Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 2 March 2020
Readout of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys Visit to MexicoRead the Press Release
From February 24 to 28, a delegation of U.S. Attorneys led by U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna of the Central District of California, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer of the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney Mike Bailey of the District of Arizona, U.S. Attorney John Anderson of the District of New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Joseph Brown of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, and U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas along with their and the Northern District of Texas criminal chiefs and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) chiefs traveled to Mexico City to participate in a series of briefings and meetings regarding counter-narcotic efforts as well as efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and the trafficking of arms and drugs.
The Justice Department’s Attaché Office in Mexico City organized the briefings and meetings. The U.S. delegation participated in a meeting with various officials from Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) including Deputy Attorney General for International and Legal Affairs, Miguel Angel Mendez Buenos Aires; Deputy Attorney General for Organized Crime and Investigations, Alfredo Higuera Bernal; Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Proceedings and Habeus Corpus, Roberto Ochoa Romero; and Deputy Attorney General for Investigative Techniques and Methods, Felipe de Jesus Gallo Gutierrez.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices delegations were also briefed by various U.S. law enforcement entities stationed in Mexico City. They discussed investigative strategies and their shared commitment to protecting the security and safety of our shared border and the citizens residing in both the United States and Mexico.
The U.S. law enforcement relationship with Mexico is one of our most important partnerships to combat trans-border crime. The U.S. delegation reiterated the United States’ commitment to protecting U.S. and Mexican citizens and leaders from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral law enforcement cooperation.
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.
Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys meeting with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR)
L-R: U.S. Attorney John Bash, U.S. Attorney Joseph Brown, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer, Deputy Attorney General Alfredo Higuera Bernal, Deputy Attorney General Roberto Ochoa Romero, Deputy Attorney General Miguel Angel Mendez Buenos Aires, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick, U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna, U.S. Attorney John Anderson, and U.S. Attorney Mike Bailey.Project Safe Childhood -- Two Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that two different Project Safe Childhood (PSC) defendants were sentenced to federal prison today for child pornography offenses.
“Wallace and Blake will be in federal prison for many years because of their heinous crimes,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Protecting West Virginia children is a top priority for me and my office. We continue to hold PSC defendants accountable by prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Charles Larry Wallace, Jr., 47, of Coal City, West Virginia, was sentenced to serve 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in federal prison for producing child pornography. Upon release from prison, Wallace will be required to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and register as sex offender. Wallace previously admitted that on January 5, 2019, he took several sexually explicit images of a child under the age of 12 who was in his care at the time. Wallace distributed those images to at least one other individual.
Gordon Blake, 62, of Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced to serve 14 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Upon release from prison, Blake will be required to serve a term of 20 years of supervised release and register as sex offender. Blake previously admitted that on July 21, 2018, he possessed over 600 images of child pornography, many of which depicted prepubescent minors and some of which depicted sadistic conduct. Blake also has previous Pennsylvania convictions from 1997 related to the sexual assault of two minors under the age of 12.
The investigations were conducted by the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecutions. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over both sentencing hearings.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Announces Tribal Consultations and Listening SessionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Presidential Task force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced a series of field consultations and listening sessions to occur across the United States in the coming months.
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.
Confirmed Dates and Locations
March 2nd, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families Tribal Advisory Council Mtg. – Washington D.C. Listening Session (CLOSED PRESS)
March 12th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Tribal Interior Budget Council Listening Session – Washington, DC (CLOSED PRESS)
March 17th, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- United South & Eastern Tribes (USET), Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST) Listening Session – Marriott Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
March 24th, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Muscogee Creek Listening Session – River Spirit Casino, 8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, OK
March 31st, 10:30 am – 12:00 p.m.
- 38th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference Listening Session – Marriott Denver Tech Center- Host Hotel, Denver, CO (CLOSED PRESS)
April 15th, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Pascua Yaqui Listening Session – Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ
April 21st, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Sycuan Band, California Listening Session, 3 Kwaaypaay Court, El Cajon, CA
April 28th, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- National Indian Programs Training Center - CONSULTATION – 1101 Indian School Road NW, rooms 233-234, Albuquerque, NM
May 12th, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Listening Session – Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd, Acme Township, MI
May 21st, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Yakama Nation, Washington Listening Session – Legends Casino and Hotel, 580 Fort Road, Toppenish WA
June 7th – 11th
- Anchorage, Alaska – CONSULTATION – Date and Location TBD
June 16th, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- North Dakota/South Dakota Listening Session – North Dakota Heritage Center, Bismarck, ND
June 23rd, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Women are Sacred Conference Listening Session – Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel, 11 E. Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN
July 7th, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Billings, Montana - CONSULTATION – Double Tree Hotel, 27 N 27th, Billings, MT
The members of the task force are:
- Katharine 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 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 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.
NOTE: All sessions will be open to the public and the press unless otherwise designated. As a general rule, each consultation and listening session will include a task force media availability. Opening remarks will be open for audio and visual recording. However, the duration of the testimony by participants will be recordable by pen and pad only.
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/.
Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Announces Tribal Consultations and Listening SessionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Presidential Task force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced a series of field consultations and listening sessions to occur across the United States in the coming months.
One of the consultations will be held on July 7 in Billings, Mt.
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.
Confirmed Dates and Locations
March 2 Department of Health and Human Services
3:00-4:30 Administration for Children & Families Tribal Advisory Council Mtg.
Washington D.C. Listening Session (CLOSED PRESS)
March 12 Tribal Interior Budget Council Listening Session
10:30-12:30 Washington, DC (CLOSED PRESS)
March 17 United South & Eastern Tribes (USET),
2:00-5:00 Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST) Listening Session
Marriott Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, D.C.
March 24 Muscogee Creek Listening Session
9:00-4:00 River Spirit Casino
8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, OK
March 31 38th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference Listening Session
10:30-noon Marriott Denver Tech Center- Host Hotel
Denver, CO (CLOSED PRESS)
April 15 Pascua Yaqui Listening Session
9:00-4:00 Casino Del Sol
5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ
April 21 Sycuan Band, California Listening Session
1:30-5:00 3 Kwaaypaay Court, El Cajon, CA
April 28 National Indian Programs Training Center - CONSULTATION
9:00-3:00 1101 Indian School Road NW, rooms 233-234
Albuquerque, NM
May 12 Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Listening Session
9:00-4:00 Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd, Acme Township, MI
May 21 Yakama Nation, Washington Listening Session
9:00-4:00 Legends Casino and Hotel
580 Fort Road, Toppenish WA
June 7 – 11 Anchorage, Alaska – CONSULTATION
Date and Location TBD
June 16 North Dakota/South Dakota Listening Session
10:00-4:00 North Dakota Heritage Center
Bismarck, ND
June 23 Women are Sacred Conference Listening Session
5:00-9:00 pm Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel
11 E. Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN
July 7 Billings, Montana - CONSULTATION
9:00-4:00 Double Tree Hotel, 27 N 27th, Billings, MT
The members of the task force are:
- Katharine 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 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 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.
NOTE: All sessions will be open to the public and the press unless otherwise designated. As a general rule, each consultation and listening session will include a task force media availability. Opening remarks will be open for audio and visual recording. However, the duration of the testimony by participants will be recordable by pen and pad only.
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/history. 2020 also marks 171st anniversary of the Department of the Interior.
###
Pleasant Prairie Man Sentenced for Mail Fraud and Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Philip D. Kuehnl (age 42) of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced in federal court for mail fraud and filing false tax returns.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman sentenced Kuehnl to 14 months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $289,000 in restitution.
During the period from approximately 2005 through April 2011, Kuehnl, who has also used the names Mike Hilton, Phil Kay, and Michael Helton, devised and carried out a scheme to defraud and to obtain money by means of material false and fraudulent pretenses and representations. Using various business names, including Premium Discount Pharmaceutical Services, Scrip Saver, Script Saver, Medico, Medico Alliance, and Medione, Kuehnl illegally marketed and sold medical devices, including devices purporting to be Synvisc, Orthovisc, and Hyalagan, to physicians, medical clinics, and other related businesses in the United States.
Kuehnl falsely represented to his customers that he was associated with the manufacturers and legitimate distributions of these devices. In fact, Kuehnl acquired the devices from unknown sources in Europe and smuggled them into the United States, where he re-packaged and re-labeled the devices to appear to come from domestic sources. During his scheme, Kuehnl sold more than 100,000 devices for more than $5.6 million. At the same time, Kuehnl reported virtually none of this income and paid little or no taxes.
In December 2010, federal agents searched Kuehnl’s home in Pleasant Prairie and later interviewed Kuehnl. During that interview, Kuehnl lied repeatedly about his business and concealed the fact that he had a bank account in Hong Kong. Shortly after being interviewed, Kuehnl fled the United States and remained a fugitive until he was arrested in Thailand in 2018. He has been in custody since that time.
“Kuehnl’s greed led him to sell counterfeit medical devices, cheat on his taxes, and then flee from authorities,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FDA, and the prosecutor in this case showed outstanding persistence to ensure Kuehnl faces the consequences of his corruption.”
Chicago Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kathy Enstrom stated, “Kuehnl’s sentencing demonstrates that IRS – Criminal Investigation is committed to working with our law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting those who line their pockets using fraudulent business practices and then victimize all taxpayers by continuing their schemes and not paying taxes on their profits.”
This matter was investigated by the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration and Criminal investigation Division of the Internal Revenue and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew L. Jacobs.
# # # #
Pittsburgh Man Pleads to Drug Crime Connected to the DS44 Neighborhood GangRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Laffayette Fuller, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Mr. Fuller is one of 37 defendants charged in the Indictment.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019.
The court was further advised that Mr. Fuller was involved in the distribution of heroin and fentanyl, including serving as a runner for co-conspirator Christopher Highsmith and facilitating drug transactions for Highsmith. He also possessed a firearm in connection with his drug trafficking activities.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for August 6, 2020, at 10:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, 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, if any, of each defendant. Fuller remains detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Oronogo, Joplin Men Charged with Kidnapping Webb City WomanRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two southwest Missouri men have been charged in federal court for kidnapping a Webb City, Missouri, woman and threatening to kill her and her family unless she recanted her testimony in another criminal case.
Jeffrey Marsh, 32, of Oronogo, and Zaqouri Traves Archer, 31, of Joplin, were charged together in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield on Friday, Feb. 28.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Marsh and Archer kidnapped a victim identified in court documents as “Jane Doe” and transported her across states lines from Kansas to Missouri.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Jane Doe was staying at a friend’s residence in Crawford County, Kansas, because she was trying to hide from Marsh. Marsh was angry with her, she told investigators, because she had reported him as a suspect when her handgun was stolen. Officers with the Oronogo, Missouri, Police Department had executed a search warrant on Marsh’s residence on January 26, 2020, and located Jane Doe’s stolen firearm in Marsh’s bedroom and returned the firearm to her.
On February 2, 2020, Jane Doe watched the Super Bowl at her friend’s residence and then walked out to her car to go to work. The affidavit describes that when she opened the front passenger door and placed her purse on the seat, Marsh grabbed her and told her to get into the vehicle. She began screaming and fell to the ground in an attempt to get her firearm out of her purse. She felt the barrel of a firearm placed against the back of her head, and Marsh told her to stop screaming or he would shoot her in the head. In the meantime, the affidavit says, Archer – who, like Marsh, was dressed in all black – arrived. Archer had a Taser with him. Jane Doe was forced into the front passenger seat, with Marsh in the driver’s seat and Archer in the back passenger seat. Archer placed duct taped over Jane Doe’s eyes and face.
At one point as they were driving around and making several stops, the affidavit says, Marsh shoved the barrel of his handgun in Jane Doe’s mouth and pulled the trigger. The gun made a click, but did not fire. After the click, Marsh chambered a round and shot it outside the vehicle towards a body of water. During the kidnapping, Marsh struck Jane Doe in her left jaw and told her she was going to recant her statements to the police.
Archer eventually left, the affidavit says, and Marsh took Jane Doe to her apartment in Webb City in his vehicle. Marsh held Jane Doe at gunpoint in her apartment and she was unable to leave that night. Marsh allegedly told Jane Doe to recant her earlier statement or her, her kids, and her whole family would die. Marsh allegedly told Jane Doe that she needed to make his weapon charges go away or her kids would die.
In the morning hours of February 3, 2020, Marsh took Jane Doe back to her vehicle so she could go to the Oronogo Police Department to recant her statement. Once at the Oronogo Police Department, Jane Doe tried to recant her statement, but then disclosed her kidnapping. Later that day, the Jasper County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office located Jane Doe’s firearm, Marsh’s firearm, and a duct tape roll from a location where they located Archer.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Crawford County, Kan., Sheriff’s Office, and the Oronogo, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Shutdown Corner Update: Bluefield Woman Enters Guilty Plea to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Bluefield woman pled guilty today for her participation in a drug trafficking operation (DTO) in Raleigh and Mercer Counties, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Marika Davis, 38, of Bluefield, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Davis was charged as a result of a long-term, multi-state, investigation known as Operation Shutdown Corner.
“Mercer and Raleigh counties are not immune from the drug scourge,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Operation Shutdown Corner was a critical operation that made the lives of citizens better and safer. We continue with a sense of urgency to zero in on those that sell and distribute poisons to our kids and families.”
Davis admitted that between February 2019, and August 9, 2019, she participated in a DTO operating in Raleigh County and Mercer County, West Virginia by allowing drugs to be shipped to her home address at the request of other members of the DTO. At the hearing, Davis admitted that she was paid to have packages delivered to her house. She also admitted that on August 9, 2019, that she was transporting a package that had been delivered to her house in Bluefield and was delivering it to another member of the DTO in Beckley. She further admitted that after picking up the other member of the DTO, a police officer pulled her over for a traffic violation. At that time officers found the package she was delivering and discovered that it contained approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Through additional investigation, law enforcement officers were able to determine the package had been sent from California.
Davis faces up to twenty years in federal prison, and $1 million fine, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release when she is sentenced on July 6, 2020.
Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Beckley Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Frank W. Volk.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Oklahoma City Bank Robbery Suspect ArrestedRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – KEITH LAMAR CARTER, 38, of Oklahoma City, has been arrested and charged with robbing the Credit Union One bank, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed on February 13, 2020, Carter entered Credit Union One located at 3300 North Lincoln Boulevard in the morning on Monday, December 23. He allegedly handed a demand note to a teller, who provided approximately $2,260.00 to Carter. Carter then fled on a BMX style bicycle. After bank surveillance photos were published in the media and additional investigation was conducted, law enforcement received information that pointed to Carter. He was arrested in Oklahoma City on February 25 and made an initial appearance the next day. Today, after a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Purcell detained Carter pending trial.
If found guilty of bank robbery, Carter faces a maximum potential penalty of twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and mandatory restitution.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Division and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Altshuler and Stan West are prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that this charge is merely an allegation and that Carter is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Reference is made to public filings for more information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Role in Akron to Huntington Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – An Ohio man involved in the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia last year was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Marquis Allen Pritchett, 22, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“We are working with law enforcement partners in Ohio and elsewhere to shut down drug trafficking organizations responsible for bringing large quantities of deadly drugs into West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The success of this investigation is attributable to our collaborative efforts.”
Pritchett admitted that between June and August of 2019, he participated with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia. During the conspiracy, Pritchett obtained large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron to be sold in multiple cities in West Virginia including Hurricane and Charleston. Pritchett admitted that he supplied methamphetamine to other West Virginia based meth dealers on a recurring basis and that he was aware the methamphetamine he sold would be re-distributed in West Virginia. As part of his plea agreement, Pritchett admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to More than 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEJUAN WARD, also known as “Hot Boi,” 23, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 97 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the New Haven Police Department’s Shooting Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating numerous unsolved shootings that had occurred in New Haven and Hamden. Ballistic examination of recovered cartridge cases determined that three firearms were used in 18 shootings committed in or around New Haven in 2016. The investigation revealed that the firearms were possessed by members and associates of the Goodrich Street Boys (“GSB”), a New Haven street gang, and that GSB members also were involved in a number of other shootings in 2016, many of them retaliatory against rival gang members.
GSB members distributed heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and used social media to post pictures and videos of themselves with firearms, and used social media to threaten rivals, including individuals who might cooperate with law enforcement.
On August 3, 2017, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Ward and five other GSB members with racketeering, attempted murder, firearm and narcotics trafficking offenses. The indictment alleged that, between September 2015 and May 2016, GSB members and associates were involved in six gang-related shootings that caused injuries to five individuals.
Ward was involved in at least one attempt to murder a rival gang member, and he regularly sent or posted pictures and videos of himself with firearms in an effort to intimidate rivals and show off for the group. On August 1, 2016, Ward posted a video of himself brandishing a revolver with an obliterated serial number. The firearm was subsequently found in a van after a triple homicide in Wallingford on December 30, 2016.
GSB members shot two individuals on April 3, 2016, on the belief that one of the shooting victims had been cooperating with police after a GSB shooting in 2014. In addition, GSB members shot at rival gang members and other individuals on February 6, 2016, in a densely populated residential area; March 13, 2016, during a heavily attended St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown New Haven; May 27, 2016, during which one individual was shot in the stomach and head and another was shot in the hand; and July 21, 2016, during which an innocent bystander was shot in the chest through her bedroom window.
Ward has been detained since January 2017. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Ward is the last of six GSB members to be sentenced. On October 24, 2019, Michael Via, also known as “Mike Live,” was sentenced to 78 months in prison; on October 30, 2019, Michael Belle, also known as “MB,” was sentenced to 87 months in prison; on October 31, 2019, Milton Westley, also known as “Reese,” was sentenced to 156 months in prison; on November 4, 2019, Clifford Brodie, also known as “Cliff G,” was sentenced to 168 months in prison, and on January 13, 2020, Sedale Pervis, also known as “Scope,” was sentenced to 144 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their prison term and are not eligible for parole.
U.S. Attorney Durham further noted that federal law prohibits any retaliation against a federal witness. If persons retaliate against a federal witness “because of attendance at or testimony in a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense under this section shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in that case.” Because the maximum term charged in the case was life imprisonment, anyone who tampers with a federal witness in this case faces life imprisonment.
This prosecution was part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
This investigation was conducted by ATF and the New Haven Police Department. The FBI, Hamden Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of this investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter was prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Monongalia County men sentenced for firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – DeRon Parrish and Andre Parrish, both of Morgantown, West Virginia, were sentenced today for firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
DeRon, age 31, was sentenced to 46 months incarceration. He pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm as Convicted Felon” in October 2019. DeRon, a convicted felon, admitted to having three shotguns in November 2018 in Monongalia County.
Andre, age 28, was sentenced to 12 months and one day incarceration. He pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm as Drug User” in October 2019. Andre, who is prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to having three 12-guage shotguns and a pistol in Monongalia County in November 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Morgantown Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Miami, Florida Man Sentenced to Time Served for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Yanexy Ricardo Garcia, age 33, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to time served and 4 years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
The Superseding Indictment alleged in Count One that from November 2017 to March 27, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant knowingly and willfully conspired and agreed with other persons, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit an offense of Wire Fraud. The conspiracy involved a scheme whereby the defendant and others used gas skimming devices to obtain bank account information, which included individual credit or debit card numbers, names of account holders assigned to those numbers, and personal identification numbers.
“The use of skimming devices to steal credit card information is not a new trend, but the devices used today are more difficult to detect. There are precautions we should all take to protect our credit and bank card information from thieves using skimming devices. For example, before using a gas pump, make sure the panel is closed and doesn’t show signs of tampering. Many pumps now have a security seal. If the seal is broken, don’t use that pump,” United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said. “Awareness that thieves are using this technology and exercising caution before using your credit card at the pump or at ATM’s are important to help us avoid being victims of this type of criminal scheme.”
Glenn Dennis, United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Oklahoma City Field Office said, “The use of emerging technology to steal personal identification and credit card data from gas pumps and other points of sale is an ongoing threat to commerce and presents a unique challenge for law enforcement. Key partnerships between police agencies like the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the US Secret Service result in the successful pursuit and prosecution of criminal organizations engaging in these types of complex cyber enabled financial frauds that affect Oklahoma’s citizens and visitors alike.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.
Member of Navajo Nation pleads guilty to federal charge of assault causing serious bodily injury in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Frank Howe Jr., 24, of Rock Springs, New Mexico pleaded guilty on Feb. 28 in federal court in Albuquerque to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to public court documents, a grand jury indicted Howe, Jr. on Dec. 4, 2018. According to his plea agreement, Howe, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to physically assaulting his girlfriend in Indian Country on May 7, 2018. He was driving his vehicle when he got into an argument with the victim. Howe pulled his vehicle over and assaulted the victim causing serious bodily injury.
Howe is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety-Criminal Investigations services investigated this case with the assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Cowen is prosecuting the case.
McFarland Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Edgar Hernandez, aka Dopey, 34, of McFarland, was sentenced today to 16 years and six months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on January 17, February 28, and March 6, 2019, Hernandez sold methamphetamine in the McFarland area. Hernandez was arrested on March 6, 2019, and agents seized a .45-caliber handgun and methamphetamine. This is Hernandez’s eighth felony conviction within a 16-year span.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the McFarland Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Newman is prosecuting the case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
This case was also 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 see www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Federal AgentRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Manchester, Maine man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to threatening a federal agent, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
Cody Lyon, 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of transmitting threatening interstate communications.
According to court records, in May and June 2019, agents with the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were investigating shipments of illicit goods to a residence in Maine. Lyon’s name came up during the investigation as a person of interest. After learning of the investigation, on June 15, 2019, Lyon left a series of threatening voicemail messages on the cellular phone of one of the FDA agents involved in the investigation.
Lyon faces a maximum penalty on each charge of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
“As FDA’s criminal law enforcement arm, the Office of Criminal Investigations protects the American public by investigating illegal activities involving FDA-regulated products,” said Jeffrey J. Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ New York Field office. “Threatening any individual involved in the criminal investigation process will not be tolerated. We commend the efforts of the Department of Justice and our fellow federal and state law enforcement agencies for vigorously pursuing the prosecution of this matter.”
HSI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine State Police.
Man Who Cyberstalked and Threatened Families of Parkland Victims Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI –Brandon Michael Fleury, 22, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison today for cyberstalking and sending a kidnapping threat to families of victims of a mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, announced U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
According to evidence introduced during the South Florida jury trial, Fleury used thirteen different Instagram accounts, using aliases including alleged Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, and others, to target families and friends of Parkland shooting victims with messages over the course of three weeks between Dec. 22, 2018 and Jan. 11, 2019. Many of the messages, including ones written under usernames referring to Cruz and containing Cruz’s profile picture, taunted the message recipients about the deaths of loved ones in the Parkland shooting. On Dec. 25, 2018, Fleury, sent a message stating, “I’m your abductor I’m kidnapping you fool.” On Jan. 9, 10, and 11, 2019, Fleury continued to harass, intimidate, and threaten the message recipients from multiple Instagram accounts. These included messages sent under the username “the.douglas.shooter,” and using a profile picture of Nikolas Cruz. These messages included statements like, “With the power of my AR-15, you all die,” and “With the power of my AR-15, I take your loved ones away from you PERMANENTLY.”
After examining Fleury’s tablets, law enforcement found thousands of saved images of Ted Bundy, images of the targeted victims, and saved screenshots of the messages that he had sent the victims.
Fleury was convicted of interstate transmission of a threat to kidnap, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c), and interstate cyberstalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A (Case No. 19cr60056). He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rudolfo A. Ruiz II to 60 months as to Counts 1-3 to run concurrently and 6 months as to Count 4, to run consecutive to Counts 1-3.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force and Broward Sheriff’s Office in this matter. U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan also thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and task force members. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay Alexander.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Man Arrested for Bomb Threats Against Collins Aerospace in WilsonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that KiDARRYL T. PHILLIPS faces federal charges for Threatened Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction.
According to publicly filed documents in federal court, PHILLIPS is alleged to have made six bomb threats targeting Collins Aerospace in Wilson, North Carolina. Phillips is a contract employee of Collins Aerospace and had his initial appearance today in front of United States Magistrate Judge James E. Gates.
If convicted, PHILLIPS would face up to a maximum term of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine as to each count, and a term of up to five years supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Wilson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting the investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Diaz is prosecuting this case for the government.
***
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.
Major Generic Pharmaceutical Company Admits to Antitrust CrimesRead the Press Release
Sandoz Inc., a generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, was charged for conspiring to allocate customers, rig bids, and fix prices for generic drugs, the Department of Justice announced. A four-count felony charge was filed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, charging Sandoz with participating in four criminal antitrust conspiracies, each with a competing manufacturer of generic drugs and various individuals. This represents the third pharmaceutical company to admit to criminal antitrust charges in the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation. The charged conspiracies took place between 2013 and 2015.
The Antitrust Division also announced a deferred prosecution agreement resolving the charges against Sandoz, under which the company agreed to pay a $195 million criminal penalty and admitted that its sales affected by the charged conspiracies exceeded $500 million. Under the deferred prosecution agreement, Sandoz has agreed to cooperate fully with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing criminal investigation. As part of the agreement, the parties will file a joint motion, which is subject to approval by the Court, to defer for the term of the DPA any prosecution and trial of the charges filed against the defendant.
“Today’s resolution, with one of the largest manufacturers of generic drugs, is a significant step toward ensuring that prices for generic drugs are set by competition, not collusion, and rooting out antitrust crimes that cheated American purchasers of vital medicines,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Sandoz conspired for years with other manufacturers and their executives to raise prices for critical medications, and the Antitrust Division will continue its ongoing investigation to hold both individuals and corporations accountable for these crimes.”
“This significant resolution is a critical step toward ensuring a free and open marketplace for the competitive pricing of generic drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “The outstanding work by the legal and investigative teams effectively quashed an environment of bid rigging, market allocation and price fixing within the generics industry. Along with our partners at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate this type of detrimental behavior.”
“This resolution demonstrates the continued dedication of the FBI and our partners to root out collusion and dishonest business practices within the pharmaceutical industry, on behalf of the American people,” said Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “We will not turn a blind eye while companies and executives pad their pocketbooks. The FBI will continue to fight for the public to have access to a competitive marketplace of medications that Americans count on.”
“When a pharmaceutical company participates in bid-rigging and price-fixing, the entire community suffers,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “My Office will continue to work with the Department of Justice and all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that prices for medicine are set legally, and not through illegal means to benefit pure greed.”
In the deferred prosecution agreement, Sandoz admitted that it participated in the charged antitrust conspiracies, as follows:
- Count One charges Sandoz for its role in a conspiracy with a generic drug company based in New York and other individuals. Sandoz admitted that drugs affected by this conspiracy included clobetasol (cream, emollient cream, gel, ointment, and solution), desonide ointment, and nystatin triamcinolone cream.
- Count Two charges Sandoz for its role in a conspiracy with Kavod Pharmaceuticals LLC (formerly known as Rising Pharmaceuticals) to allocate customers and fix prices of benazepril HCTZ. Rising was charged and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in December 2019 for its participation in the same conspiracy.
- Count Three charges Sandoz for its role in a conspiracy with a generic drug company based in Michigan. Sandoz admitted that drugs affected by this conspiracy included desonide ointment.
- Count Four charges Sandoz for its role in a conspiracy with a generic drug company based in Pennsylvania. Sandoz admitted that drugs affected by this conspiracy included tobramycin inhalation solution.
Today’s case is the seventh to be filed in the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into the generic pharmaceutical industry. Sandoz is the third company to be charged; the previous two companies also entered into deferred prosecution agreements. Four individual charges have been filed in the investigation. Three executives have pleaded guilty, including former Sandoz executive Hector Armando Kellum. Ara Aprahamian, a former executive of a company based in New York, was indicted in February 2020 and is awaiting trial.
The charged offense carries a statutory maximum penalty of a $100 million fine per count for corporations, which may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than $100 million.
This charge is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the generic pharmaceutical industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division with the assistance of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Anyone with information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to the generic pharmaceutical industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Los Angeles Area Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Restricted PesticidesRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson (619) 546-7976
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 27, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Luis Alberto Vargas pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he illegally smuggled pesticides into the U.S. from Mexico.
In his plea agreement, Vargas admitted that on September 9, 2019, he entered the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry as a passenger in a black Toyota Camry. He and the other occupants of the vehicle twice advised the primary inspector they were not bringing anything from Mexico. The primary inspector found three large suitcases in the trunk and referred the vehicle for secondary inspection.
Vargas acknowledged that the secondary inspector discovered two bottles of the Mexican pesticide Agroclor Clorpirifos Etil (1 liter each) and one 250 ml bottle of the Mexican pesticide Minartrin M Abamectina, concealed in a large suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle. Vargas admitted that he purchased the pesticides in Culiacan, Mexico, and smuggled the pesticides into the United States.
The pesticides imported by Vargas were labeled in Spanish and did not bear any EPA registration number, as required by law for pesticides intended for use in the United States. Pesticides with the active ingredients of those imported by Vargas are restricted use pesticides in the United States, and may be purchased and applied only by certified pesticide applicators. Vargas admitted that he holds no such certificate. Moreover, the lawful importation of pesticides requires a Notice of Arrival to be provided to U.S. Customs pursuant to 19 CFR § 12.112. Vargas further admitted that he provided no such Notice of Arrival for the pesticides in question.
“Laws regulating pesticides are meant to protect the public and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are aggressively prosecuting violators who don’t respect these important regulations.”
“The defendant knowingly smuggled unregistered pesticides into the country violating environmental regulations established to protect human health and the environment,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in California. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that individuals who intentionally violate those laws will be held responsible for their crimes.”
“The smuggling and use of hazardous unregulated pesticide products is illegal and puts people's health, particularly young children, at risk,” said Cardell T. Morant, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “HSI will continue to work with Customs and Border Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other partners to prosecute those who threaten the health and safety of our communities for their own personal gain.”
Sentencing for Vargas is set for June 5, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19cr4279-DMS
Luis Alberto Vargas Age: 29 Bellflower, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Smuggling – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545
Maximum penalty: Twenty years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division
Local Firm Pleads Guilty to Hazardous Waste ViolationsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson (619) 546-7976
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 27, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Curtis Technology, Inc., a San Diego firm that makes specialized coatings, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday, admitting that the company illegally transported hazardous waste from its facility without a manifest. In pleading guilty, Curtis Technology admitted that it conducted metal finishing operations at its location on Sorrento Valley Road, which generated various wastes, including ferric chloride, alkaline, waste filter cake, solvents and other chemicals.
The company admitted that between December 12, 2015 and August 22, 2019, CTI owner Alex Jvirblis (deceased) and a maintenance employee transported chemicals, including waste ferric chloride, waste filter cake, waste alkaline, waste solvents and other chemical wastes, from the CTI location on Sorrento Valley Road to three residences in San Diego owned by Jvirblis located on Wrelton Drive, Corte Morea, and Bourgeois Way. The chemicals were not accompanied by a hazardous waste manifest at the time of transportation.
The waste ferric chloride and waste alkaline are federally-regulated hazardous wastes having the characteristic of corrosivity. The waste solvents are federally-regulated hazardous wastes having the characteristic of ignitability. The waste filter cake is a federally-regulated listed hazardous waste, assigned waste code F006 for wastewater treatment sludges from electroplating operations. All of these wastes are required by regulation to be transported with a uniform hazardous waste manifest. The firm admitted that Alex Jvirblish acted knowingly, that is with knowledge that the chemicals transported to the three sites were not accompanied by a hazardous waste manifest and with knowledge that the chemicals were waste that had the potential or substantial potential to be harmful to others or to the environment.
Federal search warrants were conducted at the three sites in November, 2019, and the chemicals were recovered. At one of the residences, chemicals were discovered which were too unstable to safely transport for disposal. The area was evacuated, and the chemicals were detonated on site by the Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad.
“These kind of violations have the potential to jeopardize public health and damage the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We will hold companies accountable when they take short cuts that put people and our environment at risk.”
San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Brunner stated, “Today's plea was made possible by extraordinary investigative effort expended in a compressed time frame by the San Diego Environmental Crimes Task Force. The FBI is grateful for the integral support of the San Diego Fire Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Department of Environmental Health (HAZMAT) and the Environmental Protection Agency, in expeditiously locating and neutralizing these dangerous chemicals."
“The law protects our communities and the environment by requiring proper storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in California. “This case demonstrates that EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to holding knowing violators of those requirements accountable for their actions."
Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston on March 16, 2020, at 11:00 am.
DEFENDANT Case Number 20cr0715-JAH
Curtis Technology, Inc. Incorporated: 1981 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation of Hazardous Waste Without a Manifest – Title 42, U.S.C., Section 6928(d)(5)
Maximum penalty for corporation: Five years of probation and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or $50,000 per day of violation and a minimum fine of $5,000 per day of violation
AGENCIES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Kaktovik Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wasting Polar BearRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Christopher L. Gordon, 36, of Kaktovik, Alaska, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to serve three months in federal prison, to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release, after pleading guilty to knowingly shooting and killing a polar bear and leaving the harvestable remains to waste, in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Gordon was also ordered to pay a $4,500 fine.
According to the court documents, on Dec. 20, 2018, in the village of Kaktovik, Gordon, who is a Whaling Captain, had a large quantity of Bowhead whale meat stored in the front yard of his residence. Although bear resistant food storage lockers were available in Kaktovik, Gordon elected not to utilize them. The whale meat attracted a polar bear. Gordon then shot and killed the polar bear because it was trying to eat the butchered whale meat that Gordon left in his yard. Gordon admitted that he did not shoot the polar bear in self-defense.
Gordon is an Alaskan Native who is permitted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to hunt or kill polar bears and other marine mammals for subsistence purposes or for the purpose of creating and selling authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing, however this cannot be done in a wasteful manner. According to the court documents, between Dec. 20, 2018, and May 22, 2019, Gordon left the polar bear carcass in his front yard without salvaging any portion or parts of the polar bear and allowing it to become covered with snow. Approximately three weeks after Gordon shot the polar bear, a snow removal vehicle moved the polar bear carcass, ripping off one of its legs. Although portions of the polar bear carcass were still salvageable after this event, Gordon made no effort at any time to salvage any part of the polar bear, including the pelt, claws or teeth. Five months later, on May 22, 2019, Gordon had the polar bear carcass discarded and burned in the Kaktovik dump without ever using or salvaging any of its parts.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Beistline noted that Gordon, as an Alaskan Native, had the legal right to harvest the polar bear, however he had numerous opportunities to properly salvage the polar bear for subsistence or other purposes, however he did not do so. Judge Beistline also noted the importance of deterring future similar conduct in fashioning the sentence. During his one-year period of supervised release Gordon is not permitted to hunt marine mammals with the exception of Bowhead whales.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan D. Tansey.
Joint Statement from DOJ, DOS, DOD, DHS, ODNI, FBI, NSA, and CISA on Preparations for Super TuesdayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray, U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National Security Agency Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs today released the following joint statement:
“Tomorrow, millions of voters in more than a dozen states and territories will cast their votes in presidential primaries. ‘Super Tuesday’ will see more Americans head to the polls than any other day of the primary season. We continue to work with all 50 states, U.S. territories, local officials, political parties and private sector partners to keep elections free from foreign interference.
“Americans must also remain aware that foreign actors continue to try to influence public sentiment and shape voter perceptions. They spread false information and propaganda about political processes and candidates on social media in hopes to cause confusion and create doubt in our system. We remain alert and ready to respond to any efforts to disrupt the 2020 elections. We continue to make it clear to foreign actors that any effort to undermine our democratic processes will be met with sharp consequences.
“The level of coordination and communication between the federal government and state, local and private sector partners is stronger than it’s ever been. Our Departments and Agencies are working together in an unprecedented level of commitment and effort to protect our elections and to counter malign foreign influence, but voters have a role to play too.
“We encourage all voters going to the polls to check your voter registration and know ahead of time when to vote, where to vote, what’s on your ballot, and whether your state requires identification. Your state or local election official’s office is the most trusted source for election material. A well-informed and vigilant republic is the best defense against disinformation.”
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.
Jefferson County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Wayne Samuel Ellis Clyburn, Of Ranson, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Clyburn, age 51, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” He admitted to using a phone to further a drug deal in December 2018 in Jefferson County.
Clyburn faces up to four years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Corey Deonte Collins, 29, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
In February and March 2019, an individual made two purchases of methamphetamine from Collins. An analysis conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency revealed the methamphetamine was 99% pure. On July 24, 2019, Collins was charged in a federal indictment with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Thompson will be sentenced on June 2, 2020, by Judge Reeves, and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
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.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry After RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Alejandro Santacruz-Villanueva, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to “time served” (3 months and 16 days) as well as to one year of supervised release for unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol, New Orleans Sector. Additionally, Santacruz-Villanueva will face Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings to remove him from the United States back to his home nation of Mexico.
On November 12, 2019, the U.S. Border Patrol responded to a call for assistance from a fellow law enforcement officer who had conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Jackson County. The driver was identified as Alejandro Santacruz-Villanueva, a Mexican national, without appropriate documents, who was illegally present in the United States.
A records search revealed that Santacruz-Villanueva had been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on January 17, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the U.S. Border Patrol, the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Gautier Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Huntington Man Sentenced in Marijuana Conspiracy Involving United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A formal postal employee who participated in a scheme to distribute marijuana mailed from California to Huntington over a period of several years was sentenced to federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael Mason Morton, 55, was sentenced to six months in federal prison after previously entering a guilty plea to distribution of marijuana.
“Morton abused his position as a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “He was a drug dealer in a postal uniform with a delivery route. The team of law enforcement personnel that worked this case did an outstanding job and put an end to this marijuana distribution scheme.”
On March 15, 2018, agents located two parcels at the Huntington Post Office which had been mailed from the State of California to Huntington and were found to contain marijuana. Agents conducting surveillance observed Morton, a letter carrier with the United State Postal Service at the time, load the parcels into a postal delivery truck and drive to the Dollar General store located in the 800 block of Norway Avenue in Huntington. At that location, Morton provided the marijuana to another individual who arrived in a separate vehicle. A trooper with the West Virginia State Police subsequently conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and recovered the parcels which contained approximately 16 pounds of marijuana.
Morton further admitted that, between 2015 and March of 2018, he conspired with others to distribute marijuana in the Huntington area. During the conspiracy, marijuana was frequently shipped through the United States mail from California to Huntington. Once the parcels containing marijuana arrived in Huntington, Morton delivered the parcels on his assigned delivery route. Morton admitted that he was paid money for his participation in the conspiracy and that he was responsible for the distribution of up to 80 kilograms of marijuana.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the West Virginia State Police – Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Barboursville Police Department, conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin Distribution and Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on February 28, RAFAEL ARROYO, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2018, a court-authorized search of Arroyo’s Broad Street apartment revealed approximately 400 bags of packaged heroin, a distribution quantity of cocaine, a Star S.A. 9mm semiautomatic pistol, an H&R “Sportsman” .22 caliber long rifle revolver, a Group Industries 9mm firearm, assorted ammunition, and three bulletproof vests.
Arroyo has been detained since his arrest. On September 23, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and one count possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Arroyo’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses.
This matter was investigated by the Hartford Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Fresno Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Illegal Firearms Possession and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Darien Hatcher, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 20 years and six months in prison for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On Oct. 22, 2015, Hatcher was arrested in Fresno for possession of a loaded Ruger 9 mm pistol that was not registered in his name and had been reported stolen. Hatcher was a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. On July 18, 2016, Hatcher pleaded guilty to the charge. While out on bond and awaiting sentencing for this conviction, Hatcher conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Fresno. On Nov. 22, 2016, Hatcher was arrested and again found to be in possession of a firearm. He was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2019, Hatcher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fresno Police Department, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, and MAGEC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez prosecuted the cases.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
This case is also 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 see www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Former supervisor in DeKalb County’s Tax Commissioner’s Office charged with bribery and blackmailRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Gerald D. Harris, a former supervisor in DeKalb County’s Tax Commissioner’s Office, allegedly accepted bribe payments from customers to register unlawfully vehicles and then tried to blackmail a bribe payer by threatening to inform on her to the FBI.
“Harris traded his integrity for money and betrayed the trust of the citizens of DeKalb County by allegedly accepting bribe payments,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Then, in an audacious display of bravado, Harris attempted to blackmail one of those bribe payers.”
“The FBI stands firm with its partners in law enforcement to expose public officials who choose their own financial interest over the taxpayers they serve,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The crimes Harris is charged with erode the public’s trust in government and we will continue to vigorously pursue any public official who chooses to violate that trust.”
“Gerald Harris not only abused his position of public trust for his own gain, but also attempted to extort another involved in the scheme. Such actions by a public official will not be tolerated. The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office will continue to support its law enforcement partners, as well as the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office, in ensuring Harris is held fully accountable for these crimes,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“Taking bribes to illegally register vehicles is an egregious crime that compromises the public’s trust of public servants throughout all levels of government,” stated Department of Revenue Commissioner David Curry. “Bad actors such as Mr. Harris have no place in public service.”
“I am pleased to see that charges have been brought in this case. Since our staff uncovered this illegal activity, we’ve continued to work closely with the authorities for months to assist in the investigation of Mr. Harris. Protecting the integrity of our operation and the interest of DeKalb taxpayers is our top priority. We remain committed to reviewing our procedures and training our staff to detect fraudulent activity and improper behavior. On behalf of DeKalb taxpayers, we thank law enforcement for working quickly and collaboratively to bring this case to justice,” said DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office was an agency of DeKalb County, Georgia responsible for the billing and collection of property taxes, processing of homestead exemptions, and collecting delinquent taxes. In addition, the Motor Vehicle Division of the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office handled all aspects of motor vehicle registrations, including: (a) managing the collection of motor vehicle taxes, (b) issuing vehicle tags and titles, and (c) processing vehicle registration renewals for citizens and businesses located in DeKalb County.
From July 2017 to November 2019, Harris served as the Supervisor of Tax Tag Clerks for the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office. In that position, Harris oversaw the Tax Commissioner’s North Office’s clerks who processed motor vehicle registrations and renewals for customers.
From approximately mid-2018 to November 2019, Harris accepted bribe payments from customers to unlawfully register vehicles or renew vehicle registrations. For example, Harris accepted bribe payments:
- To register vehicles to individuals who did not have Georgia driver’s licenses or identification cards as required, typically in exchange for $200 per vehicle;
- To register vehicles that did not have the required accompanying documentation (such as: titles or Forms MV-1 title/tag application), typically in exchange for $500 to $1,000 per vehicle; and
- To renew vehicles that had not passed emissions tests by falsely entering that the vehicles had emissions exemptions, typically in exchange for $100 per vehicle.
In total, Harris accepted at least $30,000 in bribe payments.
In addition to accepting bribe payments, Harris also attempted to blackmail one of the individuals who had been paying him bribe money. On November 18, 2019, DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office fired Harris for accepting bribe payments (as fully detailed above). On the same date, Harris admitted to the FBI that he had accepted more than $30,000 in bribe payments in exchange for illegally registering/renewing vehicles for several people, including a person identified as Individual-1.
On December 12, 2019, Harris met with Individual-1 at an Atlanta, Georgia, gas station. During the meeting, Individual-1 (who did not know that Harris had been fired) gave Harris registration documentation so that Harris could register four vehicles. Indvidual-1 gave Harris checks and cash to cover the costs of the required fees and taxes for each vehicle. Given that Harris no longer worked for the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office, Harris obviously could not register the four vehicles for Individual-1. Nevertheless, Harris accepted and kept the money from Individual-1.
Then on December 17, 2019, Individual-1 sent a series of text messages to Harris requesting that Harris return the registration documentation and money. On December 17 and 18, 2019, Harris sent a series of text messages to Individual-1 where Harris stated that: (a) he was under investigation by the FBI, (b) the FBI has a video of Harris and Individual-1 meeting, (c) “[a]ll of us can be in trouble,” (d) Harris needed to know “how much” money will he be paid not to give information to the FBI, and (e) Harris is “not going to prison empty handed. It’s that simple.”
Based on the conduct set forth above, the U.S. Attorney charged Gerald D. Harris, 51, of Fulton County, Georgia, in a criminal information with one count each of federal program bribery and blackmail. Notably, defendants who are charged via a criminal information, typically plead guilty shortly after being arraigned.
The FBI, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Georgia Department of Revenue, and DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis, Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former UAW Midwest CAP President Pleads Guilty to Embezzling UAW Funds and Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
Edward “Nick” Robinson, the former President of the United Auto Workers Midwest CAP and the former Director of the UAW Labor and Employment Training Corporation, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with other UAW officials to embezzle over $1 million of UAW dues money and to defraud the United States by evading the payment of taxes announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Edward “Nick” Robinson, 72, of Kirkwood, Missouri, pleaded guilty to conspiring to embezzle UAW dues money between 2010 and September 2019. Between at least 2010 and September 2019, Robinson served as the President of the UAW’s Midwest CAP of Region 5 of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Workers of America (“UAW”). The UAW Midwest CAP is one of the UAW’s Community Action Program Councils which are supported through UAW dues money. The UAW’s Region 5 is headquartered in Hazelwood, Missouri, and covers the tens of thousands of UAW members in Missouri and the sixteen states to the southwest, including California and Texas. Robinson also served as the Assistant to the President of the UAW Labor and Employment Training Corporation headquartered in Hazelwood, Missouri. The UAW-LETC was supposed to provide workforce training and development programs.
During the plea hearing, Robinson admitted that he conspired with at least six other senior UAW officials in a multiyear conspiracy to embezzle money from the UAW for the personal benefit of Robinson and other senior UAW officials. Robinson and other UAW officials concealed personal expenditures in the cost of UAW Region 5 conferences held in Palm Springs, California, Coronado, California, and Missouri. Between 2010 and 2018, other UAW officials submitted fraudulent expense forms seeking reimbursement from the UAW’s Detroit headquarters for expenditures supposedly incurred in connection with Region 5 leadership and training conferences. In truth, however, Robinson and his co-conspirators used the conferences to conceal the hundreds of thousands of dollars in UAW funds spent on lavish entertainment and personal spending for the conspirators.
For example, Robinson and other senior UAW officials used UAW money to buy sets of golf clubs, individual clubs, and other golf equipment that cost thousands of dollars. They spent over $100,000 to purchase golf clothing, shirts, hats, sunglasses, golf balls, jackets, and fashion shorts from various pro shops at golf courses in California and Missouri. And they spent tens of thousands of dollars in UAW funds at the Indian Canyons golf course in Palm Springs on green fees for golfing outside of the time of the UAW conferences.
As part of the conspiracy, Robinson and his co-conspirators embezzled over $60,000 in UAW funds for the purchase of boxes of cigars, humidors, cigar cutting equipment, and lighters from 2014 to 2018. The costs of the cigars were hidden within the expenses for the Region 5 conferences. Pearson caused the UAW to file false reports with the Department of Labor wherein the various embezzlement activity was concealed.
During search warrants executed by federal law enforcement in August 2019 in connection with the investigation, agents recovered dozens of cigars, humidors, and other tobacco-related items in the personal residences of UAW officials. In addition, agents seized hundreds of high-end bottles of liquor, hundreds of golf shirts, multiple sets of golf clubs, and over thirty thousand dollars in cash. Agents seized sets of golf clubs from the homes and offices of UAW officials which were paid for with embezzled UAW funds.
Besides using the UAW conferences to conceal the fraudulent use of UAW money for personal expenses, Robinson also wrote over $500,000 in fraudulent checks from the UAW Midwest CAP account. Robinson then turned these checks into cash and kept some of the money for himself, shared some with other UAW officials, or spent the money on personal expenses to benefit himself and other high-level UAW officials.
Besides conspiring with other UAW officials to embezzle UAW funds, Robinson also conspired with other UAW officials to defraud the United States by impeding the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of taxes from Robinson and other UAW officials.
Based on each of his embezzlement and tax fraud conspiracy convictions, Robinson faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
As part of his guilty plea, Robinson agreed to pay $42,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service owed on his own personal taxes. In addition, the court will determine additional restitution at the time of sentencing based on the embezzlement of UAW funds.
Robinson is the thirteenth defendant to plead guilty in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into illegal payoffs to UAW officials by FCA executives and corruption within the UAW itself. The following individuals have already pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and have been sentenced: former FCA Vice President for Employee Relations Alphons Iacobelli (66 months in prison), former FCA Financial Analyst Jerome Durden (15 months in prison), former Director of FCA’s Employee Relations Department Michael Brown (12 months in prison), former senior UAW officials Virdell King (60 days in prison), Keith Mickens (12 months in prison), Nancy A. Johnson (12 months in prison), Monica Morgan, the widow of UAW Vice President General Holiefield (18 months in prison), former UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell (15 months in prison), and former senior UAW official Michael Grimes (28 moths). In addition, the following UAW officials have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: former UAW Vice President Joseph Ashton and former senior UAW official Jeffrey “Paycheck” Pietrzyk.
U.S. Attorney Schneider commended the outstanding work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards and Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conducting a comprehensive criminal investigation into labor corruption activities involving a vital sector of the local and national economy.
“Our office will never tolerate the abuse of union funds for the benefit of corrupt union officials,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “We will continue our work until the men and women of the UAW have confidence that their union leadership is serving and advancing their interests — instead of the personal interests of union bosses.”
“Robinson conspired with senior UAW officials to embezzle more than $1,000,000 in order to personally enrich himself at the expense of the hard-working men and women of the UAW. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the financial integrity of labor organizations," stated Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“It is hard to discuss the criminal behavior of these UAW executives without acknowledging the damage it has done to the faith union members have in their leadership,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI stands committed to these types of investigations in order to restore the union to its core purpose of negotiating for and protecting the rights of its hard-working members who put their trust in their union officials.”
“Robinson not only defrauded his union members for ten years, he also defrauded the American people by causing false tax returns to be filed and not paying his fair share.” stated Special Agent in Charge, Sarah Kull of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. “Today’s guilty plea shows a tremendous lack of ethical character and greed.”
“Instead of serving the interests of his fellow UAW members, Edward Robinson executed elaborate schemes to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the UAW, including dues paid by hard working union members, to fund an extravagant lifestyle for him and other high-ranking UAW officers,” said Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS will continue to work with its fellow law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove corrupt union officers and other officials within the UAW International Union.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey, Steven Cares, and Adriana Dydell.
Former Tax Preparer Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former tax preparer operating under the business “Skylimits Tax Service and Consulting” was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for filing false income tax returns.
Sebastian Adzadi, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $131,077. In October 2019, Adzadi pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns.
Adzadi operated “Skylimits Tax Service and Consulting” in Worcester. For tax years 2013 through 2016, Adzadi prepared hundreds of tax returns for numerous clients that included false Schedule A “Itemized Deductions” including medical expenses, charitable contributions and unreimbursed business expenses. The IRS estimates that Adzadi’s fraud caused a total loss of approximately $829,000.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett and Lucy Sun of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Former Groton Postmaster Pleads Guilty to Stealing Government FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A USPS employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to stealing approximately $7,000 in government money.
Adam Lavertue, 37, of Dracut, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and theft of public money, property or records. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2020. In September 2019, Lavertue was arrested and charged by indictment.
Lavertue began working the United States Postal Service (USPS) in April 2008 and became Postmaster of the Groton Post Office in June 2015. In this role, Lavertue performed a variety of managerial and administrative tasks to facilitate the daily operations of the Post Office, including maintaining the facility’s operational functions, handling customer transactions and managing mail clerks and delivery staff. In February 2017, Lavertue began using the purchase charge card issued to the Groton Post Office to make over $500 in personal purchases, including food, beverages and tobacco products. Additionally, Lavertue used Post Office Voyager cards, which are used by USPS mail couriers to fuel the official USPS delivery vehicles, to fuel his personally owned vehicle, charging over $5,000 in fuel. Lavertue also stole over $1,000 in cash from his assigned cash register drawer and reserve at the Groton Post Office. Lavertue’s scheme cost the USPS approximately $7,000.
The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Adult Day Care Activity Center Owner in San Antonio Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme and Theft of Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, 52-year-old Scherry Lynn Moses pleaded guilty federal charges in connection with a scheme that fraudulently billed Medicaid for services not rendered and for stealing benefits from Social Security recipients, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash.
Appearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, Moses pleaded guilty to one count of Health Care Fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds. By pleading guilty, Moses admitted that while operating two Scherry’s Adult Day Activity Centers in San Antonio, she fraudulently billed the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations known as Amerigroup of Texas, Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc. and Superior Health Plan, Inc., for adult day care services that were never rendered to Medicaid recipients.
Moses also admitted that as a designated representative payee for Social Security benefits, she failed to use the funds for the benefit of the Social Security recipients but instead, used the monies for her own personal benefit.
The exact amount of money she collected as a result of her fraudulent scheme has yet to be determined. According to the indictment, her scheme occurred between 2008 and 2016. Moses admitted that she sent false and fraudulent bills in addition to those in the two fraud counts to which she pleaded guilty. Moses has agreed to provide full restitution on all of the charges against her in the indictment. A request was made for the Court to set a separate hearing at a late date to determine the total amount of the fraud and losses caused by Moses.
Moses faces up to ten years in federal prison for Health Care Fraud; up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud; and, up to ten years in federal prison for theft of government funds. Sentencing is scheduled for 4:00pm on May 4, 2020, before Judge Lamberth.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Texas Attorneys General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fidel Esparza, III, and Rex Beasley are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
#####
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.
Final Defendant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Interstate Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Lozaro Sopo Lopez, 26, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for his role in a large scheme to defraud banks located in Oregon and elsewhere of more than $900,000.
Sopo Lopez is the seventh defendant sentenced for crimes associated with the scheme beginning in at least January 2017 and continuing until January 2018. Two other co-conspirators have been indicted in the District of Oregon for related criminal conduct, but remain at large.
According to court documents, Sopo Lopez and his co-conspirators recruited individuals to deposit fraudulent checks at various banks. These individuals—referred to as “mules”—were given checks with their names typed or written on them and driven to banks to attempt deposits. Sopo Lopez and his co-conspirators instructed the individuals to use coded messages to communicate their success or failure at the banks.
When the co-conspirators received proceeds from the fraudulent deposits, they would make cash deposits into Florida-based bank accounts. These deposits were structured to avoid detection by law enforcement. Shortly thereafter, other co-conspirators withdrew the cash in Florida. In total, the scheme resulted in an estimated loss of at least $911,444 to various banks and credit unions in Oregon and Washington.
Sentenced defendants include:
- Arley Gonzalez, 34, of Miami, Florida—57 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $64,460 forfeiture money judgement
- Antonio Conde Cabrera, 35, of Miami, Florida—41 months in prison, five years’ supervised release, and a $151,810 forfeiture money judgement
- Miguel Betancourt, 39, of Miami, Florida—33 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $40,820 forfeiture money judgement
- Luis Chavez, 47, of Miami, Florida—39 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $45,735 forfeiture money judgement
- Yusniel Paez Rodriguez, 36, of Miami, Florida—50 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $31,222 forfeiture money judgement
- Ronny Vazquez, 33, of Miami, Florida—37 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $17,698 forfeiture money judgement
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez ordered Sopo Lopez to pay $652,926 in restitution and $22,888 to satisfy a forfeiture money judgement. All sentenced defendants were jointly and severally ordered to pay $652,926 in restitution.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Vancouver Police Department, and Portland Police Bureau and prosecuted by Julia E. Jarrett and Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
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.
Federal Prisoner Sentenced to 8 More Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Controlled DrugRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Center in Loretto, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court in Johnstown to a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, and immediately following, was sentenced to eight months in prison and three years’ supervised release, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Viboll Mark, 31, pleaded guilty to the indictment before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 13, 2018, Mark possessed a quantity of Buprenorphine.
Assistant United States AttorneyMaureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Correctional Institution, Special Investigative Staff, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mark.
Federal Jury Convicts Chinese National of Laundering Drug Proceeds on Behalf of Traffickers in MexicoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Chinese national of laundering illegal narcotics proceeds on behalf of drug traffickers in Mexico.
On three occasions in 2018, XIANBING GAN schemed to have narcotics proceeds totaling approximately $534,206 picked up in Chicago and transferred to various bank accounts in China, in order for the money to ultimately be remitted to drug traffickers in Mexico. Gan is a Chinese national who facilitated the money transfers while residing in Guadalajara, Mexico. Unbeknownst to Gan, a purported money courier who picked up the drug proceeds in Chicago was actually an undercover law enforcement agent.
U.S. authorities arrested Gan in November 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport during a brief layover on a flight from Hong Kong to Mexico. He has remained in U.S. custody since then.
After a nearly two-week trial, a federal jury in Chicago on Thursday convicted Gan, 49, on three counts of money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The jury acquitted Gan on one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Each money laundering count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum sentence for the money transmission crime is five years. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin set sentencing for May 21, 2020.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Sean J.B. Franzblau.
Federal Inmate Sentenced on Escape ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va.—A federal inmate was sentenced to four months in prison for escape, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Linda Avila, 55, previously admitted that on January 29, 2019, she walked away from the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) at Alderson, a minimum security prison for female inmates. She was immediately captured a short distance from the prison grounds. Avila was serving a twelve-year sentence for conspiracy to defraud the government and mail fraud. Her sentence for escape will run consecutively to her prior sentence.
“The only thing Avila accomplished by trying to escape, is extending her already lengthy stay at FPC Alderson,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Frank Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney John File handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Ex-Gardena Police Officer Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Prison for Unlicensed Firearms Business, Selling Weapons to Convicted FelonsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Gardena Police officer was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for scheming to purchase “off-roster” firearms not available to the general public and then illegally reselling the firearms for profit.
Carlos Miguel Fernandez, 44, of Norwalk, was sentenced by United States District Judge S. James Otero, who stated that Fernandez’s conduct was “egregious” and “shocking.”
At a six-day trial in November 2019, a jury found Fernandez guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and of substantive counts of engaging in an unlicensed firearms business. Fernandez also was found guilty of an additional conspiracy count, selling firearms to a convicted felon, and of making false statements about the sales on federal firearms licensing paperwork. Following the guilty verdict, the Gardena Police Department terminated Fernandez’s employment.
Fernandez, whose Instagram handle was “the38superman,” advertised firearms for sale – guns being offered by both himself and others – on his Instagram account. The vast majority of posts on the account contained images of firearms. Fernandez marketed firearms at gun shows. He was not licensed to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.
Fernandez exploited his position as a police officer to ensure the success of his illegal gun selling business. Specifically, Fernandez purchased “off-roster” firearms – mostly Colt .38-caliber handguns that were not available to the general public, but which could be legally purchased by law enforcement officers – and sold dozens of these weapons through private-party transfers. Through messages on Instagram and other means, Fernandez negotiated the prices and terms of firearm sales, and he accepted payment for the guns once the firearms were delivered.
Between May 2016 and December 2017, Fernandez negotiated and arranged the sale of 10 firearms to a convicted felon, Oscar Maravilla Camacho Jr., 36, of Salinas. With respect to every sale, Fernandez communicated directly with Camacho Jr. about the firearms purchases and understood that Camacho Jr., as a felon, could not legally buy the weapons. Nevertheless, Fernandez transferred the weapons to Camacho Jr. in violation of federal law. Camacho Jr. is serving a six-year federal prison sentence in this case after he pleaded guilty in November 2019 to conspiracy and cocaine distribution charges.
“(Fernandez) ignored the dangerous nature of his conduct, in flagrant disregard of his duties and oath as a law enforcement officer, and did so because he was motivated to make money,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum.
Judge Otero today also ordered a new trial for Edward Yasushiro Arao, 49, of Eastvale, who was found guilty by the same jury that convicted Fernandez. Judge Otero ruled that his previous decision that Arao and Fernandez be tried together was erroneous. A March 18 status conference has been set to discuss a new trial date for Arao.
Six other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for distribution of cocaine, conspiracy to dispose of firearms to a felon, and making false statements that led to the straw purchase of several firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The Gardena Police Department provided its full cooperation during the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. Rykken of the Major Frauds Section and Veronica Dragalin of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Enfield Man Admits Putting Dozens of Guns on the Street to Feed Drug AddictionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that NORMAN KLOSEK, also known as Rich Klosek, 35, of Enfield, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to offenses related to his illegal sale of numerous firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the spring of 2019, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force initiated court-authorized wiretaps on a member of the Los Solidos street gang who was distributing fentanyl and cocaine in and around Hartford. Intercepted communications revealed that Klosek, who had a valid state pistol permit, was acting as a “straw purchaser” of firearms for a target of the investigation who, based on his criminal history, cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms.
On April 22, 2019, the target picked up Klosek in Enfield and drove to the Newington Gun Exchange, a licensed gun dealer in Newington, where Klosek purchased two handguns. During the purchase, Klosek completed and signed an ATF Form 4473 form in which he falsely represented that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms and was not acquiring the firearms for another person. He also represented that he was not an unlawful user, or addicted to, any controlled substances. Klosek provided the guns to the target after the purchase. Later that day, investigators conducted a traffic stop of the target’s vehicle and recovered the two firearms.
The investigation revealed that Klosek, who had an escalating drug addiction, first purchased and registered a firearm with the State of Connecticut on November 6, 2018. Since that date, Klosek purchased 45 handguns in addition to the two guns he had purchased on April 22, 2019. Twenty-five of the guns had been purchased between March 8 and April 22, 2019.
On April 24, 2019, a search of Klosek’s residence revealed empty gun boxes and receipts for firearm purchases, but no firearms. Klosek was arrested the following day in Hartford. He possessed fentanyl/heroin at the time of his arrest. Klosek admitted that he was addicted to drugs and that he had sold or “loaned” the guns he had purchased.
To date, approximately 10 of the 47 handguns purchased by Klosek have been recovered by law enforcement. One gun was recovered after it was used in a shooting in Hartford on August 22, 2019.
Klosek pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2020.
Klosek is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
On June 27, 2019, a grand jury Hartford returned a 32-count indictment charging 15 members and associates of Los Solidos with various narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses. As to these defendants, U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the New Britain Police Department have provided valuable assistance to the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than Ten Years in Prison for Illegaly Possessing Ammunition Used in A Lansing ShootingRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Narrion Lamont Caston, 23, of Lansing, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 120 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for illegal possession of ammunition, and 14 months for violations of his Federal supervised release. He will serve the terms consecutively. In sentencing Caston, U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff noted that Caston’s undeterred penchant for firearms and ammunition posed a serious danger to the community.
Caston pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition last November. Caston is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions. At the time Caston illegally possessed the ammunition, he was only one month into a three-year term of federal supervision for a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing, a detective from the Lansing Police Department testified that the ammunition Caston illegally possessed was found in a car after Caston shot into another vehicle, hitting a Lansing area resident in the leg.
This case was prosecuted 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. 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.
"I express my appreciation to our federal and state law enforcement agencies for their partnership with this investigation," said Daryl Green, Chief of the Lansing Police. "Caston recklessly endangered the lives of many in our community and this investigation is a testament of collaboration between law enforcement and community members, all working to create safer communities." In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Birge stated, "holding dangerous convicted felons accountable through federal prosecution is essential to our message of deterrence."
This case was investigated by the Lansing Police Department Detective and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Erin Lane prosecuted the case.
END
Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted an Addison man for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Preston Cheyenne Johnson, 37, of Addison, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Johnson, who is prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, is accused of unlawfully possessing an Anderson AM-15 5.56mm rifle on October 31, 2019, a Norcino Mak90 7.62mm rifle on February 4, 2020, and a Glock Model 19 9mm pistol on February 5, 2020.
“Violent convicted felons with firearms will answer to federal charges in the Northern District of Alabama,” Town said. “We are indebted to the brave law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to ensure that this violent criminal was brought to justice.”
“ATF’s focus on removing illegally possessed firearms from prohibited individual’s aids in reducing the potential for violent crime,” Watson said.
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. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
ATF investigated the case along with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and several other local law enforcement agencies, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Becher, Sr. is prosecuting.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Colorado Man Sentenced to 83 Months in Prison for Role in $7.2 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
A Colorado resident was sentenced to 83 months in prison on Friday for his role in a biodiesel tax credit fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Matthew Taylor and his coconspirators defrauded the United States by filing false claims for tax credits under a federal program that encourages production and use of renewable fuels. They created a fake company, Shintan Inc. (Shintan), that purported to be in the business of creating renewable fuels. From 2010 to 2013, the coconspirators then sought and obtained from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over $7.2 million in tax credits for renewable fuel produced, of which Taylor personally received $4.5 million. In fact, Shintan produced no qualifying renewable fuel. To avoid detection, Taylor and coconspirators transferred the fraudulently obtained funds through a series of bank accounts belonging to Shintan and other shell companies.
“Filing false renewable fuel tax credit claims is not just a crime against the IRS but a crime against all taxpaying citizens," said Andy Tsui, IRS--Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. "Those engaged in this fraud should stop in their tracks and look at the consequences which include being sent to prison as a convicted felon and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”
“Friday’s sentencing shows the severe consequences for those who try to profit by defrauding renewable fuels programs,” said Lance Ehrig, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Colorado. “EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those who seek to defraud taxpayers for personal profit.”
On Feb. 27, 2019, Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering.
In addition to the term of imprisonment imposed, U.S. District Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer ordered Taylor to serve four years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7.2 million in restitution to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Sarah A. Kiewlicz and Stephen K. Moulton of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago Previously Barred for Life Pleads Guilty to Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – On Monday, March 2, 2020, Christopher Alfred, 45, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon, Jr., to reentry of removed alien, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on or about June 2014, the defendant, an alien and citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, was deported from Miami after he was convicted for money laundering. Due to his prior conviction, he was barred for life from entering the United States. On or about January 11, 2018, the defendant was located in Frederiksted. Before he was found in the United States, the defendant did not seek permission from the Attorney General to reapply for admission to the United States.
Alfred faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has been set for July 1, 2020.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry.
Chichester Car Dealer Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Financial CrimesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael A. Albert, 52, of Chichester, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for structuring cash deposits from his business, Mike’s Affordable Auto, LLC, for the purpose of evading bank reporting requirements, money laundering, and evading reporting requirements with respect to cash transactions in excess of $10,000, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Albert, who ran a used car business at locations in Concord and Chichester, knew that if he deposited cash in amounts more than $10,000, the bank was required to file reports of those transactions with the IRS. Albert structured cash deposits from his business in order to evade the reporting requirements imposed on the bank. Additionally, Albert accepted cash in amounts greater than $10,000 for the purchase of vehicles from a person who represented that the cash was proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. Albert also failed to file required forms with the IRS identifying cash receipts in his business in excess of $10,000.
Albert previously pleaded guilty on September 10, 2019. In addition to his sentence, Albert agreed to forfeit $434,201 in a related civil forfeiture proceeding.
“Federal bank reporting laws help to protect against money laundering and other financial crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The defendant’s criminal activities, including laundering money that he believed to be drug proceeds, were serious offenses. Today’s sentence sends a message that those who commit financial crimes will face substantial consequences for their actions.”
“Federal laws that regulate the reporting of financial transactions are in place to detect and stop illegal activities. Michel Albert conducted transactions that were by design, intended to avoid such reporting requirements,” said IRS Special Agent In Charge Kristina O’Connell. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to enforcing these laws and will continue working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to investigate this type of criminal behavior.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen. The civil forfeiture matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
###
Cedar Rapids Woman Pleads Guilty to Lying to a Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
A woman who made false statements before a federal grand jury pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Paula Cole, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of making a false declaration before a grand jury.
In a plea agreement, Cole admitted that she testified before a federal grand jury in September 2018 regarding an investigation of her boyfriend for a firearms charge. During her grand jury testimony, Cole testified that she did not know whether her boyfriend was a marijuana user, and that there was nothing that ever indicated to her that he used marijuana. Cole admitted in her plea agreement that her grand jury testimony was false, and that she knew that her boyfriend was a marijuana user because she had previously seen him use marijuana.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cole remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Cole faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR‑00107‑CJW‑MAR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Admits Plot to Distribute over 30 Pounds of Crystal Methamphetamine and Five Kilos of Fentanyl in New JerseyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A California man today admitted shipping approximately 30 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and conspiring to send an additional five kilograms of fentanyl into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Isabel Otanez-Sanchez, 26, of San Jacinto, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In September 2018, law enforcement officers received information that an individual known as “Pancho,” later identified as Otanez-Sanchez, was shipping large quantities of narcotics to New Jersey from California. On Jan. 28, 2019, Sanchez agreed to send 30 pounds of methamphetamine to a law enforcement confidential source (CS) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Otanez-Sanchez, along with conspirator Jesus Zavala-Torres, hid 28 packages of methamphetamine inside a salvaged vehicle that was shipped to New Jersey from California. Agents recovered the 28 packages, totaling approximately 30 pounds, from the car’s gas tank. On Feb. 12, 2019, the CS met with Sanchez and Torres in Riverside, California. At this meeting, Otanez-Sanchez and Torres also agreed to sell an additional five kilograms of fentanyl that would be shipped to the CS in New Jersey in the same manner as the methamphetamine. Following this meeting, Otanez-Sanchez and Torres were arrested by law enforcement and the fentanyl they intended to ship to New Jersey was recovered. Zavala-Torres previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Cherry Hill, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked HSI in Riverside, California; the New Jersey State Police; the Hemet, California, Police Department; and the Atlantic City Task Force for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling CocaineRead 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 Jose Bruno, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha A. Coulson, who is handling the case, stated that on September 24 and October 25, 2018, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of cocaine from Bruno at his Jewett Avenue residence. On November 8, 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious postal package addressed to a “Maria Ramos” at the defendant’s residence. Testing confirmed that the parcel contained cocaine. Although this package was not intended for Bruno, he intended to deliver it to someone else.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
# # # #
Broken Arrow Woman Convicted for Stealing $654,579 from her EmployerRead the Press Release
A Broken Arrow woman pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges related to the embezzlement of $654,579 while she was employed with the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority (TCPFA).
Brandy Okey, 40, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to signing a false tax return. In her written plea agreement, Okey admitted that from December 2015 to September 2018, she carried out a scheme in which she embezzled funds while employed with the TCPFA then later failed to report illegally obtained funds on a tax return.
“Greedy Brandy Okey embezzled from the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority box office sales at Expo Square. Her scheme wasn’t particularly complex, but she used her position of trust to gain access to the funds and cover it up,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts, the credit for holding Ms. Okey accountable goes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. I’m thankful the TCPFA reached out to let us know something was amiss. I hope other public authorities or corporate boards see this as an example of how federal justice officials can help them recover stolen money, hold accountable wrongdoers, and deter white collar crime.”
In her position with TCPFA, Okey was responsible for accounting and financial management. Okey admitted that she used her access to the Expo Square box office cash collections to take cash funds. She then deposited a portion of the embezzled cash funds into personal bank accounts for her own use. Okey further used a portion of the cash funds to directly pay for personal expenses without depositing the funds. In order to conceal her scheme, Okey shredded the original deposit slips or prepared new slips showing a lower deposit amount. To further hide her scheme, Okey admitted that she did not accurately record box office collections on TCPFA financial statements. The fraudulent statements were emailed to the company’s Board of Directors.
Okey also admitted that she made and signed a false tax return for the year 2017 when she knowingly failed to report approximately $294,450 of income acquired through the scheme that year.
Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell scheduled Okey’s sentencing for June 8, 2020.
The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts is prosecuting the case.
Brewton Man Sentenced in Federal Gun CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Eric Scott Risley, 40, of Brewton, Alabama was sentenced on February 27, 2020, for being a felon in possession of firearms. He entered a guilty plea to the charge in November of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 57 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. During that period of supervision, Risley will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Risley was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed. In addition, the firearms Risley illegally possessed were ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.