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17 August 2020
Brentwood Man Convicted of Purchasing Military Hand Grenades in First Federal Jury Trial in New Hampshire Since the Covid-19 Pandemic BeganRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Daniel Musso, age 56, of Brentwood, was found guilty on Friday of four counts of receiving and possessing unregistered firearms (fragmentation grenades) and one count of receiving explosive material after a week-long federal jury trial, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, beginning in the summer of 2015, Musso engaged in a series of efforts to obtain ammunition and military weapons and explosives, including military hand grenades. After Musso told a firearms dealer about his desire to obtain these items, the FBI arranged for Musso to be introduced to an undercover agent who told Musso that he could obtain illegal hand grenades. During two meetings with the undercover agent in January 2016, Musso reiterated his desire to obtain hand grenades and other illegal military weapons and explosives. Musso explained that he was part of a group that was seeking to bring forth the “original constitution” and that he and his associates were seeking to obtain military weapons and explosives to “take our country back.” Musso was arrested on January 27, 2016, after he purchased four military hand grenades from the undercover agent in Seabrook.
Hand grenades are destructive devices that are unlawful to possess unless they are registered under the National Firearms Act. Musso previously argued that the grenades were not destructive devices because the FBI had made their fuses inoperable for safety purposes in the undercover operation. Although a district judge initially agreed with Musso, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed that decision, clearing the way for this matter to be tried by a jury.
Musso was taken into custody after the verdict. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
This trial was the first jury trial conducted in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire since court operations were limited in response to the pandemic in March. The court adopted a series of health and safety protocols for the jury and all other participants in the trial. Those in the courtroom wore masks, maintained social distancing, and took other steps to limit the risk of virus exposure and transmission.
“I am grateful to the members of the jury who agreed to perform their important civic duty during this challenging time,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The jury’s dedication to justice ensured that this defendant received a fair trial despite the difficulties presented by the current pandemic. The defendant’s frightening efforts to obtain military hand grenades posed a substantial risk to public safety. Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the FBI, this dangerous scheme was thwarted and the public was protected from potential violence.”
“Daniel Musso bought four grenades and asked our undercover agent to illegally sell him additional military grade weapons and explosives as part of a frightening plan to defend his version of what our government should be. If it were not for the concerned citizen who caught wind of his plan and came forward to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, these deadly weapons could have ended up in the wrong hands,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case is a true testament that the adage, ‘if you see something, say something,’ really does work.”
“This arrest demonstrates the outstanding partnership between the Seabrook Police Department, FBI and the ATF. It demonstrates the commitment we share together to interdict these dangerous hand grenades which are an instrument of extreme violence and the criminals that compromise the safety of our communities” ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelly. D. Brady.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seabrook Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Matthew T. Hunter.
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Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of an Aggravated FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Eduardo Aguilar-Arellano, 35, of Mexico, illegally present in the United States and residing in Johnston County, North Carolina, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. On February 11, 2020, Aguilar-Arellano pled guilty to one count of illegal reentry of an aggravated felon.
According to court documents, Aguilar-Arellano, was excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on April 28, 2015, at El Paso, Texas, after having been convicted of Second Degree Rape, an aggravated felony, on April 8, 2008, in the Superior Court of Johnston County, North Carolina.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00458-FL.
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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.
14 August 2020
Youngstown man indicted for bomb threat to courthouseRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland has returned a two-count indictment charging Larese Kenneth Allen, Sr., 25 of Youngstown with making a bomb threat and as a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on or about June 1, 2020, the Municipal Court of Youngstown, Ohio received a phone call from an unknown caller to the clerk’s office. The caller is alleged to have spoken with a court clerk and claimed to be “coming from Cleveland to blow-up your courthouse.” Following the threat, all employees of the Municipal Court of Youngstown were immediately evacuated and the Youngtown Police Department’s Bomb Squad was dispatched and conducted a sweep of the Municipal Court. No bomb was found.
An investigation subsequently determined that the defendant was the one who had placed the phone call. During an interview with law enforcement, the defendant allegedly admitted to placing the June 1st phone call to the Municipal Court of Youngstown to delay upcoming criminal proceedings.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DESNY SOSA-HERNANDEZ, 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2019, law enforcement arranged two controlled purchases of cocaine in Bridgeport from Sosa-Hernandez and his co-conspirator, Edgard Martinez. On March 20, 2019, after investigators coordinated the purchase of 300 grams of cocaine from Sosa-Hernandez and Martinez, Martinez drove from his residence in Tolland to pick up Sosa-Hernandez at his residence in Waterbury. The pair then intended to drive together to Bridgeport to consummate the drug transaction. When Martinez arrived at Sosa-Hernandez’s residence, investigators apprehended Martinez and Sosa-Hernandez and seized a brown paper bag containing 300 grams of cocaine inside Martinez’s vehicle. A subsequent search of Sosa-Hernandez’s residence revealed shoeboxes containing a total of $18,111 in cash, and a search of Martinez’s residence revealed a .45 caliber handgun, a quantity of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics.
On November 6, 2019, Sosa-Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine.
Sosa-Hernandez, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 16.
Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On May 29, 2020, he was sentenced to 29 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) and Milford Police Department. The Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Washington, D.C. Drug Dealer Indicted on Federal Charges in Maryland for Discharging A Firearm During A Narcotics Deal and with Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury in Maryland returned an indictment charging Julian Bernard-Alexander Blair, age 27, of Washington, D.C., with discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The indictment was returned on August 3, 2020, and unsealed at Blair’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on August 10, 2020. At Blair’s detention hearing today, August 14, 2020, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan ordered that Blair be detained pending trial.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Amal Awad of the Hyattsville Police Department.
According to the two-count indictment and information presented at today’s hearing, on September 3, 2019, Blair possessed marijuana which he intended to distribute in Hyattsville, Maryland. During an attempted sale of marijuana to others, Blair allegedly discharged a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking in broad-day light near student housing for Howard University and University of Maryland students. On that day, law enforcement seized from Blair two firearms, a Glock 43 and a Glock 19. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at Blair’s residence and recovered: a fully loaded Glock 30 pistol; an AR rifle; three high capacity AR magazines; three high capacity pistol magazines; an AR magazine; over $15,000 in cash, believed to be drug proceeds; approximately one pound of marijuana; and a digital scale.
If convicted, Blair faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for using and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Hyattsville Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and Joseph R. Baldwin, who are prosecuting the case.
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Violet Anne Golden Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds and Failing to File Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Violet Anne Golden, the former chairperson of the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, was sentenced to 24 months in prison following an earlier guilty plea to Theft of Government Funds and Failing to File an Income Tax Return. Golden was also ordered to pay restitution.
According to public documents filed in the case, Golden admitted to diverting nearly $300,000 in Commission funds for her own personal benefit and the benefit of others through bank wires, writing Commission checks, and using Commission credit cards. In addition, Golden failed to timely file an income tax return, despite earning an annual salary of $105,000.
Ms. Golden was taken into custody on January 14, 2020, following the entry of her guilty pleas in federal court, and she has been in custody since that time.
U.S. Attorney Shappert praised the Office of the Virgin Island Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigations and the FBI for their important work in this investigation. “Territorial and federal investigators have worked tirelessly to expose this serious abuse of the public trust. We hope that yesterday’s sentencing will remind everyone that pubic officials are not above the law.”Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma, of IRS Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, said, “High ranking officials perpetrating a fraud scheme by utilizing funds from the Government of the Virgin Islands betray the public’s trust. We are all responsible for abiding by the tax laws, regardless of anyone’s position of authority. Choosing not to file a tax return is a crime punishable by law. The IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to investigating individuals who violate their tax responsibilities. IRS-CI, with assistance from the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue will continue our collective efforts to enforce the law and foster public trust.”
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Brooks.
Two Ocean County Companies Agree to Resolve Price-Gouging Charges Involving 11 Million Items of Scarce Personal Protective Equipment by Selling Them at Cost and Disgorging Illicit ProfitsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Ocean County, New Jersey, import companies have agreed to resolve violations of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 for price-gouging customers of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic by agreeing to sell at cost approximately 11 million items of PPE seized from three warehouses by law enforcement in April 2020, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
The two companies – CSG Imports LLC and KG Imports LLC, both of Lakewood, New Jersey – have also agreed to disgorge $400,000 in profits relating to transactions with two customers who purchased PPE from CSG Imports at excessive prices and to compensate those customers for their losses.
“The defendants in this case sought to profit illegally from a pandemic just as it was starting to sweep across the country,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Today’s agreements will ensure that needed personal protective equipment gets into the hands of the people who need it, and at a fair price. We will continue to investigate these price-gouging cases with our law enforcement partners and make sure that vendors stop trying to make excess profits during this national emergency.”
“Profiteers who choose to shamelessly defraud the America public should know the FBI will utilize every means under the law to bring them to justice,” FBI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan said.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSG Imports had never imported PPE or health-care equipment or products of any kind. KG Imports was formed after the pandemic began specifically to import PPE into the United States.
The resolutions arise out of law enforcement’s April 22, 2020, seizure of over 11 million items of PPE – predominantly N-95 respirator face masks and three-ply disposable face masks – owned by CSG Imports and KG Imports from three warehouses in Lakewood. Law enforcement seized the PPE after learning that the companies were violating the DPA by offering for sale and selling scarce PPE at prices in excess of prevailing market prices for those items.
Both CSG Imports and KG Imports entered into deferred prosecution agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey in connection with criminal complaints filed today charging each company with one count of violating the DPA. CSG Imports has committed to selling the seized PPE at cost and compensating two entities that it sold PPE to in excess of prevailing market prices in the amount of $400,000. The agreement provides that CSG Imports must pay a minimum of $200,000 to these entities directly in amounts proportionate to CSG Imports’ profits on PPE sold to those entities and that CSG Imports may compensate the remaining portion of the $400,000 by transferring PPE to these entities at no cost. Pursuant to a separate deferred prosecution agreement, KG Imports has also agreed to sell the seized PPE at cost.
According to the admissions:
CSG Imports
Beginning in March 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Jersey and the rest of the United States and world, CSG Imports began to obtain directly from international manufacturers and import various items of PPE into the United States. When it did not deliver directly to customers, CSG Imports stored the PPE at warehouses in Lakewood and sold the PPE to customers, including hospitals, health care providers, health care suppliers, and end users in New Jersey and elsewhere.
From March 2020 through May 2020, CSG Imports imported into the United States and offered for sale PPE and other health and medical resources that were Designated Scarce Materials in excess of prevailing market prices. For example, CSG Imports imported N-95 masks for a blended per-unit cost of $3.47 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.78 to $2.53. CSG Imports also imported three-ply disposable face masks for a blended per-unit cost of $0.37 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.09 to $0.28.
KG Imports
Beginning in March 2020, KG Imports also began to import various items of PPE that were stored in warehouses in Lakewood and sold to customers in New Jersey and elsewhere. Until that time, KG Imports had not dealt in such products.
From April 2020 through May 2020, KG Imports offered and sold these items at prices that exceeded prevailing market prices. For example, KG Imports imported three-ply disposable face masks for a blended per-unit cost of $0.37 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.11 to $0.43.
As part of the agreements, both CSG Imports and KG Imports agreed to continue to cooperate with the government in any ongoing or future criminal investigations during the term of their respective agreements.
The government reached these resolutions with CSG Imports and KG Imports based on a number of factors, including: both entities’ failure to timely and voluntarily self-disclose the conduct that triggered the investigations; the nature and seriousness of the offenses; and credit for each company’s respective cooperation. Both entities also agreed to sell all PPE seized by the government at prices not to exceed their costs in obtaining the PPE and to provide semi-annual written reports to the government regarding their PPE sales.
Attorney General William P. Barr created the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force, led by U.S. Attorney Carpenito, who is coordinating efforts with the Antitrust Division and U.S. Attorneys across the country wherever illegal activity involving protective personal equipment occurs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has issued a Notice designating categories of health and medical supplies that must not be hoarded or sold for exorbitant prices.
Please report COVID-19 fraud, hoarding or price-gouging to the National Center for Disaster Fraud’s National Hotline at (866) 720-5721, or e-mail: [email protected]
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan, with the investigation leading to today’s resolutions. He also thanked the Lakewood Police Department for its assistance.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jason S. Gould and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole F. Mastropieri of the Health Care Fraud Unit.
Two Men Sentenced for Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 7, 2020, United States District Judge Clifton L. Corker, Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville, sentenced Rancu Ionut a/k/a Ambroz Bojan, 35, and Andrei Razvan Pusculau a/k/a Victor Frana, 30, both from Romania, to federal prison terms for conducting a bank fraud and identity theft scheme.
Both defendants had plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft earlier this year. Pusculau was sentenced to 45 months in prison, followed by three years’ supervised release, and Iounut was sentenced to 42 months in prison, followed by three years’ supervised release. Both men will be required to make restitution of $5,700 to victim banks and forfeit $8,234.74 seized from them when arrested.
In June 2019, both men traveled from Atlanta to various locations in East Tennessee in a vehicle that Pusculau rented. The pair had covered up the vehicle tag in an effort to avoid detection. The sole purpose of their trip was to steal money by using counterfeit access devices (magnetic striped cards) linked to individual bank accounts at various financial institutions around the country. They used the fraudulent access devices at ATMs and point of sale terminals to obtain cash proceeds. On July 5, 2019, a Bristol police officer observed the pair at a local bank and detained them after they had attempted to make a cash withdrawal from ATMs. Both men initially provided false names to the officer, and Pusculau provided a false identification. The men were arrested, and a search of their rental vehicle turned up a secret compartment containing 150 counterfeit access devices linked to consumer accounts at multiple banking institutions. The search also revealed $8,234.74 in U.S. currency the men admitted were proceeds from their thefts.
The criminal indictment resulted from an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III represented the United States.
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Two Indicted on Child Sex Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Providence today returned indictments charging two Rhode Island men in separate Project Safe Childhood child sex exploitation investigations, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
The grand jury returned an indictment charging James Diggins, 47, of Warwick, with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, it is alleged that an undercover FBI Task Force Officer entered multiple online public groups which appeared to have been created for individuals interested in child sexual abuse material. It is alleged that Diggins was a member of one of those groups when multiple videos and images containing child sexual exploitation materials were shared, at one point commenting on the recycling of videos he shared with the group.
It is alleged that during a private online chat with the undercover law enforcement officer, Diggins sent the officer videos depicting child exploitation and a live photo of himself.
Diggins was arrested on May 30, 2020, by members of FBI Boston Division’s Human Trafficking Child Exploitation Task Force and released on unsecured bond to home incarceration and electronic monitoring following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence.
The grand jury also returned an indictment charging Neil Streich, 57, of North Kingstown with transferring obscene material to a minor. It is alleged in court documents that for approximately three months Streich communicated online with an individual he believed to be a 10-year-old girl. During those communications he requested that the girl provide him with images to show that she was, in fact, a 10-year-old girl as she described to him. Three days after receiving a non-sexually explicit image from the purported 10-year-old, it is alleged that Streich began transmitting obscene images of himself to the girl. The person Streich allegedly communicated with was, in fact, an undercover FBI Special Agent.
Streich was arrested on June 17, 2020, by members of the Providence FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. He was released the following day on unsecured bond following an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence.
Arraignment dates on the indictments have not yet been scheduled by the court. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Theses Project Safe Childhood cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
Project Safe Childhood was launched to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Deandre Chaney, aka “Meazy,” 20, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for his involvement in conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. Chaney appeared in federal court today before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
According to court documents, between January and March of 2019, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) utilized a Confidential Informant (hereinafter "CI") to conduct controlled purchases of marijuana, fentanyl, and heroin from both Deandre Chaney and his co-defendant, Daniel Strong. The CI arranged purchase marijuana, heroin, and fentanyl by contacting Chaney via multiple telephones that Chaney maintained. Chaney directed the CI to a locations where the transactions would take place. Members of the investigative team purchased marijuana and/or heroin and fentanyl from Chaney or Strong on January 28, February 1, February 5, February 8, February 13, February 21, March 1, March 7, March 22, and March 28, 2019. In total, members of the investigation team purchased approximately 65.71 grams of marijuana, approximately 31.89 grams of heroin, and approximately 31.09 grams of fentanyl. Investigators attempted to arrange for additional narcotics transactions with Chaney on April 12, 2019 and April 23, 2019, but both times Chaney and/or Strong provided the CI with fake narcotics.
Co-defendant Daniel Strong was sentenced on June 15, 2020 to 28 months in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Angie Danis is handling this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
St. Louis Man Faces Federal Firearms Charges in Connection to Robbing an Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
St. Louis – Dariyon Martin, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged by a federal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to the criminal complaint, an undercover police detective from the St. Charles City Police Department arranged to buy a Glock 27 firearm from Martin for $400 on August 7, 2020in the City of St. Louis. Martin is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
After the undercover detective arrived at the agreed-upon buy location, Martin entered the detective’s vehicle and handed the detective a Ruger .40 caliber pistol not the Glock 27 firearm that Martin had previously agreed to sell. When the detective reached to retrieve the buy money, Martin reached across the detective and grabbed the firearm. Martin began to manipulate the firearm by taking the magazine out and showing the detective it was loaded with ammunition. Martin then pointed the firearm at the detective and the detective handed Martin the buy money. Martin and the undercover detective then struggled over the firearm, at which time Martin took both the firearm and the money. The undercover detective held both his/her hands up, and Martin exited the vehicle. Martin then left the scene of the robbery.
This investigation is part of Operation LeGend which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the St. Charles City Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Settlement with Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc. for Submitting False Claims for Its WorkRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced today a pre-suit settlement under the False Claims Act for false claims payable under a U.S. Department of Defense Contract for the Tactical Explosive Detection Dogs Program.
During 2010, the increased demand for military working dog teams in support of the U.S. Army’s mission in Afghanistan prompted the need for Tactical Explosive Detection Dogs (TEDDs) with the capability of off-leash explosive detection functions. Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc. of Denver, Indiana provides training for handlers and canines to perform specialized tasks, such as explosive detection. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have contracted with Vohne Liche Kennels for their training needs. Vohne Liche Kennels was sub-contracted in 2011 to provide personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and non‑personal services for the creation and operation of a training program for both military handlers and dogs for the TEDD program. Vohne Liche Kennels was further contracted to provide Field Service Representatives (FSRs) who co-located with military units in Afghanistan. The FSRs monitored the activities of the newly-trained TEDD handlers and dogs to reinforce and improve their techniques.
Vohne Liche Kennels has agreed to pay $1,350,000 to resolve the United States’ claims under the False Claims Act for fraudulently submitting claims for labor hours for trainers and FSRs involved in the TEDD program. Specifically, Vohne Liche Kennels inflated the number of labor hours billed for training sessions held at Vohne Liche Kennels’ Denver Indiana facility and at the U.S. Army’s proving grounds in Yuma Arizona. It also inflated the number of labor hours performed in Afghanistan by the FSRs. Under the settlement, Vohne Liche Kennels agrees to repay the $900,000 of federal funds that Vohne Liche Kennels received for the fraudulently billed claims, and also agrees to pay a civil penalty of $450,000.
“We will not tolerate dishonest contractors who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of federal taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “My Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit will continue to require contractors who submit fraudulent claims for federal government funds to reimburse the government for their ill-gotten gains and also pay civil penalties under the False Claims Act.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service will continue to aggressively pursue companies such as Vohne Liche Kennels that increase profits by exploiting DoD contracts through false claims,” said Cynthia Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Southeast Field Office.
“This settlement is another example of the exceptional efforts of our dedicated special agents,” said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU). “The MPFU looks forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to address fraud, no matter how large or small.”
This settlement was reached as a result of an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Indianapolis Resident Agency, and the United States Army CID, Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Indianapolis Fraud Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Wayne T. Ault handled the settlement negotiations.
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Sarcoxie Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms, Including Machine GunRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sarcoxie, Missouri man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms, including a machine gun.
Leng Lee, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Aug. 13, to nine years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 26, 2019, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and to one count of illegally possessing a machine gun.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers participated in the controlled delivery of an international mail package from China addressed to Lee at his residence on April 23, 2019. The parcel contained seven parts (selector switches) that are used to convert a Glock semi-automatic pistol to fire in full-automatic mode. Lee is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and is not licensed to possess a machine gun.
Officers executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence and found numerous firearms, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition, firearm suppressors, methamphetamine, and marijuana. A total of 18 firearms were seized from Lee by law enforcement officers. Lee told officers that a couple of the firearms were given to him by his deceased father, but the others were purchased by him at gun shows or during hand-to-hand transactions. None of the firearms were purchased from a licensed firearms dealer.
Lee admitted to placing the order for the selector switches and told officers that he had 10-15 past deliveries of the selector switches. Lee said he was able to convert and successfully fire a Glock pistol as a fully automatic firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Lee has two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, vandalism, and grand theft auto. Lee faces pending charges in Newton County, Mo., that include the illegal use of firearms and assault against a family member.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Newton, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Rosebud Woman Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and PerjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter and Perjury.
Kaylee Spotted Elk, age 28, was indicted on March 2, 2020, for Involuntary Manslaughter and on June 16, 2020, for Perjury. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 14, 2020, and pled not guilty to the respective Indictments.
The maximum penalty Spotted Elk faces upon conviction is up to 8 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment for Involuntary Manslaughter alleges that on January 12, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Spotted Elk killed a man by operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.
The Indictment for Perjury alleges that on November 6, 2019, Spotted Elk, knowingly lied about a material fact at a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, while she was under oath and swore to tell the truth.
The charges are merely accusations and Spotted Elk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigations are being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk W. Albertson and Cameron J. Cook are prosecuting the cases.
Spotted Elk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Readout of Roundtable Event with Attorney General Barr and Members of State and Local Law Enforcement in Cheyenne, WyomingRead the Press Release
On Thursday, August 13th, Attorney General William P. Barr visited Cheyenne, Wyoming to lead a roundtable discussion with over 30 Wyoming police chiefs, sheriffs and other members of state and local law enforcement. The Attorney General was joined by U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen, DEA Acting Director Tim Shea and Interim Director of Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Forrest Williams. The Attorney General in his opening remarks conveyed his gratitude for the critical work local law enforcement officers do every day to protect their communities.
The Attorney General affirmed the Justice Department's commitment to our state and local law enforcement partners in working closely to help meet the specific needs and challenges of every community. During his remarks, the Attorney General announced that the Justice Department would be awarding $1 million in forensic grants to the Wyoming State Crime Lab that will support crime lab professionals, help analyze methamphetamine and synthetic drugs and increase data entry of DNA evidence from sex offenders to help protect Wyoming citizens from dangerous drugs, sexual perpetrators and violent criminals. The Attorney General then took questions from the law enforcement participants in a closed-press open dialogue discussion.
“The law enforcement mission is all about working together and supporting state and local policing efforts on the front lines,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I am proud, as all Americans should be, of the level of dedication and professionalism displayed by our state and local police forces. Recognizing that every policing community has varying and specific needs, the Justice Department will continue to offer tailored support to our local and state partners in their mission to keep their communities safe from harm.”
The Attorney General concluded his visit with a tour of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory, where he was able to see first-hand the investigative resources this new grant funding will help expand and continue to keep Wyoming citizens safe.
Photo courtesy ofMichael Cummo/Wyoming Trubune Eagle Photo courtesy ofMichael Cummo/Wyoming Trubune EagleRandolph County man sentenced for role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Phillip Grant Boyles, of Kerens, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Boyles, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” in January 2019. Boyles admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine from December 2017 to March 2018 in Tucker and Randolph Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
R. Kelly’s Manager Charged with Placing Threatening Call to Manhattan TheaterRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that DONNELL RUSSELL, manager of music recording artist Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as “R. Kelly,” was charged in two counts with threatening physical harm by interstate communication, and conspiracy to do the same, for placing a threatening phone call to a theater in Manhattan to prevent the December 4, 2018, screening of a docuseries exploring allegations of R. Kelly’s sexual abuse of minor girls and adult women. RUSSELL is expected to make his initial appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, Donnell Russell used threats of violence to stop a screening of a docuseries devoted to exploring allegations of sexual abuse against women and minor girls by the recording artist R. Kelly. By allegedly threatening a shooting at the theater, Russell prevented the screening, which was attended by a number of R. Kelly’s alleged victims. Threats of gun violence aimed at intimidating and silencing victims of sexual abuse are unlawful as well as unacceptable. We are committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting such crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “It defies logic that a threat like the one alleged here could stop victims from speaking about their alleged abuse. The violence Mr. Russell allegedly threatened succeeded in shutting down one airing of the documentary, but he was unable to silence the women featured in the film. Each and every day, we do everything in our power to make sure victims of sexual abuse have the opportunity to be heard, and will continue to do so regardless of those who allegedly use violence as a means to stop them.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and publicly available documents:
DONNELL RUSSELL, then-manager for R. Kelly, participated in a coordinated effort, including through the use of threats of violence, to prevent the screening in December 2018 of a multi-part documentary or “docuseries” entitled “Surviving R. Kelly” at NeueHouse, a theater in New York, New York (the “Screening”). The docuseries explores allegations that R. Kelly engaged in abusive sexual relationships with minor girls and adult women.
Throughout the day of the Screening, RUSSELL, who was located in Chicago, Illinois, worked with, among others, another individual associated with R. Kelly (“CC-1”) who was in New York the day of the Screening, to draft correspondence to an executive at the Lifetime television channel discouraging the executive from airing the docuseries. Additionally, RUSSELL admitted that he sent NeueHouse a “cease and desist” letter to stop the Screening from going forward. When that failed to stop the Screening, RUSSELL attempted to contact various law enforcement agencies in and around the theater, seemingly in a further effort to disrupt the Screening. RUSSELL contacted a NeueHouse employee directly, via a landline associated with RUSSELL’s home address in Chicago, to threaten that there was a person in the theater with a gun prepared to shoot up the Screening (the “Threat Call”). After receiving the Threat Call, the NeueHouse employee called 911. NeueHouse cancelled the Screening and evacuated the theater.
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RUSSELL, 45, of Chicago, Illinois, is charged with one count of conspiracy to threaten physical harm by interstate communication and one count of threatening physical harm by interstate communication, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and Special Agents with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Davis and Lara Pomerantz are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Queens Man Charged with Arson of NYPD VehicleRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Sam Resto with setting on fire a marked New York City Police Department (NYPD) van. Resto was arrested yesterday and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, NYPD Commissioner, announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Resto, wearing a mask and gloves and carrying a backpack containing the tools of his destructive trade, intentionally set fire to an NYPD van parked on a city street lined with residential buildings and vehicles,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office will vigorously prosecute criminals whose actions endanger the community, police officers and first responders.”
“When Resto set an NYPD van ablaze last month, as we allege today, his actions not only destroyed essential public safety equipment paid for by the people of New York City, he placed the personal safety of those living in the neighborhood and their private property into harm’s way. Deliberate criminal activity like the type alleged today puts both first responders and private citizens at risk, it is an affront to everything this city is supposed to be about. Today’s federal charges are the community’s message back to Mr. Resto and others who may choose to engage in this type of criminal behavior – we will not tolerate crimes of this magnitude and the consequences will be significant,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“Today’s criminal complaint not only seeks justice for the alleged torching of an NYPD van parked in a busy Manhattan neighborhood but answers for a crime that put innocent New Yorkers in considerable danger. I thank our NYPD detectives, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and all of our law enforcement partners for their tireless work in ensuring our common mission of protecting life and public safety,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.
According to the complaint, in the early morning hours of July 29, 2020, Resto was captured on video setting ablaze an unoccupied NYPD van parked on West 83rd Street near Columbus Avenue in Manhattan. On the video, Resto approached the van, smashed the window with a blunt object, poured gasoline into the interior and set the vehicle on fire before fleeing east towards Central Park. The NYPD subsequently recovered a backpack in the park belonging to Resto containing, among other things, clothing similar to items Resto was seen wearing earlier that morning, a Guy Fawkes mask, a red jerry can that smelled of gasoline, a hammer and lighters.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Resto faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Michael T. Keilty and Sara K. Winik are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
SAM RESTO
Age: 29
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-665
Providence Man Charged with Arson of Providence Police CruiserRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence, RI, man was arrested and arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence today on a charge of arson for allegedly setting fire to a Providence Police Department cruiser in the early morning hours of June 2, 2020, during a riot in downtown Providence.
An investigation by FBI agents in Providence, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Boston, Providence Police, and the United States Attorney’s Office determined that Luis Joel Sierra, 34, allegedly set a police cruiser on fire by leaning inside the cruiser and igniting a fire with fluid and a lighter. The cruiser was quickly engulfed in flames and destroyed.
“Senseless violence and vandalism are no way to effect change. The alleged actions of this defendant are indicative of his intent to inflict damage and promote chaos – not to address issues. Not only did the alleged actions of this defendant destroy a Providence Police cruiser, he also endangered the safety of dozens of nearby protesters, as the cruiser burst into flames,” said United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.
“As alleged, this man engaged in a deliberate effort to destroy a police cruiser—setting it on fire to send a message—adding to the chaos that put the lives of innocent bystanders in danger,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We will not stand for this type of destruction and violence in our community. Rest assured, the FBI will continue to work with the Providence Police Department and our law enforcement partners to apprehend and charge those who engaged in violent crime under the cover of peaceful protests. After all, violent acts like this one steal focus away from the messages that peaceful protesters were striving to deliver.”
Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., added, “We will always support peaceful demonstrations but simply will not tolerate criminal behavior and including individuals’ intent on committing assaults and causing willful destruction of physical structures and property. Those who believe they can come into the city and cause destruction must know that we will continue to take this very seriously and through investigation hold you accountable.”
According to court documents, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the torching of the police vehicle was bolstered by video from surveillance cameras, cell phones, and social media, and from information provided via email to law enforcement tip lines, including the Boston FBI tip line.
Additionally, as alleged in court documents, Sierra told another individual that he was one of the individuals responsible for the arson of the Providence Police Department vehicle by applying a flammable liquid to the interior of the vehicle and then using a lighter to ignite the fire. Law enforcement was also provided with several videos allegedly taken on Snapchat off Sierra’s phone and a recorded conversation with Sierra during which Sierra allegedly detailed his actions igniting the fire.
Earlier today, members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Sierra’s residence and seized the matching clothing allegedly worn by Sierra on the evening of June 1, 2020 and early morning of June 2, 2020, including a black Caterpillar jacket; white Adidas sweatpants; a camouflage mask; two black gloves, one with a logo on the back of the hand; and two one-handed windshield-style lighters.
The investigation into this matter and other related matters continues.
Sierra appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on a federal criminal complaint charging him with arson and was ordered detained in federal custody.
Arson is punishable by statutory penalties of 5-20 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
United States Attorney Aaron Weisman thanks the Rhode Island Fusion Center for their assistance in this investigation.
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Plant City Fentanyl Distributors Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Alfonso Lorenzo Boyd (36, Tampa) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison and Victor Jason Valentin (28, Mulberry) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Boyd and Valentin had pleaded guilty in October 2019.
According to court documents, in November 2017, law enforcement began an investigation into narcotics trafficking at an apartment complex in Plant City, after a resident of the complex had died from a drug overdose. The investigation revealed that Boyd and Valentin had been selling drugs from an apartment they shared in the complex. Witnesses described seeing large numbers of people coming and going from their apartment, some of them clearly intoxicated. The overdose victim was a neighbor who had purchased heroin and fentanyl from Boyd and Valentin.
Boyd, a career offender, obtained, mixed, packaged, and sold the heroin and fentanyl, calling it “feny dope.” Valentin facilitated sales to residents of the apartment complex.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Operation Legend Expanded to IndianapolisRead the Press Release
Today, the expansion of Operation Legend was announced in Indianapolis. Operation Legend is a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The Operation was first launched on July 8 in Kansas City, MO., and expanded on July 22, 2020, to Chicago and Albuquerque, to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020, and to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020.
Operation Legend is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
“The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the safety of our citizens,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Today, we have extended Operation Legend to Indianapolis, a city experiencing an increase in violent crime that no resident of that city should have to accept as part of everyday life. For decades, the Department of Justice has achieved significant success when utilizing our anti-violent crime task forces and federal law enforcement agents to enforce federal law and assist American cities that are experiencing upticks in violent crime. The Department of Justice’s assets will supplement local law enforcement efforts, as we work together to take the shooters and chronic violent criminals off of our streets.”
Attorney General Barr has directed the ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service in Indianapolis to dedicate resources to Operation Legend to help state and local officials fight high levels of violent crime, particularly gun violence.
Indianapolis is experiencing a significant increase in violent crime, with homicides currently up more than 51% and non-fatal shootings up more than 34%.
In Indianapolis, the Department of Justice will supplement state and local law enforcement agencies by dedicating 40 federal investigators to Operation Legend for 45 days. The Department of Homeland Security will also make 17 agents available. Under the leadership of Joshua J. Minkler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, these investigators will complement the work already underway by existing joint federal, state and local task forces focused on combating violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking organizations.
In addition, the Bureau of Justice Assistance will make available $250,000 to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts in Indianapolis. These funds will be available to reimburse state and local agencies with any overtime during the operation.
Opelousas Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Opelousas Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Drug Charges
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Dinah Manuel, 31, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was sentenced today. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Manuel to 60 months (5 years) in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Manuel pleaded guilty on November 22, 2019.
According to information presented to the court on November 22, 2019, Manuel arranged purchases of methamphetamine from a co-defendant for eventual resale. Transactions between Manuel and the methamphetamine co-defendant occurred approximately once per week, and each transaction involved quantities of up to one ounce of methamphetamine. Manuel arranged the purchases so that another individual could resell the methamphetamine for profit. In exchange for facilitating the transactions, Manuel often received a portion of the methamphetamine purchased for her own personal use.
This prosecution is part of a larger investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration through its Southwest Louisiana HIDTA Task Force and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. The Louisiana State Police Narcotics Division initiated the investigation, and Special Agents with DEA, as well as Task Force Officers assigned to the Southwest Louisiana HIDTA Task Force, completed the investigation. In addition to the above conviction and sentence, the investigation resulted in the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
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Norwalk Bookkeeper Sentenced to Prison for Fraud and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PENNI SHERMAN, also known as PENNI PARKER, 53, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to eight months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and tax offenses stemming from an embezzlement scheme. Judge Shea ordered Sherman to spend the first two months of supervised release in home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sherman operated PSP Accounting & Bookkeeping, and provided bookkeeping services to area businesses. Between 2011 and 2018, Sherman stole a total of $418,197.09, from clients and used the funds to pay her own credit card bills and to cover other personal expenses, including salon services.
Sherman stole more than $396,000 from one of her clients who owned a small business. When confronted about the embezzlement, Sherman returned $165,920 to the victim business owner.
Sherman failed to report the embezzled funds, and certain other business receipts, on her federal income tax returns, resulting in a loss of $125,167 to the Internal Revenue Service.
On October 11, 2019, Sherman pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
Judge Shea ordered Sherman to pay restitution of $252,277.09 to the victims of her fraud, and $125,167 in back taxes, plus applicable interest and penalties, to the IRS.
Sherman, who has been released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 13, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
Norteño Gang Member Charged with Murdering 15-Year-Old in Mission DistrictRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A complaint was unsealed today charging Fernando Madrigal with the murder of a 15 year-old, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, and San Francisco Police Chief William Scott. Additional facts regarding the investigation and charges can be found here: https://youtu.be/TJtN7F0vs6o
According to the complaint, Madrigal, 22, of San Francisco, is alleged to have been a member of a street gang known as the San Francisco Mission District Norteños, which claimed to control the area around 24th Street and Mission in San Francisco. The complaint alleges that in the early hours of July 8, 2019, Madrigal and his fellow gang members shot and killed an individual on the sidewalk of 24th Street in San Francisco, about a block away from the 24th and Mission BART Station. The victim was a 15-year old who was identified from his school ID card. According to the complaint, the victim had been erroneously identified as a rival gang member. Shortly after the murder, Madrigal and his fellow gang members drove to a housing complex a few blocks away in an area claimed by their rival gang, and fired a gunshot. There, they encountered SFPD officers, whom they then led on a high-speed car chase through the Mission District and onto Highways 101 and 280, before escaping.
“This killing was senseless,” said U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson. “The Mission District is a wonderful neighborhood, a diverse neighborhood, a neighborhood of children and young families and the elderly. The Mission District deserves to be just as free from gang warfare as every other neighborhood in San Francisco. We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to eradicate gang violence. We are all safer when we work together.”
“This murder was senseless and horrific,” said FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair. “The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force will continue to investigate street violence that’s targeting the children of our city, and, disproportionally, communities of color and people who are struggling to get by. No one should be afraid to walk in their own neighborhood, and no one deserves to lose their son or daughter to gang violence.”
Madrigal was arrested in San Francisco earlier today. His initial appearance in court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge has yet to be scheduled.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The crime charged against Madrigal in the complaint is eligible for the death penalty. Otherwise, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of a yearlong investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, together with SFPD Gang Task Force and SFPD Homicide.
New Billboards Urge Community ActionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – New billboards at several Kansas City, Missouri, locations will encourage the community to take action to reduce violent crime as part of Operation LeGend.
Digital billboards at five locations starting today urge citizens to “Help Stop Violent Crime in K.C.” by calling the anonymous Tips Hotline, 816-474-TIPS.
“Witnesses and those who have information about a crime should know their tips are completely anonymous through 474-TIPS,” Garrison said. “If we’re going to solve the problem of violent crime in Kansas City, we need the community’s support.”
Lamar Advertising is providing digital billboards at I-29 and Barry Road, I-670 and I-35, I-35/29 and Armour Road, I-70 and I-470, and I-35 and I-435. The billboards feature the TIPS Hotline number, along with the #OperationLegend hashtag and the seals of each of the agencies involved in Operation LeGend.
“On behalf of all of the law enforcement partners participating in Operation LeGend,” Garrison added, “I want to express our gratitude to the FBI, Crime Stoppers, and Lamar Advertising Company for their contributions to this public awareness campaign.”
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.Monroe Man Sentenced to 24 years in PrisonRead the Press Release
24-Year Prison Sentence for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficker
MONROE, La. – A 35-year old Monroe man who trafficked fentanyl and heroin in the Monroe area was sentenced on July 30, 2020, for his crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
Anderson Curtel Duke was sentenced to 24 years in prison and 6 years supervised release by U.S. District Donald E. Walter after being convicted on two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin following a three-day trial in February 2020. There is no parole in the federal system.
The United States presented evidence during trial showing that Duke was a high volume heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone dealer in the Monroe/West Monroe areas. In May 2018, the Monroe Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Metro Narcotics Unit and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office began a joint investigation into the drug trafficking operation of Anderson Duke. During their investigation, law enforcement agents used physical and electronic surveillance, undercover purchases, and search warrants to confirm Duke’s drug activities. On June 19, 2018, agents decided to end their month-long investigation and arrested Duke.
Testimony at trial revealed that Duke knew the heroin he sold was stronger than normal and that he obtained the heroin and fentanyl from a source of supply in the Lafayette area. During a recorded interview, post-arrest, Duke stated when he touched the heroin with his bare hands, he would go to sleep and wake up without remembering what had happened. He also stated during the interview that on one occasion he had to perform what he described as "junkie tricks" on one of his customers to revive that customer after an overdose. At least five other people overdosed on the same batch of heroin.
The United States alleged that one of those customers suffered a lethal overdose. The jury found that the government did not prove this allegation beyond a reasonable doubt and acquitted Duke of this conduct. The jury also heard recordings that took place on multiple occasions between May and June 20189, related to Duke’s distribution of fentanyl and heroin. The government alleged that Duke sold these drugs to undercover sources on four occasions. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on these four counts of the indictment. However, the sentencing judge took this conduct into consideration at sentencing, which the law provides, by concluding that the government proved this conduct by a preponderance of the evidence.
When officers arrived to arrest Duke on June 19, 2018, he was entering a vehicle and attempted to flee from officers, eventually striking a police vehicle. At the time of his arrest, Duke was in possession of fentanyl, heroin, and $1,000 Duke received from a controlled fentanyl transaction performed earlier that morning that was organized by agents. Due to Duke’s prior serious felony drug convictions of distribution of OxyContin, possession of Alprazolam with intent to distribute, and attempted distribution of marijuana, the career offender provision of the United States Sentencing Guidelines allowed the court to sentence Duke to an enhanced sentence.
"This case has taken a dangerous drug dealer off the streets of Monroe and has stopped him from hurting more people," said Acting U.S. Attorney Van Hook. "Fentanyl can be 50 times more potent than heroin - significantly increasing the risk for overdose - just a few grains can have deadly consequences. I want to thank the DEA, the Metro Narcotics Unit, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office for their hard work investigating this case. I also want to thank the prosecutors and staff for their hard work conducting this trial professionally and effectively. We will continue to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to disrupt drug traffickers and stop them in their tracks."
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Metro Narcotics Unit, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Monroe Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Anderson Thompson of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office, Criminal Division.
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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.
Metro East Dentist Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A St. Louis-area dentist has been sentenced to prison for defrauding Illinois Medicaid out of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a period of several years. Dr. Yun Sup Kim, 49, of St. Louis, appeared this morning via videoconference at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois, and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison. Kim pled guilty to three counts of health care fraud back in February.
The case against Kim arose from a regulatory audit initiated in 2015 after claims data showed Kim had performed more cavity fillings and surgical tooth extractions than nearly any other dentist in
Illinois. Investigators discovered that from August 2014 through December 2017, Kim had repeatedly submitted false bills for cavity fillings and surgical tooth extractions. Court records list over
1,300 patients for whom Kim falsely claimed to have performed eight or more cavity fillings in a single day. Kim conceded in court that he did not actually numb, drill, and fill cavities in those teeth. Kim further admitted billing simple extractions to Medicaid as if they had been surgical extractions, which are more expensive, and confessed that he had falsified dates of service on numerous occasions to evade Medicaid billing rules for dental sealants.In April, as part of his plea agreement with the United States, Kim agreed to the entry of a consent decree revoking his license to practice dentistry in Illinois. Kim’s sentence also includes restitution to Illinois Medicaid and Medicaid managed care organizations in the amount of
$671,845.20, which Kim has already paid in full. United States District Judge Staci M. Yandle found these factors mitigating but also emphasized the need for a period of incarceration to deter other health care practitioners from committing the same offense. Judge Yandle observed that many of
Kim’s Medicaid-eligible patients were physically harmed by his failure to provide them proper dental care and that Kim had not demonstrated any remorse for his conduct.Kim was ordered to self-surrender for his prison term on Nov. 13, 2020. A one-year term of supervised release was also imposed.
The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan D. Stump prosecuted the case.Maryland Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Cyberstalking Former Girlfriend and Threatening Workplace ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Spann was sentenced today to 30 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a federal cyberstalking charge.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin, and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
Spann, 30, a resident of Maryland and a former employee of the Department of Education, plead guilty on February 13, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Following his incarceration, he is subject to three years of supervision.
According to the government’s evidence, from approximately November 2017 to July 2019, Spann undertook a pattern of stalking, harassing, and threating behavior towards his former girlfriend. As described in the plea documents, this behavior escalated, eventually targeting the victim through approximately 30 other individuals, including her friends, siblings, and parents, as well as their friends, family, and colleagues, many of whom were unfamiliar with the victim. The over 400 communications included description of murder plans, including numerous false obituaries, threats of workplace violence, and slanderous claims concerning the professional, personal, and sexual reputation of the primary victim. Judge Berman Jackson stated that although cyberstalking cases are rare in her courtroom, the “havoc and terror” wreaked by Mr. Spann “deserved law enforcement attention” and acknowledged that the “ever expanding ripples” of his threatening communication had “real consequences” to the victims, including the closure of an office, the loss of a victim’s job, and several victims’ ongoing fear and anxiety.
Spann was arrested on July 23, 2019, in his home in Maryland and he has been in custody ever since. Spann will get credit for the time he already has served. The court also granted a joint motion from the parties that will require Mr. Spann to pay more than $7,000 in restitution to two of the victims for their attorney’s fees and lost wages.
This matter was investigated by the FBI WFO's Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force. This task force is charged with investigating acts of violence and criminal threats within the Capital Region and is composed of FBI Agents, Deputy Marshals of the United States Marshals Service, U.S. Capitol Police Officers, CSOSA Supervision Officers, and Detectives from the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by special agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Floyd of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section and Peter Roman of the Cyber Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Image of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Keswick man pleaded guilty today to his role in producing images of child sexual abuse and attempting to meet a minor for sex.
According to court documents, Bryan Wesley Petitt, 33, engaged in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent he believed to be a 14-year-old minor. Petitt drove from Charlottesville to military housing in Norfolk in order to engage in sex with the girl. Upon his arrest, law enforcement discovered images of child sexual abuse on his phone. Investigators later learned that Petitt produced one of the images.
Petitt pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 50 years in prison when sentenced on December 14. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-16.
Lowell Man Indicted on Illegal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in connection with advertising the sale of a firearm on Snapchat.
Juan Aparicio, 29, who was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, will be arraigned in federal court at a later date. Aparicio was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 10, 2020.
According to the charging documents, on Jan. 6, 2020, law enforcement searched Aparicio’s residence after viewing Snapchat videos that evening showing Aparicio offering to sell numerous firearms. A loaded assault rifle and cocaine were recovered during the search. Due to previous convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, Aparicio is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; and Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Lelling’s Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Largest U.S. Seizure of Iranian Fuel from Four TankersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced the successful disruption of a multimillion dollar fuel shipment by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization that was bound for Venezuela. These actions represent the government’s largest-ever seizure of fuel shipments from Iran.
On July 2, 2020, the United States filed a complaint seeking to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard four foreign-flagged oil tankers, including the M/T Bella with international maritime organization (IMO) number 9208124, the M/T Bering with IMO number 9149225, the M/T Pandi with IMO number 9105073, and the M/T Luna with IMO number 9208100 (all pictured below). A seizure order for the cargo from all four vessels was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Jeb Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The government announced today that it has successfully executed the seizure order and confiscated the cargo from all four vessels, totaling approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum. With the assistance of foreign partners, this seized property is now in U.S. custody.
After enforcement of the U.S. forfeiture order, Iran’s navy forcibly boarded an unrelated ship in an apparent attempt to recover the seized petroleum, but was unsuccessful. U.S. Central Command published a video of the failed Iranian operation yesterday. See https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1293678243552395264
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia will continue to use civil forfeiture tools to punish state sponsors of terrorism and recover funds for the victims of terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin for the District of Columbia. “This office has been at the forefront of seizing and forfeiting vessels used to clandestinely ship fuel in violation of U.S. sanctions. Today’s announcement demonstrates the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners to ensure that seizure orders are executed no matter where the property in question is located.”
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (http://www.usvsst.com/) after the conclusion of the case.
A warrant for arrest and civil forfeiture complaint are merely allegations. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
HSI’s Colorado Springs and FBI’s Minneapolis field office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Brian Hudak, and Stuart Allen, and National Security Division Trial Attorney David Lim are litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Swienc and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.
Largest U.S. Seizure of Iranian Fuel from Four TankersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the successful disruption of a multimillion dollar fuel shipment by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for Venezuela. These actions represent the government’s largest-ever seizure of fuel shipments from Iran.
On July 2, 2020, the United States filed a complaint seeking to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard four foreign-flagged oil tankers, including the M/T Bella with international maritime organization (IMO) number 9208124, the M/T Bering with IMO number 9149225, the M/T Pandi with IMO number 9105073, and the M/T Luna with IMO number 9208100 (all pictured below). A seizure order for the cargo from all four vessels was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Jeb Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The government announced today that it has successfully executed the seizure order and confiscated the cargo from all four vessels, totaling approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum. With the assistance of foreign partners, this seized property is now in U.S. custody.
After enforcement of the U.S. forfeiture order, Iran’s navy forcibly boarded an unrelated ship in an apparent attempt to recover the seized petroleum, but was unsuccessful. U.S. Central Command published a video of the failed Iranian operation yesterday. See https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1293678243552395264
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (http://www.usvsst.com/) after the conclusion of the case.
A warrant for arrest and civil forfeiture complaint are merely allegations. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
HSI’s Colorado Springs and FBI’s Minneapolis field office are investigating the case. The case is being handled by the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Brian Hudak, and Stuart Allen, and National Security Division Trial Attorney David Lim are litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Swienc and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.
Bella Bering Pandi LunaLaFrance Hospitality Enters Agreement with U.S. Attorney’s Office to Address Lack of Accessible Hotel ShowersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – LaFrance Hospitality, operator of 14 hotels in New England, has entered an agreement under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to resolve allegations that the showers in the accessible rooms of their New Bedford Marriott Fairfield hotel were inaccessible to persons with disabilities.
LaFrance Hospitality failed to install permanent shower seats on the wall in their roll-in showers at the New Bedford Marriott Fairfield as is required by the ADA. Instead, non-fixed seats were placed in each roll-in shower. When a woman with a mobility impairment used the non-fixed shower seat it collapsed, and the woman fell. The fall resulted in the woman requiring emergency services and an overnight stay at a local hospital for her injuries.
Under the agreement, LaFrance Hospitality will ensure all showers in accessible rooms in all 14 of its hotels meet ADA standards, including installation and positioning of shower seats, grab bars, and shower spray units. LaFrance Hospitality also will pay the woman $20,000 in compensation.
“Meeting the requirements of the ADA means individuals with mobility impairments should never have to question whether the hotel they are staying in will provide safe and accessible rooms,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “We commend LaFrance Hospitality for working cooperatively with us to meet the standards of the ADA moving forward.”
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. The Justice Department will continue to use its enforcement and technical assistance tools to eliminate unlawful discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dorchak of Lelling’s Civil Rights Unit.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights.
Justice Department Brings Enforcement Action Against CenturylinkRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that CenturyLink, Inc. has agreed to settle allegations that CenturyLink violated the court-ordered Final Judgment designed to prevent anticompetitive effects arising from its acquisition of Level 3 Communications, Inc.
Despite provisions in the Final Judgment barring CenturyLink from soliciting customers that switched to the buyer of the divestiture assets, CenturyLink failed to comply, initiating contact on over 70 occasions over more than a year with former Level 3 customers who elected to switch to the divestiture buyer in the Boise City-Nampa, Idaho MSA (Boise MSA). CenturyLink does not deny the United States’ allegations and has agreed to the Amended Final Judgment.
“When a defendant violates the terms of a settlement decree, it must be held accountable to its obligations to the department and the American consumer,” said Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s motion to amend the Final Judgment ensures that consumers get the benefit of competition otherwise lost by CenturyLink’s acquisition of Level 3 Communications. I also commend CenturyLink for its cooperation in resolving the department’s concerns.”
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today filed an unopposed motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to amend the current Final Judgment, entered on March 6, 2018, in order to resolve the department’s concerns. As part of the settlement, CenturyLink has agreed to:
- extend the non-solicitation period by two years for the Boise MSA;
- the appointment of an independent monitoring trustee; and
- pay the United States to defray the costs of the department’s investigation of CenturyLink’s violations of the court order.
These provisions will allow the divestiture buyer to have the benefit of the original court order which was designed to enable the divestiture buyer to replace competition lost as a result of CenturyLink’s acquisition of Level 3, ensure that CenturyLink follows the court order going forward, and recoup taxpayer funds. CenturyLink also agreed to the addition mandated by AAG Delrahim of the four new standard provisions that the department has required in all recent antitrust settlements that make the Antitrust Division’s consent decrees easier to enforce.
CenturyLink, one of the largest wireline telecommunications providers in the United States, is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in portions of 37 states and is also a global communications, hosting, cloud, and IT services company. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data, and managed services over a robust 450,000 route-mile global network, connecting approximately 170,000 fiber-based on-net enterprise buildings. In 2019, CenturyLink had revenues of approximately $22.4 billion.
Indianapolis will receive assistance from Operation LegendRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that Operation Legend will be expanding into the City of Indianapolis. Operation Legend is named in honor of four-year-old Legend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early on the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
Operation Legend is a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The federal law enforcement support provided through Operation Legend looks different in each city in order to meet the specific needs of the individual communities.
Operation Legend is not intended for or in response to protest activity, civil disturbances, or immigration enforcement. It was not conceived or announced in response to events in Portland, which is not an Operation Legend city.
The Operation was first launched on July 8 in Kansas City, Missouri, as a result of President Trump’s promise to assist America’s cities that are plagued by recent violence. Operation Legend was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; and to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020.
Larger cities across the country have seen a surge in murders and violent crimes in recent years,” said Minkler. “The innocent victims and perpetrators are getting younger than ever before and Indianapolis has not been immune from this surge. Operation Legend will enhance the partnerships already established between local, state, and federal law enforcement. And will serve as another tool that can be used to assist in currant investigations and help deter the need for new ones to start.”
Attorney General Barr has directed the ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service in Indianapolis to dedicate resources to Operation Legend to help state and local officials fight high levels of violent crime, particularly gun violence. Under the leadership of Minkler, There will be 57 federal investigators dedicated to Operation Legend who will continue their work through existing joint federal, state and local task forces, and investigators and officers from IMPD. They will be focused on combatting violent gangs, gun crime, and drug trafficking organizations.
“Operation Legend will enhance our locally-led, federally-supported response to violence in Indianapolis,” said Mayor Hogsett. “Through increased engagement with the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, and U.S. Marshalls, we will leverage a more robust response to deadly violence and crime in our city. It will take massive efforts, both preventive and punitive, for us to get through this unprecedented time. It will also take continued collaboration between neighborhoods most impacted by violent crime and those investigating that crime. These are all parts of addressing this challenge.”
“IMPD officers spend every day working to build stronger relationships with our residents and make Indianapolis neighborhoods safer,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “While growing the number of community-based beats and adding officers to our units focused on violent crime, our agency remains fully committed to the task forces that receive additional resources today.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan announced that as part of the initiative, a reward of up to $25,000 would be made available for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual responsible for the homicide of De’Shaun Swanson.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance will make available up to $250,000 to support Operation Legend’s violent crime reduction efforts in Indianapolis. These funds will be available to reimburse state and local agencies with any overtime during the operation.
In Operation Legend case, FBI Violent Crime Task Force agents arrest two, find firearms and narcoticsRead the Press Release
Albuquerque, N.M. – On Thursday, August 6, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) arrested David Martinez and Jean Madrid, both of Albuquerque.
In July 2020, the VCTF conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from Martinez at his residence, leading to a federal search warrant for the premises. According to the criminal complaint, the defendants allegedly possessed four guns as well as methamphetamine, marijuana, and approximately $5,133 in U.S. currency at the residence when law enforcement agents executed the search warrant.
Martinez and Madrid are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, the first two charges carry penalties of up to 20 years. The penalty for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is 5 years to life. Martinez is also being charged as a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, for which the penalty is up to 10 years. In 2005, Martinez pleaded guilty to the felony offenses of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams and more of cocaine base and carrying and possessing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Mattei as part of Operation Legend, a Department of Justice initiative to assist cities with persistently high crime rates. Operation Legend is a sustained and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with state and local law enforcement to prosecute gun and dangerous crimes arising in the City of Albuquerque.
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Hermosa Man Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Hermosa, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Wire Fraud was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.
David Astin, age 38, was sentenced on August 12, 2020, to 3 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. In addition, he was ordered to pay $433,877.06 in restitution.
Astin’s Wire Fraud conviction stemmed from actions he took in 2012, when he entered into an agreement whereby he managed a local investor’s foreign exchange currency accounts in exchange for compensation. Astin told the investor he had consistently received returns of eight percent per month in his own account, and promised one to three percent returns monthly in the investor’s accounts. The investor told Astin he was not willing to suffer significant losses in his foreign exchange accounts and Astin believed he would not be compensated if the investor suffered significant losses.
Beginning in August 2012 and continuing through August 2013, however, Astin created and provided fraudulent statements and spreadsheets to the investor showing the investor was making significant earnings in his foreign exchange accounts, when in fact Astin was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars of the investor’s money. As a result of the fraudulent statements and spreadsheets, the investor continued to invest more money and compensate Astin for his work. In total, Astin lost $433,877.06 of the investor’s money, while being compensated more than $75,000.00.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Astin was immediately remanded to the custody of the US Marshals Service.
Henry County Resident Receives 13 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN - Verdell Crosser, 63, of Paris, Tennessee has been sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in Court, during an undercover investigation from November 2017 until December 1, 2017, law enforcement observed Crosser distributing methamphetamine (actual) to undercover agents on four separate occasions. The four drug purchases totaled more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.
On November 7, 10, 15, and December 1, 2017, agents met with a confidential informant, to plan an undercover operation involving Crosser. The confidential information (CI) was wired with both an audio and video recording device, in order to maintain surveillance to and from the meeting with Crosser. At the conclusion of each deal, the CI met with the agents and turned over the narcotics and was again searched by agents for any remaining methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Agency and the Henry County Metro Crime Unit investigated this case.
On August 12, 2020, U.S. Chief District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Crosser to 156 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As methamphetamine continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities in West Tennessee, we will continue to hold dealers accountable. Crosser has sowed addiction and destruction into the Paris community for selfish profit, and now he will reap the consequence of a long prison sentence without the sanctuary of parole."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Hardy County man sentenced for heroin and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Juston Wimer, of Old Fields, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 106 months of incarceration for drug distribution and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wimer, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin” and one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime” in November 2019. Wimer admitted to distributing heroin in January 2019 and admitted to having a .32 caliber pistol in February 2019. The crimes occurred in Hardy and Hampshire Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Hamilton physician who was convicted at trial of illegally dealing opioids sentenced to 20 years in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Dr. Saad Sakkal, 72, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison for illegally distributing and dispensing controlled substances to multiple patients, including drugs that led to the death of one victim in 2016. Sakkal was practicing at Lindenwald Medical Association, Inc. in Hamilton.
At the conclusion of a trial in April 2019, a jury convicted Sakkal of 30 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of a medical practice and with no legitimate medical purpose, and six counts of use of a registration number that was issued to someone else.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence gathered by investigators that Sakkal performed inadequate physical exams to identify and verify patient’s complaints of pain, and that he issued prescription combinations that were particularly dangerous and addictive. Pharmacists testified that they warned Sakkal of the risks and eventually refused to fill prescriptions issued by Sakkal. Investigators also testified that Sakkal received repeated notice of addiction, overdoses and deaths, but continued his practices.
“Sakkal issued deadly drug cocktails without regard for the repeated warnings he received from employees, patients, pharmacists, another doctor, and the electronic records system,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “This doctor dealer even ignored overdoses by his patients. Instead of helping his patients, he caused more harm, and as a result, he earned spending the next few decades in federal prison.”
A federal grand jury indicted Sakkal in June, 2018. Agents arrested him in Florida after he was indicted. He has been held without bond since his arrest.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Anthony Groeber, Executive Director, State Medical Board of Ohio; Steven Schierholt, Executive Director, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy; Stephanie B. McCloud, Administrator, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan and Assistant United States attorney Timothy D. Oakley represented the United States in this case.
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Grapevine Child Sexual Predator Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
A Grapevine child sexual predator was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Chansellor Ormon Hill, 26, pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children in April following an investigation led by FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the Grapevine Police Department. Mr. Hill was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O'Connor.
“Today’s sentence should put those who seek to commit harm to innocent children on notice,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “No matter what dark shadows these pedophile predators hide in, law enforcement will shine a light on them and hold them accountable for their conduct. Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners will not rest until every victim of child sexual exploitation is rescued and defendants like Hill are behind bars.”
“The FBI and our partners at the Grapevine Police Department worked together to pursue a child predator who is accused of continuously abusing and exploiting the victim in this case,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “The Grapevine community can rest assured that Mr. Hill is being held accountable for his actions. He will no longer threaten the safety of any child.”
According to a criminal complaint, Mr. Hill entered the family restroom at the City of Grapevine’s recreation center. Inside the restroom, Mr. Hill induced an 11-year old boy to take sexually explicit photos. Using his cell phone, Mr. Hill produced two images of the unclothed minor.
According to court documents, Grapevine Police interviewed Mr. Hill at the recreation center where he admitted to committing sex acts on the child multiple times over a six month period. When asked by law enforcement about the photos of the minor on his cell phone, Mr. Hill responded “I knew it was wrong . . . he’s 12 and I am 25. It’s pretty messed up.”
The FBI's Dallas Field Office and the Grapevine Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney A. Saleem is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative organizes federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Graham, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to More Than Five Years for $1.1 Million Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced that on Thursday, August 13, 2020, Mark Colin Ramsey, 50, of Graham, N.C., was sentenced to 65 months in prison for operating a $1.1 million investment scheme. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Ramsey to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $1,098,333.92.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, from April 2008 to September 2013, Ramsey defrauded more than 20 victims out of nearly $1.1 million through a fraudulent investment scheme. Court records show that Ramsey operated various purported investment companies, including Hypertrend, Cascade Investments, GH Gardner, Layton-McCall, Pandrox, and Good Living. Ramsey induced victim-investors by falsely representing that their money would be used to make legitimate investments. He also promised his victims that they would receive a guaranteed return on their investments, and that their principal investments would not be at risk. During the relevant time period, Ramsey used multiple purported investment corporations, as well as numerous fraudulent documents, including false Form-1099s, fake investment agreements, and fabricated stock certificates, to convince potential victims his investments were legitimate and profitable. To further induce victims, court records reflect that Ramsey showed potential investors documents purportedly backing up his claim that he had made one million dollars from a ten thousand dollar investment.
According to court records, Ramsey failed to disclose to his victims, some of whom were at or near retirement age, that he was not registered to sell securities in the State of North Carolina, or that the investment opportunities he presented were not registered as required by statute. Rather than invest the victims’ money as promised, Ramsey spent the investors’ money on Ponzi-style payments to other investors and to fund his personal lifestyle.
On August 26, 2019, Ramsey pleaded guilty to securities fraud. In making today’s announcement, U.S Attorney Murray thanked the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bradley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
In March 2019, Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the Office’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit: /usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative
Fresno Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Erick Lizarraga, 30, of Fresno was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Lizarraga and his co-conspirators trafficked large quantities of methamphetamine in the Fresno-Madera area, as well as sending methamphetamine to Denver, Colorado. Lizarraga arranged two shipments to Denver that were seized by law enforcement. Thus far in the case:
- Diblaim Valdez-Araux, 33, of Madera, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison;
- Jesus Bueno, 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison;
- Rosemarie Martinez, 66, of Fresno, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison;
- Perla Ramos, 31, David Martinez, 68, and Brittany Martinez, 28, all of Fresno, pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 18, 2020.
- Charges are pending against Fresno residents Noyra Gonzalez, 41; and Maricela Castellanos, 54. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
On Oct. 13, 2018, David Martinez and Rosemarie Martinez had 30 pounds of methamphetamine with them that they were taking to Denver via Amtrak. On Oct. 15, 2018, after Lizarraga arranged for Diblaim Valdez-Araux to get another 30 pounds of methamphetamine. Noyra Gonzalez and Maricela Castellanos were arrested while taking the 30 pounds to Denver after their car was stopped and searched by the California Highway Patrol. Jesus Bueno purchased approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine from Lizarraga that he sold to customers in the Fresno area. On Nov. 4, 2018, Valdez-Diblaim was stopped in Selma by law enforcement officers with approximately 54 pounds of methamphetamine while returning from the Los Angeles area. Perla Ramos and Brittany Martinez assisted Lizarraga in delivering drugs and collecting profits.
This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel J. Montoya, Stephanie Stokman and Thomas Newman are prosecuting the case.
The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Florida Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Threatening a Mass ShootingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Thomas Matthew McVicker, 39, of Punta Gorda, Florida, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of Interstate Transmission of Threat to Injure. McVicker pled guilty to the charge in April of 2020.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in August 2019 McVicker sent an acquaintance, who lived in Baldwin County, Alabama, a series of text messages about conducting a mass shooting. McVicker wrote “I was thinking about shooting a church up but I’m afraid how it will affect my family in the flesh after I’m gone. So I think I’m just gonna kill some people on the street and get away with it then kill myself.” Three days later McVicker called that same acquaintance and told her that he was going to “shoot up” a church when he was in Memphis on August 22. FBI agents were able to confirm with McVicker’s employer that he was scheduled to be in Memphis on August 22. McVicker’s employer provided the FBI with his location, and McVicker was arrested without incident. At the time of his arrest, McVicker was in possession of a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun, five 9mm magazines (one loaded with ten 9mm rounds of ammunition), one magazine assist loader, and two (2) full boxes of fifty (50) rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a police interview, McVicker admitted to making the threats but denied his intent to follow through. McVicker admitted to authorities that he has a history of mental health issues.
United States District Court Judge Terry Moorer imposed a sentence of 24 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that McVicker undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated and after release. The judge also ordered McVicker to serve a three-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Judge Moorer ordered that McVicker pay $100 in special assessments. McVicker agreed to forfeit the firearm and ammunition.
The case was investigated by the FBI offices in Tampa, Florida; Zionsville, Indiana; and Mobile, Alabama. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Five Western PA Residents Charged in Separate Schemes to Defraud the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Five western Pennsylvania residents have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and charged with various schemes to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA), United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
"When criminals defraud the Social Security Administration, they are in effect stealing from the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens, who have worked hard and played by the rules their entire lives," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Scammers beware: my office will continue to pursue and prosecute anyone who steals from our seniors in order to line their own pockets."
"I thank the U.S. Attorney for bringing these charges, and for his office’s support of our efforts to maintain the integrity of the Social Security system," said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General of Social Security. "Today’s announcement should serve as reminder that the SSA Office of Inspector General will vigorously pursue those individuals who intend to defraud SSA in any way. I also want to recognize the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for working jointly with my office on investigations leading to some of the indictments being announced today."
A two-count indictment charges Leona Biser, 51, of Vestaburg, Pennsylvania, with representative payee fraud and Social Security fraud. According to the indictment presented to the Court, from October 2018 through September 2019, Biser was the representative payee for her sister. Biser failed to spend the payments for the benefit of her sister, and instead spent the funds on personal expenses. On January 15, 2020, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office charged Leona Biser with neglect of a care dependent person, abuse of a care dependent person, recklessly endangering another person, unlawful restraint, and false imprisonment for keeping her care dependent sister in a wooden cage with only a dirty mattress and little-to-no medical care. Biser is a fugitive from justice. Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest USMS District Office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a tip using USMS Tips.
A four-count Indictment charges Brenda Castro, 61, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, with theft of government property, Social Security fraud, and false statements to retain Social Security income. According to the indictment presented to the Court, from October 2009 through October 2017, Castro repeatedly falsely informed the SSA that she did not reside with her husband in order to continue to receive approximately $41,292.00 in SSA benefits to which she knew she was not entitled.
A three-count Indictment charges Julius Wilkerson, 47, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with theft of government property and false statements to retain Social Security income. According to the indictment presented to the Court, from October 2011 through November 2016, Wilkerson received approximately $30,699.00 in SSA benefits to which he knew he was not entitled.
A one-count Indictment charges William Moriarty, 68, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with theft of government property. According to the indictment presented to the Court, from August 2010 to May 2018, Moriarty received approximately $189,389.00 in SSA benefits to which he knew he was not entitled due to his employment.
A one-count Indictment charges Dawn Ann Treusch, 41, of Monaca, Pennsylvania, with theft of public money. According to the Indictment presented to the court, from January 2016 to July 2019, the defendant knowingly converted to her own use approximately $43,920.00 in Social Security Survivor’s Insurance Benefits of her grandmother, who had died in December 2015, and to which she knew she was not entitled.
For Castro, Wilkerson, Biser, Moriarty and Treusch, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 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 Attorneys Robert S. Cessar, Rachael L. Mamula and Benjamin J. Risacher are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government
The United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General conducted the investigations leading to the indictments in these cases.
An indictment is an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Court Detains Grand Rapids Man Charged by U.S. Attorney for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today the latest charges and a denial of bond that are part of his office’s larger efforts to address gun violence. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Antwine Chamberlain-Fields for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in Grand Rapids. Chamberlain-Fields faces up to ten years’ incarceration if convicted of this crime. United States Magistrate Judge Ray Kent denied Chamberlain-Field’s request for bond, stating that the proliferation of illegal weapons in the district is a key factor in the surge of violence.
On July 22, 2020, Grand Rapids Police encountered Chamberlain-Fields in possession of multiple rounds of ammunition. Officers later also located a loaded .45 caliber handgun hidden inside his vehicle. At his bond hearing, Magistrate Judge Kent underscored the defendant’s illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition put the defendant, his family, and the community at serious risk of harm. In rendering his decision to detain Mr. Chamberlain-Fields, the judge highlighted the fact that an address associated with defendant was the location of a recent brazen drive-by shooting, resulting in the injury of a teenage girl.
"In a city stunned by the sudden spike of traumatic injuries and deaths from shootings over the last few months, this arrest highlights the dedicated work of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force and GRPD to reduce gun crime in Grand Rapids," commented U.S. Attorney Birge.
An unprecedented surge of violence, particularly shootings, has plagued Grand Rapids. In order to combat this increase in violent crime, state, local, and tribal police departments and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are working together through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative to identify the individuals responsible. The PSN initiative focuses on those driving violent crime rates not only in Grand Rapids, but also in cities across the Western District of Michigan. For example, in April, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety arrested two men found in possession of loaded firearms. Both of these men were suspects in recent shootings. A federal grand jury indicted these men with federal firearm and ammunition offenses, and they are now facing ten or more years in a federal prison.
PSN is a powerful tool to combat this surge in violence. The program brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors to identify the most violent criminals in the community and develop effective and efficient strategies to bring these violent individuals to justice and to prevent future gun crime from taking root. The PSN initiative recognizes the importance of lay community relationships and supports through grant awards locally tailored crime prevention efforts.
The public is reminded that the criminal complaints and indictments in the aforementioned cases are allegations and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation.
Seth Stadel, age 27, was indicted on August 11, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 13, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on June 10, 2020, in Lantry, Stadel assaulted an individual which resulted in serious bodily injury, and further assaulted the victim by strangling and suffocating them.
The charges are merely accusations and Stadel is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Stadel was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Gordon Blue Arm, age 65, was indicted on August 11, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 13, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on February 27, 2020, in Eagle Butte, Blue Arm assaulted an individual with a wooden stick with the intent to do bodily harm, and said assault resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
The charges are merely accusations and Blue Arm is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Blue Arm was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Denver Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn today announced that Nicholas Meyers, age 26, of Denver, was sentenced to serve 136 months (over 11 years) in federal prison followed by 5 years on supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Denver ATF joined in today’s announcement.
According to court documents, including the government’s sentencing statement, from October 2016 to July 2017, Meyers sold 11 firearms including an assault-style rifle capable of accepting high capacity magazines and just under 10 ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent. He engaged in this conduct despite a 2014 felony menacing conviction, which prohibited him from possessing firearms. Meyers received a total of $14,500 in revenue from these sales.
“Selling methamphetamine is bad enough, but selling methamphetamine and firearms is a dangerous combination,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “The ATF was able to identify Mr. Meyers’ criminal behavior, and with my office was able to stop him from continuing to harm our community.”
“Nicholas Meyers is a convicted felon and used firearms to further his drug trafficking trade,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge David S. Booth. “The removal of criminals like Meyers from our communities is a top priority for ATF. ATF is committed to public safety and we are pleased this investigation assisted the United States Attorney’s Office in obtaining a successful prosecution and conviction.”
U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez pronounced the sentence today, August 14, 2020. Meyers was charged by indictment on April 4, 2019 and pleaded guilty on September 3, 2019. This case was investigated by the Denver ATF. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Teitelbaum.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 19-cr-149.
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.
Dayton man sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting mail carrierRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Dayton man was sentenced via video conference in federal court today to 120 months in prison for shooting a United States Postal Service mail carrier.
Christopher O. Gibson, 47, pleaded guilty in May to using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Gibson shot the postal worker as the worker delivered mail near Gibson’s home on Arlene Avenue in Dayton.
According to court documents, on Jan. 3, Gibson fired at the letter carrier three times, striking him once in the leg.
The Dayton Police Department recovered video of the incident from a Ring doorbell camera located near the area of the shooting.
“This defendant pulled a firearm on a federal worker and then fired it at him,” U.S. Attorney DeVillers said. “After shooting the weapon, Gibson fled from the scene, destroying evidence of his crime along the way. All of this resulted from the defendant’s apparent dissatisfaction with his mail service. He deserves this prison time.”
Tosha Dennis, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “This investigation was an excellent example of a great partnership between the Dayton Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by both agencies, which led to Gibson being arrested and convicted.”
Gibson was charged by federal criminal complaint on Jan. 8 and indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 14. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Congress sets the minimum and 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; Tosha Dennis, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service; and Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.
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