Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
17 June 2020
Bakersfield West Side Crip Member Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Tommie Thomas, 37, of Bakersfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Tuesday to 20 years and six months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of the West Side Crips, a local criminal street gang, were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder. On April 4, 2019, a second superseding indictment charged Thomas, a West Side Crip member also known as “Tapp,” and co-conspirators with drug trafficking offenses. Since the December 2017 arrests, all defendants in federal custody have either been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to charged offenses.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Thomas Newman are prosecuting the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Arthur Ranney Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison Following Conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on June 8, 2020, United States District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Arthur Ranney to 97 months in prison following his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Ranney’s offense involved over 300 grams of high-purity methamphetamine, a highly-addictive and dangerous stimulant.
According to Court records, on September 17, 2018, University of Vermont Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Ranney. Execution of a search warrant for the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 21.7 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine. On December 27, 2018, South Burlington Police encountered Ranney in his vehicle. A search warrant of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 240.2 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine. Finally, on January 6, 2019, law enforcement personnel with the Drug Enforcement Administration and South Burlington Police arrested Ranney outside a hotel room in South Burlington, Vermont where he was staying. Execution of a search warrant for the room led to the seizure of another 49.1 grams of 92% pure methamphetamine, as well as $1,800 in U.S. currency.
For his crime, Ranney was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months. The 97-month sentence imposed by Judge Sessions considered the large quantity of methamphetamine Ranney possessed, as well as the danger posed to the Vermont community by methamphetamine.
“In recent years in New England, we have seen increasing amounts of highly-potent methamphetamine that is manufactured in Mexico,” said United States Attorney Christina Nolan. “We will do all we can to keep this deadly and highly addictive substance out of Vermont, including aggressively prosecuting traffickers, working with our outstanding partners at DEA and in state and local law enforcement.”
“As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of Vermont,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Ranney accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to distribute this poison in the Green Mountain State.”
South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke added, “The growing prevalence of this highly addictive drug in our community is cause for concern. Ranney’s conduct is that of a drug profiteer, not that of a person wrestling with substance abuse disorder. Our partnership with Federal law enforcement and the United States Attorney is valuable, holding defendants such as Ranney accountable is an important element of public safety.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Boscia. Ranney was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth K. Quinn.
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.
Armed home invasion over heroin sends Helena man to prisonRead the Press Release
HELENA—A Helena man who admitted sending threatening text messages and participating in an armed robbery of a couple involved in heroin trafficking last year was sentenced today to 11 years and seven months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kielan Brett Franklin, 34, pleaded guilty in January to robbery affecting commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of violence.
U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon presided.
The prosecution said in court records that Franklin provided a couple with $1,200 to go to Washington to buy an ounce of heroin. The couple returned with less than an ounce because the price was higher in Washington. When the couple did not immediately give Franklin the heroin, Franklin began sending the couple threatening text messages on March 7, 2019.
Several hours later, on March 8, 2019, Franklin's girlfriend and co-defendant, Arielle Rose Cowser, knocked on the couple's door and said she needed to enter because Franklin had broken up with her. The female victim let Cowser enter and a short time later, Cowser let in Franklin and two other co-defendants, Gerald Allen Hiler and Morgan Victor Pitsch.
Hiler brandished a handgun and Pitsch possessed one during the robbery. Both wore masks. The defendants fled when they realized the female victim had called 911. The robbers took a small amount of heroin, the female victim’s wedding ring, her cell phone and a purse.
Hiler and Pitsch pleaded guilty to charges in the case. Hiler was sentenced to 11 years and seven months in prison, while Pitsch was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Cowser was convicted by a jury of charges for her role in the crime and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bartleson and Tim Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by FBI, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri River Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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Approximately $2.25 Million in U.S. Currency Seized in Joint Federal Maritime Operation off the Western Coast of St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that On June 10, 2020, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs Border Patrol-Air Marine Operation (CBP-AMO) personnel reported that while on duty in the western vicinity of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, they spotted a vessel travelling towards St. Thomas from Puerto Rico without navigational lights. CBP-AMO officers observed two subjects on the unknown vessel, which was described as a 25’ twin engine “yola,” tossing duffle bags overboard as CBP-AMO approached. Federal law enforcement officers engaged in apprehension efforts and attempted to board the unidentified vessel.
The vessel was able to evade law enforcement during the pursuit, however, DHS and CBP-AMO officers later recovered four duffel bags that had been thrown overboard. A search of the four recovered duffel bags revealed approximately $2.25 million in bulk U.S. currency that was vacuum sealed within numerous bundles of plastic wrappings. This seizure is part of an ongoing joint federal initiative between the United States Attorney’s Office District of the Virgin Islands, HSI, DEA, FBI, ATF, IRS-CI and CBP-AMO as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which is focused on disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations in the Caribbean and which seeks to seize and forfeit the proceeds of criminal activity.
16 June 2020
Yadkinville Man Sentenced to 26.5 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery and Arson at Clemmons Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - On Thursday, June 11, 2020, a judge in federal district court sentenced a High Point resident, DAVID CURTIS SMITH, to a 319-month prison term, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
SMITH, age 59, pleaded guilty on October 17, 2019, to all four charges in the Indictment, including Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and arson.
Evidence in the records shows that on October 20, 2018, between approximately 9:30 and 9:45 p.m., SMITH and an accomplice entered the Stop and Shop Mart in Clemmons, North Carolina, as the store clerk was cleaning and preparing to close for the night. The accomplice told the clerk to open the cash register. When the clerk refused, SMITH brandished a pistol and told the clerk to do what they said. The clerk complied and opened the cash register. The clerk was held at gunpoint while the other suspect stole cash and over $1,000 in tobacco products. The suspects then bound the clerk’s hands and feet with zip ties and moved him to the back office. One of the suspects then doused the victim and the back office in diesel fuel. One of the suspects then lit a paper towel with a lighter and threw it onto the fuel. The two suspects then poured more diesel fuel onto the floor of the store and attempted to set the store on fire. The suspects then took the victim’s car keys. Prior to leaving, they locked the security gates at the front of the store, using a chain and padlock. One of the suspects stole the victim’s 2011 Ford pickup truck that was parked outside.
The store clerk was able to break the zip ties around his legs and get to the front door. After he saw the suspects leaving, he was able to get between the doors and the security gates to yell for help. Early in the morning of October 21, 2018, the clerk’s truck was located on an access ramp to Interstate 40 near Farmington Road and Rainbow Road. The interior of the vehicle was soaked with diesel fuel and there was material smoldering on the front seat and in the gasoline fill pipe.
SMITH and his accomplice were arrested on November 2, 2018, in Whytheville, Virginia.
At sentencing, United States District Court Judge Loretta C. Biggs imposed an aggregate 235-month prison term on three of the four counts, and an 84-month term for brandishing a weapon, to run consecutive to all prior sentences. SMITH was also ordered to pay $366,989.07 in restitution and to serve a 5-year period of federal supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Fire Marshal Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Wythe County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Graham T. Green.
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Woman admits tampering with witness in child sexual coercion caseRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Bryan County woman admitted in federal court to attempting to persuade a victim to recant allegations that the woman’s husband had coerced a minor for sex.
Lori Wilson, a/k/a “Loretta Lightningbolt,” 35, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Tampering with a Victim or Witness, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The facts in this case are disturbing, especially when you consider the defendant relentlessly worked to persuade a minor victim to recant serious allegations of sexual misconduct by an adult,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “But we will be even more relentless in pursuing justice for vulnerable victims of child predators.”
Wilson’s husband, Michael Wilson, 37, is charged in the Southern District of Georgia with one count each of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and currently is awaiting trial. According to court documents and testimony, Michael Wilson is accused of attempting to coerce a minor victim to engage in sexual activity from 2017 through early 2019. Additionally, Michael Wilson is charged with seven violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 120(b), Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child. These charges relate to multiple minor victims.
After the minors reported the information to authorities, Lori Wilson admitted intimidating and persuading one of the victims to withhold information from authorities, trying to persuade the victim that the minor’s experiences were “psychic visions” or “dreams,” and to communicate false information to agents of the Army Criminal Investigation Command, among others.
“This defendant tried to manipulate a child from telling the truth about being sexually victimized by another adult,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No sentence can wipe away the scars those actions left on this child, but hopefully it will send a message to anyone who contemplates preying on our most vulnerable citizens.”
The cases are being investigated by the FBI and by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.
U.S. Attorney Wrigley Announces Life in Prison Sentence for a Belcourt, ND, Man Convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Drew Wrigley announced that Myron Jay Azure, Age 51 of Belcourt, ND, has been sentenced to serve life in prison for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Children. Azure pled guilty to both counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse on February 14, 2020, and was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Peter D. Welte on June 15, 2020.
"The children whom Azure sexually abused will always know that the justice system stood firmly at their side and fought to ensure that this defendant will never again hurt another child," said US Attorney Drew Wrigley, "Justice has been done".
Between October 2014 and January 2017, Azure abused one of the two child victims on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. While that investigation was pending, between May 2019 and August 2019, Azure sexually abused a second child. Both children were under the age of 12 at the time of Azure’s sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy.
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U.S. Attorney McSwain Announces Charges Against Massachusetts Man for Sending Racist, Threatening Emails to the Philadelphia Police CommissionerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Peter Fratus, 39, of West Dennis, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with sending threatening emails to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875, which prohibits transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce.
After his arrest, Fratus made his initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, prior to his transfer to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will also be filing a motion seeking detention of the defendant pending trial.
The criminal complaint in this case alleges that on June 6, 2020, the defendant sent two emails to the Philadelphia Police Commissioner’s email address. Both emails allegedly contained racist, offensive, and threatening language, with one communication asking where Commissioner Outlaw lives. The complaint further states that an investigation by the FBI determined the originator of the emails was Fratus and forensic evidence reinforced that Fratus sent both emails.
“As alleged in the criminal complaint, Peter Fratus’ racist threats towards Commissioner Outlaw were vile and disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “We take such threats very seriously, and let this be a warning to anyone who might feel the urge to fire off an online threat directed at a public official: we will trace your digital footprint, track you down and hold you accountable.”
“While the First Amendment gives us the right to express our own opinions, violent physical threats are certainly not protected speech,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “When someone threatens the life of another person, it’s a clear red flag and we have to take their despicable words at face value. Today’s arrest of Peter Fratus demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to investigate and bring to justice anyone who crosses this line.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Livermore.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Keefe Joins Department of Justice in Observing 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, joins Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th
Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.“The Northern District of Florida is home to more than 300,000 residents age 65 and older, and they have earned the loving support of all our communities,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “The sad truth is that some people see these elders as a prime target, someone they can take advantage of, and we are committed to stopping them and pursuing justice for our older neighbors.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the coronavirus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and often isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have jumped in to exploit this international tragedy by preying on the elderly through a host of scams and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of
Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud against America’s seniors.The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and targeting seniors through such ploys as offering them fake testing kits and fake help in obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are sending a strong message that they continue the fight to keep seniors safe as a top priority.
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder
Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Justice Department’s four top priorities.Major strides have already been made to that end:
• National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.• Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every
U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors. In the Northern District of Florida, three Tampa
Bay-area men – Edward Newton, 45, of Lutz, Christopher Mayes, 29, of Tarpon Springs, and Christian
Pantazonis, 31, of Largo – pled guilty to charges of defrauding elderly Northwest Florida homeowners whose homes suffered damage from Hurricane Michael. The men fraudulently contracted to make home repairs in the Panama City area but instead, stole approximately
$319,000 in down payments. The Tampa Bay-area company owned by Newton hired Mayes and
Pantazonis in November 2018 to go door to door in Bay County soliciting home repair contracts.
They promised that the repair work would begin immediately, telling homeowners they required a down payment to obtain building materials and permits or to “place the homeowner at the front of the line” for repairs. As part of the fraud, they occasionally sent workers to complete small projects, such as removing damaged drywall or replacing shingles, in order to lead the homeowners to believe the major repairs were underway. When homeowners began to complain about the lack of work, Newton told them in writing or by phone that he would return the money he collected for the work never performed. However, on May 25, 2019, he sent each homeowner a letter stating that he did not intend to complete any of the contracted work and would not return any money.
• Money Mule Initiative: In October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens.
In 2019, actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year. In the Northern District of
Florida, three Bay County men – Delroy Williams, 52, of Lynn Haven, Vivian Walters, 33, of Lynn
Haven, and Jevaughn Williams, 22, of Panama City Beach – were sentenced on federal fraud charges stemming from activities meant to induce elderly victims with false promises of sweepstakes prizes.
Since the late 1990s, telemarketers in Jamaica have been engaging in a scam in which they contact victims in the United States and falsely claim their targets have won large sweepstakes prizes.
Victims, who are primarily elderly, are induced to send cash or cash equivalents in order to release their supposed prizes. The victims’ funds are often transported by wire transfers and
United States Postal Service packages. Between 2014 and 2017, the defendants conspired together to receive wire transfers and packages mailed by victims. They then took a percentage of the funds for themselves before forwarding the remainder to co-conspirators in Jamaica. Multiple victims have been identified through wire transfer records and searches of the defendants’ electronic devices.For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorne ’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox Testifies Before Senate Judiciary CommitteeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, June 16. You can watch the full hearing -- entitled "Police Use of Force and Community Relations" -- here.
Below is the U.S. Attorney's prepared opening statement:
Good afternoon Chairman Graham, Ranking Member Feinstein, and members of the Committee; thank you for inviting us to testify today. I also want to thank my home state Senators, Senators Cornyn and Cruz, for their unwavering support all our efforts in my District.
I am Erin Nealy Cox, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas and Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. In those roles, I’m proud to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for more than 8 million Texans, as well as an advocate for prosecutorial priorities nationwide.
I know I’m appearing at a time of great turmoil in this country. I start with this: Police brutality in any form is repugnant and unacceptable. It is impossible not to feel anger and sadness when watching the video of George Floyd’s tragic killing. Actions like this and others we have witnessed rightly erode trust in law enforcement as a whole and tarnish the badge of the vast majority of officers who serve honorably.
It’s vital that law enforcement speak out against officers who bring great dishonor upon the profession. At the Department, our character and commitment to justice compel us to speak out as well as listen to and empathize with those who suffer the most when law enforcement falls short in our duty to protect them. So on behalf of the 93 United States Attorneys, we condemn this conduct and we commit to be united, determined, deeply engaged, and thoughtful in our collective efforts to help bring about meaningful change on the issues at this moment in history. We steadfastly join with the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General in their commitment to restore confidence in the American criminal justice system for all.
Mr. Floyd’s death, and the resulting outrage, tears at the very fabric of our communities. This divide is particularly disheartening to me, because for the past two years, in my District we’ve been spearheading a public safety program built on the notion that positive, meaningful relationships between police and the people they serve can transform struggling communities. Project Safe Neighborhoods – the cornerstone of DOJ’s anti-violent-crime strategy – can help us ensure equal justice under the law.
We launched our first PSN project in Dallas in April 2018, targeting a neighborhood that – for decades -- was plagued by violent crime. As with any law enforcement initiative, one of PSN Dallas’s goal was to root out offenders – members of violent gangs, and drug traffickers who terrorized residents daily.
Importantly though, we felt that we needed to build relationships of trust within the community for our program to be successful. So we deployed a consistent and compassionate team of Officers and Agents that earnestly wanted to form relationships with the people in the neighborhood. And we took steps to foster a community that felt empowered to approach our officers for help – with the assurance that they would be met with respect.
To accomplish this, we took several steps:
- We’ve hosted more than 100 community meetings with neighborhood groups, apartment managers, faith leaders, and school teachers to share our vision for the neighborhood and solicit advice on how to achieve it.
- Based on community feedback, our PSN task force worked to shut down seedy convenience stores, game rooms, and other establishments that were spawning crime.
- And we’ve used important grant money to implement what’s called “crime prevention through environmental design,” working with a non-profit organization to redesign a central community square. This vibrant plaza now boasts a mini-lending library, recreation tables, and a child’s craft area. Since completion of the project, the plaza hasn’t seen a single act of violence.
Our PSN engagement has yielded real results. Even as Dallas’ citywide crime rate increased dramatically, inside the PSN area, violent crime decreased. Community members have been vocal in their support.
USAs across the country are having similar success stories and success breeds success. And so we launched programs out of our other district offices – in Amarillo, Lubbock, and elsewhere.
The results have been undeniably positive. In its first year, PSN Amarillo achieved a 13% reduction of violent crime inside the targeted areas, and PSN Lubbock, using the same community-based approach, achieved a 26% reduction in aggravated assaults, and a 25% reduction in business robberies.
That is tangible results: violence going down, trust within the community is coming up, and lives impacted for the better.
The people of these communities have joined together with law enforcement – united in a singular goal. I have witnessed it working first hand in the communities we serve.
I look forward to telling you more about my experience and answering your questions.
For more on the Northern District of Texas' Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives, click here.
U.S. Attorney David J. Freed Observes the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney David J. Freed joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2020. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important this year than perhaps ever before to bring awareness to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “As lockdowns and social distancing have limited interaction between people, this crisis has created numerous opportunities for scammers to prey on our most vulnerable citizens. While the scams may have different names and use different methods, the goal remains the same: to separate law abiding citizens from their money. In the Middle District of Pennsylvania we are proud to prioritize and prosecute elder fraud cases of all types. I urge everyone to report these scams so that we can take down these brazen criminals.”
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities.
Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11 Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors, including two cases in the Middle District. One being:
- Omoefe Okoro, age 48, a citizen of Canada, was charged in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Okoro and others are alleged to have engaged in an attorney “collection scam” in Ontario, Canada, and elsewhere. In particular, Okoro and his co-conspirators are alleged to have conducted a scheme in which they contacted businesses and individuals, including elderly victims, and requested, among other things, to collect an outstanding debt. The suspects, posing as the third party, then sent a counterfeit check to the victim for deposit and requested that the victim wire funds to an account overseas, typically in Japan, South Korea, or China. Canada surrendered Okoro to the United States on Aug. 29, 2018. Okoro is currently scheduled for trial on August 3, 2020.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year. The Middle District disrupted such a case in June 2019:
- Anthony W. Redd, age 63, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was charged in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. It is alleged that Redd was a “Money Mule” and participated in a scheme to defraud individuals out of money by making them believe they were eligible for cash and other prizes. As part of the scheme, Redd is alleged to have caused the mailing of legitimate postal money orders from Mechanicsburg to his address in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and to have converted the known proceeds of the scheme to cash or to have sent the proceeds through Western Union or MoneyGram to Costa Rica. Redd is currently scheduled to plead guilty on July 1, 2020.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams. One such case that the Middle District recently prosecuted was:
- Jenmariey Burchell, a 26-year-old Jamaican citizen for her part in a scheme to defraud senior citizens that were falsely told they had won multi-million dollar international sweepstakes prizes. The purported winners were directed to send Western Union and MoneyGram money transfers, money orders and checks to persons known as “money mules,” ostensibly to pre-pay taxes and other fictitious expenses, in order to collect the non-existent cash prizes. Burchell enlisted the “money mules” to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds to him and other conspirators in Jamaica. Burchell ultimately received a sentence of 51 months’ imprisonment on November 12, 2019.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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U. S. Attorney Kelly and S. A. C. Johnson Announce the Unsealing of Scam Indictments and Treasury Sanctions Against Nigerian NationalsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly and Kristi K. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of the Omaha field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the unsealing of indictments charging six Nigerian nationals for their involvement in Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. The schemes included individual victims and victim businesses both in Nebraska and other states. BECs are sophisticated cyber crimes involving electronic transfer payments or automated clearinghouse transfers.
The indictments charge the defendants with one or more of the following violations of federal law: 1) Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000; 2) Identity theft and access device fraud, each punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The Nigerian nationals charged and still at large are: Richard Uzuh; Micheal Olorunyomi; Alex Ogunshakin; Felix Okpoh; Abiola Kayode and Nnamdi Benson. An indictment is a formal accusation returned by a grand jury upon establishing probable cause. The indictment is not evidence of guilt and defendants are entitled to a presumption of innocence. Two related defendants have entered pleas of guilty. Adewale Aniyeloye was sentenced in the District of Nebraska to 96 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. Onome Ijomone received a 60 month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The unsealed indictments are attached.
Indictment 1 Indictment 2 Indictment 3Because of the BEC scheme set forth in the unsealed indictments the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has taken the extraordinary step of imposing financial sanctions on each of the six fugitives. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property held by these individuals and subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and other persons are blocked from engaging in financial transactions with these fugitives.
United States Attorney Joe Kelly thanked the efforts of the Omaha FBI and more particularly the excellent work of the FBI Omaha Field Office Cyber Task Force. He cautioned the public that every day we see victims ranging from the elderly losing their accumulated life’s savings, to large scale businesses falling prey to BEC, romance, COVID and any number of other opportune scams. Additionally, if the public has any information regarding the current whereabouts of the six fugitives please call law enforcement immediately.
Special Agent in Charge Johnson noted, “The FBI is working every day to disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises that target our businesses and our citizens. Today’s charges are another successful example of our commitment to working together with our foreign colleagues abroad and we’re sending a strong message to the criminals who perpetrate these BEC schemes. We will continue coming after you, no matter where you are. And to the public, we will keep doing everything we can to protect you.” FBI Omaha Special Agent Jacob Foiles will be available for questions regarding the Business Email Compromise investigation. The media availability will be at 3:00 pm TODAY at FBI headquarters, 4411 S. 121st Court. If you plan to attend, please email FBI Public Affairs, [email protected] for instructions for entering the property.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The law enforcement actions taken related to these prosecutions were assisted by the efforts of law enforcement counterparts from Nigeria. The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation wish to thank their partners in Nigeria, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and National Central Bureau, Abuja – INTERPOL (Nigeria Police Force), for their past and continued assistance in pursuing those that engage in Business Email Compromise and other fraud schemes.
Wanted posters attached to this release contain additional details about the six individuals still at large.
RICHARD IZUCHUKWU UZUH ALEX AFOLABI OGUNSHAKIN MICHEAL OLORUNYOMI FELIX OSILAMA OKPOH ABIOLA AYORINDE KAYODE NNAMDI ORSON BENSONTwo Defendants Charged with Murder and Aiding and Abetting in Slaying of Federal Protective Service Officer at Oakland Courthouse BuildingRead the Press Release
At a press conference held this morning at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, the Department of Justice announced that murder and attempted murder charges have been filed against Steven Carrillo, the alleged gunman in the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of Protective Security Officer David Patrick Underwood and injuries to a second security officer. The Department of Justice also announced aiding and abetting charges against Robert Alvin Justus Jr., the driver of the vehicle from which Carrillo is alleged to have attacked the guards.
“Liberty flourishes in the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Indiscriminate targeting of law enforcement officers by those motivated by violent extremism of any stripe is contrary to our nation’s values and undermines the powerful message of peaceful protestors. The Department of Justice stands in support of all Americans exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceable assembly and speech but we stand firmly against anyone who seeks to hijack the protests with acts of violence and destruction.”
“I applaud the agents and officers who investigated and captured those responsible for the attack on Federal Protective Service officers resulting in the death of Officer Underwood and serious injury of Officer Mifkovic,” said Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf. “As the nation's largest law enforcement organization, the Department's top priority is protecting the American people and our workforce, and we are not going to rest until these criminals are brought to justice. The assassination and injury of federal officers who swore an oath to protect the American public will not be tolerated. The Department of Homeland Security will continue its mission to end violent extremism in any form.”
“Pat Underwood was murdered because he wore a uniform,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson, “but he was much more than just the uniform he wore. Pat Underwood was a brother, a father, and a son. Many, many people will miss hearing the sound of his voice and laughter. Pat Underwood wore his uniform because it signified his authority to protect the courthouse where we are gathered here today. This courthouse exists to administer justice, to uphold the rule of law, and to protect the freedoms that we all cherish. In announcing today’s charges, we are reaffirming our determination to protect those who protect us.”
"These arrests are an important step for our community, the families of those who were killed in the line of duty, and our law enforcement partners, so that we may begin the healing process," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. "While we cannot bring Officer Pat Underwood and Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller back, we can hold those responsible for taking them from us accountable.”
“ATF immediately responded to these shooting incidents to make available our personnel to support our partners with the investigations into these crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman, San Francisco Field Division, ATF. “ATF provided investigative and forensic support throughout the investigation into these crimes. This included local special agents, as well as, laboratory and firearms enforcement officer resources from the greater Washington, DC area. ATF personnel examined firearm evidence and utilized our National Integrated Ballistic Information Network or NIBIN. The complaints describe the work ATF personnel performed to uncover the purported similarities between the recovered fired cartridge cases found at the Oakland and Ben Lomond homicides. These senseless crimes, which resulted in the tragic loss of Patrick and Damon and caused serious injuries to others, should not have occurred. ATF will continue to make available our resources and support to our partners throughout this investigation.”
The charges against Carrillo and Justus were brought in two criminal complaints, one filed against each defendant. According to the complaints, at approximately 9:27 p.m., on May 29, 2020, a white Ford Econoline-style van parked directly across the street from the federal building in Oakland on Jefferson Street. The van was parked facing the guard post where Officer Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building. The van was on the southeast corner in the spot closest to the intersection with an unobstructed view of the guard post. Shortly after the van parked, a man emerged from the driver’s seat and walked around the area conducting reconnaissance for approximately ten minutes. Then, at approximately 9:43 p.m., the exterior lights of the van turned on and the van moved north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo allegedly fired multiple rounds from a firearm toward the guard post, killing Officer Underwood and injuring his partner.
The incident set off an eight-day manhunt that came to a crescendo after a witness reported an abandoned white Ford van in Ben Lomond, Calif. The van reportedly contained what appeared to be ammunition, firearms, and bomb-making equipment and an effort apparently was made to alter the van’s appearance with spray paint and a wheel covering to disguise a missing hubcap. Nevertheless, evidence from the van, led deputies from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to Carrillo’s residence in Ben Lomond. There, Carrillo allegedly opened fire on the deputies when they arrived at his property, killing one deputy and injuring a second. During the attack there was also an explosion on the property.
The complaints describe a subsequent odyssey during which Carrillo was shot and fled the scene initially on foot, and then by carjacking a vehicle on a nearby highway. The chase came to an end when, still bleeding from his hip, Carrillo was taken into custody.
Additional evidence was recovered at Carrillo’s Ben Lomond residence included an AR-15-style short-barreled rifle fitted with a binary trigger that fired one round of 9mm ammunition at the pull of the trigger and another round at the release of the trigger. The rifle was fitted with a silencer that suppressed the sound of gunfire from the rifle. In addition, Carrillo appears to have used his own blood to write various phrases on the hood of the car that he carjacked. The phrases relate to an extremist ideology that promotes inciting a violent uprising through use of militias.
Cell phone records from Carrillo’s phone identified Justus as a person with whom Carrillo may have been communicating in the days leading up to the drive-by shooting attack in Oakland. On June 11, while the FBI had Justus under surveillance, travelled to the Federal Building in San Francisco, met with the FBI, and was thereafter arrested for his involvement in the shooting, including his role as the driver of the vehicle.
The charges contained in the criminal complaints are allegations only. Carrillo and Justus are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Carrillo is charged with one count of murder of a person assisting an officer or employee of the United States Government, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(1) and 1114(3) and one count of attempted murder under the same statutes. If convicted of the murder charge, the maximum statutory penalty for this charge is death. If convicted of the attempted murder charge, Carrillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. Justus is charged with aiding and abetting the murder and attempted murder and faces the same maximum statutory penalties. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Justus made his initial appearance Monday, June 15, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, and was detained for further proceedings. His next appearance is scheduled for Friday, 10:30 am, before Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore for identification of counsel and additional proceedings. An initial federal court appearance has not yet been scheduled for Carrillo.
The case is being prosecuted by United States Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson and the Oakland Branch of the Office of the United States Attorney with assistance from George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI, the ATF, the FPS, and the U.S. Marshal Service with assistance from the Oakland Police Department and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Two Defendants Charged with Murder and Aiding and Abetting in Slaying of Federal Protective Service Officer at Oakland Courthouse BuildingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – At a press conference held this morning at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Oakland, the Department of Justice announced that murder and attempted murder charges have been filed against Steven Carrillo, the alleged gunman in the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of Protective Security Officer David Patrick Underwood and injuries to a second security officer. The Department of Justice also announced aiding and abetting charges against Robert Alvin Justus, Jr., the driver of the vehicle from which Carrillo is alleged to have attacked the guards.
“Pat Underwood was murdered because he wore a uniform,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson, “but he was much more than just the uniform he wore. Pat Underwood was a brother, a father, and a son. Many, many people will miss hearing the sound of his voice and laughter. Pat Underwood wore his uniform because it signified his authority to protect the courthouse where we are gathered here today. This courthouse exists to administer justice, to uphold the rule of law, and to protect the freedoms that we all cherish. In announcing today’s charges, we are reaffirming our determination to protect those who protect us.”
“Liberty flourishes in the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Indiscriminate targeting of law enforcement officers by those motivated by violent extremism of any stripe is contrary to our nation’s values and undermines the powerful message of peaceful protestors. The Department of Justice stands in support of all Americans exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceable assembly and speech but we stand firmly against anyone who seeks to hijack the protests with acts of violence and destruction.”
“I applaud the agents and officers who investigated and captured those responsible for the attack on Federal Protective Service officers resulting in the death of Officer Underwood and serious injury of his partner,” said Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf. “As the nation's largest law enforcement organization, the Department's top priority is protecting the American people and our workforce, and we are not going to rest until these criminals are brought to justice. The assassination and injury of federal officers who swore an oath to protect the American public will not be tolerated. The Department of Homeland Security will continue its mission to end violent extremism in any form.”
“These arrests are an important step for our community, the families of those who were killed in the line of duty, and our law enforcement partners, so that we may begin the healing process,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. "While we cannot bring Officer Pat Underwood and Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller back, we can hold those responsible for taking them from us accountable.”
“ATF immediately responded to these shooting incidents to make available our personnel to support our partners with the investigations into these crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman, San Francisco Field Division, ATF. “ATF provided investigative and forensic support throughout the investigation into these crimes. This included local special agents, as well as, laboratory and firearms enforcement officer resources from the greater Washington, DC area. ATF personnel examined firearm evidence and utilized our National Integrated Ballistic Information Network or NIBIN. The complaints describe the work ATF personnel performed to uncover the purported similarities between the recovered fired cartridge cases found at the Oakland and Ben Lomond homicides. These senseless crimes, which resulted in the tragic loss of Patrick and Damon and caused serious injuries to others, should not have occurred. ATF will continue to make available our resources and support to our partners throughout this investigation.”
The charges against Carrillo and Justus were brought in two criminal complaints, one filed against each defendant. According to the complaints, at approximately 9:27 p.m., on May 29, 2020, a white Ford Econoline-style van parked directly across the street from the federal building in Oakland on Jefferson Street. The van was parked facing the guard post where Officer Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building. The van was on the southeast corner in the spot closest to the intersection with an unobstructed view of the guard post. Shortly after the van parked, a man emerged from the driver’s seat and walked around the area conducting reconnaissance for approximately ten minutes. Then, at approximately 9:43 p.m., the exterior lights of the van turned on and the van moved north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo allegedly fired multiple rounds from a firearm toward the guard post, killing Officer Underwood and injuring his partner.
The incident set off an eight-day manhunt that came to a crescendo after a witness reported an abandoned white Ford van in Ben Lomond, Calif. The van reportedly contained what appeared to be ammunition, firearms, and bomb-making equipment and an effort apparently was made to alter the van’s appearance with spray paint and a wheel covering to disguise a missing hubcap. Nevertheless, evidence from the van led deputies from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to Carrillo’s residence in Ben Lomond. There, Carrillo allegedly opened fire on the deputies when they arrived at his property, killing one deputy and injuring a second. During the attack there was also an explosion on the property.
The complaints describe a subsequent odyssey during which Carrillo was shot and fled the scene initially on foot, and then by carjacking a vehicle on a nearby highway. The chase came to an end when, bleeding from his hip, Carrillo was taken into custody.
Additional items were recovered at Carrillo’s Ben Lomond residence included an AR-15-style short-barreled rifle fitted with a binary trigger that fired one round of 9mm ammunition at the pull of the trigger and another round at the release of the trigger. The rifle was fitted with a silencer that suppressed the sound of gunfire from the rifle. In addition, Carrillo appears to have used his own blood to write various phrases on the hood of the car that he carjacked. The phrases relate to an extremist ideology that promotes inciting a violent uprising through use of militias.
Cell phone records from Carrillo’s phone identified Justus as a person with whom Carrillo may have been communicating in the days leading up to the drive-by shooting attack in Oakland. On June 11, while the FBI had Justus under surveillance, travelled to the Federal Building in San Francisco, met with the FBI, and was thereafter arrested for his involvement in the shooting, including his role as the driver of the vehicle.
The charges contained in the criminal complaints are allegations only. Carrillo and Justus are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Carrillo is charged with one count of murder of a person assisting an officer or employee of the United States Government, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(1) and 1114(3) and one count of attempted murder under the same statutes. If convicted of the murder charge, the maximum statutory penalty for this charge is death. If convicted of the attempted murder charge, Carrillo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. Justus is charged with aiding and abetting the murder and attempted murder and faces the same maximum statutory penalties. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Justus made his initial appearance Monday, June 15, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, and was detained for further proceedings. His next appearance is scheduled for Friday, 10:30 am, before Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore for identification of counsel and additional proceedings. An initial federal court appearance has not yet been scheduled for Carrillo.
The case is being prosecuted by United States Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson and the Oakland Branch of the Office of the United States Attorney with assistance from George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI, the ATF, the FPS, and the U.S. Marshal Service with assistance from the Oakland Police Department and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Toledo man indicted for possession with intent to distribute cocaineRead the Press Release
Justin E. Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio has returned an indictment charging Kevin L. Arnold, age 54, of Toledo, Ohio with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.
According to the indictment filed in this matter, in March 2020, Arnold possessed and intended to distribute approximately 121 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base and approximately 124 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Toledo Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alissa M. Sterling.
Temple Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
In Waco, a federal judge sentenced 43–year-old James Stevens to 200 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division.
During sentencing on June 10, 2020, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright also ordered that Stevens pay $5,000 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of ten years after completing his prison term.
“I am thankful that we were able to put another predator behind bars. The sexual exploitation of children is one of the most critical problems facing our country, and it doesn’t get remotely enough attention,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
On February 11, 2020, Stevens pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. According to court records, information concerning child sexual exploitation material provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the South Australian Police led HSI investigators to the defendant. In June 2019, authorities executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Temple and seized his cellular telephone. Stevens was arrested based on outstanding state warrants, but later bonded out of jail.
During a subsequent forensics review of the defendant’s cell phone, authorities discovered numerous images of child pornography as well as images of the defendant pant-less, lying down on a bed next to a minor victim. Information obtained from the images led investigators to a residence in Rockdale, TX, where the minor victim lived with his biological father. Inside the residence, investigators saw the defendant lying on a bed with the minor victim sitting next to him. During an interview, the biological father stated that the four-year-old victim is non-verbal, suffered from a cognitive disability and lacked specific skills that would be normally associated with a child of that age. The biological father also admitted that he and the defendant were in a relationship and that they used methamphetamine which was found in the residence. State authorities arrested both men for the methamphetamine and notified Child Protective Services.
During this investigation, agents discovered approximately 121 images and 24 videos of child pornography on the defendant’s cell phone, computer and online accounts.
“The significant sentence imposed on James Stevens sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit children. Stevens will serve almost 17 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Folden. “HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.”
HSI investigated this case with assistance from the Bell County Sheriff’s Office and the Milam County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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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.
Suburban Chicago Businessman Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – The owner and operator of several information technology companies in the Chicago area has been charged with filing a bank loan application that fraudulently sought more than $400,000 in a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Rahul Shah, 51, of Evanston, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. An initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Inspector General J. Russell George of the Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), and Special Agent-in-Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler C. Murray of the Northern District of Illinois, and Deputy Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed as a lifeline for small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “My office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who seeks to commit fraud in connection with this important program.”
The CARES Act was enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was 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. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on 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 24 weeks of receipt and use at least 60% of the forgiven amount for payroll.
According to the complaint, Shah caused to be submitted to a federally insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan guaranteed by the SBA which significantly overstated the payroll expenses of a company that he controlled. In support of the loan application, Shah allegedly caused to be submitted to the lender several false and fraudulent IRS documents, including IRS Forms 1099-MISC representing that the company made payments to several individuals who later confirmed to federal investigators that they had not received such payments.
In addition, Shah allegedly signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the IRS, the complaint states.
A complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The bank fraud and false statement charges are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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.
Shah ComplaintSteubenville man sentenced for his role in a drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Rolland Kwame Owens, of Steubenville, Ohio, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day incarceration for his role in a cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Owens, also known as “Buster,” age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride, Cocaine Base, Heroin, and Fentanyl” in February 2020. Owens admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in Hancock County and elsewhere from February 2018 to August 2019.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danae DeMasi-Lemon and Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Jefferson County, Ohio, Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office; the Weirton Police Department; and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police investigated.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
South Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man has pled guilty to a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Clay Dempsey, 37, pled guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
“Our cities and towns have had enough of drug peddlers and the mules they get to transport their poison,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart said. “My office has successfully and aggressively cleaned up many of our streets from drugs and every day we are making West Virginia a safer place to live.”
Dempsey admitted on January 27, 2020, at co-defendant Troskey Banks’ direction, he drove to Cleveland, Ohio and met with an individual. That individual then directed him to a location where a maroon minivan was parked. Dempsey switched the van he drove to Cleveland and drove the maroon minivan back to South Charleston. Banks directed him to park the minivan at a specific address in South Charleston. Dempsey parked the van at the location directed by Banks with the intent to come back later and meet with Banks to allow him to get inside the van and retrieve the controlled substances stored inside. Dempsey admitted that he knew that the purpose of his trip was to bring back controlled substances for Banks to distribute. Officers with the South Charleston Police Department later searched the van and recovered a bag of suspected fentanyl weighing approximately 105.2 grams, which field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and a bag of suspected methamphetamine weighing 118.7 grams, which field-tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
Dempsey faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on October 28, 2020. Banks is scheduled for trial on July 27, 2020.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman and third-year law student intern Richard McCutcheon handled today’s plea hearing.
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Somerset Man Pleads Guilty to the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Somerset, Kentucky man, Bradley D. Hall, 38, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, to two counts of production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on September 15, 2019, Hall engaged in a conversation with an undercover FBI employee using the Kik messenger application. Hall admitted to operating a Kik messenger group which focused on child exploitation. Hall admitted to recording, live streaming, and sending videos of child pornography to the undercover FBI employee.
Hall was indicted in September 2019.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
Hall is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2020. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum sentence of 60 years, and will be responsible for restitution to the victim in the case. However, the sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Selma Man with Felony Manslaughter Conviction Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Oscar Dewayne Blevins, 26, of Selma, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Blevins pleaded guilty to the charge in March of 2020.
In connection with his guilty plea, Blevins admitted that on December 29, 2019, he was stopped at a driver’s license checkpoint for driving a car with no tag. Deputies with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the car. Deputies asked Blevins, the sole occupant of the car, if he had smoked any marijuana inside the car. Blevins replied, “yes,” and stated that he had “smoked some last night at the club.” Blevins gave deputies consent to search the car. Deputies recovered a loaded Hi-Point 9mm pistol underneath the driver’s seat. Blevins admitted to possessing the pistol, which had been reported stolen. Blevins also admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and therefore could not possess firearms. At the time he possessed the pistol, Blevins had prior felony convictions for Manslaughter and Possession of Marijuana, First Degree in the Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama.
Senior United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of 60 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Blevins will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Blevins to pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin D. Roller.
Selma Man Sentenced to Maximum After Trial on Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Jessie James Turner, Jr., has been sentenced to ten years in prison after his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Turner’s jury trial took place at the federal courthouse in Selma, Alabama in November 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer presided over the trial and imposed the 120-month sentence, which is the maximum amount allowed by federal law. According to testimony at the trial, the case arose after Turner started firing a gun through walls of his apartment and the Selma Police Department was called to the scene. Turner was found in possession of two AR-15 assault rifles and a .40 caliber handgun. Under federal law, Turner is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of his previous felony convictions which included Criminal Mischief, 1st; Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm; Assault, 2nd; and an additional conviction for Assault, 2nd. Before announcing the sentence, Judge Moorer specifically found that Mr. Turner was a danger to the community.
The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Kasee S. Heisterhagen with the assistance of AUSA George F. May. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Selma Police Department.
San Antonio Man Charged with Transporting a Minor Living in Boston to Texas to Engage in Sexual RelationsRead the Press Release
A federal judge today unsealed a criminal complaint charging 48–year-old San Antonio resident Shannon Kuchler with driving to Boston to pick up a minor he met on the “Dark Web” and transport her to San Antonio in order to engage in sexual relations, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
The criminal complaint charges Kuchler with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to the criminal complaint, the defendant met his 16-year-old victim on the “Dark Web” in 2019. In December 2019, Kuchler traveled to Boston, picked up his victim and transported her to San Antonio. On several occasions during the trip to Texas, Kuchler engaged in sexual intercourse with his victim. After arriving in San Antonio, the complaint alleges that Kuchler sexually assaulted the victim on two occasions and forced her to engage in oral sex.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Kuchler at his residence yesterday. Kuchler remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing at 9:30am on June 23, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad in San Antonio.
The FBI’s San Antonio Crimes Against Children Task Force, San Antonio Police Department, Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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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.
Ryan Wall Imprisoned for $1.2 Million FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Ryan Wall, 42, a former Quechee resident who now lives in Florida, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to 51 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud. Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Wall serve a two-year term of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence. He also entered a preliminary order that Wall pay $470,000 in restitution to 18 victims; that order is subject to modification if additional victims file claims. The court ordered that Wall surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 8 to begin serving his sentence.
In March 2019, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a two-count indictment charging Wall with wire fraud and possessing firearms as an unlawful user of narcotics. Wall pleaded guilty to the wire fraud charge last December. According to the indictment and court records, TSBS, LLC was a company that offered tax preparation and payroll processing services. Wall was the sole employee of TSBS Payroll, the payroll processing subsidiary of TSBS, LLC. TSBS Payroll provided services to about 35 individuals, business and non-profit organizations in Vermont and New Hampshire in the Upper Connecticut River valley. On a weekly or biweekly basis, TSBS Payroll received funds from its clients that were to be used to prepare payroll checks for the clients’ employees, and tax withholdings that were to be paid over to federal and state taxing authorities.
Beginning no later than March 2012 and continuing until September 2018, Wall misappropriated portions of the funds that had been entrusted to TSBS Payroll for tax withholding purposes. He committed this fraud by issuing TSBS Payroll checks to himself and then either cashing the checks or depositing them into a personal bank account. He also issued hundreds of checks to a third party, who helped Wall obtain illegal prescription opiates, heroin and crack cocaine. Most of the money Wall stole was used to buy drugs. The total loss to victims was approximately $1.2 million. As a result of this fraud, a number of victims suffered extreme financial hardship, including bankruptcy, loss of businesses and postponed retirements.
Wall is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender David McColgin. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
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.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Gabriel White Lance, age 20, was sentenced to 19 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
White Lance was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 10, 2019. He pled guilty on March 24, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 23, 2019, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, White Lance was consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing with a group of individuals that included the 14-year-old victim. White Lance subsequently engaged in sexual activity with the victim.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
White Lance was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rome City, Indiana Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Tommy Gibson a/k/a “Two-Tone”, age 56, of Rome City, Indiana, was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady following his plea of guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Gibson was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents presented in this case, in early 2018, multiple undercover purchases of methamphetamine were conducted from Gibson. On March 28, 2018, Gibson was indicted and ultimately pled guilty to the sale of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Noble County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Retaliating Against a Witness Who Provided Information to Law Enforcement About Neopit Woman’s Drug Dealing Leads to Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a woman received a sentence related to her involvement in a July 2019 fatal drug overdose on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Elmira J. Corn (Age: 29), formerly of Neopit, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation, will serve 24 months in prison, followed by 36 months on supervised release. Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach imposed the sentence on June 9, 2020 in United States District Court in Green Bay. Corn pleaded guilty on December 30, 2020, to Obstructing Justice by Retaliating Against a Witness in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1513(b)(2) and 2.
The investigation revealed that in the early morning hours of July 9, 2019, Corn and another individual delivered a pill containing Fentanyl to another person at a residence in Neopit. The second person, identified as Leon Caldwell (age: 37), consumed part of the pill and died of a fentanyl overdose a few hours later. Witnesses revealed Corn purchased a number of pills from a source in Milwaukee a few days prior. Corn consumed and sold some of the pills, and gave one to another person shortly before he shared half of the pill with Caldwell.
While tribal and federal investigators interviewed witnesses and put together the case, Corn accosted a witness and threatened the person for cooperating with law enforcement and providing truthful information about Corn’s drug dealing. Corn’s threats culminated on October 6, 2019, when Corn and others found the witness outside a house in Neopit. Corn then encouraged another woman to attack the witness. The assault, coordinated by Corn, resulted in the woman sustaining neck, head, and arm injuries. Tribal and federal investigators arrested Corn on October 10, 2019, after a federal criminal complaint was filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Green Bay.
In sentencing Corn, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crimes the defendant committed, and pointed out “this was an assault not just of the victim but of the whole justice system.” Judge Griesbach also remarked upon Corn’s prior history of violence in tribal court matters, and the need to send a message not just to the defendant but the entire community: “This behavior is not going to be tolerated.”
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted.
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Rankin County Man Pleads Guilty to Making and Passing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Purvis Dustin Ward, 33, of Rankin County, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to one count of making counterfeit currency and one count of passing counterfeit currency, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Resident Agent in Charge Shawn Wolfe of the United States Secret Service.
An investigation by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pelahatchie Police Department and the Brandon Police Department identified Ward as an individual who had been making and passing counterfeit United States currency. On November 2, 2019, several residents of Rankin County reported that a man and a woman had been making purchases at garage sales using counterfeit currency. One of the local residents took a picture of the suspects’ car and provided a tag number and description to law enforcement. Officers from the Pelahatchie Police Department later stopped the vehicle. During the stop, officers observed what appeared to be counterfeit United States currency in plain view in the vehicle. Ward and another individual were arrested for possession of counterfeit currency.
Rankin County Deputies obtained a search warrant for Ward’s residence and located counterfeit currency, uncut sheets of counterfeit currency as well as two computers, three printers, specialty ink and paint, all of which was used to produce counterfeit currency.
Ward will be sentenced by Judge Reeves on September 15, 2020, and faces a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison and $500,000 in fines.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pelahatchie Police Department and the Brandon Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
Operation Shutdown Corner Update: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pled guilty today for his participation in a drug trafficking operation in Raleigh County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Oyontikeyta Jones, 41, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jones was one of 17 defendants charged in federal court as a result of a long-term investigation known as Operation Shutdown Corner.
“When we get gun toting drug dealers like Jones off of our streets, it is a big win for West Virginia communities,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart said. “I commend the work of all the agencies that helped bring the members of this particular drug trafficking organization to justice.”
At the plea hearing it was established that between June 2018 and September 17, 2019, Jones worked with other members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) to facilitate the distribution of methamphetamine in Raleigh County. During this time period, Jones had methamphetamine shipped from California to the Southern District of West Virginia. This was accomplished by having packages delivered to other members of the DTO. Jones or others would then give directions on where the drugs should be delivered. More specifically, on August 9, 2019, a package from California was delivered to a residence in Bluefield. Jones directed the recipient of that package to bring the package to Raleigh County, and meet him at a specified location. After Jones was picked up by the other member, a traffic stop was made in Beckley on the car that Jones was a passenger. When the officer approached the car, Jones fled on foot but was later apprehended at a nearby business. During a search of the car, officers found the package that had just been shipped from California. The package contained approximately two pounds of methamphetamine.
Additionally, during the hearing, it was established that on August 6, 2019, officers with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department approached Jones while he was stopped on the side of the road. At this time, officers found a Glock, model 26, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. It also was established that earlier that same day, Jones was observed on video surveillance possessing that same firearm. Jones knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to being convicted of another felony offense in California. The United States was able to establish that the firearm was operable and traveled in and affected interstate commerce.
Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police.
Jones faces a mandatory minimum period of 10 years and up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million when he is sentenced on October 2, 2020.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Frank W. Volk.
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Okreek Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Okreek, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Sheldon Denoyer, age 30, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Denoyer was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 11, 2020. He pled guilty on June 15, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in Mission, South Dakota, on August 12, 2019, wherein Denoyer assaulted his girlfriend, causing bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Denoyer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ohio man sentenced for cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Keith Frazier, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 84 months incarceration for drug distribution, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Frazier, also known as “KK,” age 44, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1000 feet of a Protected Location” in January 2020. Frazier admitted to selling cocaine near Luau Manor in Ohio County in March 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ohio Man Admits Trafficking Heroin near Oliver Plaza Apartments in Duquesne PARead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Evan Jones, age 27, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 26, 2018, law enforcement conducted surveillance in the vicinity of the Oliver Plaza Apartments, in Duquesne, PA, a known high drug trafficking area. Law enforcement previously received information that Evan Jones would be in the area to distribute heroin. Subsequently, law enforcement observed a blue Dodge Dakota with heavy front-end damage with an unsecured washing machine in the bed of the truck. The blue Dodge Dakota bore Ohio plates and was registered to Evan Jones. Law enforcement observed the blue Dodge Dakota pull behind the Oliver Plaza Apartment complex, an individual exit the vehicle, and then what appeared to be that individual working under the hood.
After leaving the apartment complex, law enforcement observed the driver of that blue Dodge Dakota commit at least two traffic violations. As a result, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop in the vicinity of Rankin, PA. The driver identified himself as Evan Jones. Thereafter, Jones gave officers consent to search his vehicle. The interior panels of the vehicle were loose. Inside of the loose dashboard panel, officers recovered a knotted sandwich bag containing 89.9 grams of heroin.
During his guilty plea, Jones admitted to knowingly and intentionally possessing the heroin with the intent to distribute to others.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2020 at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI Western Pennsylvania Opiate Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Evan Jones.
Monterey-Based Attorney Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – John Arthur Hudson, an attorney also known as Art Hudson and J.A. Hudson, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans involving a trust that he administered and the trust’s San Francisco property, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the complaint filed June 9, 2020, Hudson, 70, was an attorney based in Monterey County who was appointed to be trustee of a trust in 2011. The trust owned a commercial property on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and received rental income from its tenant, The Elite Cafe, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant.
As evidence of wire fraud, the complaint alleges that between April 2011 and June 2018, Hudson took out at least $680,000 in loans as trustee of the trust, pledging the property on Fillmore Street as security and falsely representing that the loan proceeds would be used to improve the property. Hudson instead personally profited from the loan proceeds and did not use any of the money to improve the property, as alleged in the complaint. For example, the complaint describes how loan proceeds were traced to Hudson’s unrelated legal settlement payments, personal mortgage and credit card payments, checks payable to Hudson, and other personal expenses.
The complaint alleges that Hudson obtained the loans without the authorization or knowledge of the trust’s beneficiaries, and without disclosing the loans to them, all while misrepresenting the trust’s finances. According to the complaint, when the trust sold the property in early 2019, more than $600,000 of the proceeds went to pay off the loans obtained by Hudson rather than the beneficiaries of the trust.
Hudson is charged with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. If convicted, Hudson faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or gross loss. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Hudson made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler yesterday, and he is currently released on a $500,000 bond. Hudson’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 22, 2020 before Judge Beeler for a bail review hearing.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is being investigated by the FBI.
Monmouth County Woman Admits Role in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, woman today admitted her role in a scheme to defraud a financial institution of hundreds of thousands of dollars, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Blanca A. Medina, 54, of Manalapan, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to a one-count information charging her with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 to 2018, Medina conspired with others to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans from “Mortgage Lender A” in Monmouth County to finance the purchase of properties by unqualified buyers. Applicants for mortgage loans are required to list their assets and income on their mortgage loan applications, and mortgage lenders rely on those applications when deciding whether to issue mortgage loans.
Medina, a former loan officer for Mortgage Lender A, admitted to participating in a conspiracy in which she knowingly caused completed mortgage loan applications that contained multiple misrepresentations of material facts regarding the buyers’ assets and income to be submitted to Mortgage Lender A. A conspirator provided Medina with false and fraudulent documents for potential borrowers including false and fraudulent lease agreements, bank statements, and a gift check and gift letter. Based on these lies, Mortgage Lender A issued mortgage loans to unqualified buyers, which caused Mortgage Lender A hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
The conspiracy charge to which Medina pleaded guilty carries a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski in Newark, and Special Agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fayer of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlie Divine of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General.
Mission Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact and Failure to Appear was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Joseph Running, age 25, was sentenced to a total of 50 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Running was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2018. He pled guilty on March 24, 2020.
The conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact stemmed from an incident that occurred on September 10, 2017, in Parmelee, South Dakota. On that date, Running was consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing with a group of individuals that included the victim. The victim subsequently went to sleep on a bed. She awoke some time later to find Running was sexually assaulting her.
Following his Indictment, the Defendant was released on bond. He subsequently did not appear for the jury trial in his case and was charged with Failure to Appear.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Running was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Larry Black Lance, III, age 28, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Black Lance was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2019. He pled guilty on March 24, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 25, 2019, in the Soldier Creek Community near Rosebud, South Dakota. On that date, Black Lance was consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing with a group of individuals that included the victim. The victim subsequently went to sleep in a bedroom. She awoke some time later to find Black Lance was sexually assaulting her.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Black Lance was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national who was in the United States illegally has pled guilty to possessing .40 caliber ammunition, according to United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Juan Martin Sotelo-Rodriguez, 26, pled guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition in federal court in Huntington.
“Entered our great nation illegally and violated federal firearm laws - both bad,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart said. “I enforce and will continue to vigorously enforce the nation’s immigration laws and federal gun laws. This is a matter of public safety and my team will do all it can to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
On October 25, 2019, Sotelo-Rodriguez was operating a car on Beechwood Drive in Huntington when he was stopped by a patrol officer with the Huntington Police Department. During the stop, Sotelo-Rodriguez was found to be intoxicated and was arrested for driving under the influence. Officers then located and seized multiple rounds of .40 caliber ammunition laying in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Sotelo-Rodriguez admitted that he possessed the ammunition. Sotelo-Rodriguez also admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico and not a citizen or national of the United States, that he was illegally and unlawfully present in the United States, and therefore, was prohibited from possessing ammunition.
Sotelo-Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 21, 2020. Pursuant to his plea agreement, he also will be subject to removal proceedings.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison Following Conviction for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on June 15, 2020, United States District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Rodolfo Davila to 151 months in prison following his guilty pleas to (1) conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, (2) maintaining a drug-involved premises, and (3) being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davila further admitted that his offense involved one kilogram of heroin, or approximately 40,000 individual dosages.
United States Attorney Christina Nolan thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force for their teamwork in achieving justice in this important drug case. She stated: “Windsor County has been ravaged by the drug trade for years, and its location off Interstate 91 and proximity to drug source cities in Massachusetts make it vulnerable. Federal, state, and local law enforcement will continue to devote investigative resources to areas in southern Vermont and across the state hardest hit by the drug crisis. We have said that those who deal deadly narcotics to Vermonters for large profit will find themselves facing serious sanction in the form of jail sentences and seizure of the assets and money they acquired on the backs of suffering addicted Vermonters. Mr. Davila, a serious recidivist offender who possessed guns, is now facing exactly that consequence.”
According to Court records, during 2017 and 2018 the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force conducted 11 controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Davila and co-conspirators David Cheney, Sean Palmer, Gary Desilets, and Davila’s sister, Elizabeth Gonzalez-Rivera. On June 6, 2017, Gonzalez-Rivera was found to be in possession of more than $38,000 when the Vermont State Police stopped a vehicle she was driving after it was observed leaving Davila’s residence.
On April 6, 2018, law enforcement arrested Davila and executed a federal search warrant at his residence located at 55 River Street in Windsor, Vermont. Pursuant to the search warrant, law enforcement seized more than 1,450 bags of heroin, over $84,000, and two handguns. Also located were two bank checks, payable to Davila, in the amounts of $9,900 and $9,100.
A subsequent financial investigation revealed that over the course of 30 days, Davila and Cheney converted $105,000 of United States currency to bank checks, along with $23,000 of money orders. These funds – all of which were determined to be the proceeds of Davila’s drug trafficking organization – were used to purchase the 55 River Street residence for more than $148,000. Less than a month later, over the course of a single week, Davila and Cheney converted additional United States currency to bank checks, which were then used to purchase a second residence, located at 41 Jarvis Street in Windsor, Vermont, for $34,000. Davila purchased business cards, lawn signs, and vehicle magnets for his purported business, “We Buy Houses & Turn Them Into Homes.”
Judge Sessions ordered the forfeiture of the residences located at 55 River Street and 41 Jarvis Street, as well as Davila’s drug proceeds. More than $124,000 of Davila’s drug proceeds were previously forfeited by HSI.
For his crimes, Davila was subject to a mandatory-minimum sentence of 60 months. The 151-month sentence imposed by Judge Sessions considered Davila’s significant criminal history, which included 35 prior criminal convictions, and a recent 4-5-year Massachusetts State Prison sentence for a firearm offense.
On February 4, 2020, David Cheney was sentenced to a 48-month term of imprisonment following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Cheney agreed to be deported to Canada. On March 9, 2020, Gary Desilets was sentenced to time served to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release. Sean Palmer and Elizabeth Gonzalez-Rivera have each been convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and await sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Nolan commended HSI and the Vermont State Police for their work on this investigation.
“We thank the U.S. Attorney for Vermont and the Vermont State Police for their solid teamwork in bringing Mr. Davila to justice in this case.” said Michael Shea, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “HSI remains committed to investigating and fighting those drug trafficking networks like the one that Davila ran that have played a major role in the deadly opioid epidemic that has destroyed so many lives and disrupted communities throughout Vermont and all of New England.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Burris. Davila was represented by Attorney Devin McLaughlin of Langrock Sperry & Wool.
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
Madison Doctor Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud in Compounding Pharmacy SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Dr. Shahjahan Sultan, M.D., 37 of Madison, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised released, for conspiring to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Michelle Sutphin of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (“DCIS”) Southeast Field Office. Sultan was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,102,634.65 to Express Scripts (TRICARE), $582,280.79 to CVS Caremark and $115,611.03 to Catamaran. The Court further imposed a money judgment of more than $2.3 million.
In May 2014, Sultan entered into a contract with a pharmacy located in Jackson County, Mississippi. Pursuant to the contract, Sultan agreed to prescribe individuals expensive compound medications in exchange for the pharmacy agreeing to pay Sultan 35% of the reimbursements it received for the prescriptions Sultan authorized. Health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, were billed for the compounded medications. Sultan employed others who identified individuals in places like Jones County, Mississippi, who had insurance that covered the expensive compounded medications. Sultan met with the insured individuals over telemedicine video-chat sessions. However, during such meetings, he did not perform thorough examinations of the individuals and did not determine the medical necessity of the compounded medications he prescribed. Sultan knew that some of the added ingredients in the compounded medication were not effective and were added solely to increase the reimbursement value. On occasion, Sultan called in compounded medications for individuals he had not previously examined.
From May 2014 through January 2015, Sultan and his co-conspirators prescribed millions of dollars of unnecessary compounded medications to patients. In total, the Court held Sultan responsible for causing over $8 million in intended loss to health care providers. Sultan pled guilty before Judge Starrett on November 21, 2019.
Thomas Edward Sturdavant, M.D., 56, of Kingsport, Tennessee, Freda Cal Covington, R.N., 54, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Fallon Deneem Page, R.N., 36, of Soso, Mississippi were all indicted along with Dr. Sultan in June 2019. Dr. Sturdavant will be sentenced next Monday, June 22, 2020. Nurse Freda Cal Covington is set for sentencing on June 24, 2020, and Nurse Fallon Page will be sentenced on July 7, 2020.
The case was investigated by the FBI and DCIS. Assistant Chief Dustin M. Davis and Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Trafficking HeroinRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Peter Oliver Henry, 61, of Chalmette, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for heroin trafficking, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
On June 4, 2019, Henry was arrested while delivering 4 ounces of heroin to an individual in Gulfport, Mississippi. Henry was indicted on June 25, 2019 and pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on December 13, 2019.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Lima man sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for sex trafficking minor girlRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A registered sex offender was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 500 months in prison for crimes related to sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl.
Nicholas Salvadore Cochran, 28, of Lima, Ohio, pleaded guilty in January 2020 to one count of sex trafficking a minor, and one count of committing a sex offense against a minor as a registered as a sex offender.
As part of his sentence, Cochran will pay full restitution to the victim and others impacted by the crimes, remain under court supervision for the rest of his life, pay a fine determined by the court and pay special assessments of $10,200.
“While unthinkable to most of us, sex trafficking of children is real and organized,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “We must recognize the unthinkable and report suspicious activity for the sake of our most vulnerable. I would like to tell you that this is an isolated incident. It is not.”
Cochran was arrested on Aug. 9, 2019, as part of Operation Independence Day – a nationwide FBI-led operation to identify and arrest sex traffickers and recover child victims. He has been in custody since his arrest. A federal grand jury indicted him on Sept. 6, 2019.
According to court documents, police began searching for a 14-year-old girl reported missing from Celina, Ohio in July 2019. Family members believed her to be in the Dublin, Ohio area with a man named “Nick.” Local law enforcement and the FBI began investigating information known about her to help locate the missing girl. The investigation included examination of ads posted on websites used for advertising prostitution.
Investigation of the advertisements revealed that between July 9 and July 14, Cochran posted approximately 25 ads for the Lima-Findlay, Dayton and Columbus areas. He posted ads for sex with the child victim daily, and those ads contained nude photographs of the minor.
Allen County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cochran on a traffic stop in Lima, Ohio on an outstanding failure to appear warrant and seized Cochran’s phone. The victim called her parents from a hotel in Lima and was recovered.
Cochran had been convicted of two counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual battery in Henry County, Ohio in 2009.
“The selling of a human being for the purpose of sex is Stephen King-level evil,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I am proud of Jennifer Rausch and our federal and local partners for bringing this case to a just conclusion.”
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Celina Police Chief Thomas Wale; Allen County Sheriff Matthew B. Treglia; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rausch, Legal Director of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative, represented the United States in this case.
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Lima man charged with unlawful drug use in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
Justin E. Herdman, U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio has returned a three-count indictment charging Trevor Leis, 27, of Elida, Ohio with two counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms and one count of making false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms. Leis was arrested this morning by the FBI without incident.
According to the indictment filed in this matter, from January 2018 to March 2020, Leis possessed multiple firearms and rifles while knowingly using [or a drug user of] illegal controlled substances. Additionally, in March 2018, Leis made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase two firearms illegally.
As a result of these offenses, Leis must forfeit to the United States all firearms and ammunition involved in these offenses, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Beretta, Model PX4 Storm Pistol, Caliber 9X19
- P. Beretta, Model AL391 Urika Shotgun, 20 Gauge
- Remington Arms Company, Model 1100 Shotgun, Caliber 20 Gauge
- Remington Arms Company, Model Remington 870 Wingmaster Shotgun, Caliber 20 Gauge
- Harrington & Richardson 1871 LLC (H&R), Model Pardner Shotgun, Caliber .410” Gauge
- Rifle, Izhmash (IMEZ), M1944, 7.62x54r
- FN America (FNH USA), model FN15 Rifle, Caliber Multi
- Colt, Defender model, .45 caliber pistol
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman.
Leader of $50 Million Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits Programs Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted leading a conspiracy that defrauded New Jersey health benefits programs and other insurers out of more than $50 million, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
William Hickman, 44, of Northfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Properly prescribed medicines can be a vital part of a patient’s treatment, but they can also be costly,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “This defendant orchestrated an elaborate scheme to submit prescriptions for unnecessary compounded medications on behalf of patients who had never seen a doctor. He did so to steal millions of dollars from medical health benefits systems that were intended to help employees get the treatments they needed and deserved.”
“This defendant made millions of dollars by enlisting patients and exploiting their medical insurance plans at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers,” Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski, Newark Division, said. “The FBI is committed to bringing to justice any profiteer who pursues fraud as an occupation with public monies as their paycheck.”
Hickman was charged in March 2019 along with Brian Pugh, Thomas Schallus, John Sher, Thomas Sher, and Christopher Broccoli. Charges remain pending against those defendants, and their trial is scheduled to commence on Sept. 21, 2020.
“When you visit a doctor, you expect him or her to evaluate your symptoms and prescribe medication to best treat your condition,” Michael Montanez, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “Mr. Hickman, who is a salesman not a doctor, recruited patients to have prescriptions filled, not to better the health of the patients, but rather to financially line his own pockets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
William Hickman was a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. He created a side business called Boardwalk Medical LLC in his wife’s name to sell medical products for other companies, an activity that was prohibited by his employer.
As part of his side business, Hickman started persuading patients to receive compounded medications, which are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Hickman learned that certain insurance plans administered by an entity referred to in the indictment as the “Pharmacy Benefits Administrator” would reimburse thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain compounded medications – including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as vitamin combinations. He also learned that many New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, police officers, and state troopers, had this insurance coverage. The Pharmacy Benefits Administrator would pay prescription drug claims and then bill the State of New Jersey for the amounts paid.
Hickman marketed compounded medications for several pharmacies, including the Louisiana pharmacy identified in the indictment as “Compounding Pharmacy.” His initial work for Compounding Pharmacy was through an intermediary who paid Hickman a commission if patients he found received compounded medications covered by insurance.
In early 2015, however, Hickman struck his own deal to be a master distributor for Compounding Pharmacy. Under his deal, Compounding Pharmacy agreed to pay Boardwalk Medical 40 percent or more of the insurance payments received for prescriptions obtained by Hickman and the recruiters working for him. Hickman then created a network of conspirators to work under him to find patients, including Michael Sher and Matthew Tedesco (both of whom have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud) and Pugh. The conspirators working for Hickman found additional patient recruiters and brought them into the conspiracy: Pugh recruited Schallus, Tedesco recruited Broccoli, and Michael Sher recruited John Sher and Thomas Sher. Hickman agreed to pay the conspirators working under him a percentage of the insurance reimbursement that he received from Compounding Pharmacy, and they paid recruiters working under them.
Hickman told his recruiters to find New Jersey public employees and other people with insurance coverage administered by Pharmacy Benefits Administrator. He gave them blank Compounding Pharmacy prescription forms and told them which medicines had the highest insurance reimbursement and to check off 12 months of refills.
Hickman also told his recruiters that he had a doctor who would sign prescriptions without seeing the patients. Dr. John Gaffney, who has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, signed numerous prescriptions at Hickman’s request without seeing the patients or determining that they had a medical necessity for the specially compounded medications.
Based on the instructions he gave them, Hickman’s conspirators recruited New Jersey public employees and others to fraudulently obtain compounded medications from Compounding Pharmacy that the patients did not need, often without a doctor seeing the patients or determining that the medications were medically necessary. Hickman and the conspirators working for him paid individuals for receiving Compounding Pharmacy prescription medications. If the patients did not see their own doctor, recruiters would give Hickman prescriptions that were completed except for the doctor’s signature, and Hickman would have Dr. Gaffney sign the prescription. The completed prescriptions were faxed to Compounding Pharmacy, which filled the prescriptions and billed the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator.
Compounding Pharmacy paid Boardwalk Medical for each Hickman prescription filled and paid by Pharmacy Benefits Administrator. Pharmacy Benefits Administrator paid Compounding Pharmacy over $50 million for compounded medications, and Compounding Pharmacy paid William Hickman over $26 million for prescriptions obtained by Hickman and his conspirators. Hickman paid a portion of that amount to his recruiters, and they paid the recruiters under them. Hickman admitted paying Pugh approximately $435,000 in criminal proceeds over five months. Those payments provided the basis for the money laundering conspiracy charge to which Hickman pleaded guilty.
The health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy count to which William Hickman pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.
In his plea agreement, William Hickman agreed to pay restitution of $53,037,639 and to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment for $26,241,327. Hickman also agreed to forfeit specific property obtained with criminal proceeds, including five investment accounts and four real estate parcels.
Sentencing for William Hickman is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski in Newark, IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Montanez in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Division of Pensions and Financial Transactions in the New Jersey State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Division Chief Aimee Nason, for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk, Jr. and Christina O. Hud of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Ward, Senior Trial Counsel of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Latin Dragon Nation Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Including Two HomicidesRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Ralph Mendez, Jr., 24, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity as a member of the Latin Dragons Nation street gang, including admitting responsibility for two homicides, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
In the plea agreement, the parties agree that Mendez, Jr., should serve a sentence of 42.5 years imprisonment.
“Mendez, Jr.’s guilty plea is a successful resolution to this case,” said U.S. Attorney Kirsch. “Many people were victimized and some died as a result of Mr. Mendez, Jr’s actions. He will face the consequences of his actions. I am pleased with our law enforcement team’s work on this case.”
In the plea agreement, Mendez, Jr., admitted to being a member of the Latin Dragon Nation street gang since approximately 2014. As a member of the gang, Mendez, Jr., participated in shootings of suspected gang members and associates, in addition to drug and firearms trafficking. On May 23, 2017, while accompanied by others, Mendez, Jr., left Hammond, Indiana, in a stolen vehicle to go to a rival gang neighborhood in Chicago. Upon arriving, he shot Jose Gomez, a suspected rival gang member, resulting in his death. On July 14, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois, Mendez, Jr., was accompanied by others when he fired in excess of 15 shots at four people whom he suspected were rival gang members or associates, resulting in the death of Mike Whitford and resulting in another victim being shot in the neck. From 2014 through 2017, Mendez, Jr., also accompanied others on shootings and himself shot four additional victims, including shooting one victim in the back as he attempted to flee.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; and the Calumet City Police Department, with assistance from the Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office, the Indiana Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph A. Cooley and Kevin F. Wolff and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth, with prior assistance from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section Trial Attorneys Robert Tully, Andrew Creighton, and Hans Miller.
Last of six sentenced in scheme to defraud Medicaid of millionsRead the Press Release
Youngstown, Ohio – Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that Jennifer Sheridan, age 42, of Austintown, Ohio, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment, and ordered to pay $15,957,148 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of health care fraud conspiracy.
Jennifer Sheridan is the last of six defendants to be sentenced for crimes related to a health care fraud conspiracy in which Medicaid was billed $48 million for drug and alcohol recovery services, many of which were not provided, not medically necessary, lacked proper documentation, or had other issues that made them ineligible for reimbursement.
“Today’s sentencing marks the conclusion of a case in which the defendants conspired together to use the drug epidemic as a way to steal tens of millions of dollars from taxpayers through fraudulent billing practices and other crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “The defendants’ actions have earned them jail time and over $24 million in restitution. We will continue to hold anyone accountable who tries to take advantage of the drug epidemic and Ohio taxpayers.”
"This is the last defendant to receive their deserved sentence for fraudulent and deceptive criminal behavior,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith. “These individuals preyed on a healthcare system that is in place to help those in need and not to be used as an ATM to cipher millions of dollars from the taxpayers for their own pleasures.”
“Today’s sentencing should serve as a message to all healthcare professionals who choose to fraud the government and contribute to the misuse of prescription drugs,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin.
“This sentence is the final chapter of a heartless plot to exploit recovering addicts for personal gain,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I’m proud to work alongside our federal partners to hold these wrongdoers accountable.”
On January 22, 2020, Ryan P. Sheridan, 39, of Leetonia was sentenced to 7 ½ years imprisonment and ordered to pay $24,479,939 in restitution after pleading guilty to various health care fraud conspiracy crimes. Ryan Sherdian was the owner and operator of Braking Point Recovery Center, which operated in the Youngstown and Columbus areas.
On March 12, 2020, co-defendant Kortney L. Gherardi was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $2,413,838.42 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
On January 21, 2020, co-defendants Dr. Thomas Bailey and Dr. Arthur Smith were sentenced to 2 years of probation with 6 months of community service and a $5,000 fine. Co-defendant Lisa Pertee was sentenced to 1 year of probation with 60 days of community service, and order to pay $2,200 in special assessments.
According to court documents:
Ryan Sheridan was the sole owner of Braking Point Recovery Center, which operated drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Austintown and Whitehall, Ohio, that provided detox, intensive outpatient treatment, day treatment and residential living rehabilitation.
Between January 2015 and October 18, 2017, Sheridan and various other defendants submitted or caused to be submitted billings to Medicaid for drug and alcohol services that were: coded to reflect a service more costly than was actually provided; without proper documentation; without proper assessment documents containing valid diagnosis; billings for patients whose records did not contain diagnosis by a physician; related to treatment at unlicensed inpatient beds; billings related to dispensing of Suboxone, even though the treating physician did not have the authority to do so; for case management services when, in fact, the clients were working out at Sheridan’s gym; billings based on quotas provided to the nurses by the defendants to bill four to five hours of treatment daily, even if the services were not medically necessary; billing for in-patient detox and drug treatment services that were, in fact, provided in an out-patient setting, among other violations.
Braking Point submitted approximately 134,744 claims to Medicaid for more than $48.5 million in services it claimed to provide between May 2015 and October 2017. The claims caused Medicaid to pay Braking Point more than $31 million. Medicaid suspended payments to Braking Point on October 18, 2017.
Sheridan and other defendants developed a standard protocol of distributing the same amount of Suboxone to every patient seeking drug treatment immediately upon entering Braking Point’s detox program without being evaluated by a properly licensed physician to determine the medical necessity for the use of Suboxone. Sheridan had the treating physician use another physician’s DEA data waiver license to dispense more than 3,000 doses of Suboxone in 2017 alone without the data waiver physician having seen the patients.
Sheridan also made numerous financial transactions in excess of $6 million, involving money derived from these unlawful activities, including health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. As such, Sheridan was ordered to forfeit property and proceeds obtained as a result of these crimes, including nearly $3 million, property in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, and eight automobiles, including replicas of vehicles used in the movies “Back to the Future,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Batman.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark S. Bennett and Jason M. Katz, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Metzler following an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services -- Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Control Unit.
KC Man Sentenced for $900,000 Romance FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a romance fraud scheme that bilked victims across the United States and overseas of nearly $900,000.
Ronayerin K. Ogolor, 51, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Ogolor to pay $871,739 in restitution to his victims.
On Oct. 23, 2019, Ogolor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ogolor admitted that he participated in a conspiracy since 2013 that targeted people, some of them elderly, in search of companionship or romance through online websites such as Facebook, ChristianMingle.com, or Hangout.com.
The perpetrators of the romance scams created several profiles on online dating sites. Conspirators then contacted men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, with whom they cultivated a sense of affection and often romance. Having established relationships with the victims, the perpetrators of the romance scams ultimately requested money for hospital fees, travel fees, “customs expenses,” “gold import taxes,” or investment opportunities. Conspirators directed the victims to wire transfer or deposit money into various bank accounts, including accounts established and maintained by Ogolor. Often after the victims transferred money into the specified accounts, conspirators claimed more money was needed, “to release the package” or “to pay customs expenses” on money or gold.
On other occasions, conspirators fraudulently obtained checks through business email compromise, and had the victims deposit the checks into their accounts and wire and deposit money into various accounts, including accounts established and maintained by Ogolor. In a business email compromise, the conspirators hack into a business email account, and then send an email from what appears to be an employee with authority to approve payments, instructing that a check be disbursed in the victim’s name and sent to the victim. By using victims to deposit the checks and distribute the money, the conspirators distanced themselves from the business email hacking and fraud.
In furtherance of the scheme, Ogolor opened several bank accounts in his name and in the names of sham businesses. The romance fraud victims wired and deposited their money and money from counterfeit or fraudulently obtained checks into Ogolor’s accounts. Soon after receiving the fraudulently obtained wires or deposits, Ogolor wired money to co-conspirators and/or withdrew the money in cash.
Court documents refer to 13 victims (in Alabama, Ohio, Washington, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, California, and Italy) who each sent tens of thousands of dollars to Ogolor. One victim (a widow in Indiana who received a friend request on Facebook) believed a co-conspirator was a widower working on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana; she lost a total of $450,000 to Ogolor and others. Another victim in Texas, who believed a co-conspirator was a widower and U.S. Army general deployed in Afghanistan, lost at least $300,000.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Inmate and Corrections Officer Sentenced in Federal Court on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Wiggins Washington, 52, of Bay Minette, Alabama, and Michael Rashard Dread, 34, of Foley, Alabama, were sentenced on June 2, 2020, in federal court for their involvement in a scheme to smuggle two ounces of methamphetamine ice into Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore. Washington, a corrections officer employed at the facility, was arrested after meeting a person he believed to be the supplier of the drugs in Bay Minette. A confidential informant had provided information to the Department of Homeland Security Investigation about the scheme, and law enforcement intervened to arrange a controlled delivery so that Washington could be arrested prior to his delivering the drugs to the inmates who planned the drug deal from the prison. Dread was an inmate in the prison serving time on a prior state drug charge. Washington pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking charge in September of 2019. Dread pled guilty to the conspiracy charge in October of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 84 months in Washington’s case, consisting of the statutory minimum mandatory consecutive penalty of five years on the gun charge, with a consecutive sentence of 24 months on the drug charge. The judge ordered that Washington will serve a five year term of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Washington pay $200 in special mandatory assessments and forfeit the firearm used in the offense.
Dread was sentenced to a term of 120 months imprisonment, to be followed a five year term of supervised release. As conditions of his supervised release term, the judge ordered that Dread undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse and mental health treatment, if recommended by the probation office. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Dread pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.
A third participant in the scheme, inmate Kevin Depaul Davidson, 46, was previously sentenced by Judge Moorer in February of 2020 to a term of 262 months imprisonment. Davidson was serving a life sentence on state charges at the time of his participation in the scheme.
The investigation was conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.Indictment: Topeka Man Robbed Three StoresRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Topeka man was indicted today in federal court in Wichita on charges of committing robberies at three stores in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Deshawn Lorenzo Pittman, 24, Topeka, Kan., is charged with three counts of commercial robbery. The indictment alleges Pittman committed the following robberies:
- Sept. 8, 2019, Dollar General, 4500 Southeast California Ave. Topeka, Kan.
- Nov. 15, 2019, Family Dollar, 501 Southeast 21st Street, Topeka, Kan.
- Dec. 23, 2019, Loan Max Title Loans, 3601 Southwest Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarred Maag is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Two defendants from California were indicted today on charges of smuggling more than two pounds of fentanyl to Kansas.
Jorge Eduardo Guerrero-Bustamante, 26, San Jose, Calif., and Ruby Quiroz, 25, Santa Ana, Calif., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. They were arrested Jan. 2 during a car stop in Meade County, Kan.
If convicted, they could face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
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Gleneice Lashawn Phillips, 24, Dayton, Ohio, and Kamryne J. Wright, 19, Dayton, Ohio, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of traveling across state lines in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 19, 2020, in Trego County, Kan.
The defendants initially were charged by criminal complaint March 10, 2020. The complaint alleged they were stopped with more than 35 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 22 pounds of fentanyl.
If convicted, they could face not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on each of the possession charges and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
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Coty C. Mewes, 32, is charged with one count of escaping from custody at the Grossman Residential Reentry Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 19, 2020.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
Jamison Michael Stiles, 47, is charged with one count of escaping from custody at the Grossman Residential Reentry Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 26, 2020.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.
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Ronnie Lee Martin, 24, is charged with one count of escaping from custody. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 4, 2020, in Leavenworth, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
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Dontreal D. Banks, 33, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 23, 2020, in Wichita, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the felon in possession charge, up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on the heroin charge and not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
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Andre J. Wallace, 44, who is in federal custody, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 18, 2019, in Topeka, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years on the methamphetamine charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking count and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
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David W. Kellner, 31, who is in federal custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 1, 2020, in Miami and Linn counties.
Kellner initially was charged by criminal complaint May 2. The complaint alleged Kellner led law enforcement on a chase at speeds up to 110 mph.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Miami County Sheriff’s Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
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Brandon Eugene Derr, 35, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 4, 2013, in Topeka, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.
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Lamarques A. Channel, 36, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 3, 2020, in Manhattan, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indiana Man Who Trekked on Foot to Meet Wisconsin Minor Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 15, 2020, Tommy Lee Jenkins (age: 33) of Whitestown, Indiana, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
Starting on October 1, 2019, Jenkins, who had recently moved from Oshkosh, Wisconsin to Whitestown, Indiana, began exchanging instant messages with “Kylee” whom he believed to be a 14 year-old girl living in Neenah, Wisconsin with her mother. Jenkins began demanding sexually explicit photographs from “Kylee” and making plans to engage in sexual activity with the minor. When his numerous requests for “Kylee” to join him in Indiana were rebuffed, Jenkins began walking the 351-mile trek from Whitestown, Indiana to Neenah, Wisconsin. Along the way, Jenkins continued to engage “Kylee” in sexually explicit conversations and updated her as to his current location.
“Kylee” was, in fact, a Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Task Force. Upon his arrival in Winnebago County, sheriff’s deputies and a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation placed Jenkins under arrest.
Jenkins was convicted of state charges of child abuse in 2011. At the sentencing hearing, the government detailed for the court numerous incidents in the eight years following that conviction wherein Jenkins was alleged to have sexually abused minors and others.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge and a strong need to protect the public and deter Jenkins from abusing children in the future. Following his release from prison, Jenkins will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sexual offender.
“Because of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office’s and the FBI’s excellent work, Tommy Lee Jenkins will not be able to prey on any more children,” said United States Attorney Krueger.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble and Julie F. Stewart.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Indian Man Arrested After Attempting to Smuggle More Than 3000 Pounds of Marijuana into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Gurpreet Singh, 30, a citizen of India, was arrested and charged with unlawfully importing and possessing with intent to distribute 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in the early morning hours of June 13, 2020, a commercial truck carrying 22 skids of peat moss and bearing Ontario, Canada license plates attempted to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. During primary inspection, Singh told a CBP Officer that he was transporting the peat moss to Orange, VA. During the secondary exam, officers observed five pallets of peat moss packaged in large white plastic positioned at the rear of the trailer. Behind the pallets were 58 large cardboard boxes in the middle of the trailer. Behind the boxes were 14 additional pallets of peat moss. Inspection of the cardboard boxes revealed thousands of vacuum sealed bags containing suspected marijuana. The total weight of the suspected marijuana was approximately 3,346.35 pounds, with an approximate value of $5,000,000.
“For the second time in as many weeks, Customs and Border Protection Officers successfully interdicted a multi-million dollar load of marijuana being imported from Canada into our District,” stated U.S Attorney Kennedy. “Despite the current travel restrictions at our international crossings, the criminal element has not curtailed their efforts to profit from illicit drug trafficking. Fortunately, our tremendous partners in law enforcement have remained vigilant in their efforts to ensure the integrity of our border and, in so doing, to keep our citizens safer and healthier.”
“As criminals are determined to exploit our vulnerabilities during this unprecedented time in our country’s history, CBP remains steadfast in our commitment to protect our Nation,” said Buffalo Field Office Director Rose Brophy. “Our CBP officers have remained vigilant and focused, and their efforts have resulted in over 8,700 pounds of narcotics seized since March 21.”
“Large-scale marijuana trafficking is not an isolated crime,” said Kevin Kelly, HSI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge. “Smugglers are often connected to larger criminal syndicates who profit from a wide variety of crimes, and we must continue to dismantle all forms of their illicit activity.”
Singh made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being detained pending a detention hearing on June 17, 2020.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations - Border Enforcement Security Team, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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