Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
21 May 2020
Sumter County Man Indicted for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Brent O’Neal McCray (36, Coleman) with five counts of distributing methamphetamine. If convicted on all counts, McCray faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to court documents, on five separate occasions during February and March 2020, McCray sold approximately 7 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and an undercover officer. Surveillance images captured by the undercover officer showed McCray selling the drugs from a rental vehicle. On at least one occasion, McCray had small children inside the vehicle during the drug sale.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Statement of United States Attorney Trent Shores, Northern District of Oklahoma, Before the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of JusticeRead the Press Release
Chairman Keith, Vice Chair Sullivan, and Members of the Commission,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about law enforcement and the administration of justice in Indian Country. It is truly an honor to be here, not only as a United States Attorney, but also as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
First, please know that my testimony today was shaped by my experiences over the past 18 years working with law enforcement officers, justice officials, and tribal leaders to address public safety challenges in Indian Country. I began my legal career at the Justice Department’s Office of Tribal Justice where I worked on a variety of criminal and civil law issues impacting individual Native Americans and federally recognized tribes, including state-tribal cross-deputation agreements, domestic violence intervention, and juvenile justice. Then, I served for more than a decade as a career federal prosecutor and tribal liaison in northern and eastern Oklahoma, where I had even more direct experience with the very real public safety challenges in Indian Country. I worked side by side with the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service, the Muscogee (Creek) Lighthorse, the Osage Tribal Police, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, and many others to investigate and prosecute violent crimes in Indian Country. Sadly, many of the public safety challenges in Indian Country that I saw early in my career persist today, especially violence against women and children and violence driven by substance abuse. I do not think these challenges are insurmountable, but I do believe we must collectively take action to address them – federal, state, and tribal partners working through collaborative law enforcement models to achieve a common mission to protect and serve our communities.
Today, I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, which is the oldest subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and is vital to the department’s mission in Indian Country to build and sustain safe and secure communities for future generations.
The NAIS is currently made up of 52 U.S. Attorneys from across the United States whose Districts contain Indian Country or one or more federally recognized tribes. The NAIS focuses exclusively on Indian Country issues, both criminal and civil, and is responsible for making policy recommendations to the Attorney General of the United States regarding public safety and legal issues that affect tribal communities. To that end, this NAIS has continued the tradition of those who came before us by working diligently to develop public safety solutions for Indian Country.
We reviewed and considered the Department of Justice’s various approaches to improving public safety in Indian Country. We found that public safety challenges persisted despite the considerable effort and resources the department has committed to upholding the federal trust responsibility. To address those challenges, the Subcommittee identified four priority areas to improve public safety in Indian country: (1) Violent Crime; (2) Drug Trafficking and Substance Abuse; (3) Law Enforcement Resources; (4) White Collar Crimes.
The NAIS recommended specific policies to address each priority. The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee unanimously adopted and supported these recommended policies. Department of Justice personnel already are pursuing and implementing some of those policies.
NAIS and the Department have worked quickly because the problem is urgent. Year after year, I have seen violent crime and substance abuse continue to occur at higher rates in Indian country than anywhere else in the United States. This is. In order to improve public safety for Native Americans, we must take swift and bold action, and we must do so in partnership with tribal leaders and law enforcement officials who know their local community best. When comparing Indian country to similarly situated rural communities, it is clear that there are not enough police officers nor victim resources to adequately cover the needs of Indian Country. In my experience, police officers are vital to deterring crime, helping victims, and maintaining rule of law. Unless and until the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal police departments are more fully staffed, public safety challenges will persist. Additionally, we need better law enforcement training that will provide necessary techniques and resources to officers that respond to all crimes in Indian country, including cases of domestic violence and missing or murdered indigenous people.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution problems in Indian country. In the United States, there are 574 federally recognized Tribes. Each Tribe is unique in its governmental structure, cultural heritage, and law enforcement needs. Any solution must fit the local conditions of the tribe and include collaboration between tribal, state, and federal agencies.
Take my District as an example. There are 39 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma, and 14 of those are in the Northern District. We have large tribes like the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation and smaller tribes such as the Pawnee, Miami, and Delaware Tribes. Each of these tribes have unique public safety needs and varied resources to address them. My team of Assistant United States Attorneys prosecutes a diverse array of violent crimes and encounters complex jurisdictional situations that require multijurisdictional cooperation between federal, state, and tribal entities to pursue justice for many victims. Based on my experience, I believe collaborative law enforcement models work best, especially for resource-challenged police departments in rural areas and in Indian Country.
Of course, collaborative law enforcement requires individuals on the ground to collaborate. This is not always the case throughout Indian country. There is occasional friction between some state and local officials with tribal officials. This friction sometimes harkens back to historical injustices. Other times, the friction is the result of more recent relational failures. That being said, it has been my experience in Oklahoma that when the men and women of law enforcement sit down in a room together – be they tribal, local, or state officers – they find a common bond born out of a common mission. Regardless of whom they work for, each and every member of the law enforcement joins because they believe selfless and courageous individuals must serve to keep their communities safe. Out of this common bond, comes productive partnerships. I know it is possible to forge great working relationship between tribal and local law enforcement where there previously had been none.
The Cherokee Nation Marshals Service, for example, now has more than 60 cross deputation agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies in northeastern Oklahoma. And the Wyandotte Nation Tribal Police contracted with the small community of Wyandotte, Oklahoma to provide dispatch and law enforcement services to the non-Indian community. The Tulsa Police Department now cross-deputizes its officers with area tribes to ensure seamless policing if and when crimes implicate different jurisdictions. These are the epitome of collaborative law enforcement partnerships among tribal, state, and local law enforcement, and the result is more comprehensive and better resourced law enforcement services. Collaborative law enforcement models should be a common and model practice throughout Indian country.
Indian Country Jurisdictional and Federal Law Enforcement Framework
Obstacles facing law enforcement in Indian Country begin with the extremely complex jurisdictional framework. Tribes always retain criminal jurisdiction over Indians within their lands. In the majority of Indian country jurisdiction the Federal government also exercises criminal jurisdiction over serious felonies. In some states, such as Alaska and California, Public Law 83-280 transfers Federal Indian country criminal jurisdiction to the state. In addition, there are unique stand-alone statutes that provide for jurisdiction over Indian country by the state and federal governments. Many of my esteemed panelists speaking here today come from jurisdictions in which the state has criminal jurisdiction in Indian county, and they are better positioned to describe criminal jurisdiction in a PL 280 state. For the remainder of my testimony, I want to focus on the most common Indian Country jurisdictional scheme that involves the federal government serving as the primary violent crime prosecutor. The United States Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer in his or her district.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with Indian country in their districts play a primary role in the Justice Department’s interactions with tribes. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices often are the central point of contact when federal involvement on reservations is necessary, from investigations to prosecutions to providing services to victims. Every U.S Attorney’s Office in a district that includes Indian country or a federally-recognized tribe has at least one Tribal Liaison and some districts have more than one. Along with the requirement that each relevant office appoint a Tribal Liaison, the U.S. Attorneys are required to hold annual consultations with tribes in their districts. In order to assist the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the NAIS, as well as to serve as a liaison to other department components, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) formally established the position of Native American Issues Coordinator. The primary responsibility for the investigation of federal crimes committed in Indian Country in states not covered by PL 83-280 (for instance, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Arizona) lies with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services (BIA OJS). These agencies have investigative responsibility for most felony crimes committed on approximately 200 Indian reservations. Currently, there are approximately 140 FBI Special Agents and 142 BIA Agents working in Indian Country—about 1.4 agent per reservation. These agents often serve as one of a very small number of federal agents investigating crimes on multiple reservations that are commonly separated by great distances. This reality means that federal agents depend on tribal law enforcement to serve as first responders and assist in the investigation of crime occurring in Indian Country.
Need for Enhanced Law Enforcement Resources
Law Enforcement resources are scarce in Indian Country. This very real lack of resources has led to tragic outcomes and complications for victims seeking justice. These types of cases and situations are all too common in Indian Country. We must improve our federal efforts to meet the needs of officers handling these difficult cases. We must give them the resources necessary to investigate and prosecute criminals while also helping them give a voice to victims.
The most important need to address crime in Indian country is boots on the ground. Federal law enforcement agencies lack the agents necessary to address the needs of tribal communities. Their tribal law enforcement counterparts are also too few in number, especially when stacked against comparable non-Indian communities. Public safety in Indian Country would be significantly enhanced by having local law enforcement staffed at levels comparable to similarly situated communities off-reservation. The Indian Country staffing issues facing FBI and BIA-OJS lead to regular personnel changes, which negatively impact criminal investigations and prosecutions. BIA-OJS law enforcement and funds for tribal law enforcement are insufficient, and the problem is amplified by severe recruiting and retention challenges that, especially for BIA, leave their force well below the appropriated level. Communication challenges between the FBI, BIA-OJS, and tribal law enforcement can exacerbate these and other problems. Funding streams, employee screening, incentives, and other alternatives must be considered and administered effectively to enhance federal investigative and prosecutorial capacity in Indian Country.
Following President Trump’s example, the NAIS supports bold ideas, and we need bold ideas to meet the daunting needs of Indian country. From day one of his Administration, President Trump has championed the improvement of resources, public health, and public safety in rural America, including Indian Country. He has demonstrated a willingness to make bold moves that correct historical inefficiencies or bureaucratic disorganization that frustrate the delivery of a core government service to the public. As such, the NAIS looked at the Department of Justice’s and Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs’ public safety roles in Indian Country. While some of the ideas are still being formed, I would appreciate the opportunity to get your thoughts when we move to the Q and A portion of the panel.
Improvements to Training are Essential
Indian Country presents unique challenges for all law enforcement working with tribal communities. Federal law enforcement must investigate crimes in Indian Country, such as felony assaults, that few who work in the agency outside of Indian Country ever investigate. They must deal with the complex jurisdictional framework discussed above. They also need to understand the cultures of the particular tribes with whom they work before entering and working with tribal communities.
To address this problem, the FBI and BIA OJS developed a joint training course that is held in Artesia, New Mexico. This training is jointly taught by FBI and BIA “mentors” and includes instruction in forensic evidence collection and preparatory instruction on investigations common to Indian country, such as domestic violence, child abuse, violent crimes, and drug trafficking. This course is held several times each year. Although this is an excellent initiative, we still see difficulties in getting FBI agents new to Indian country into this training before they begin their service in Indian country. Often, these agents work in Indian Country for three years only to transfer to another office. Insufficient training and a shifting personnel assignments lead to a breakdown in tribal and federal relationships and can negatively impact investigation and prosecutions.
The problem is more acute among tribal officers. When it comes to training for tribal law enforcement, the need in Indian country is great and constant. There is very little room for specialization when it comes to working violent crime on reservations and personnel turnover is typically high. First responders have to be skilled at crime identification, rendering first aid, evidence collection, conducting trauma informed victim interviews, eliciting pertinent information from witnesses and interrogating the suspect. These skills must be employed in every type of crime from misdemeanor trespass to the most heinous of rapes and murders. Frequently, the first responder is the first and only law enforcement official at the scene doing his or her best to manage community members frequently gathered, to safeguard the integrity of the crime scene and to conduct a preliminary investigation. All of this is against the background of the complicated criminal jurisdictional matrix found in Indian country where multiple jurisdictions may have the legal authority to investigate and prosecute the same offense.
Training provides these first responders, and also prosecutors, advocates, court staff and medical workers, the essential tools needed to safely and competently do their jobs. Ever since the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act, the Department has worked hard to improve the training available to Indian country officers and agents. The Department believes that ensuring access to quality training is a necessary element to bolstering tribal autonomy. In July 2010, EOUSA launched the National Indian Country Training Initiative (NICTI) to ensure that federal prosecutors and agents, as well as state and tribal criminal justice personnel, receive the training and support needed to address the particular challenges relevant to Indian country prosecutions. Importantly, the Department covers the costs of travel and lodging for tribal attendees at classes sponsored by the NICTI. This allows many tribal criminal justice officials to receive cutting-edge training from national experts at no cost to the student or tribe.
But that training requires resources. With the resources it has, the Department has trained tens of thousands of criminal justice and social service personnel working in Indian country, many of which traveled to the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, SC, for training. These students represent more than 300 different tribes, USAOs, and federal, state, and tribal organizations serving Indian country. But despite that success, the NICTI and other training efforts in Indian Country have never received adequate resources. With additional resources dedicated to training law enforcement in Indian country, we could reach even more criminal justice and social service professionals working in and with tribal communities. We could take more training out into the field, making it easier for busy AUSAs, federal law enforcement, and tribal personnel located west of the Mississippi to attend these critical trainings. Resources for Department sponsored training is one important area that this Commission should consider.
Better Data is Vital for Improved Resource Allocation
At the same time, we know that we must use the resources we have more efficiently. For that, we need data. We have taken steps in the right direction. For example, Department attorneys now tag cases as Indian country cases in our internal case management system. DOJ investigative and prosecution information is reported to Congress and the public each year. But despite these steps, problems persist. One of the biggest issues we face is that tribes are not required to provide all crime data to the federal government. Currently, tribes are only required to report information to BIA-OJS that is included in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which does not include many crimes of interest, such as domestic violence violations. Without this data, it is very challenging to check whether the Department is using its resources efficiently while addressing tribal public safety needs in individual locations. In addition, the Department developed the Tribal Access Program, which gives Tribes access to national crime databases and provides the ability for Tribes to enter protection orders and to utilize other important functions in these systems. The Commission should consider ways to foster improvements in law enforcement data collection and sharing needed to enhance justice for Native American and Alaska Natives.
The issues of missing and murdered indigenous people exemplifies the need for additional data. President Trump signed Executive Order 13898 on November 26, 2019, forming the two-year Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives, of which I am a member. The Task Force, also known as Operation Lady Justice, focuses on enhancing the operation of the criminal justice system and addressing the legitimate concerns of American Indian and Alaska Native communities regarding missing and murdered people. The work of the Task Force is concentrated on meeting with tribal leaders and communities, improving the response by law enforcement, communities and systems, reviewing research and data collection, and developing an outreach campaign. It has become very apparent to the Task Force that some data about missing indigenous persons is incomplete and not up to date, and needs to be better utilized to ensure that all missing indigenous persons are being looked for. It is extremely difficult to develop a cure for a problem when its scope is unknown. The United States must continue to lead by example to promote and protect the inherent rights of indigenous people. We must work with our tribal and state partners to combat violence against Native Americans and Alaskan Natives by collecting better data to address their specific needs.
Call to Action
I have only touched the surface of the many obstacles law enforcement must overcome in Indian Country. The Department has made great strides to enhance public safety in tribal communities, but we have a long way to go. We recognize that our goal of lasting public safety in Indian Country is largely dependent on our commitment to empowering tribal governments and partnering with them tocarry out tribal solutions for challenges facing their communities. Additionally, we must improve coordination and collaboration at the federal, tribal, and state levels. Thank you for your work on this Commission and your dedication to improving public safety in Indian country and rural communities. I have no doubt that the policies and solutions you develop will hold the Department to the highest standards and will place law enforcement in Indian country in a prime position to better protect the communities these brave men and women serve. Thank you again for the chance to provide testimony today and I look forward to our panel discussion. I am happy to answer any questions.
Statement from Attorney General William P. Barr Regarding the U.S. Department of State Global CTO Roundtable on 5G Integrated and Open NetworksRead the Press Release
Attorney General Barr issued the following statement:
“The United States and our partners are in an urgent race against the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to develop and build 5G infrastructure around the world. Our national security and the flourishing of our liberal democratic values here and around the world depend on our winning it. Future 5G networks will be a critical piece of global infrastructure, the central nervous system of the global economy. Unfortunately, the PRC is well on its way to seizing a decisive 5G advantage. If the PRC wins the 5G race, the geopolitical, economic, and national security consequences will be staggering.
The PRC knows this, which explains why it is using every lever of power to expand its 5G market share around the globe. The community of free and democratic nations must do the same.
To compete and win against the PRC juggernaut, the United States and its partners must work closely with trusted vendors to pursue practical and realistic strategies that can turn the tide now. Although the ‘Open RAN’ approach is not a solution to our immediate problem, the concept of Integrated and Open Networks (ION), which was the topic of yesterday’s roundtable, holds promise and should be explored. We can win the race, but we must act now.”
St. Petersburg Man Indicted for Threatening to Spread COVID-19 by Spitting and Coughing on Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging James Jamal Curry (31, St. Petersburg) with perpetrating a biological weapon hoax. If convicted, Curry faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Curry had been initially charged by criminal complaint on April 7, 2020.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2020, officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department responded to a domestic violence call involving Curry. During Curry’s arrest, he turned to an officer, declared that he was infected with the Coronavirus, and coughed on the officer’s arm. The following day, Curry bonded out of the Pinellas County Jail.
On the evening of March 28, 2020, police were again called to the same residence where they had previously encountered Curry and arrested him a second time. During his arrest, Curry spit on an arresting officer multiple times—hitting the officer in the face, nose, and inside her mouth with blood-filled saliva. Curry again claimed to have the Coronavirus, laughed, and announced that he was spreading the virus around. Law enforcement subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant to test Curry for COVID-19. Curry tested negative. Individuals close to Curry and jail personnel reported that Curry had not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.
A indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Florida Department of Health, the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and the Pinellas County Jail. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
St. Joseph Woman Charged with Wire Fraud in Scam Targetting A Kalamazoo Manufacturing BusinessRead the Press Release
Kris Fratzke Bilked Her Employer, Flare Fittings, of $540,000 in a Phony Billing Scheme
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — The U.S. Attorney filed felony charges today against a St. Joseph, Michigan woman for defrauding her employer of $540,000 in a phony billing scheme. Kris Marie Fratzke, 53, was the chief financial officer of Flare Fittings, a manufacturing company located in Kalamazoo.
The Felony Information filed today in U.S. District Court contains two charges: wire fraud and filing a false tax return. The wire fraud charge states that, between 2013 and 2019, Fratzke created a shell company she called Mid America Fittings, because that would appear to be a real supplier of materials to Flare Fittings, a pipe manufacturing company. She then created phony invoices for the shell company and paid them using her authority over the finances of the company. In this manner, she issued 235 checks, totaling over $540,000, to her shell company and then deposited that money into her personal account and used the funds for personal expenses. The tax charge relates that Fratzke did not declare this income to the Internal Revenue Service.
The federal wire fraud statute carries a maximum possible sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of twice the fraud proceeds, a restitution order and other sanctions. Filing a false tax return carries a maximum possible penalty of three years in prison, a $250,000 fine and other penalties.
Agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Timothy VerHey, Assistant United States Attorney, is handling the prosecution.
No court date has yet been set for Fratzke to appear in court. The charges in a Felony Information are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
###
Springfield Man Sentenced for Stolen Mail, Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for a bank fraud conspiracy in which he and others used stolen mail to create dozens of counterfeit checks that they attempted to cash at area banks.
Shannon Western Fields, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fields to pay $21,279 in restitution to four banks that were victimized by the conspiracy.
On Nov. 19, 2019, Fields pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from February to May 7, 2018, in Greene, Christian, Jasper, and Newton counties. Fields admitted that he and others stole mail from individuals and businesses in order to obtain checks and personal identity information. Conspirators purchased blank check stock and magnetic ink from office supply stores to create counterfeit checks by using the stolen checks (typically business checks) as templates. They created checks payable to the conspirators, or used stolen identity information to create counterfeit identification such as Social Security cards and Missouri driver’s licenses, to cash the checks.
In addition to Fields, 11 unidentified co-conspirators were listed as the payees on the forged and counterfeit checks. Along with Fields, they attempted to cash dozens of checks at various financial institutions in Springfield and Branson, Missouri. Many of those attempts were unsuccessful.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Southwest Honkys Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Fair Grove, Missouri, man who is a member of the Southwest Honkys violent prison gang pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy in which investigators intercepted a shipment of nearly 9.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
William F. Jones, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Christian County, Greene County, and Polk County, Missouri, from Dec. 21, 2016, to Oct. 15, 2017.
According to today’s plea agreement, Jones was identified as a mid-level member of the Southwest Honkys prison gang who had declined a leadership role.
Jones, under the surveillance of law enforcement, drove to the Kansas City, Missouri area on Oct. 11, 2017, and checked into an Independence, Missouri, hotel. A few days later, co-defendant Justin L. Rhoads, 32, of Lebanon, Missouri, met Jones in the hotel’s parking lot. They put a large duffel bag in the cab of Rhoads’s pickup truck, and he left the parking lot. Rhoads was later stopped by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on Missouri Highway 13, just south of Humansville, Missouri. The trooper searched Rhoads’s vehicle and found 10 Ziploc-style plastic bags inside the duffel bag that contained a total of approximately 9,439 grams of methamphetamine, which was determined to be at least 93 percent pure.
Rhoads pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2019, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Under federal statutes, Jones and Rhoads each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
OCDETF
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.Southern Shores Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Southern Shores, NC man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute five (5) kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, Herndon Hunt Outlaw Riddle, III, 40, conspired with his codefendant Adolphus McClain to distribute five (5) kilograms of cocaine. McClain previously pled guilty to the charge and is awaiting sentencing.
Riddle pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute five (5) kilograms or more of Cocaine and faces not less than ten years and up to life imprisonment when he is sentenced during the court’s September 8, 2020 term.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Gates accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the North Carolina Department of Insurance, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Kitty Hawk Police Department, and the Hialeah, Florida Police Department assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00016-D-1.
Roanoke Man Arrested on Federal Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Roanoke, Va. – A Roanoke City man, who federal authorities allege distributed heroin and fentanyl, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen made the announcement today following the unsealing of the criminal complaint.
The investigation is being handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Roanoke Area High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force [HIDTA], the Roanoke County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the United States Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General.
The criminal complaint charges William Preston Ramey-Woodard, 39, with one count of distribution of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, the alleged criminal activities took place in the Western District of Virginia in March, April, and May 2020.
The investigation of this case is ongoing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford is prosecuting the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, various stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing 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.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
Remarks by United States Attorney William M. McSwain Regarding Charges and Guilty Plea of Former Philadelphia Judge of Elections Who Committed Election FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain released a video on May 21, 2020, in which he discussed the charging and guilty plea of former Philadelphia Judge of Elections Domenick J. DeMuro. Below are U.S. Attorney McSwain’s remarks, as prepared for delivery.
*****
Good morning. I am here to announce that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has unsealed criminal charges against Domenick J. DeMuro, a former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia. DeMuro has been charged with two counts: first, for conspiring to deprive Philadelphia voters of their civil rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections; and second, for a violation of the Travel Act, which forbids the use of any facility in interstate commerce (here, a cell phone) with the intent to promote certain illegal activity (here, bribery). DeMuro has pled guilty to both of these charges.
This prosecution has been a team effort, and before I get into a more detailed description of what happened in this case, there are several people that I want to recognize and thank. First, from the FBI, Mike Driscoll, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, as well as Special Agent Carmen DiMario, who is the lead investigator on the case. I want to thank the Public Integrity Section at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, and specifically Section Chief Corey Amundson, Deputy Chief John Keller, and the Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Section, Richard Pilger. I also want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Barrett, who is the Chief of our Public Corruption Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gibson, who is the lead prosecutor on the case. And finally, I would like to thank the Pennsylvania State Police for their assistance in this investigation.
The position that DeMuro held, the Judge of Elections, is an elective office and a paid position. The Judge of Elections is responsible for overseeing the entire election process and voter activities of his or her Division. Each Judge of Elections is charged with overseeing the Division’s polling place in accordance with federal and state election laws, and is required to attend Election Board Training conducted by the Philadelphia City Commissioners.
The voting machines at each polling station, including the 39th Ward, 36th Division, generate records in the form of a printed receipt documenting the use of each voting machine. The printed receipt, also known as the “results receipt,” shows the vote totals, among other information. The Judge of Elections and the Election Board Officials at each polling place attest to the accuracy of machine results by affixing their signatures to the last page of the results receipt.
Our election system relies on the honesty and the integrity of its Election Officials. If they are corrupt, the system is corrupt, which creates opportunities for election fraud and for the counting of fake votes.
Domenick DeMuro did not uphold his duties as an Election Official. A political consultant gave DeMuro directions and paid him money to illegally add votes for certain Democratic candidates on the primary ballots in 2014, 2015, and 2016. These candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired the consultant, as well as other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices who were preferred by this consultant for a variety of reasons.
The political consultant would allegedly solicit monetary payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees.” The consultant would then take portions of these funds and make payments to Election Board Officials, including DeMuro, in return for DeMuro and other Election Board officials tampering with the election results.
After receiving payments ranging from between $300 to $5,000 per election from the consultant, DeMuro would add fraudulent votes on the voting machine – also known as “ringing up” votes – for the consultant’s clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting and distorting the ballots cast by actual voters. DeMuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate. He would add the fraudulent votes by literally standing in the voting booth and voting over and over, as fast as he could, when he thought the coast was clear.
In May 2014, DeMuro stuffed the ballot box with 27 fraudulent ballots during the primary election. In May 2015, DeMuro padded the ballot box with 40 fraudulent votes; in 2016, it was 46 fraudulent votes. These numbers may sound relatively small, but they made up a significant percentage of the total votes cast at the polling place. In 2014, 118 total ballots were reported in the 36th Division of the 39th Ward. That means that DeMuro’s fraudulent votes accounted for over 22% of the total voting in that Division in 2014. In 2015, his fraud accounted for over 15% of the votes in the Division; in 2016, his fraud accounted for over 17% of the votes.
But at the end of the day, the specific numbers don’t really matter. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If only one vote has been illegally rung up or fraudulently stuffed into a ballot box, the integrity of that election is undermined. Again, the integrity of our elections depends on the honesty of our Election Officials – so we take any dishonesty by those officials very seriously. And I want to make it clear that this is an ongoing and active investigation.
I also want the public to know that my Office is taking every possible step that we can to ensure the integrity of every primary and general election in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2020. For example, earlier this year, I announced that our Office has launched a review of all polling places in the Eastern District to determine if they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. As this year marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA, there can be no doubt that counties have had more than enough time to ensure that their polling places provide full access to individuals with disabilities. We will work day and night to make sure that every citizen’s civil rights are protected, whether that is through access to the polls or making every legitimate vote count.
If you tamper with anyone’s right to vote or try to fix the results of any election in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, my Office will hold you accountable. If you are an Election Official or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully at every turn. That is what the public deserves, it is what democracy demands, and it is what my Office will enforce.
Red Lake Felon Indicted on Methamphetamine and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging ARLIN MAURICE THUNDER, 46, with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. THUNDER made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby in U.S. District Court in Bemidji, Minnesota. THUNDER was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
According to the allegations in the indictment, on May 13, 2019, THUNDER was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a firearm, specifically a Star Bonifacio Echeverria Firestar M43 9 mm caliber pistol. Because THUNDER has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
ARLIN MAURICE THUNDER, 46
Redby, Minnesota
Charges:
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
- Possession of a firearm by a felon, 1 count
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Recently Released State Prisoner Charged with Federal Firearm and Ammunition OffenseRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging David Stephen Shaw (36, Ocala) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Shaw faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Shaw that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and 129 rounds of ammunition.
According to the indictment, on December 5, 2019, Shaw was in possession of a firearm and numerous rounds of ammunition. He has eight prior state felony convictions, including burglary of a dwelling, introduction of contraband into a detention facility, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and trafficking in methamphetamine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Recently Released Felon Charged with Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kayden James Billings (22, Oxford) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Billings faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, in February 2020, Billings was released from state following three separate convictions. On April 11, 2020, a female companion drove Billings to an Ocala gas station. She ran inside to ask the clerk to summon police because Billings had been battering her and threatening her with a firearm. Two officers from the Ocala Police Department quickly responded and Billings fled from the gas station on foot. As he ran across Pine Avenue, Billings discarded a loaded .45 caliber handgun, along with his driver license. Billings surrendered after the pursuing officer caught up with him and threated to deploy a Taser. The firearm, which had been previously reported stolen in Marion County, was identified by the victim as the same one Billings had used to threaten and batter her.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This case is a part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives to Resume Remote Listening SessionsRead the Press Release
The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced four listening sessions to be conducted by teleconference in May and June. In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, previously scheduled in-person sessions have been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as it is safe to do so.
American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionately high rates of violence. President Trump has called the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans “sobering and heartbreaking.” The task force, designated Operation Lady Justice, has been empowered to review Indian Country cold cases, to strengthen law enforcement protocols, and work with tribes to improve investigations, information sharing and a more seamless response to missing persons investigations.
Tribal Listening Session Webinars are open to Tribal Leaders and others. Sessions will include a short presentation about the current activities of the task force, followed by a listening session.
Registration information for the following listening sessions is available at https://operationladyjustice.usdoj.gov/.
May 27, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT
Tribes in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)’s Eastern Region (Tribal land located in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and all states to the east coast)
May 29, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT
Tribes in BIA’s Southern Plains, Southwest, Western and Rocky Mountain Regions (Tribal land located in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming)
June 2, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT
Tribes in BIA’s Midwest and Great Plains Regions (Tribal land located in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska)
June 3, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT
Tribes in BIA’s Pacific, Northwestern and Alaska Regions (Tribal land located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska)
The members of the task force are:
- Katharine (Katie) Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, designee for the Attorney General;
- Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, designee for the Secretary of the Interior;
- Terry Wade, Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- Laura Rogers, Acting Director, Office on Violence Against Women;
- Charles (Charlie) Addington, Deputy Bureau Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services;
- Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and
- Jean (Jeannie) Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs and Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services.
Marcia Good, of the Department of Justice, serves as the Executive Director of the Task Force. The Task Force will present a progress report to the President by Nov. 26, 2020, and a final report detailing its activities and accomplishments by Nov. 26, 2021.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of the Department of Justice at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. 2020 also marks 171st anniversary of the Department of the Interior. Learn more about the history of DOI at www.doi.gov/history/.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing Fentanyl, a Shotgun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Dayon Chambers, age 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on February 5, 2020, Chambers possessed with the intent to distribute and did distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment further alleges that on February 19, 2020, Chambers owned a Smith & Wesson shotgun and ammunition, knowing that he had been previously convicted of a felony. Chambers was previously convicted of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on April 15, 2013. Federal law prohibits those who have been convicted of a felony from owning firearms.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $8,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Western Pennsylvania Opiate Overdose Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Brian Christopher Sims, 35, of Philadelphia, pled guilty today before U.S. Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Steven Maxwell, Acting Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
On August 6, 7, and 16, Sims sold fentanyl to an individual on Church Street in Philadelphia. The fentanyl sold by Sims consisted of over 31 separate, single-dose sublingual sprays that contained 200 micrograms each. The total amount of fentanyl sold was in excess of 300 grams.
“This criminal endangered all of East Central Mississippi with one of the deadliest drugs in the world. This tiny amount of fentanyl could have killed approximately 150,000 people, or five times the population of Neshoba County alone. I applaud our investigators, agents and prosecutors for bringing this evildoer to justice and taking this poison off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“This fentanyl dealer was bringing a deadly drug into our local communities,” said Jere T. Miles, HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “Our special agents are committed to removing this drug from our streets and dismantling the criminal organizations involved in its distribution.”
“This investigation represents a commitment by all agencies involved to collectively work in partnership for the purpose of improving the quality of life in communities throughout Mississippi by effectively removing dangerous predatory violent drug offenders” said Steven Maxwell, Acting Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Sims was charged in a three count indictment that was filed on October 22, 2019. He will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on August 21, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
This OCDETF operation is a result of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Assisting agencies included the Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisville Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to 15 Years Federal Prison for Possession of Methamphetamine and FirearmsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A Pensacola man has been sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug and weapons charges related to drug trafficking. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence given to Samuel Gomez, 30, who pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.“Drugs remain a scourge on our communities, leaving ruined lives and too often a trail of violence in their wake,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “With the help of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue, prosecute, and punish those who spread these drugs in hometowns across Northern Florida.”
Law enforcement personnel executed a federal search warrant at Gomez’s Pensacola residence on
November 6, 2019. Inside the residence, officers seized a total of approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as other substances suspected to be cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
Law enforcement also seized three firearms, two digital scales, baggies, and approximately
$6,000 in U.S. currency. The firearms seized were identified as a loaded Ruger pistol, a loaded
Smith and Wesson revolver, and a loaded MILTAC AR-15-style pistol. The firearms were located near the seized drugs and were being used by Gomez in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.“Reducing violent crime and protecting the public in the communities that we serve is a priority for ATF”, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary, “We will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to make sure those individuals who commit violent firearms crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pensacola Police Department, the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement, and investigators with the State Attorney’s Office. Assistant
United States Attorney J. Ryan Love prosecuted the case.This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of
2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/attorney-general-announces-launch-project-guardian-nationwide-strategic-plan-reduce-gun.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serves as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Penn Hills Man with 3rd Degree Murder Conviction Indicted on Federal Fentanyl and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Traevon Rasha Nicholson, age 24, of Verona, Pennsylvania, (Penn Hills) as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on January 26, 2020, Nicholson possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment further alleges that on the same date, Nicholson possessed a firearm, an IMEZ/Baikal pistol, in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. The Indictment further alleges that Nicholson possessed that firearm, the IMEZ/Baikal pistol, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony, namely, Murder in the Three Degree on July 21, 2015. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from owning firearms.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Paterson Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering OperationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 37 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking/money laundering organization that operated throughout northern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jhensel Jimenez-Taveras, 27, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April 2019, law enforcement officers observed Jimenez-Taveras engage in a suspected narcotics transaction in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle that Jimenez-Taveras was operating and located $123,255 in cash. Further investigation revealed that Jimenez-Taveras was responsible for transferring large sums of U.S. currency on behalf of the drug trafficking/money laundering organization. Jimenez-Taveras acknowledged that these funds were the product of narcotics sales and that his intent in transporting the money was to fund additional narcotics activities.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Jimenez-Taveras to three years of supervised release. As part of his plea agreement, Jimenez-Taveras must also forfeit the $123,255 that was seized by law enforcement.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason Molina, and troopers with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
North Royalton businessman charged with failure to pay over taxes collected from employees and embezzling from employee health planRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that John George Medas, 67, of North Royalton, was indicted on 25 counts of failing to pay over taxes from employees and one count of embezzling from his employees’ health plan.
Medas owned and operated various manufacturing businesses and served as President of Guarantee Product Specialties, Inc., Fulton Manufacturing Industries, LLC, and FMI Products, LLC.
According to the indictment, Medas withheld payroll tax from employees but failed to pay these taxes to the IRS. Medas failed to pay over $760,725 from April 30, 2014, to January 31, 2019. Medas also withheld $3,807 in pre-tax health contributions and embezzled the funds between July 29, 2016, and September 16, 2016.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Labor. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough.
North Carolina man arrested in Wood County indicted for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Raymond Thomas Jordan, age 39, of North Carolina with sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt or distribution of child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint filed in this matter, on January 15, 2020, an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a semi-truck pulling a trailer on Interstate 80 in Wood County. The defendant was observed driving the vehicle and next to him was a minor who appeared very young. Both the defendant and the minor provided a false date of birth to the Trooper. It was later learned that the minor was under the age of 18 and a runaway from the State of California. Due to this fact, a decision was made to transport both the defendant and the minor to the OSHP Bowling Green Post for further investigation.
According to the criminal complaint, the defendant admitted to possession of child pornography. During a search of the defendant’s vehicle, 21 electronic devices were seized. An investigation into the defendant’s personal cell phone and electronic devices discovered numerous files containing child pornography, including images of the minor found in the defendant’s vehicle.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation was conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.
Nigerian National Sentenced for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Emmanuel Odiah, 33, a citizen of Nigeria, most recently of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 54 months in federal prison for money laundering in connection with a wire-fraud scheme. Odiah pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 15, 2020.
While in the United States on a Visa, Odiah laundered money for a network of individuals perpetrating computer-based fraud schemes in Nigeria and Ghana. This network defrauded victims throughout the United States out of money through a variety of schemes, including romance fraud. Odiah’s role was to help collect, conceal, and redirect that money using bank accounts he maintained under two fake identities in the United States. He was able to keep a percentage of the fraud proceeds as a fee for his assistance.
“Odiah participated in a scheme that manipulated elderly and other vulnerable individuals with a total disregard for the financial and emotional devastation it caused,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “Bringing those who prey on our seniors to justice is a top priority of my office.”
“Let this sentence serve as a reminder that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to aggressively investigate charlatans who prey on the vulnerable to perpetuate financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons, HSI Chicago. “These type of crimes have devastating effects on the victims and our financial institutions. This close coordination with our law enforcement and judicial partners is essential to bring these criminals to justice.”
As part of the scheme, Odiah opened and maintained seven U.S. bank accounts to launder fraud proceeds. He opened these accounts using fraudulent passports in the names “James Princeton” and “Ryan Greg Mornson.” Between 2017 and 2019, more than $600,000 in fraud proceeds were deposited into these accounts. Once money was deposited, Odiah, posing as Princeton and Mornson, used a series of smaller, less conspicuous financial transactions to distribute fraud proceeds to those perpetrating the fraud schemes overseas.
In announcing the sentence, the Court found that although Odiah’s role in the charged scheme was limited to money laundering, Odiah was aware that the money being deposited into his bank accounts was from vulnerable people being defrauded. Judge Conley also considered the tremendous psychological and financial devastation to victims caused by romance fraud and other computer-based fraud schemes.
The charges against Odiah were the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Home Security Investigations and the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.
Niagara Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Cocaine While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joshua Figueras, 35, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $8,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha A. Coulson, who is handling the case, stated that between February 2018 and February 2019, the defendant conspired with others to sell crack cocaine in the Niagara Falls area. During the course of the conspiracy, Figueras provided a co-conspirator with cocaine and crack cocaine and engaged in drug trafficking to generate income.
In February of 2019, Figueras was on federal supervised release and under the supervision of the United States Probation Office. On February 4, 2019, United States Probation conducting surveillance on a premise defendant controlled on 25th Street in the City of Niagara Falls. A short time later, probation officers observed the defendant checking the mail outside the residence. When they approached Figueras, he immediately ran inside the residence and refused to answer the door. All the residence’s windows were boarded and investigators were unable to see inside the residence.
A few hours later, investigators conducted a search of the residence and recovered a white powdery substance around the toilet seat; several plastic baggies containing white residue; packaging materials; a digital scale; several cell phones; and $4,109 in US currency. Mail in the name of Joshua Figueras was also found inside the residence. No one appeared to be living in the residence and defendant was using it as a stash house. Investigators believe the residue around the toilet seat was indicative of the defendant flushing contraband. Testing determined that the substance was cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the U.S. Probation Department, under the director of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo; and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Skretny.# # # #
NDTX Roundup: May 13-19Read the Press Release
CHARGED – Brandon Daeyon Glaspie & Darren Miles*
On May 13, a federal grand jury indicted Brandon Daeyon Glaspie, 38, and Darren Miles, 21, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The defendants allegedly stole approximately $160,000 from an armored vehicle owned by Brinks, a security logistic company. They allegedly threatened the driver at gunpoint, then fled the scene. The defendants face up to 47 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Magliolo and Gary Tromblay.
CHARGED – Samuel Johnson*
On May 15, Samuel Lynn Johnson, 20, was charged via criminal complaint with possession of prepubescent child pornography. According to court documents, the defendant allegedly uploaded obscene images of children to Tumblr, a microblogging site. In an interview with police, he also allegedly admitted to inappropriate sexual contact with a 7-year-old family member. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The Texas Department of Public Safety and Federal Bureau of investigation conducted the investigation with the help of the Snyder Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
SENTENCING – Erica Renee Robertson
On May 19, Erica Roberson, 41, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Robertson admits obtaining heroin from a supply in Dallas, Texas and transporting it back to Wichita Falls, Texas. Once in Wichita Falls, she sold heroin to customers in the local area. This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boudreau.
SENTENCING – Amy Faye Moore
On May 19, Amy Faye Moore, 40, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Moore obtained heroin from a supply in Dallas, Texas and transported it back to the Wichita Falls, Texas. Moore admits to selling heroin to customers located in the Wichita Falls area. This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boudreau.
*All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Multiple firearms indictments highlight Project Guardian’s collaborative approach to law enforcementRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: More than a dozen people across the Southern District of Georgia have been indicted for felony crimes, including federal firearms violations, during an unprecedented virtual grand jury session necessitated by COVID-19 precautions.
In addition to firearms charges, the 13 indictments span a range of federal charges including drug trafficking and immigration violations, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Most of the indictments target previously convicted felons, several of whom are members of criminal street gangs, and some of the defendants were on state parole or probation at the time of their indictment.
All of the cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian, in coordination with multiple local law enforcement agencies across the Southern District – many of them in smaller communities in the district.
The charges carry penalties of up to life in federal prison.
“A hallmark of Project Guardian is the cooperative relationship between our office and the ATF to protect our communities by identifying and removing gun criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “By working with state prosecutors through our Prosecutor to Prosecutor (P3) network in bringing these cases to federal court, we ensure meaningful sentences that provide long-term safety on our streets.”
Those named in the federal indictments include:
- Cedric Lee Ramsey, 28, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Cocaine and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Brunswick Police officers responding to a report of a domestic disturbance in May 2019 found Ramsey sitting in a vehicle outside his residence, and a subsequent search discovered large amounts of drugs along with an AR-15 rifle with a 45-round magazine, an AK-47 rifle with a 30-round magazine, and a .40-caliber handgun, all fully loaded. Ramsey previously has been convicted of felonies including armed robbery and firearms charges.
- Demetrius Brown, a/k/a “Jersey,” 42, of Douglas, Ga., charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Brown previously has been convicted of felonies including assault on a law enforcement officer and drug distribution on school property.
- Marvin Lowe, 43, of Savannah, charged with three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Synthetic Cannabinoid; Possession with Intent to Distribute Synthetic Cathinone; Possession of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- Shamall Green, 34, of Hilton Head, S.C., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Counterfeit Currency. Green previously was convicted of felony drug possession.
- Robert Triveil Turner, a/k/a “Veil,” a/k/a “V,” 40, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and Transfer of a Firearm to a Prohibited Person;
- Kelvin Laron Howard, 64, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Previously convicted of human trafficking, Howard was arrested while on state parole for a 1992 armed robbery conviction and currently is incarcerated in Wheeler State Prison.
- Khari Courtney Osborne, 26, of Hephzibah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. An admitted member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, Osborne was on state probation for a prior felony conviction at the time of his arrest.
- Silvano Marroquin-Bravo, 49, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien and Reentry after Removal/Deportation. A citizen of Mexico, Marroquin-Bravo has been deported from the United States three previous times and was arrested in Garden City, Ga., after a traffic stop in March 2020.
- Devonte Lamar Brown, 27, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brown has multiple prior convictions for firearms-related felonies.
- Jamol Marquise Cuyler, 32, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Cuyler previously was convicted of a firearms-related felony.
- Okoye West, 23, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. West previously was convicted of firearms-related charges.
- David McCain III, 33, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Pernell D. Scott, 32, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Additional defendants charged with gun crimes were indicted under seal during the virtual session of the grand jury. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“During these unprecedented times, ATF remains vigilant in removing violent offenders from our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “As a result of our partnerships with state and local law enforcement in the Southern District of Georgia, and the innovative methods the U.S. Attorney's Office employed, Project Guardian is being successfully carried out.”
The cases are investigated under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws, and the Prosecutor to Prosecutor (P3) program, which provides collaboration between federal and state prosecutors to determine the most appropriate venue for prosecuting crimes.
In addition to the ATF, agencies involved in investigation of the cases include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Police Department, the Douglas-Coffee County Drug Unit, the Savannah Police Department, the Twin City Police Department, the Garden City Police Department, and the Pooler Police Department.
The cases are being investigated for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys including Project Guardian Coordinator Hank Syms; Deputy Criminal Division Director Patricia G. Rhodes; Josh Bearden; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; Steven H. Lee; and John P. Harper III.
Monroeville Man Charged with Possessing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on May 20, named Boris Goldshtein, 53, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about February 27, 2020, Goldshtein unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
For Goldshtein’s offense, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney David Lew is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who traveled from Minnesota to Iowa to have sex with minors was sentenced today to 27 years in federal prison.
Terrance Nordwall, age 51, of Faribault, Minnesota, received the sentence after an October 31, 2019, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The evidence at trial showed that, in March and April of 2019, Nordwall exchanged text messages with a man who he believed was a “pimp” with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl available. The man was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Nordwall agreed to pay the pimp $200 for a half hour with the two girls, and he drove to the Cedar Rapids area, where he met law enforcement officers. In 2004, in Minnesota, Nordwall was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree, and possession of pornographic work involving minors.
Nordwall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nordwall was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $300 was imposed, and Nordwall must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 19-57.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Luis David Huerta-Carranza (age 40) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after removal. On March 5, 2020, Huerta-Carranza was found guilty following a stipulated bench trial.
According to court documents, since 1998, Huerta-Carranza has been removed from the United States to Mexico five times. In 2017, he was charged and convicted for illegal reentry and served two years in federal prison. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement most recently encountered Huerta-Carranza on December 13, 2019, following his arrest for not having a valid driver license and for driving under the influence.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Entry and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David C. Waterman.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of Stolen Cooking Oil and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Alvaro Mendez-Flores, age 39, of Mexico, was sentenced today to 41 months imprisonment and over $4,000,000 in restitution, for conspiring to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering.
According to court records, Mendez-Flores and his co-conspirators stole vast amounts of used cooking oil from numerous restaurants, arranged for the stolen oil to be transported to the northeast, and laundered the proceeds.
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, used cooking oil, historically viewed as a waste product, has become a valuable recycled commodity over the past decade. The majority of the recycled cooking oil sold is used for biofuel, fluctuating with market demand. It can also be used as a nutritional additive to animal feed and pet food, or in the production of many consumer and industrial products.
Legitimate businesses, known as renderers, collect used cooking oil from restaurants in exchange of compensation and sell it to refineries so that it can be processed and recycled. The rendering industry estimates that there is an annual loss of approximately $45-75 million dollars from the theft of used cooking oil.
United States Attorney Higdon emphasized, “These crimes rob hardworking citizens and restaurant owners of valuable income necessary to their livelihood and it will not be tolerated.”
“Used cooking oil has become a sought-after commodity by biodiesel companies, and restaurants use the sale of this oil as another source of revenue,” said Ronnie A. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte, North Carolina. “This organized group of co-conspirators had an elaborate scheme to steal thousands of gallons of cooking oil for their own profit in violation of several U.S. laws.”
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge James C. Dever III.
The case was investigated by HSI.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00220-D-21.
Meridian Woman Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Making False Statements to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Kadesha Dashanae Houston, 25, of Meridian, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to making false statements to a federal officer during the course of a federal investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
On March 22, 2019, the Meridian Police Department began investigating a case involving a convicted felon in possession of several pounds of marijuana and multiple firearms. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Kadesha Dashanae Houston had purchased one of the firearms, a Romarm/Cugir, Draco Model, 7.62x39mm caliber AR style pistol.
ATF agents became involved in the investigation and interviewed Houston in an attempt to find out how a firearm she purchased ended up in the possession of a convicted drug dealer just fifteen days after she purchased it. Houston gave false statements regarding who she purchased the firearm for and why she bought it. When given a chance to retract her false statements in light of other evidence gathered by the ATF, she maintained her false story. It was later discovered that Houston was in a romantic relationship with the convicted felon drug dealer.
Houston was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 6, 2019. She will be sentenced by Chief Judge Jordan on August 20, 2020 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Mercer County Man Admits Participation in Heroin Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy and his possession of multiple semiautomatic firearms in furtherance of his unlawful drug-trafficking activities, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jubri West, 20, of Trenton, pleaded guilty by teleconference before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
In October 2018, West and 25 other individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin; West and others also were charged with firearms offenses relating to their drug trafficking. On Feb. 27, 2020, a grand jury returned a 10-count third superseding indictment charging West and six other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearms offenses. Of the 26 defendants originally charged in the criminal complaint, West is the 22nd defendant to plead guilty. The charges in the third superseding indictment remain pending against four defendants.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, West and others engaged in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, Chambers Street, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Jakir Taylor and Jerome Roberts obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Pop” and “Papi,” and that they distributed those supplies of heroin to other dealers and end users in and around Trenton.
During the investigation of the conspiracy, on Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped a green 2002 Volkswagen Passat driven by, and registered to, Timothy Wimbush, a/k/a “Young Money,” and occupied by West, Taquan Williams, a/k/a Trip,” and a juvenile. Law enforcement officers recovered from West’s pocket a quantity of heroin, and during a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered from a secret trap compartment under the rear passenger’s seat approximately 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked with a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement officers identified the heroin as having been supplied by other members of the conspiracy. The charges against Wimbush and Williams remain pending.
The drug conspiracy and drug distribution counts to which West pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. The firearms count to which West pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison – which must run consecutively to any other sentence West receives – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. West’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of
Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The government is represented by Attorney-in-Charge J. Brendan Day and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations pending in the third superseding indictment against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mangum Pharmacist Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison in Health Care Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Jeffrey Scott Terry, 38, of Mangum, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for his role in a health care fraud scheme, announced Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
"Many of our state’s most vulnerable citizens rely on the Medicaid and Medicare systems for healthcare coverage," Attorney General Mike Hunter said. "To defraud it, as Jeff Terry did, is disgraceful. I appreciate U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk for sending him to prison and holding him accountable. I am also thankful for our strong partnership with U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Tim Downing, whose team was instrumental in bringing Terry to justice. We will continue to combine our resources to ensure taxpayer money and Oklahomans are protected."
"The protection of the integrity of federal and state health care benefit programs is of paramount importance" said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. "Oklahomans and citizens across the United States rely on Medicare and Medicaid services to maintain a healthy quality of life. The pilfering by anyone from these programs will not be tolerated. We appreciate very much the opportunity to work with General Hunter’s capable team on this case."
According to an indictment filed in March 2019, Terry was a licensed pharmacist who began operating Bratton Drug at 109 S. Oklahoma in Mangum in August 2015. Both the Oklahoma Health Care Authority—which administers Medicaid under the name SoonerCare—and Medicare reimbursed Bratton Drug for prescription drugs that it dispensed. The indictment alleged that from August 2015 to September 2018, Terry submitted false claims to SoonerCare and Medicare Part D for drugs that had not actually been prescribed or dispensed to patients. Separately, the United States filed a civil action pursuant to the Anti-Fraud Injunction Statute and obtained an injunction to prohibit Terry from dissipating or alienating assets he accumulated as a result of the false claims. On August 12, 2019, Terry entered a guilty plea before Judge Palk to one count relating to Medicaid and one count relating to Medicare.
At a sentencing hearing today, Judge Palk sentenced Mr. Terry to 37 months in prison, along with three years of supervised released. Judge Palk also ordered Terry to complete 100 hours of community service. In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk cited to the nature and seriousness of the offense and the need to deter others from engaging in similar conduct. Terry was ordered to pay restitution of $328,836.18 to SoonerCare and $753,334.13 to Medicare, for a total of $1,082,170.31. Judge Palk also ordered Terry to forfeit real property in Greer County and a 2016 Dodge Challenger.
These charges were the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services. Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Lory Dewey, who also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Johnson and Ron Gallegos of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division handled the civil injunctive component of the case.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
Man from To’Hajiilee charged with aggravated assault for beating man with baseball bat in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Luke Avery Platero, 29, appeared in federal court today on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
According to the complaint, Platero committed the offense on May 10 in Cibola County, New Mexico. Platero allegedly threw a rock at the victim hitting the victim in the head. Platero allegedly then struck the victim in the head, arms, and legs with a baseball bat causing a concussion and internal and external bleeding. The victim was rushed to the hospital by ambulance following the assault and needed emergency surgery for his injuries. Both Platero and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation.
Platero is currently out of custody awaiting trial. He faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of the charged offense. Complaints are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Mendenhall is prosecuting the case.
Man from Farmington, New Mexico pleads guilty to firearm possession in federal courtRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Rafael Almeida, 42, of Farmington, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on May 20 to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
In Almeida’s plea agreement, he admitted committing this offense in Farmington, New Mexico on Nov. 5, 2019. Almeida possessed bags of methamphetamine while riding in a truck to a hotel. Almeida kept the drugs within reach between the passenger seat and center console. The drugs were individually packaged and Almeida intended to sell them. Almeida kept a loaded pistol on top of the drugs for his protection while trafficking these drugs.
Almeida is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces from five years to life in prison for this offense.
The FBI investigated this case with the New Mexico Region II Narcotics Task Force, including members of the Farmington Police Department and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced in Seizure of 80 Kilograms of Cocaine and $2 MillionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A California man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine, aiding and abetting.
According to court documents, Andrew Richard Rodarte, 73, was observed driving a semi-truck to a home under investigation in Littleton, North Carolina. Rodarte was observed meeting with individuals at that home that unloaded duffle bags from the semi-truck. After leaving the home, Rodarte drove to a nearby truck stop. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home where they located Luis Enrrique Arroyo-Jimenez and seized duffle bags containing a total of 80 kilograms of cocaine. Officers located Rodarte at a truck stop in Halifax County and searched Rodarte’s semi-truck where they found $2,055,141 in United States currency located in a hidden compartment.
On September 24, 2019, Rodarte pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine, aiding and abetting. On November 7, 2019, Arroyo-Jimenez pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine, aiding and abetting, and will be sentenced in June 2020.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dena King prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-CR-48-D.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael Mowry, 43, of Acton, Maine pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May of 2018, a New Hampshire State Police trooper pulled over a vehicle on I-95 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for multiple traffic violations. Mowry was a passenger in the vehicle. The trooper developed suspicions about drug activity and called for a narcotics detection dog. The dog alerted to the odor of narcotics. After the trooper advised the driver of the detection of narcotics, Mowry admitted to the trooper that there was methamphetamine in a backpack in the rear seat. The backpack contained 755 grams of methamphetamine.
Mowry is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2020.
“Interstate drug trafficking threatens the health and safety of citizens throughout New England,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who sell methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs are putting our friends and neighbors in jeopardy. In order to protect our community, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who participate in the drug trade.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.
###
Macy Man Sentenced to 36 Months for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Lorenzo Cook, 36, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 21, 2020 in federal court in Omaha for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. United States Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Cook to 36 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Cook will be on supervised release for 1 year.
In June 2019, officers with the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services responded to a call regarding a fight taking place outdoors in Macy, Nebraska. Upon arrival, officers located an unconscious male with injuries to his face and head. The male was taken to the hospital for treatment. A witness reported seeing Lorenzo Cook stomping on the victim’s face and head. Federal agents later learned the assault had been captured on surveillance video. The video recording showed Cook punch the victim once in the face, causing the victim to immediately fall to the ground, unconscious. Cook then continued to punch, kick, and stomp the victim in the head and face while the victim was unconscious.
This case was investigated by Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Louisiana Man Sentenced for Business Email Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Louisiana man was sentenced today in connection with an international business email compromise scheme that defrauded companies of almost $900,000.
Larry Brown Jr., 37, of Lafayette, La., was sentenced during a videoconference to time-served (approximately 10 months in prison), three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $10,425. In April 2020, Brown pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In April 2019, Brown was charged with co-defendant Paul M. Iwuanyanwu, 39, of Medfield.
Brown and, allegedly, Iwuanyanwu worked with others who breached the email systems of companies and installed unauthorized computer programs that diverted company emails to accounts controlled by the conspirators. As a result, emails sent by or to the companies were first routed through the email accounts where conspirators could view the messages. Conspirators also had the ability to send and respond to emails as if they were representatives of the companies.
It is alleged that conspirators used this unauthorized access to companies’ email accounts to cause the companies to redirect payments intended for legitimate business operations to bank accounts controlled by Brown and Iwuanyanwu.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom, of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit and Carol Head, of Lelling’s Asset Recovery Unit, are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lexington Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Billy J. Earls, 35, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday, before U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, to escaping federal custody.
In his guilty plea agreement, Earls admitted that he absconded from a residential confinement center, where he had been sentenced to serve 18 months for a supervised release violation. Earls was confined to Dismas Charities, a residential center located in Fayette County, to serve the remainder of his federal sentence. On February 11, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service was notified that Earls had left the center, without permission. He was found, three days later, by law enforcement in Campbell County, Kentucky.
Earls was indicted in March 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Norman E. Arflack, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield.
Earls is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2020. He faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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.
— END —
La Crosse Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years for Methamphetamine CrimeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jack Taylor, 35, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 114 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Taylor pleaded guilty to this charge on January 9, 2020.
On July 24, 2019, La Crosse police officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence in La Crosse. Inside the residence, officers found over 100 grams of methamphetamine, a drug ledger, and a digital scale. At the time officers executed the search warrant, Taylor was on bond from a felony drug trafficking case in La Crosse County and two separate drug trafficking cases in Houston County, Minnesota. In addition, Taylor was on supervision in Houston County from a felony conviction for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Peterson noted that Taylor has a disturbing criminal history, including multiple violent felony convictions, and was involved in selling a large amount of methamphetamine to the La Crosse community. Judge Peterson also expressed his displeasure that Taylor continued to sell methamphetamine even after an arrest in La Crosse in January 2019 for methamphetamine trafficking. In total, Taylor’s criminal history includes 14 prior felony convictions.
The charge against Taylor was a result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, and Winona (Minnesota) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Jefferson County Man Indicted for Soliciting Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 46-year-old Port Arthur, Texas man has been indicted for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Santos Orellana-Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 20, 2020 and charged with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
According to the indictment, from January 17, 2020 until March 18, 2020, in the Eastern District of Texas and elsewhere, Orellana-Hernandez used a telephone to solicit the murder of two persons in violation of the laws of the United States.
If convicted, Orellana-Hernandez faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Inland Empire Man Arrested on Wire Fraud Charge that He Engineered $10 Million Ponzi Scheme Targeting Elderly and Retired VictimsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint alleging he swindled dozens of his clients, many of them elderly retirees, in a long-running Ponzi scheme that took in more than $10 million in victim-investor money.
Paul Horton Smith Sr., 56, of Moreno Valley, was taken into custody today by the FBI and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
The complaint charges Smith with one count of wire fraud, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, from at least 2013 until the present, Smith offered 75 clients an investment he called “Northstar,” which he said was a private annuity contract that was a safe alternative to the stock market and provided a generous annual rate of return of between 5 percent and 6 percent. Instead, Smith used his victim investors’ money as lulling payments to earlier investors.
Smith, who advertised himself on his website as a chartered senior financial planner, is the owner of several businesses in the Riverside area, including Planning Services, Inc. and Northstar Communications LLC.
He also conducted free seminars via Planning Services at various locations around the Riverside area where he discussed estate planning, trust creation to protect assets, and other financial matters. Smith solicited some of his victims at this seminar, the affidavit states.
One victim, a 70-year-old woman who had known Smith from their mutual church association in the 1990s, sold a home in Arizona in August 2016 and wrote a $175,000 check to Northstar for investment. Instead of investing the victim’s money, Smith transferred her funds to other investors and he used her money to pay off the other investors’ tax bills with the IRS and the Franchise Tax Board, according to the affidavit.
In November 2019, another victim, an 86-year-old woman who had known Smith for many years, invested approximately $169,126 in Northstar from the sale of a rental property. The following day, Smith took $134,863 of the victim’s money to pay off another victim investor.
A review of bank records show that these victims have transferred more than $10 million to Smith’s business entities since 2013 and there is evidence that this scheme goes back to the early 2000s, according to the affidavit.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI investigated this matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Weir of the Riverside Branch Office.
Illegal possession of firearms sends Columbia Falls man to prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Columbia Falls man who was on state probation was sentenced today to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
George Harrison Burger, 50, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of firearms.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said that in December 2018, officers from the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and Montana Probation and Parole conducted a probation search of Burger's residence as a condition of his probation. Law enforcement recovered nine firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition. Burger had prior convictions that prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and Montana Probation and Parole.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
XXX
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Distributing Crack Cocaine in Public Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A man identified as a member of the Heath Street Gang pleaded guilty today to charges of distributing crack cocaine in a public housing development.
Michael Pridgen, 36, pleaded guilty during a videoconference hearing to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl, and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in a public housing development. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns will schedule sentencing at a later date. Pridgen has been detained since his arrest on Sept. 10, 2019.
Pridgen distributed crack cocaine in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development, in Boston on June 5, 2019 and July 2, 2019. In the June 5, 2019, incident, Pridgen stored the crack cocaine and a digital scale in an electrical box affixed to the wall in the stairwell of the public housing complex. Both transactions occurred in common stairwells in the complex. At the time of his arrest on Sept. 10, 2019, Pridgen was found on a bench in a courtyard at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, in possession of a distributable-quantity of crack cocaine and fentanyl. Although Pridgen has been identified by law enforcement as a member of the Heath Street Gang, he was living in Westborough at the time of these incidents.
The charge of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances in a public housing development provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Frankfort Man Indicted for Assaulting and Threatening to Kill FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Frankfort, Ky., man was indicted on Thursday for assaulting and threatening to kill special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging 29 year-old Phillip E. Morris with one count of knowingly and intentionally assaulting, impeding or resisting FBI special agents, in the performance of their official duties. The indictment also alleges that Morris knowingly and intentionally threatened to murder FBI special agents, with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with them while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West.
A date for Morris’s to appear in court has not yet been scheduled. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
— END —
Four Oaks Man Sentenced in Seizure of 1 Kilogram of Heroin in Nash CountyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Four Oaks, NC man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute one (1) kilogram or more of heroin, aiding and abetting.
According to court documents, Luis Octavio Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, was the driver of a car stopped in Nash County for traffic violations. Officers immediately observed marijuana in the car and Gonzalez-Gonzalez and his two passengers gave conflicting stories about where they had traveled. Upon a search of the trunk of the vehicle, officers located over 1,400 grams of heroin.
On September 24, 2019, Gonzalez-Gonzalez pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute one (1) kilogram or more of heroin, aiding and abetting.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dena King prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-CR-48-D.
###
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.
Former Philadelphia Judge of Elections Convicted of Conspiring to Violate Civil Rights and BriberyRead the Press Release
A former Judge of Elections has been convicted for his role in accepting bribes to cast fraudulent ballots and certifying false voting results during the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections in Philadelphia.
Domenick J. Demuro, 73, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty during a sealed proceeding on March 16, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond to conspiring to deprive persons of civil rights, and using interstate facilities in aid of bribery. The court unsealed the matter today. Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2020.
During his guilty plea hearing, Demuro admitted that while serving as an elected municipal Judge of Elections, he accepted bribes in the form of money and other things of value in exchange for adding ballots to increase the vote totals for certain candidates on the voting machines in his jurisdiction and for certifying tallies of all the ballots, including the fraudulent ballots. Demuro further admitted that a local political consultant gave him directions and paid him money to add votes for candidates supported by the consultant, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired the consultant, and other candidates for various federal, state and local elective offices preferred by that consultant for a variety of reasons. Demuro also admitted that the votes he added in exchange for payments by the political consultant increased the number of votes fraudulently recorded and tallied for the consultant’s clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting the ballots cast by actual voters.
“This defendant abused his office by engaging in election fraud for profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s conviction makes it clear that the Department of Justice will do all in its power to protect the integrity of elections and maintain public confidence in all levels of elected government.”
“Demuro fraudulently stuffed the ballot box by literally standing in a voting booth and voting over and over, as fast as he could, while he thought the coast was clear. This is utterly reprehensible conduct. The charges announced today do not erase what he did, but they do ensure that he is held to account for those actions,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote is fraudulently rung up, the integrity of that election is compromised. I want the public to know that this investigation is active and ongoing, and my Office is taking every possible step that we can to ensure the integrity of the upcoming primary and general elections in the nine counties of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
“Domenick Demuro put a thumb on the scale for certain candidates, in exchange for bribes,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “As public trust in the electoral process is vital, the FBI’s message today is clear: election interference of any kind, by hostile foreign actors or dishonest local officials, won’t be tolerated. This is an active, ongoing investigation and we're asking anyone with information on election fraud to contact the FBI.”
“The citizenry of the City of Philadelphia, as well as this Commonwealth and these United States, needs to be confident in the integrity of our elections,” said Captain Leo Hannon, Director of the Pennsylvania State Police, Special Investigations Division. “As this investigation clearly illustrates, the Pennsylvania State Police will relentlessly pursue any breach of the sacred trust bestowed upon our public officials. Our agency is proud to partner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice as a whole to root out corruption at any level of our government. Matters of public corruption and public integrity have been, and shall remain, a top priority of the Pennsylvania State Police.”
The FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the matter. Richard C. Pilger, Director of the Election Crimes Branch in the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Gibson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are handling the prosecution.
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.
Former Medical Practice Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Kristy Brucz, 34, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2015 and March 28, 2018, the defendant was an employee and office manager for a Williamsville physician. In that position, Brucz was given access to the physician’s prescription pad and a New York State issued controlled substance electronic prescribing hard token (prescribing token) and its related passwords, which allowed the defendant to issue prescriptions, and submit them to pharmacies, on the physician’s behalf.
Between 2015 and March 2018, Brucz, without the physician’s authorization, issued, or caused to be issued, 166 fraudulent prescriptions using the physician’s name, the physician’s prescription pad, and prescribing token. The prescriptions were issued in either Brucz’s name, the names of associates, or fictitious individuals. The defendant then filled the prescriptions, totaling approximately 11,885 dosage units, from various local pharmacies, and diverted them for her personal use. The controlled substances included hydrocodone and oxycodone.
The defendant’s scheme was discovered in March of 2018, as Brucz attempted to fill a prescription at Rite Aid Pharmacy. The pharmacist questioned the legitimacy of the prescription and contacted the physician for whom defendant worked. That inquiry ultimately led to the discovery of defendant’s fraud and led to her being fired from her position.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 19, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
# # # #
Final Four Defendants Sentenced in Twenty-Four Member Crystal Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today the final sentences have been imposed in the prosecution of a 24-member drug trafficking operation. Darrell Lee-Lamont Summers II, Daryl Kevin Cannon, Timothy Roy Mason, and Tremain Lamar Braxton were sentenced this week following their convictions for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and related crimes after a ten-day trial in November before the Honorable Robert J. Jonker, Chief United States District Judge. The remaining 20 defendants were sentenced between May 2019 and February 2020 for crimes committed as a part of the conspiracy.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that the leaders of the conspiracy, including Summers, Cannon, Raymond Demetrius Stovall, and Richard Lee James, Jr., brought or sent, in total, hundreds of thousands of dollars to suppliers in California and Arizona, including Kentrell Terome Dunn, who subsequently shipped hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine back to Michigan through the mail to them and others in the organization. The cash deliveries and shipments took place between 2016 and 2018. The organization largely distributed the methamphetamine in southwest Michigan, including in greater Kalamazoo. Law enforcement intercepted three packages during the investigation, which in total contained approximately 14 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, between 96% and 99% pure. At the time of the interceptions, those 14 pounds alone were worth more than $40,000 on the southwest border from which they shipped and nearly $100,000 wholesale in Michigan.
The Court imposed the following sentences on the conspirators:
Defendant
Age
City
Sentence
David Richard Uminn
36
Kalamazoo
262 months
Darrell Lee-Lamont Summers II
29
Benton Harbor
240 months
Daryl Kevin Cannon
27
Benton Harbor
240 months
Raymond Demetrius Stovall
30
Benton Harbor
225 months
Kentrell Terome Dunn
34
Phoenix, Arizona
210 months
Richard Lee James, Jr.
28
Benton Harbor
210 months
Robert Bruce Armstrong
66
Kalamazoo
180 months
Timothy Roy Mason
40
Benton Harbor and Erie, Pennsylvania
180 months
Tremain Lamar Braxton
31
Benton Harbor
180 months
Scotty Deandre-Marcus Campbell
27
Benton Harbor
168 month
Michael John Marcon
33
Kalamazoo
156 months
Andrew Peter Bagley
31
Kalamazoo
156 months
Eshawn Jamier Whiteside
22
Kalamazoo
145 months
Ronald Eugene Goodloe, Jr.
31
Benton Harbor
130 months
Robert Duane Kniss
46
Kalamazoo
120 months
Gerry Lionel Winston, Jr.
36
Kalamazoo
120 months
Aaron Earl Rimpson
29
Kalamazoo
120 months
Ronnie Deval Smith, Jr.
26
Kalamazoo
120 months
Kandy Kay Kirby
48
Kalamazoo
90 months
Richard Farmer, Sr.
45
Atlanta, Georgia
60 months
DeMichael Mishaun Horn
20
Benton Harbor
60 months
Michael Dewayne Horn
21
Benton Harbor
42 months
Ericka George
32
Kalamazoo
24 months
Daisy Laverne Dyer
44
Benton Harbor
18 months
"These substantial sentences, ranging from years to decades, should serve as a stark warning to others who might aspire to become drug dealers, or to provide assistance to them," said U.S. Attorney Birge. "Crystal methamphetamine is a dangerous drug, and these sentences underscore the serious consequences for those who get involved in its distribution."
"A coordinated effort from multiple law enforcement agencies successfully removed two dozen violent and dangerous drug dealers from southwest Michigan, but the work of protecting these communities continues," said Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Division. "The FBI’s resolve to identify criminals who are trafficking these substances and bringing them to justice has not faltered and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with the DEA, SWET, and KVET to achieve this goal."
This case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, and the Southwest Enforcement Team (a component of the Michigan State Police), who were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Portage Police Department, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, and TSA Investigations – Detroit Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin M. Presant, Jonathan Roth, Vito S. Solitro, and retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Courtade prosecuted the case.
###
Encino Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Leading Conspiracy to Distribute Opioids via Sham Clinics and Corrupt DoctorsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy to distribute powerful prescription opioids via sham medical clinics that hired corrupt doctors who wrote fraudulent prescriptions to black market customers.
Minas Matosyan, a.k.a. “Maserati Mike,” 40, of Encino, was sentenced by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. Matosyan pleaded guilty in April 2019 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Matosyan was arrested in August 2017 pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him and 12 other defendants with scheming to divert at least 2 million controlled prescription pills for sale on the black market. According to his plea agreement, Matosyan and his co-conspirators controlled the sham clinics and hired corrupt doctors who allowed their names to be used on fraudulent prescriptions in exchange for kickbacks. Matosyan also admitted that he and his co-conspirators stole the identities of other doctors and then issued prescriptions in those doctors’ names, either by personally acquiring prescription pads in the doctors’ names or by arranging for other co-conspirators to do so.
As part of the scheme, Matosyan staffed receptionists at the clinics who would falsely verify the phony prescriptions to pharmacists who called to check on their veracity. He also sold narcotic prescriptions to black market customers – either directly or through couriers – and bulk quantities of hydrocodone and oxycodone he had acquired from phony prescriptions filled at pharmacies by other customers.
In May 2016, Matosyan offered a doctor a “very lucrative position” where the doctor would “sit home making $20,000 a month doing nothing,” according to Matosyan’s plea agreement. After the doctor declined the offer, Matosyan stole the doctor’s identity, sending a co-conspirator a text message containing the doctor’s full name, medical license number and national provider identifier number that the co-conspirator used to order prescription pads in the doctor’s name. Over the next two months, Matosyan and his co-conspirators sold fraudulent prescriptions, purportedly issued by the victim doctor, for at least 9,450 pills of oxycodone and 990 pills of hydrocodone.
Matosyan also admitted in the plea agreement that he conspired with others, including a lawyer, Fred Minassian, 53, of Glendale, to obstruct justice, by providing falsifying medical records to police to thwart an investigation into the seizure of a load of Vicodin from one of the conspiracy’s major customers.
This case so far has resulted in 11 convictions. Minassian is scheduled to go on trial on July 7.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit; and Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Department of Justice, and the Orange Police Department.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin R. Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office.