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28 July 2020
Justice Department Secures $150,000 in Lost Wages and Damages for Victim of Racial Discrimination in Case Against Brevard County, FloridaRead the Press Release
Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with Brevard County, Florida, resolving its race discrimination lawsuit against the county.
The suit alleged that the county violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it fired Deidre Jackson, an African-American communications specialist in its Space Coast Tourism Office. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.
“No one should suffer the indignity of losing her job because of the color of her skin. To that end, the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 so that state and local governments do not close the doors of equal employment opportunity to anyone because of race,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Eric S. Dreiband. “The Justice Department was established 150 years ago with a founding charge to protect civil rights and this settlement reinforces our continuing commitment to eradicate the scourge of racial discrimination in the government.”
“Racial discrimination, in the workplace or elsewhere, is unacceptable and undermines the very tenets and ideals of a civilized, modern society,” stated the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Maria Chapa Lopez. “Our nation’s greatest achievements have been because of our diversity, not in spite of it.”
According to the department’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jackson had an excellent work history including positive evaluations and no disciplinary actions throughout her eight years of employment with the county. According to the allegations contained in the complaint, however, shortly after a new director was appointed as manager of the office in 2014, Jackson’s work came under unjustified scrutiny not applied to other co-workers performing similar duties. That director fired Jackson in April 2015, six months after he was hired.
The director never expressed any concern about Jackson’s work performance prior to terminating her employment. As the complaint alleges, he told Jackson that she did not fit his vision of the office without further explanation. After her firing, the director replaced Jackson with two white employees. Around that same time, the complaint alleges, the only other minority employee in the tourism office was forced to resign. The departure of the two minority employees resulted in an all-white tourism office.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the county will pay Jackson $150,000 for lost wages and compensatory damages. The settlement agreement also requires the county to provide its supervisors and managers with training on its anti-discrimination policies and on the types of conduct in the workplace that constitute unlawful employment practice under Title VII.
The Tampa Field Office, which is part of the Miami District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), investigated and attempted to resolve Jackson’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Department of Justice as an enforcement action. More information about the EEOC’s jurisdiction is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Justice Department Issues Business Review Letter to Avanci for Proposed Licensing Platform to Advance 5G Technology for Interconnected AutomobilesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division announced today that it has completed its review of Avanci’s new Platform for licensing “Fifth Generation” (5G) telecommunications technology in the automotive industry. As part of its review, the Division interviewed a broad range of stakeholders, including automakers, automotive suppliers, potential licensors, and others, and considered letters issued to other patent pools in similar emergent technologies. The Department has concluded that, on balance, and based on the representations in Avanci’s letter request, Avanci’s proposed 5G Platform is unlikely to harm competition.
“The Avanci 5G Platform may pave the way for new connectivity to be incorporated efficiently into vehicles that will enhance the safety and functionality of cars across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim. “The 5G Platform can facilitate the licensing of potentially thousands of cellular standard essential patents that Avanci has said it will provide access to at rates that are fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND). We also are pleased that Avanci has put in place safeguards that can help the Platform avoid harming competition.”
According to the Department’s business review letter, Avanci’s 5G Platform may make licensing standard essential patents related to vehicle connectivity more efficient by providing automakers with a “one stop shop” for licensing 5G technology. The Platform also has the potential to reduce patent infringement and ensure that patent owners who have made significant contributions to the development of 5G “Release 15” specifications are compensated for their innovation. Avanci represents that the Platform will charge FRAND rates for the patented technologies, with input from both licensors and licensees.
In addition, Avanci has incorporated a number of safeguards into its 5G Platform that can help protect competition, including licensing only technically essential patents; providing for independent evaluation of essential patents; permitting licensing outside the Platform, including in other fields of use, bilateral or multi-lateral licensing by pool members, and the formation of other pools at levels of the automotive supply chain; and by including mechanisms to prevent the sharing of competitively sensitive information. The Department’s review found that the Platform’s essentiality review may help automakers license the patents they actually need to make connected vehicles. In addition, the Platform license includes “Have Made” rights that creates new access to cellular standard essential patents for licensed automakers’ third-party component suppliers, permitting them to make non-infringing components for 5G connected vehicles. The Department made no assessment of whether Avanci’s licensing model, focused on automakers, ultimately will be successful in the automotive industry, which typically relies on suppliers to secure patent licenses.
Under the Department of Justice’s business review procedure, an organization may submit a proposed action to the Antitrust Division and receive a statement as to whether the Antitrust Division currently intends to challenge the action under the antitrust laws based on the information provided. The Department’s conclusions in this business review apply only to Avanci’s 5G Platform. They are not applicable to any other agreements or initiatives relating to standards or arrangements for the licensing of 5G-related patents. The Department reserves the right to challenge the proposed action under the antitrust laws if the actual operation of the proposed conduct proves to be anticompetitive in purpose or effect.
Copies of the business review request and the Department’s response are available on the Antitrust Division’s website at https://www.justice.gov/atr/business-review-letters-and-request-letters, as well as in a file maintained by the Antitrust Documents Group of the Antitrust Division. After a 30-day waiting period, any documents supporting the business review will be added to the file, unless a basis for their exclusion for reasons of confidentiality has been established under the business review procedure. Supporting documents in the file will be maintained for a period of one year, and copies will be available upon request to the FOIA/Privacy Act Unit, Antitrust Documents Group at [email protected].
Jury convicts man of sexually abusing minor girls in Lodge GrassRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A federal jury on Monday convicted a Moiese man accused of sexually abusing minor girls in Lodge Grass on the Crow Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
After a two-day trial, the jury found Jack Preston Coversup, 57, guilty of sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact.
Coversup faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor, and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release for abusive sexual contact.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and set sentencing for Dec. 10. Coversup was detained pending further proceedings.
"A jury held Mr. Coversup accountable for molesting minor victims over a period of months. Children must be protected from sexual predators, and we will prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Godfrey and Lori Suek and the FBI for their hard work in investigating and prosecuting this case," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
During trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Coversup had sexually molested three minor girls in a Lodge Grass residence from about December 2015 to February 2016. The victims were under the age of 16. Coversup sexually molested the victims by touching their bodies over and under their clothing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Godfrey and Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Jury Convicts South Carolina Man for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte convicted Robert Nathaniel Johnson, III, 35, of Lancaster, South Carolina today for credit card fraud, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. presided over the trial.
Reginald A. DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, from September 29 to October 20, 2018, Johnson and his co-defendant, Charles Vincent Brown, used a stolen credit card number to create counterfeit credit cards, which they then used to purchase more than $250,000 of merchandise, including electronics, sneakers, clothing and gaming equipment. Trial evidence established that the defendants obtained the credit card of an individual identified as Victim #1, and re-encoded the stolen credit card number onto counterfeit credit cards bearing the defendants’ names and the names of other co-conspirators. According to evidence presented at trial, Johnson and others used the counterfeit credit cards at multiple retail stores, including at Best Buy, Foot Action, Foot Locker, and Neiman Marcus. Johnson specifically used the counterfeit credit cards to buy more than $10,000 in sneakers and apparel.
The jury convicted Johnson of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, and access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date for Johnson has not been set. On November 4, 2019, Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and is currently awaiting sentencing.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the U.S. Secret Service for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Stephanie Spaugh, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Jefferson Davis County Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Adonis Edwards, 31, of Carson, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
On January 29, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Edwards for the sale of heroin and a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver.
Edwards will be sentenced on November 18, 2020 by Judge Starrett, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shundral Cole.
Individual Arrested for Brooklyn Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Eric Adjei with the robbery of a Chase Bank in Brooklyn on July 21, 2020. Adjei was arrested today and was ordered detained pending trial by United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the arrest.
“As alleged, the defendant threatened a bank teller in the course of a robbery here in Brooklyn,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “Our Office remains committed to protecting our financial institutions and the employees and customers who rely on them to safeguard their money, and anyone who robs a bank in this district will face justice.” Mr. DuCharme thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the New York City Police Department for the diligent work that led to the apprehension of the defendant.
According to court filings, on July 21, 2020, at approximately 5:40 p.m., Adjei entered the Chase Bank at 401 Flatbush Avenue. Adjei approached the teller window and stated, “I have a gun in my bag, give me $3,000.” Adjei was wearing a surgical mask, a blue cloth over a green cap, and a distinctive black and white horizontally striped shirt. NYPD officers located Adjei after recovering surveillance video of him in a subway station, with his surgical mask pulled down.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
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 Defendant:
ERIC ADJEI
Age: 47
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-578
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering in $200 Million Compounding Pharmacy SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Jason May, 41, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit health care fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Michelle Sutphin, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. Thornton of IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce of Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Interim Director Steven Maxwell of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN).
May was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $182,503,946.75.
From December 2011 until January 2016, May was the pharmacist-in-charge and co-owner of Advantage Pharmacy, a Hattiesburg-based pharmacy. Beginning in late 2012, May conspired with others to select formulas for compounded medications, not based on scientific evaluations of efficacy or individualized patient needs, but rather, to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. Then he and his co-conspirators mass-produced the compounded medications at Advantage Pharmacy and agreed to waive copayments for the compounded medications to induce TRICARE beneficiaries and others to accept the costly product.
The FBI, IRS-CI, DCIS and MBN investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Office of Personnel Management OIG. Trial Attorneys Dustin M. Davis, Sara E. Porter, and Katherine E. Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney Amanda Wick of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
Harvard University Professor Charged with Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was charged today in a superseding indictment with tax offenses for failing to report income he received from Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China.
Dr. Charles Lieber, 61, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In June 2020, Lieber was indicted on two counts of making false statements to federal authorities. Lieber was arrested on Jan. 28, 2020.
The superseding indictment alleges that Lieber served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which received more than $15 million in federal research grants between 2008 and 2019. Unbeknownst to his employer, Harvard University, Lieber allegedly became a “Strategic Scientist” at WUT and, later, a contractual participant in China’s Thousand Talents Plan from at least 2012 through 2015. China’s Thousand Talents Plan is one of the most prominent Chinese talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.
Under the terms of Lieber’s three-year Thousand Talents contract, WUT allegedly paid Lieber a salary of up to $50,000 per month, living expenses of up to $150,000 and awarded him more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab at WUT. It is alleged that in 2018 and 2019, Lieber lied to federal authorities about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan and his affiliation with WUT.
According to the superseding indictment, in tax years 2013 and 2014, Lieber earned income from WUT in the form of salary and other payments made to him pursuant to the Strategic Scientist and Thousand Talents Contracts, which he did not disclose to the IRS on his federal income tax returns. The superseding indictment also alleges that Lieber, together with WUT officials, opened a bank account at a Chinese bank during a trip to Wuhan in 2012. Thereafter, between at least 2013 and 2015, WUT periodically deposited portions of Lieber’s salary into that account. U.S. taxpayers are required to report the existence of any foreign bank account that holds more than $10,000 at any time during a given year by the filing an FBAR with the IRS. Lieber allegedly failed to file FBARs for the years 2014 and 2015.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making and subscribing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of failing to file an FBAR provides for a sentence of up to five 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; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Philip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made this announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Harvard University Professor Charged with Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was charged today in a superseding indictment with tax offenses for failing to report income he received from Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China.
Dr. Charles Lieber, 61, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In June 2020, Lieber was indicted on two counts of making false statements to federal authorities. Lieber was arrested on Jan. 28, 2020.
The superseding indictment alleges that Lieber served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which received more than $15 million in federal research grants between 2008 and 2019. Unbeknownst to his employer, Harvard University, Lieber allegedly became a “Strategic Scientist” at WUT and, later, a contractual participant in China’s Thousand Talents Plan from at least 2012 through 2015. China’s Thousand Talents Plan is one of the most prominent Chinese talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.
Under the terms of Lieber’s three-year Thousand Talents contract, WUT allegedly paid Lieber a salary of up to $50,000 per month, living expenses of up to $150,000 and awarded him more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab at WUT. It is alleged that in 2018 and 2019, Lieber lied to federal authorities about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan and his affiliation with WUT.
According to the superseding indictment, in tax years 2013 and 2014, Lieber earned income from WUT in the form of salary and other payments made to him pursuant to the Strategic Scientist and Thousand Talents Contracts, which he did not disclose to the IRS on his federal income tax returns. The superseding indictment also alleges that Lieber, together with WUT officials, opened a bank account at a Chinese bank during a trip to Wuhan in 2012. Thereafter, between at least 2013 and 2015, WUT periodically deposited portions of Lieber’s salary into that account. U.S. taxpayers are required to report the existence of any foreign bank account that holds more than $10,000 at any time during a given year by the filing an FBAR with the IRS. Lieber allegedly failed to file FBARs for the years 2014 and 2015.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making and subscribing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of failing to file an FBAR provides for a sentence of up to five 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.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Philip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made this announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gary Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Kristopher Meacham, 29, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann following his plea of guilty to transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Meacham was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim of his offense.
According to documents in the case, Mr. Meacham met a 14 year-old girl from Chicago in January 2018 in Gary, Indiana. The two communicated over social media, and during the communications Meacham told the girl he was 19 years old and arranged to meet her. In March of 2018, he drove to Chicago, picked up the 14 year-old and drove her to his home in Gary where he engaged in sexual acts with the child until she escaped the following day and was recovered by police.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation GRIT Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Four Alabama Corrections Officers Indicted for Using Excessive Force and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging four officers at the Alabama Department of Corrections with federal civil rights and obstruction of justice offenses. Sergeant Keith Finch and Corrections Officers Jordan Thomas and Kevin Blaylock are charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. Officer Thomas and Sergeant Orlanda Walker are charged with obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.
The indictment alleges that, on Sept. 12, 2018, Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock used excessive force to punish a prisoner who ran out of his cell in the Bibb Correctional Facility in Brent, Alabama. After two officers took the prisoner to the ground, the prisoner curled up in a fetal position and was surrounded by multiple officers. Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock then kicked the prisoner and hit him multiple times with their batons. As a result of this unjustified use of force, the prisoner sustained bodily injury. Officer Thomas and his supervisor, Sergeant Orlanda Walker, then obstructed justice by filing false reports that claimed “all force ceased” once the prisoner was on the ground.
If convicted, Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the civil rights charges. Thomas and Walker face up to 20 years in prison for the obstruction charges. The officers also face a maximum of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the FBI, and are being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby Long of the Northern District of Alabama’s Birmingham Office.
Four Alabama Corrections Officers Indicted for Using Excessive Force and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging four officers at the Alabama Department of Corrections with federal civil rights and obstruction of justice offenses.
Sergeant Keith Finch and corrections officers Jordan Thomas and Kevin Blaylock are charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 242. Thomas and Sergeant Orlanda Walker are charged with obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1519.
The indictment alleges that, on Sept. 12, 2018, Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock used excessive force to punish a prisoner who ran out of his cell in the Bibb Correctional Facility in Brent, Alabama. After two officers took the prisoner to the ground, the prisoner curled up in a fetal position and was surrounded by multiple officers. Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock then kicked the prisoner and hit him multiple times with their batons. As a result of this unjustified use of force, the prisoner sustained bodily injury. Thomas and his supervisor, Walker, then obstructed justice by filing false reports that claimed “all force ceased” once the prisoner was on the ground.
If convicted, Finch, Thomas, and Blaylock face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the civil rights charges. Thomas and Walker face up to 20 years in prison for the obstruction charges. The officers also face a maximum of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Alabama Department of Correction’s Law Enforcement Services Division, and are being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby Long of the Northern District of Alabama’s Birmingham Office.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Benjamin Big Eagle, a/k/a Benji Big Eagle, age 33, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $500 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Big Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2018. He pled guilty on April 24, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that started in 2012 and continued through 2017. Big Eagle sold small amounts of methamphetamine on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations in South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Big Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Saratoga Race Course Worker Sentenced to 65 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Francisco Alarcon Badillo, age 29 and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on Friday to 65 months in prison for selling crystal methamphetamine while employed as a worker at the Saratoga Race Course.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Saratoga Springs Police Department Chief Shane Crooks.
In pleading guilty in January, Badillo admitted that he sold crystal methamphetamine from May 2019 to August 2019, while residing at and working on the grounds of the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Badillo admitted to hiding the drugs in various locations within the Race Course property, including his dorm room. He admitted to selling more than 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the DEA and its Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department, with assistance from the New York Racing Association. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Former Real Estate Attorney and Wife Indicted on Mortgage Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts attorney and his wife were indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with various mortgage fraud schemes.
Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr., 60, and Nancy Plunkett, 55, both of Hyannis Port, were indicted on five counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. was also charged with one count of tax evasion.
According to the indictment, until he was disbarred in October 2017, Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. owned and operated the Plunkett Law Firm where his wife, Nancy Plunkett, was his office assistant and paralegal.
The indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in several bank fraud schemes. In one scheme, from September 2012 to July 2016, the defendants defrauded six mortgage lenders and 14 homeowners for whom the Plunkett Law Firm handled the closings for new mortgage loans to refinance residential properties. The defendants informed the mortgage lenders that pre-existing mortgages were paid off from the new loan proceeds when, in fact, the Plunketts intentionally failed to pay off the prior liens and instead converted more than $900,000 in payoff funds for their own purposes.
In other bank fraud schemes – between April 2015 and March 2018 – it is alleged that the Plunketts fraudulently used various names, entities and false documents to obtain three successive mortgage loans on their home in Hyannis Port in amounts of $412,000, $470,000 and $1.2 million. The defendants pledged as collateral a property in Hyannis Port that was held in a family trust for which Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr. was one of three beneficiaries. Both defendants participated in providing false documents to the lenders, including false title reports and other records to falsely represent that the property was free and clear of existing mortgage liens and forged documents in the names of other people. The defendants also allegedly made misrepresentations to a lender that Nancy Plunkett was a single woman living in Wellesley who was purchasing the property in her maiden name as a business investment when, in fact, the defendants had been married since 2014 and the property was their residence.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Lelling’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former BBG Contracting Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Honest Services Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A former contracting officer with the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) (now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to engage in a bribery scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Diane D. Sturgis, 61, of Glassboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States through bribery and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17.
According to court documents, Sturgis served as a contracting officer for the BBG’s International Broadcast Bureau, Office of Contracts until September 2017. Sturgis, among other things, supervised several contracts awarded to a Virginia information technology and data management firm, including a blanket purchase agreement. In September 2014, the BBG and the Department of Defense used the firm’s blanket purchase agreement to issue a task order that subsequently served as a vehicle for procuring millions of dollars in services from the firm. In November 2014, Sturgis and the firm’s owner used the same task order to fill several contracting positions in Sturgis’ office in exchange for initial payments totaling at least $330,000. Sturgis and the firm’s owner agreed that the firm would nominally hire Sturgis’ relative to fill one of these positions in exchange for preferential treatment and the performance of official acts benefitting the firm.
Between December 2014 and June 2015, the firm issued four payments to Sturgis’ relative totaling $30,000. The relative performed no consulting work in exchange for these payments; instead, Sturgis prepared the periodic consulting reports and accompanying invoices for the relative and instructed the relative to save the periodic reports and invoices on the relative’s computer and then submit the invoices for payment. The firm sought approval for payments from the BBG, which Sturgis authorized and approved.
The Department of State, Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Florida Man Who Used Covid-Relief Money to Buy Lamborghini Sports Car Charged in Miami Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Miami, Fl. -- A Florida man was arrested and charged with fraudulently obtaining $3.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and using those funds, in part, to purchase a sports car for himself. Authorities seized a $318,000 Lamborghini Huracan and $3.4 million from bank accounts at the time of arrest.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Investigation’s Atlanta Regional Office, Inspector in Charge Antonio Gomez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Kevin A. Kupperbusch of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)-OIG, Investigations Division, Eastern Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) Miami Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Donnelly of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-OIG, Eastern Region, made the announcement.
David T. Hines, 29, of Miami, Florida, was charged by criminal complaint in the Southern District of Florida with one count of bank fraud, one count of making false statements to a financial institution and one count of engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds.
The complaint alleges that Hines sought approximately $13.5 million in PPP loans through applications to an insured financial institution on behalf of different companies. The complaint alleges that Hines caused to be submitted fraudulent loan applications that made numerous false and misleading statements about the companies’ respective payroll expenses. The financial institution approved and funded approximately $3.9 million in loans.
The complaint further alleges that within days of receiving the PPP funds, Hines purchased a 2020 Lamborghini Huracan sports car for approximately $318,000, which he registered jointly in his name and the name of one of his companies. In the days and weeks following the disbursement of PPP funds, the complaint alleges that Hines did not make payroll payments that he claimed on his loan applications. He did, however, make purchases at luxury retailers and resorts in Miami Beach.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 29. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commends FDIC-OIG, USPIS, IRS-CI, the SBA-OIG, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-OIG for their work on this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Berger of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily Scruggs of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-mj-03237-JB.
Felon with Prior Drug and Domestic Violence Convictions Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to time served of approximately 33.5 months, and three years of supervised release on his conviction of federal firearms violations, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Kellan Hanner, age 29.
According to information presented to the court, on November 1, 2017, two Pittsburgh Police Officers were on patrol in the Hill District assisting in a call for a foot pursuit for a male with a firearm. The officers observed a group of three males, and noticed that one of them, later identified as Hanner, appeared to have a large weighted object in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. The court was further informed that Hanner fled when the police officers attempted to question him, and that officers witnessed the defendant throwing a firearm into a sewer. The firearm was later recovered. When apprehended by law enforcement, Hanner resisted arrest and also reached towards and pull at the officer’s firearm. Hanner has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver heroin and prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and as such, is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hanner. This case was brought under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Feds Charge 14 for Multi-Year Armed Drug Conspiracy Associated with Gang-Related Activity in LouisvilleRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A multi-year, multi-agency effort targeting violent crime in Louisville has resulted in a significant number of arrests and federal charges for the armed distribution of deadly drugs including fentanyl in the city, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.
Fourteen individuals have been arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine in one of the largest federal takedowns of its type in recent history in Louisville. The charges are an outgrowth of a targeted focus on violent crime in Louisville following historic homicide rates in 2016 and a one third increase in murders and over 100% increase in shootings in the city thus far in 2020.
“The single most impactful way to demonstrate that the lives of Black families, their children, and young men of color actually do matter in Louisville is to reduce murders and shootings in their neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “This unified effort to dismantle a group driver of violence in this city builds on our increased federal prosecution over the last three years of the trigger-pullers that are decimating Black families and flooding the UofL Emergency Department with victims.”
“Last year, FBI Louisville and its law enforcement partners initiated an investigation into a neighborhood-based gang after it was identified as being one of Louisville's most violent,” said FBI Special Agent In-Charge Robert Brown Jr. “This operation was the culmination of a strategic targeting of violent offenders. We recognize people living in areas impacted by violence deserve to see their children grow up in safe neighborhoods. The FBI is dedicated to doing its part, but it will take everyone working together to root out violence, mistrust, and fear.”
“Drug dealers with guns are violent criminals who pose an increased threat to the safety of our communities,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Field Division. “ATF and our partners disrupted a criminal organization operating in metro Louisville, by identifying violent offenders and their sources of crime guns and taking them off the street. We will continue to work closely with local and federal law enforcement to keep our communities safe and to hold offenders accountable.”
According to a federal grand jury indictment, beginning December 7, 2017, through June 17, 2020, all 14 defendants knowingly conspired to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and methamphetamine. The defendants include: Levontay Townes, Deonte Beason, Dariyon Newsome, Kevone Evans, Khalid Ashanti Raheem II, Frank Trammel Jr., Destiney Lashai Rhodes, Kevin Henry, Jen-Luc Henry, Reginald Harris, James Bivens, Pierre Travis, and Jason Edwin Logsdon.
The charge carries a penalty of no less than 5 years, and no more than 40 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $5 million, and no less than 4 years of supervised release. If a defendant has a prior qualifying conviction, the charge carries no less than 10 years and no more than life in prison, and no less than 8 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Destiney Lashai Rhodes also faces a charge of false statement during the purchase of a firearm in connection with the December 11, 2019, purchase of an F.N., model Five-Seven, 5.7 millimeter pistol and a Del-Ton Inc., model DTI-15, 5.56 millimeter pistol.
The charge carries a penalty of no more than 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and no more than 3 years supervised release.
Frank Trammell Jr., faces an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On or about December 11, 2019, Trammell possessed an F.N., model Five-Seven, 5.7 millimeter pistol and a Del-Ton Inc., model DTI-15, 5.56 millimeter pistol. The defendant had been previously convicted in Jefferson County on August 30, 2018, in case number 17-CR-3414, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On February 25, 2014, he was convicted in case number 13-CR-0858-003, of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (more than 4 grams of cocaine), possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, enhanced trafficking in marijuana, and enhanced possession of drug paraphernalia, all felonies. On August 15, 2013, Trammell was also convicted in case number 11-CR-0400-004, of complicity to commit burglary in the first degree, a felony.
The charge carries a penalty of no more than 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release. With three prior qualifying convictions the charge carries a penalty of no less than 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and no more than 3 years supervised release.
The Grand Jury further charged Dariyon Newsome and Kevone Evans with possession on March 10, 2020, of a Smith & Wesson, model M&P15, 5.56 caliber rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing heroin with the intent to distribute.
The charge carries a mandatory 5 year term of imprisonment consecutive to the underlying possession with intent to distribute sentence, and no more than life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and no more than 5 years supervised release.
Levontay Townes was further charged by the Grand Jury with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On May 14, 2020. Townes did knowingly possess a Springfield 9 millimeter pistol and ammunition. The defendant has previously been convicted in Jefferson County in case number 11-CR-0173-003 and in case number 10-CR-3252-001, of robbery in the second degree (two counts), possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (cocaine), and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies. On May 10, 2010, Townes was convicted in Jefferson County in case number 08-CR-3681-001, of robbery in the first degree, a felony.
The charge carries a penalty of no more than 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and no more than 3 years supervised release.
Townes also faces charges for possession with intent to distribute heroin, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
He faces no more than 20 years for possession with intent to distribute heroin, no less than 5 years in a consecutive sentence on each charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, no more than 10 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and no more than 20 years for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louisville Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
The charges set forth in an Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Fairmont man admits to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Keener, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to a child pornography charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Keener, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.” Keener admitted to having child pornography in March 2019 in Marion County.Keener faces not less than ten years and up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement from a Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Embezzlement and Theft From a Tribal Organization was sentenced on July 23, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Teri Tiger, a/k/a Teri Pretty Weasel, age 36, was sentenced to 1 year of probation, restitution in the amount of $5,711.15, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Restitution was paid in full before sentencing.
Pretty Weasel was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 12, 2019. She pled guilty on July 23, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from a series of thefts in February and March of 2015, in Eagle Butte, wherein Pretty Weasel, then a cashier for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Bingo Operations, embezzled and converted to her own use $5,711.15 of the moneys belonging to the Bingo Operations.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Larceny.
Randy Little Shield, age 29, was indicted on July 16, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 22, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that sometime between March 6, 2020, and March 13, 2020, Little Shield unlawfully took personal property from an individual valued at more than $1,000.
The charge is merely an accusation and Little Shield is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Little Shield was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Denver Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Six Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Jenifer Adriana Lopez-Ramirez, age 22, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to serve 228 months (19 years) in federal prison for six bank robberies and use of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence. Following her prison term, Lopez-Ramirez will serve 3 years on supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. government as the banks were federally insured. Lopez-Ramirez appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion. The Denver office of the FBI joined in today’s announcement.
According to the stipulated facts contained in her plea agreement, on May 3, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez walked into the First Citizens Bank, located at 9848 Zenith Meridian Drive in Englewood, Colorado. She handed the teller a note demanding money, which she received.
Approximately an hour and a half later, also on May 3, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez robbed the UMB Bank, located at 8190 South University Boulevard in Centennial, Colorado. She walked into the bank and approached the teller. Lopez-Ramirez brandished a firearm resulting in the teller giving Lopez-Ramirez cash from the drawer.
On May 9, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez robbed First Bank, located at 8901 East Hampden Avenue in Denver, Colorado. Again, she approached the teller and handed him a note demanding money, which the teller provided.
Two days later, on May 11, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez robbed a Bellco Credit Union, located at 3890 North Quebec Street in Denver, Colorado. Lopez-Ramirez approached the teller and handed her a note. During the robbery she brandished a firearm located at her side. Lopez-Ramirez grew impatient and went behind the counter, taking cash out of the drawer. In doing so, she also took a GPS tracker.
As Lopez-Ramirez fled from the scene of the Bellco robbery in her vehicle, she was tracked by law enforcement using that GPS tracker. As she attempted to evade law enforcement she reached speeds of up to 100 mph. She then crashed into another vehicle, seriously injuring that driver. Lopez-Ramirez was subsequently arrested. The firearm used in this robbery was recovered from a juvenile who was in the car with Lopez-Ramirez and who had provided the weapon to her for the purpose of the robbery.
Lopez-Ramirez was released from Denver County Jail on May 20, 2019, on conditions that included wearing a GPS ankle monitor. On May 25, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez removed the ankle monitor and became a fugitive.
On June 4, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez robbed the Bank of the West, located at 1389 South Havana Street in Aurora, Colorado. Lopez-Ramirez received money from the teller and then fled with a GPS tracker, which she later discarded.
Six days later, on June 10, 2019, Lopez-Ramirez entered and robbed the TCF Bank located at 18520 Green Valley Boulevard in Denver, Colorado. She walked up to the teller and racked the slide of her gun. She demanded and received cash from the teller. She then fled the scene.
Lopez-Ramirez was arrested approximately ten days later on shoplifting charges, putting an end to her serial bank robberies.
“Lopez-Ramirez’s greed drove her to become a serial bank robber, and she continued her crime spree even after being arrested and released,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Her career as an armed bank robber is over, and she will now have almost two decades in federal prison to think about her actions.”
“Today’s sentencing of Jennifer Adriana Lopez-Ramirez reflects the continuing impact federal, state and local partnerships have on combatting those who commit serial bank robberies in our community,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “We will continue to aggressively investigate individuals that target our financial institutions and ensure they are held accountable. The FBI would like to thank the Denver, Aurora, and Littleton Police Departments, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office, for their dedication and hard work on this investigation.”
The sentence was pronounced by U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore today, July 28, 2020. Ms. Lopez-Ramirez was charged by indictment on June 5, 2019, and pleaded guilty on February 4, 2020. This case was investigated by the Denver office of the FBI and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with substantial assistance from the Denver, Aurora, and Littleton Police Departments, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt J. Bohn.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case Number 19-cr-0285.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Dayton-area drug dealer charged with murderRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged Joshua Cordell Lee Williams, 19, of Xenia, Ohio, with murder in relation to firearms and drugs charges stemming from a January 2020 homicide in Wilmington in an indictment returned here today.
Specifically, Williams is charged with firearms-related murder and possessing with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, on Jan. 21, 2020, Williams met with four individuals in Wilmington to sell them marijuana. The individuals had intended to meet Williams and take the marijuana without paying.
A struggle ensued between the individuals and Williams, who was armed with a firearm during the transaction. Williams fired the weapon, shooting the victim, Layne Hall, in the chest and fatally injuring him.
“Far too often, the combination of drug transactions and firearms results in death. As alleged, this case involves a fatal shooting over a few pounds of marijuana,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “This case – the first ever federal murder case in Cincinnati – highlights this office’s emphasis on combatting violent crime.”
“This office, in partnership with Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters' office, has initiated a multipronged attack on violent crime. We are concentrating on long-term historical investigations into violent organized crime and at the same time devoting resources to current, ongoing crimes perpetrated by the most violent in our community. Expect more to come.”
If convicted, Williams faces up to life in prison.
“The violence associated with the illegal drug trade is a scourge on our communities,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman. “When law enforcement agencies partner together in a task force environment, as in this case, we can better attack these issues and remove dangerous criminals from the streets.”
Williams was ordered to remain in custody pending trial.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Wilmington Police Chief Ron Cravens, Xenia Police Chief Donald R. Person, the Greater Warren County Drug Task Force and Clinton County Prosecutor Richard W. Moyer announced the charges. OCDETF Chief Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Dallas Man Arrested for Extortion and Cyberstalking of Butte County VictimRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cameron Andrew Garcia, 26, of Dallas, Texas, was arrested today on a two-count federal indictment charging him with extortion and cyberstalking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Garcia sent Instagram messages to a victim residing in Butte County, threatening to post sexually explicit images and videos of the victim to public websites unless the victim produced new sexually explicit images and videos for him and sent him money.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mira Chernick is prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information related to this investigation or who believes they may be a victim can contact the FBI at [email protected].
If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Distributing Narcotics in Hampton RoadsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man and woman pleaded guilty today to a multi-year conspiracy to distribute narcotics in Hampton Roads.
According to court documents, Dontae Rashawn Parks, 36, and Shakera Semone Greene, 36, spent the last three years distributing cocaine, crack, and heroin cut with fentanyl to the Newport News community. In addition to narcotics, over $23,000 in U.S. currency, multiple firearms, ammunition, and a ballistic vest were seized during lawful searches of the couples’ residences.
Parks and Greene pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine, base, heroin, and fentanyl in Hampton Roads. Parks additionally pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Greene faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 22, 2021. Due to his more significant role in the conspiracy and the additional firearms charge, Parks faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 21, 2021. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Undertow. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the pleas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-20.
Corporation insider pleads guilty to wire fraudRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 41-year-old San Antonio man has admitted to wire fraud that resulted in a loss of $1,878,615.84, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Robert Morales Munguia Jr. knowingly submitted false work orders to his company in order to receive gifts and payments from outside vendors. He also admitted he knew the work would never be completed.
From Feb. 27, 2015, until April 12, 2018, Munguia worked as an environmental specialist at a Texas-based corporation. During that time, he conspired with outside contractors to bill for 68 false work orders that were never completed. In return, Munguia received various gifts and cash.
As a result of the scheme, the company paid almost $2 million.
Munguia was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing, set for Nov. 6, before U.S. District Judge David Morales. At that time, Munguia faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate is prosecuting the case.
Collins Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Reshun Goudy, 24, of Collins, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
On February 12, 2019, Reshun Goudy, as part of a conspiracy with others, distributed a quarter pound of methamphetamine. After seizure, the methamphetamine was sent to the DEA crime lab, which analyzed the methamphetamine as 96% pure.
On July 24, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Goudy for the conspiracy.
Goudy will be sentenced on November 18, 2020 by Judge Starrett, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shundral Cole.
Cicero Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Labor Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Cicero woman who helped numerous undocumented immigrants from Guatemala illegally enter the United States pleaded guilty today to a federal labor trafficking charge.
CONCEPCION MALINEK, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of labor trafficking. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Oct. 20, 2020, at 3:00 p.m.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Labor, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher V. Parente.
Malinek admitted in a plea declaration that she assisted ten undocumented Guatemalan immigrants with illegally entering the U.S. from 2009 to 2019. Once in the country, Malinek arranged for the immigrants to reside in her home in Cicero while they worked in nearby jobs. Malinek then threatened to contact U.S. immigration authorities if the immigrants wouldn’t pay her a substantial portion of their earnings.
If you believe you are a victim of labor trafficking, you are encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888, or logging on to https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.
Calaveras County Man Sentenced for Embezzling Housing Assistance Program FundsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Raymond Cawthorne, 57, of Valley Springs, was sentenced today to five years’ probation for embezzlement of public funds, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Cawthorne previously paid $14,000 in restitution and forfeited another $14,000 as part of his sentence.
“Raymond Cawthorne was sentenced today for embezzling funds from a federal rescue program that is still in use today to help homeowners stay in their homes,” said Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero of SIGTARP. “He is one of 384 defendants convicted of crimes that SIGTARP investigated. We commend the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California for prosecuting rescue fraud crime investigated by SIGTARP.”
According to court documents, between May 2015 and October 2016, Cawthorne embezzled over $14,000 belonging to the Keep Your Home California (KYHC) Program. The federally funded program was launched in response to the 2008 financial crisis and provided homeowners, who became unemployed, with temporary mortgage assistance so that they could avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. Participating homeowners became ineligible after they found new employment. The program was part of a broader effort by the federal government to stabilize the nation’s housing market where states with the most distressed markets received federal monies to develop locally tailored foreclosure prevention solutions.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), a federal law enforcement agency that targets crime at financial institutions and federally funded housing programs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Broward Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Fort Lauderdale, FL. – Today, a federal district judge sentenced prior felon Jeremy Juwan Rosello, 22, of Lauderdale Lakes, to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing stolen firearms that later ended up in the hands of alleged international firearms traffickers.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Gregory Tony, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 22, 2018, officials in Lacolle, Canada seized 19 firearms and a silencer hidden inside a vehicle that was crossing from the United States to Canada. Two of the firearms seized in Canada, a Glock handgun and Sig Sauer handgun, along with the silencer, had been reported stolen in Broward County. ATF, in conjunction with BSO, determined that Rosello, a convicted felon, obtained the two handguns and silencer unlawfully in Broward County and sold them, through another convicted felon, to others alleged to be engaged in firearms trafficking. Investigation also determined that Rosello possessed several additional firearms unlawfully and was engaged in drug dealing at the time of the offense.
On July 23, 2019, Rosello pled guilty in federal court to one charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the efforts by ATF and BSO for their joint investigative and prosecutorial efforts. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam C. McMichael.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-60122-RKA
British Citizen Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for His Role in Fraudulent Investment Scheme Related to Co-Working BusinessRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SAVRAJ GATA-AURA (“GATA-AURA”) was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for participating in a scheme to defraud more than 800 investors of more than $40 million by making false and fraudulent representations about, among other things, the management, profitability, and operations of a co-working space company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”). GATA-AURA previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before United States District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who also imposed the sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “For more than a year-and-a-half, Savraj Gata-Aura lured hundreds of victims to invest approximately $40 million into a massive Ponzi scheme. He concealed from investors that Bar Works was run by Renwick Haddow, who has pled guilty for his role in this and another fraud scheme, instead listing the fictional CEO ‘Jonathan Black’ in offering documents. By the time the scheme collapsed, Gata-Aura had personally made close to $3 million from unsuspecting investors.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment filed against SAVRAJ GATA-AURA and statements made in related court filings and proceedings, including the trial of co-defendant James Moore:
From approximately September 2015 to June 2017, GATA-AURA partnered with Renwick Haddow, who is also a British citizen, in soliciting investments into Bar Works through material misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the identity of Bar Works’ management and the financial condition of that company. Previously, Haddow had been disqualified as a director of any U.K. company for eight years, and sued by the Financial Conduct Authority, a British regulator, for operating investment schemes through misrepresentations that lost investors substantially all of their money. These sanctions and lawsuit were publicized extensively online.
In order to conceal his role at Bar Works because of the negative publicity on the internet related to past investment schemes and government sanctions in the United Kingdom, Haddow adopted the alias “Jonathan Black.” Notwithstanding Haddow’s control over Bar Works, GATA-AURA and others knowingly distributed the Bar Works offering materials listing Black as the chief executive officer of Bar Works and claiming that Black had an extensive background in finance and past success with start-up companies. As GATA-AURA well knew, “Jonathan Black,” was an entirely fictitious person, created to mask Haddow’s control of Bar Works.
Among other things, GATA-AURA helped devise and distribute pitch materials that contained the misrepresentation, coordinated a substantial sales force to recruit investors knowing that the materials contained the falsehood, advised Haddow as to how to continue to conceal the truth concerning the identity of “Jonathan Black,” and affirmatively represented to sub-agents for investors that he was communicating with CEO “Jonathan Black.” GATA-AURA and his agent network were directly responsible for raising approximately $40 million from investors in Bar Works. GATA-AURA received in excess of $2.9 million in commissions out of victim funds for his participation in the scheme.
In sentencing GATA-AURA, Judge Rakoff remarked that the defendant “lied, cheated, and as a result many victims were left destitute or deprived of money that was important to them. . . . His primary motivation was greed.”
In addition to the prison term, GATA-AURA, 33, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. GATA-AURA was also ordered to pay forfeiture of $2,988,225. The Court will also enter a restitution order at a later date.
Renwick Haddow, 51, pled guilty on May 23, 2019, to one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to the Bar Works scheme, and one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to a separate investment scheme involving Bitcoins. Haddow’s sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2020.
James Moore, 58, was convicted of one count of wire fraud and one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his participation in the scheme on June 7, 2019, following a week-long jury trial before Judge Richard M. Berman. Moore’s sentencing date is pending.
Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately brought civil actions against GATA-AURA, Haddow, and Moore, for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vladislav Vainberg and Martin S. Bell are in charge of the prosecution.
Bakersfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Machine GunRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Liodam Gonzalez, 28, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 30, 2019, Liodam Gonzalez fired a fully automatic handgun in a residential neighborhood in Bakersfield. At the time of his arrest, Gonzalez was a convicted felon and was member of the West Side Baker criminal street gang. Police officers found and seized the machine gun in Gonzalez’s residence.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Newman is prosecuting the case.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 16. Gonzalez faces a maximum 10-year prison term and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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. 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Antitrust Division Names Taylor Owings Acting Chief of StaffRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division today announced that Taylor Owings will serve as Acting Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel of the Antitrust Division. Owings, who has served as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General since February 2018, will replace outgoing Chief of Staff William Rinner. Rinner will continue to serve as Senior Counsel until his planned departure from the Department in the coming months.
“Taylor has excelled in her role as Counsel, advising on appellate and intellectual property issues, as well as overseeing matters in the Technology & Financial Services Section and civil matters in the San Francisco Office. In addition to her primary responsibilities, Taylor has made herself invaluable whenever a critical or novel issue comes up,” said Delrahim. “I fully expect to continue to rely on her wise counsel and for her to bring her great dedication and initiative to the role of Chief of Staff.”
For the past year, Owings has served on the leadership team organizing the Antitrust Division’s role in the Department’s on-going review of market-leading online platforms. For her work since entering the Department, she received the Assistant Attorney General’s Award of Distinction in 2018 and the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2019.
Prior to the Antitrust Division, Owings practiced antitrust law at law firms in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. She clerked for the Hon. Douglas H. Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the Hon. Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She graduated Order of the Coif from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she served on the board of the Vanderbilt Law Review. She also has a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Harvard College.
19+ Year Prison Sentence for Florida Fugitive Caught Transporting Meth in GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A fugitive wanted for trafficking methamphetamine in Florida was sentenced to 235 months in prison today after he was caught by Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers transporting nearly three kilos of methamphetamine on I-75, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell sentenced Jeremy Taylor, 29, of Cottondale, Florida, to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
Taylor was pulled over by a GSP trooper on February 19, 2019, while driving on I-75 in Dooly County, Vienna, Georgia. Taylor presented a false identification at first, then later gave troopers his true name. Troopers discovered Taylor had warrants out for his arrest for trafficking methamphetamine from Bay County, Panama City, Florida, and a failure to appear on aggravated assault from Holmes County, Bonifay, Florida. During a legal search of the vehicle, troopers confiscated three shoeboxes containing three bags of methamphetamine, for a total of 2,435.85 grams after taking into account the purity.
“Methamphetamine suppliers who attempt to use Georgia as a supply line for trafficking drugs will be punished. We will fight the destructive distribution of narcotics and seek the maximum penalties for criminal drug dealers caught in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank GSP and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office for their work investigating the case, as well as GBI and DEA for their continued daily cooperation helping us bring drug traffickers to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, GSP, GBI and DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ouzts prosecuted 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.
27 July 2020
Woman Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Black Tar Heroin in Plastic ToysRead the Press Release
In San Antonio, a federal judge sentenced 28-year-old Angelica Reyes-Vasquez to 70 months in federal prison for her role in smuggling black tar heroin into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Office Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden.
On October 26, 2019, Reyes-Vasquez, a citizen of Mexico, arrived at the San Antonio International Airport on a flight originating from Mexico City, Mexico. While going through customs inspection, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers detained Reyes-Vasquez for providing conflicting information to the officers. Reyes-Vasquez was referred to secondary inspection for further questioning. A subsequent inspection of Reyes-Vasquez’ luggage revealed three plastic toys containing approximately 5.4 kilograms of black tar heroin.
On January 21, 2020, Reyes-Vasquez pled guilty to one count of importation of heroin. On July 21, 2020, U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam sentenced Reyes-Vasquez to 70 months of federal imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Reyes-Vasquez has remained in federal custody since her arrest on October 26, 2019.
“While some may mistakenly view smuggling controlled substances as a path to a quick profit, the sentencing of Reyes-Vasquez demonstrates that serious consequences await those who engage in criminal activity,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Folden. “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and bring drug smugglers to justice.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Office Director. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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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.
West Virginia Doctor Pleaded Guilty to Lying to the DEARead the Press Release
A West Virginia doctor has pleaded guilty to omitting material information as required as part of his controlled substance reporting requirements to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart of the Southern District of West Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA’s Louisville Division made the announcement.
Michael Shramowiat, M.D., 67, of Vienna, West Virginia, was charged in an information unsealed July 24, 2020, and pleaded guilty to one count of omitting material information from his controlled substance reporting, as required by his DEA registration, before U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger of the Southern District of West Virginia. Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 2, 2020, before Judge Berger. As part of the plea, Shramowiat will have his medical license and DEA registration permanently revoked and forfeit $250,000 worth of cash and assets.
As part of his guilty plea, Shramowiat admitted that he failed to report to the DEA that he disposed of hydrocodone, a schedule II controlled substance, from his practice Mountaineer Pain Relief and Rehabilitation, in violation of his reporting duty pursuant to DEA regulations.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant Chief Kilby Macfadden and Trial Attorney Andrew B. Barras of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the ARPO Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 50 million pills. Thus far there have been 29 guilty pleas as a result of ARPO Strike Force’s efforts. The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
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.
Ventura County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Bribing L.A. County Officials and Cheating on His TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to public officials in Los Angeles County in order to secure government contracts for his electrical contracting company.
Enrique Contreras, 40, of Newbury Park, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $821,366 – $600,000 to Los Angeles County and $221,366 to the United States Treasury – in restitution.
Contreras pleaded guilty in May 2019 to one count of bribery and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. He paid his restitution amount prior to today’s sentencing hearing.
To secure lucrative contracts from the Los Angeles County government for his Lancaster-based low-voltage electrical wiring company, Tel/Pro Voice and Data, Inc., Contreras bribed two County officials with payments totaling $600,000. Then, in an effort to conceal the bribes and lower Tel-Pro’s taxable income, Contreras falsely claimed that some of the bribe payments, along with other personal expenses, were legitimate business expenses incurred by Tel-Pro.
As a result of those fraudulent deductions, Contreras failed to report a total of $636,454 in income from 2013 to 2017 and he owes $221,366 in unpaid taxes.
The two County officials who accepted Contreras’s bribes were Mohammad R. Tirmazi, 51, of Alta Loma, who was an employee at Los Angeles County’s Internal Services Department, and Thomas M. Shepos, 71, of Palmdale, a public official formerly employed by the County in the Real Estate Division.
From 2013 to 2016, Contreras made cash payments to Shepos, totaling approximately $200,000 to $300,000, in exchange for Shepos providing non-public County information to Contreras and helping Contreras secure County contracts.
Last month, Tirmazi was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for accepting nearly $300,000 in bribes from Contreras and then failing to report the income he received from those bribes and a side business on his federal tax returns.
Shepos pleaded guilty in November 2018 to accepting bribes and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7.
One of the individuals from whom Shepos admitting receiving bribes was real estate developer Arman Gabaee, 59, of Beverly Hills. Gabaee was arrested and subsequently indicted on federal bribery charges in 2018, which includes allegations that he offered to buy Shepos a $1.1 million home in Northern California’s wine country. His trial is currently scheduled for November 3 before United States District Judge George H. Wu.
This matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth C. Pinkel and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
United States Files Complaint to Stop Deceptive and Improper Sales of Consumer Background ReportsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that the United States filed a civil complaint to stop a California company from deceiving customers in connection with its sale of subscriptions to a consumer background report service, and to seek redress for injury to consumers as well as civil penalties.
The Department of Justice filed the complaint on July 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against MyLife.com, Inc. and the company’s founder and chief executive officer, Jeffrey Tinsley. The complaint alleges that the defendants sell subscriptions to their website’s consumer background report service by implying, often falsely, that individuals have criminal or sexual offense records that can be viewed only by buying a subscription. According to the complaint, the defendants also misrepresent or fail to disclose material terms of those subscriptions, including that payment for multiple months is charged upfront, that subscriptions will automatically renew, and that the subscription or automatic renewal could be cancelled only by calling a customer service center that prevented or discouraged cancellations. The complaint alleges that this conduct violates the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
According to the complaint, the defendants are also violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act because they promote use of their background reports for employment decisions, tenant screening, or other prohibited purposes—and know consumers use the reports for such purposes—but they lack reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of their background reports or to determine who is using them and why.
“Americans should be able to shop online and by phone with confidence that they are not being deceived about the services they are buying or the terms of sale,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan P. Davis of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive sales practices and from so-called credit reports that may contain inaccurate information and be used for improper purposes.”
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to prohibit the defendants from future violations, as well as monetary civil penalties and relief to redress injury caused to consumers.
A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
The case is being handled by attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Senior Litigation Counsel Lisa K. Hsiao and Trial Attorneys Patrick R. Runkle and Zachary A. Dietert, in conjunction with staff at the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
United States Attorney’s Office Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, South Carolina --- Sunday, July 26, 2020, marked the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina is proud to play a critical role in the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
“This office plays a vital role in ensuring equal access to all,” said U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. “We are fully committed to ADA enforcement.”
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has evaluated and investigated hundreds of ADA-related matters since 1990. Its enforcement matters involve core issues including accessible voting, access to places of public accommodation, and addressing discriminatory policies, practices, and procedures.
Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. To contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina regarding ADA issues, email the office at [email protected]. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
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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.
United States Attorney William M. McSwain Commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Yesterday marked the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Today, William M. McSwain, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, commemorated President George H.W. Bush’s historic July 26, 1990 signing of the ADA into law and announced that his Office will be hosting a virtual roundtable event with community leaders to discuss the ADA and his Office’s enforcement work under the statute.
“This landmark civil rights legislation sought to eliminate discrimination against millions of Americans with disabilities by outlawing the societal barriers that for so long excluded them from fully participating in some of the most fundamental aspects of American life, like seeking and holding a job, accessing transportation and medical care, patronizing a business, and voting,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Although the ADA has been a transformative statute, our work is not done. Thirty years after its passage, illegal barriers still exist that prohibit people with disabilities from fully participating in our communities and deny them the ADA’s promise of equal opportunity and access. In recent years, my Office has removed many barriers to access in places of public accommodation in our District, such as hotels, restaurants, and medical facilities, and in state government services and buildings such as courthouses, schools, and polling places. We will continue to make ADA compliance a top priority.”
U.S. Attorney McSwain noted that his Office often hears from the targets of ADA investigations that they did not consider the ADA in opening their business, designing or renovating their building, or developing their program, or mistakenly believed the ADA did not apply to them. “There is no ‘grandfather’ clause to the ADA,” McSwain emphasized. “On the thirtieth anniversary of the ADA, I want the public to know that when my Office receives a complaint under the ADA, we will investigate and, where appropriate, take enforcement action.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has a proud history of prioritizing civil rights enforcement and the ADA in particular; it has continued that tradition in recent efforts. For example, in February 2020, the Office began a review of all polling places in the District to ensure compliance with the ADA in advance of the November 2020 election. In April 2019, in response to an investigation initiated by the Office, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc., executed a settlement agreement in which it agreed to address barriers to access for individuals who use wheelchairs in Jefferson’s radiology outpatient clinic. After a lengthy investigation, in March 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Education signed a settlement agreement to address alleged discrimination against students with disabilities in its alternate education programs. In a March 2018 settlement agreement, Allergy & Asthma Specialists, P.C. agreed to fix barriers to access for deaf individuals at its Jenkintown facility. And in October 2018, after the Office initiated a review of several Philadelphia restaurants’ ADA compliance, twelve agreed to resolve a multitude of ADA access issues in their businesses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will be organizing the upcoming roundtable to educate local stakeholders about this important work with regard to the ADA and the Department of Justice’s jurisdiction under the statute, and to hear from disability rights advocates about recurring issues in the community.
U.S. Attorney McSwain urges people who believe they are being discriminated against in violation of the ADA to file complaints with the Department of Justice. Complaints may be filed online at https://www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm, by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD), or via email to the following address: [email protected].
United States Attorney William D. Hyslop Commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Ada)Read the Press Release
Spokane – Sunday, July 26, 2020, marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is proud to play an essential role in the United States Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
United States Attorney William D. Hyslop said, “The ADA is landmark legislation that has improved the lives of millions of Americans. The ADA has broken down barriers and attacked discrimination at its root. It has led to significant accessibility improvements in buildings, programs, voting, and travel that were otherwise inaccessible. It has transformed discrimination into equality for over 60 million, or nearly 1 in 4, individuals in the United States with a disability. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington has vigorously investigated and, when necessary, prosecuted violations of the ADA when brought to our attention. On this 30th Anniversary of the ADA, let us reflect on the many ways the ADA has transformed our community for the better, and how it can continue to do so in the future.”
Some examples of ADA enforcement work in the Eastern District of Washington (EDWA) conducted by the United States Attorney’s office in conjunction with the Civil Rights Division include:
• Project civic access: review of public buildings for accessibility and compliance with the ADA in Spokane and Yakima. See e.g., : https://www.ada.gov/yakima_co_pca/yakima_sa.html;
• Multiple investigations of hospitals and health clinics to ensure they are providing effective communication for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, and also physical access to medical care for people with mobility disabilities. See e.g., https://www.ada.gov/astria_sa.html;
• Compliance with disability access and ADA accommodation standards in rental properties. See e.g., U.S. v. Riexinger Enterprises, Inc., et al (EDWA 2018); U.S. v. Christensen (EDWA 2020);
• Investigations of numerous other referred complaints concerning the denial of services to individuals accompanied by service animals; non-compliant parking; inaccessible entrances and doors; or the lack of assistive devices. These investigations have resulted in improvements to access and accommodation at EDWA hotels, swimming facilities, county fairs, movie theaters, restaurants and more.
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.
Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
The ADA has advanced the promise of the American dream, ensuring that people with disabilities can write their own stories. And as a society, we are better and stronger because of the contributions that people with disabilities make.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
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.
USAO News: U.S. Attorneys, Texas AG Warn Consumers of Scams Involving Counterfeit, Mislabeled, Non-Existent PPERead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox – in partnership with U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Patrick (Southern District of Texas), John F. Bash (Western District of Texas), and Stephen J. Cox (Eastern District of Texas) as well as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – today informed the public about several fraudulent schemes involving masks, personal protection equipment (PPE), and other COVID-19 related gear. They urged everyone to exercise increased due diligence and caution when dealing with new suppliers or vendors, especially when using a third-party broker.
As demand for PPE increases, scammers may advertise equipment they do not actually have in attempts to make a quick profit. These PPE products may be counterfeit and mislabeled, and some may not exist at all. Some fraudsters reach out directly to consumers and government entities through email or social media to push their products.
Red flags that a seller may be engaging in a scam include:
- Unusual payment terms
- Last-minute price changes
- Last-minute excuses for delay in shipment
- Unexplained source of a large quantity of material
- Evidence of re-packaging or mislabeling
There are ongoing federal and state prohibitions on charging exorbitant prices for PPE during this time of national emergency.
Texans who believe they have encountered scams or price gouging can call the Office of the Attorney General’s toll-free complaint line at (800) 621-0508 or file a complaint online. For additional information on disaster scams, please visit their disaster scams website.
More information on unapproved or counterfeit PPE can be found at cdc.gov/niosh. If you have information about PPE-related fraud, or about hoarding or price gouging of critical supplies, you can report it without leaving your home to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by calling the National Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Notes 30th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is proud to play a critical role in enforcing the ADA to help eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities. U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman today reinforces the Office’s commitment to vigorously enforce the ADA in the years to come.
U.S. Attorney Weisman said, “Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in the 30 years since this landmark civil rights law was signed, we still see unlawful barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in many aspects of society. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work to remove obstacles to equality and dismantle the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized enforcing the ADA to vindicate the rights of people with disabilities in Rhode Island. Some recent efforts include:
- Ensuring Physical Access to Health Care Facilities: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully resolved multiple matters to ensure physical access to health care facilities to those with mobility disabilities, including Brown Medicine, Coastal Medicine, University Medicine, Landmark, RI Skin Doc, and Ocean State Primary Care.
- Providing Equal Access for Children with Disabilities in Summer Camp Settings: On March 19, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an agreement with Save The Bay to ensure equal access for children with disabilities, as well as damages to the child.
- Ensuring Equal Access to Local Government Services: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has resolved complaints with the Town of Richmond, City of Newport, Town of North Smithfield, and Town of West Warwick to ensure that people with disabilities can access local governmental services and facilities.
- Ensuring Physical Access to Places of Public Accommodation: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully resolved multiple matters to ensure physical access to public places to accommodate those with mobility disabilities. Recently, the Office has entered into agreements with Stop & Shop and Family Dollar to ensure physical access for customers with mobility disabilities.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit https://www.ada.gov/. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement or 401-709-5000.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.– The 30thAnniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities, was celebrated on Sunday, July 26, 2020, by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky is proud to play a critical role in the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
“The purpose of the ADA is to provide equal access and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, including by removing physical and social barriers, allowing for full participation in all society has to offer,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office remains committed to investigating and remedying ADA violations to ensure that no American is deprived of opportunities to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.”
The following ADA cases were recently investigated and settled by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky:
- A settlement with Tenth Frame Cinemas, LLC, in Mt. Sterling, Ky.; Danville Cinemas, LLC, in Danville, Ky.; Somerset Cinemas, LLC, in Somerset, Ky.; and Morehead Cinemas, LLC, in Morehead, Ky., in which the cinemas agreed to provide sufficient closed captioning technology, allowing individuals with hearing and/or sight impairments to enjoy newly released movies. Read the press release on the settlement here.
- The Wildwood Inn Tropical Dome and Theme Suites in Florence, Kentucky (“Wildwood Inn”) entered into an agreement with the United States to adopt a Service Animal Policy, train its staff members on ADA requirements for service animals, and post signage permitting service animals. . Read the press release on the settlement here.
- Buddy’s Pizza, LLC, and Crumbaugh, LLC, in Frankfort, Ky., entered into an agreement with the United States to install an ADA accessible entrance ramp at the main entrance and construct a new, accessible bathroom. In addition, signage at the restaurant will be modified to comply with the ADA’s requirements. Read the press release on the settlement here.
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.
Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Sunday, July 26, 2020, marked the 30thAnniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida is proud to play a critical role in the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida is proud to play a critical role in the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Our office remains committed to investigating and remedying violations wherever found, and protecting the rights of all of our citizens.”
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.
Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or email the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected]. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
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.
U.S. Attorneys in Texas and Attorney General Paxton Partner to Warn Consumers of Fraudsters Selling Counterfeit, Mislabeled, and Non-Existent PPERead the Press Release
Today, U.S. Attorney John F. Bash joined fellow U.S. Attorneys in Texas—Ryan K. Patrick in the Southern District, Erin Nealy Cox in the Northern District and Stephen J. Cox in the Eastern District—and Attorney General Ken Paxton to inform the public about several fraudulent schemes involving masks, personal protection equipment (PPE), and other COVID-19 related equipment. They urge everyone to exercise increased due diligence and caution when dealing with new suppliers or vendors, especially when using a third-party broker.
As demand for PPE increases, scammers may advertise equipment they do not actually have in attempts to make a quick profit. These PPE products may be counterfeit and mislabeled, and some may not exist at all. Some fraudsters reach out directly to consumers and government entities through email or social media to push their products. Red flags that a seller may be engaging in a scam include:
- Unusual payment terms
- Last-minute price changes
- Last-minute excuses for delay in shipment
- Unexplained source of a large quantity of material
- Evidence of re-packaging or mislabeling
There are ongoing federal and state prohibitions on charging exorbitant prices for PPE during this time of national emergency. Texans who believe they have encountered scams or price gouging should call the Office of the Attorney General’s toll-free complaint line at (800) 621-0508 or file a complaint online. For additional information on disaster scams, please visit our disaster scams website.
More information on unapproved or counterfeit PPE can be found at cdc.gov/niosh. You can also find information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website and the Environmental Protection Agency website. If you have information about PPE-related fraud, or about hoarding or price gouging of critical supplies, you can report it without leaving your home to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by calling the National Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
U.S. Attorney's Office Commemorates 30th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
New Haven – The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities, was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to play a critical role in the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under this landmark legislation.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act has been critical in protecting the civil rights of all persons with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “The ADA seeks to eliminate disability discrimination in services, programs and activities that most Americans take for granted, but for too long were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. Whether in schools, civic life, or the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy, the ADA requires that we take necessary steps to ensure access for all. As our office celebrates the 30th anniversary of this important law, we also rededicate ourselves to continue our work in this important area.”
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has taken a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to enforce the ADA.
For years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ADA enforcement action and outreach efforts have worked to ensure that places of public accommodation are accessible. The office has settled with numerous Connecticut financial institutions, hotels, restaurants, recreational facilities, transportation companies and other businesses to ensure accessibility for all. The office also has conducted extensive training and outreach to ensure that places of public accommodation are complying with the mandates of the ADA. For example, in February 2020, the office settled a case with Progressive Insurance Company to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities at all Progressive Casualty Insurance Company locations across the country.
In 2014, the office launched an Education Working Group to address numerous complaints that educational institutions were discriminating against children with disabilities. The office subsequently entered into various settlement agreements and letters of resolutions with educational institutions, to protect the rights of people with disabilities, especially children. Since 2014, the office has settled cases with local and national day care centers, afterschool programs, elementary and secondary schools, and higher education institutions, to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities. Just last month, the office settled a case with Bradford Child Care Services, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company that owns Tender Care Learning Centers in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, to resolve allegations that Tender Care was not operating in compliance with the ADA because it was discriminating against children with epilepsy.
As part of the Justice Department’s Barrier Free Healthcare Initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted extensive outreach on the ADA, and has settled numerous cases with hospitals and other healthcare providers. These settlements have ensured that individuals with disabilities receive equal access to services, are provided with effective communication, and are not discriminated against because of their use of service animals. In 2019, the office settled with Concentra, a national health care company, to ensure effective communication for deaf and hard of hearing individuals at Concentra’s patient-facing facilities throughout the U.S.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work with the State of Connecticut and local governments across the state to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. As part of the Justice Department’s ADA Voting Initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Disability Rights Section worked with state and local governments to ensure polling locations in Connecticut had accessible equipment and removed architectural barriers. The office, through the Justice Department’s ADA Intercity Rail Initiative, worked with Connecticut’s Department of Transportation to resolve allegations that the New London Rail Station has not been accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities, as required by the ADA.
Finally, the office has conducted enforcement actions against housing providers to protect individuals with disabilities and, in recent years, settled two cases against the Bridgeport Housing Authority (BHA). The first settlement addressed allegations that the BHA violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by refusing to provide reasonable accommodations to a woman with disabilities who lived with her children in one of the housing authority’s properties. The second settlement, which involved both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, resolved allegations that the BHA discriminated against persons with disabilities, in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title II of the ADA, and the FHA, and secured $1.5 million dollars to compensate hundreds of victims.
Over the past 30 years, the U.S. has undertaken the hard work of changing attitudes about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and dismantling the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed our society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
To file a complaint with the Justice Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a business that serves the public, or a public entity, in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
U.S. Attorney Stephen Cox Hails 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and remains the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas is proud to play a critical role in enforcing the ADA in order to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. Today, on the 30th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the ADA into law, U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox reiterates the Eastern District of Texas’ continued commitment to investigate and litigate significant ADA cases.
“Thirty years ago, President George H.W. Bush invoked our founding fathers when celebrating the passage of the ADA. He stated the ADA ‘brings us closer to that day when no Americans will ever again be deprived of their basic guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” said U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox. “Unfortunately, the ADA’s promise has not been fully realized. Individuals with disabilities continue to face unlawful barriers, which prevent them from fully participating in all society has to offer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas will continue to work to remove these barriers and ensure all individuals are afforded equal opportunity, freedom from discrimination, and the ability to fully participate in society.”
The Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the Eastern District of Texas is Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee M. Cooper. Currently, her work involves negotiating settlements to require commercial facilities and private entities to remove architectural barriers that prohibit persons with mobility disabilities from gaining access; assisting state and local governments in revising policies and procedures to provide effective communication and appropriate auxiliary aids and services for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind; and ensuring that employers are providing reasonable accommodations for employees and job applicants with disabilities.
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but for too long were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. Whether in employment; areas of civic life; or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy—the ADA requires that we take those steps necessary to ensure access for all.
Over the past 30 years, our country has undertaken the hard work of changing attitudes about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and dismantling the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, we commemorate the many ways that the ADA has transformed our society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination. The ADA has advanced the promise of the American dream, ensuring that people with disabilities can write their own stories. And as a society, we are better and stronger because of the contributions that people with disabilities make.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov
To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/
For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
U.S. Attorney McAllister Recognizes 30th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – This week marks the 30thAnniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas is proud to play a critical role in the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. \
“Our office is authorized to investigate complaints, conduct compliance reviews to ensure accessibility, initiate and intervene in litigation, and provide technical assistance to businesses, governments, and the general public,” McAllister said. “All of these actions are designed to promote voluntary compliance with the ADA.”
“The ADA has been watershed legislation that has improved the lives of millions of Americans by including them more fully in our society, recognizing and celebrating their talents and abilities, rather than allowing employers and institutions to act based on stereotypes regarding their challenges. One champion of the ADA, Senator Bob Dole, recently celebrated his 97th birthday, and I would like to say both ‘Thank You’ and ‘Happy Birthday!’ to the Senator from my home county of Russell.”
The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.
Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. This week, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.
For more information about the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
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.