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Tuesday 16 June 2020
Essex County Man Allegedly Involved in Shootout Charged with Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man made his initial appearance today after his arrest in North Carolina on drug charges, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Lester Hicks, a/k/a “Mayhem,” 29, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. He made his initial court appearance today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 8, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Essex County Sheriff's Office were patrolling around Clinton and Avon avenues in Newark when they observed a vehicle run a red light. The officers stopped the vehicle, in which Hicks was a passenger. They determined there was an active warrant for Hicks’ arrest. A search incident to his arrest recovered 78 glassine envelopes of heroin and $121 in cash. Twenty-eight of the envelopes were stamped “Terminator” in red ink, and 50 of the envelopes were stamped “G” in red ink.
Hicks was charged, processed, and released with a summons to return to court. That same day, he was allegedly involved in a shooting near Martin Luther King Boulevard in Newark. The shooting was recorded on video and Hicks was identified as one of the shooters. After agreeing to self-surrender, he traveled instead to North Carolina, where he was arrested by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hicks had a sawed-off shotgun in his possession when arrested.
The drug trafficking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and the Newark Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around the Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the ATF, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole Board, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Toscano, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Teri Daun Halfred, age 24, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Halfred was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2019. She pled guilty on February 25, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in March 2019, when Halfred approached another adult on a street in Eagle Butte and stabbed her in the chest with a knife. Halfred fled the scene after her attack.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Halfred was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Discrimination and harassment resulting from COVID-19 pandemicRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler is asking anyone who has witnessed or experienced harassment or discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to report such allegations to the Civil Rights Coordinator in his office, or to the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency has impacted many vulnerable community members, including persons with disabilities, persons with limited English proficiency, service members, and other persons protected by our nation’s civil rights laws because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. COVID-19 has particularly impacted individuals in their ability to pay their rent, increasing housing insecurity. It is a violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) for housing providers, including landlords, and managers, to exploit this crisis by sexually harassing tenants in exchange for rent or other housing needs.
“Enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws is one of the top priorities in my office.” said Minkler. “We must remain vigilant and work together in this area, especially during this public health crisis. COVID-19 has affected all races, religions, ethnicities, and those with disabilities. Please help us address any suspect discrimination, as we enforce the laws that prohibit such behavior.”
The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits across the country where a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing is alleged. Investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years. Many individuals do not know that being sexually harassed by a housing provider can violate federal law or that the Department of Justice may be able to help.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The initiative’s goal is to address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing.
Discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and other protected classes is unlawful under several federal laws in addition to the FHA, and may result in criminal or civil liability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by FHA. Further, violent acts of hate based upon these and other protected classes violate federal hate crimes statutes . If you believe you are a victim of discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or other protected classes, you can find information about how to file a complaint at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint and https://www.justice.gov/crt/fcs . In addition, resources for disability-related issues are available at https://www.ada.gov, and language access information is available at https://www.lep.gov. Anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, can also email [email protected] .
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Coordinator, Jeffrey D. Preston, may be reached at 317-226-6333. The Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington D.C. may be reached at 855-856-1247 (toll free) or 202-514-3827.
Department of Justice observes the 15th annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice to observe the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
“The investigation and prosecution of criminals who prey upon the elderly is a top priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This year, we have brought charges against numerous defendants who attempted to victimize seniors and we will continue to do so in the future. Those individuals who prey on the elderly should know that it will be only a matter of time before we find and prosecute you.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. The Northern District of Georgia has brought federal charges in numerous cases of elder fraud.
Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Northern District of Georgia, along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants. - Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
Northern District of Georgia Elder Fraud Cases in 2020
In 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has prosecuted many defendants who have perpetrated elder fraud, including cases involving romance scams, retirement fraud, impersonation of government officials, identity theft, and timeshare fraud.
Romance scams are a type of online fraud in which victims are targeted by individuals posing as potential paramours. The fraudsters create fake online dating profiles (often with photographs of attractive men or women) and use these fake personas to express a romantic interest in the victims in order to trick them into sending money to them or their co-conspirators under false pretenses. Romance scams frequently target vulnerable individuals who possess significant financial assets, such as retired widows or widowers.
- In United States v. Okang, et al., twenty-four defendants were charged for their involvement in a large-scale fraud and money laundering operation that targeted citizens, corporations, and financial institutions throughout the United States. Business email compromise schemes, romance fraud scams, and retirement account scams, among other frauds, duped numerous victims, including many elderly individuals, into losing more than $30 million.
- In United States v. Alonge, et al., two defendants pleaded guilty based upon their involvement in a Nigeria-based romance scam that tricked victims into sending over $1.8 million. Both defendants were sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,835,279.00. The second sentencing occurred in January 2020.
- In United States v. Adara, et al., two defendants pleaded guilty based upon their involvement in a Nigeria-based romance scam. Their sentencings are scheduled for later in 2020.
We also prosecute cases involving India-based centers that scammed U.S. residents, including the elderly. Criminal India-based call centers seek to profit by exploiting U.S. residents through various phone scams, including the impersonation of government officials. The call center operators trick the victims and at times threaten consequences if they do not send money. If the victims agree to pay, the call centers then turn to a network of U.S.-based co-conspirators to liquidate and launder the extorted funds.
- In June 2020 in United States v. Patel, et al., two defendants were indicted for allegedly laundering over $400,000 in funds derived from an India-based tech support and Social Security scams that victimized numerous elderly individuals.
- In United States v. Patel, the defendant pleaded guilty to wire fraud for using fake identifications to retrieve over $150,000 from over 160 victims of India-based tele-fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for July 2020.
- In United States v. Excellent Solutions BPO, et al., eight defendants pleaded guilty and were subsequently sentenced in January 2020 to up to four years and nine months for their involvement in an India-based IRS impersonation scam that victimized thousands of United States residents and resulted in over $3.7 million in losses.
In June 2020, in United States v. Durrell Tyler, the defendant was charged with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft where he possessed and used personal identifying information, including social security numbers, of elderly victims.
In January 2020, Katherine Craig was charged with mail fraud. Craig allegedly embezzled over $1.7 million dollars from a company she was managing and defrauded over 1000 timeshare owners, most of whom were elderly retirees. Craig operated the timeshare resort where she worked without casualty insurance, even though the Lease Agreements required the resort to maintain casualty insurance. Over the years, the buildings at the resort deteriorated through storm damage and neglect and by early 2016, the resort was in such bad shape that Craig was not allowing any timeshare owners to vacation there anymore.
The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security Joint Statement on Rescheduling MPP HearingsRead the Press Release
The Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) remain committed to proceeding with Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) hearings as expeditiously as possible. The departments have been in ongoing discussions about the timing for the resumption of hearings in light of the continuing emergency health conditions in the United States, in Mexico, and in the international community, as many countries continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19. As a result of this ongoing review of conditions, and in conjunction with continued implementation of health officials’ COVID-19 guidance, DHS and DOJ are postponing both MPP hearings and in-person document service through, and including, July 17, 2020. This will alleviate the need for travel within Mexico to a U.S. port of entry while pandemic conditions in Mexico remain severe.
We anticipate the resumption of hearings on July 20, 2020, so long as public health and safety indicators support hearing reinstatement at that time. The departments are actively planning to ensure compliance with CDC social distancing guidelines and partnering to secure the equipment and resources necessary to support the resumption of MPP hearings when that time comes. The departments will reevaluate the timing for resumption of MPP hearings on a weekly basis, evaluating factors that include:
- White House gating criteria articulated in the “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again”;
- State-by-state assessment of COVID-19 levels in Mexico;
- Centers for Disease Control and State Department travel
advisories/recommendations; and - COVID-19 exposure risks to migrants traveling throughout Mexico, to agents and officers at the border and at ports of entry, and to court officers, and other court personnel.
When conditions are deemed safe, the departments will provide notice fifteen days prior to resumption with additional, location-specific information. Individuals should continue to check on case status in English and Spanish by calling the Automated Case Information Hotline at 1-800-898-7180 or visiting the EOIR Automated Case Information portal.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Civil Rights Reporting PortalRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces that the Department of Justice launched the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. This new online tool will make it easier for the public to report a civil rights violation.
“The department is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all people in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Reporting Portal will make it easier for the public to connect with us, which in turn makes us more effective at upholding these important rights. I encourage the public to use this portal to report civil rights violations.”
Mr. Higdon commented: “One of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Justice is to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly and equally and in conformity with our constitutionally-protected civil rights. But, in order to do that, we must have an open and effective dialogue with those who believe those rights may have been denied to them. This new tool will, we believe, help us to more effectively act to protect those rights. I urge everyone across the Eastern District to use this new tool whenever they believe their rights may have been denied.”
The new Civil Rights Reporting Portal – located at civilrights.justice.gov – will consolidate over 30 unique reporting pathways. The portal will dramatically ease the burden on victims of civil rights violations to identify the proper reporting channel. The form is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It is also available in both English and Spanish, with more languages to be added over the next year.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of civil rights violations should contact the department by visiting civilrights.justice.gov. When appropriate, the Civil Rights Division staff will refer complainants to other agencies that are responsible for handling specific types of complaints.
Individuals who believe they are a victim of criminal violation of their civil rights, such as misconduct by law enforcement officers, a hate crime, or human trafficking, should contact their local FBI office.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Civil Rights Reporting PortalRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania joined the Department of Justice in announcing the launch of the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. This new online tool will make it easier for the public to report a civil rights violation.
"The department is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all people in the United States," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Reporting Portal will make it easier for the public to connect with us, which in turn makes us more effective at upholding these important rights. I encourage the public to use this portal to report civil rights violations."
"The protection of civil rights remains a top priority of the Department of Justice. This new portal dramatically eases the burden on victims of civil rights violations who are trying to identify the proper reporting channel," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Through this single portal anyone can report potential violations of federal law including the willful use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer, hate crimes, and racial discrimination, as well as other forms of illegal discrimination, human trafficking and violations of religious liberty."
The new Civil Rights Reporting Portal – located at www.civilrights.justice.gov – will consolidate over 30 unique reporting pathways. The form is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It is also available in both English and Spanish, with more languages to be added over the next year.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of civil rights violations can learn how to report violations by visiting www.civilrights.justice.gov.
If you believe that you are a victim of criminal civil rights violations, such as misconduct by law enforcement officers, hate crimes, or human trafficking, please contact your local FBI office.
In January of this year, U.S. Attorney Brady named Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Haley Warden-Rodgers as co-coordinators of the office’s Civil Rights efforts. Either can be reached through the office’s main number: (412) 644-3500.
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.
Denver Company Pays $688,500 to Resolve Mineral Trespass InvestigationRead the Press Release
DENVER –The United States Attorney’s Office t0day announced that PDC Energy, Inc., an oil and gas company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has paid $688,500 to resolve allegations that it drilled, and later operated, an oil and gas well that removed federal minerals without permission.
Oil and gas exploration companies may only drill for oil, gas, or other minerals owned by the United States after first applying for and obtaining a federal mineral lease from the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). These companies must also obtain a BLM-issued permit to drill an oil and gas well. The United States contends that in 2013, PDC drilled a well into federal minerals in Weld County, Colorado without first obtaining a federal lease and a permit to drill. PDC fully cooperated with the investigation, and the resolution announced today resolves liability for the full alleged trespass period: July 1, 2013 through April 30, 2019.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting our public lands,” said Matthew Kirsch, Attorney for the United States acting under authority conferred 28 U.S.C. § 515. “Companies have to follow the rules governing those public lands. If they don’t, they will pay an additional price.”
“The settlement reached during this investigation is the direct result of the OIG, Department of Justice, Bureau of Land Management, and Office of the Solicitor working collaboratively and diligently on behalf of all American citizens to ensure minerals removed from federal ownership are properly accounted for and public revenues are collected,” said Ron Gonzales, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General’s Energy Investigations Unit.
“This case demonstrates the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to support the Secretary of Interior’s goals of ensuring that the public receives fair market value for resources, recovers costs where appropriate, and fosters partnerships to achieve balanced stewardship and use of public lands. We are grateful for the work of all the bureaus involved to settle this case,” said Jamie Connell, BLM Colorado State Director.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Wang.
Defendant Sentened to 18 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced defendant Richard Truman Godwin, aka Richard Truman Smith, 48, of Mobile, Alabama, to imprisonment for 18 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Godwin undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, and receive testing and treatment for substance abuse.
On October 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Godwin with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits convicted felons from possessing a firearm. On January 30, 2020, Godwin pleaded guilty to the charge before the Court.
Godwin admitted to the following facts at his plea hearing. On September 3, 2019, narcotics investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office initiated surveillance of a Citgo gas station on Springhill Avenue in Mobile after viewing a Snapchat video in which a male individual said that he had narcotics and would be selling them at the gas station. Investigators saw the person from the Snapchat video and numerous other persons loitering and engaging in hand-to-hand transactions at the gas station. Godwin parked his vehicle near a fuel pump at the gas station, exited the vehicle, walked toward the convenience store portion of the station at the same time as the individual from the Snapchat video, and returned to his vehicle shortly thereafter. When deputies approached Godwin’s vehicle, they immediately detected the strong odor of burnt marijuana. Godwin gave deputies verbal consent to search his vehicle. During their search, deputies recovered a Charter Arms, .38-caliber revolver, which was plainly visible in the driver’s side door pocket of Godwin’s vehicle. Godwin knowingly possessed the revolver, which had previously traveled in interstate commerce. At the time of the incident, Godwin had at least four prior felony convictions in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, including unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, burglary in the first degree, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and burglary in the third degree. Each of these felony offenses prohibited Godwin from possessing a firearm.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case.
Decatur Sex Offender Sentenced to 22 1/2 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A prior sex offender, Emmett J. Rogers, 47, of the 400 block of South 22nd Street, Decatur, Ill, was sentenced today for child sexual exploitation and child pornography. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm ordered Rogers to serve 270 months (22 years, six months) in prison. Rogers has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest one year ago, on June 11, 2019, and will be transferred to the federal Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.
On Dec. 12, 2019, Rogers pleaded guilty to the charges that he exploited a minor in October 2018, to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produce images of the conduct. Rogers also admitted to transportation and possession of child pornography. According to the affidavit in support of Rogers’ arrest, Rogers was identified through cybertips sent by Google to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the case. The Decatur Police Department; the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
DOJ and City of Aberdeen, Washington, resolve complaint and investigation regarding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Read the Press Release
Seattle - The U.S. Department of Justice and the City of Aberdeen, Washington, today reached a settlement regarding areas of the city that were found to be non-compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. The areas of non-compliance came to light in 2019 when an Aberdeen resident who has impaired sight filed a complaint regarding obstacles on city sidewalks. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the obstructions, and the city has agreed to make changes--either removing the obstacles or creating barriers that will allow a person who is visually impaired to be aware of the obstacle by use of a cane.
“I’m pleased the City of Aberdeen is working quickly to make these modifications to ensure that their streets and sidewalks are accessible for all,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “Our ability to enforce the ADA is greatly served when members of our community alert us to areas of non-compliance. This complainant helped further accessibility by alerting the city and our office to obstacles that may pass unnoticed for sighted residents, but can badly injure those with visual impairments.”
According to the settlement, at five different intersections, the light poles on the streets contain boxes that protrude more than 12 inches into the circulation path at the intersection. Because the boxes stick out so far from the pole, a person using a cane to navigate could walk right into the metal box. The city is placing low-hanging barriers around the boxes so that canes will register the obstacle.
In four other locations, tree limbs overhang city streets below the 80-inch height minimum set by the ADA. The city will be trimming those trees so that the branches will no longer be an obstacle for those who may not be able to see them as they walk down the street.
Under the terms of the settlement, the City of Aberdeen will make all the modifications by August 1, 2020, and will report back to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the work. If there are no other issues of ADA non-compliance over the next year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will close the file.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Fogg.
usao_ada_investigation_settlement_agreement_06.15.2020.pdfConvicted Felon Indicted for Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault of a Federal EmployeeRead the Press Release
MEMPHIS, TN – A federal grand jury has indicted Bernard M. Jones, 35, for attempted murder and aggravated assault of a federal employee with a deadly weapon. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the indictment today.
According to information presented in court, on September 4, 2019, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Jones was in the process of committing the crime of burglary of a motor vehicle. Meanwhile, the victim, a U.S. Postal Service employee, was preparing to take First Class mail from the Jet Cove Annex to the Memphis Processing & Distribution Center located in downtown Memphis. While loading the mail into his USPS staff vehicle, the victim observed someone moving around inside his personal vehicle which was parked approximately 50 yards away in the employee parking lot at the Memphis Priority Mail Annex located at 3300 Jet Cove in Memphis. The victim drove the staff vehicle near his pickup truck and saw the defendant exit his pickup truck.
The defendant shot multiple times at the victim as he escaped in his postal vehicle. As the victim drove away, the defendant followed him in a Nissan Sentra and continued to shoot. During the course of the investigation, United States Postal Inspectors determined two bullets struck the hood and several other locations on the postal vehicle. Law enforcement also located two 9MM Luger shell casings from the shooting scene. The suspect, along with a female accomplice, fled the scene in a blue Nissan Sentra. Postal Inspectors later identified Bernard M. Jones as the shooter. As a result of his prior felony conviction history, Jones is prohibited by federal law from possession of a firearm or ammunition.
Jones has been indicted for the offenses of Assault of a federal employee with a deadly weapon; Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon; Use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; and Attempted murder of a federal employee.
If convicted on counts 1, 4, and 5 Jones faces sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment on each; a $250,000 fine; and 3 years supervised release. On count 2, he faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000 and 3 years supervised release. On count 3, he faces a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years and up to life imprisonment; a $ 250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This office takes very seriously our duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the sanctity and security of the U.S. Mail. This indictment reflects our commitment to hold offenders accountable for brazen and disturbing acts of violence that endanger and victimize federal employees. We commend the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS in this case."
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Columbia County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gary Shoemaker, Jr., age 40, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 72 months’ imprisonment for engaging in heroin trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Shoemaker pleaded guilty to the offense of distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Shoemaker was charged with this offense after he sold heroin to a confidential informant during an investigation targeting drug distribution activity in the Columbia and Montour County areas.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montour County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Co-Founder of Cryptocurrency Company Pleads Guilty for Role in ICO Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Craig Stewart, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced that ROBERT JOSEPH FARKAS, a/k/a “RJ,” pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott to conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce victims to invest more than $25 million dollars’ worth of digital funds in Centra Tech, Inc. (“Centra Tech”), a Miami-based company he co-founded and that purported to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products. FARKAS and his co-conspirators used material misrepresentations and omissions to solicit investors to purchase securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech, through an initial coin offering (“ICO”) beginning in approximately July 2017.
Mr. Stewart said: “Farkas and his co-conspirators duped ICO investors into investing digital currency worth millions of dollars based on fictitious claims about their company, including misrepresentations relating to its purported digital technologies and its relationships with legitimate businesses in the financial services sector. Whether in the context of traditional equity IPOs or newer cryptocurrency-related ICOs, raising capital through lies and deceit is a crime.”
According to the Superseding Information, and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:
In or about July 2017, FARKAS, along with co-defendants Sohrab Sharma and Raymond Trapani, founded a company called Centra Tech that claimed to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products, including a purported debit card, the “Centra Card,” that supposedly allowed users to make purchases using cryptocurrency at establishments accepting Visa or Mastercard payment cards. From approximately July 30, 2017, through October 5, 2017, FARKAS and his co-defendants solicited investors to purchase unregistered securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech (“Centra tokens” or “CTR tokens”), through a so-called “initial coin offering” or “ICO.” As part of this effort, FARKAS and his co-defendants represented, in oral and written offering materials that were disseminated via the internet: (a) that Centra Tech had an experienced executive team with impressive credentials, including a purported CEO named “Michael Edwards” with more than 20 years of banking industry experience and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University; (b) that Centra Tech had formed partnerships with Bancorp, Visa, and Mastercard to issue Centra Cards licensed by Visa or Mastercard; and (c) that Centra Tech had money transmitter and other licenses in 38 states, among other claims. Based in part on these claims, victims provided millions of dollars’ worth of digital funds in investments for the purchase of Centra Tech tokens. In or about October 2017, at the end of Centra Tech’s ICO, those digital funds raised from victims were worth more than $25 million. At certain times in 2018, as the defendants’ fraud scheme was ongoing, those funds were worth more than $60 million.
The claims that FARKAS and his co-conspirators made to help secure these investments, however, were false. In fact, the purported CEO “Michael Edwards” and another supposed member of Centra Tech’s executive team were fictional people who were fabricated to dupe investors; Centra Tech had no such partnerships with Bancorp, Visa, or Mastercard; and Centra Tech did not have such licenses in a number of those states.
On or about May 2018 and October 2018, this Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) seized, pursuant to judicially authorized seizure warrants, 100,000 Ether units, consisting of digital funds raised from victims who purchased digital tokens issued by Centra Tech during its ICO based on fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions.
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FARKAS, 33, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. FARKAS will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield on a date to be determined.
Mr. Stewart praised the work of the FBI, and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer, Negar Tekeei, and Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution.
Cleveland man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony L. Jackson, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jackson, also known as “Rob,” age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl” in March 2020. Jackson admitted to having heroin and fentanyl in August 2017 in Hancock County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-State Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man who participated in a conspiracy which saw large quantities of heroin transported from Akron, Ohio and distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia pled guilty today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Weston Dallas McDaniels, 34, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
“Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are working together like never before to dismantle multi-state drug trafficking networks funneling large quantities of deadly drugs into our communities,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart said. “We are holding these pushers, peddlers and traffickers accountable for the tragic addiction and chaos they cause in our communities.”
McDaniels admitted that during the month of September 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute heroin in the Charleston area. During the conspiracy, McDaniels was directed to a source of supply for heroin in Akron, Ohio. McDaniels and the source met in Akron on multiple occasions where the source provided McDaniels with heroin. McDaniels then transported the heroin to the Southern District of West Virginia where it was sold. On September 13, 2019, McDaniels acquired an additional amount of heroin from the source in Akron and was subsequently stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. A trooper located and seized the heroin and McDaniels admitted that he was transporting the heroin to West Virginia. A chemist later determined that the heroin also contained fentanyl and weighed in excess of 300 grams.
McDaniels faces five to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 21, 2020.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
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Businessman Pleads Guilty in Federal Contract Kick-Back SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former businessman engaged in a complicated kick-back and wire fraud scheme involving federal contracts worth more than $36 million dollars has pleaded guilty for his crimes, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. David Kennedy, 67, of Nashville, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea this morning before U.S. District Judge Clay Land to one count conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Act and commit wire fraud. Kennedy faces a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the signed guilty plea, a company Kennedy worked for was awarded a $29 million federal contract in 2013 for work on Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. The same company was awarded a separate federal contract in 2014 in the amount of $7.7 million for work on Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. On both projects, Kennedy illegally directed millions of dollars of subcontract work to Southern Atlantic Construction in exchange for thousands of dollars in kick-backs, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act. Kennedy opened a bank account in Tennessee, where he moved his illegal gains, committing wire fraud.
“Investigators unraveled a complicated kick-back scheme concocted by the defendant to enrich himself to the detriment of the American taxpayer. Combatting fraud against the United States remains a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command for their excellent work investigating this fraud.”
"With this guilty plea Kennedy acknowledges his criminal wrongdoing and will now be held accountable," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI strives to expose corrupt kickback schemes that undermine the normal process for obtaining federal contracts thereby costing our taxpayers dearly."
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals and Trial Attorney Vasanth Sridharan of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Conspiring to Distribute over a Kilogram of Heroin in SchenectadyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka “Tego,” age 38, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin to a Schenectady-based drug trafficking organization. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Rivera-Perez to forfeit $89,017 in heroin proceeds and to serve 5 years of post-release supervision.
In pleading guilty, Rivera-Perez admitted to being a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018. Rivera-Perez was the organization’s supplier and, through a courier, regularly delivered hundreds of grams of heroin from the Bronx to Schenectady, and received thousands of dollars in return. The heroin was then sold in personal-use amounts in and around Schenectady by other members of the organization.
In sentencing Rivera Perez, who has “King of Dope” tattooed across his abdomen, Judge D’Agostino found that he obtained $89,017 in heroin proceeds by suppling the organization in Schenectady.
Rivera-Perez was charged with eight other defendants, all of whom have pled guilty, and are from the Bronx, Schenectady, and Amsterdam, New York.
The following defendants have pled guilty and face the following sentences of imprisonment:
Name
Age
Minimum
Maximum
Esteban Ressy, aka “The Boss”
44
15 years
Life
Daniel Garcia, aka “Danny”
35
10 years
Life
Linette Marie Soto
26
10 years
Life
The following defendants were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:
Name
Age
Sentence
Gregory Insogna
46
5 years
Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee,” aka “Gordo”
29
57 months
Kirsten Jansen
28
18 months
Jose Cortes-Cruz, aka “Bimbo”
29
1 year and 1 day
Patrick McNamara
49
Time served
This case was investigated by HSI, the New York State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Amsterdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
British Citizen Pleads Guilty to Attempted Aircraft Parts FraudRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On June 16, 2020, Richard Paul Harper, 67, of Norwich, Great Britain, entered a guilty plea to one count of attempted aircraft parts fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Sentencing has been set for October 20, 2020, at 10:15 a.m., in U.S. District Court at Knoxville.
Harper faces a term of up to ten years in Federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release of three years.
Harper owned and controlled a business known as Apple Helicopter International, with offices in Great Britain and Bristol, Tennessee. At one time, Apple held a license from the Federal Aviation Administration, and was engaged internationally in purchasing, refurbishing, and selling used helicopters and helicopter parts.
As part of the written plea agreement, Harper admitted that he obtained a helicopter with significant damage to its underbelly. Instead of performing necessary, costly repairs, the fuselage of the helicopter was switched with the fuselage of another helicopter that had crashed in New Jersey, and the original data plates were affixed to the fuselage of that helicopter. This data plate switch caused the true history of the helicopter to be concealed. Harper, with intent to defraud, actively marketed and tried to sell the resulting helicopter with switched data plates to unsuspecting purchasers.
Ultimately, Harper attempted to sell the helicopter to an undercover agent posing as an aircraft broker. During the attempt, Harper concealed the true history of the aircraft and coordinated the provision of fraudulent maintenance records to the undercover agent. Following the filing of a criminal complaint and the issuance of an arrest warrant, agents arrested Harper when he entered the United States in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2020, on his way to a national helicopter convention.
"Fraudulent activity of any kind is reprehensible and detrimental, but fraudulent activity of this kind that poses a particular danger to those who fly the aircraft and are on the ground is particularly egregious,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “I want to commend our law enforcement partners in this case for bringing the perpetrator of this fraud to justice.”
“The plea agreement entered by Harper shows that intentionally concealing material facts about an aircraft used to verify the safety and airworthiness is unacceptable,” stated Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Together with our Federal and prosecutorial partners, we will continue working to preserve the highest levels of integrity and safety within the Nation’s aviation system.”
“Individuals who seek monetary gain through the fraudulent sale of faulty equipment place unsuspecting consumers at risk of serious injury or death,” said Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville. “Strong partnerships among federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies are critical to public safety both in the air and on the ground.”
The plea agreement is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Mac D. Heavener, III, Assistant U.S. Attorney, represented the United States.
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Brainerd Man Charged in Minneapolis Police Third Precinct ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal criminal complaint against DYLAN SHAKESPEARE ROBINSON, 22, charging him with aiding and abetting arson at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct. ROBINSON, who was arrested on June, 14, 2020, in Breckenridge, Colorado, made his initial appearance earlier today, before Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter in U.S. District Court in Denver.
According to the allegations in the complaint, on the night of May 28, 2020, the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct was overrun and heavily damaged due to vandalism and arson. Investigators identified multiple separate fires had been started in the building. Surveillance video footage from the Third Precinct shows two individuals light a Molotov cocktail and throw it at the Third Precinct building. One of the individuals can be seen throwing a second Molotov cocktail at the Third Precinct building. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were able to identify ROBINSON in the surveillance video.
According to the allegations in the complaint, ATF investigators reviewed a video posted on ROBINSON’s Snapchat account that shows at least one individual appearing to make a Molotov cocktail while multiple unidentified voices provide directions on how to make the device. During the video, ROBINSON typed several comments, including “These guys have never made a Molotov… Rookies,” and “We need gasoline.” Investigators reviewed another Snapchat video in which ROBINSON can be seen setting a fire in a stairwell inside the Third Precinct. On the evening of June 12, 2020, investigators located ROBINSON in the Denver, Colorado area. ROBINSON was arrested on June, 14, 2020, in Breckenridge, Colorado.
The ATF and FBI urge the public to report suspected arson, use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information specifically related to the Third Precinct fire or other business fires in the Twin Cities can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email [email protected] or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com. In addition to fires, the FBI is looking for people who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul and Denver Field Divisions, the FBI Minneapolis and Denver Field Offices, the United States Forest Service, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Breckenridge Police Department, the Dillon Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
DYLAN SHAKESPEARE ROBINSON, 22
Brainerd, Minn.
Charges:
- Aiding and abetting arson, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Bradken Inc. Pays $10.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Substandard Naval PartsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Bradken Inc. (Bradken) has paid $10,896,924 to resolve allegations that Bradken produced and sold substandard steel components for installation on U.S. Navy vessels. The United States alleged that a Bradken employee knowingly falsified test results to conceal the fact that the components did not meet the Navy’s specifications.
“When government contractors supply our armed forces with equipment that fails to meet performance standards, they not only cheat taxpayers, they also potentially put our service members at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the military receives products that enable it to perform its critical mission.”
Bradken, which operates a foundry in Tacoma, Washington, is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Kansas City, Missouri, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bradken Ltd. of Newcastle, Australia. Since the 1980s, Bradken has produced steel parts used by other contractors to build vessels for the United States Navy. The Navy’s contracts expressly required parts made of specified grades of high yield steel.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that some of the steel Bradken produced did not conform to the Navy’s specifications. The United States alleged that a former Bradken metallurgist altered the results of tests designed to ensure that the parts met the specifications for high yield steel, and Bradken’s internal controls were inadequate to identify the hundreds of falsified test results. The United States further contended that Bradken invoiced shipbuilders for the steel parts as if they were made to the demanding military specification when they were not, causing the shipbuilders to invoice the Navy for defective parts.
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold companies accountable for supplying substandard products, especially products that could impact the Department of the Navy’s (DON) war fighting ability and battlefield superiority, and the safety of our Sailors and Marines,” said Charles P. King, Special Agent in Charge, NCIS Northwest Field Office. “NCIS will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to safeguard DON major acquisition programs. The success of the DON’s war fighting ability is dependent upon a sound and reliable acquisition process.”
“The announced settlement is representative of the law enforcement community's relentless efforts to hold accountable those who engage in unethical business practices that endanger America's warfighters, corrupts the defense procurement process, and inexcusably wastes taxpayer dollars,” said Bryan Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “This case clearly demonstrates that unscrupulous actions by government contractors and subcontractors will be investigated by DCIS and its law enforcement partners.”
This civil settlement was the result of a coordinated effort among the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, DCIS, NCIS, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
In addition to the civil settlement, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran for the Western District of Washington announced that the United States has filed a criminal charge against Bradken for committing the crime of major fraud against the United States. The United States and Bradken have also entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) in which Bradken admitted the government’s allegations and agreed to take certain remedial actions. If Bradken complies with all of the DPA’s requirements, the government will dismiss the criminal charge after three years.
Except to the extent admitted as part of the DPA, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
Bracken County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Brooksville, Ky. man, Gary Lee Long, 59, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 180 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for receipt of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Long admitted that, on January 27, 2016, he reported to the Mason County Office of Probation, for his regular supervision visit. During that visit, his phone was searched and his probation officer found several images of child pornography. Long further admitted that he used Kik messenger to receive sexually explicit images of a minors.
Long entered a guilty plea in January 2020. Long was previously convicted in 2008, in the Bracken Circuit Court, of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree.
Under federal law, Long must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Jared Muse, Maysville Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the FBI and Maysville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade Napier.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Bozeman pilot fined for landing helicopter in Bob Marshall WildernessRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Bozeman man who landed a helicopter in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in May has paid the maximum $500 fine, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.
Samuel L. Schwerin, 48, of Bozeman, received the notice for the violation, a federal misdemeanor, after landing a helicopter on the South Fork of the Flathead River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness on May 16.
The U.S. Forest Service investigated the incident after receiving a report on May 19 by a person traveling on horseback and who saw a helicopter parked on a gravel bar on the South Fork of the Flathead River.
The Forest Service, in consultation with the U.S. Attorney's Office, issued Schwerin the violation notice, which was processed on June 12 through the U.S. Courts' Central Violations Bureau (CVB). The CVB handles violation notices issued and processes payments for infractions committed on federal property. The Code of Federal Regulations identifies penalties for this violation under 36 CFR section 261.1b. The maximum penalty is a $500 fine, six months in prison or both.
"Wilderness areas were created to be free of motorized activity, including helicopters. Montanans cherish places like the Bob Marshall not only for their spectacular mountains, rivers, meadows and wildlife but also for the quiet and solitude they provide. People who violate the wilderness regulations will be investigated and prosecuted," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
“We take concerns about the proper use of our national forests and wilderness areas very seriously,” said Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele. “Many members of the public took the time to share their thoughts on the incident and their appreciation for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. It is a world-renowned jewel that plays an important role in our landscape level ecosystem and our tourism economy.
"We appreciate the public reporting these types of incidents so our Forest Service law enforcement professionals and partners at the Department of Justice can investigate and appropriately prosecute them,” Steele said.
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Box Elder man admits child porn, sexual abuse of minor chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man accused of having sex with a minor pleaded guilty on Monday to charges, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Christopher Brown, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of a minor. Brown faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the sexual abuse of a minor charge and a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release on the child pornography charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris set sentencing for Sept. 30. Brown was detained.
The prosecution said in court documents that on Jan. 21, a Rocky Boy's Police Department officer was on patrol at about 11 p.m. on Lower Box Elder Road on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation when he observed a vehicle parked at the rodeo grounds. Because there was no rodeo occurring at that time of night, the officer decided to check on the vehicle. As the officer approached, the vehicle's headlights came on and the driver attempted to drive away. The officer initiated a traffic stop.
As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed the back windows were fogged over. Brown identified himself as the driver. Reclined in the passenger seat was a minor female, identified in court records as Jane Doe. At the time, Jane Doe was between the ages of 12 and 16. Brown and the minor girl told the officer separately that the other had initiated their meeting that night. The officer arrested Brown on an outstanding warrant.
In an interview with the FBI, Brown admitted he had been in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe since 2018, and had had sexual intercourse with her six times on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. Brown also admitted to making a video of a recent sexual encounter with Doe and that the video was on his cell phone.
Jane Doe confirmed that she had had sexual intercourse with Brown several times and that Brown had made a video recording of them having sex in January 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services.
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Billings meth trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine he received through the mail was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jose Antonio Escobedo, 48, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said drug task force agents developed information that Escobedo was wiring large sums of money to McAllen, Texas, a border city known for drugs. Agents suspected he was receiving drugs through the mail.
In August 2019, the U.S. Postal Inspector contacted law enforcement regarding a suspicious package sent to Escobedo from McAllen, Texas. A search warrant served on the package found that it contained a vacuum sealed package of meth. The package was delivered to Escobedo's residence. After Escobedo retrieved the package, law enforcement officers served a search warrant for the residence. Agents located the package in the bedroom. The package contained 163.8 grams of meth. Escobedo also had $9,574 on his person. In addition, agents located wire transfers dating to May 2019. The transfers corresponded with packages Escobedo received from Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI Transnational Organized Crime West Task Force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim Presents Procurement Collusion Strike Force to the International Competition CommunityRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, presented the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) to the international competition law enforcement community at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Competition Committee’s virtual meeting today.
The PCSF, an initiative of the Antitrust Division in 2019, is an interagency partnership including prosecutors from the Antitrust Division and 13 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and additional partner Offices of Inspector General. The goal of the Strike Force is to leverage the combined expertise and resources of the partner prosecutors and agents to better deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes and related criminal schemes that affect procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state, and local.
The OECD Competition Committee includes 38 member countries and the European Union, as well as non-member participant countries, experts, and other invitees. The Committee brings together leaders of the world’s major competition authorities for a dialogue on competition policy issues, including best practices and standards, and promotes market-oriented reforms.
“The PCSF has already shown significant signs of success on a national level and in the 13 U.S. Attorney Office partner districts,” said Assistant Attorney General Delrahim. “We hope the Strike Force can serve as a model for other countries looking for innovative ways to more effectively fight bid rigging and other anticompetitive schemes that impact public procurement, and cheat taxpayers, all over the world.”
Since its launch in November 2019, the PCSF has generated an overwhelmingly positive response from key stakeholders in the procurement space. More than 50 federal, state, and local government agencies have contacted the PCSF seeking outreach training, assistance with safeguarding their procurement processes, and opportunities to partner with the PCSF on investigations. In just the last few months, members of the PCSF have trained more than 2,000 criminal investigators, data scientists, and procurement officials.
According to the OECD, the elimination of bid rigging could help reduce procurement prices by 20 percent or more. The deterrent effect of greater enforcement against illegal collusion in public procurement should save taxpayers billions of dollars per year. Additional information about the OECD’s recommendations on fighting bid rigging in public procurement can be found at www.OECD.org/Competition/BidRigging.
Over a third of the Antitrust Division’s open investigations relate to conduct affecting public procurement that cheats the American taxpayer out of scarce resources, and the PCSF marks an important effort to better marshal enforcement resources to tackle these cases. Several grand jury investigations across the country have already been opened as a result of the work of the PCSF. The PCSF also remains on high-alert for collusion and other criminal schemes impacting public procurement related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PCSF has launched a publicly available website at www.Justice.gov/Procurement-Collusion-Strike-Force, where members of the public, including from the international community, can review information about the federal antitrust laws and training programs, and report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement.
Individuals and companies are also encouraged to contact the PCSF if they have information concerning anticompetitive conduct involving federal taxpayer dollars by email at [email protected].
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Keiuntea Antonio Banks, 25, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to a term of 10 years imprisonment for his possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. Banks pled guilty to the three charges in January of 2020.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 10 year sentence, consisting of the statutory minimum mandatory penalty of five years on the drug count, concurrent with five years on the felon in possession count. The statutory minimum mandatory five years on the carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony requires a consecutive sentence, for a total period of imprisonment of 120 months. The judge ordered that Banks will serve a five year term of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. He will undergo mental health and drug treatment programs during his supervision. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $300 in special mandatory assessments.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile Police Department, the Prichard Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Ansonia Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm DealingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MALIQUE MARTIN, 25, of Ansonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for illegally dealing firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August and September 2019, members of ATF and the New Haven Police Department made controlled purchases of four firearms and corresponding ammunition from Martin. Two of firearms Martin sold – an AR-1 Patriot semiautomatic rifle and a Bersa 9mm pistol – had obliterated serial numbers. During one of the sales, Martin noted that the bullets he provided could pierce a bulletproof vest.
Martin was arrested on October 2, 2019. On January 16, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Martin, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on July 21, 2020.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New Haven Police Department and Ansonia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
This prosecution 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 neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Allenwood Inmate Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tavon Johnson, age 30, previously of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on June 15, 2020 by U.S District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 12 months’ imprisonment for possession of narcotics while incarcerated at the Allenwood Low Federal Correctional Institution (FCC Allenwood), Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Johnson had previously entered a guilty plea to possession of contraband in a prison for possessing 120 strips of the narcotic Suboxone. The sentence imposed on Johnson will run consecutively to the sentence he is presently serving.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted.
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Alabama Man Sentenced for Enticing a Wisconsin Minor to Engage in IncestRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 15, 2020, Tyler A. Blackmon (age: 29) of Prattville, Alabama, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
On four occasions between September 27, 2018, and October 10, 2018, Blackmon used a popular messaging application to entice a Wisconsin child identified in the indictment as “Minor Child A” to engage in acts of incest with a sibling, a felony under Wisconsin law.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge and noted the “vile nature” of the messages sent by Blackmon and the distressing effect those communications had on his victim and sibling. Following his release from prison, Blackmon will spend ten years on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sexual offender.
“Protecting children from predators like Tyler Blackmon requires dedicated, professional law enforcement efforts,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “I commend the excellent work of the Seymore Police Department, along with the Prattville Police Department, to bring Blackmon to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Seymour Police Department with the assistance of the Prattville Police Department in Alabama. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Abilene Man Convicted at Trial for Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
An Abilene man was convicted at trial for attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
On Monday, a federal jury deliberated for just seven minutes before finding Carlito Santiago Santos, 47, guilty of attempted enticement of a minor. Mr. Santos was indicted in October 2019.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Abilene Police Department created an undercover online persona of “Tyler,” a 15-year-old boy, and placed his profile on Grindr, a social media dating platform for GBTQ men.
Mr. Santos sent multiple illicit message to Tyler. In reply, Tyler told Mr. Santos that he was 15 years old and sent an age-regressed photo of a 15-year-old boy. Mr. Santos agreed to meet Tyler at an apartment complex in Abilene to engage in sexual activity. When Mr. Santos arrived he was arrested by law enforcement.
During interviews conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Mr. Santos, a native of the Philippines where he worked as a pediatrician, admitted that he had a sexual interest in children because he found them “energetic” and “innocent.” Mr. Santos said he frequently viewed child pornography and ultimately admitted to molesting approximately fifteen children while in the Philippines.
The defendant faces a potential sentence of up to life in federal prison. His sentencing date is set for September 15, 2020.
The investigation was led by Abilene Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juanita Fielden and Jeffrey Haag are prosecuting the case.
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. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
31 Boston Gang Members and Associates ChargedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Twenty members and associates of NOB, a Boston-based street gang, have been charged in federal court in Boston for various crimes, including racketeering (“RICO”) conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, crossing state lines for the purpose of prostitution (the Mann Act), firearms charges and bank fraud.
Two other associates were previously charged with drug trafficking and firearms related charges. In addition, nine individuals were charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, in a drug conspiracy linked to NOB.
“Dismantling violent gangs is a top priority of the Justice Department -- operations like these have a direct, beneficial effect on the neighborhoods in which these gangs sell drugs and shoot each other,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Today's arrests are also a reminder that well-funded, professional police departments are not optional, but crucial, for protecting the safety of our communities.”
“Today’s arrests should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate gang related violence, and those who cause it,” said Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. “Members of this criminal enterprise wrongly believed they were above the law, but they clearly underestimated us.”
“This investigation is an example of ATF’s dedication to working with our local, state and federal partners in identifying, targeting and investigating violent criminals who are involved in selling firearms and narcotics. Criminals who prey upon innocent citizens and lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelly Brady. “Our neighborhoods deserve to flourish without fear or intimidation inflicted by violent gangs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to reduce the violent crime that has done so much damage to so many of our Boston neighborhoods.”
“Today we saw that organized crime is no match for law enforcement. As alleged, many of the individuals arrested today have engaged in a ruthless and senseless string of attacks and murders, terrorizing the communities in which they operated all across the state. Some were involved in violent crimes as far away as Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “As a result of our combined efforts, the threat posed by this criminal organization has been neutralized, and the members and associates of this vicious gang will now have to answer for their horrible crimes.”
"For more than a year, my Office has partnered with members of the Boston Police Department, Federal Law Enforcement, the Suffolk County Sheriff, and other agencies to investigate and hold accountable some of the most dangerous members of our Community. Today was the culmination of that effort. Acts of violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods and I remain committed to working together to keep Boston and Suffolk County safe. Our neighbors deserve nothing less," said Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins.
According to charging documents, since the summer of 2019, federal and local authorities have been investigating NOB, which is an abbreviation for Norton/Olney/Barry – streets in Dorchester. NOB is associated with the longstanding Wendover street gang. It is alleged that, through the racketeering conspiracy, members and associates of NOB were involved in a range of criminal activity including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal firearms crimes. While the gang is based in Boston, their criminal activity spanned across other communities, including Randolph, New Bedford, Stoughton, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Taunton, and communities on Cape Cod, as well as Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut.
Over the last approximately four years, it is alleged that NOB members/associates have committed multiple murders and shootings – many of which targeted rival gang members, particularly members/associates of the Cameron Street gang, another Boston-based street gang. For example, it is alleged that, in February 2020, two NOB-related murders were committed in Boston and Brockton. The twin brother of the Brockton victim had been shot and killed in July 2019 in Boston. In a recorded jail call during this period of violence, a NOB member remarked that the gang’s rivals were “droppin’ like flies.” During the same time period, gang members/associates were involved in the theft of multiple motor vehicles (some of which were used for violent crimes), and one of the thefts resulted in the kidnapping a five-year-old female victim from Boston, who was later abandoned in Randolph.
In addition to violence, NOB members/associates have allegedly trafficked drugs throughout Massachusetts, including marijuana, fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin and various types of prescription pills, including opioids. The fentanyl distributed by the gang involved not only fentanyl in powder form, but also fentanyl pills that had the appearance of oxycodone pills. On July 20, 2019, police officers conducted a vehicle stop of two of the defendants. Officers recovered a plastic bag with the fentanyl pills and a loaded 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number from their vehicle. Ballistics analysis subsequently linked the pistol to a prior shooting in New Bedford.
NOB members/associates were also allegedly involved in sex trafficking, including transporting women across state lines for the purposes of engaging in prostitution. For example, an NOB member allegedly transported two sisters from Massachusetts – one of whom was a minor at the time – to Connecticut in April 2017 for the purpose of having them engage in prostitution.
The charges of RICO conspiracy and committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years in prison, up to life of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross; Kelley D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan; Randolph Police Chief William Pace; Brockton Police Chief Emanuel C. Gomes; Stoughton Police Chief Donna M. McNamara; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III; and Norfolk County Sheriff Jerome P. McDermott and made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Corey Steinberg of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
APPENDIX A
- Michael Brandao, a/k/a “G Fredo,” and “Frizzblock Fredo,” 19, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Kelvin Barros, a/k/a “Kal” or “7981 Kal,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Ricky Pina, a/k/a “Blake,” 23, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- David Rodriguez, a/k/a “D,” 34, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Wilson Goncalves-Mendes, a/k/a “Dub,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Joshua Teixeira, a/k/a “Trouble,” 25, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Joseph Gomes, a/k/a “Joey” or “J-Money,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Alidio Barbosa, a/k/a “Ace Boogie” or “Ace,” 23, is charged with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Samael Mathieu, a/k/a “Hamma” or “Hamma Thang,” 23, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Moses Cabral, a/k/a “Moe Money,” 26, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
- Delven Carvalho-Centeio, a/k/a “Delly,” 22, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
- Darius Bass, a/k/a “Tre” or “Trigga Tre,” 26, is charged with violent crimes in aid of racketeering.
- Damian Cortez, 31, is charged with crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Anton Lopes, a/k/a “Ton Ton,” 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Brian Cardoso, 27, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Theresa Alves, 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Hailey Stringfield, 19, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Jawwad Freeman, 22, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Gullit Gomes, 28, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- Devon Hamilton, 20, is charged with bank fraud.
- Adriano Cortez, a/k/a “A,” 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Fabrice Teixeira, 32, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Armando Gomes, a/k/a “G,” 31, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Patrick Dunn, 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Daniel Barbosa, a/k/a “D,” 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Carlos Monteiro, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Tre Fernandes, a/k/a “OZ” or “OC,” 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Sandro Pereira Cabral, 23, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- John Rodrigues, a/k/a “Joao Fernandes Rodrigues,” 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Sean Brown, 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. (Previously charged on 3/5/2020)
- Eric Rodriguez, 32, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. (Previously charged on 2/19/2020)
15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
“My office recognizes that our Hoosier seniors are such a vital part of our society, but are some of the most vulnerable.” said Minkler. “The Southern District of Indiana has made it a priority to seek out individuals and criminal organizations that prey on the elderly.”
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal , making it one of the Department’s four top priorities.
Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors, 4 of which were in the Southern District of Indiana.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year. The Southern District of Indiana has disrupted over a dozen money mules involved with fraudulent scams targeting the elderly.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams. As a result of renewed focus on identifying and dismantling such transnational criminal organizations, the Southern District of Indiana successfully extradited and prosecuted an individual from Jamaica for perpetrating a lottery fraud scam against the elderly, and who used money mules to funnel the proceeds of the fraud back to Jamaica.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice .
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Monday 15 June 2020
Youth Sports Coach Admits Sending Obscene Photos to a Minor FemaleRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of California, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of transfer of obscene material to a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Timothy Cribbins, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on two separate occasions in December 2018 Cribbins knowingly used Snapchat to send photographs of his penis to a female under the age of sixteen. The court was further informed that the defendant, at the time of the charged conduct, was involved in coaching youth recreational sports in the community.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for October 15, 2020. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Cribbins will remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cribbins. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Yankton Man Sentenced for Distributing Crystal MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Yankton, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 26, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Bobby Franklin Hendrix, age 50, was sentenced to 10 years in federal custody, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hendrix was indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2019. He pled guilty on March 3, 2020.
On or about July 8, 2019, in the District of South Dakota, Bobby Franklin Hendrix, did knowingly and intentionally manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Yankton Police Department, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash prosecuted the case.
Hendrix was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vincent John Meno Sentenced to Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam - SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant VINCENT JOHN MENO, age 54, from Mangilao, was sentenced in the District Court of Guam to 24 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, 50 hours of community service, $100 special assessment fee, among other things. On December 31, 2019, Meno entered a guilty plea to Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
On May 24, 2006, Meno was convicted in the Superior Court of Guam for Theft of Property (As a Third Degree Felony). As a convicted felon, Meno was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. On September 2, 2017, officers with the Guam Police Department responded to a reported criminal mischief complaint inside the Lucky Land game room in Dededo, Guam. Officers spoke with the game room cashier who identified Meno as causing a disturbance. During a pat down, officers discovered a pistol and ammunition inside a black sock tucked in Meno’s waistband.
U.S. Attorney Anderson states, “This case was adopted for prosecution as part of DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. Our federal partnership with GPD has made this program a success on Guam. Whether through prosecutions, outreach efforts or grant funding, we look forward to future opportunities to keep our communities free from gun violence.”
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Guam Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Stephen F. Leon Guerrero, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.
United States Attorney’s Office Observes 15th Annual World Elder Abuse DayRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- Today, United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina remain relentlessly committed, through the Department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to preventing and prosecuting fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors by offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
“This office will always stand up to protect the citizens of South Carolina from fraud and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy. “This is especially true where criminals seek to take advantage of senior citizens, who have done so much for the State of South Carolina and for this country.”
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s Office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019, actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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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.
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Ulster County Man Charged with Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Anthony Hadden, age 27, of Modena, New York, appeared today in federal court on charges that he distributed and possessed child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to a criminal complaint, between December 13, 2017 and July 31, 2018, Hadden distributed and received images and videos of child pornography through a group messaging application on his phone. An examination of his phone revealed that it contained numerous files depicting child pornography. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hadden had a detention hearing today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Hadden faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Works to Raise Awareness Prevent and Stop Elder Fraud on World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 15, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Today, U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department is aggressively prosecuting fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fraudulent claims of assistance in obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds.
“On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we are continuing our ongoing fight to keep seniors safe from elder abuse and exploitation. Our district’s federal prosecutors recently joined AARP in holding a virtual town hall for seniors, to ensure that they are not defrauded of their hard-earned and sometimes limited resources on false claims of non-existent COVID-19 cures,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer. “With AARP’s collaboration, we successfully directed more than 4,500 listeners to best practices and available resources.”
Attorney General Barr has declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. The Southern District of California has brought federal charges targeting elder fraud, including the successful prosecution of Samuel Davalos Jr., who was sentenced in November 2019 to 18 months in prison after admitting to embezzling $117,305 from vulnerable older account holders at the Point Loma Credit Union where he worked as a teller. Davalos, 28, pleaded guilty last year to one count of bank fraud, acknowledging that from July 2017 to March 2019, he used his account access to defraud the credit union and its members by processing unauthorized withdrawals from members’ accounts, even creating unauthorized checks and other instruments paid to himself and his accomplices. Significantly, Davalos admitted that he purposely selected older members of the credit union as his victims because he believed they were less likely to notice the stolen funds.
The Department is conducting significant outreach to ensure that seniors recognize and report fraud and have prioritized the resulting investigations. Major strides have already been made to that end, including:
• National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
• Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 defendants.
• Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants who collectively caused over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
• Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year. (Money mules are individuals who assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. While the fraud schemes vary greatly, they include imposters who call would-be victims claiming to represent some official entity such as the IRS or even a personal acquaintance such as the would-be victim’s grandchild. Scams are also conducted via email, with scammers trying to lure would-be victims to provide personal information, perhaps by claiming they have won prizes. In all cases, the end goal is to bilk unsuspecting victims of money.)
• Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI, and AARP Nevada Partner to Protect Nevadans from COVID-19 Fraud ScamsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – On Tuesday, June 16, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and FBI Las Vegas Field Office will participate in a statewide telephonic town hall hosted by AARP Nevada to discuss fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
The June 16 event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. PDT. During the town hall, U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ray Johnson will go over common scams and provide prevention tips. Following those presentations, callers may ask questions to a panel including an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Supervisory Special Agent.
Statistics collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center show that victims of all ages lost over $3.5 billion to fraud in 2019, with victims over the age of 60 accounting for $835 million of those losses. So far this year, from January 1 through June 9, the Federal Trade Commission has received 67,805 reports about fraud related to COVID-19, corresponding to $49.43 million in losses.
AARP’s 340,000 members, and members of the community at large, may take part in the telephonic town hall on Tuesday morning. Instead of using a phone to dial into the town hall, AARP and community members can also participate online by going to the AARP Nevada Facebook page at facebook.com/aarpnv.
During the current health crisis, federal investigators and prosecutors continue to fulfill their critical mission of protecting public safety. Federal officials have prioritized the disruption, investigation, and prosecution of crimes related to COVID-19, including fraudulent schemes, unapproved treatments, and scams related to stimulus money.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of COVID-19 related fraud, please make a report to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline by calling 1-866-720-5721 or by the NCDF web complaint form at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. You can also report it to the FBI at www.ic3.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Nevadans can also call AARP’s Fraud Watch Network helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam. You can also find tip sheets and sign up for fraud alerts at the Fraud Watch Network site, www.aarp.org/fraud.
To find out more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit: www.justic.gov/coronavirus. AARP has resources and information at www.aarp.org/coronavirus.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Works to Raise Awareness, Prevent and Stop Elder Fraud on World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois joins the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, including financial exploitation.
“It is a sad reality that senior citizens are at greater risk of becoming isolated and lonely, and the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated these situations to put the elderly at even greater risk for fraud schemes and scams,” said U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. “Criminals use these situations to prey upon those who are least able to fend off their attacks. They use ever more creative techniques to illegally profit and steal hard-earned money from unsuspecting individuals. We must do everything possible to protect our vulnerable population of seniors.”
The Central District of Illinois is participating in the department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors. The office has organized a task force of law enforcement agencies and service organizations in Central Illinois to raise awareness and to prosecute those who carry out these fraud schemes. The office’s civil division has successfully recovered money in several cases, including recovering nearly $50,000 in funds sent by elderly individuals as part of a scheme where perpetrators convinced victims that a grandchild was in desperate need of money.
If victims or family members of victims immediately contact their local police department or county sheriff, typically within 24 to 48 hours of a fraudulent transfer of funds, it may be possible to halt the transfer of funds and prevent the loss of money.
The Department of Justice is also aggressively prosecuting fraudsters who are targeting seniors with offers of fake COVID-19 test kits and fake help to obtain stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program funds.
Earlier this year Attorney General William Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11. The hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services. If you know someone who you believe has been the victim of elder fraud or abuse please call the Elder Fraud Hotline or your local police department immediately.
U.S. Attorney's Office Reaches Settlement Agreement with ConnDOT Regarding New London Rail Station AccessibilityRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (“ConnDOT”), to resolve allegations that the rail station in New London is not accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreement requires ConnDOT to remediate the New London Rail Station to make it accessible for individuals with disabilities. As part of the settlement agreement, ConnDOT must ensure that:
- there are accessible routes to the station
- the station has at least one accessible entrance
- there are accessible doors to the station along the accessible routes
- any stairs that are part of a method of egress from the station are accessible
- train brochure display areas within the station are accessible
- the station has accessible toilet rooms
- signage within the station is accessible
- there are accessible routes to the accessible boarding platforms
- the station has accessible ramps
Under federal law, public entities are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica H. Soufer of the District of Connecticut in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities or does not permit service animals may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY).
Earlier today, the Justice Department announced the launch of the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. This new online tool will make it easier for the public to report a civil rights violation. The new Civil Rights Reporting Portal – located at civilrights.justice.gov – will consolidate over 30 unique reporting pathways. The portal will dramatically ease the burden on victims of civil rights violations to identify the proper reporting channel. The form is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It is also available in both English and Spanish, with more languages to be added over the next year.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of civil rights violations should contact the department by visiting civilrights.justice.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office Joins the Justice Department to Observe the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and to echo voices around the world
condemning elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.
“On this day, we shed a light on crimes perpetuated against older Americans and vow to continue to pursue relentlessly bad actors who exploit one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. As U.S. Attorney, my mission is to prevent elder fraud through education and awareness, and bring to justice vile criminals who target seniors and inflict physical or financial harm upon the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.
In March 2019, U.S. Attorney Murray announced the Western District’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. Since then, the office has prosecuted cases that run the gamut of scams targeting older Americans, including international telemarketing scams, tech support scams, romance scams, investment schemes, and financial fraud exploiting infirm elderly victims.
U.S. Attorney Murray noted, “Every day, elderly Americans are bombarded with fraudulent robocalls, spam emails and texts messages from scammers seeking to exploit them and steal their hard-earned savings. As technology increases, so does our responsibility to protect less tech savvy older adults from con artists. We must all do our part to ensure that seniors are aware of all forms of fraud, and they are properly educated on how to protect themselves from clever scammers with cunning tactics.”
U.S. Attorney Murray further noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, U.S. Attorney Murray underscored the importance of staying vigilant in protecting seniors who are vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, and remind the public that bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scams and fraudulent schemes.
On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe, and we will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors.
“Through the department-wide Elder Justice Initiative and our local efforts, we remain relentlessly committed to preventing and prosecuting fraud on America’s seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.
More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Elder Justice Initiative can be located here. For more information on department-wide enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
U.S. Attorney McAllister Observes World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Today, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
“In Kansas, our Elder Justice Task Force is working to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud and scams that target seniors,” McAllister said. “Our office is coordinating with federal, state and local agencies to build our capacity to investigate and prosecute crimes against older adults, to provide training to law enforcement and to connect elders with the help they need.”
Attorney General Barr said COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, he said, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities
Major strides have already been made to that end:
National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-1. Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider and UAW President Rory Gamble Set Meeting for Negotiations over Reform of the UAWRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider and UAW President Rory Gamble jointly announce that they will be meeting on June 30, 2020 in Detroit in order to begin negotiations to further the cause of reform in the United Auto Workers union. Both men seek to work together to restore the trust and confidence of the UAW’s membership in the union’s ability to represent them and their interests. This meeting is the first step in a joint effort by U.S. Attorney Schneider and President Gamble to put into place mechanisms and protections to eliminate corruption and to ensure that it does not return.
U.S. Attorney Schneider commended President Gamble’s efforts towards reform and his willingness to take further efforts to combat corruption.
“I look forward to working with President Gamble to achieve what I hope will be a joint effort to resolve some of the serious issues that the UAW has faced over the past several years,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “The UAW’s membership deserves our concerted push to bring about significant and important reforms.”
“Today’s joint announcement of our upcoming meeting is another step toward building on the many reforms we have already enacted. I look forward to discussing with U.S. Attorney Schneider the many reforms we have already put in place and furthering our efforts on other ongoing reforms for the UAW and our members. I firmly believe we both have the same goal. As I have said from day one as President, my intent is to hand over to my successor a stronger, more effective and cleaner Union that UAW members will be proud of for generations to come, and I very much look forward to meeting with Mr. Schneider,” stated UAW President Rory Gamble.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and Department of Justice Observe the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – Today, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
“Despite the care and respect that most of us give to our elders, there are some in our society that intentionally target and seek to exploit the elderly with false promises and fraudulent schemes” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “My office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring these fraudsters to justice and protect the elderly.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
A recent example in the Western District of Louisiana involved a multimillion-dollar investment scheme that targeted elderly victims and others. Gregory Alan Smith, 58, of Shreveport, and Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, 66, a senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty for their roles in stealing millions from elderly victims and others. Smith used his influence and status as the operator and manager of Smith Financial Group LLC in Shreveport, and Caldwell used his influence and status as pastor at a prominent Houston church to lure investors into sinking their money into what they thought were high-return investments. Instead of investing the money, the defendants divided the funds and used them to pay personal loans, mortgages, credit card balances, a down payment for vacation property, luxury vehicles purchases and to maintain their lifestyles.
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11. Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors, including two cases in the Western District of Louisiana, District of Louisiana.
- On December 10, 2019, Damilola Bamidele Isaac Samuel pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Samuel conspired with others to steal $260,726.09 from Regions Bank customers using fraudulently obtained ATM debit cards. Two checking accounts were also fraudulently set up in a bank customer’s name and used to transfer money from the customer’s legitimate account into the two fraudulently created accounts. On multiple occasions, Samuel was captured on Regions Bank’s ATM surveillance cameras utilizing the ATM cards created for the fraudulent checking accounts.
- On February 10, 2020, Pamela Webb, a Bank of Montgomery employee, was charged with stealing $41,000 from a Bank of Montgomery customer’s deposit box.
- On December 10, 2019, Damilola Bamidele Isaac Samuel pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Samuel conspired with others to steal $260,726.09 from Regions Bank customers using fraudulently obtained ATM debit cards. Two checking accounts were also fraudulently set up in a bank customer’s name and used to transfer money from the customer’s legitimate account into the two fraudulently created accounts. On multiple occasions, Samuel was captured on Regions Bank’s ATM surveillance cameras utilizing the ATM cards created for the fraudulent checking accounts.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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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.
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11. Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
Two Queens Men Charged in Armed Robbery at Aqueduct RacetrackRead the Press Release
Two criminal complaints were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Lamel Miller and Lafayette Morrison with Hobbs Act robbery in connection with the March 7, 2020 armed robbery of over $280,000 in cash from Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens. Miller and Morrison were arrested earlier today and their initial appearances are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.
According to court documents, at approximately 9:45 p.m. following the Gotham Day races at Aqueduct, Miller and a co-conspirator held up at gunpoint several racetrack employees – including Morrison who was employed as a racetrack security guard – as they were transporting more than $280,000 in cash earnings to a vault. Miller and the co-conspirator, wearing surgical masks, emerged from their hiding spot in a stairwell and confronted the employees at gunpoint. Miller and the co-conspirator took the employees’ cell phones and the cash, and forced the victims into a closet. Morrison was actually an “inside man,” providing information in advance about where and when the money would be transported to the vault. Aqueduct surveillance video shows Miller and the co-conspirator, still wearing surgical masks, carrying a garbage bag and a duffel bag when they exited the racetrack office and walked toward a parking lot at approximately 10:05 p.m.
“The defendants allegedly gambled that they could pull off a high-stakes robbery with the benefit of inside information, but thanks to the outstanding efforts of ATF Special Agents and NYPD detectives, they ended up on the losing end of that bet,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.
“Preventing violent crime and the illegal use of firearms remain the core of ATF’s mission. As alleged, Miller and Morrison conspired in a brazen armed robbery, however today, thanks to the efforts of the ATF/NYPD Joint Robbery Task Force, they were taken off the streets of this city and no longer pose a threat to public safety,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito. “I would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office for their work in prosecuting this case.”
“This alleged crew may have seen their inside job as a day at the races, but our arrests and federal complaints prove otherwise. Our partnerships, precision policing and vigilance in fighting for victims remains strong,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.
The charges in the complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
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. Attorney General William Barr has enhanced PSN as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ 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 government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. Galeotti is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
LAMEL MILLER
Age: 37
Queens, New YorkLAFAYETTE MORRISON
Age: 37
Jamaica, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 20-MJ-400; 20-MJ-438
Two Nigerian Nationals Charged with Defrauding Victims Using Online ScamsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Nigerian nationals were arrested on Friday, June 12, 2020 and charged in connection with defrauding victims using various online scams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nosayamen Iyalekhue, 33, and Esogie Osawaru, 27, were charged by criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud. The defendants were detained following an initial appearance.
According to the criminal complaint, Iyalekhue and Osawaru participated in a series of romance, pandemic unemployment insurance, and other online scams designed to defraud victims by convincing them to send money to accounts controlled by the defendants. To carry out the scams, the defendants allegedly used false foreign passports in the names of others, but with their photos, to open numerous bank accounts, and in turn directed the victims to send money to these accounts. Iyalekhue and Osawaru then rapidly withdrew the victims’ money from various bank branches and ATMs, often multiple times during a single day. It is alleged that the schemes included collecting unemployment insurance in the name of others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twelve Area Residents Indicted for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A dozen Springfield, Missouri-area residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Greene County.
James D. Collins, also known as “Red,” 46, of Battlefield, Missouri; Darryl Turner, also known as “D,” 56, Bobby G. Rost also known as “Pop,” 62, Elmer E. Freeman Jr., also known as “Duck,” 53, Rufus H. Jones, also known as “Shorty,” 69, Jerry D. Pierson, also known as “Pops,” 73, Tia M. Melton, 48, Christopher D. Hoskin, 27, Robert D. Huddleston, 46, Heather R. Kinnison, 28, Salvador Sepulveda, 46, and Trenton J. Davis, 19, all of Springfield, Missouri, were charged in a 19-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Wednesday, June 10. That indictment was unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants.
The federal indictment alleges that 10 defendants (with the exceptions of Melton and Davis) participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Greene County from Jan. 31, 2019, to May 18, 2020.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, the indictment alleges that Collins and Melton engaged in a money-laundering conspiracy that involved financial transactions of the proceeds of the fentanyl distribution. Collins and Melton are also charged together in one count of being felons in possession of a firearm. They allegedly were in possession of a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber pistol on April 20, 2020.
Collins is also charged with one count of money laundering, one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Collins allegedly was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber pistol on April 20, 2020.
Freeman is charged with two counts related to the distribution of fentanyl, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Freeman allegedly was in possession of a Davis Industries .380-caliber handgun on April 20, 2020.
Pierson is also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pierson allegedly was in possession of a Berasaluze 7.65-caliber pistol on Feb. 7, 2020.
Hoskin, Jones, Sepulveda, Turner, and Kinnison are each charged with possessing or distributing fentanyl. Davis is charged with one count of managing a premises that he made available for illegal drug trafficking.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained through the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy, including $16,880 seized from Rost by law enforcement officers on Feb. 6, 2020.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller and Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
OCDETF
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.Tea Man Sentenced on Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Tea, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 1, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Bereket Yacob Emahazien, age 46, was sentenced to 135 months in custody, followed by 5 years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Emahazien was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on May 8, 2019. He pled guilty on March 5, 2020.
Beginning on an unknown date and continuing until on or about January 14, 2019, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, Emahazien, did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together, with others known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case.
Emahazien was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.