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28 September 2020
New York Man Sentenced to 87 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 25, 2020, Luis Torres-Jiminez, age 31, of New York, was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Torres-Jimenez conspired with Juan Roman-Polanco and others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute powder cocaine and cocaine base, or “crack.” Specifically, Torres-Jimenez admitted responsibility for over 500 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of crack.
Roman-Polanco was previously sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
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New Rochelle Man Charged with Attempted Murder of FBI Task Force Officer During Broad Daylight Shooting in YonkersRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and John J. Mueller, Commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department, announced charges today against DARREN SMITH for attempting to murder a federal law enforcement officer. The defendant will be presented in White Plains federal court today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendant fired a handgun into a commercial hub in Yonkers and, in a further wanton disregard for human life, attempted to direct his fire at a federal law enforcement officer. Our Office will work to ensure that those who put our law enforcement partners in danger are held to account.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As law enforcement professionals, we all take an oath to protect the public from harm. When this subject allegedly fired his gun wildly into a public square to prevent his arrest, police officers, including a task force officer from our Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, took immediate action to prevent innocent people from being killed or injured by stray bullets. We take our oath seriously, and we won’t back away from our pursuit of holding criminals accountable for their actions.”
Yonkers Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said: “As this was one of the most depraved and reckless acts I have witnessed in my 28 years in law enforcement, the response by our Yonkers Police Officers was also one of the most heroic and selfless acts I have witnessed in my career. We often hear how our police officers run toward danger, without consideration for their own well-being. In this incident, everyone who views the video can attest to the validity of this often used term. As Yonkers Police Commissioner, I could not be prouder of the officers and supervisors that God has blessed me to work with. Thank you also to the outpouring of support from our beloved community who have inundated the Yonkers Police with well wishes and gratitude.”
As alleged in the Complaint[1]:
On September 25, 2020, after law enforcement officers attempted to stop SMITH’s car, he fled on foot with a handgun. As officers, including a FBI Task Force Officer, attempted to arrest him, SMITH fired his handgun into Getty Square in Yonkers. As the FBI Task Force Officer attempted to control SMITH’s hand to prevent him firing again, SMITH struggled to turn the gun in the Task Force Officer’s direction and continued to fire. In the course of the struggle, the Task Force Officer fractured his finger, sprained his knee, and suffered several abrasions to his right hand.
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SMITH, 24, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with one count of attempting to murder a federal officer, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, one count of using a deadly weapon to interfere with the performance of a federal officer’s official duties, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of discharging a firearm in the course of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and officers from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Probation, the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the Yonkers Police Department, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Peekskill Police Department, the Greenburgh Police Department, and the New Rochelle Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Shiva H. Logarajah is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, 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.
Multi-Agency Investigation Results in Charges Against 6 for Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that several individuals have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise involving narcotics distribution, money laundering, and gun violence in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
In a recently unsealed indictment, Jordan J. Shanholtzer, aka “Two-3,” 33, formerly of Anchorage,; Matthew W. Moi, aka “Matt Matt,” 35, formerly of Anchorage; Kenneth A. Ford, aka “Keyes,” 29, of Anchorage; Myrick A. Elliott, 34, of Anchorage; Isaiah M. Roderick, aka “Izzy,” 21, of Anchorage; and Marvin Nelson, aka “Unc,” aka “Old School,” 55, of Itta Bena, Mississippi have been charged with a drug and money laundering conspiracy. Shanholtzer was also charged with directing a continuing criminal enterprise and Moi was charged with using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and killing in furtherance of continuing criminal enterprise.
According to the indictment, from about January 2017 through October 2, 2019, Shanholtzer allegedly managed a continuing criminal enterprise that was responsible for distributing large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine in Alaska. According to the indictment, over the course of the conspiracy, Shanholtzer relocated from Anchorage to Arizona and later Florida, while continuing to direct the enterprise in Alaska. The indictment alleges that Moi was responsible for the operational management in Alaska. Shanholtzer is alleged to have directed members of the enterprise, including Nelson, to package and mail shipments of 3 and 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and or heroin from Los Angeles, California to Alaska. According to the indictment, Shanholtzer and Moi also worked with other conspirators to launder the proceeds of their drug sales, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The indictment also alleges in April 2019, Shanholtzer arranged for a package of heroin to be sent to the Anchorage residence of Navarrow Andrews. After Moi and other coconspirators spent several days attempting to recover the package without success, Shanholtzer and Moi concluded that Andrews had stolen the narcotics. The indictment alleges that on April 8, 2019, Moi murdered Andrews to further the purpose of the criminal enterprise. Moi then fled the state to avoid apprehension.
After fleeing Alaska, Moi continued to assist Shanholtzer with the direction and shipment of narcotics packages to Alaska. In September 2019, Shanholtzer and Moi directed a shipment of 5 kilograms of heroin for distribution in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, which was intercepted by law enforcement. Shanholtzer, Moi, Ford, Elliott and Roderick were arrested and charged with a drug conspiracy in September and October 2019 in connection with that incident. Nelson was arrested in Itta Bena, Mississippi on September 24, 2020 following the return of the superseding indictment.
The investigation leading to the indictment in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Investigative assistance was provided by the Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Kelly Cavanaugh of the District of Alaska.
The charges in the indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Member of Navajo Nation pleads guilty to aggravated sexual abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Derrick Mason, 24, of Fruitland, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty in federal court on Sept. 21 to an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and aggravated burglary in Indian Country.
A grand jury previously returned an indictment against Mason on Jan. 10, 2019.
According to the plea agreement, Mason acknowledged that on the evening of Oct. 16, 2015, he went to the victim’s house in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, and turned off the circuit breakers, an electrical service box located outside of her home. When the victim stepped outside to check on the circuit breakers, Mason used the opportunity to enter her house, where he hid until she fell asleep. At about 1:00 a.m., Mason went to the victim’s bed, dragged her to the side of the bed, and sexually assaulted her twice. He punched the victim in the face several times and strangled her until she lost consciousness. As a result of Mason’s attack, the victim suffered serious bodily injury. The attack took place within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County.
Mason is in custody, pending sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled. By the terms of the plea agreement, he faces 17 years in prison.
The Farmington office of the FBI, the Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations unit, and the Navajo Nation Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez is prosecuting the case.
Maryland man admits to firearms offenseRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Alieu Crayton, of Silver Spring, Maryland, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Crayton, 21, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearms.” Crayton, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, admitted to having two pistols in October 2019 in Berkeley County.
Crayton faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Christopher Juneau, 36, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to fentanyl trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Juneau was part of a drug trafficking organization that sold fentanyl and cocaine to customers in Manchester. In July 2019, a cooperating individual purchased fentanyl from Juneau. The investigation revealed that Juneau worked with another drug trafficker and had sold drugs as part of a drug trafficking organization on numerous occasions.
Juneau is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2021.
“Manchester and communities throughout New Hampshire have suffered greatly from the scourge of fentanyl trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The distribution of this lethal drug undermines public health and safety throughout our state. In order to stop traffickers, we will closely coordinate with the FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force and all of our law enforcement partners to bring the individuals responsible to justice.”
“Christopher Juneau is a drug trafficker who saw lives entangled with addiction as an endless source of cash, and today he’s finally taking responsibility for polluting Manchester, NH with fentanyl and cocaine,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to get drug dealers like him, and the organizations they work for, off our streets for good.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI NH Safe Streets Gang Task Force which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hampshire State Police, Dover Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department and Nashua Police Department. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance as well. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. MacDonald.
Agencies participating in this investigation are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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List Brokerage Firm Pleads Guilty to Facilitating Elder Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Connecticut list brokerage firm Macromark Inc. pleaded guilty on Friday to knowingly providing lists of potential victims to fraudulent mass-mailing schemes, the Department of Justice announced. The fraudulent schemes tricked consumers into paying fees for falsely promised cash prizes and purportedly personalized “psychic” services. Thousands of consumers lost millions of dollars to the schemes.
A corporate representative for Macromark appeared before Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the U.S. District Court in Hartford, Connecticut, for arraignment and to enter a plea of guilty to an information charging the firm with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
The information alleges that Macromark provided list-brokerage services for more than 11 years to clients who were running mass-mailing fraud schemes. Macromark specifically helped fraudulent mass mailers both acquire lists of potential victims to defraud and sell their lists of victims to other mass mailers. Macromark executives and employees engaged in this conduct despite knowing that their clients were mailing hundreds of thousands of deceptive prize notifications that misled victims into believing that they would receive a cash prize or personalized services upon payment of a fee. The potential-victim lists that Macromark brokered were essential to its fraudulent mass-mailer clients, allowing them to more effectively reach consumers who were susceptible to their schemes. Many victims who lost money to the schemes were elderly and vulnerable. In pleading guilty, Macromark admitted that the lists it provided to fraudulent clients resulted in losses to victims of at least $9,500,000.
“Protecting seniors from fraud is a top priority of the Department of Justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will hold accountable companies like Macromark that help foreign and domestic criminals identify and scam elderly Americans.”
According to the information, Macromark facilitated fraud schemes from 2005 until September 2016, when Inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed search warrants on the company’s offices and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch obtained a federal court order enjoining the company from facilitating mass-mailing fraud. The court order resulted in a permanent injunction that permanently prohibited Macromark from dealing in certain promotions or solicitations that purport to offer prizes or services for a fee, including sweepstakes reports, wealth-building programs or psychics. Macromark was also required to hire a compliance officer, and to audit a sample of all list orders for five years.
“List brokers and service providers such as Macromark who facilitate these schemes are especially dangerous,” said Inspector in Charge Delany DeLeon-Colon of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Data firms such as this have extraordinary access to consumer’s personal information, not just their mailing address. The sale and distribution of this data exponentially magnifies the scale and impact of these schemes. Postal Inspectors are proud of our work to stop the targeting of our most vulnerable Americans.”
Macromark’s plea follows a separate guilty plea by former Macromark Executive Vice President Steven Keats in July 2018 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud while working at Macromark. Also, in March 2020, former Macromark Senior Vice President Norman Newman was indicted by a Connecticut Grand Jury for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, along with fifteen counts of wire fraud. Newman is scheduled for trial on March 1, 2021. An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Under the terms of Macromark’s guilty plea, the company would be sentenced to three years of probation, forfeiture and fines totaling $1,000,000, and be required to cooperate with any related government investigation or prosecution. The final sentence awaits a ruling from the federal court overseeing the case.
Trial Attorneys Alistair Reader and Ehren Reynolds of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In January 2020, the department designated “Preventing and Disrupting Transnational Elder Fraud” as an Agency Priority Goal, one of its top four priorities. In March 2020, the department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 400 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The department has also conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
The department’s extensive efforts to combat elder fraud seek to halt the billions of dollars seniors lose each year to fraud schemes, including those perpetrated by transnational criminal organizations. The best method for prevention, however, is sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Large-Scale Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Guadalupe Ramos, 28, was sentenced in federal court on Monday, to 240 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and marijuana.
According to his plea agreement, in November 2019, law enforcement agents identified Ramos as a drug trafficker distributing significant quantities of methamphetamine out of two residences in Lexington. On January 9, 2020, agents with DEA and ATF executed a search warrant on one of the residences, seizing 3.62 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12,500 fentanyl pills, approximately 50 pounds of marijuana, 156 grams of heroin, and a packing press. A search of the second residence revealed an additional 138 grams of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber revolver, a .38 caliber revolver, a rifle, scales, and marijuana.
Ramos pleaded guilty in May 2020.
“Fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, are responsible for the majority of overdose deaths that occur across the Commonwealth, and the defendant possessed large quantities of drugs with the intent to distribute them” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “He also possessed a sizeable quantity of marijuana and multiple firearms. The cooperation of federal and state law enforcement stopped the defendant from further harming this community through distribution of these dangerous drugs. He will now face the deserved consequences of his actions.”
Under federal law, Ramos must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Jeffrey T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by ATF and DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a focused enforcement effort that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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 Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- A Lexington man, David Lynn Carlin, 41, was sentenced in federal court on Monday to 120 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, on August 7, 2019, law enforcement and EMTs responded to a report of an unconscious person, later identified as Carlin. Officers and emergency personnel were able to revive Carlin, and during that response observed multiple firearms. Later that day, a search warrant was obtained and officers returned to the residence where Carlin was uncooperative and barricaded himself in the residence. Upon Carlin’s arrest, officers found six firearms in the residence and two additional firearms in a vehicle. Carlin admitted that he was a convicted felon and was not permitted to own a firearm.
Carlin was previously convicted of Trafficking a Controlled Substance First Degree in Fayette Circuit Court in March 2013. He was also previously convicted of Assault Second Degree by Fayette Circuit Court in February 1999.
Carlin pleaded guilty in January 2020.
Under federal law, Carlin must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by ATF and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
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 Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Lakeway Regional Medical Center LLC and Co-Defendants Agree to Pay over $15.3 Million to Resolve Allegations They Fraudulently Obtained Government-Insured Loan and Misused Loan FundsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Lakeway Regional Medical Center LLC (LRMC) agreed to pay $13,580,822.79, and Surgical Development Partners LLC, Surgical Development Partners of Austin Enterprises LLC, G. Edward Alexander, Frank Sossi, and John Prater collectively agreed to pay $1.8 million, to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act and other statutes in connection with the development of Lakeway Regional Medical Center, a hospital in Lakeway, Texas. LRMC was formed to develop and operate the hospital. The other settling parties assisted in the development of the hospital and the management and operations of LRMC.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), insures loans used to build hospitals in underserved areas. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that, when applying for a mortgage loan insured by the FHA to fund construction of the hospital, the defendants made numerous false statements and material omissions in order to overstate physician support for the hospital and understate other key credit risks, thereby obtaining the loan under false pretenses. In particular, the United States alleged that the defendants delayed refunds to investors who had cancelled their investments to make it appear as if the project satisfied mortgage covenants regarding the cash on hand required to close the loan. The settlement also resolves claims that, after obtaining the loan for LRMC, the defendants distributed project funds in contravention of FHA’s requirements. HUD purchased the mortgage note, and suffered a loss, when LRMC defaulted.
“Individuals and entities that benefit from FHA insurance must be truthful with the government and honor their commitments,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s resolve to hold accountable borrowers who subvert FHA’s important efforts to support hospitals in underserved communities.”
“My office will continue to vigorously enforce the False Claims Act, which protects taxpayers and helps ensure that federal programs operate as Congress intended,” said U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas. “I am proud of the work that my team did in this important case.”
“This case demonstrates HUD’s commitment to holding accountable FHA participants that commit fraud against HUD’s healthcare programs,” said HUD’s Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade. HUD’s Principal Deputy General Counsel Michael B. Williams added, “We will continue to collaborate with the Department of Justice to enforce HUD’s rules and protect FHA programs and their beneficiaries.”
“Misconduct in FHA’s hospital loan insurance program ultimately harms underserved communities and vulnerable populations who need access to critical medical services,” said Rae Oliver Davis, HUD Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Today's settlement is the latest example and should serve as a stark reminder that HUD OIG, in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue any attempt to undermine the integrity of FHA insurance programs.”
This matter was investigated by the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, HUD, and the HUD Office of Inspector General. The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States v. Lakeway Regional Medical Center, LLC, Case No. A-19-CV-945 (W.D. Tex.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Lakeway Regional Medical Center Agrees to Pay more than $1.1 Million to Settle Civil False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney John F. Bash of the Western District of Texas announced today that Lakeway Regional Medical Center, LLC (LRMC) has agreed to pay the United States and the State of Texas $1,119,177.21 to resolve allegations LRMC submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
LRMC developed and operated a hospital in Lakeway, TX. The settlement resolves allegations that LRMC induced certain physicians to refer patients to the hospital by offering them a low-risk, high-reward investment in a joint venture formed to purchase and then lease the hospital back to LRMC. The United States contends that claims for reimbursement submitted by LRMC to the Medicare and Medicaid programs between March 2, 2015, and August 31, 2016, based on these referrals were unlawful under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
The allegations in this case were initially brought by Robert Van Boven, M.D, and Sharon Van Boven in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims, and to receive a share of any recovery. The Van Bovens’ qui tam suit remains under seal, subject to an order of the Court permitting the United States to disclose this settlement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Strawn handled the matter for the Western District of Texas. U.S. Attorney Bash also thanked the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division for their assistance.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Key defendant in Operation Snowplow drug trafficking investigation sentenced to two decades in federal prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Port Wentworth man who laundered drug proceeds and helped distribute significant amounts of cocaine for a coastal Georgia drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Allen Grady, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 240 months in prison – the statutory maximum – after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term, Grady will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“A key part of any drug trafficking organization is its ability to move and hide the ill-gotten proceeds of their deadly trade, and Allen Grady played this role for his fellow criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “With a long stint in prison like his poison-pushing partners, Grady at last will make the community safer by no longer being a part of it.”
With the March 2020 apprehension of Omar Griffin, 41, of Pooler, Ga., only two members of the alleged conspiracy are still being sought: Kia Hickman, 49, of Savannah, and Jamaal Singleton, 42, of Savannah. Individuals with information on their whereabouts can anonymously contact the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) at 912-652-3900, or Savannah Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020.
The other 11 members of the conspiracy previously were sentenced to federal prison terms of up to 132 months.
Operation Snowplow was the largest single seizure of cocaine to date by CNT. According to court documents and testimony, Grady, who has three previous convictions on state charges of drug trafficking, laundered drug proceeds on behalf of the drug-trafficking organization, and participated in receiving and distributing kilogram-quantities of cocaine and other drugs from Texas and California in February and March 2018. The drugs were packaged in children’s toys and DVD players, concealed in cargo vans and truck trailers for shipment to Savannah, and distributed to mid-level dealers from several Savannah-area residences.
On March 5, 2018, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of 25 kilograms of cocaine that had been driven from Texas to a hotel in Richmond Hill, Ga., concealed inside a cargo trailer. Officers also seized more than $387,000 in cash that had been exchanged for the cocaine. After interdicting the drugs, law enforcement executed a number of search and arrest warrants. In total in this investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 35 kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, approximately $900,000 in cash, nearly two dozen firearms (including semi-automatic rifles), and other narcotics.
“The individuals who move and hide the proceeds of illegal activity are just as much a danger to our community as the drug traffickers they assist. CNT continues to vigorously investigate all members of drug trafficking organizations in order to keep our community safe,” said CNT Interim Director Mike Izzo. “The success of this long-term narcotics and financial crimes investigation demonstrates the strength of the relationships between CNT and our local, state, and federal partners.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division stated, “DEA places the highest priority of not only removing dangerous drugs from the street, but also on seizing the ill-gotten gains of illegal drug trafficking. DEA’s intent clearly is to put drug traffickers out of business by using every available resource.”
Operation Snowplow was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations, and conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, Chatham County Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and the Chatham County Aviation Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Keene Man Convicted of Extortion and Threat OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Christopher C. Cantwell, 39, of Keene, was found guilty by a jury in federal court of extortion and threat charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
During four days of trial testimony, the jury was presented with evidence that Cantwell maintained an active online presence, including operating a website and an internet call-in program. Evidence at trial showed that Cantwell believed that members of an online group called the “Bowl Patrol” had been harassing him online. Cantwell contacted the victim in this case seeking to obtain identifying information about the leader of the Bowl Patrol, an individual who used the name “Vic Mackey.”
When the victim did not disclose the information Cantwell sought, on June 16, 2019, Cantwell sent an electronic message through the Telegram messaging application, stating, “So if you don’t want me to come and f*ck your wife in front of your kids, then you should make yourself scarce[.] Give me Vic, it’s your only out.”
Between June 15, 2019, and June 17, 2019, Cantwell also sent a series of messages to the victim in which he threatened to injure the victim’s reputation by posting identifying information about the victim online (commonly referred to as “doxing”) and reporting the victim to child protection authorities if he did not receive information about “Vic Mackey.” Evidence presented at trial showed that Cantwell did “dox” the victim on June 17, 2019, by posting identifying information and photographs related to the victim and the victim’s family online. Cantwell also called child protection authorities in Missouri and made a report about the victim.
Cantwell was convicted of one count of transmitting extortionate communications and one count of threatening to injure property or reputation. The jury found Cantwell not guilty of cyberstalking. Cantwell, who has been in custody since his arrest on January 23, 2020, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2021.
The jury began deliberating on Friday afternoon and returned its verdict this morning.
“Sending threatening and extortionate messages over the internet can instill fear and emotional damage,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “I am grateful to the jury for weighing the evidence in this case and finding that this defendant’s disturbing conduct was unlawful. I also want to express my appreciation to the FBI and our other law enforcement partners for their work investigating this case. This conviction should send a message to all those who use the internet as a means to threaten others that their unlawful conduct will not be tolerated.”
“Safeguarding the civil liberties every American is entitled to, regardless of their beliefs, is fundamental to the FBI’s mission. But when freedom of speech is weaponized, and threats are made, a line must be drawn where individuals like Christopher Cantwell will not be allowed to cross,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We thank the jury for its prudent verdicts, and for recognizing that it’s also our sworn responsibility to protect every citizen from harm.”
This trial was the second federal jury trial to take place in the District of New Hampshire since the pandemic caused a temporary delay in federal court proceedings in New Hampshire. The court conducted the trial using a variety of health and safety precautions. For example, all participants in the trial wore masks and maintained social distancing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police, Keene Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Anna Krasinski.
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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with San Antonio Housing Providers for Charging Unlawful Lease Termination Fees to ServicemembersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with the former owners of two apartment complexes in San Antonio, Texas, to resolve allegations that they violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by imposing unlawful lease termination charges on 41 servicemembers and by refusing to allow four other servicemembers to terminate their leases early.
The former owners — Western Rim Investors 2011-4, L.P. and Western Rim Investors 2011-3, L.P. — owned the Estates at Briggs Ranch and the Mansions at Briggs Ranch from Dec. 1, 2011 to March 31, 2020. Both properties are located within 10 miles of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
Under the proposed consent order, the owners must pay over $71,000 to compensate servicemembers and a $64,715 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury. The consent order, which is subject to court approval, resolves a suit filed today by the Department of Justice in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
“Our men and women in uniform risk their lives and liberty to preserve our freedom, and we enjoy liberty and security because of their sacrifices,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Right Division. “These patriots should not be charged a financial penalty when an unexpected reassignment or rapid deployment requires them to move. This settlement sends a warning to apartment associations and landlords that they cannot avoid their obligations under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act simply by pointing to fine print in boilerplate lease agreements. The department of Justice will not accept these so-called ‘Waiver Addendums’ as valid waivers of servicemembers’ rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.”
“The Western District of Texas is proud to be home to one of the largest concentrations of military members and their families in the country,” said U.S. Attorney John Bash for the Western District of Texas. “This office takes its responsibility to protect and enforce the statutory rights of these men and women very seriously, so they can focus on their service to our nation.”
The SCRA allows servicemembers to terminate a lease early after entering military service or receiving qualifying military orders. Under the law, qualifying orders include orders for a permanent change of station, orders for a deployment of at least 90 days, and separation or retirement orders. If a servicemember terminates a lease under the SCRA, the law prohibits the landlord from imposing any early termination charges.
The suit alleges that the servicemember-tenants at the Estates and the Mansions at Briggs Ranch who terminated their leases pursuant to the SCRA were required to pay back rent concessions or discounts that they had received during their tenancies. These so-called “concession chargeback” fees ranged from $116 to $1,012 per servicemember. The department’s suit also alleges that the owners wrongfully denied lease termination requests made by four other servicemembers.
The former apartment owners claim that they relied on lease contracts and other forms provided by the Texas Apartment Association. One of those forms was a lease addendum that claimed to waive a tenant’s rights under the SCRA. The department alleges that the waiver addendum used by the owners was invalid, because it was not executed as an instrument separate from the lease, was expressly incorporated into the lease, was signed at the same time as the lease and was not supported by any additional benefit to the servicemember.
The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $474 million in monetary relief for over 120,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
Justice Department Files Suit Against Dallas, Texas, Towing Company for Unlawfully Selling Servicemember-Owned VehiclesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas alleging that Dallas-based towing company United Tows LLC violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), by unlawfully auctioning off vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers.
The SCRA, which provides a wide variety of financial protections to members of the military, prohibits towing companies from auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles or disposing of their personal property without a court order.
“When members of our military answer the call to serve our country, they should be able to do so without having to worry that their vehicles or property will be auctioned off while they are on duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is filing this lawsuit to ensure that United Tows provides just compensation to the servicemembers who were harmed and to ensure that the company does not continue to engage in these unlawful sales in the future.”
“The men and women who serve in the armed forces make immense personal sacrifices to keep our country safe,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “This lawsuit is a reminder that we will aggressively hold those institutions and businesses accountable who are required to comply with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Our military deserves no less.”
The lawsuit alleges that United Tows auctioned at least five vehicles in violation of the SCRA, including a Toyota Corolla that was towed while its owner was completing basic training in San Antonio, Texas. When the servicemember learned that his vehicle had been towed, he contacted United Tows and told the owner of the company that he was on active duty and that, due to military training requirements, he was unable to claim the vehicle at that time. The owner of United Tows responded by telling the servicemember that she did not believe that he was in the military. United Tows ultimately sold the vehicle without a court order while the servicemember was still completing his training requirements.
The department’s complaint also alleges that United Tows does not have any written policies regarding SCRA compliance, and does not take any steps to determine whether the motor vehicles it auctions, sells or disposes of are owned by servicemembers.
In addition to seeking damages for the affected servicemembers, the Justice Department is asking the district court to prohibit United Tows from illegally auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles in the future in violation of the SCRA. The lawsuit also seeks civil penalties against United Tows.
This lawsuit resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from the U.S. Air Force. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $474 million in monetary relief for over 120,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
Joseph C. Gonzales Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 23, 2020, Joseph C. Gonzales, 40, currently of Tazewell, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for participation in a drug dealing conspiracy by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Gonzales pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 and 841(a)(1); and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924(c). Gonzales was sentenced to 192 months in prison to be followed by 5 years’ supervised release.
Gonzales was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating primarily in Claiborne and Knox counties. The investigation determined that individuals were obtaining kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from unknown individuals and then redistributing that methamphetamine in the Knox and Claiborne counties of Tennessee. Gonzales admitted to obtaining approximately 6 kilograms of methamphetamine and to purchasing a firearm to protect those drugs in the summer of 2018. A co-conspirator, an inmate incarcerated in the Tennessee Department of Corrections, using a contraband cell phone, coordinated the delivery of the 6 kilograms of methamphetamine recovered from Gonzales. In total, 21 individuals were indicted in connection with this investigation, and all have now entered guilty pleas and been sentenced. The investigation, which began in July 2017, resulted in the seizure of more than 6.5 kilograms of actual methamphetamine, numerous firearms, and U.S. currency.
The criminal indictment resulted from an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office, the 8th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Knoxville Police Department, the Tazewell Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Caryn L. Hebets represented the United States.
The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level 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 and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
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Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Loegan Morrison-Samples, 24, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that on April 27, 2019, members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force (JMDTF) executed a New York State search warrant at the defendant’s residence on Partridge Street in Jamestown. Investigators recovered methamphetamine and other narcotics, including small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, throughout the residence. In addition, a 12 gauge shotgun, a pink stun gun, and other drug paraphernalia were also recovered. During the search, Samples and co-defendant Jacob Komenda were present.
On September 5, 2019, investigators executed another search warrant at the new residence Samples shared with Komenda in Jamestown. $3,182 in United States currency, methamphetamine, and various drug paraphernalia was recovered from the residence.
Komenda was previously convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five grams or more of methamphetamine, and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2021, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Indictment for Federal Firearms Offense Relating to Shooting at Texas Falls Recreation AreaRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Brian Warner, 47, of Addison County, Vermont was arrested on September 24, 2020. A federal grand jury indicted Warner for possessing a firearm having been previously convicted of a felony.
According to court records, the charge in the Indictment relates to Warner’s possession of a firearm at the Texas Falls Recreation Area in Hancock, Vermont, on or about August 1, 2020. Warner shot his girlfriend in the leg with the firearm, a 9mm semiautomatic pistol with a high-capacity magazine. Law enforcement learned of Warner’s unlawful possession of the pistol after his girlfriend sought medical treatment for her gunshot wound. Warner was at the time prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law due to his felony record.
Warner pleaded not guilty to the Indictment at his arraignment before Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford on September 25, 2020. Warner remains in custody pending a detention hearing on September 30, 2020.
If convicted, Warner faces a maximum of ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Spencer Willig. The defendant is represented by the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting firearm use and possession crimes; prioritizes prosecuting persons who make false statements when attempting to obtain firearms; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concerning persons who attempt to obtain firearms illegally; coordinates responses to persons prevented from obtaining firearms for mental health reasons; and ensures the use of modern intelligence tools and technology to focus on the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
For more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Huntsville Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Huntsville man on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby Taylor.
U.S. District Judge Annemarie C. Axon sentenced STEVEN LEWIS EMERY, 42, to 211 months in prison on two-counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one-count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, and one-count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between January 2018 and July 2019. Emery pled guilty to these charges in March.
“We will not tolerate felons who possess guns and peddle drugs in our communities,” Escalona said. “Lengthy sentences for those who threaten violence in our communities will have a lasting impact of public safety in Alabama.”
ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge, Toby Taylor remarked ” ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence partnerships as part of Project Guardian focuses on the devastating impact of firearms violence and works with the entire community to provide a safe environment.”
ATF and DEA investigated the case along with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and United States Marshal Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Becher, Sr. prosecuted the case.
Hills Man Sentenced to 22 years in Prison for Child Sex Trafficking, Methamphetamine, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On September 24, 2020, Kendall Andrew Streb, age 53, of Hills, Iowa, was sentenced to a total of 268 months in prison after being found guilty by a jury of three counts of child sex trafficking, two counts of distributing methamphetamine to children, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The case was presided over by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose.
During trial, the government presented evidence that Streb trafficked three teenagers in Iowa City, Coralville, and Cedar Rapids, primarily from November 2018 through February 2019. Streb solicited the three minors, aged 15 through 17 years old, by paying them in cash and methamphetamine in exchange for sex acts. Streb, at times, transported the teenagers to hotel rooms where he engaged in commercial sex acts with them. The evidence at trial showed that Streb knew one or more of the girls was under 18 years old, and he was otherwise was in reckless disregard of the fact that they were under the age of 18. Sex trafficking of a child is punishable by a minimum of ten years in prison, and up to life imprisonment.
United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum stated, “Kendall Streb will spend the next two decades in federal prison because he knowingly exploited teenage girls by paying them for sex. This sentence should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who believes he can escape serious criminal consequences if he is ‘just a john.’ We will continue to aggressively prosecute both buyers and sellers who sexually abuse children.”
Human trafficking is defined as a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
This matter was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department, with assistance from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Coralville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Heroin Trafficker Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Billy Louviere, 44, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today. United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau sentenced Louviere to 55 months (4 years, 7 months) in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Louviere pled guilty to the charge on January 7, 2020.
Law enforcement agents received information that Louviere and other co-conspirators were buying and selling heroin in the Lafayette area. Agents obtained authorization to intercept wire and electronic communications for a cell phone utilized by a known heroin dealer in Lafayette. Beginning on January 29, 2019 and continuing thereafter, law enforcement agents intercepted communications between Louviere and other co-conspirators regarding transactions wherein a co-conspirator provided a supply of heroin to Louviere nearly every day. Louviere would use some of the heroin but would also redistribute the heroin to other people for profit. Louviere was supplied approximately 3.5 grams of heroin per transaction.
On February 22, 2019, law enforcement agents intercepted a communication between Louviere and the heroin dealer and afterwards, observed Louviere have a brief meeting with the dealer. Later, Lafayette Police Department officers stopped the vehicle Louviere was driving for a traffic violation. The Lafayette Police Department K-9 officer conducted an open-air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to narcotics in the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found a scale, baggies, and a burnt spoon. Louviere admitted to purchasing the heroin earlier that day.
The FBI and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Hazleton Man Sentenced to 11 Months’ Imprisonment for Fraud and Naturalization OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 24, 2020, Lucas Hernandez-Torres, age 48, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for defrauding the United States, and for the unlawful procurement of naturalization.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hernandez-Torres was convicted of defrauding the IRS by allowing other conspirators to claim his dependents as their own, thereby incurring federal tax credits and refunds. Hernandez-Torres received kickbacks in return, and also made false claims in his personal tax returns for wages that he had not earned, thus accruing additional tax credits. The offenses occurred for tax years 2010 through 2014.
Hernandez-Torres, a Mexican national, also was convicted of making false statements on a naturalization application. He faces deportation after the conclusion of his sentence of imprisonment. As part of the sentence, Judge Mariani ordered Hernandez-Torres to pay $56,395 in restitution to the IRS.
Hernandez-Torres’s wife, Leticia Salazar, previously was convicted of passport fraud, and deported to Mexico after serving approximately six months in prison. Salazar had submitted a fraudulent application for a United States passport in May 2008. In the ultimately unsuccessful application, Corona-Salazar used a United States citizen’s identity as her own. Corona-Salazar was deported before charges were filed in 2015, but identified and re-arrested in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in May 2018, having re-entered the United States at an unknown time and place.
The matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.
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Harrison County woman admits to methamphetamine and heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephanie Cottrill, of Shinnston, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine and heroin distribution, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cottrill, age 37, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin.” Cottrill admitted to working with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from November 2019 to January 2020 in Ritchie County.Cottrill faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ritchie County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 40 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 16, 2020, Maurice Lackey, age 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking and firearms charges. Lackey was also sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment to be served concurrent to his 40-year sentence, for violating the terms of his supervised release.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Lackey was arrested by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police on June 18, 2017, after two firearms and approximately 167 baggies of crack cocaine were found in his vehicle during a traffic stop. One of the firearms was loaded at the time of his arrest and both firearms had previously been reported as stolen. In 2003, Lackey had been convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Lackey was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for those offenses, and was released from prison less than eight months prior to his arrest on June 18, 2017. On December 5, 2019, Lackey was convicted by a jury of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a felon and armed career criminal.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
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Gang Member Headed for Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A member of a Traviesos street gang in Kansas City was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Cristiane Maese-Salano, 24, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. The Kansas City, Kan., Police department arrested Maese-Salano when he drove an armed juvenile to a McDonald’s to sell some marijuana. The juvenile fled on foot and was found in a dumpster with a .45 caliber handgun. Maese-Solano remained in the car and was arrested with a 14-round magazine that fit the juvenile’s gun.
The defendant’s criminal history shows that he has been arrested repeatedly since he joined the Traviesos gang when he was 12. He was twice shot, once at age 19 and again at age 22. He has a scalp tattoo identifying him as a “Traviesos gangster.”
McAllister commended the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Krug and Terra Morehead for their work on the case.
Fugitive Charged in Montrose Drug Conspiracy Found and Arrested in MexicoRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that fugitive Omar Briceno-Quijano was found by the U.S. Marshals in Los Mochis, a city in the State of Sinaloa in the Republic of Mexico. In January 2020, Briceno-Quijano was charged with 12 other individuals with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. The day before law enforcement made arrests in and around Montrose, Briceno-Quijano left Colorado.
After about eight months on the run, Briceno-Quijano was found in Mexico and then, on September 23, 2020, flown on a commercial flight to Houston, where he made his initial appearance in this case. He was then remanded into custody and ordered to be returned to Colorado where proceedings will continue.
“As the old saying goes, the long arm of the law will eventually find you if you are a fugitive on the run,” said U.S. Attorney Dunn. “Thanks to the great work of the United States Marshal Service, we will find them even if they try and hide in another country.”
This investigation was conducted by the Denver Division of the DEA, the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montrose Police Department, as well as representatives from the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Phillips. 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 case number is 19-cr-535.
The charges in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Fresno Man Guilty of Conspiring to Produce False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Isaias Herrera-Ortiz, 29, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and production of false identification documents, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between February 2018 and November 2019, Herrera-Ortiz and his co-conspirators produced, possessed, transferred, and sold false identification documents. These documents included fraudulent lawful permanent resident or LPR cards and fraudulent social security number or SSN cards. In particular, Herrera-Ortiz admitted that on Feb. 28, 2018, he sold three LPR cards and three SSN cards to a customer for $390.00. A search of Herrera‑Ortiz’s electronic devices and those belonging to his co-conspirators prove that he participated in the manufacture of at least 36 and no more than 99 fraudulent documents or sets of documents.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
Herrera-Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 14. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former Roanoke Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to TamperingRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Bryan Wade Lewis, a former Pharmacist at Home Choice Partners in Roanoke, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court here to tampering with a consumer product, hydromorphone, that affected interstate commerce. Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement today following the guilty plea hearing.
Lewis, 34, of Roanoke, pleaded guilty today to one count of tampering with a consumer product. At sentencing he faces up to 10 years in prison.
“Medical workers violate the public’s trust when they divert powerful narcotics for illicit use,” Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “We will continue to partner with the FDA, DEA, and others, to bring to justice anyone who violates that trust and brings potential harm to patients.”
“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that the medicines are safe and effective; those who knowingly tamper with medicines put patients’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”
According to court documents, in January 2018 an employee at Home Choice Partners in Roanoke discovered a needle, alcohol pad, and a bloody tissue in the toilet of an employee bathroom and reported it to another employee. When asked by that employee if he knew anything about the items, Lewis said the items may have fallen out of his pocket. The employee contacted human resources and a decision was made to drug test all employees.
Lewis, who was scheduled to be off work on the day of the drug test, was instructed to report to work to be administered a drug screening. However, Lewis contacted an employee and explained that he was the employee responsible for the items in the toilet. When asked, Lewis explained he had been engaging in such conduct for nine months. Lewis admitted there was a 50 ml vial of hydromorphone in the back of the narcotics cabinet that did not contain hydromorphone, but instead had been replaced, by him, with saline.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the U.S. Food, Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Former Nashville-Based Healthcare President Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 28, 2020 – The former president of Nashville-based Omnis Health, Inc. was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 35 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion, and fined $15,000, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Robert R. Burton, 50, of Madisonville, Louisiana, formerly of Brentwood, Tennessee, was also ordered to pay $1,059,016.67 in restitution - $763,887 to Omnis Health and $295,129 to the IRS. Burton was charged in a criminal information in February and pleaded guilty in May.
According to court documents, between July 2013 and May 2017, Burton was the president of Nashville-based Omnis, which sold diabetic testing kits. From December 2013 through January 2017, he embezzled approximately $763,887 from Omnis by submitting false and fraudulent reimbursement requests to the controller of Omnis, claiming that he had purchased supplies and incurred travel expenses, which he had not. To justify his reimbursement requests, Burton fabricated receipts to include with his fraudulent reimbursement requests.
To accomplish a large portion of his scheme, Burton submitted reimbursement requests for diabetic testing products, falsely claiming he had purchased those products. Burton claimed that he was using personal funds to purchase “grey market” diabetic testing supplies on the open market; that he was purchasing the supplies so Omnis could conduct research; that he was purchasing lower-priced “bootleg” diabetic testing supplies to take them off the market; and that he was sending the products to Omnis’s parent company for testing. Burton never actually purchased the supplies, but instead he visited multiple online vendors, such as Amazon or Diabetessupplies4less.com, placed the products in his online shopping cart, printed the computer screens displaying his shopping cart as the “receipt,” and then attached those “receipts” to his reimbursement requests. Burton also fabricated credit card transaction receipts falsely showing he had purchased the products, and attached those fabricated receipts with his reimbursement requests. Burton was reimbursed at least $484,328 for supplies that he never purchased.
Burton frequently submitted false travel expense reimbursements and travel advances, claiming that he traveled for business to meet with suppliers, customers, and individuals from the corporate office, and to attend conferences. In fact, Burton did not take the majority of the flights for which he was reimbursed approximately $203,747.83. Similar to how he falsified his expense reports for diabetic testing supplies, Burton would visit an airline’s website, print an itinerary that displayed a cost for the flight, and submit that as the receipt without ever purchasing the flights.
In addition to airline reimbursements, Burton falsely claimed he had attended conferences and paid fees in the amount of at least $102,056. Burton fabricated credit card transaction receipts falsely showing he had paid the conference fees and submitted them with his reimbursement requests.
In an effort to further conceal the fraud, rather than depositing the reimbursement checks into his bank accounts, Burton cashed them at a bank or a check cashing business and either spent the cash or deposited it onto prepaid debit cards. Burton often used the funds for gambling.
Burton also failed to report the embezzled funds on his personal tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2016 and failed to timely file his 2017 personal tax return. In addition, he provided false income information to his tax return preparer by omitting the embezzled income. The total loss to the IRS for tax years 2014 through 2017 is $295,129.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Booth.
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Former Music Teacher Sentenced for Producing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A former Richmond City Public Schools elementary music teacher was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Kellen Thomas Donelson, 32, came to the attention of law enforcement in 2019 for uploading multiple images of child pornography via Snapchat and Kik Messenger. During a court-authorized search of his home and electronic devices in December 2019, law enforcement discovered additional images and videos of child sexual abuse.
According to the statement of facts, Donelson admitted that he produced several images and videos of child pornography using his personal cell phone, including with a victim as young as 4 years old.
Donelson was arrested on Dec. 5, 2019. At the time of his arrest, he was employed as an elementary school music teacher with Richmond City Public Schools and an Associate Minister/Music Director at Mount Hope Baptist Church.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Elliker prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-55.
Former Madison County Postal Employee Charged with Stealing MailRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging Tia
M. Taylor, 27, of Alton, Illinois, with one count of theft of mail by a postal service employee.
The indictment charges that in July 2020, Taylor stole four packages addressed to Godfrey residents from the Godfrey post office, where she worked as a clerk.The arraignment for Taylor will be held on Oct. 8, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in
East St. Louis, Illinois.Taylor is the second postal employee charged this month with stealing mail in the Southern District of Illinois. Athens A. Shorey, 33, of Cobden, Illinois, was indicted earlier this month with taking mail from the Carbondale post office back in May.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The charge against Taylor resulted from a referral and investigation by the United States Postal
Service, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Peter T. Reed.Former Executive Director of Daycare in Tama County Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing from her EmployerRead the Press Release
The former director of a daycare in Tama County, Iowa, was sentenced today to eight months of imprisonment.
Kristine Daniel, age 49, from Kellogg, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 31, 2019 guilty plea to theft from a federal program.
At the guilty plea, Daniel admitted she stole money from a daycare operating in Tama County. She further admitted that the daycare received federal funds as part of its operating budget. Part of the money she stole from the daycare came from those federal funds.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that Daniel stole, embezzled, or misappropriated $113,829.73 from the daycare while she was employed as the Executive Director of the daycare from December 2009 through April 2016. Daniel obtained the money in various ways. She misappropriated approximately $33,000 by using daycare credit cards to buy items for her own personal use, including video games, clothing, and home furnishings. Daniel also issued herself over $34,000 in gross pay to which she was not entitled. Further, Daniel stole cash payments that parents gave to the daycare to pay for childcare. She stole over $42,000 in cash payments that she then deposited into her own bank account. During the time she was stealing from the daycare, Daniel was making approximately $40,000 a year in salary from the daycare.
Daniel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Daniel was sentenced to eight months’ confinement, four months of which must be spent in prison and four months of which will be spent in home detention. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. She was also ordered to pay $113,829.73 in restitution to the daycare. There is no parole in the federal system.
Daniel was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Auditor’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-109.
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Filipino Seaman Who Allegedly Stabbed to Death Fellow Crewmember on Container Ship Faces Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A crewmember on a container ship has been arrested and charged with a federal offense stemming from the fatal stabbing of a fellow crewmember.
Michael Dequito Monegro, 41, a resident of the Philippines, was named in a criminal complaint filed today that charges him with one count of performing an act of violence against a person onboard a ship that is likely to endanger the safe navigation of the ship.
The complaint, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles, alleges that Monegro used two knives to repeatedly stab the victim on the MSC Ravenna on September 20 while the vessel was travelling to the Port of Los Angeles, its destination after a voyage from China. The victim, also a citizen of the Philippines, died from the stab wounds. Other members of the crew witnessed the attack, after which the captain of the ship convinced Monegro to surrender the knives, according to the complaint. Monegro was then detained in a cabin aboard the ship, where other members of the crew took turns guarding him.
Personnel from the FBI and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) responded to the Liberian-flagged Ravenna on September 22 after the ship had docked. After obtaining consent from the ship’s owner, the investigators boarded the vessel, took custody of the victim’s body and recovered two knives identified by witnesses as the murder weapons. “Based on an initial assessment of the body, it appears that [the victim] was stabbed approximately 17 times, had multiple defensive wounds to his hands, and lacerations to his throat, face, and leg,” according to an affidavit in support of the complaint.
During a shipboard interview by two FBI agents on September 22, Monegro admitted to stabbing the victim repeatedly, according to the affidavit.
The homicide had a significant impact on the ship’s operations, including forcing the captain and other crew members to deal with the aftermath of the attack, restrain Monegro and interact with the Coast Guard to obtain information on securing the crime scene and storing the victim’s body, according to the affidavit. The incident also appears to have traumatized some of the crew members who witnessed the attack, the affidavit states.
On Sunday, special agents with the FBI and Coast Guard Investigative Service arrested Monegro, who had remained onboard the Ravenna. Monegro is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The felony offense charged in the indictment carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in federal prison.
This case is the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI and the CGIS.
The case against Monegro is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew O’Brien and Mark Williams of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section and Jeffrey Chemerinsky of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Federal Carjacking and Firearm Charges Filed Against Man for Allegedly Stealing Vehicle at Gunpoint in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man on carjacking and firearm charges for allegedly stealing a vehicle at gunpoint in Chicago.
On the afternoon of May 27, 2020, ELIAS QUINONES-FIGUEROA forcibly took a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe sport-utility vehicle from a victim in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago, according to an indictment unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Quinones-Figueroa brandished a handgun during the carjacking, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Quinones-Figueroa, 19, of Chicago, with one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Quinones-Figueroa was taken into federal custody on Friday. He pleaded not guilty at a Friday afternoon arraignment in federal court in Chicago. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil R. Harjani scheduled a detention hearing for Oct. 1, 2020.
The carjacking charge is punishably by up to 25 years in federal prison, while the firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, which must run consecutively to the carjacking sentence.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in bringing these charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn D. McCarthy. The case was investigated by the Vehicular Hijacking Task Force, a multi-agency initiative that includes FBI agents and CPD officers.
The case was brought under Operation Legend, a Department of Justice initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement to fight violent crime. As part of Operation Legend, the Department of Justice significantly increased resources in Chicago to help state and local officials investigate and prosecute violent crime, particularly firearm-related offenses.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
FBI Report on Crime Shows Decline in Violent Crime Rate for Third Consecutive YearRead the Press Release
Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its 2019 edition of Crime in the United States, which showed that violent crime decreased nationwide for the third consecutive year. After decreases in both 2017 and 2018, the violent crime rate dropped an additional one percent this past year and the property crime rate decreased 4.5 percent.
Since 1930, the FBI has tracked nationwide data on crimes and publishes its compilation each year. Submitting data to the FBI is a collective effort on the part of city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies to present a nationwide view of crime.
“For the last three years the Department of Justice has worked tirelessly with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to pursue those violent criminals, cartels, and gangs who seek to harm our communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “We are steadfast in our commitment to protect the public safety of citizens and communities across the United States through violent crime initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Guardian and, most recently, Operation Legend. Violent crime rates had been increasing during 2015-2016, so I am proud of the hard work by all prosecutors and law enforcement agents across the nation who have reduced violent crime rates during each of the last three years. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to protect the American public from the violence of criminals.”
“I am encouraged by the great work being done by law enforcement to combat violent crime across the nation,” said FBI Deputy Director Dave Bowdich. “The FBI continues to make clear that violence will not be tolerated, and we are committed to continuing our work with state, local, and tribal partners across the country to confront and deter violence, dismantle criminal organizations and gangs, eradicate drug trafficking, and bring justice to victims.”
This past year, a total of 16,554 law enforcement agencies reported Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data to the FBI. In 2019, there were an estimated 1,203,808 violent crimes and an estimated violent crime rate of 366.7 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. This represented a one percent decrease from the prior year. The FBI’s UCR data indicates that the violent crime rate dropped 0.7 percent in 2017 and 3.5 percent in 2018 from the prior years.
In October 2017, the Department of Justice reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction initiative targeting gun and gang violence in particular geographic hotspots. Each United States Attorney around the nation, in conjunction with state and local law enforcement, developed a customized strategy to prioritize prosecutions of the most violent criminals in the most dangerous areas in their district and to support locally based prevention and reentry programs to prevent additional violence. Independent academic research found that PSN successfully reduced violent crime by an average of 4 to 20 percent, and as high as 42 percent in some locations.
In November 2019, the Department launched Project Guardian, a comprehensive law enforcement strategy specifically aimed at gun crime. United States Attorney’s Offices, coordinating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and state and local law enforcement, developed a strategy for coordinating prosecution, enforcing background checks, improving information sharing, coordinating response to mental health denials, and coordinating on crime gun intelligence.
Through violent crime initiatives, the Department charged the largest number of violent crime defendants since the Department began tracking this category more than 25 years ago. The Department has also increased federal firearm prosecutions by 43 percent in the last three years.
While the downward trends of the past three years are encouraging, the Department remains steadfast in its efforts. On Sept. 15, 2020, the FBI published its Preliminary Uniform Crime Report, January–June, 2020, which revealed overall declines in the number of violent crimes and property crimes reported for the first six months of 2020 when compared with figures for the first six months of 2019. While there were significant decreases in the number of rapes and robberies, there was a significant spike in murders and an increase in aggravated assaults.
The report is based on information from 12,206 law enforcement agencies that submitted three to six months of comparable data for both years.
The Department continues to closely monitor violent crime nationally and in July 2020, launched Operation Legend in Kansas City, Missouri, as a sustained, systematic, and coordinated law enforcement initiative where federal law enforcement agencies partner with state and local law enforcement to fight violent crime. It has now expanded to Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Memphis, and Indianapolis.
Since Operation Legend’s launch, approximately 3,500 arrests have been made – including approximately 200 arrests for homicide. Defendants have been charged in state and local courts, and approximately 815 of those 3,500 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. Together, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement have seized over 1,200 firearms and weapons, nearly 19 kilos of heroin, over 11 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than five million fatal doses), over 94 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly 14 kilos of cocaine, and more than $6.5 million in drug proceeds. For more information on the successes of Operation Legend, please visit the Department of Justice’s website.
Ellicott City Drug Trafficker Convicted After Trial in Federal Court of Possessing Narcotics and Firearms to Further His Drug Business, Including Two Semi-Automatic Riles with Large-Capacity MagazinesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – After a four-day trial that ended on Friday, September 25, 2020, a federal jury convicted Tiba Sakuri Conley, age 31, of Ellicott City, Maryland, on federal drug distribution and firearms charges.
The conviction 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; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on April 21, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Conley’s residence in Ellicott City, Maryland. When law enforcement entered his residence, Conley was in the kitchen with bags of cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine), powder cocaine, digital scales with white residue, baking powder, a pyrex measuring cup with white residue, and a loaded .45 caliber pistol on the kitchen counters on either side of him. Law enforcement recovered approximately 70 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 72 grams of powder cocaine, which Conley possessed with the intent to distribute, as well as four digital scales and $9,495 in United States currency ($495 of which was recovered from Conley’s person).
In furtherance of his drug trafficking, Conley also possessed another .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a 5.56x45 millimeter semi-automatic rifle, and a 7.62x39 millimeter semi-automatic rifle There were almost 200 rounds of ammunition recovered from the residence—much of it loaded into large capacity magazines for the rifles. The evidence showed that Conley was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction. In a recording played at trial, Conley acknowledged that he was “cooking” when law enforcement entered his residence and that, “They got me.”
Conley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 28 grams of cocaine base; a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months in federal prison for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and a maximum of 10 years in federal 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. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI; PGPD; Prince George’s County States Attorney’s Office and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Dwight J. Draughon, who are prosecuting the case.
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Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Travis Hanson, 40, Eau Claire, Wisconsin was sentenced on Friday, September 25 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and heroin. This prison term will be followed by eight years of supervised release. Hanson pleaded guilty to this charge on July 6, 2020.
On February 6, 2020 and February 20, 2020, Hanson sold heroin to a confidential informant. On February 25, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance on Hanson. He was observed driving from his hotel in Menominee, Wisconsin to meet his drug source in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hanson and his girlfriend returned to Menominee, with the drug source following in a separate vehicle. They were all taken into custody upon arrival back in Menominee. In the drug source’s car, officers located 236 grams of methamphetamine, 11.5 grams of heroin, small amounts of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as a digital scale and baggies.
In an interview with law enforcement, Hanson admitted to being involved in drug trafficking and selling large quantities of methamphetamine. He admitted to travelling to St. Paul to meet his drug source and that he was supposed to help his source sell the methamphetamine and heroin discovered by law enforcement.
The charge against Hanson was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force; Chippewa County, Dunn County, and Eau Claire County Sheriffs’ Departments; Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, and Menomonie Police Departments; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Dunn County District Attorney’s Office. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson.
Dominican National Sentenced for Twenty-Year Old Felony Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 24, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Jose Rafael Hidalgo, age 43, a Dominican national, to 70 months’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hidalgo admitted that between 1994 and 1999, he conspired with Luzerne County resident David Drozdowski and others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Hidalgo supplied Drozdowski with cocaine, which he admitted was between 5 and 15 kilograms, which Drozdowski and others then distributed in and around Luzerne County.
Hidalgo was arrested on August 25, 1999, and, after entering an agreement with the United States to plead guilty, he was granted conditional release. At some point between October 12, 1999, and February 2000, while residing in New Jersey under supervised pre-trial release, Hidalgo removed an electronic monitoring device and absconded.
On February 22, 2000, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued an arrest warrant for Hidalgo. The United States Marshals Service took charge of the investigation to locate and apprehend Hidalgo, and, in 2016, confirmed that Hidalgo was living in the Dominican Republic. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania initiated extradition procedures in conjunction with the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the U.S. State Department, leading to Hidalgo’s arrest by Dominican law enforcement authorities on January 17, 2019. Extradition was granted on March 25, 2019, and the U.S. Marshals returned Hidalgo to the United States where he appeared before a federal Magistrate Judge for an initial appearance on May 20, 2019.
The original drug trafficking case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen Writes Op-ed about Qualified ImmunityRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen
New York Post
George Floyd’s death prompted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to consider ways to reform policing. Some of their suggestions hold promise. But other radical ideas are wide of the mark and, if enacted, would pose a serious threat to public safety. Eliminating qualified immunity falls squarely in that category.
Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that prevents law-enforcement officers and other officials from being personally subjected to civil lawsuits when they have acted lawfully and haven’t violated clearly established rights. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly observed that qualified immunity from civil suits is critical to preserving safety and ensuring a robust police force.
Qualified immunity is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for abusive policing. Criminal charges already can be — and are — brought against cops who break the law. The Department of Justice vigorously investigates and prosecutes allegations against officers, including excessive-force cases.
Since 2009, the DOJ has charged more than 700 law-enforcement officials for willfully violating civil rights or for breaking related laws. Officers know that, with or without qualified immunity in civil cases, they can be criminally charged, lose their jobs and go to prison if they break the law.
With all this in place, it’s hard to see what good would come from ending qualified immunity in civil lawsuits.
The more likely result will be less safe communities. Officers are constantly put in dangerous situations, where they must make split-second decisions to protect innocent lives. The International Association of Chiefs of Police has warned that ending qualified immunity “would have a profoundly chilling effect on police officers and limit their ability and willingness to respond to critical incidents without hesitation.”
The growing risk to officers’ own lives heightens the risk. Assaults against police jumped 20 percent from 2014 to 2017, to about 60,000 a year.
Police officers must be able to respond decisively and responsibly. When a bad guy is threatening to slash innocents on a sidewalk with a knife, officers don’t have time to analyze legal memos.
Ending qualified immunity would also impose heavy financial burdens on courts and taxpayers, as lawsuits against police, prosecutors, judges, guards and wardens are already common.
Prison inmates account for nearly 20 percent of all civil cases launched in federal courts, according to government stats, totaling more than 50,000 a year. About 45,000 cases a year raise claims seeking monetary damages against law enforcers. That number would spike without qualified immunity. State and local governments would bear much of the financial burden of these new cases. Trial lawyers would rub their hands; the public wouldn’t benefit.
About 85 percent of law enforcers are state and local. A recent study of 44 of the largest US law-enforcement agencies found that even with qualified immunity, state and local governments pay 99.98 percent of the settlements and judgments that plaintiffs recover in lawsuits where qualified immunity potentially might apply.
In 2018 alone, the four largest city police departments in the United States — those in New York, LA, Chicago and Philadelphia — paid $397.7 million in settlements and judgments, despite the benefit of qualified immunity. If they have their way, anti-qualified-immunity activists would have those already-huge costs skyrocket.
Unscrupulous lawyers would file still more lawsuits, even if their claims are frivolous. Although each party generally pays its own attorneys’ fees, one of the limited exceptions applies to certain lawsuits against state and local law enforcement. The potential to receive attorneys’ fees would provide an added incentive for opportunistic or media-savvy lawyers and plaintiffs to bring actions against cops, seeking settlements even where no misconduct had occurred.
Eliminating qualified immunity is plainly the wrong way to implement police reform. Every day, we ask our law-enforcement officers to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our streets.
Officers should be — and are — held accountable when they violate the law. They shouldn’t also have to worry about being personally sued for doing their jobs, when they follow the law. Congress, the states and our courts need to preserve qualified immunity: to protect public safety and to save money for real and urgent needs.
https://nypost.com/2020/09/24/sorry-this-criminal-justice-reform-would-be-disaster-for-policing
Crew Member Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Assault on the High Seas After Stabbing Ship's CaptainRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Robert Lester Odom, 47, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced on Friday, September 25, to 40 months in federal prison after having pled guilty to the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“This vicious attack was made even more serious due to the vessel’s location, so far away from help,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “Reducing violent crime is a top priority for the Justice Department and our District, and as federal prosecutors we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
The facts introduced at the sentencing hearing revealed that on September 27, 2019, Odom, a crew member on a commercial fishing boat, attacked and wounded the vessel’s captain with a pellet rifle and a long-blade knife. At the time of the offense, the vessel was at sea approximately 20-26 nautical miles south-southeast of Perdido Pass, with a captain and two crew members. While fishing shortly before 9:30 pm, Odom shot the captain in the chest with a pellet rifle and then, after a struggle, stabbed the captain twice, causing immediate, profuse bleeding. United States Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to a call for help, and United States Coast Guard personnel administered first aid to the captain. The captain was then flown by helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
"The Coast Guard's commitment to protecting life at sea, and upholding our nation's laws, are our highest priorities," said Rear Admiral John Nadeau, Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District. “I’m proud of our dedicated men and women who responded to save the victim in this case, and worked with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice was served.”
As part of his sentence, Odom was ordered to pay $12,180 in restitution to the victim. In addition, after serving his term of imprisonment, Odom will begin a three year term of federal supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Love prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Press Release - U.S. v. Robert OdomConvicted Felon Gets 9 Year Sentence for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Fred Lee Williams, 37, has been sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on July 12, 2018, at approximately 7:30 p.m., DEA Task Force Officers conducted surveillance at North Watkins Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Officers observed Williams, who was sitting in a 2007 Honda Accord in a parking lot with the driver’s side door open, pull a bag from the driver’s side door, and show it to another male. Williams then pulled a gun from the center area of the car and began waving it around. Williams put the gun down and exited the vehicle. He was temporarily detained while officers assessed the situation.
The gun, which had been reported stolen, was found in plain view, on the driver’s side floorboard. While opening the door to retrieve the gun, officers observed a clear bag of marijuana in the driver's door, weighing 114.9 grams. The gun, a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Further evidence proved Williams purchased the gun that same day in exchange for three grams of marijuana.
As a result of his two prior felony convictions for aggravated assault in 2007 and 2012, and three prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to sell in 2003, 2009, and 2017, Williams is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition. Additionally, Williams was on probation for a drug trafficking offense at the time of his arrest for the instant offense.
On September 25, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Williams to 108 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Targeted, persistent law enforcement can make a difference in our neighborhoods. Each illegal firearm that we can take off the streets and every dangerous felon in possession that we can punish and incapacitate makes our communities a safer place to live."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Concord Township man indicted for threatening communicationsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland has returned a one-count indictment against Thomas G. Bares, age 53, of Concord Township, Ohio for interstate threatening communications.
According to court documents, between on or about August 18, 2020 and on or about August 21, 2020, the defendant is accused of knowingly and willfully transmitting communications containing threats to injure students, teachers, and staff at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio. The defendant allegedly posted online videos, images and sent a text message to a person whose identity is known to the grand jury, all threatening physical harm against the school.
A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and the Village of Gates Mills Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranya Elzein.
Chapel Hill Man Convicted of Federal Firearms Offenses During Assault of Estranged WifeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 28, 2020 – Laqueston Goff, 33, of Chapel Hill, Tennessee, was convicted last week of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Goff was found guilty of the charges by U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. after a three-day bench trial that ended Thursday.
“Tennessee regularly ranks among the nation’s leaders in men who kill their female domestic partners,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “One of the reasons we aggressively prosecute gun crimes against domestic abusers is that when a gun is introduced in a violent relationship the chances of it turning into a murder increase exponentially. I commend our trial team and our law enforcement partners, particularly Chief Andrew Kon of the Chapel Hill Police Department who led this investigation and built an excellent case with very limited resources. Now, justice has been served and perhaps lives have been saved from any future assault at the hands of this individual.”
On June 7, 2017, Goff phoned his estranged wife and asked her come to Lewisburg, Tennessee and pick him up. Reluctantly, she agreed and drove to Lewisburg, where she found him outside a bowling alley. As they drove, Goff would not tell her where he wanted to go and she became concerned and apprehensive and decided it would be safer for her to return home. When she arrived at her home, Goff wanted to come inside but she refused. Goff then began to physically assault her, striking her and pulling her hair. She was ultimately able to flee the vehicle and went inside the house and locked the door. Goff continued to yell and curse at her and as she cowered in a bedroom, she heard the sound of glass being broken at the front door and multiple gunshots.
A neighbor, an off-duty correctional officer with the Maury County Sheriff’s Office, also heard the gunshots and called local law enforcement to report it. Shortly thereafter, he heard someone rustling in the woods behind his home and ordered them to come out. Goff then appeared from the woods and was bleeding profusely and claimed he had been shot. Goff was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital and continued to maintain that he had been shot by unknown assailants who had attempted to break into his estranged wife’s house. The treating physician who examined Goff found no evidence of a gunshot wound and found that Goff’s injuries were instead consistent with broken glass shards. Physical evidence obtained at the crime scenes, including the recovery of a blood-covered assault rifle, also discredited Goff’s claim and proved him to be the gunman.
Goff had previously been convicted of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and several drug felonies. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Chapel Hill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert McGuire and Kathryn W. Booth prosecuted the case.
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Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Anthony Rush, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Rush admitted that, in May 2020, he knowingly possessed a .380 auto caliber pistol after having been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. According to the indictment, Rush was convicted of attempted burglary in the second degree in Linn County in 2012.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rush remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Rush faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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 is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 20-62.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California’s Four US. Attorneys Announce $33 Million in Domestic Violence Funding from DOJ’s Office on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will direct more than $33 million in grant funding to California to support efforts to curb domestic violence throughout the state, announced U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Nicola T. Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California McGregor W. Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David L. Anderson, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Robert S. Brewer Jr.
As the state grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, reports indicate that many cities are experiencing surges in domestic violence. The OVW grants will provide resources to local prosecutors, victim service providers, healthcare professionals, training organizations, and academic researchers, including several with national scope. Even with limited prosecutorial authority in domestic violence cases, the federal government remains committed to working with all of its partners to end the scourge of domestic violence.
Disturbing research shows that intimate partner homicides are common. According to the CDC, roughly 1 in 6 homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. In 2019, California law enforcement received 161,123 domestic violence-related calls for assistance, and 47 percent of those calls involved a weapon. Research shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have access to a firearm.
Given these troubling statistics, Attorney General William P. Barr formed a Domestic Violence Working Group in June 2019 to encourage prosecution of armed domestic violence offenders. Federal law bars domestic violence offenders – those subject to certain protective orders or convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors or felonies – from possessing firearms. Districts across the nation, including all four districts in California, have prioritized their own initiatives designed to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.
“Domestic violence crimes, especially those involving firearms, are a horrific victimization of some of the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Hanna. “These grants will provide substantial assistance to an array of entities, including those that provide immediate assistance to victims and others that are seeking long-term solutions. We value our ongoing partnerships with these community organizations and look forward to assisting, where we can, by filing federal domestic violence cases.”
“We remain committed to reducing domestic violence through enforcement and prevention, working together with our local law enforcement partners and service providers,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “We must do everything we can to combat the rise in domestic violence during COVID, and these grants will be of great assistance.”
“We are proud to stand with the Office on Violence Against Women in announcing these grants to deter domestic violence throughout the state,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “These tens of millions of dollars in grants will result in a better trained and more effective law enforcement community and will strengthen the coordination between the federal government and our state and local partners when confronted with domestic violence issues.”
Among the $33 million in awards that will be issued to organizations and government agencies in California are:
- $14.77 million to the state to support law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services providers, and courts to respond to domestic and sexual violence, including over $1 million to improve criminal justice responses in Marin and Alameda counties;
- $4.2 million to domestic violence organizations to provide legal service to victims, including $600,000 to the Los Angeles-based Peace Over Violence to provide no-cost legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, including those with disabilities;
- $4.13 million for improving criminal justice responses grant program also known as the Arrest Program, including $999,700 to Sacramento County and $1 million to Tulare County;
- $1.5 million to advocacy groups to help culturally and linguistically specific services programs, including $300,000 to the Sacramento-based My Sister’s House;
- $2.1 million to domestic violence shelters to provide transitional housing and therapy services, including $450,000 to Crisis Intervention Services dba Tahoe SAFE Alliance;
- $91,000 to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and $552,000 to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, two statewide organizations working to address violence against women; and
- $400,000 to promote enhanced training and services to end violence and abuse of elderly women in Contra Costa County.
“Putting an end to domestic violence requires effort from everyone in a community and OVW is proud to support the work being done in California,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Laura L. Rogers. “Our funding supports law enforcement, prosecutors and brings people together to work for a common cause. These strong partnerships lead to creative solutions to prevent violence.”
New projects to provide training and technical assistance throughout the country include:
- The $5 million National Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium, a project with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, in Florida, that will deliver training on investigating and responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
- $675,000 to continue the work of the San Diego-based Alliance for HOPE’s Training Institute for Strangulation Prevention, which provides education on investigating and prosecuting nonfatal strangulation in domestic violence cases; and
- $400,000 to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, headquartered in Maryland, to develop a national protocol to guide medical-forensic care for domestic violence victims who seek treatment for their injuries.
For more information on the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw.
California U.S. Attorneys Announce $33 Million in Domestic Violence Funding from DOJ’s Office on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will direct more than $33 million in grant funding to California to support efforts to curb domestic violence throughout the state, announced U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California McGregor W. Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David L. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Nicola T. Hanna, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Robert S. Brewer Jr.
As the state grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, reports indicate that many cities are experiencing surges in domestic violence. The OVW grants will provide resources to local prosecutors, victim service providers, healthcare professionals, training organizations, and academic researchers, including several with national scope. Even with limited prosecutorial authority in domestic violence cases, the federal government remains committed to working with all of its partners to end the scourge of domestic violence.
Disturbing research shows that intimate partner homicides are common. According to the CDC, roughly 1 in 6 homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. In 2019, California law enforcement received 161,123 domestic violence-related calls for assistance, and 47% of those calls involved a weapon. Research shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have access to a firearm.
Given these troubling statistics, in June 2019, Attorney General William P. Barr formed a Domestic Violence Working Group to encourage prosecution of armed domestic violence offenders. Federal law bars domestic violence offenders – those subject to certain protective orders or convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors or felonies – from possessing firearms. Districts across the nation, including all four districts in California, have prioritized their own initiatives designed to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.
“Putting an end to domestic violence requires effort from everyone in a community and OVW is proud to support the work being done in California,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Laura L. Rogers. “Our funding supports law enforcement, prosecutors and brings people together to work for a common cause. These strong partnerships lead to creative solutions to prevent violence.”
“We remain committed to reducing domestic violence through enforcement and prevention, working together with our local law enforcement partners and service providers,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “We must do everything we can to combat the rise in domestic violence during COVID, and these grants will be of great assistance.”
“Domestic violence crimes, especially those involving firearms, are a horrific victimization of some of the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Hanna. “These grants will provide substantial assistance to an array of entities, including those that provide immediate assistance to victims and others that are seeking long-term solutions. We value our ongoing partnerships with these community organizations and look forward to assisting, where we can, by filing federal domestic violence cases.”
“We are proud to stand with the Office of Violence Against Women in announcing these grants to deter domestic violence throughout the state,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “These tens of millions of dollars in grants will result in a better trained and more effective law enforcement community and will strengthen the coordination between the federal government and our state and local partners when confronted with domestic violence issues.”
Among the $33 million in awards that will be issued to organizations and government agencies in California are:
- $14.77 million to the state to support law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services providers, and courts to respond to domestic and sexual violence, including 0ver $1 million to improve criminal justice responses in Marin and Alameda counties;
- $4.2 million to domestic violence organizations to provide legal service to victims, including $600,000 to the Los Angeles-based Peace Over Violence to provide no-cost legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, including those with disabilities;
- $4.13 million for improving criminal justice responses grant program also known as the Arrest Program, including $999,700 to Sacramento County and $1 million to Tulare County;
- $1.5 million to advocacy groups to help culturally and linguistically specific services programs, including $300,000 to the Sacramento-based My Sister’s House;
- $2.1 million to domestic violence shelters to provide transitional housing and therapy services, including $450,000 to Crisis Intervention Services dba Tahoe SAFE Alliance;
- $91,000 to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and $552,000 to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, two statewide organizations working to address violence against women; and
- $400,000 to promote enhanced training and services to end violence and abuse of elderly women in Contra Costa County.
New projects to provide training and technical assistance throughout the country include:
- The $5 million National Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium, a project with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, in Florida, that will deliver training on investigating and responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
- $675,000 to continue the work of the San Diego-based Alliance for HOPE’s Training Institute for Strangulation Prevention, which provides education on investigating and prosecuting nonfatal strangulation in domestic violence cases; and
- $400,000 to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, headquartered in Maryland, to develop a national protocol to guide medical-forensic care for domestic violence victims who seek treatment for their injuries.
For more information on the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw.
California U.S. Attorneys Announce $33 Million in Domestic Violence Funding from DOJ’s Office on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will direct more than $33 million in grant funding to California to support efforts to curb domestic violence throughout the state, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David L. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California McGregor W. Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Nicola T. Hanna, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Robert S. Brewer Jr.
As the state grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, reports indicate that many cities are experiencing surges in domestic violence. The OVW grants will provide resources to local prosecutors, victim service providers, healthcare professionals, training organizations, and academic researchers, including several with national scope. Even with limited prosecutorial authority in domestic violence cases, the federal government remains committed to working with all of its partners to end the scourge of domestic violence.
Disturbing research shows that intimate partner homicides are common. According to the CDC, roughly 1 in 6 homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. In 2019, California law enforcement received 161,123 domestic violence-related calls for assistance, and 47% of those calls involved a weapon. Research shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have access to a firearm.
Given these troubling statistics, in June 2019, Attorney General William P. Barr formed a Domestic Violence Working Group to encourage prosecution of armed domestic violence offenders. Federal law bars domestic violence offenders – those subject to certain protective orders or convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors or felonies – from possessing firearms. Districts across the nation, including all four districts in California, have prioritized their own initiatives designed to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.
“We are proud to stand with the Office on Violence Against Women in announcing these grants to deter domestic violence throughout the state,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “These tens of millions of dollars in grants will result in a better trained and more effective law enforcement community and will strengthen the coordination between the federal government and our state and local partners when confronted with domestic violence issues.”
“Putting an end to domestic violence requires effort from everyone in a community and OVW is proud to support the work being done in California,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Laura L. Rogers. “Our funding supports law enforcement, prosecutors and brings people together to work for a common cause. These strong partnerships lead to creative solutions to prevent violence.”
“We remain committed to reducing domestic violence through enforcement and prevention, working together with our local law enforcement partners and service providers,” said U.S. Attorney Scott. “We must do everything we can to combat the rise in domestic violence during COVID, and these grants will be of great assistance.”
“Domestic violence crimes, especially those involving firearms, are a horrific victimization of some of the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Hanna. “These grants will provide substantial assistance to an array of entities, including those that provide immediate assistance to victims and others that are seeking long-term solutions. We value our ongoing partnerships with these community organizations and look forward to assisting, where we can, by filing federal domestic violence cases.”
Among the $33 million in awards that will be issued to organizations and government agencies in California are:
• $400,000 to promote enhanced training and services to end violence and abuse of elderly women in Contra Costa County; • $14.77 million to the state to support law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services providers, and courts to respond to domestic and sexual violence, including 0ver $1 million to improve criminal justice responses in Marin and Alameda counties; • $4.2 million to domestic violence organizations to provide legal service to victims, including $600,000 to the Los Angeles-based Peace Over Violence to provide no-cost legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, including those with disabilities; • $4.13 million for improving criminal justice responses grant program also known as the Arrest Program, including $999,700 to Sacramento County and $1 million to Tulare County; • $1.5 million to advocacy groups to help culturally and linguistically specific services programs, including $300,000 to the Sacramento-based My Sister’s House; • $2.1 million to domestic violence shelters to provide transitional housing and therapy services, including $450,000 to Crisis Intervention Services dba Tahoe SAFE Alliance; and
• $91,000 to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and $552,000 to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, two statewide organizations working to address violence against women.New projects to provide training and technical assistance throughout the country include:
• The $5 million National Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium, a project with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, in Florida, that will deliver training on investigating and responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking; • $675,000 to continue the work of the San Diego-based Alliance for HOPE’s Training Institute for Strangulation Prevention, which provides education on investigating and prosecuting nonfatal strangulation in domestic violence cases; and
• $400,000 to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, headquartered in Maryland, to develop a national protocol to guide medical-forensic care for domestic violence victims who seek treatment for their injuries.
Burlington Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Meth OffenseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa—On September 25, 2020, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Norris Davison, age 39, of Burlington, to 188 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Following his prison term, Davison will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Davison admitted to conspiring to distribute four kilograms of ice methamphetamine in the Burlington area. Davison’s criminal history included convictions for a felony drug offense, and three felony convictions for unlawfully possessing weapons.
This matter was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burlington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Bon Aqua Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 28, 2020 – A Bon Aqua, Tennessee man, who is also a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Friday for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Randall Eugene Bateman, 38, was charged in March with possession of child pornography after an investigation determined that he was the administrator of an online chat room dedicated to the discussion of child exploitation and the trading of sexually explicit images of children. The investigation determined that in February, Bateman used the “Kik” application to post and share several videos of adults engaged in sexually activity with male and female children between the ages of four and thirteen.
A search warrant was executed at Bateman’s home on March 11, 2020, during which a cell phone and electronic storage media were seized and approximately 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse were discovered.
Bateman pleaded guilty to the charge in June. He was previously convicted in 2006 of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated sexual exploitation of a child in Rutherford County, Tennessee and sentenced to eight years in prison.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with assistance from the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey prosecuted the case.
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Board of Elections Agrees to Address ADA Compliance IssuesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Board of Elections has today agreed to a Settlement Agreement with the United States under which it is required to promptly undertake steps to ensure that all individuals, regardless of disability, can fully access its newly leased and renovated facility at 2000 Plainfield Pike in Cranston. This agreement will remedy a number of significant deficiencies and will bring the facility into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.
This agreement follows an extensive investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office, prompted by a citizen’s complaint that the Plainfield Pike facility was not fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. Under Title II of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities by public entities, “no qualified individual with a disability shall, because a public entity’s facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with disabilities, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by a public entity.”
Under this Agreement, the Board of Elections is required, within 30 days, to engage the services of a registered design professional to survey the Plainfield Pike facility and to create a remediation plan to ensure that, among other things, that individuals with disabilities can readily park, enter, and exit the building, as well as ensuring their ability to access and participate in public hearings and use other facilities at the Board of Elections office. According to the Agreement, within two months the Board of Elections shall submit a design plan to the United States Attorney’s Office for approval. Upon approval by the United States, the Board of elections shall promptly select a contractor to begin work. Remediation work must be completed within six months of the execution of the Agreement.
The matter was litigated for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those interested in learning more about architectural barriers to access under the Americans with Disabilities Act may access www.ada.gov, visit the web site of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island at www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm.
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