count One of an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Gonzalez is the sixth person to plead guilty as part of the scheme.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 2010 through 2018, Jorge Flores and Simon Curanaj, a real estate broker in the Bronx who has previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing, ran a mortgage fraud scheme in which they applied for more than $9 million in HELOCs from banks on residential properties in New Jersey and New York.
Gonzalez and Flores used a property in Jersey City, New Jersey, as part of the scheme. Gonzalez had been allowed by the owner of the property to live there in exchange for management services, but neither he nor Flores owned the property. Gonzalez also recruited an individual with good credit to act as a straw buyer (Individual 1). Unbeknownst to the owner of the property, a “quitclaim” deed – which contains no warranties of title – was prepared transferring the property to Individual 1. The signatures on the deed were forged.
Gonzalez and Flores then applied for two HELOCs from multiple banks using the Jersey City property as collateral in Individual 1’s name. They concealed the fact that the property offered as collateral was either already subject to senior liens that had not yet been recorded, or that the same property was offered as collateral for a line of credit from another lender. The applications also contained false information concerning Individual 1’s income, which was stated to be higher than his actual income. At the time the applications were made, the value of the property was less than the amount of the HELOC loans for which Gonzalez and Flores applied.
The victim banks eventually issued loans to Individual 1 in excess of $500,000. After the victim banks funded the HELOCs and deposited money into Individual 1’s bank account, Individual 1 disbursed almost all of it to Gonzalez, Flores, and others. Gonzalez used $43,000 of the illicit proceeds to buy a luxury car. Individual 1 eventually defaulted on both HELOC loans.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million or twice the gross pecuniary gain to the defendants or twice the gross pecuniary loss to others, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin DiGregory of the FHFA, Office of the Inspector General.
Murdo Woman Sentenced on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Murdo, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine was sentenced on October 6, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Mark A. Moreno.
Moriah Moran, age 33, was sentenced to 2 years’ probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 10, 2020. She pled guilty on October 6, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop that occurred on May 7, 2019, on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. An eventual search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of methamphetamine and several items of drug paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Moreno Valley Man Indicted on Federal Robbery Charges for Month-Long Pharmacy Crime Spree in Inland EmpireRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man who allegedly wore medical masks over his face during a month-long robbery spree of Inland Empire pharmacies was indicted today on federal criminal charges.
David Anthony Battle, 50, of Moreno Valley, is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with six counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
Battle was arrested by local law enforcement on August 10 and was transferred over to federal custody on August 23. He has been ordered jailed without bond while he awaits trial. His arraignment is scheduled for October 13 in United States District Court in Riverside.
According to the indictment, from July 6 to August 4, Battle robbed six pharmacies in Moreno Valley, Colton and San Bernardino. He allegedly attempted to rob two other Moreno Valley pharmacies on July 10 and August 10.
During each incident, Battle allegedly wore similar clothing – including wearing medical masks covering his nose and mouth – and used a similar method of brandishing what appeared to be a handgun by pulling it out from his waistband and holding it at his side. He then demanded that money in the cash register be placed in a bag and handed over, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint in this case.
Law enforcement reviewed store surveillance videos, which led them to arrest Battle, court documents state. During Battle’s arrest, a black BB-gun-style pistol was found on the ground near him, the affidavit states.
Battle allegedly netted $5,453 in illicit gains from the robberies, though $3,200 of that came from the July 6 robbery of a Walgreens store in Moreno Valley.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Battle would face a statutory maximum sentence of 160 years in federal prison.
The FBI, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino Police Department, and the Colton Police Department investigated this matter.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Dahlquist of the Riverside Branch Office.
More Than 40 Facing Federal Charges for Bilking Federal Health Care Programs Out of Millions Across South Carolina and Georgia in Operation Rubber StampRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Peter M. McCoy, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, and Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced today that more than 40 people are facing federal charges for their roles in expansive health care fraud schemes across South Carolina and Georgia resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent billings. The charges mark the third in a nationwide series of telemedicine fraud prosecutions, which began through investigative efforts out of the District of South Carolina.
The District of South Carolina and the Southern District of Georgia have been on the vanguard of combating health care fraud across the country and globe. Playing instrumental roles in three nationwide operations, Operation Brace Yourself, Double Helix, and now Rubber Stamp, the Districts have obtained convictions of the owners of international telemarketing firms; owners of genetic testing centers; owners of pharmacies; owners of medical supply businesses; CEOs of marketing companies; compliance officers; doctors; and nurses. Working cooperatively with other federal districts and the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force, cases have been brought in over 20 Districts across the country, resulting in over 175 individuals being charged and or convicted, with over a billion dollars in restitution. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services/Center for Program Integrity separately took the largest number of adverse administrative actions resulting from a single administrative health care fraud investigative initiative in history in revoking the Medicare billing privileges of over 250 additional medical professionals for their involvement in telemedicine schemes.
In the District of South Carolina, in the last week five individuals were charged in a telemedicine-based health care fraud and kickback conspiracy, involving more than $100 million dollars in fraudulent billings in South Carolina. The individuals were all medical providers - four doctors and one nurse - who signed prescriptions over a web-based platform, often times without meeting or speaking with the patients. Additionally, charges were filed against eight individuals and one corporation related to a health care fraud and kick back conspiracy that used offshore call centers and fraudulent telemedicine to bill hundreds of millions of dollars for durable medical equipment that was not medically necessary. These charges are in addition to the dozens of individuals previously charged.
In the Southern District of Georgia, four individuals were charged in the last week for telemedicine-based fraud and kickback schemes, adding to the 26 defendants charged previously. The four new defendants, three of whom were medical professionals, were alleged to have participated in this telemedicine-based scheme, which now collectively totals in excess of $1.4 billion in fraudulent claims for defendants charged in the Southern District of Georgia alone. Among the recent defendants charged, a former compliance officer was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for her role as part of a company that connected various parties through an online-based platform where patients’ health information would be uploaded, prescriptions would be signed electronically by medical professionals, and the package of health information with a signed prescription could then be sold to durable medical equipment companies for eventual billing to Medicare and other programs.
“Those who steal from federal health care programs are taking money from the pockets of taxpayers. This is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy. “Along with our federal law enforcement partners and our colleagues in the Southern District of Georgia, we have worked tirelessly to identify and prosecute those who seek to harm the citizens of South Carolina and Georgia. We have also ensured that millions of dollars have been returned, or will be returned, to these essential health care programs.”
“This coordinated, deliberate and methodical series of investigations and prosecutions in the Southern District represents an ongoing, exhaustive team effort with our law enforcement partners to protect the taxpayers’ safety net programs from fraud and theft,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The warning should now be abundantly clear: Unscrupulous providers will find themselves in hot water if they attempt to illegally enrich themselves from these programs.”
“Thousands of Americans have had their health jeopardized and personal information bartered, while these illegal enterprises have reaped our tax dollars,” said Jody Norris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Columbia, South Carolina. “The FBI, working with our federal partners, have stopped these criminal networks and we will remain dedicated to seeking out and dismantling others.”
“Fraudulent billing schemes cost every taxpayer and our health care system, and when it targets programs like Medicare that assist the elderly and poor, it potentially threatens their health care needs,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Atlanta. “Our partnerships within law enforcement are so important in uncovering such abuse by individuals driven by thoughtless greed, and we remain determined to expose it.”
“Telemedicine has become a valuable tool for delivering health services in this time of pandemic. However, bad actors are abusing these tools to commit health care fraud,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta region for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “When marketing and so-called telehealth services are misused, alleged violators can expect aggressive investigation and swift prosecution.”
“Cases of this magnitude can only be tackled using a strategy that recognizes that the most effective way to fight these large criminal networks is by combining the strengths, resources, and expertise of our federal agencies,” said Glen M. Kessler, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service in Savannah, Georgia. “Our nation’s health care system cannot tolerate kickbacks to physicians and pharmacies while criminals line their pockets with taxpayer funded health care dollars.”
At its core, the federal filings allege that this criminal network targeted by these investigations involves individuals and companies that collect patient data and sell it to one or more durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, pharmacies, or labs. Patients were often lured into the scheme by an international telemarketing network. According to the filings, the co-conspirators’ promise of often inappropriate durable medical equipment, test results, and medication misled patients and delayed their chance to seek appropriate treatment for medical complaints. As part of these schemes, telemedicine executives allegedly paid doctors and nurse practitioners to order unnecessary durable medical equipment, genetic and other diagnostic testing, and pain medications, either without any patient interaction or with only a brief telephonic conversation with patients they had never met or seen. The filings allege that durable medical equipment companies, genetic testing laboratories, and pharmacies then purchased those orders in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes and submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government insurers.
The cases were investigated by agents from the FBI, HHS OIG, and Secret Service; specifically, Special Agents Neil Power, Su Kim, Ryan Schubert, Randy Dye, T.J. Smith, Dave Graupner, Karen Corbett, and Matt Britsch. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim May, Derek A. Shoemake, and Will Lewis with the District of South Carolina; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Clarkson and Jonathan Porter with the Southern District of Georgia; and Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner with the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force.
The charges in these cases are only accusations of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and 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.
Monmouth County Man Admits Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ahmed A-Hady, 36, of Keyport, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 10, 2019, there was a mass shooting in Jersey City in which two individuals, David Nathaniel Anderson and Francine Graham, killed three civilians after earlier killing a law enforcement officer. After the shooting, law enforcement recovered from Anderson’s right rear pants pocket a handwritten note that contained a telephone number ending in 4115, and a Keyport, New Jersey, address. Law enforcement also recovered several weapons carried by Anderson and Graham, including an AR-15 rifle.
FBI agents determined that the phone number ending in 4115 contained on the note belonged to A-Hady. Law enforcement also determined that the Keyport address listed on the note was a storefront for a pawn shop. On the evening of Dec. 13, 2019, law enforcement officers traveled to the pawnshop and interviewed A-Hady and two of his relatives.
Law enforcement lawfully searched both the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence. During the search of the pawnshop, law enforcement recovered multiple rifles, handguns, and one shotgun. In addition, during the searches of the pawnshop and A-Hady’s private residence, law enforcement recovered over 400 rounds of ammunition, including a large number of hollow point bullets.
One of the weapons recovered from the pawnshop was a Sig Sauer .22 caliber rifle capable of accepting a large capacity magazine. Records showed that A-Hady purchased this rifle in Florida on Oct. 23, 2012, a time when he, as a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing firearms. The purchase of this rifle came approximately five months after A-Hady was convicted in New Jersey Superior Court of a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year.
As part of the guilty plea, A-Hady also agreed to forfeit his interest, if any, in the firearms recovered during the search of the pawnshop.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark; the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the plea. U.S. Attorney Carpenito also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronnell Wilson, Chief of the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean C. Sovolos and Thomas S. Kearney, also of the National Security Unit.
Member of Pueblo of Jemez faces charges of sexual abuse of a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Edward Ray Loretto, 39, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Jemez, made an initial appearance in court on Oct. 1 pursuant to a two-count federal indictment charging one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
According to the indictment, on July 27, 2020, Loretto allegedly forcibly sexually assaulted the victim, who was then between 12 and 16 years of age. According to a criminal complaint filed prior to the grand jury’s indictment, the assault took place at the victim’s home on the Pueblo of Jemez after Loretto and another individual provided alcohol to the victim.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Loretto on Aug. 17. The University of New Mexico Police Department arrested Loretto on Sept. 24, and the FBI subsequently took custody.
An indictment is only an accusation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Loretto faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI and the Pueblo of Jemez Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.
Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur Announces More Than $1 Million in Grant Funding to Assist Victims in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur today announced $1,047,593 in Department of Justice grants to Howard County to assist human trafficking victims in Maryland. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost $1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, administers a flagship formula grant program supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under The Victims of Crime Act. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
“I am so pleased that Howard County has received funds to support their collaborative task force to end human trafficking and to provide services to victims of this terrible crime,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Through these local task forces, as well as the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, local, state and federal law enforcement partners are working with non-profit organizations to help human trafficking victims and prosecute the traffickers. Working to end human trafficking is a priority for the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The awards made to organizations in Maryland and other states will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement departments.
State victim compensation programs will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur Announces Almost $1.7 Million in Federal Grants to Improve Services for Crime Victims in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur today announced $1,697,084 in U.S. Department of Justice grants to improve services for crime victims in Maryland. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of over $144 million distributed nationwide to enhance the response to victims of crime throughout the United States.
“The Department of Justice is steadfast in its commitment to protecting public safety and bringing justice to those who have been victimized,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The investments we are making today will support service providers as they work to secure the legal rights of victims and put survivors of criminal acts on the road to recovery.”
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “These grants will be used to provide services to children and youth in Maryland who are victims of crime as a result of the drug addiction crisis, and to assist Maryland jurisdictions to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which is designed to prevent children from becoming victims by identifying and registering those who have sexually abused a minor in the past. We must do all we can to heal and protect our children.”
The awards made to organizations in Maryland will advance the use of technology, improve community preparedness and law enforcement training, and provide emergency and transitional shelter to assist victims of crime. Programs will also support victims of child abuse and fund research projects related to perpetrators and victims of elder abuse. Nationwide, approximately $64.3 million was awarded under Office for Victims of Crime grant programs; over $54.1 million was awarded under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs; over $19.9 million was awarded under Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking grant programs; and nearly $5.7 million was awarded under two National Institute of Justice grant programs.
“As lockdowns and lawlessness fuel crime in America’s homes and communities, more people are vulnerable to victimization and those who have been victimized face new hurdles,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to giving our victim service partners the tools they need to better serve their clients and protect victims’ rights.”
The following organizations in Maryland received funding:
- JBS International, Inc. received $1,499,960 to support training and technical assistance for the direct services grantees under the Enhancing Community Responses to America’s Drug Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims program.
- The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services received $180,000; Dorchester County received $11,370; and Frederick County received $5,754 under the Adam Walsh program to assist with developing enhancing programs designed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Manhattan Resident Charged in Tribeca ShootingRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea, announced that JEMFFORD PEREZ, a Manhattan resident, was arrested this morning and charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with a shooting that occurred in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan on September 27, 2020. PEREZ was presented before United States Magistrate Gabriel W. Gorenstein in Manhattan federal court today.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “On a typically tranquil Sunday of last month, the streets of Tribeca were disrupted with the alarming sound of gunfire, as Jemfford Perez is alleged to have recklessly fired four shots in broad daylight at an individual who was thankfully not struck. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the N.Y.P.D, Perez now faces serious prison time for his alleged potentially deadly conduct which put innocent lives at risk.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “We applaud our NYPD detectives and partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District for answering this unacceptable crime with swift and strong consequences.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1]:
On September 27, 2020, around 4:56 p.m., PEREZ was outside near 155 Franklin Street in Tribeca, when an individual arrived at the same location and parked his vehicle on the street. PEREZ armed himself, approached the individual, and opened fire four times at close range while an individual stood next to his vehicle, though the individual was not struck by the gunfire. PEREZ then fled the scene.
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PEREZ, 24, of Manhattan, New York is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Jones is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man from Pine Ridge Sentenced to Federal Prison for AssaultsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
Dallas Yellow Shield Condon, age 25, was sentenced for the charges on October 1, 2020. On each charge he received 57 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. It was further ordered that the time in federal prison and supervised release run concurrently.
Yellow Shield Condon was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2018. On July 20, 2015, Yellow Shield Condon assaulted his sister in the face with his fist. She sustained maxillary sinus and orbital basement fractures. Following this assault in Pine Ridge, Yellow Shield Condon traveled to Wounded Knee and assaulted his dating partner by strangling her with his hands to the point of her losing consciousness. When she started to regain consciousness, Yellow Shield Condon physically assaulted her in the face, chest, and abdomen.
On October 28, 2015, just three months after the initial assaults, Yellow Shield Condon assaulted his dating partner multiple times with a closed fist injuring her face and nose. In October 2016, Yellow Shield Condon assaulted his dating partner in Pine Ridge by striking her in the face repeatedly. The victim’s nose was fractured, requiring surgical intervention.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Yellow Shield Condon was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Who Sold Midland/Odessa Shooter AR-15 Used in Massacre Pleads Guilty to Unlicensed Firearms DealingRead the Press Release
The man who sold the AR-15 used to gun down 32 people in Midland and Odessa, Texas last year has pleaded guilty to a gun crime, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.
Marcus Anthony Braziel, 45, of Lubbock, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of subscribing to a false tax return before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix Wednesday afternoon.
“If you’re a firearms dealer – whether you’re selling out of a brick-and-mortar store, in your basement, or online – you must ensure that a background check is conducted on your purchasers,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “As this case makes clear, dealing firearms without a license isn’t some obscure, technical violation. It is unlawful conduct that has real-world impact and the potential for devastating results. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing our nation’s long-held gun laws, designed to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”
“The thoroughness of this investigation shows the dedication of ATF and all of its law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Dallas Field Division Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “This plea shows that people engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling firearms must do so lawfully to prevent prohibited persons from acquiring them. ATF provides potential dealers a straightforward way of becoming licensed without extensive complications or burdens.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he sold Midland Odessa shooter Seth Aaron Ator an AR-15-style rifle on October 8, 2016 – nearly three years before Mr. Ator used the gun to murder seven people and wound 25 more.
Mr. Ator, who had been adjudicated “mentally defective” and was therefore legally prohibited from possessing firearms, first attempted to purchase a gun from a sporting goods store, but was rejected after the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) flagged his mental status. He later circumvented the NICS system by purchasing a gun from Mr. Braziel, who elected not to run background checks on any of his buyers.
Background checks are not necessarily required for in-state, private transfers. However, Mr. Braziel admitted he was “engaged in the business of selling firearms” – repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – and thus should have been licensed and conducting background checks.
In his plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he routinely bought firearm firing mechanisms (termed “lower receivers”), used milling equipment to build them into full-fledged guns, and then sold the completed weapons for roughly $100 - $200 profit. He said he typically listed his firearms for sale on Armslist.com and conducted the sales in the parking lot of a local sporting goods store or out of his garage.
In a four-year span, Mr. Braziel inadvertently sold firearms to four prohibited persons: a convicted felon, an man under felony indictment, an immigrant in the U.S. illegally, and Mr. Ator, a man who the courts deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Agents traced the lower receiver of the gun Mr. Braziel sold to Mr. Ator to Mulehead Dans, a federally licensed firearm dealer in Lubbock. The owner of Mulehead Dans confirmed that Mr. Braziel often purchased lower receivers and firearms there.
In addition to concealing his unlicensed dealing, Mr. Braziel admitted he also concealed the income from his firearms sales from the IRS.
“The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and file false returns is a vital element of IRS Criminal Investigation’s enforcement strategy,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tamera Cantu. “IRS-CI is pleased with the successful resolution of this investigation due to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners. This case shows there is no tolerance for illegal actions such as those taken by Mr. Braziel.”
Mr. Braziel now faces up to faces up to five years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for January 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, is prosecuting the case.
Man Traveling from the Dominican Republic Indicted after Presenting False Passport at Boston Logan AirportRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A man traveling from the Dominican Republic under an assumed identity was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Boston for attempting to enter the United States using a false U.S. passport.
The defendant, whose identity has not yet been confirmed and who was charged as John Doe, was indicted on one count of misuse of a passport and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendant was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2020, and has been detained since that time.
As alleged in the charging documents, the defendant arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic on March 4, 2020. While attempting to pass inspection by Customs and Border Protection, he provided officers a U.S. passport bearing his image, but the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a different person.
An investigation revealed that the defendant allegedly applied for the passport in November 2019 in Brighton. In the application, he fraudulently listed the personal identifying information of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico. He also attached a copy of the citizen’s birth certificate in support of the application.
The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of misuse of a passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Long Island Chiropractor Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Joseph Stephan, a chiropractor licensed by New York State, with health care fraud for submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) for services that were not actually rendered. Stephan was arrested this morning and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Stephan abused the trust of an important federal benefit program for employees injured on the job by billing for numerous fraudulent claims, including those for an undercover Special Agent investigating the defendant,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold healthcare providers accountable for fraud and abuse.”
“Medical providers who submit false claims to DOL’s OWCP and other federal health care programs for medically unnecessary services are putting illegal profits above patients’ safety. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and OWCP to protect the integrity of DOL’s benefit programs,” stated DOL-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Mikulka.
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is dedicated to protecting the public’s safety and the U.S. Postal Service,” stated USPIS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Modafferi. “The Special Agents of the USPS OIG will tirelessly investigate and seek justice against those who choose to defraud federal benefit programs and put profits above the safety of their patients. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat healthcare frauds.”
Stephan has been enrolled in OWCP since 2008. Certain federal employees, including employees of the United States Postal Service, who become disabled due to occupational injuries sustained during the performance of their official duties qualify for OWCP benefits. As charged in the criminal complaint, Stephan fraudulently billed OWCP for services (i) provided to patients on dates when the patients did not visit him, and (ii) that were not in fact provided during patient visits. The complaint also alleges that Stephan fraudulently billed OWCP for services purportedly provided to a USPS-OIG special agent posing as a postal employee on 23 dates when, in fact, the undercover agent did not have an appointment or meet with him.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Stephan faces a statutory maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by DOL-OIG and USPS-OIG, and was brought by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Trial Attorney Sarah Wilson Rocha of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Defendant:
JOSEPH STEPHAN
Age: 50
Farmingdale, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-855
Liberty Man Charged with Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Liberty, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing firearms.
Aaron S. Calton, 43, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, Oct. 2, with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Calton remains in federal custody without bond.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Calton sold 3.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement source for $100 on Aug. 23, 2020. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Calton’s residence on Oct. 1, 2020. As Calton attempted to flee from the residence, the affidavit says, he threw a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol into the woods near the residence. Calton was taken into custody and the pistol was recovered. Another man who fled on foot was apprehended and a woman at the residence was also taken into custody. Officers seized 15 grams of methamphetamine and a sawed-off Mossberg pump action 20-gauge shotgun from the residence.
Calton had also been arrested while in possession of a firearm on April 6, 2020, during an investigation into his alleged plan to assault a Branson, Missouri, woman whom he believed had stolen a large quantity of methamphetamine from him. The intended victim, according to the affidavit, told law enforcement that Calton threatened to shoot her in the legs and break out all of her teeth in an attempt to compel her to say where the stolen methamphetamine was located.
Calton was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Interstate 49 on April 6, 2020. The sergeant searched the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger .380-caliber pistol on the floorboard of the front passenger seat, where Calton had been seated. Calton also had six additional .380-caliber rounds of ammunition in his pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Calton has prior felony convictions for burglary/stealing and assault.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Liberty, Mo., Police Department, the Clay County Drug Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Lewiston Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Bren Allen Goodnight, 31, of Lewiston, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to six years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Goodnight serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, and stated his intent to sentence Goodnight to an additional three years of supervised release if he violated the terms imposed by the Court. Goodnight pleaded guilty to the charges on July 16, 2020.
According to court records, Lewiston Police Department detectives contacted Goodnight in March 2019, outside a Lewiston grocery store. Detectives developed probable cause to believe that drugs were within the vehicle Goodnight was driving and searched the vehicle. Detectives located and seized a Glock handgun and ammunition. Goodnight could not possess the firearm or ammunition because he had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense in Asotin County, Washington.
The investigation showed that Goodnight obtained this firearm from Benjamin Negrete. In July 2020, Negrete was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lewiston PD detectives also investigated that case.
Multiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation and prosecution of this case including the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional group of law enforcement officers working together to target drug trafficking in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, and Clarkston and Pullman, Washington.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is 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.
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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.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
A Las Vegas, Nevada, man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan.
On Aug. 22, 2018, a federal jury in Las Vegas found Terry Williamson guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349.
The evidence at trial proved that Williamson played a leading role in a mail and wire fraud conspiracy from January 2009 through April 2011. As part of the scheme, Williamson’s co-conspirators filed false tax returns with the IRS to fraudulently obtain tax refunds. They used the names and social security numbers of deceased taxpayers in order to facilitate the fraud.
To handle the fraudulently obtained refund checks, Williamson opened a bank account using the business name Refund and Rebates Management Inc. (Refund and Rebates). After Williamson or his compatriots deposited the refund checks into the Refund and Rebates bank account, Williamson transferred large amounts of cash to his personal account and to the accounts of his co-conspirators, and used the remaining funds in the account for his own personal enrichment, including a $60,000 fully loaded pick-up truck. More than 480 fraudulent tax refund checks totaling almost $2 million were deposited into Williamson’s account.
In addition to the term of imprisonment imposed, U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ordered Williamson to serve one year of supervised release.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorney Sarah Kiewlicz of the Tax Division and AUSA John Mulcahy (former Tax Division Trial Attorney), who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.