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23 September 2020
New Haven Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERRIE McCLENDON, also known as “Buck,” 29, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 11, 2019, New Haven Police received information that McClendon was in possession of a firearm in Goffe Street Park in New Haven. After officers arrived at the park and identified McClendon, they approached him and instructed him to remove his hand from his sweatshirt pocket. McClendon then removed a handgun from his pocket and tossed it toward a bystander. The bystander, refusing to catch the gun, put his hands in the air and the gun fell to the ground. McClendon then struggled with the officers, but was eventually subdued. A loaded Ruger, model P85, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, was recovered from the scene.
Prior to May 2019, McClendon had been convicted in state court of felony narcotics and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
McClendon has been detained since June 19, 2019, when he was arrested on a state probation violation charge. On November 13, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution has been brought though Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Michigan Man Who Brought Meth to Erie via Amtrak Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Redford, Michigan, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months in jail on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Sean Kiara Williams, 31.
According to information presented to the court, on or about September 6, 2019, Williams possessed with the intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of methamphetamine which he had brought from Dearborn, Michigan to Erie on Amtrak.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police Northwest Strike Force Unit for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Using Threats to Obstruct Free Exercise of Religious BeliefsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that Ronald Wyatt, 22, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to intentionally threatening physical harm to a female victim, T.P., to obstruct T.P.’s free exercise of religion. As part of his plea agreement, Wyatt admitted that he targeted T.P., who is African-American, because of her race.
At the plea hearing, Wyatt admitted that, on July 23, 2019, he used Facebook to send T.P. a written message that threatened: “See you at church on Wednesday night with my AK to put you and your [expletive] family down [expletive].” T.P. regularly attends a church located in Taylor, Michigan. Wyatt admitted that, by sending the threatening message, he acted intentionally to obstruct T.P.’s free exercise of her religious beliefs. Wyatt further admitted that he threatened T.P. because she is African-American, and that he intended for T.P. to understand his message as a threat.
“No American should face threats towards their life or the lives of their loved ones based on their race or religion” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “These actions are reprehensible. The Justice Department takes these matters very seriously and works to ensure that those who perpetrate these actions see justice under the law.”
“The defendant’s actions in this case are truly reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan. “Although the First Amendment protects free speech, it doesn’t give anyone the right to obstruct the free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening violence or bodily harm. Prosecuting those who violate the civil rights of Michigan citizens is some of the most important work we do. This plea today is the first step towards justice for this innocent victim.”
"Mr. Wyatt used threats of violence to terrorize an innocent woman and as a result hindered the victim's ability to freely practice her religion,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono, of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Hate crimes like this one have profound effects not only on the victims, but also on their families and communities, making them feel vulnerable and unsafe. No arrest or conviction can undo the harm, but will hopefully provide a measure of justice for the victim, her family and her community.”
Pursuant to the plea agreement, sentencing will take place in one year. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Member of Jicarilla Apache Nation found guilty of domestic assault by a habitual offender in Indian countryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Following a two-day trial, a federal jury in Albuquerque returned a guilty verdict on Sept. 22 against Quentin Veneno, Jr., 34, of Dulce, New Mexico, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, on two counts of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. United States District Judge Kea W. Riggs presided.
On Aug. 22, 2018, and again on Nov. 2, 2018, Veneno physically abused the victim, whom he was dating at the time, at her residence within the exterior boundaries of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Nation Reservation. Veneno broke nine of the victim’s ribs and caused a collapsed lung and bruising over her body.
Police records showed that Veneno had previously assaulted the victim, and Veneno’s tribal criminal history includes two prior convictions of domestic violence in 2009 and 2013.
Veneno was arrested on November 21, 2018, and remains in custody pending sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
The Farmington office of the FBI and the Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cowen and Kyle Nayback are prosecuting the case.
McKean County Man Charged with Trying to Buy Meth on the Dark Web for ResaleRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Kane, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Michael Carter Anderson, 42, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about August 26, 2020, Anderson attempted to possess with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Anderson is accused of purchasing methamphetamine on the Dark Web for the purpose of selling and redistributing those drugs in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the McKean County Detectives, and the McKean County Drug Taskforce conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Martinsburg man admits to firearms traffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin Arthur Davis, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to his part in an illegal firearms distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Davis, 37, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy” involving the illegal purchase and transfer of firearms from Berkeley County to Pennsylvania in December 2019. Davis admitted to having conspiring to purchase firearms in Berkeley County, West Virginia, and then having those firearms transported the firearms across state lines to Philadelphia.
Davis faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy. 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.
The government is also seeking the forfeiture of several firearms and ammunition connected to this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by 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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marion County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jonathan David Cochran, of Barrackville, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cochran, age 25, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Cochran, prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior felony conviction, is accused of having a .380 caliber pistol in December 2019 in Marion County.
Cochran faces up to 10 years 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 Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia Probation and Parole Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
MS-13 defendant sentenced to more than 39 years in prison for involvement in two local murdersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 472 months in prison for participating in murders on behalf of an MS-13 racketeering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Gonzalez-Campos, also known as “Danger,” took part in the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus and the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
The government also presented evidence that Gonzalez-Campos directed MS-13 members in Houston to shoot and kill a 15-year-old girl.
In the early morning hours of February 16, 2017, three MS-13 members took Genesis Cornejo to a quiet street in Houston after telling her they were going to buy marijuana. While the victim stood on the side of the road, two of the gang members shot her in the head and chest and left her on the side of the road.
Law enforcement interviews and social media messages state Gonzalez-Campos ordered the murder, saying the girl “had to disappear” because she had been in a relationship with a rival 18th Street gang member.
In his own Facebook messages, Gonzalez-Campos said, “I told him to hit her, for him to send word on the line…For real, dog, they had two days to kill her.”
“This defendant and others butchered a 17-year-old victim with a machete, causing at least 92 traumatic fractures,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Gonzalez-Campos also participated in the year-long planning of a second Columbus murder, in which the victim’s body was riddled with bullets. Finally, this defendant used his authority in the transnational criminal organization to direct fellow MS-13 members in Houston to kill a 15-year-old girl whom they believed had dated a rival gang member.”
Gonzalez-Campos is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
Gonzalez-Campos distributed, and possessed with the intent to distribute, street-level quantities of cocaine and marijuana.
He and others conspired to commit extortion by obtaining money from various individuals through the use of threats of violence against the victims and their families. The co-conspirators used national and international wire transfer services to send money that they generated to individuals in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and the United States. The funds were used to purchase weapons and other items used in criminal activity, provide assistance to MS-13 members who had been incarcerated or deported, aid the families of gang members who had been killed, and otherwise support MS-13’s operations in Central America and the United States.
Gonzalez-Campos pleaded guilty in Sept. 2019 to one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy and one count of murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A Sargus, Jr.
U.S. Attorney DeVillers also recognized the assistance of the Harris County, Texas District Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Kingston Resident Charged with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas O’Bryan, age 38, of Kingston, New York, appeared in court today on a charge of distributing child pornography.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On September 22, 2020, O’Bryan was charged by criminal complaint with distributing child pornography. O’Bryan appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and will remain detained until a detention hearing scheduled for September 25. The complaint alleges that, on or about the dates of March 19, 2020 and April 9, 2020, O’Bryan used the Kik phone messaging application to distribute child pornography.
The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, O’Bryan faces at least 5 and up to 20 years in prison, and a mandatory term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.
Anyone who wants to provide law enforcement with information about the defendant should contact the FBI Albany Field Office at (518) 465-7551.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s’ offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
KCK Man Indicted on Federal Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Antonio Wright, 33, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 10, 2020, in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge and up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on each of the drug charges. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Raul Valenzuela-Arce, 28, is charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 2, 2019, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham is prosecuting.
Francisco Alvarenga-Cuellar, 53, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug. 24, 2020, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting.
Cesar Carrasco-Carrasco, 44, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 29, 2020, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Jury Finds Little Rock Felon Guilty of Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—After a two-day trial, a federal jury has found Antoine Ladale Perkins, 41, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury returned their verdict late Tuesday afternoon after trial began on Monday and continued with testimony on Tuesday. United States District Judge Brian S. Miller presided over the trial, and Judge Miller will sentence Perkins, of Little Rock, at a later date.
On December 22, 2017, a Little Rock Police Sergeant was driving in the area of Fulton Street in Little Rock, near Perkins’ home, when someone opened fire on the Sergeant’s undercover vehicle. Investigators recovered spent shell casings from Perkins’ yard and front porch, the scene of the shooting. Officers recovered a Norinco rifle from inside Perkins’ home, and Perkins confessed to bringing the firearm to his house. The Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that some of the shell casings were fired from the Norinico rifle.
“This case involved the ambush of an undercover police officer in the line of duty,” said Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Violent attacks against those who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve our citizens will not be tolerated by this office.”
Because Perkins is a felon, it is illegal for him to possess a firearm. A grand jury indicted Perkins on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in January 2020. He has a prior federal conviction for aiding and abetting the armed assault of a postal employee and using a prohibited weapon during a crime of violence, and he has a state conviction for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals, like Antoine Perkins, who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities and hold accountable those who threaten our safety.”
The statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of ammunition is not more than 10 years imprisonment, not more than three years of supervised release, and not more than a $250,000 fine. The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department, ATF, and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Mazzanti and Amanda Fields.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Judge sentences felon to 60 months for possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey held a joint plea and sentencing hearing today for Damond Jackson. The 22-year-old defendant, a resident of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 60 months.
According to the plea agreement, on February 3, 2019, officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to a vehicular crash at the Exit Ramp of 6299 off Interstate 255. Officers discovered a 1998 Ford Escort that went off the road and into the grass embankment. The driver of the car, defendant Jackson, told officers on scene that his brakes went out and caused him to go off the road. Jackson also told officers he was the only one in the car. Inside of the vehicle, officers located a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine containing approximately 30 rounds of ammunition. While conducting a pat-down of Jackson, officers found an empty, black, mesh firearm holster. The investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen. Defendant Jackson is a prior convicted felon. According to the plea, Jackson admits knowing possession of the firearm.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Ed Dowd prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.
Judge sentences St. Louis man to more than nine years on cocaine and marijuana distribution chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Juan LaSalle Chase to more than nine years in federal prison. The 49 year old, a resident of St. Louis, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2015 and continuing until March 2018, Chase joined in a conspiracy with four co-defendants to acquire and distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and marijuana to distribute. Specifically, wiretaps and other enforcement actions revealed Chase sourced cocaine and marijuana to the co-defendants.
A search of Chase’s home, lead to investigators to among other things, three kilograms of cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, and $105,910 in drug proceeds. Searches at other locations associated with Chase and the conspiracy revealed bulk marijuana.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Casey prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.
Judge convicts Browning man of sexually abusing minor girlRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris on Tuesday convicted a Browning man of sexually abusing a minor girl on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.
After a one-day bench trial on Tuesday, Judge Morris found Justin Zane Gobert, 38, guilty of abusive sexual contact. Gobert faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Judge Morris set sentencing for Jan. 21, 2021. Gobert was released on conditions including location monitoring.
"Too many children are the victims of sexual abuse. This child should have grown up like other children, thinking about school, family and friends, and optimistic about the world and her future. Instead, actions like the defendant’s traumatize their victims, and they need to be held accountable, as the defendant was yesterday. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley, the FBI and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services for investigating and prosecuting this case," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution said in court documents filed in the case that Gobert sexually abused a minor girl, who was under the age of 12, in June 2017. The abuse occurred in a residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services
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Jersey City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Firearms and Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for offenses related to the possession of two firearms and fentanyl trafficking, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tyreek Martin, a/k/a “Reek,” 35, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John M. Vazquez to an information charging him with possession of firearms by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today by videoconference.
Marcus Haggan, 45, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2020, before Judge Vazquez to an information charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 23, 2020.
Wyheim Hicks, 26, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty on Sept. 14, 2020, before Judge Vazquez to an information charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2021.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the morning of Feb. 9, 2019, Jersey City Police Department officers were conducting surveillance of Martin’s residence when they observed Martin exit from the side basement door. He walked to the front of the residence and placed packages of drugs in a garbage can and then walked to the front steps of the residence.
The officers observed Haggan and Hicks walk towards Martin’s residence. Haggan retrieved the drugs from the garbage can and gave some to Hicks. Haggan and Hicks walked off in separate directions while Martin went back into his residence. Based on their observations of the illegal drug transaction, the officers stopped and arrested Haggan and Hicks. Hicks was in possession of approximately 250 glassine bags of suspected heroin with the label “HELL RAISER.” Haggan was in possession of approximately 350 glassine bags of suspected heroin, also with the label “HELL RAISER.”
Later that day, the officers observed Martin exit his residence and placed him under arrest. During a search of Martin’s residence, the officers found eight bricks of suspected heroin wrapped in magazine paper, approximately 400 glassine bags of suspected heroin with the label “HELL RAISER,” and 13 bundles of approximately 130 glassine bags of suspected heroin with the label “G FUNK.” They also found approximately $3,350 in U.S. currency. Subsequent laboratory testing of the seized drugs confirmed that the drugs consisted of substances containing fentanyl and heroin. The officers also recovered two firearms – a Taurus 44 Magnum revolver and a Bersa .380 caliber handgun – and approximately 90 rounds of ammunition. Prior to Feb. 9, 2019, Martin had at least one felony conviction, including a conviction in Superior Court, Hudson County, on Nov. 2, 2018, for distributing controlled dangerous substances, making it illegal for him to possess firearms.
In addition to the prison term, Martin was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark, and members of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore of the Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Jamestown Man Arrested While on Parole Pleads Guilty to Crack Cocaine 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 Shaquelle Coleman, 27, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Leydecker, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested with another absconding parolee, Earl Stone Jr., on January 23, 2019, for violating terms of parole. Coleman and Stone were located in the upstairs bedroom of a residence on West 7th Street in Jamestown. During a search of the two defendants, law enforcement officers recovered $1,400 in U.S. Currency. They also recovered a quantity of suspected crack cocaine, a digital scale with white residue, and three cellular telephones from the residence.
Earl Stone was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Timothy Jackson; the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci; and the New York State Police, under the direction Major James Hall.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2021, before Judge Arcara.
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Jacksonville Man Pled Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty today to Willfully Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Tax Returns.
According to court documents, Gene Hersholt Williamson, II, 54, operated a tax return preparation business out of Greenville and Jacksonville between 2012 and 2018. Williamson fraudulently inflated his clients’ claimed refunds by reporting fictitious Schedule C businesses on his clients’ returns. If clients had minimal income, Williamson created a fraudulent Schedule C business for them, reporting additional income in order to maximize the claimed earned income tax credit. If, however, clients had substantial wage income, Williamson created fraudulent businesses with significant expenses to reduce their income, qualifying them to receive earned income tax credit. Williamson received 10% of the refunds for his services. To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Williamson did not list himself as the paid return preparer on any returns he prepared.
According to the Government’s proffer, Williamson filed false returns in his own name for the calendar years 2012 through 2017. On his personal returns, Williamson claimed credit for withheld taxes from wages paid by his solar business that were never paid to the IRS, claimed education credits he was not entitled to, reported fictitious business losses, and failed to report the income he earned from preparing tax returns.
The total tax loss to the IRS was more than $600,000. Williamson agreed to make full restitution as part of the plea agreement.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the plea. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Menzer and Tax Division Trial Attorney William Guappone are prosecuting the case.
Judge Dever scheduled sentencing for the December 14, 2020 term of court.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00133-D.
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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.
Imposter Nurse Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Health Care Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Misty Dawn Bacon, 44, of Morristown, was sentenced by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
In December 2019, Bacon plead guilty to wire fraud, healthcare fraud, and using another person’s identity to commit federal and state offenses, including practicing a profession without a license. Bacon was sentenced to 51 months, followed by three years of supervised release.
Bacon, a convicted felon, began working in East Tennessee as a registered nurse sometime before September 2012, even though she had no nursing degree, held no nursing license from the Tennessee Department of Health, and had no legitimate nursing experience. To accomplish her fraud, Bacon obtained the license numbers of real nurses with similar first names. Bacon then created phony aliases and used the real nurses’ license numbers to pose as an actual nurse and apply for nursing employment. In the process of submitting applications, Bacon falsely claimed that she held nursing degrees from Walters State College and Carson Newman University. Through her scheme, Bacon obtained employment with at least eight (8) healthcare providers between September 2012 and November 2018. During the six-year period, she worked in a variety of nursing settings, to include nursing homes, rehabilitation and assisted living facilities, a doctor’s office, and home health agencies.
Her imposter status gave her access to real patients, and Bacon rendered actual medical care to numerous patients, including dispensing medications, obtaining invasive access to patient’s bodies, and becoming privy to patients’ sensitive, private medical information. Due to her lack of qualifications, Bacon created a serious risk of injury, and even death, to patients she was treating. The risk manifested itself by Bacon performing procedures she was unqualified to perform, not performing needed procedures she recognized she was not qualified to perform, and failing to chart and document patient care in an appropriate fashion. According to the written plea agreement, at least one patient required re-admittance and a three-day hospital stay due to Bacon’s inept care.
The criminal information resulted from an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Jefferson City Police Department.
Mac D. Heavener, III, Assistant United States Attorney, represented the United States.
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Human Resources Manager Charged with Defrauding Employer, Including Through COVID-19 Testing SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Douglas Wold, 48, of Meridian, was indicted on September 10, 2020, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise on eleven counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis.
According to court records, Wold worked as a Human Resources Manager for Fry Foods, Inc. in Ontario, Oregon. The indictment alleges that beginning in at least May 2020 and continuing through August 2020, Wold caused fraudulent payroll checks to be issued. Wold then deposited these fraudulent payroll checks into bank accounts in his control.
According to the indictment, Wold arranged for COVID-19 testing for Fry Foods’ employees at their Weiser, Idaho facilities in May 2020. Wold issued a fraudulent invoice to Fry Foods in the name of his business, Hala Lallo Health, for $39,995 when, in fact, the testing was provided by another entity and at a materially lower cost. When Fry Foods paid Hala Lallo Health for the testing, Wold deposited the funds into a bank account he controlled.
With respect to the money laundering count, the indictment alleges that Wold transferred $69,116.48 in proceeds from his frauds for the purchase a speedboat and trailer.
Each count of wire fraud and mail fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Money laundering carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Wold was arraigned on September 14, where a trial was scheduled for November 2 before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, consumers may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO websites.
The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline by phone at (1-866-720-5721) or via an online reporting form available at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
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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.
Great Falls man admits child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man accused of downloading and sharing child pornography with his cell phone admitted criminal charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Derek Wallace Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and to receipt of child pornography. Johnson faces a minimum mandatory five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Sentencing is set for Jan. 21, 2021. Johnson was detained.
The prosecution said in court documents that in October 2019, Homeland Security Investigations in Great Falls received information that a suspect had uploaded possible child pornography in April 2019. An investigation determined that the uploaded image depicted a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and led to Johnson as the suspect. Investigators served a search warrant on Johnson's residence. Johnson, who was present for the search, told officers he had lost his cell phone a few days earlier, but an agent found it hidden between the box spring and mattress in Johnson's bedroom.
After initially being untruthful, Johnson admitted he had participated in online activity involving child pornography and admitted to hiding his phone. He also said he had about 1,000 videos and images of child pornography in an encrypted app on his phone. Johnson told officers he downloaded child pornography in Kik chat rooms and shared files with others seeking images in chat rooms.
Agents searched Johnson's phone and determined it contained child pornography images. Johnson distributed child pornography in April 2019 and had downloaded or received child pornography from December 2016 to November 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and the Great Falls Police Department.
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Gilead Agrees to Pay $97 Million to Resolve Allegations that it Paid Kickbacks through a Co-Pay FoundationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead), based in Foster City, Calif., has agreed to pay $97 million to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by illegally using a foundation, Caring Voice Coalition (CVC), as a conduit to pay the Medicare co-pays for its own drug, Letairis.
When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare Part D, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively, co-pays). Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the companies’ drugs.
As part of today’s settlement, the government alleged that Gilead used CVC, which claimed 501(c)(3) status for tax purposes, as a conduit to pay the co-pay obligations of thousands of Medicare patients taking Letairis, which is approved to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). According to the government’s allegations, Gilead used CVC to cover the patients’ co-pays in order to induce those patients’ purchases of Letairis. Gilead knew that the prices it set for Letairis otherwise could have posed a barrier to those purchases.
The government specifically alleged that, from June 15, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2010, Gilead routinely obtained data from CVC detailing how many Letairis patients CVC had assisted, how much CVC had spent on those patients, and how much CVC expected to spend on those patients in the future. Gilead allegedly received this information through funding requests, telephone calls, and written reports. Gilead then used this information to budget for future payments to CVC to cover the co-pays of patients taking Letairis, but not of patients taking other manufacturers’ PAH drugs. The government alleged that Gilead engaged in this practice even though it knew it should not receive or use data concerning CVC’s expenditures on co-pays for Letairis. The government also alleged that, to generate revenue from Medicare, Gilead referred Medicare patients to CVC, which resulted in claims to Medicare to cover the cost of Letairis.
“Like its competitors, Actelion and United Therapeutics, Gilead used data from CVC that it knew it should not have, and effectively set up a proprietary fund within CVC to cover the co-pays of just its own drug,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Such conduct not only violates the anti-kickback statute, it also undermines the Medicare program’s co-pay structure, which Congress created as a safeguard against inflated drug prices. During the period covered by today’s settlement, Gilead raised the price of Letairis by over seven times the rate of overall inflation in the United States.”
“This settlement, like prior settlements concerning similar misconduct, demonstrates the government’s commitment to hold accountable companies that pay illegal kickbacks, whether directly or through a third party,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will not permit pharmaceutical manufacturers to set unaffordable drug prices while circumventing important cost-control mechanisms within the Medicare program.”
“When pharmaceutical companies deceitfully employ the charitable donation process as an instrument to subsidize copays for their own drugs, it subverts a critical safeguard against the excessive inflation of drug costs,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Service’s Boston Regional Office. “Manipulation of this process threatens the integrity of our federal healthcare system, disregarding the American taxpayer who ultimately bears the cost. As such, we remain vigilantly focused on confronting this type of conduct and will continue our aggressive enforcement in this area.”
“Health care fraud costs our country tens of billions of dollars each year because of unscrupulous schemes like the one Gilead orchestrated that dangled kickbacks disguised as copay assistance in front of Medicare patients,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division. “Today’s $97 million settlement ensures Gilead pays for defrauding a government insurance program and reaffirms the FBI’s resolve to pursue investigations and exhaust all efforts to uncover these schemes.”
To date, the Department of Justice has collected over $1 billion from eleven pharmaceutical companies (United Therapeutics, Pfizer, Actelion, Jazz, Lundbeck, Alexion, Astellas, Amgen, Sanofi, Novartis, and Gilead) that allegedly used third-party foundations as kickback vehicles. The Department also has reached settlements with four foundations (Patient Access Network Foundation, Chronic Disease Fund, The Assistance Fund, and Patient Services, Inc.) and a pharmacy (Advanced Care Scripts, Inc.) that allegedly conspired or coordinated with pharmaceutical companies on these kickback schemes.
U.S. Attorney Lelling, Acting Assistant Attorney General Clark, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and Boston FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Shapiro and Abraham George of Lelling’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, and Trial Attorneys Sarah Arni and Augustine Ripa of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
Gilead Agrees to Pay $97 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead), based in Foster City, California, has agreed to pay $97 million to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by illegally using a foundation as a conduit to pay the copays of thousands of Medicare patients taking Gilead’s pulmonary arterial hypertension drug, Letairis, the Justice Department announced today.
“This settlement demonstrates the government’s commitment to hold accountable companies that pay illegal kickbacks, whether directly or through a third party,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will not allow permit pharmaceutical manufacturers to set unaffordable drug prices while circumventing important cost-control mechanisms within the Medicare program.”
“Like its competitors, Actelion and United Therapeutics, Gilead used data from CVC that it knew it should not have, and effectively set up a proprietary fund within CVC to cover the co-pays of just its own drug,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts. “Such conduct not only violates the anti-kickback statute, it also undermines the Medicare program’s co-pay structure, which Congress created as a safeguard against inflated drug prices. During the period covered by today’s settlement, Gilead raised the price of Letairis by over seven times the rate of overall inflation in the United States.”
“When pharmaceutical companies deceitfully employ the charitable donation process as an instrument to subsidize copays for their own drugs, it subverts a critical safeguard against the excessive inflation of drug costs,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Service’s Boston Regional Office. “Manipulation of this process threatens the integrity of our federal healthcare system, disregarding the American taxpayer who ultimately bears the cost. As such, we remain vigilantly focused on confronting this type of conduct and will continue our aggressive enforcement in this area.”
“Health care fraud costs our country tens of billions of dollars each year because of unscrupulous schemes like the one Gilead orchestrated that dangled kickbacks disguised as copay assistance in front of Medicare patients,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division. “Today’s $97 million settlement ensures Gilead pays for defrauding a government insurance program and reaffirms the FBI’s resolve to pursue investigations and exhaust all efforts to uncover these schemes.”
When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a copayment, coinsurance, or a deductible (collectively “copays”). Congress included copay requirements in the Medicare program, in part, to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs.
Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, a pharmaceutical company is prohibited from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce Medicare patients to purchase the company’s drugs. This prohibition extends to the payment of patients’ copay obligations.
Gilead sells Letairis, which is approved for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The government alleged that Gilead used a foundation, which claims 501(c)(3) status for tax purposes, as a conduit to pay the copay obligations of thousands of Medicare patients taking Letairis and to induce those patients to purchase Letairis, because it knew that the prices Gilead set for Letairis could otherwise pose a barrier to those purchases. From 2007 through 2010, Gilead made payments to the foundation, which, in turn, used those funds to pay copays of patients prescribed Letairis. The government alleged that Gilead routinely obtained data from the foundation detailing how much the foundation had spent for patients on Letairis; it then used this information to decide how much to pay to the foundation and to confirm that its payments were sufficient to cover the copays of only patients taking Letairis. The government also alleged that, to generate revenue from Medicare and induce purchases of Letairis, Gilead referred Medicare patients to the foundation, which resulted in claims to Medicare to cover the cost of Letairis.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The investigation was conducted by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Gary Man Charged with Mail Fraud & Attempted Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Da’Ione Fields, 23 of Gary, Indiana, was charged by way of an Indictment with two counts of mail fraud and one count of attempted bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
“Seniors are some of our more vulnerable citizens. Those in senior care facilities are dependent upon the care they receive there for their well-being,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “The alleged theft from a facility like this can have a severe negative impact on the residents in the facilities’ care. Theft results in diminished resources that should be available for the residents’ care and well-being. My Office is committed to protecting vulnerable seniors and working with our investigative agencies to investigate and prosecute those who steal from their employers.”
According to documents in the case, while working as a contract security guard for a senior living facility in Munster, Indiana, it is alleged that from October 18, 2019 to about December 3, 2019, Mr. Fields engaged in a scheme to defraud the facility of more than $280,000. The Indictment alleges that on two occasions Fields completed a USPS Change of Address form to redirect the facility’s mail to Fields’ residential address in Gary, Indiana. Between October 18 and November 22, 2019, Mr. Fields cashed approximately 31 insurance reimbursement and other checks payable to the facility totaling over $220,000. On November 21, 2019, Mr. Fields opened a corporate account at a bank in Gary, misrepresenting himself as an authorized representative of the facility and depositing 6 more checks totaling over $60,000.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Munster and Gary Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Berkowitz and Abizer Zanzi.
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Four Charged with Manufacturing Methamphetamine in Clinton and Essex CountiesRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Bradley W. Price, age 44, of Ausable, New York, Leah M. Cross, age 30, of Ausable Forks, New York, Carl J. Estes, age 35, of Keeseville, New York and Andrew J. Barber, age 28, of Plattsburgh, have been indicted for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine and possessing pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Clinton County District Attorney Andrew J. Wylie.
The indictment alleges that between July 8, 2020 and July 22, 2020, in Essex County, Price, Cross and Estes conspired to manufacture methamphetamine. It also alleges that on August 19, 2020, in Clinton County, Price, Cross and Barber conspired to manufacture methamphetamine. Each of the four is also charged with possessing and distributing pseudoephedrine knowing it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Price and Barber were arraigned on the indictment before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro on September 15, 2020, and were ordered detained pending trial. Cross and Estes were arraigned on the indictment before Judge Favro on September 22, 2020, and were also ordered detained pending trial.
If convicted of the charges, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1 million. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
Four Arrests Bring to Six the Number of McDonough County Defendants Charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine in West Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The arrest of four defendants last week brings the total to six charged to date in federal court as a result of an ongoing investigation of methamphetamine trafficking in West Central Illinois. Jerel J. Guarin, 42 of Colchester, Ill., and Shawn T. Connelly, 46; Trenton L. Sealock, 25; and, Amanda S. Edwards, 40, all of Bardolph, Ill., were arrested on Sept. 18, 2020, and made their initial appearances via video before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley. Trial for the four is scheduled on Nov. 2, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow in Rock Island.
Connelly, Edwards, and Sealock have been ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A detention hearing for Guarin is scheduled on Friday, Sept. 25.
Two additional defendants, Jeanna M. Rechkemmer, 33, of Bushnell, Ill., and Amber M. Phelps, 29, of Macomb, were previously indicted in March 2020. On Aug. 25, 2020, Phelps entered a plea of guilty to the charge and sentencing has been scheduled on Dec. 1, 2020. Rechkemmer is scheduled for an initial appearance on a superseding indictment and change of plea hearing on Sept. 25, 2020.
The indictments allege that the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine in West Central Illinois from January 2019 to February 2020.
The maximum statutory penalty for the offense is 10 years to life in prison.
The charges are the result of an ongoing investigation dubbed “Operation Icy Road,” by the Macomb / McDonough County Drug Unit. The McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, the Macomb Police Department, and the Galesburg Police Department conducted the investigations with the assistance of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, Rock Island Division, in cooperation with the McDonough County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner was sentenced on September 21, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Charles Grey Owl, a/k/a Raymond Keith Grey Owl, age 49, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Grey Owl was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2019. He pled guilty on June 25, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on July 30, 2019, where Grey Owl unlawfully committed a domestic assault upon his intimate partner, who he has assaulted multiple times in the past. Because of the assault, the victim suffered substantial bodily injury and extreme pain to her lower leg.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Grey Owl was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner was sentenced on September 21, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Thomas Drapeau, Sr., age 32, was sentenced to all time served, 6 months and 10 days, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Drapeau was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2020. He pled guilty on June 29, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on November 14, 2019, when Drapeau assaulted his intimate partner repeatedly about the head and face, causing severe bruising, lacerations, and two of the victim’s teeth to be displaced.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Drapeau was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Union President Sentenced for Violent ExtortionRead the Press Release
The former president of Iron Workers Local 395 was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for his role in organizing a brutal assault on a group of non-union ironworkers in Dyer, Indiana.
The attack, which left multiple workers with serious injuries, was part of an effort to obtain a contract for Local 395 to assist with the construction of the Plum Creek Christian Academy, a school affiliated with the Dyer Baptist Church.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Irene Lindow, Chicago Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
Jeffrey Veach, 57, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of extortion conspiracy, along with co-defendant Thomas Williamson Sr., 69. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Theresa Springmann of the Northern District of Indiana. Williamson is scheduled to be sentenced separately by Judge Springmann on Dec. 15.
Veach resigned as president of Local 395, following his guilty plea in January. Under federal law, Veach will be barred from holding any union position for at least 13 years following the end of his prison sentence.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, Veach admitted that in January 2016, he learned that D5 Iron Works – a non-union ironworking company from Illinois – was performing work for the Dyer Baptist Church, in Local 395’s “territory.” On the morning of Jan. 7, Veach and Williamson visited the construction site in order to persuade the D5 workers to sign up with the union or stop work on the site. When they were rebuffed, Veach brought rank-and-file members of Local 395 to the construction site later that day. At Veach’s direction, the union members conducted a coordinated attacked on the D5 workers. The victims were beaten with fists and loose pieces of hardwood. As a result of the attack, one of the workers sustained a broken jaw that required several surgeries and hospitalization.
The DOL-OIG, FBI, and Dyer Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Alexander Gottfried and Robert Tully of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case. The Organized Crime and Gang Section’s Labor Unit supports federal criminal prosecutions in cases involving labor-management relations, internal union affairs, and the operation of employee pension and health care plans. Assistant Chief for Labor-Management Racketeering Gerald Toner provided critical assistance in the prosecution of this case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Coercion of a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 180 months’ imprisonment followed by 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Joseph Hamilton, age 39.
According to information presented to the court, from March 11, 2019 until on or about April 18, 2019, Hamilton communicated online and via text messaging with an undercover FBI agent, believing the agent to be a minor, to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice and coerce the purported minor to engage in sexual activity with him. Law enforcement arrested Hamilton on April 18, 2019, when Hamilton attempted to meet the purported minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hamilton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Owner of La Cremaillere Restaurant Sentenced to Federal Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BARBARA MEYZEN, a/k/a "Bobbie Meyzen," the former owner and operator of La Cremaillere Restaurant in Banksville, New York, was sentenced in White Plains federal court to two years in prison for fraud in connection with her multi-year scheme to defraud the restaurant’s lenders, mortgagee, bankruptcy creditors and customers and to obstruct the bankruptcy process. MEYZEN had previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information to which MEYZEN pleaded guilty and other court documents:
MEYZEN owned and operated the La Cremaillere Restaurant in Banksville, New York from 1993 to August 2020. From August 2015 to July 2016, MEYZEN submitted applications for credit on behalf of La Cremaillere to at least nine lenders, factors and financiers. In support of those applications, MEYZEN gave the potential lenders La Cremaillere's bank statements that she had modified to change negative balances to positive balances; to remove references to checks returned for insufficient funds; and to reduce service fees. For example, MEYZEN modified one month's statement to change a negative beginning balance of $32,865.57 to a positive beginning balance of $27,766.29; to change from negative to positive the negative ending balance for that month of $5,268.13; and to change service charges of $2,385.60 to $8.00. When one lender discovered that MEYZEN had altered the bank statements, MEYZEN created an email account in the name of one of the bank's officers and sent the lender an email in which she, in the guise of the bank officer, told the lender that the statements were genuine.
MEYZEN also falsely represented to the same lender that the second mortgage on the restaurant's property in Banksville had been discharged. She created a false satisfaction of mortgage on which she forged the signature of a representative of the restaurant's second mortgagee, who is MEYZEN'S relative by marriage. MEYZEN filed the false satisfaction of mortgage with the Westchester County Clerk, paid the Clerk's filing fee, and sent a copy of the filed satisfaction of mortgage to the lender. MEYZEN later denied filing the false satisfaction of mortgage or paying the filing fee when she was interviewed by Special Agents of the FBI. She told the FBI that she believed a loan broker with whom she had worked in the past, and whom she identified by name, had filed the false satisfaction of mortgage.
Throughout the summer of 2017, MEYZEN charged more than $148,979 in restaurant and personal expenses to credit card accounts of two of the restaurant's customers. When one of the customers discovered the charges, MEYZEN claimed the charges were a mistake and repeatedly promised to resolve the problem. MEYZEN gave the customer two checks in a total amount of $32,000 but the checks bounced. When she was interviewed by the FBI, MEYZEN denied knowing anything about unauthorized charges to the customer's credit card or ever speaking with the customer about the unauthorized charges. MEYZEN also denied giving the customer checks.
Meyzen filed bankruptcy petitions for Meyzen Family Realty Associates, LLC, which owned the real property from which the restaurant operated, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains in September 2018. She filed a bankruptcy petition for La Cremaillere Restaurant Corp., which operated the restaurant, in April 2019. In May 2019, MEYZEN misled the office of the United States Trustee, which oversees bankruptcy cases, about insurance coverage on the restaurant property. MEYZEN caused her bankruptcy counsel to give the United States Trustee and an attorney for Meyzen Family Realty's largest creditor documents indicating that the property was insured when, in fact, she knew that the insurance coverage had been canceled months earlier for nonpayment. In June 2019, MEYZEN falsely testified under oath in a deposition conducted by the United States Trustee that she was not aware that the insurance had been canceled when she caused her attorney to turn the documents over to the United States Trustee.
Two days after La Cremaillere filed for bankruptcy in April 2019, MEYZEN opened a bank account in her name and diverted more than $40,000 of the restaurant's credit card receipts to that account. MEYZEN used a portion of that money to make payments to a food distributor and to an in-home nursing service. This account was closed on May 1, 2019. On May 7, 2019, MEYZEN opened an account in the name of Honey Bee Farm, LLC at another bank and diverted La Cremaillere's credit card receipts, as well as $20,000 in advances on La Cremaillere's future credit card revenue, to that account. MEYZEN used a portion of that money to pay restaurant and personal expenses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Briccetti ordered MEYZEN, 57, of Redding, Connecticut, to serve two years of supervised release, and to pay forfeiture and restitution each in the amount of $320,289.35.
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Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents of the FBI and the Criminal Investigators of the Office of Internal Affairs, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney James McMahon is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Federal Grand Juror Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that Alicia Renee Coleman, 51, of Rock Hill, pleaded guilty in federal court to obstruction of justice.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in early June 2018, Coleman communicated secret federal grand jury information concerning an indictment and upcoming arrests in United States v. Hemphill, et al. Coleman learned the information in her capacity while serving as a federal grand juror and communicated the information to a family member in violation of a court order. Law enforcement quickly learned of the leak, which had made its way to targets of the investigation, and as a result changed the date of the upcoming takedown in the case. Coleman was relieved of her duties as a federal grand juror and after initially denying that she shared grand juror information outside the grand jury, admitted the same to federal agents.
The charge against Coleman was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years federal supervised release. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence her after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
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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.
Former Co-Owner of New Jersey Marketing Company Admits Role in $8.8 Million Compounded Prescription Drug SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former co-owner of a New Jersey marketing company today admitted her role in a scheme to defraud public and private health benefits programs of at least $8.8 million for the billing of medically unnecessary compounded prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Lisa Curty, 43, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredients in the prescription.
Between February 2015 and February 2017, Curty participated in a conspiracy that involved the submission of fraudulent prescriptions for compounded medications to public and private insurance plans. The scheme centered on the discovery that certain insurance plans paid for prescription compounded medications – including scar creams, wound creams, and metabolic supplements/vitamins – at exorbitant reimbursement rates.
Curty exploited this opportunity by creating a New Jersey marketing company (Marketing Company-1) and hiring sales representatives to target individuals who had insurance plans that covered compounded medications. The sales representatives then convinced those individuals to obtain prescriptions for compounded medications, regardless of medical necessity, often by providing them with cash payments. The individuals were then directed to certain telemedicine companies, which Marketing Company-1 or its affiliates paid, to receive the prescriptions.
Once the prescriptions were written, they were filled by certain compounding pharmacies with which Marketing Company-1 conspired. The compounding pharmacies would then receive reimbursement from the insurance plans, and would pay Marketing Company-1 a percentage of the reimbursement amount. As one of the owners of Marketing Company-1, Curty retained a portion of the payment and provided a “commission” payment to the relevant sales representative.
Curty’s conspirator and co-owner of Marketing Company-1, Christine Myers, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2020, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, 2020.
Two sales representatives that worked for Marketing Company-1, Christopher Frusci and Enver Kalaba, were former Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employees. Since the MTA’s health insurance plan covered compounded medications, Frusci and Kalaba targeted co-workers at the MTA and paid them cash bribes for every compounded prescription they submitted. Frusci and Kalaba have both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud charges based on their respective roles in the scheme. On Feb. 7, 2019, Kalaba was sentenced in Newark federal court to 20 months in prison and one year of supervised release, and must forfeit $138,630 in criminal proceeds he received for his role in the scheme and pay restitution of $2.9 million. Frusci is awaiting sentencing.
The count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. As part of her plea agreement, Curty must forfeit $1.475 million in criminal proceeds she received for her role in the scheme and pay restitution of at least $8.8 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr.; the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey; and the Office of the Inspector General, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, under the direction of Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny, with the ongoing investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Former CEO Sentenced for Embezzling $7.9 Million Intended for Injured ChildrenRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Round Hill man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his scheme to embezzle $7,957,750 from the United States government and a private hospital that was intended to settle claims by victims of medical malpractice, many of whom were children.
According to court documents, Joseph E. Gargan, 60, was the Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Company, Inc., an Arlington business that would execute settlement agreements entered into between civil litigants. Specifically, the Pension Company was hired to transfer money from civil defendants to plaintiffs and to purchase annuities on behalf of minor plaintiffs.
The United States government entered into settlement agreements with plaintiffs in six separate matters. Many of these cases involved children who either claimed to be injured as a result of medical malpractice or who suffered the loss of a parent through alleged medical negligence that occurred at a hospital or clinic operated or insured by the federal government. The settlement agreements required the United States to pay the plaintiff a sum of money and to purchase an annuity on behalf of the injured child. From December 2015 to August 2019, the United States transferred a total of $15,925,000 to the Pension Company to purchase the annuities and execute the six settlement agreements. Gargan embezzled $6,925,000 of this money.
In addition, Gargan embezzled money from a hospital located in New York that was part of a civil settlement with a minor child. The settlement called for $3,825,000 to be paid by the hospital to a trust to pay for the care and ongoing medical treatment of the child. The settlement agreement also provided that a portion of the $3,825,000 be paid to a structured settlement broker who would then purchase an annuity which would generate future income for the trust. The Pension Company was retained as the structured settlement broker. From October 2018 to March 2020, the hospital paid the Pension Company a total of $1,032,750 to fund the purchase of an annuity on behalf of the trust. Gargan embezzled all $1,032,750.
In some cases, Gargan attempted to conceal his criminal activity by creating false documents purporting to show that he had purchased the annuities when, in fact, he had embezzled and converted that money to his own use. Gargan also made payments to the plaintiffs falsely claiming the payments were proceeds from an annuity, when, in fact, the payments were made only to conceal his criminal conduct.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick 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. 1:20-cr-110.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen GunRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Erik Macklin, 24, has pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen gun. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, on November 1, 2019, members of the Germantown Police Department were conducting surveillance on Macklin, a suspect in multiple aggravated burglaries in Germantown, Tennessee. Macklin also had an outstanding arrest warrant.
Officers located Macklin at a local business. As they approached and asked him to step outside, Macklin pulled away from the officers and grabbed a firearm from his waistband. Law enforcement was able to restrainMacklin, which caused him to drop the firearm, and he was taken into custody.
The firearm was a.45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen from West Memphis, Arkansas, several weeks prior. Macklin waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the firearm.
As a result of his prior felony convictions, including aggravated burglary, felony theft, and felony vandalism, Macklin is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.
On September 23, 2020, Macklin entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., where he faces up to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "A stolen firearm in the hands of a convicted felon threatens everyone, including law enforcement. There is a good reason that federal law prohibits and punishes such illegal gun possession, and this conviction resulting in prison with no parole will help to reduce gun crime in Memphis."
The Germantown Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force investigated this case. The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative is 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. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Project Guardian is a new DOJ initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country by focusing on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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Four Fond Du Lac Men Indicted for Firearm Straw Buying Conspiracy and Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 22, 2020, Jonathan Griffin (age: 28); Jason Spinks (age: 37); Shakie Davis (age: 25); and Treon Dennis (age: 36) of Fond du Lac, were indicted with conspiracy to make a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer and possession of firearms by felons, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 922(g)(1) & 924(a)(2).
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) identified that Fond du Lac area felons Griffin, Spinks, Davis, and Dennis sold heroin in the area and used their heroin distribution network to recruit one of their heroin customers to purchase eleven firearms for them over an eight-month period. Three of the eleven firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area shortly after they were purchased.
If convicted of the conspiracy to make a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer and possession of firearms by felons, Griffin, Spinks, Davis and Dennis would face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
“As alleged in the indictment, these men engaged in dangerous activities connected to firearms and heroin,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger. “I commend the excellent work of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Justice Department is committed to working with state and local authorities to ensure public safety and violent crime reduction in all of our cities.”
“Working closely with our local and state law enforcement partners, we are able to use our resources effectively and collaboratively to investigate straw purchasing in communities such as Fond du Lac,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen deTineo of the Chicago Field Division. “Lying and buying is illegal, and we will follow each investigative lead to ensure firearms do not end up in the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them.”
Fond du Lac Police Chief William B. Lamb remarked, “Investigations into criminal conspiracy networks suspected to be involved in the illegal possession and trafficking of dangerous drugs and firearms have been amongst the greatest of priorities for the City of Fond du Lac Police Department. The gun violence that is associated with the drug trade is an epidemic that is ripping far too many cities in our nation apart and we are committed to preventing that type of criminal activity in our city. I commend the work done by the Officers and Investigators of the City of Fond du Lac Police Department as well as those involved members of the Lake Winnebago Area MEG – Drug Unit, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, for their exceptional investigative efforts in this and other similar investigations.”
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Ladwig.
A criminal indictment is merely a formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A criminal indictment is merely a formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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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Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Ellisburg Man Sentenced on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Anildar Valdimir Roblero-Gomez, age 26, a citizen of Mexico who had been living in Ellisburg, New York, was sentenced today to serve 96 months in prison for uploading to Facebook a video depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon, New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett, and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Chief United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Roblero-Gomez to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, which will begin after he is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Roblero-Gomez will be required to register as a sex offender following his prison sentence. He may also face immigration consequences as the result of his conviction and sentence.[1]
In his previous plea of guilty, Roblero-Gomez admitted that in September 2018, he used a cellular telephone to upload a video depicting child pornography to the Facebook social media platform, sharing the video with over 100 other Facebook users.
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sahar L. Amandolare.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
[1] Deportation, removal, and other matters related to the defendant’s legal status in the United States are civil matters adjudicated in separate proceedings in Immigration Court.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Moving Kilograms of Drugs Through the Lehigh ValleyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Miguel Gonzalez Segovia, 31, of Veracruz, Mexico, was sentenced to ten years in prison, five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. for trafficking drugs in the Lehigh Valley in November 2018.
In September 2019, Gonzalez Segovia pleaded guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute 69 kilograms cocaine, 14 kilograms of fentanyl, and 4 kilograms of acetyl fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue). According to court documents, the defendant was stopped by a Pennsylvania State Trooper while driving on Interstate 78 in Northampton County, and was evasive in answering questions and provided conflicting information about his destination and purpose for traveling through Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Trooper also observed nine large suitcases stacked inside the rented vehicle the defendant was driving.
After searching the vehicle and one of the suitcases to reveal approximately 50 pounds of substances including cocaine, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, Gonzalez Segovia was placed under arrest and interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police. He admitted that this was the fourth time he had driven the same drug delivery route across Pennsylvania for individuals in California, and explained that they would load drugs between furniture in moving trucks in California and drive it to the East Coast for delivery in different locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“Gonzalez Segovia and other members of this drug organization moved huge quantities of dangerous drugs through and into our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “These traffickers essentially delivered destruction to every state, city and town where these deadly drugs ultimately landed. Our office is determined to investigate and convict these criminals, and put them behind bars.”
“Segovia pleaded guilty and was responsible for trafficking 69 kilograms of cocaine and 18 kilograms of illicit fentanyl across the Lehigh Valley area. These are substantial amounts of dangerous and potentially deadly illicit drugs,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Working with our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police, Segovia will no longer be able to distribute these poisons that ruin our communities and destroy countless lives.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Allentown Resident Office and the Pennyslvania State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein.
Department of Justice Begins Second Distribution of Funds Recovered Through Asset Forfeiture to Compensate Victims of Western Union Fraud Scheme, Bringing Total to over $300 MillionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that the Western Union Remission Fund began its second distribution of approximately $148 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. government from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to approximately 33,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims, many of whom were elderly victims of consumer fraud and abuse, will be recovering the full amount of their losses.
This is the second in a series of payment distributions to occur in the Western Union remission. The first distribution paid approximately $153 million to over 109,000 victims in March of this year. The Department of Justice anticipates authorizing compensation for many more victims in the coming months. The department is accepting petitions on an ongoing basis and will be providing potential victims who have not applied for remission the opportunity to apply.
“Through the tireless work of the Department of Justice, today 33,000 more individuals, including many elderly victims of the criminals who exploited Western Union’s deficient anti-money laundering controls, are being made whole through this distribution of an additional $148 million,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Together with the first distribution, the department has now remitted more than $300 million to over 142,000 victims of this fraud. These results reinforce the department’s commitment to compensating victims whenever possible.”
“After the first distribution of funds to victims of these nefarious scammers, I said that it was a good start,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. “Today’s announcement marks another important event in this lengthy and complicated case. While ensuring fair business practices and anti-fraud programs is certainly a worthy goal, our aim is always to compensate our victims. We credit the innovative and industrious efforts of our investigative partners and thank them for their sustained efforts to make the victims whole.”
“We are very pleased to deliver $148 million to provide financial justice for these thousands of victims,” said Damon E Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Philadelphia Division. “This brings the total returned to victims to over $300 million. Especially in these difficult times, the monies will hopefully provide relief for those who were scammed. The Postal Inspection Service will continue to be at the forefront of protecting Americans from the scams that harm our most vulnerable citizens and delivering justice for all.”
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission.
In this scheme, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams. Three specific scams directed towards seniors include the grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in need of immediate money to avoid personal harm, lottery or sweepstakes scams, where the fraudster would tell the victim that they had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees such as taxes to claim the prize, and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose. In each of these scams the fraudsters convinced their victims to send money through Western Union.
Certain owners, operators or employees of Western Union agent locations were complicit in the schemes. Western Union aided and abetted the fraud scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA and the court granted the motion to dismiss the information this year.
The Justice Department, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the USPIS Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Office in the Western Union remission. The victim compensation payments in the Western Union case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Southern District of Florida. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.
More information about the Western Union remission and its compensation to victims is available on the Western Union remission website at www.westernunionremission.com. Further questions may be directed to the Western Union Remission Administrator by phone at 844-319-2124 or by email at [email protected].
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.
Department of Justice Begins Second Distribution of Funds Recovered Through Asset Forfeiture to Compensate Victims of Western Union Fraud Scheme, Bringing Total to over $300 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that the Western Union Remission Fund began its second distribution of approximately $148 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. government from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to approximately 33,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims, many of whom were elderly victims of consumer fraud and abuse, will be recovering the full amount of their losses.
This is the second in a series of payment distributions to occur in the Western Union remission. The first distribution paid approximately $153 million to over 109,000 victims in March of this year. The Department of Justice anticipates authorizing compensation for many more victims in the coming months. The department is accepting petitions on an ongoing basis and will be providing potential victims who have not applied for remission the opportunity to apply.
“Through the tireless work of the Department of Justice, today 33,000 more individuals, including many elderly victims of the criminals who exploited Western Union’s deficient anti-money laundering controls, are being made whole through this distribution of an additional $148 million,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Together with the first distribution, the department has now remitted more than $300 million to over 142,000 victims of this fraud. These results reinforce the department’s commitment to compensating victims whenever possible.”
“After the first distribution of funds to victims of these nefarious scammers, I said that it was a good start,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. “Today’s announcement marks another important event in this lengthy and complicated case. While ensuring fair business practices and anti-fraud programs is certainly a worthy goal, our aim is always to compensate our victims. We credit the innovative and industrious efforts of our investigative partners and thank them for their sustained efforts to make the victims whole.”
“We are very pleased to deliver $148 million to provide financial justice for these thousands of victims,” said Damon E Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Philadelphia Division. “This brings the total returned to victims to over $300 million. Especially in these difficult times, the monies will hopefully provide relief for those who were scammed. The Postal Inspection Service will continue to be at the forefront of protecting Americans from the scams that harm our most vulnerable citizens and delivering justice for all.”
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission.
In this scheme, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams. Three specific scams directed towards seniors include the grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in need of immediate money to avoid personal harm, lottery or sweepstakes scams, where the fraudster would tell the victim that they had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees such as taxes to claim the prize, and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose. In each of these scams the fraudsters convinced their victims to send money through Western Union.
Certain owners, operators or employees of Western Union agent locations were complicit in the schemes. Western Union aided and abetted the fraud scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA and the court granted the motion to dismiss the information this year.
The Justice Department, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the USPIS Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Office in the Western Union remission. The victim compensation payments in the Western Union case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Southern District of Florida. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance.
More information about the Western Union remission and its compensation to victims is available on the Western Union remission website at www.westernunionremission.com. Further questions may be directed to the Western Union Remission Administrator by phone at 844-319-2124 or by email at [email protected].
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Corfu Woman Employed as Mail Carrier Charged with Acting as A Money Mule for Internet Scammers, Sending Thousands of Dollars to AfricaRead 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 Julie Keller, 55, of Corfu, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between 2014 and August 2020, the defendant engaged as a money mule for various internet based scams, accepting and re-directing thousands of dollars to Africa. During that time, she had accounts closed by at least five different national and local banks due to suspicious cash, check, money order, and wire activity.On July 17, 2020, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) received a request for assistance from the Boston, Massachusetts Police Department. A detective was investigating a report of an individual (C.R.P.), who believed she had been defrauded in relation to a rental property listed on the online classified site, Craigslist. In June, 2020, C.R.P. replied to an advertisement for an available apartment for rent and, ultimately agreed to rent a property listed on their local Craigslist site. All communication between the supposed landlord and C.R.P. was completed via text message. The supposed landlord instructed C.R.P. to split the deposit for the rental between an electronic payment via an electronic cellular telephone application, or “cash app,” and by money order, using the U.S. Mail. The supposed landlord instructed C.R.P. to send the money order to Julie Keller in Corfu, New York, who was identified as an accountant. The investigation determined that the address provided by the supposed landlord is a United States Postal Service (USPS) Facility in Corfu and Keller is employed by the USPS as a mail carrier.
After C.R.P. made the down payments as instructed, the person listing the property ceased all contact, and the property was never secured or occupied by C.R.P. C.R.P. provided a number of screen shots from her cellular telephone, depicting her text communications with the individual who had listed the rental property. Subsequent investigation determined that other individuals sent the defendant down payments for the rental property listed on Craigslist.
A cursory look into Julie Keller's banking history revealed that she had a pattern of suspicious cash, check, money order and wire activity totaling in excess of $150,000.00 dating back to 2014. Records indicated Keller had been either deceptive or unresponsive when questioned by bank personnel about the nature of her transactions. Her activities included the use of national and local banks, as well as Western Union and MoneyGram.
Keller made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was released on conditions.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.# # # #
Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury today indicted a Talladega man for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby Taylor.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Larry Dewayne Gaither, 43, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Gaither is prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions and is accused of unlawfully possessing an American Tactical .223 and 103 rounds of Wolf Performance .223 caliber ammunition in January 2020.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Co-owner of Cincinnati Findlay Market butcher shop sentenced to prison for food stamp fraudRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A husband and wife and their Findlay Market vendor, Busch’s Country Corner, Inc., were all sentenced in U.S. District Court today for food stamp fraud.
Michael D. Busch was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. His wife, Amanda Jo Busch, was sentenced to five years of probation with eight months in home confinement, and 200 hours of community service.
Both of the Busches and the corporation were also ordered to pay $87,192 in restitution.
The Busches were convicted by a jury in Dayton following a two-week trial in June 2019.
According to court documents and trial testimony, from April 2010 until May 2018, Busch’s Country Corner co-owner Michael Busch, his wife, Amanda Jo Busch, and his brother, Randall S. Busch, illegally exchanged cash for SNAP benefits.
The defendants caused more than 195,000 individual SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) transactions to be completed by Busch’s Country Corner, totaling more than $5.4 million. According to witness testimony at trial, approximately 64 percent, or $3.4 million, of those SNAP transactions were fraudulent.
Co-conspirators used an electronic point of sale device in order to process EBT transactions for cash. For example, one transaction included a beginning EBT balance of $1,300 and an ending balance of $11.
Michael, Amanda Busch and Busch’s Country Corner were each convicted on all counts, including conspiracy to steal government funds, SNAP fraud and wire fraud.
Randall Busch, the brother of Michael Busch, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.
Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Investigations, Midwest Region; Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Michelle Thourot, Agent-in-Charge, Ohio Investigative Unit, announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens represented the United States in this case.
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Clark Man Charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Clark, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography.
Anthony Dialo Holmes, age 36, was indicted on August 17, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on September 18, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on between September 1, 2019, and May 22, 2020, Holmes knowingly received and distributed and attempted to receive and distribute, any child pornography that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.
The charge is merely an accusation and Holmes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Division of Criminal Investigation, Office of the Attorney General, Watertown Police Department, and the Clark Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Holmes was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court with CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was arrested today on a federal criminal charge for allegedly cyberstalking and harassing a former romantic partner.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges VINCENT STORME, 32, with cyberstalking. Storme made an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil R. Harjani and was ordered to remain in federal custody. Judge Harjani scheduled a detention hearing for Friday at 1:30 p.m.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shoba Pillay.
According to the complaint, Storme began a campaign of threats and harassment against the victim after she ended their relationship. Storme accessed the victim’s social media accounts without her knowledge to obtain private messages and data, including nude photographs of the victim, which he then disseminated to her family, friends, and co-workers, the complaint states. Storme also created a website and social media accounts bearing the victim’s name, and used them to further embarrass and harass the victim, the complaint states.
Cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that a complaint 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.
Cass County Woman Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
MARSHALL, Texas – A 34-year-old Avinger, Texas, woman has been sentenced for federal drug trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.
Ashley Christine McDaniel pleaded guilty on June 16, 2020, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.
According to information presented in court, on March 28, 2018, McDaniel delivered approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine during a controlled purchase in Morris County, Texas, for $500 cash. In all, McDaniel delivered a total of approximately 59 grams of methamphetamine for which she received $1,170. McDaniel was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 16, 2019 and charged with federal drug trafficking crimes.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
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Bucks County Man Indicted for Trafficking Firearms to St. LuciaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Thomas Harris Jr., 27, of Croydon, PA was arrested and charged by Indictment with multiple firearms trafficking offenses stemming from his scheme to sell almost 40 guns to a buyer on the island of St. Lucia. Specifically, the defendant was charged with making false statements to a federal firearm licensee, dealing in firearms without a license, delivery of firearms to a common carrier without written notice, and smuggling goods from the United States.
The Indictment alleges that Harris purchased approximately 38 firearms in 12 transactions at two Bucks County, PA, gun shops between April 20, 2019, and February 15, 2020, and provided a false address as his place of residence on the required federal forms that he completed during each transaction. It is further alleged that the defendant then illegally trafficked, and attempted to traffic, the guns to St. Lucia, a sovereign island nation in the West Indies, despite his not having a license to deal in firearms nor a license to export them as required by law. He also allegedly failed to notify the shipping company he used that his shipments contained firearms, as required by law.
One of Harris’s suspected packages to St. Lucia was intercepted by federal agents at the warehouse of a local shipping company. Inside, concealed in household items such as packages of diapers, cat litter and laundry detergent, the agents found seven Glock semiautomatic pistols, one Ruger semiautomatic pistol, two AK-47 pattern pistols, two AK-47 pattern rifles, two AR-15 lower receivers, two AR-15 upper receivers, ten high capacity Glock ammunition magazines, seven additional assorted ammunition magazines, and 815 rounds of ammunition.
Harris allegedly used the alias “Lance Brown” when he presented this package to the shipping company for shipment to St. Lucia, and he allegedly falsely told a shipping company representative that the package contained household items. After the defendant left this package with the shippers, he traveled to St. Lucia himself in March 2020. He remained there until returning to the United States on July 25, 2020, when he was arrested at an airport in New York.
“As alleged in the Indictment charging him with firearms trafficking offenses, Harris has a brazen disrespect for our laws meant to regulate and monitor the sale of weapons,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “After sending his most recent shipment of guns overseas he also left the country for a few months, but all that did was postpone the inevitable. If you are charged in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with a federal offense, there is no place to hide, here or abroad. We will not rest until we find you and hold you accountable.”
“Illicit international firearms trafficking is a top priority for the Office of Export Enforcement,” said P. Lee Smith, Performing the Non-exclusive Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute individuals who violate United States export control laws that are intended to keep the most dangerous goods out of the most dangerous hands.”
“Preventing the illegal use and trafficking of firearms is a central focus of ATF's strategy to combat violent crime and protect our communities,” said John Schmidt, acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Illegally purchased firearms often end up in the hands of violent offenders and affect communities near and far, in this instance Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. Ensuring firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice is a top priority for the Philadelphia Field Division -- this collaborative effort between our local, state and federal partners is a prime example of such.”
“If you want to be a firearms dealer and exporter, get the proper licenses and follow the law,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "Guns illegally exported overseas are quite likely to end up in the wrong hands and be used to commit further criminal acts. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat weapons trafficking, in the interests of public safety here and abroad.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 80 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $3,750,000 fine, and a $1,500 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. LaBar and U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division Trial Attorney Michael E. Eaton.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Multimillion-Dollar Marijuana EnterpriseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a marijuana delivery service that operated in Massachusetts from 2015 to 2018.
Tatiana Fridkes, a/k/a Sonya, 34, of Dorchester, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2021.
Fridkes and Deana Martin, 52, of Milton, were indicted in May 2019 in connection with their management of Northern Herb, a marijuana delivery service that operated in Massachusetts from 2015 to 2018. Martin was also charged with one count of possessing more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and three counts of money laundering, and has pleaded not guilty.
According to court documents, Fridkes served as the office manager for Northern Herb. Fridkes coordinated with Martin on finances, marijuana suppliers, marijuana inventory, deliveries, workers and warehouse operations. Fridkes managed Northern Herb employees when Martin was not present, collected and organized cash from marijuana sales and paid cash wages to Northern Herb employees.
From May 2016 through July 2018, Northern Herb had total revenue exceeding $14 million. Northern Herb did not withhold or pay taxes on its millions of dollars in marijuana sales, did not remit or pay employment taxes in connection with its workforce and did not pay taxes on its profits. Northern Herb was not licensed by Massachusetts or any other governmental entity to sell or distribute marijuana. While Northern Herb purported to provide medical marijuana, it did not require a customer to provide proof of a medical marijuana card and would deliver marijuana to unattended locations (such as a front door or hallway) where unknown third parties might have access to it.
Fridkes faces a sentence of five to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Joleen Simpson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The United States Postal Inspection Service also provided valuable assistance with this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment and complaint are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Billings man sentenced to prison for trafficking meth in Missoula, Great FallsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Billings man who admitted distributing methamphetamine in Missoula and Great Falls was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
William Walton Hanson Jr., 41, also known as "JR," pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that in December 2018, a Missoula County Sheriff's Office detective received information that Hanson was traveling to Missoula from Washington with drugs. The detective was aware that Hanson was known to be involved in meth distribution and that Hanson had an active arrest warrant. Missoula police conducted a traffic stop and arrested Hanson on the warrant. Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found approximately 125 grams of meth. Through the investigation, officers learned that Hanson was involved in trafficking meth in Missoula and Great Falls from about December 2018 to February 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Missoula County Sheriff's Office, Missoula Police Department and Great Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Big Sandy couple sentenced to prison for trafficking meth on Rocky Boy's Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Big Sandy couple who admitted distributing methamphetamine on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation today were sentenced to prison terms, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Clayton Gary Bailey, 48, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Bailey's wife, Brigitte Ann Bailey, 44, was sentenced to 44 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Each pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The prosecution said in court documents that on Sept. 12, 2019, officers with Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement made a traffic stop on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation of a vehicle driven by Clayton Bailey, who was wanted on a tribal court warrant. Officers also knew that Clayton Bailey had been identified by sources as a supplier of illegal drugs. Brigitte Bailey was a passenger. Clayton Bailey was arrested on the warrant and Brigitte Bailey was transported off the reservation. Officers impounded and searched the vehicle. Law enforcement found a glass jar and two plastic baggies that contained a total of about 66 grams of meth. On the driver-side floor, officers found a machete, a small hatchet, a knife and a small taser.
Clayton Bailey admitted to officers that he owned the meth and a small amount of heroin also found in the vehicle and that he had been selling drugs in the area for multiple months. Brigitte Bailey admitted to being involved in trafficking meth. She disputed the amount of meth found in the vehicle but agreed she had intended to distribute it.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement and Tri-Agency Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Alleged Maryland Drug Dealer Facing Federal Indictment for the 2015 Murder of A Woman and Her Seven-Year-Old Child, Among Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a Poo, age 37, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, with federal drug distribution charges, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to the drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Acting Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “These murders are shocking and unconscionable. This indictment should make one thing crystal clear: If you touch a witness, especially a child, the full weight of federal law enforcement will be harnessed to find you and bring you to justice. And we will not stop investigating until we bring to justice anyone else who was involved.”
“Jennifer Jeffrey and her child should still be here today, living full lives and making plans for that child’s bright future. Instead, their lives and futures were brutally stolen,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones. “ATF and our partners will do everything in our power to bring murderers and violent offenders to justice, along with anyone who harms and intimidates witnesses. We want to see families find peace, communities become safer, and citizens and witnesses live without fear.”
“A seven-year-old child should be playing with friends and dreaming about the future, not dying in a heinous act of violence,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Violence and intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated. Let this indictment send a clear message; if anyone attempts to tamper with the justice system, they will be caught and held accountable.”
According to the superseding indictment, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin. The indictment alleges that on May 27, 2015, in connection with his drug distribution, Briscoe committed an armed robbery and during the course of the robbery shot and killed Jennifer Jeffrey and Jeffrey’s seven-year-old child. The indictment also alleges that Briscoe shot the child multiple times, including in the head and mouth, killing the child to prevent him/her from communicating with law enforcement.
If convicted of the murders, Briscoe faces a maximum sentence of death or life in prison. Briscoe also faces death or a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the witness tampering murder; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Briscoe remains in federal custody on his previous indictment and is expected to have an initial appearance on the new charges in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in the near future.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca, Sandra Wilkinson, and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.
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