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16 June 2020
Illinois Man Sentenced for Bringing Cocaine to Wisconsin to Sell ItRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Enricki Gomez, 30, Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 21 months in federal prison for possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute. Gomez pleaded guilty to this charge on March 10, 2020.
On October 7, 2019, a confidential informant working with law enforcement officers called Gomez to buy cocaine. During the phone call, Gomez agreed to drive a half kilogram of cocaine from Rockford to the informant in Madison, Wisconsin. When Gomez arrived at the meeting location in Madison, he was arrested after a search of his car revealed 510 grams of cocaine. Only two days prior to his arrest, Gomez had supplied the informant and another individual with one kilogram of cocaine.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Conley stated that a 21-month sentence was necessary because Gomez was involved in selling a significant amount of cocaine. While noting that Gomez had a limited criminal history, Judge Conley expressed his displeasure that Gomez jumped into major drug dealing with “both feet.”
The charge against Gomez is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Illinois Business Owner Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
The owner and operator of several information technology companies based in the Chicago area has been charged in a complaint with allegedly filing a bank loan application fraudulently seeking more than $400,000 in a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois, 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 made the announcement.
Rahul Shah, 51, of Evanston, Illinois, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
Shah allegedly caused to be submitted to a federally-insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan that was 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 different false and fraudulent IRS documents. The complaint alleges that Shah caused to be submitted to the lender false IRS Forms 1099-MISC representing that the company made payments to several individuals who confirmed to investigators that they had not received the payments. In addition, Shah 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. However, 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 CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are 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 1 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 on the PPP loan to be entirely forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses a certain amount of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Deputy Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler C. Murray for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department acknowledges and thanks the TIGTA, the SBA OIG, and the FBI for their efforts investigating this matter.
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.
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.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawful Reentry into United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Valeriano Cuevas-Mendoza, 35, an illegal alien from Mexico, to imprisonment for 57 months for unlawful entry into the United States by a deported alien. Cuevas-Mendoza faced up to 20 years imprisonment due to a prior conviction for an aggravated felony offense. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Cuevas-Mendoza undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, and receive deportation consideration.
On November 26, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Cuevas-Mendoza with one count of reentry of removed aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). On January 24, 2020, Cuevas-Mendoza pleaded guilty to the charge before the Court.
Cuevas-Mendoza admitted to the following facts as part of his guilty plea. On October 4, 2019, a Thomasville Police Department officer lawfully arrested Cuevas-Mendoza for burglary in the third degree in Clarke County, Alabama. (On December 5, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to the burglary offense in Clarke County Circuit Court in Grove Hill, Alabama.) On October 8, 2019, Cuevas-Mendoza’s fingerprints were enrolled into immigration and criminal biometric databases. The databases verified that Cuevas-Mendoza was a citizen and national of the Republic of Mexico and had an alien registration number. An immigration records search revealed that on May 17, 2011, an immigration judge in Atlanta, Georgia ordered Cuevas-Mendoza removed to Mexico. On June 21, 2011, Cuevas-Mendoza was physically removed from the United States and returned to Mexico. On October 31, 2011, Cuevas-Mendoza was apprehended by United States Border Patrol agents near Hebbronville, Texas, and he was subsequently charged with illegal reentry after deportation. On May 3, 2012, Cuevas-Mendoza was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment in United States District Court in Laredo, Texas for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326 (reentry by a deported alien) in the Southern District of Texas. On October 9, 2014, Cuevas-Mendoza was physically removed from the United States and returned to Mexico. At the time of his arrest on October 4, 2019 in the Southern District of Alabama, Cuevas-Mendoza was an illegal alien who was unlawfully present in the United States, and he had not obtained permission of the Attorney General of the United States or the United States Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States.
The United States Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Husband, Wife Plead Guilty in $15 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
A Red Oak, Texas couple pleaded guilty today to their roles in a $15 million retirement plan embezzlement scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Vantage Benefits Administrators co-owner Wendy Richie, 59, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of theft from an employee benefit plan and one count of aggravated identity theft. Her husband, Vantage co-owner Jeffrey Richie, 55, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting theft from an employee benefit plan. Their company served as third party administrator for dozens of pension and retirement funds.
According to plea papers, Ms. Richie admitted to using fund beneficiaries’ personal information to submit $15.2 million in fraudulent distribution requests to Matrix Trust, the funds’ custodian. Instead of depositing the money into beneficiaries’ accounts, however, she transferred it into Vantage’s operating account, then into personal bank accounts.
Even after a Vantage employee confronted Mr. Richie about Ms. Richie’s conduct, Ms. Richie continued to embezzle money from the funds. At least $6.2 million of the $15.2 million Ms. Richie embezzled was taken with Mr. Richie’s knowledge, he admitted.
In total, the pair admitted to submitting more than 90 unauthorized distribution requests from 13 pension plans and 7 retirement plans from 2014 and 2017.
“This couple took advantage of innocent people who were working hard and saving for their future,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said in October 2018 when the couple was charged. “We cannot permit such brazen financial misconduct to go unchecked.”
Ms. Richie now faces up to 12 years in federal prison, while Mr. Richie faces up to 10 years. They may be required to pay restitution as well as a $500,000 fine.
The Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Texas State Auditor’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Stokes is prosecuting the case.
Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A Huntington man has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison on a drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stewart Longworth Jordan, III, 27, previously pled guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine after postal inspectors seized a large quantity of methamphetamine in the mail in 2018.
“Mr. Jordon was peddling in the very poisons that have deeply harmed our communities and our families,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We stopped him before he was able to distribute that poison in Huntington and beyond. Law enforcement okayed a critical role in protecting our community and families from more damage.”
On November 9, 2018, an inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service located a package in the Huntington Post Office which had been mailed from Nevada and which was found to contain over two pounds of methamphetamine. Inspectors subsequently delivered the package to a residence in Huntington and Jordan arrived at the residence to collect the package. Jordan was arrested and admitted in court that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police and Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
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High-Ranking Member of Sinaloa Drug Cartel Arraigned After Extradition from MexicoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former high-ranking member of the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico was arraigned today on federal drug charges following his extradition from Mexico. The defendant, FELIPE CABRERA SARABIA, was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, one count of conspiracy to import into the United States cocaine and heroin, and distribution of heroin, in an indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in January 2012.
Cabrera Sarabia, 50, was brought to the United States on June 12, 2020, after Mexican courts ordered him extradited on the three counts of the Indictment. He remains in federal custody after pleading not guilty this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez in Federal Court in Chicago.
According to the Indictment, from at least May 2005 until December 2008, Cabrera Sarabia conspired with other Sinaloa Cartel members to transport multi-ton quantities of illegal drugs into the United States. Cabrera Sarabia is one of more than 20 members of the Sinaloa or Beltran-Leyva drug cartels to be charged in federal court in Chicago. The investigation has resulted in seizures of approximately $30.8 million, approximately eleven tons of cocaine, 265 kilograms of methamphetamines, and 78 kilograms of heroin.
The developments were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erika L. Csicsila and Andrew C. Erskine.
The conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison, and the distribution of heroin count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Guatemalan Women Sentenced for Using Social Security Number of Deceased Person to Cicumvent the E-Verify SystemRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL — Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Magdalena Vasquez Garcia (age 44, of Guatemala) has been sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to using a Social Security number issued to another individual for purposes of circumventing the E-Verify System. E-Verify is a system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Garcia also faces potential immigration consequences following her sentencing.
During the course of an investigation into another matter, special agents with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor determined that certain individuals working at a nursery in Mobile County were circumventing the E-Verify System by using Social Security numbers that had been issued to other individuals. One of the individuals doing so was Magdalena Vasquez Garcia, a Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States. Specifically, Garcia was using a Social Security number assigned to a now-deceased woman who had lived in Texas. During the course of this investigation, it was determined that this same Social Security number was being used by other individuals illegally working in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Bodnar.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment for Transporting HeroinRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cesar Moscoso-Sagastume, age 39, of Esquipulas, Guatemala, was sentenced on June 11, 2020 to serve 57 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Moscoso-Sagastume previously pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy during February 2018. Moscoso-Sagastume admitted that he agreed to transport approximately five kilograms of heroin (which is equivalent to approximately 200,000 individual retail baggies) from Chicago to New York City. The heroin was transported from Mexico to Chicago where it was placed in the his vehicle. Moscoso-Sagastume was stopped by Pennsylvania State Troopers on Interstate 80 while traveling to New York City.
Moscoso-Sagastume will likely face deportation after serving his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordin effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Greenbrier County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Greenbrier County woman pled guilty to a wire fraud charge today, according to United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Cathy Byers, 44, of Renick, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Byers faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on October 2, 2020.
“Ms. Byers betrayed the trust given to her by using the union’s bank account as her own to pay personal expenses. The union members’ hard earned money was her personal piggy bank,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We prosecute cases like this to hold fraudsters accountable, protect the victims, and to seek restitution.”
Byers used her position as the treasurer of a local union to defraud the union of approximately $22,000 by using the union’s bank card to make numerous purchases of personal items.
The Department of Labor, through its Office of Inspector General and Office of Labor Management Standards, conducted the investigation. United States District Court Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson is handling the prosecution.
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Founder and CEO of Iranian Financial Services Firm Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of Seyed Sajjad Shahidian, 33, for his role in conducting financial transactions in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Shahidian, who was indicted on Dec.18, 2018, entered his guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against and to defraud the United States before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Shahidian, a citizen of Iran, was arrested in London, England on Nov. 11, 2018. On May 15, 2020, Shahidian was extradited to the United States and had his initial appearance in the District of Minnesota on May 18, 2020.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, Payment24 was an internet-based financial services company with approximately 40 employees and offices in Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, Iran. The primary business of Payment24 was helping Iranian citizens conduct prohibited financial transactions with businesses based in the United States, including the unlawful purchase and exportation of computer software, software licenses, and computer servers from United States companies. According to Payment24’s website, the company charged a fee to circumvent “American sanctions,” and claimed to have brought in millions of dollars of foreign currency into Iran.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, Shahidian, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Payment24, co-conspirator Vahid Vali, and other individuals violated the restrictions on trade and exports from the United States to Iran. On its website, Payment24 sold a package to assist its Iranian clients with making online purchases from United States-based businesses, which included a PayPal account, a fraudulent “ID card and address receipt,” a remote IP address from the United Arab Emirates, and a Visa gift card. The Payment24 website also offered its clients advice on how to create accounts with a foreign identity and how to avoid restrictions on foreign websites, including advising clients to “never attempt to log into those sites with an Iranian IP address.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, Shahidian admitted to making material misrepresentations and omissions to United States-based businesses regarding the destination of the United States-origin goods. In order to accomplish the transactions, Shahidian obtained payment processing accounts from United States-based companies like PayPal using fraudulent passports and other false residency documentation to falsely represent that his customers resided outside of Iran. Shahidian admitted to opening hundreds of PayPal accounts on behalf of his Payment24 customers who resided in Iran and to unlawfully bringing millions of U.S. dollars into the economy of Iran.
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), unauthorized exports of goods, technology or services to Iran, directly or indirectly from the United States or by a United States person are prohibited.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Division of the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI are particularly grateful for the substantial assistance provided by law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom, including the National Crime Agency and London Metropolitan Police, in connection with the arrest and extradition in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Rank and Charles J. Kovats of the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Founder and CEO of Iranian Financial Services Firm Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of SEYED SAJJAD SHAHIDIAN, 33, for his role in conducting financial transactions in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. SHAHIDIAN, who was indicted on December 18, 2018, entered his guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against and to defraud the United States before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
SHAHIDIAN, a citizen of Iran, was arrested in London, England on November 11, 2018. On May 15, 2020, SHAHIDIAN was extradited to the United States and had his initial appearance in the District of Minnesota on May 18, 2020.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, PAYMENT24 was an internet-based financial services company with approximately 40 employees and offices in Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, Iran. The primary business of PAYMENT24 was helping Iranian citizens conduct prohibited financial transactions with businesses based in the United States, including the unlawful purchase and exportation of computer software, software licenses, and computer servers from United States companies. According to PAYMENT24’s website, the company charged a fee to circumvent “American sanctions,” and claimed to have brought in millions of dollars of foreign currency into Iran.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, SHAHIDIAN, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of PAYMENT24, co-conspirator VAHID VALI, and other individuals violated the restrictions on trade and exports from the United States to Iran. On its website, PAYMENT24 sold a package to assist its Iranian clients with making online purchases from United States-based businesses, which included a PayPal account, a fraudulent “ID card and address receipt,” a remote IP address from the United Arab Emirates, and a Visa gift card. The PAYMENT24 website also offered its clients advice on how to create accounts with a foreign identity and how to avoid restrictions on foreign websites, including advising clients to “never attempt to log into those sites with an Iranian IP address.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, SHAHIDIAN admitted to making material misrepresentations and omissions to United States-based businesses regarding the destination of the United States-origin goods. In order to accomplish the transactions, SHAHIDIAN obtained payment processing accounts from United States-based companies like PayPal using fraudulent passports and other false residency documentation to falsely represent that his customers resided outside of Iran. SHAHIDIAN admitted to opening hundreds of PayPal accounts on behalf of his PAYMENT24 customers who resided in Iran and to unlawfully bringing millions of U.S. dollars into the economy of Iran.
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), unauthorized exports of goods, technology or services to Iran, directly or indirectly from the United States or by a United States person are prohibited.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Division of the FBI. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the United States Department of Justice National Security Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are grateful for the substantial assistance provided by law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom, including in particular the National Crime Agency and the London Metropolitan Police, in connection with the arrest and extradition in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Rank and Charles J. Kovats of the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
SEYED SAJJAD SHAHIDIAN, a/k/a “Soheil Shahidi,” 33
Shiraz, Iran
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States, 1 count
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Former Wilkinsburg Resident Sentenced for Violating Federal Drug and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -A former resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to seven years’ imprisonment and six years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Jordan Thompson, 23.
According to information presented to the court, on February 7, 2019, Thompson possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. The court was further informed that Thompson unlawfully possessed a Glock .40 caliber firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking offense, after having been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those convictions include one conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, two convictions for receiving stolen property, and convictions for carrying a firearm without a license and being a person not to possess a firearm. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendant. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former Bumble Bee CEO Sentenced to Prison for Fixing Prices of Canned TunaRead the Press Release
Christopher Lischewski, former Chief Executive Officer and President of Bumble Bee Foods LLC, was sentenced to serve 40 months in jail and pay a $100,000 criminal fine for his leadership role in a three-year antitrust conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna, the Department of Justice announced.
Lischewski was charged on May 16, 2018, in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in San Francisco. After a four-week trial in late 2019, he was convicted on the single count of participating in a conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna. In imposing Lischewski’s 40-month prison sentence, the Court found that Lischewski was a leader or organizer of the conspiracy and that it affected over $600 million dollars of canned tuna sales.
“The sentence imposed today will serve as a significant deterrent in the C-suite and the boardroom,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Executives who cheat American consumers out of the benefits of competition will be brought to justice, particularly when their antitrust crimes affect the most basic necessity, food. Today’s sentence reflects the serious harm that resulted from the multi-year conspiracy to fix prices of canned tuna.”
“This sentence is the result of our commitment to holding corporations and senior leadership accountable for their actions, whether they operate in the food supply industry or elsewhere,” said FBI San Francisco Division Special Agent in Charge, John F. Bennett. “This brings us closer to our goal; allowing our citizens to be able to purchase food in an unbiased market within an efficient and fair economy, free of corporate greed.”
Bumble Bee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $25 million criminal fine. In September, StarKist Co. was sentenced to pay a statutory maximum $100 million criminal fine. In addition to Bumble Bee and StarKist, four executives, including Lischewski, were charged in the investigation. The other three executives pleaded guilty and testified in Lischewski’s trial.
The sentence announced today is a result of the Department’s ongoing investigation into price fixing in the packaged-seafood industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging, or other anticompetitive conduct related to the packaged-seafood industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office at 415-934-5300, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html, or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
Florissant Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Making False Statement in Attempted Firearm Purchase as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
St. Louis, Missouri –United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Johnny Sesson II, 47, of Florissant, Missouri, to 60 months in prison for making a false statement on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473 in order to acquire a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on April 13, 2019, Sesson attempted to purchase a shotgun from federally licensed firearms dealer Quincy Farm & Home Supply in Cottleville, Missouri. In completing the Form 4473, Sesson made a false written statement to the effect that that he had never been convicted of a felony crime. Sesson admitted to knowingly making this false statement, and that the false statement regarding his status as a convicted felon was capable of influencing the federally licensed firearms dealer into believing a firearm could lawfully be sold to him. Sesson also admitted to making the false statement with the intent to acquire the shotgun and to deceive the firearms dealer into selling him the shotgun.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office.
Florida Man Sentenced for Illegal Taking of Black Bear in Kenai National Wildlife RefugeRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a Florida man was sentenced in federal court for violating the Lacey Act by shooting and transporting a black bear in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area, which is part of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, an area closed to all hunting and trapping.
James L. Connolly, 63, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was sentenced on Monday, June 15, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble, to pay a fine of $8,000, after previously pleading guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act. As part of his sentence, Connolly agreed to forfeit the black bear hide, and is to serve a two-year term of probation, during which he is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the United States.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2018, Connolly shot and killed the black bear in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area on the Kenai Peninsula, an area closed to all hunting and trapping. Connolly then transported the bear carcass from Alaska to a tannery in California, who then shipped the carcass to Connolly in Florida.
The investigation revealed that eyewitnesses had seen the remains of a black bear that had been killed on Skilak Lake Loop Road, and others had seen and spoken with Connolly, who told them he recently shot and killed a black bear in the area. Law enforcement officers took DNA samples of the blood from the kill site and matched it with DNA samples taken from the bear carcass in Connolly’s possession in Florida. Evidence collected by now retired Federal Wildlife Canine Rex played a vital role in the investigation and prosecution of Connolly.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Scoble noted the importance of protecting Alaska’s natural resources and “the wild spaces” in the United States. He also commented that Mr. Connolly’s actions were particularly “abhorrent” under the circumstances. Specifically, that an individual would travel to Alaska from Florida with the intent to hunt and kill a wild animal, and not be aware of the proper areas he could legally take an animal.
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Florida Wildlife Commission and Federal Wildlife Officers in Alaska, Florida, and North Carolina, leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh.
Felon in Possession of a Gun Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jacob Clark Jackson, 29, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to five days in custody as time served on the charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson pled guilty to the charge in October of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the sentence, ordering that Jackson would be on supervised release for three years, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement. Jackson was ordered to undergo mental health counseling and drug abuse treatment as conditions of his supervision. No fine was imposed, but Jackson was ordered to pay $100 special mandatory assessment.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Felon Sentenced to 24 Months After Threatening Former Employer and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Louis, Missouri –United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Christopher McKinney, 28, of St. Louis, to 24 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2019, officers from the St. Ann Police Department were called to the Freeman Foundation at 8499 Lackland Road for a former employee threatening management after having been fired. McKinney was leaving the facility in a tan Infinity sedan with an expired plate when officers stopped the vehicle at 8316 Charlack Road. When asked what happened, McKinney stated there was a verbal argument before he left the business. Officers asked him if there was anything he had on him or in the vehicle that could hurt anyone. McKinney stated there was a pistol on the front passenger seat and gave consent for officers to retrieve the pistol. In plain view on the front passenger seat was a Ruger SR 45, which officers retrieved.
At the time defendant possessed the aforementioned firearm, he knew he had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Dowd handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Felon Admits Possessing Loaded Rifle in East HartfordRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MANUEL A. GOMEZ, 30, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2019, Gomez was involved in a one-car motor vehicle accident in East Hartford. As East Hartford Police responded to the accident, Gomez ran from the scene. He was apprehended after a short foot chase. A subsequent search of Gomez’s vehicle revealed a loaded AM-15 .223 caliber rifle.
In 2008, Gomez was convicted in state court of two counts of assault in the first degree, on which he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after seven years.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on September 9, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Gomez has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
Essex County Man Allegedly Involved in Shootout Charged with Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man made his initial appearance today after his arrest in North Carolina on drug charges, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Lester Hicks, a/k/a “Mayhem,” 29, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. He made his initial court appearance today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 8, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Essex County Sheriff's Office were patrolling around Clinton and Avon avenues in Newark when they observed a vehicle run a red light. The officers stopped the vehicle, in which Hicks was a passenger. They determined there was an active warrant for Hicks’ arrest. A search incident to his arrest recovered 78 glassine envelopes of heroin and $121 in cash. Twenty-eight of the envelopes were stamped “Terminator” in red ink, and 50 of the envelopes were stamped “G” in red ink.
Hicks was charged, processed, and released with a summons to return to court. That same day, he was allegedly involved in a shooting near Martin Luther King Boulevard in Newark. The shooting was recorded on video and Hicks was identified as one of the shooters. After agreeing to self-surrender, he traveled instead to North Carolina, where he was arrested by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hicks had a sawed-off shotgun in his possession when arrested.
The drug trafficking offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and the Newark Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around the Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the ATF, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole Board, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Toscano, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Teri Daun Halfred, age 24, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Halfred was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2019. She pled guilty on February 25, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in March 2019, when Halfred approached another adult on a street in Eagle Butte and stabbed her in the chest with a knife. Halfred fled the scene after her attack.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Halfred was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Discrimination and harassment resulting from COVID-19 pandemicRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler is asking anyone who has witnessed or experienced harassment or discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to report such allegations to the Civil Rights Coordinator in his office, or to the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency has impacted many vulnerable community members, including persons with disabilities, persons with limited English proficiency, service members, and other persons protected by our nation’s civil rights laws because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. COVID-19 has particularly impacted individuals in their ability to pay their rent, increasing housing insecurity. It is a violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) for housing providers, including landlords, and managers, to exploit this crisis by sexually harassing tenants in exchange for rent or other housing needs.
“Enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws is one of the top priorities in my office.” said Minkler. “We must remain vigilant and work together in this area, especially during this public health crisis. COVID-19 has affected all races, religions, ethnicities, and those with disabilities. Please help us address any suspect discrimination, as we enforce the laws that prohibit such behavior.”
The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits across the country where a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing is alleged. Investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years. Many individuals do not know that being sexually harassed by a housing provider can violate federal law or that the Department of Justice may be able to help.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The initiative’s goal is to address sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing.
Discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and other protected classes is unlawful under several federal laws in addition to the FHA, and may result in criminal or civil liability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by FHA. Further, violent acts of hate based upon these and other protected classes violate federal hate crimes statutes . If you believe you are a victim of discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or other protected classes, you can find information about how to file a complaint at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint and https://www.justice.gov/crt/fcs . In addition, resources for disability-related issues are available at https://www.ada.gov, and language access information is available at https://www.lep.gov. Anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, can also email [email protected] .
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Coordinator, Jeffrey D. Preston, may be reached at 317-226-6333. The Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington D.C. may be reached at 855-856-1247 (toll free) or 202-514-3827.
Department of Justice observes the 15th annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice to observe the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
“The investigation and prosecution of criminals who prey upon the elderly is a top priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This year, we have brought charges against numerous defendants who attempted to victimize seniors and we will continue to do so in the future. Those individuals who prey on the elderly should know that it will be only a matter of time before we find and prosecute you.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities. The Northern District of Georgia has brought federal charges in numerous cases of elder fraud.
Major strides have already been made to that end:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Northern District of Georgia, along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants. - Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
Northern District of Georgia Elder Fraud Cases in 2020
In 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has prosecuted many defendants who have perpetrated elder fraud, including cases involving romance scams, retirement fraud, impersonation of government officials, identity theft, and timeshare fraud.
Romance scams are a type of online fraud in which victims are targeted by individuals posing as potential paramours. The fraudsters create fake online dating profiles (often with photographs of attractive men or women) and use these fake personas to express a romantic interest in the victims in order to trick them into sending money to them or their co-conspirators under false pretenses. Romance scams frequently target vulnerable individuals who possess significant financial assets, such as retired widows or widowers.
- In United States v. Okang, et al., twenty-four defendants were charged for their involvement in a large-scale fraud and money laundering operation that targeted citizens, corporations, and financial institutions throughout the United States. Business email compromise schemes, romance fraud scams, and retirement account scams, among other frauds, duped numerous victims, including many elderly individuals, into losing more than $30 million.
- In United States v. Alonge, et al., two defendants pleaded guilty based upon their involvement in a Nigeria-based romance scam that tricked victims into sending over $1.8 million. Both defendants were sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,835,279.00. The second sentencing occurred in January 2020.
- In United States v. Adara, et al., two defendants pleaded guilty based upon their involvement in a Nigeria-based romance scam. Their sentencings are scheduled for later in 2020.
We also prosecute cases involving India-based centers that scammed U.S. residents, including the elderly. Criminal India-based call centers seek to profit by exploiting U.S. residents through various phone scams, including the impersonation of government officials. The call center operators trick the victims and at times threaten consequences if they do not send money. If the victims agree to pay, the call centers then turn to a network of U.S.-based co-conspirators to liquidate and launder the extorted funds.
- In June 2020 in United States v. Patel, et al., two defendants were indicted for allegedly laundering over $400,000 in funds derived from an India-based tech support and Social Security scams that victimized numerous elderly individuals.
- In United States v. Patel, the defendant pleaded guilty to wire fraud for using fake identifications to retrieve over $150,000 from over 160 victims of India-based tele-fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for July 2020.
- In United States v. Excellent Solutions BPO, et al., eight defendants pleaded guilty and were subsequently sentenced in January 2020 to up to four years and nine months for their involvement in an India-based IRS impersonation scam that victimized thousands of United States residents and resulted in over $3.7 million in losses.
In June 2020, in United States v. Durrell Tyler, the defendant was charged with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft where he possessed and used personal identifying information, including social security numbers, of elderly victims.
In January 2020, Katherine Craig was charged with mail fraud. Craig allegedly embezzled over $1.7 million dollars from a company she was managing and defrauded over 1000 timeshare owners, most of whom were elderly retirees. Craig operated the timeshare resort where she worked without casualty insurance, even though the Lease Agreements required the resort to maintain casualty insurance. Over the years, the buildings at the resort deteriorated through storm damage and neglect and by early 2016, the resort was in such bad shape that Craig was not allowing any timeshare owners to vacation there anymore.
The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11
Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security Joint Statement on Rescheduling MPP HearingsRead the Press Release
The Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) remain committed to proceeding with Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) hearings as expeditiously as possible. The departments have been in ongoing discussions about the timing for the resumption of hearings in light of the continuing emergency health conditions in the United States, in Mexico, and in the international community, as many countries continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19. As a result of this ongoing review of conditions, and in conjunction with continued implementation of health officials’ COVID-19 guidance, DHS and DOJ are postponing both MPP hearings and in-person document service through, and including, July 17, 2020. This will alleviate the need for travel within Mexico to a U.S. port of entry while pandemic conditions in Mexico remain severe.
We anticipate the resumption of hearings on July 20, 2020, so long as public health and safety indicators support hearing reinstatement at that time. The departments are actively planning to ensure compliance with CDC social distancing guidelines and partnering to secure the equipment and resources necessary to support the resumption of MPP hearings when that time comes. The departments will reevaluate the timing for resumption of MPP hearings on a weekly basis, evaluating factors that include:
- White House gating criteria articulated in the “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again”;
- State-by-state assessment of COVID-19 levels in Mexico;
- Centers for Disease Control and State Department travel
advisories/recommendations; and - COVID-19 exposure risks to migrants traveling throughout Mexico, to agents and officers at the border and at ports of entry, and to court officers, and other court personnel.
When conditions are deemed safe, the departments will provide notice fifteen days prior to resumption with additional, location-specific information. Individuals should continue to check on case status in English and Spanish by calling the Automated Case Information Hotline at 1-800-898-7180 or visiting the EOIR Automated Case Information portal.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Civil Rights Reporting PortalRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces that the Department of Justice launched the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. This new online tool will make it easier for the public to report a civil rights violation.
“The department is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all people in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Reporting Portal will make it easier for the public to connect with us, which in turn makes us more effective at upholding these important rights. I encourage the public to use this portal to report civil rights violations.”
Mr. Higdon commented: “One of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Justice is to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly and equally and in conformity with our constitutionally-protected civil rights. But, in order to do that, we must have an open and effective dialogue with those who believe those rights may have been denied to them. This new tool will, we believe, help us to more effectively act to protect those rights. I urge everyone across the Eastern District to use this new tool whenever they believe their rights may have been denied.”
The new Civil Rights Reporting Portal – located at civilrights.justice.gov – will consolidate over 30 unique reporting pathways. The portal will dramatically ease the burden on victims of civil rights violations to identify the proper reporting channel. The form is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It is also available in both English and Spanish, with more languages to be added over the next year.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of civil rights violations should contact the department by visiting civilrights.justice.gov. When appropriate, the Civil Rights Division staff will refer complainants to other agencies that are responsible for handling specific types of complaints.
Individuals who believe they are a victim of criminal violation of their civil rights, such as misconduct by law enforcement officers, a hate crime, or human trafficking, should contact their local FBI office.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Department of Justice Announces Launch of Civil Rights Reporting PortalRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania joined the Department of Justice in announcing the launch of the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. This new online tool will make it easier for the public to report a civil rights violation.
"The department is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all people in the United States," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Reporting Portal will make it easier for the public to connect with us, which in turn makes us more effective at upholding these important rights. I encourage the public to use this portal to report civil rights violations."
"The protection of civil rights remains a top priority of the Department of Justice. This new portal dramatically eases the burden on victims of civil rights violations who are trying to identify the proper reporting channel," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Through this single portal anyone can report potential violations of federal law including the willful use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer, hate crimes, and racial discrimination, as well as other forms of illegal discrimination, human trafficking and violations of religious liberty."
The new Civil Rights Reporting Portal – located at www.civilrights.justice.gov – will consolidate over 30 unique reporting pathways. The form is fully accessible to people with disabilities. It is also available in both English and Spanish, with more languages to be added over the next year.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of civil rights violations can learn how to report violations by visiting www.civilrights.justice.gov.
If you believe that you are a victim of criminal civil rights violations, such as misconduct by law enforcement officers, hate crimes, or human trafficking, please contact your local FBI office.
In January of this year, U.S. Attorney Brady named Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Haley Warden-Rodgers as co-coordinators of the office’s Civil Rights efforts. Either can be reached through the office’s main number: (412) 644-3500.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Denver Company Pays $688,500 to Resolve Mineral Trespass InvestigationRead the Press Release
DENVER –The United States Attorney’s Office t0day announced that PDC Energy, Inc., an oil and gas company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has paid $688,500 to resolve allegations that it drilled, and later operated, an oil and gas well that removed federal minerals without permission.
Oil and gas exploration companies may only drill for oil, gas, or other minerals owned by the United States after first applying for and obtaining a federal mineral lease from the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). These companies must also obtain a BLM-issued permit to drill an oil and gas well. The United States contends that in 2013, PDC drilled a well into federal minerals in Weld County, Colorado without first obtaining a federal lease and a permit to drill. PDC fully cooperated with the investigation, and the resolution announced today resolves liability for the full alleged trespass period: July 1, 2013 through April 30, 2019.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting our public lands,” said Matthew Kirsch, Attorney for the United States acting under authority conferred 28 U.S.C. § 515. “Companies have to follow the rules governing those public lands. If they don’t, they will pay an additional price.”
“The settlement reached during this investigation is the direct result of the OIG, Department of Justice, Bureau of Land Management, and Office of the Solicitor working collaboratively and diligently on behalf of all American citizens to ensure minerals removed from federal ownership are properly accounted for and public revenues are collected,” said Ron Gonzales, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General’s Energy Investigations Unit.
“This case demonstrates the Bureau of Land Management’s efforts to support the Secretary of Interior’s goals of ensuring that the public receives fair market value for resources, recovers costs where appropriate, and fosters partnerships to achieve balanced stewardship and use of public lands. We are grateful for the work of all the bureaus involved to settle this case,” said Jamie Connell, BLM Colorado State Director.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Wang.
Defendant Sentened to 18 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced defendant Richard Truman Godwin, aka Richard Truman Smith, 48, of Mobile, Alabama, to imprisonment for 18 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Godwin undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, and receive testing and treatment for substance abuse.
On October 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Godwin with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits convicted felons from possessing a firearm. On January 30, 2020, Godwin pleaded guilty to the charge before the Court.
Godwin admitted to the following facts at his plea hearing. On September 3, 2019, narcotics investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office initiated surveillance of a Citgo gas station on Springhill Avenue in Mobile after viewing a Snapchat video in which a male individual said that he had narcotics and would be selling them at the gas station. Investigators saw the person from the Snapchat video and numerous other persons loitering and engaging in hand-to-hand transactions at the gas station. Godwin parked his vehicle near a fuel pump at the gas station, exited the vehicle, walked toward the convenience store portion of the station at the same time as the individual from the Snapchat video, and returned to his vehicle shortly thereafter. When deputies approached Godwin’s vehicle, they immediately detected the strong odor of burnt marijuana. Godwin gave deputies verbal consent to search his vehicle. During their search, deputies recovered a Charter Arms, .38-caliber revolver, which was plainly visible in the driver’s side door pocket of Godwin’s vehicle. Godwin knowingly possessed the revolver, which had previously traveled in interstate commerce. At the time of the incident, Godwin had at least four prior felony convictions in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, including unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, burglary in the first degree, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and burglary in the third degree. Each of these felony offenses prohibited Godwin from possessing a firearm.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case.
Decatur Sex Offender Sentenced to 22 1/2 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A prior sex offender, Emmett J. Rogers, 47, of the 400 block of South 22nd Street, Decatur, Ill, was sentenced today for child sexual exploitation and child pornography. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm ordered Rogers to serve 270 months (22 years, six months) in prison. Rogers has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest one year ago, on June 11, 2019, and will be transferred to the federal Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.
On Dec. 12, 2019, Rogers pleaded guilty to the charges that he exploited a minor in October 2018, to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produce images of the conduct. Rogers also admitted to transportation and possession of child pornography. According to the affidavit in support of Rogers’ arrest, Rogers was identified through cybertips sent by Google to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represented the government in the case. The Decatur Police Department; the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
DOJ and City of Aberdeen, Washington, resolve complaint and investigation regarding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Read the Press Release
Seattle - The U.S. Department of Justice and the City of Aberdeen, Washington, today reached a settlement regarding areas of the city that were found to be non-compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. The areas of non-compliance came to light in 2019 when an Aberdeen resident who has impaired sight filed a complaint regarding obstacles on city sidewalks. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the obstructions, and the city has agreed to make changes--either removing the obstacles or creating barriers that will allow a person who is visually impaired to be aware of the obstacle by use of a cane.
“I’m pleased the City of Aberdeen is working quickly to make these modifications to ensure that their streets and sidewalks are accessible for all,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “Our ability to enforce the ADA is greatly served when members of our community alert us to areas of non-compliance. This complainant helped further accessibility by alerting the city and our office to obstacles that may pass unnoticed for sighted residents, but can badly injure those with visual impairments.”
According to the settlement, at five different intersections, the light poles on the streets contain boxes that protrude more than 12 inches into the circulation path at the intersection. Because the boxes stick out so far from the pole, a person using a cane to navigate could walk right into the metal box. The city is placing low-hanging barriers around the boxes so that canes will register the obstacle.
In four other locations, tree limbs overhang city streets below the 80-inch height minimum set by the ADA. The city will be trimming those trees so that the branches will no longer be an obstacle for those who may not be able to see them as they walk down the street.
Under the terms of the settlement, the City of Aberdeen will make all the modifications by August 1, 2020, and will report back to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the work. If there are no other issues of ADA non-compliance over the next year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will close the file.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Fogg.
usao_ada_investigation_settlement_agreement_06.15.2020.pdfConvicted Felon Indicted for Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault of a Federal EmployeeRead the Press Release
MEMPHIS, TN – A federal grand jury has indicted Bernard M. Jones, 35, for attempted murder and aggravated assault of a federal employee with a deadly weapon. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the indictment today.
According to information presented in court, on September 4, 2019, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Jones was in the process of committing the crime of burglary of a motor vehicle. Meanwhile, the victim, a U.S. Postal Service employee, was preparing to take First Class mail from the Jet Cove Annex to the Memphis Processing & Distribution Center located in downtown Memphis. While loading the mail into his USPS staff vehicle, the victim observed someone moving around inside his personal vehicle which was parked approximately 50 yards away in the employee parking lot at the Memphis Priority Mail Annex located at 3300 Jet Cove in Memphis. The victim drove the staff vehicle near his pickup truck and saw the defendant exit his pickup truck.
The defendant shot multiple times at the victim as he escaped in his postal vehicle. As the victim drove away, the defendant followed him in a Nissan Sentra and continued to shoot. During the course of the investigation, United States Postal Inspectors determined two bullets struck the hood and several other locations on the postal vehicle. Law enforcement also located two 9MM Luger shell casings from the shooting scene. The suspect, along with a female accomplice, fled the scene in a blue Nissan Sentra. Postal Inspectors later identified Bernard M. Jones as the shooter. As a result of his prior felony conviction history, Jones is prohibited by federal law from possession of a firearm or ammunition.
Jones has been indicted for the offenses of Assault of a federal employee with a deadly weapon; Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon; Use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; and Attempted murder of a federal employee.
If convicted on counts 1, 4, and 5 Jones faces sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment on each; a $250,000 fine; and 3 years supervised release. On count 2, he faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000 and 3 years supervised release. On count 3, he faces a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years and up to life imprisonment; a $ 250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This office takes very seriously our duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the sanctity and security of the U.S. Mail. This indictment reflects our commitment to hold offenders accountable for brazen and disturbing acts of violence that endanger and victimize federal employees. We commend the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS in this case."
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Columbia County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gary Shoemaker, Jr., age 40, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 15, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 72 months’ imprisonment for engaging in heroin trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Shoemaker pleaded guilty to the offense of distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Shoemaker was charged with this offense after he sold heroin to a confidential informant during an investigation targeting drug distribution activity in the Columbia and Montour County areas.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montour County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Co-Founder of Cryptocurrency Company Pleads Guilty for Role in ICO Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Craig Stewart, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced that ROBERT JOSEPH FARKAS, a/k/a “RJ,” pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott to conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce victims to invest more than $25 million dollars’ worth of digital funds in Centra Tech, Inc. (“Centra Tech”), a Miami-based company he co-founded and that purported to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products. FARKAS and his co-conspirators used material misrepresentations and omissions to solicit investors to purchase securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech, through an initial coin offering (“ICO”) beginning in approximately July 2017.
Mr. Stewart said: “Farkas and his co-conspirators duped ICO investors into investing digital currency worth millions of dollars based on fictitious claims about their company, including misrepresentations relating to its purported digital technologies and its relationships with legitimate businesses in the financial services sector. Whether in the context of traditional equity IPOs or newer cryptocurrency-related ICOs, raising capital through lies and deceit is a crime.”
According to the Superseding Information, and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:
In or about July 2017, FARKAS, along with co-defendants Sohrab Sharma and Raymond Trapani, founded a company called Centra Tech that claimed to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products, including a purported debit card, the “Centra Card,” that supposedly allowed users to make purchases using cryptocurrency at establishments accepting Visa or Mastercard payment cards. From approximately July 30, 2017, through October 5, 2017, FARKAS and his co-defendants solicited investors to purchase unregistered securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech (“Centra tokens” or “CTR tokens”), through a so-called “initial coin offering” or “ICO.” As part of this effort, FARKAS and his co-defendants represented, in oral and written offering materials that were disseminated via the internet: (a) that Centra Tech had an experienced executive team with impressive credentials, including a purported CEO named “Michael Edwards” with more than 20 years of banking industry experience and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University; (b) that Centra Tech had formed partnerships with Bancorp, Visa, and Mastercard to issue Centra Cards licensed by Visa or Mastercard; and (c) that Centra Tech had money transmitter and other licenses in 38 states, among other claims. Based in part on these claims, victims provided millions of dollars’ worth of digital funds in investments for the purchase of Centra Tech tokens. In or about October 2017, at the end of Centra Tech’s ICO, those digital funds raised from victims were worth more than $25 million. At certain times in 2018, as the defendants’ fraud scheme was ongoing, those funds were worth more than $60 million.
The claims that FARKAS and his co-conspirators made to help secure these investments, however, were false. In fact, the purported CEO “Michael Edwards” and another supposed member of Centra Tech’s executive team were fictional people who were fabricated to dupe investors; Centra Tech had no such partnerships with Bancorp, Visa, or Mastercard; and Centra Tech did not have such licenses in a number of those states.
On or about May 2018 and October 2018, this Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) seized, pursuant to judicially authorized seizure warrants, 100,000 Ether units, consisting of digital funds raised from victims who purchased digital tokens issued by Centra Tech during its ICO based on fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions.
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FARKAS, 33, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. FARKAS will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield on a date to be determined.
Mr. Stewart praised the work of the FBI, and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer, Negar Tekeei, and Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution.
Cleveland man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony L. Jackson, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jackson, also known as “Rob,” age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl” in March 2020. Jackson admitted to having heroin and fentanyl in August 2017 in Hancock County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-State Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man who participated in a conspiracy which saw large quantities of heroin transported from Akron, Ohio and distributed in the Southern District of West Virginia pled guilty today in federal court in Huntington, West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Weston Dallas McDaniels, 34, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
“Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are working together like never before to dismantle multi-state drug trafficking networks funneling large quantities of deadly drugs into our communities,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart said. “We are holding these pushers, peddlers and traffickers accountable for the tragic addiction and chaos they cause in our communities.”
McDaniels admitted that during the month of September 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute heroin in the Charleston area. During the conspiracy, McDaniels was directed to a source of supply for heroin in Akron, Ohio. McDaniels and the source met in Akron on multiple occasions where the source provided McDaniels with heroin. McDaniels then transported the heroin to the Southern District of West Virginia where it was sold. On September 13, 2019, McDaniels acquired an additional amount of heroin from the source in Akron and was subsequently stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. A trooper located and seized the heroin and McDaniels admitted that he was transporting the heroin to West Virginia. A chemist later determined that the heroin also contained fentanyl and weighed in excess of 300 grams.
McDaniels faces five to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 21, 2020.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
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Businessman Pleads Guilty in Federal Contract Kick-Back SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former businessman engaged in a complicated kick-back and wire fraud scheme involving federal contracts worth more than $36 million dollars has pleaded guilty for his crimes, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. David Kennedy, 67, of Nashville, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea this morning before U.S. District Judge Clay Land to one count conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Act and commit wire fraud. Kennedy faces a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the signed guilty plea, a company Kennedy worked for was awarded a $29 million federal contract in 2013 for work on Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. The same company was awarded a separate federal contract in 2014 in the amount of $7.7 million for work on Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. On both projects, Kennedy illegally directed millions of dollars of subcontract work to Southern Atlantic Construction in exchange for thousands of dollars in kick-backs, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act. Kennedy opened a bank account in Tennessee, where he moved his illegal gains, committing wire fraud.
“Investigators unraveled a complicated kick-back scheme concocted by the defendant to enrich himself to the detriment of the American taxpayer. Combatting fraud against the United States remains a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to thank the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command for their excellent work investigating this fraud.”
"With this guilty plea Kennedy acknowledges his criminal wrongdoing and will now be held accountable," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI strives to expose corrupt kickback schemes that undermine the normal process for obtaining federal contracts thereby costing our taxpayers dearly."
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals and Trial Attorney Vasanth Sridharan of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Conspiring to Distribute over a Kilogram of Heroin in SchenectadyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka “Tego,” age 38, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin to a Schenectady-based drug trafficking organization. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Rivera-Perez to forfeit $89,017 in heroin proceeds and to serve 5 years of post-release supervision.
In pleading guilty, Rivera-Perez admitted to being a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018. Rivera-Perez was the organization’s supplier and, through a courier, regularly delivered hundreds of grams of heroin from the Bronx to Schenectady, and received thousands of dollars in return. The heroin was then sold in personal-use amounts in and around Schenectady by other members of the organization.
In sentencing Rivera Perez, who has “King of Dope” tattooed across his abdomen, Judge D’Agostino found that he obtained $89,017 in heroin proceeds by suppling the organization in Schenectady.
Rivera-Perez was charged with eight other defendants, all of whom have pled guilty, and are from the Bronx, Schenectady, and Amsterdam, New York.
The following defendants have pled guilty and face the following sentences of imprisonment:
Name
Age
Minimum
Maximum
Esteban Ressy, aka “The Boss”
44
15 years
Life
Daniel Garcia, aka “Danny”
35
10 years
Life
Linette Marie Soto
26
10 years
Life
The following defendants were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:
Name
Age
Sentence
Gregory Insogna
46
5 years
Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee,” aka “Gordo”
29
57 months
Kirsten Jansen
28
18 months
Jose Cortes-Cruz, aka “Bimbo”
29
1 year and 1 day
Patrick McNamara
49
Time served
This case was investigated by HSI, the New York State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Amsterdam Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
British Citizen Pleads Guilty to Attempted Aircraft Parts FraudRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On June 16, 2020, Richard Paul Harper, 67, of Norwich, Great Britain, entered a guilty plea to one count of attempted aircraft parts fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Sentencing has been set for October 20, 2020, at 10:15 a.m., in U.S. District Court at Knoxville.
Harper faces a term of up to ten years in Federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release of three years.
Harper owned and controlled a business known as Apple Helicopter International, with offices in Great Britain and Bristol, Tennessee. At one time, Apple held a license from the Federal Aviation Administration, and was engaged internationally in purchasing, refurbishing, and selling used helicopters and helicopter parts.
As part of the written plea agreement, Harper admitted that he obtained a helicopter with significant damage to its underbelly. Instead of performing necessary, costly repairs, the fuselage of the helicopter was switched with the fuselage of another helicopter that had crashed in New Jersey, and the original data plates were affixed to the fuselage of that helicopter. This data plate switch caused the true history of the helicopter to be concealed. Harper, with intent to defraud, actively marketed and tried to sell the resulting helicopter with switched data plates to unsuspecting purchasers.
Ultimately, Harper attempted to sell the helicopter to an undercover agent posing as an aircraft broker. During the attempt, Harper concealed the true history of the aircraft and coordinated the provision of fraudulent maintenance records to the undercover agent. Following the filing of a criminal complaint and the issuance of an arrest warrant, agents arrested Harper when he entered the United States in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2020, on his way to a national helicopter convention.
"Fraudulent activity of any kind is reprehensible and detrimental, but fraudulent activity of this kind that poses a particular danger to those who fly the aircraft and are on the ground is particularly egregious,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “I want to commend our law enforcement partners in this case for bringing the perpetrator of this fraud to justice.”
“The plea agreement entered by Harper shows that intentionally concealing material facts about an aircraft used to verify the safety and airworthiness is unacceptable,” stated Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Together with our Federal and prosecutorial partners, we will continue working to preserve the highest levels of integrity and safety within the Nation’s aviation system.”
“Individuals who seek monetary gain through the fraudulent sale of faulty equipment place unsuspecting consumers at risk of serious injury or death,” said Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville. “Strong partnerships among federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies are critical to public safety both in the air and on the ground.”
The plea agreement is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Mac D. Heavener, III, Assistant U.S. Attorney, represented the United States.
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Brainerd Man Charged in Minneapolis Police Third Precinct ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal criminal complaint against DYLAN SHAKESPEARE ROBINSON, 22, charging him with aiding and abetting arson at the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct. ROBINSON, who was arrested on June, 14, 2020, in Breckenridge, Colorado, made his initial appearance earlier today, before Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter in U.S. District Court in Denver.
According to the allegations in the complaint, on the night of May 28, 2020, the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct was overrun and heavily damaged due to vandalism and arson. Investigators identified multiple separate fires had been started in the building. Surveillance video footage from the Third Precinct shows two individuals light a Molotov cocktail and throw it at the Third Precinct building. One of the individuals can be seen throwing a second Molotov cocktail at the Third Precinct building. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were able to identify ROBINSON in the surveillance video.
According to the allegations in the complaint, ATF investigators reviewed a video posted on ROBINSON’s Snapchat account that shows at least one individual appearing to make a Molotov cocktail while multiple unidentified voices provide directions on how to make the device. During the video, ROBINSON typed several comments, including “These guys have never made a Molotov… Rookies,” and “We need gasoline.” Investigators reviewed another Snapchat video in which ROBINSON can be seen setting a fire in a stairwell inside the Third Precinct. On the evening of June 12, 2020, investigators located ROBINSON in the Denver, Colorado area. ROBINSON was arrested on June, 14, 2020, in Breckenridge, Colorado.
The ATF and FBI urge the public to report suspected arson, use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information specifically related to the Third Precinct fire or other business fires in the Twin Cities can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email [email protected] or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com. In addition to fires, the FBI is looking for people who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul and Denver Field Divisions, the FBI Minneapolis and Denver Field Offices, the United States Forest Service, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Breckenridge Police Department, the Dillon Police Department, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and David P. Steinkamp.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Information:
DYLAN SHAKESPEARE ROBINSON, 22
Brainerd, Minn.
Charges:
- Aiding and abetting arson, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Bradken Inc. Pays $10.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Substandard Naval PartsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Bradken Inc. (Bradken) has paid $10,896,924 to resolve allegations that Bradken produced and sold substandard steel components for installation on U.S. Navy vessels. The United States alleged that a Bradken employee knowingly falsified test results to conceal the fact that the components did not meet the Navy’s specifications.
“When government contractors supply our armed forces with equipment that fails to meet performance standards, they not only cheat taxpayers, they also potentially put our service members at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the military receives products that enable it to perform its critical mission.”
Bradken, which operates a foundry in Tacoma, Washington, is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Kansas City, Missouri, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bradken Ltd. of Newcastle, Australia. Since the 1980s, Bradken has produced steel parts used by other contractors to build vessels for the United States Navy. The Navy’s contracts expressly required parts made of specified grades of high yield steel.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that some of the steel Bradken produced did not conform to the Navy’s specifications. The United States alleged that a former Bradken metallurgist altered the results of tests designed to ensure that the parts met the specifications for high yield steel, and Bradken’s internal controls were inadequate to identify the hundreds of falsified test results. The United States further contended that Bradken invoiced shipbuilders for the steel parts as if they were made to the demanding military specification when they were not, causing the shipbuilders to invoice the Navy for defective parts.
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold companies accountable for supplying substandard products, especially products that could impact the Department of the Navy’s (DON) war fighting ability and battlefield superiority, and the safety of our Sailors and Marines,” said Charles P. King, Special Agent in Charge, NCIS Northwest Field Office. “NCIS will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to safeguard DON major acquisition programs. The success of the DON’s war fighting ability is dependent upon a sound and reliable acquisition process.”
“The announced settlement is representative of the law enforcement community's relentless efforts to hold accountable those who engage in unethical business practices that endanger America's warfighters, corrupts the defense procurement process, and inexcusably wastes taxpayer dollars,” said Bryan Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “This case clearly demonstrates that unscrupulous actions by government contractors and subcontractors will be investigated by DCIS and its law enforcement partners.”
This civil settlement was the result of a coordinated effort among the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, DCIS, NCIS, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
In addition to the civil settlement, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran for the Western District of Washington announced that the United States has filed a criminal charge against Bradken for committing the crime of major fraud against the United States. The United States and Bradken have also entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) in which Bradken admitted the government’s allegations and agreed to take certain remedial actions. If Bradken complies with all of the DPA’s requirements, the government will dismiss the criminal charge after three years.
Except to the extent admitted as part of the DPA, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case.
Bracken County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. - A Brooksville, Ky. man, Gary Lee Long, 59, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 180 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for receipt of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Long admitted that, on January 27, 2016, he reported to the Mason County Office of Probation, for his regular supervision visit. During that visit, his phone was searched and his probation officer found several images of child pornography. Long further admitted that he used Kik messenger to receive sexually explicit images of a minors.
Long entered a guilty plea in January 2020. Long was previously convicted in 2008, in the Bracken Circuit Court, of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree.
Under federal law, Long must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for ten years, following his release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Jared Muse, Maysville Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was directed by the FBI and Maysville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade Napier.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Bozeman pilot fined for landing helicopter in Bob Marshall WildernessRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Bozeman man who landed a helicopter in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in May has paid the maximum $500 fine, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.
Samuel L. Schwerin, 48, of Bozeman, received the notice for the violation, a federal misdemeanor, after landing a helicopter on the South Fork of the Flathead River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness on May 16.
The U.S. Forest Service investigated the incident after receiving a report on May 19 by a person traveling on horseback and who saw a helicopter parked on a gravel bar on the South Fork of the Flathead River.
The Forest Service, in consultation with the U.S. Attorney's Office, issued Schwerin the violation notice, which was processed on June 12 through the U.S. Courts' Central Violations Bureau (CVB). The CVB handles violation notices issued and processes payments for infractions committed on federal property. The Code of Federal Regulations identifies penalties for this violation under 36 CFR section 261.1b. The maximum penalty is a $500 fine, six months in prison or both.
"Wilderness areas were created to be free of motorized activity, including helicopters. Montanans cherish places like the Bob Marshall not only for their spectacular mountains, rivers, meadows and wildlife but also for the quiet and solitude they provide. People who violate the wilderness regulations will be investigated and prosecuted," U.S. Attorney Alme said.
“We take concerns about the proper use of our national forests and wilderness areas very seriously,” said Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele. “Many members of the public took the time to share their thoughts on the incident and their appreciation for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. It is a world-renowned jewel that plays an important role in our landscape level ecosystem and our tourism economy.
"We appreciate the public reporting these types of incidents so our Forest Service law enforcement professionals and partners at the Department of Justice can investigate and appropriately prosecute them,” Steele said.
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Box Elder man admits child porn, sexual abuse of minor chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man accused of having sex with a minor pleaded guilty on Monday to charges, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Christopher Brown, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of a minor. Brown faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the sexual abuse of a minor charge and a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release on the child pornography charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris set sentencing for Sept. 30. Brown was detained.
The prosecution said in court documents that on Jan. 21, a Rocky Boy's Police Department officer was on patrol at about 11 p.m. on Lower Box Elder Road on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation when he observed a vehicle parked at the rodeo grounds. Because there was no rodeo occurring at that time of night, the officer decided to check on the vehicle. As the officer approached, the vehicle's headlights came on and the driver attempted to drive away. The officer initiated a traffic stop.
As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed the back windows were fogged over. Brown identified himself as the driver. Reclined in the passenger seat was a minor female, identified in court records as Jane Doe. At the time, Jane Doe was between the ages of 12 and 16. Brown and the minor girl told the officer separately that the other had initiated their meeting that night. The officer arrested Brown on an outstanding warrant.
In an interview with the FBI, Brown admitted he had been in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe since 2018, and had had sexual intercourse with her six times on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. Brown also admitted to making a video of a recent sexual encounter with Doe and that the video was on his cell phone.
Jane Doe confirmed that she had had sexual intercourse with Brown several times and that Brown had made a video recording of them having sex in January 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services.
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Billings meth trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine he received through the mail was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jose Antonio Escobedo, 48, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said drug task force agents developed information that Escobedo was wiring large sums of money to McAllen, Texas, a border city known for drugs. Agents suspected he was receiving drugs through the mail.
In August 2019, the U.S. Postal Inspector contacted law enforcement regarding a suspicious package sent to Escobedo from McAllen, Texas. A search warrant served on the package found that it contained a vacuum sealed package of meth. The package was delivered to Escobedo's residence. After Escobedo retrieved the package, law enforcement officers served a search warrant for the residence. Agents located the package in the bedroom. The package contained 163.8 grams of meth. Escobedo also had $9,574 on his person. In addition, agents located wire transfers dating to May 2019. The transfers corresponded with packages Escobedo received from Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI Transnational Organized Crime West Task Force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim Presents Procurement Collusion Strike Force to the International Competition CommunityRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, presented the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) to the international competition law enforcement community at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Competition Committee’s virtual meeting today.
The PCSF, an initiative of the Antitrust Division in 2019, is an interagency partnership including prosecutors from the Antitrust Division and 13 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and additional partner Offices of Inspector General. The goal of the Strike Force is to leverage the combined expertise and resources of the partner prosecutors and agents to better deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute antitrust crimes and related criminal schemes that affect procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state, and local.
The OECD Competition Committee includes 38 member countries and the European Union, as well as non-member participant countries, experts, and other invitees. The Committee brings together leaders of the world’s major competition authorities for a dialogue on competition policy issues, including best practices and standards, and promotes market-oriented reforms.
“The PCSF has already shown significant signs of success on a national level and in the 13 U.S. Attorney Office partner districts,” said Assistant Attorney General Delrahim. “We hope the Strike Force can serve as a model for other countries looking for innovative ways to more effectively fight bid rigging and other anticompetitive schemes that impact public procurement, and cheat taxpayers, all over the world.”
Since its launch in November 2019, the PCSF has generated an overwhelmingly positive response from key stakeholders in the procurement space. More than 50 federal, state, and local government agencies have contacted the PCSF seeking outreach training, assistance with safeguarding their procurement processes, and opportunities to partner with the PCSF on investigations. In just the last few months, members of the PCSF have trained more than 2,000 criminal investigators, data scientists, and procurement officials.
According to the OECD, the elimination of bid rigging could help reduce procurement prices by 20 percent or more. The deterrent effect of greater enforcement against illegal collusion in public procurement should save taxpayers billions of dollars per year. Additional information about the OECD’s recommendations on fighting bid rigging in public procurement can be found at www.OECD.org/Competition/BidRigging.
Over a third of the Antitrust Division’s open investigations relate to conduct affecting public procurement that cheats the American taxpayer out of scarce resources, and the PCSF marks an important effort to better marshal enforcement resources to tackle these cases. Several grand jury investigations across the country have already been opened as a result of the work of the PCSF. The PCSF also remains on high-alert for collusion and other criminal schemes impacting public procurement related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PCSF has launched a publicly available website at www.Justice.gov/Procurement-Collusion-Strike-Force, where members of the public, including from the international community, can review information about the federal antitrust laws and training programs, and report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement.
Individuals and companies are also encouraged to contact the PCSF if they have information concerning anticompetitive conduct involving federal taxpayer dollars by email at [email protected].
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Keiuntea Antonio Banks, 25, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to a term of 10 years imprisonment for his possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. Banks pled guilty to the three charges in January of 2020.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 10 year sentence, consisting of the statutory minimum mandatory penalty of five years on the drug count, concurrent with five years on the felon in possession count. The statutory minimum mandatory five years on the carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony requires a consecutive sentence, for a total period of imprisonment of 120 months. The judge ordered that Banks will serve a five year term of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. He will undergo mental health and drug treatment programs during his supervision. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $300 in special mandatory assessments.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile Police Department, the Prichard Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Ansonia Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm DealingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MALIQUE MARTIN, 25, of Ansonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for illegally dealing firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August and September 2019, members of ATF and the New Haven Police Department made controlled purchases of four firearms and corresponding ammunition from Martin. Two of firearms Martin sold – an AR-1 Patriot semiautomatic rifle and a Bersa 9mm pistol – had obliterated serial numbers. During one of the sales, Martin noted that the bullets he provided could pierce a bulletproof vest.
Martin was arrested on October 2, 2019. On January 16, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Martin, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on July 21, 2020.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New Haven Police Department and Ansonia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Allenwood Inmate Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tavon Johnson, age 30, previously of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on June 15, 2020 by U.S District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 12 months’ imprisonment for possession of narcotics while incarcerated at the Allenwood Low Federal Correctional Institution (FCC Allenwood), Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Johnson had previously entered a guilty plea to possession of contraband in a prison for possessing 120 strips of the narcotic Suboxone. The sentence imposed on Johnson will run consecutively to the sentence he is presently serving.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted.
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Alabama Man Sentenced for Enticing a Wisconsin Minor to Engage in IncestRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 15, 2020, Tyler A. Blackmon (age: 29) of Prattville, Alabama, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
On four occasions between September 27, 2018, and October 10, 2018, Blackmon used a popular messaging application to entice a Wisconsin child identified in the indictment as “Minor Child A” to engage in acts of incest with a sibling, a felony under Wisconsin law.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge and noted the “vile nature” of the messages sent by Blackmon and the distressing effect those communications had on his victim and sibling. Following his release from prison, Blackmon will spend ten years on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sexual offender.
“Protecting children from predators like Tyler Blackmon requires dedicated, professional law enforcement efforts,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “I commend the excellent work of the Seymore Police Department, along with the Prattville Police Department, to bring Blackmon to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Seymour Police Department with the assistance of the Prattville Police Department in Alabama. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Abilene Man Convicted at Trial for Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
An Abilene man was convicted at trial for attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
On Monday, a federal jury deliberated for just seven minutes before finding Carlito Santiago Santos, 47, guilty of attempted enticement of a minor. Mr. Santos was indicted in October 2019.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Abilene Police Department created an undercover online persona of “Tyler,” a 15-year-old boy, and placed his profile on Grindr, a social media dating platform for GBTQ men.
Mr. Santos sent multiple illicit message to Tyler. In reply, Tyler told Mr. Santos that he was 15 years old and sent an age-regressed photo of a 15-year-old boy. Mr. Santos agreed to meet Tyler at an apartment complex in Abilene to engage in sexual activity. When Mr. Santos arrived he was arrested by law enforcement.
During interviews conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Mr. Santos, a native of the Philippines where he worked as a pediatrician, admitted that he had a sexual interest in children because he found them “energetic” and “innocent.” Mr. Santos said he frequently viewed child pornography and ultimately admitted to molesting approximately fifteen children while in the Philippines.
The defendant faces a potential sentence of up to life in federal prison. His sentencing date is set for September 15, 2020.
The investigation was led by Abilene Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juanita Fielden and Jeffrey Haag are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood organizes federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
31 Boston Gang Members and Associates ChargedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Twenty members and associates of NOB, a Boston-based street gang, have been charged in federal court in Boston for various crimes, including racketeering (“RICO”) conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, crossing state lines for the purpose of prostitution (the Mann Act), firearms charges and bank fraud.
Two other associates were previously charged with drug trafficking and firearms related charges. In addition, nine individuals were charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, in a drug conspiracy linked to NOB.
“Dismantling violent gangs is a top priority of the Justice Department -- operations like these have a direct, beneficial effect on the neighborhoods in which these gangs sell drugs and shoot each other,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Today's arrests are also a reminder that well-funded, professional police departments are not optional, but crucial, for protecting the safety of our communities.”
“Today’s arrests should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate gang related violence, and those who cause it,” said Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. “Members of this criminal enterprise wrongly believed they were above the law, but they clearly underestimated us.”
“This investigation is an example of ATF’s dedication to working with our local, state and federal partners in identifying, targeting and investigating violent criminals who are involved in selling firearms and narcotics. Criminals who prey upon innocent citizens and lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelly Brady. “Our neighborhoods deserve to flourish without fear or intimidation inflicted by violent gangs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to reduce the violent crime that has done so much damage to so many of our Boston neighborhoods.”
“Today we saw that organized crime is no match for law enforcement. As alleged, many of the individuals arrested today have engaged in a ruthless and senseless string of attacks and murders, terrorizing the communities in which they operated all across the state. Some were involved in violent crimes as far away as Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “As a result of our combined efforts, the threat posed by this criminal organization has been neutralized, and the members and associates of this vicious gang will now have to answer for their horrible crimes.”
"For more than a year, my Office has partnered with members of the Boston Police Department, Federal Law Enforcement, the Suffolk County Sheriff, and other agencies to investigate and hold accountable some of the most dangerous members of our Community. Today was the culmination of that effort. Acts of violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods and I remain committed to working together to keep Boston and Suffolk County safe. Our neighbors deserve nothing less," said Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins.
According to charging documents, since the summer of 2019, federal and local authorities have been investigating NOB, which is an abbreviation for Norton/Olney/Barry – streets in Dorchester. NOB is associated with the longstanding Wendover street gang. It is alleged that, through the racketeering conspiracy, members and associates of NOB were involved in a range of criminal activity including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal firearms crimes. While the gang is based in Boston, their criminal activity spanned across other communities, including Randolph, New Bedford, Stoughton, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Taunton, and communities on Cape Cod, as well as Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut.
Over the last approximately four years, it is alleged that NOB members/associates have committed multiple murders and shootings – many of which targeted rival gang members, particularly members/associates of the Cameron Street gang, another Boston-based street gang. For example, it is alleged that, in February 2020, two NOB-related murders were committed in Boston and Brockton. The twin brother of the Brockton victim had been shot and killed in July 2019 in Boston. In a recorded jail call during this period of violence, a NOB member remarked that the gang’s rivals were “droppin’ like flies.” During the same time period, gang members/associates were involved in the theft of multiple motor vehicles (some of which were used for violent crimes), and one of the thefts resulted in the kidnapping a five-year-old female victim from Boston, who was later abandoned in Randolph.
In addition to violence, NOB members/associates have allegedly trafficked drugs throughout Massachusetts, including marijuana, fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin and various types of prescription pills, including opioids. The fentanyl distributed by the gang involved not only fentanyl in powder form, but also fentanyl pills that had the appearance of oxycodone pills. On July 20, 2019, police officers conducted a vehicle stop of two of the defendants. Officers recovered a plastic bag with the fentanyl pills and a loaded 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number from their vehicle. Ballistics analysis subsequently linked the pistol to a prior shooting in New Bedford.
NOB members/associates were also allegedly involved in sex trafficking, including transporting women across state lines for the purposes of engaging in prostitution. For example, an NOB member allegedly transported two sisters from Massachusetts – one of whom was a minor at the time – to Connecticut in April 2017 for the purpose of having them engage in prostitution.
The charges of RICO conspiracy and committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years in prison, up to life of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross; Kelley D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan; Randolph Police Chief William Pace; Brockton Police Chief Emanuel C. Gomes; Stoughton Police Chief Donna M. McNamara; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III; and Norfolk County Sheriff Jerome P. McDermott and made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Corey Steinberg of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
APPENDIX A
- Michael Brandao, a/k/a “G Fredo,” and “Frizzblock Fredo,” 19, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Kelvin Barros, a/k/a “Kal” or “7981 Kal,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Ricky Pina, a/k/a “Blake,” 23, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- David Rodriguez, a/k/a “D,” 34, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Wilson Goncalves-Mendes, a/k/a “Dub,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Joshua Teixeira, a/k/a “Trouble,” 25, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Joseph Gomes, a/k/a “Joey” or “J-Money,” 24, is charged with RICO conspiracy.
- Alidio Barbosa, a/k/a “Ace Boogie” or “Ace,” 23, is charged with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Samael Mathieu, a/k/a “Hamma” or “Hamma Thang,” 23, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Moses Cabral, a/k/a “Moe Money,” 26, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
- Delven Carvalho-Centeio, a/k/a “Delly,” 22, is charged with RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
- Darius Bass, a/k/a “Tre” or “Trigga Tre,” 26, is charged with violent crimes in aid of racketeering.
- Damian Cortez, 31, is charged with crossing state lines for the purposes of prostitution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Anton Lopes, a/k/a “Ton Ton,” 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Brian Cardoso, 27, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Theresa Alves, 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Hailey Stringfield, 19, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Jawwad Freeman, 22, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Gullit Gomes, 28, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- Devon Hamilton, 20, is charged with bank fraud.
- Adriano Cortez, a/k/a “A,” 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Fabrice Teixeira, 32, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Armando Gomes, a/k/a “G,” 31, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Patrick Dunn, 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Daniel Barbosa, a/k/a “D,” 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Carlos Monteiro, 43, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Tre Fernandes, a/k/a “OZ” or “OC,” 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Sandro Pereira Cabral, 23, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- John Rodrigues, a/k/a “Joao Fernandes Rodrigues,” 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
- Sean Brown, 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. (Previously charged on 3/5/2020)
- Eric Rodriguez, 32, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. (Previously charged on 2/19/2020)