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Friday 14 February 2020
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst Announces Department of Justice Grant Awards of Nearly $300,000 to Local Mississippi Police DepartmentsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded grants in the amount of $149,900 to the Cities of Biloxi and Natchez under the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Training and Technical Assistance Initiative.
“This money will go a long way in helping our partners fight crime at the local level and keep their citizens safe. I am excited about these awards because it furthers our partnership with our local law enforcement by giving officers and prosecutors more tools to investigate and prosecute the criminal element. These cities and their men and women in law enforcement should be commended for pursuing these grants in order to better their cities,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“The Biloxi Police Department is thrilled to have been awarded this grant. The funds will greatly enhance law enforcement’s ability to conduct investigations using cutting edge technologies,” said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller. “Thanks to our friends at the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for realizing and supporting the needs of local law enforcement.”
“This is a huge crime-fighting tool that we will have at our disposal that has already proven to be very successful throughout the year of 2019. We had some major reduction in many of the crime categories last year. I would like to think U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and his office’s Project EJECT, Sheriff Travis Patton, and all of the State, federal and local partners,” said Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong.
This initiative is an innovative new program designed to provide resources and technology to law enforcement jurisdictions within the five Gulf States (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to assist with information and intelligence sharing to reduce crime and illegal drug trafficking.
The grants awarded under this initiative are expected to enhance information and criminal intelligence sharing between local law enforcement agencies and their local fusion centers. Awardees are expected to work toward sharing this type of information with federal and state agencies with the intention to reduce crime.
For more information about this grant or other grant opportunities, contact the Office of Justice Program's Office of Communications at (202) 307-0703 or by visiting https://www.ojp.gov.
Tyndall Man Charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Tyndall, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography.
Paul Hovorka, age 24, was indicted on February 4, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 12, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life years of supervised release, and up to $5,100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between June 15, 2019, and November 21, 2019, Hovorka knowingly received and attempted to receive child pornography that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.
The charge is merely an accusation and Hovorka is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Hovorka was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Selling Methamphetamine on the White Earth ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty pleas of MICHAEL JACOB BLANDFORD, 28, and MATTHEW JON LEIGLAND, 26, to one count each of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. BLANDFORD and LEIGLAND, who were initially charged on April 26, 2019, entered their guilty pleas before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed with the court, BLANDFORD and LEIGLAND admitted to traveling from the White Earth Indian Reservation to the Twin Cities to purchase methamphetamine from a source and bring it back to the Reservation to distribute. On March 18, 2019, in Motley, Minnesota, a Minnesota State Trooper conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for speeding and for having loud exhaust. BLANDFORD was identified as the driver and LEIGLAND was identified as the lone passenger. During the stop, the State Trooper observed drug paraphernalia and BLANDFORD showed signs of recent drug use. When asked to step out of the vehicle, BLANDFORD fled on foot and tossed an item out of his pocket, which was later found to be approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine. The State Trooper apprehended BLANDFORD and placed him in custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a methamphetamine smoking device, used razor blades, a small digital scale, two measuring cups, and a gallon Ziploc bag containing approximately 480 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Minnesota Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, the Becker County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Motley Police Department, and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina L. Allery prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
MICHAEL JACOB BLANDFORD, 28
Monticello, Minn.
Convicted:
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
MATTHEW JON LEIGLAND, 26
Ponsford, Minn.
Convicted:
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Two Kokomo Men Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today, Tarik Dordoni, 24, and Xavier Malone, 22, both of Kokomo, Ind., were indicted in separate complaints for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dordoni was also charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Both had previous felony convictions in Howard County Ind.
"My office has no tolerance for individuals who choose to break the law by selling drugs and illegally possessing firearms," said Minkler. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing gun violence through its Project Guardian initiative. We are grateful to our collaborative partners, the Kokomo Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives who investigated and brought this to our attention."
At around 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2019, Kokomo Police received a call about shots fired near Studebaker Park in Kokomo, Ind. The suspect vehicle was described as a red pickup truck with black stripes. As officers were arriving to the area of the shooting, they saw a vehicle matching the description. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and once the vehicle came to a stop, Malone and Dordoni jumped from the vehicle and fled on foot. Malone was apprehended by officers shortly after he fled.
Kokomo Police K-9 located Dordoni inside a shed located in the backyard of a residence. The K-9 also located a backpack which contained a large bag of suspected marijuana and a loaded handgun.
Kokomo Police Department received a call that a handgun had be located in a yard. The location was close to the area of the shooting and along the route of where the red pickup truck fled. Law enforcement collected the firearm and other evidence from the yard.
This case was investigated by the Kokomo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"The Kokomo Police Department appreciates our Federal law enforcement partners at the ATF," said Kokomo Police Department Captain Tonda Cockrell. "KPD is diligently investigating crimes involving the use of firearms in our community, especially those cases where children are placed in harm’s way. We will utilize our partnership with Federal Law Enforcement and the AUSA to ensure maximum penalties are sought for those individuals who choose to bring gun violence to the streets of Kokomo."
According to Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton who is prosecuting this case, Tarik Dordoni faces a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. Xavier Malone faces a maximum sentence of 10 years if convicted.
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: Kokomo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proved otherwise in federal court.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to targeting the District’s most violent geographic areas for the adoption of reactive federal drug and firearm prosecutions. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.2.
Two Former Personal Care Aides Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Temitope Oluwa-Bakare Ogunbiyi, 49, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for defrauding the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program out of more than $1 million. Yesterday, Rose Asang Gana, 40, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for defrauding the program out of more than $400,000.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.; Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Mike McGill of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG).
Ogunbiyi pled guilty to one count of health care fraud in August 2019. Today, the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan sentenced her to 15 months in prison. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition she was ordered to pay $1,071,247.12 in restitution and $575,462.03 in a forfeiture money judgment.
Gana pled guilty to one count of health care fraud in October 2019. Yesterday, the Honorable Carl J. Nichols sentenced her to 13 months in prison. She also will be placed on three years of supervised release following her prison term. She was ordered to pay $441,234.64 in restitution and $257,503.31 in a forfeiture money judgment.
Ogunbiyi worked as a personal care aid for 18 home health agencies at various times between January 2014 and September 2018. Gana worked for nine health agencies at various times between October 2013 and December 2018. The home health agencies employed Ogunbiyi and Gana to assist D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries in performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and eating. Ogunbiyi and Gana were supposed to document the care they provided to the Medicaid beneficiaries on timesheets and then submit those timesheets to the home health agencies, which would in turn bill Medicaid for the services rendered.
Between January 2014 and September 2018, Ogunbiyi caused the D.C. Medicaid Program to issue payments totaling $1,071,247.12 for services that she did not render. Between October 2013 and December 2018, Gana caused the D.C. Medicaid Program to issue payments totaling $441,234 for services that she did not render.
As part of their individual fraud schemes, both women paid kickbacks to beneficiaries and submitted false timesheets to different home health agencies claiming to have provided personal care aide services that they did not provide. Ogunbiyi also caused Medicaid to be billed for services she claimed to provide in the District of Columbia when she was traveling outside the United States. As a result of their schemes, Ogunbiyi earned more than $500,000 in wages and Gana earned more than $250,000 in wages.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Shea, Special Agent in Charge Dunham, Special Agent in Charge Dixon of U.S. HHS-OIG, District of Columbia Inspector General Lucas and Special Agent in Charge McGill commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialist Mariela Andrade and former Paralegal Specialist Brittany Phillips. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise A. Simmonds, who prosecuted the cases.
Two Executives Indicted in Long-Running Antitrust Conspiracy to Fix Prices for Disk Drive ComponentsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Hitoshi Hashimoto and Hiroyuki Tamura for their role in a global conspiracy to fix prices for suspension assemblies used in hard disk drives, the Department of Justice announced today.
Hashimoto and Tamura, both Japanese citizens, are former top sales executives at NHK Spring Co. Ltd. (NHK Spring), which has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to pay a $28.5 million fine.
The indictment, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that, from at least as early as May 2008 and continuing until at least April 2016, Hashimoto and Tamura participated in a conspiracy with their competitors to stabilize, maintain, and fix the prices of suspension assemblies used in hard disk drives. The conspirators accomplished their scheme by, among other things, agreeing to refrain from competing on prices and allocating their respective market shares. The conspirators also exchanged pricing information including anticipated pricing quotes, which they used to inform their negotiations with U.S. and foreign customers that purchased suspension assemblies and produced hard disk drives for sale in, or delivery to, the United States and elsewhere.
“This charge demonstrates that antitrust violations are not just corporate offenses but also crimes by individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division is committed to prosecuting culpable senior executives who circumvent the antitrust laws in order to cheat consumers.”
“The FBI, through its International Corruption Unit, is dedicated to ensuring the U.S. market remains free and open,” said Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The individuals indicted yesterday tried to cheat the system and unfairly profit at the expense of American consumers. The FBI, with our partners at the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice, disrupted their scheme and now these individuals will face justice.”
“The U.S. Postal Service spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year on supplies and services related to information technology, including computers and associated hardware,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “These indictments send an important message to anyone who might engage in conduct violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who would engage in this type of harmful behavior.”
Suspension assemblies are components of hard disk drives, which are used to store information electronically and are incorporated into computers or sold as stand-alone electronic storage devices. Hard disk drives use magnetic recording heads to read from and write onto rapidly spinning disks. Suspension assemblies hold the recording heads in close proximity to the disks and provide the electrical connection from the recording heads to the hard disk drives’ circuitry.
The charge in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than $1 million.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Today’s announcement is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Office, the International Corruption Unit of the FBI, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Washington Criminal II Section at 202-598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Two Allenwood Federal Prison Inmates Charged with Assault on Another InmateRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two United States Penitentiary Allenwood (USP Allenwood) inmates Alexander Palmisano, age 35, and William Oloane, age 30, were indicted on February 13, 2020, by a federal grand jury for an assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that on April 5, 2019 Palmisano and Oloane assaulted another inmate at USP Allenwood. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury, including 10 broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, and injuries to the head and face requiring hospitalization.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Three Associates of Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Plead Guilty to Federal RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Johnny Magdaleno, a/k/a Soldier Boy, Rodney Luis Romero, a/k/a Speedy, and Carlos Cervantes, a/k/a Lil Huero, a/k/a Doug, pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy charges for their respective roles as associates of the Nuestra Familia prison gang, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and John F. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Francisco Field Division. The guilty pleas were accepted by the Honorable Beth L. Freeman, United States District Judge.
According to the plea agreements, between December 2, 2012, and April 14, 2014, Magdaleno, 32, Romero, 35, and Cervantes, 31, were members of the Nuestra Familia/Salinas Norteños enterprise (the “Enterprise”). The Enterprise consisted of members and associates of the Nuestra Familia prison gang as well as Norteño street gangs in Salinas, Calif., and the surrounding areas. Members and associates of the Enterprise agreed to commit crimes such as murder, narcotics trafficking, and other acts of violence through a pattern of racketeering activity. Norteño gang members pledge their allegiance and loyalty to Nuestra Familia and are instructed on its rules, rituals, and obligations. Gang rules and discipline are maintained by assaulting and threatening those individuals who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Inside prisons and local jails, all members and associates of Nuestra Familia and Norteños work together to maintain the structure and follow the rules of the Enterprise.
In their plea agreements, Magdaleno, Romero, and Cervantes admit to participating in the distribution of narcotics to other inmates at Monterey County Jail. The plea agreements also describe the roles of the defendants in “removals” as a means of violently enforcing the most important of the gang’s rules while they were in the jail. The term “removal” refers to a violent attack designed to remove (from both the custodial housing unit and the gang itself) a member of the gang who committed a serious violation of the gang’s rules. A removal is accomplished by having one or more “hitters” stab the victim and then having at least two “bombers” assault the target by punching and kicking the victim without weapons. The purpose of the subsequent beating is to inflict upon the victim maximum damage while giving the hitters time to wash themselves and get rid of weapons.
Magdaleno admitted that he orchestrated four removals of victims from housing units of the Monterey County Jail and directly participated in two of those removals as the hitter. For example, Magdaleno admitted that he orchestrated and participated as the hitter in the December 2, 2012, removal of a victim from the jail. Magdaleno admitted that he stabbed the victim in the chest and back over 20 times. Magdaleno acknowledged that immediately after the victim was stabbed, two bombers began punching and kicking the victim to allow Magdaleno to escape being caught by guards with the stabbing weapon. Magdaleno also admitted that he orchestrated and participated as the hitter in the February 25, 2013, removal of a victim from the jail. Magdaleno admitted that he gave the victim marijuana to use so that he would be more vulnerable and let his guard down; and after doing so, Magdaleno stabbed the victim in the head with a shank. Immediately after the victim was stabbed, three bombers began punching and kicking the victim to allow Magdaleno to escape being caught by guards with the stabbing weapon. Magdaleno admitted that after he disposed of the shank, he joined the other bombers in beating the victim.
Romero admitted that he approved the February 25, 2013, removal of a victim from one of the housing units of the Monterey County Jail. Romero admitted that during the removal, the hitter stabbed the victim in the head, and immediately thereafter three bombers began to punch and kick the victim to inflict the maximum damage possible and to allow the hitter to escape without being caught by guards with the stabbing weapon. Romero also admitted to helping plan two other removals on April 29 and October 23, 2013. Romero admitted that he relayed the leadership’s approval for the removals, which involved a hitter stabbing the April 29 victim in the head with a metal shank and a hitter stabbing the October 23 victim in the neck with a weapon made out of plexiglass. In both removals, bombers punched and kicked the victim to inflict the maximum damage possible and to allow the hitters to escape without being caught by guards with the stabbing weapons.
Cervantes admitted that he participated in the April 29, 2013, removal of a victim from one of the housing units at the Monterey County Jail. Cervantes admitted that he was the hitter for the removal and stabbed the victim in the head. Cervantes acknowledged that immediately after the victim was stabbed, at least four bombers began punching and kicking the victim to allow Cervantes to escape being caught by guards with the stabbing weapon. Cervantes also admitted that he was a bomber in the February 25, 2013, removal of a victim, and that he punched and kicked the victim to inflict the maximum damage possible and to allow the hitter to escape.
On September 27, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Magdaleno, Romero, Cervantes, and several other defendants with racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d). Magdaleno, Romero, and Cervantes were also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5), and conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6). Romero was also charged with attempted murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5), and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(3). All three defendants pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy charge, wherein they admitted that murder was an object of the conspiracy. If they comply with their plea agreements, the additional charges will be dismissed at sentencing.
Judge Freeman scheduled the sentencing hearing for Cervantes for May 19, 2020; and the sentencing hearings for Magdaleno and Romero for June 23, 2020. Pursuant to the terms of their plea agreements, Magdaleno has agreed that a reasonable and appropriate disposition of his case would include a term of imprisonment of 30 years to run concurrently with sentences imposed in connection with a number of state court convictions; Romero has agreed that a reasonable and appropriate disposition of his case would include a term of imprisonment of 18 years; and Cervantes has agreed that a reasonable and appropriate disposition of his case would include a term of imprisonment of 10 years. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The following additional defendants have pleaded guilty to crimes as part of the criminal Enterprise and have been sentenced or are scheduled to be sentenced in the case:
Name Charges Sentence Alberto Moreno, a/k/a Doughboy Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Sentenced to seven years in prison Michael James Rice a/k/a Redwood Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for March 3, 2020 Jeffrey Lopez, a/k/a T-Bone Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for March 17, 2020 Juan Alvarez, a/k/a Chucky Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for March 31, 2020 Ramon Montoya, a/k/a Little Ray Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for March 31, 2020 Erik Lopez, a/k/a Bimbo Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for April 7, 2020 Alejo Alex Alegre, IV, a/k/a Chino Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) Scheduled for May 5, 2020Assistant U.S. Attorneys Claudia A. Quiroz and Stephen Meyer are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Salinas Police Department, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Thomas Louis Motisi Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Telford, Tennessee – On February 14, 2020, Thomas Louis Motisi, 51, currently of Staten Island, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Motisi was sentenced to 160 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
In the spring of 2016, multiple local and federal agencies worked together to investigate potential suspects in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Telford, Tennessee. Through the investigation, Motisi was found to be involved in the drug conspiracy. Motisi purchased methamphetamine from drug suppliers and redistributed the methamphetamine to other drug dealers and users. In November 2019, Motisi was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This investigation was the product of a partnership between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez and Emily M. Swecker represented the United States in court.
The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
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Ten People Charged in $1.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Ten people from South Jersey and Philadelphia have been charged with participating in a scheme to defraud individuals, companies, and financial institutions by misappropriating the victims’ bank account information and using that information to withdraw over $1.5 million in funds to which they were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Kayla Massa, 22, of Gloucester City, New Jersey; Leire Massa, 19, of Laurel Springs, New Jersey; William Logan, 22, of Gloucester City; Jordan Herrin, 22, of Berlin, New Jersey; Erasmo Feliciano, 19, Laurel Springs; Kevin McDaniels, 18, of Sicklerville, New Jersey; Jabreel Martin, 20, of Philadelphia; Dezhon McCrae, 20, of Penns Grove, New Jersey; Andrew Johnson, 21, of Gloucester City; and Alex Haines 27, of Woodbury, New Jersey; are charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court today and on Feb.13, 2020.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Postal inspectors connected stolen postal money orders to a series of fraudulent bank account activities at various area banks. They discovered a network of individuals in the Sicklerville, Clementon, and Gloucester City areas who posted advertisements on Instagram and Snapchat, offering people the ability to make “quick cash” if they banked at certain institutions. Some members of the conspiracy then acquired individuals’ banking information using a ruse, while others printed counterfeit checks that they deposited into the accounts. Members of the conspiracy also used victims’ debit cards to withdraw cash and make large purchases, including purchases of money orders. The group financed purchases of luxury items, including jewelry, watches, other luxury goods and apparel, vehicles, with the stolen funds. In most cases, the victims of this scheme suffered financial losses and credit problems as a result. The estimated loss at this time exceeds $1.5 million.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Services, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge John Walker; special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark; the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos; the Glassboro Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Polillo; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Woodbury City Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Ryan; the Gloucester Township Police Department - Special Investigations Unit, under the direction of Chief David J. Harkins; the Winslow Police Department, under the direction of Chief George M. Smith; and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office - Fugitive Investigations Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles Fiore, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Shver of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Tacoma man caught texting on plane about molesting children sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiring to produce images of child rapeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 58-year-old Tacoma resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to produce child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. MICHAEL KELLAR, and his girlfriend, Gail Lynn Burnworth, 52, were arrested in August 2017, after an alert passenger on a July 31, 2017, flight to San Jose, California, noticed disturbing texts between KELLAR, who was on the plane, and Burnworth, who was in Tacoma. The investigation revealed the two had produced and shared sexually explicit images of children placed in Burnworth’s care. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said, “This case for me ... has been the most disturbing case that I have had…. (These offenses) beset on society a waterfall of negative repercussions that can never be repaired.”
“I commend the airline passenger who spoke up about the disturbing texts she witnessed on her flight. We all have had that moment when we question: ‘Do I get involved,’” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “In this case, that witness triggered the rescue of two small children and the investigation that revealed this defendant to be a predator – collecting images of child sexual abuse.”
According to records filed in the case, after the witness reported her concerns to the airline flight attendants, the flight crew arranged for law enforcement to meet the plane. KELLAR was questioned by police and ultimately arrested. A review of his electronic devices showed graphic explicit exchanges with Burnworth discussing drugging and raping the children in her care.
The Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force was alerted and obtained a Court-authorized search warrant for Burnworth’s residence and electronic devices. Investigators found sexually explicit images on Burnworth’s devices and found several hundred images of child pornography on KELLAR’s laptop.
“Sexual exploitation of children is particularly heinous, and the FBI has made it a priority to hold those who choose to perpetrate these acts accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Raymond Duda, FBI-Seattle. “Mr. Kellar will now answer for his crimes against some of the most vulnerable in our community. This case demonstrates the FBI will rigorously investigate these crimes and reinforces that victimizing children will not be tolerated by law enforcement.”
On September 25, 2019, KELLAR pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and access with intent to view child pornography. Following his prison term, he will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Burnworth pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and will be sentenced March 27, 2020.
Both defendants have been in custody since their arrests in August 2017.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the San Jose, California, Sheriff’s Office and the Seattle Police Department Internet Crimes against Children Task Force (ICAC).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Marie Dalton.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman on Verdict in Trial of Michael AvenattiRead the Press Release
“Today a unanimous jury found Michael Avenatti guilty of misusing his client’s information in an effort to extort tens of millions of dollars from the athletic apparel company Nike. While the defendant may have tried to hide behind legal terms and a suit and tie, the jury clearly saw the defendant’s scheme for what it was – an old fashioned shakedown.”
State Department Contracting Officer Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Procurement Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A contracting officer with the U.S. Department of State was sentenced today to 87 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after he was convicted of 13 counts of conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud and making false statements.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Zaldy N. Sabino, 60, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady after Sabino’s conviction on Oct. 4, 2019. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Sabino was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.
According to the evidence at trial, between November 2012 and early 2017, Sabino and the owner of a Turkish construction firm engaged in a bribery and procurement fraud scheme in which Sabino received at least $521,862.93 in cash payments from the Turkish owner while Sabino supervised multi-million dollar construction contracts awarded to the Turkish owner’s business partners and while Sabino made over a half million dollars in structured cash deposits into his personal bank accounts. Sabino concealed his unlawful relationship by, among other things, making false statements on financial disclosure forms and during his background reinvestigation.
The Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, led by Steve A. Linick, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Sixteen Foreign Nationals Arrested in Ice OperationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces the results of a recently completed enforcement operation in Wake County by Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE).
ICE began a targeted enforcement operation on February 8 and concluded today. However, it should be noted that ICE conducts targeted enforcement activities on a daily basis, and will continue to do so. This most recent operation targeted at-large criminal aliens who have been identified based on encounters – that is, criminal arrests – with local law enforcement.
The Raleigh area ICE Team made sixteen arrests of foreign nationals with a variety of criminal arrests and convictions, including: Driving While Intoxicated; Burglary; Assault; Assault on Child; Robbery; Drug Possession; and, Resisting a Public Officer. One individual has been confirmed to be a member of the transnational criminal street gang Sureño 13 (SUR 13).
Of those arrested by ICE, eight were previously deported and are now pending federal prosecution for violations of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326 (Reentry of a Removed Alien). Seven of those eight have been charged here in the Eastern District; one has been charged in the Middle District of North Carolina.
Additionally, four of the individuals arrested were identified while in the custody of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. One individual was released despite a detainer having been placed on that subject and in spite of charges involving the assault of two young children. Three individuals were released before ICE could respond.
Names of individuals pending federal charges in the Eastern District:
MONTIEL, Jose Isaias
CONTRERAS VILLAVERDE, Francisco Javier
AGUILAR SOTO, Luis Gerardo
BENLES-OCAMPOS, Marden Giovanny
CHAPOL-AMBROS, Victor
REYES-MORENO, Manuel Antonio
CRUZ-AQUINO, Nelson
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the cases.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Sex Offender Sentenced for Producing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A previously convicted child sex offender was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Lavelle Mayfield, 55, of Portsmouth, is a registered sex offender, having been previously convicted of several criminal sexual assaults against minors. The victim in this case, Jane Doe, 16, met Mayfield at church and developed a sexual relationship with him. At one point, Jane Doe ran away to stay with Mayfield. During that time, Mayfield produced numerous sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Angela Greene, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.
The Chesapeake Police Department provided significant assistance to this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-92.
San Francisco Resident Indicted on Sex Tourism Related ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Paul Marshall Bodner was arrested on charges related to sex tourism in Vietnam, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. In an indictment filed on January 30, 2020, and unsealed yesterday, a federal grand jury charged Bodner with repeatedly traveling to Vietnam in order to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to the indictment, Bodner, 64, of San Francisco, Calif., traveled to Vietnam during the period from July 2015 through August 2016, where he engaged in illicit sexual conduct. The indictment also states that Bodner traveled to Vietnam in March and July 2016 for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. According to information presented to the court at his initial appearance on February 13, 2020, Bodner met Vietnamese boys as young as 11 or 12 years old and engaged in sex acts with them at a hotel located in Ho Chi Minh City when he traveled to Vietnam.
The indictment charges Bodner with three counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); and one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(c).
Bodner was arraigned in federal court before the Honorable Joseph C. Spero, U.S. Magistrate Judge. Judge Spero scheduled a hearing for today, February 14, 2020, to determine Bodner’s detention status pending trial.
Anyone with information about Bodner or his alleged sexual interest in children should contact the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE and ask to be directed to the case agent.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted on the charges in the indictment, the defendant would face for each count a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, a life term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lina Peng is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Morgan Byrne. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.
San Francisco Resident Indicted for Possession of A Firearm and Ammunition as A Felon with Three Prior Violent OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Raya Man with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree. Man is charged with having previously been convicted of three violent felonies; therefore, if convicted, Man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Details about the incident leading to the charge appear in an affidavit from a Task Force Officer with the ATF filed January 28, 2020. According to the affidavit, on September 6, 2019, Man, 40, of San Francisco, engaged in a verbal argument with the proprietor of a nearby bar located in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Man allegedly walked away from the argument saying words to the effect of, “I will show you what a gangster is.” When Man returned a short time later, he allegedly followed the proprietor into his bar, drew a pistol, and pointed it at the proprietor while saying, “Would you believe I could kill you now?” The affidavit further alleges Man left the bar, immediately entered the single-occupancy restroom of a nearby bar, and exited the restroom seconds later. When Man exited the restroom, San Francisco Police Department officers detained him. Officers located a .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition in the restroom’s wastebasket. In addition, the affidavit alleges Man was convicted of three violent felonies prior to September 6, 2019.
Man is charged with being in possession of a firearm and ammunition with three prior violent felony convictions, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e). Man has remained in custody since his arrest on September 6, 2019. He made his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on February 4, 2020. His next scheduled appearance is at 10:30 a.m., on February 20, 2020, for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
This case is part of the Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin, a multi-agency effort focusing on fighting crime in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Ewenstein is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Morgan Byrne. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.
Sales Agent for Chicago-Area Red-Light Camera Company Indicted in Bribery Conspiracy in Southwest SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A sales agent for a Chicago-area red-light camera company has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to pay bribes to obtain approval to install additional cameras in suburban Oak Lawn.
PATRICK J. DOHERTY, 64, of Palos Heights, is charged with one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to facilitate bribery, and two counts of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery. The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; 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 Christopher J. Stetler, Tiffany A. Ardam and James P. Durkin.
According to the indictment, Doherty worked as a sales agent for the red-light camera company that since 2014 had a contract with Oak Lawn to provide cameras at certain intersections. Renewal of the contract and installation of cameras at additional intersections required approval from Oak Lawn’s Board of Trustees, the indictment states.
The charges allege that in 2017 Doherty conspired with an individual with a financial interest in the red-light camera company and another sales agent of the company to pay money to a relative of an elected Oak Lawn Trustee to influence the Trustee into using his official position to approve installation of cameras at additional intersections. The conspirators agreed to pay the relative a total of approximately $4,000 over an eight-week period, the indictment states. In order to conceal the purpose of the payments, the conspirators agreed that Doherty would make the payments from a separate company, the indictment states.
In a telephone conversation on May 25, 2017, Doherty told the other sales agent that Doherty would pay the Trustee’s relative “if it’s going to get us the job,” according to the indictment. Doherty allegedly added, “I’ll just pay it. Just make sure we get the, make sure we get the [expletive] thing, the contract.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count in the indictment is punishable by up to five years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Rotterdam Man Arrested for Attempted Enticement and Coercion of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Randy Eignor, age 49, of Rotterdam, New York, appeared yesterday in federal court on a charge that he attempted to entice a minor into sexual activity.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the criminal complaint, Eignor, attempted to entice and coerce an individual, whom he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, to engage in sex. After days of sexually explicit text messages with the person whom he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, Eignor arranged to meet in Colonie, where Eignor was confronted by law enforcement.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Eignor faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Additionally, if convicted, Eignor would be required to register as a sex offender.
Eignor appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending trial.
Anyone with information relevant to this investigation may contact the FBI’s Albany Field Office at (518) 431-4866.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department, and the Rotterdam Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Robeson County Man Sentenced to Four Years for Pembroke, NC Post Office BurglaryRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that yesterday in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced BRITT ALLEN JACOBS, 46, of Robeson County to 48 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. JACOBS was also ordered to pay more than $1,300 of restitution.
JACOBS was named in an Indictment filed on May 16, 2019 charging him with one count of mail theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708, and one count of burglary of a post office in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2115. On October 31, 2019, JACOBS pled guilty to Count 2, pursuant to a plea agreement.
According to the investigation, in the early morning hours of December 27, 2018, JACOBS broke a glass entry door to force entry into the U.S. Postal Service post office in Pembroke, NC. Officers from the Pembroke Police Department responded to the location following an alarm notification and observed JACOBS attempting to flee. The officers pursued JACOBS, deployed a police K9, and apprehended JACOBS following a brief chase. Items stolen by JACOBS included an electronic dog collar, credit cards, a purse, a cell phone, and prescription medication.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Pembroke, NC Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Stephany represented the government.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Project Guardian: Three Appear in Federal Court for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Defendants in three separate Project Guardian cases appeared in federal court this week announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Bari Myricks, 47, of Dunbar, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Myricks previously admitted that on May 7, 2018, the vehicle he was driving was stopped by law enforcement officers due to a traffic violation. He further admitted that after a police K-9 trained in drug detection indicated narcotics were present in his vehicle, police conducted a search of his vehicle, finding heroin in a plastic bag. Officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) later searched Myricks’ residence on Roxalana Road, finding over 100 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, over $12,000 in cash and two firearms. Myricks knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to prior felony convictions. MDENT conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman handled the prosecution.
Clayton Cato, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On November 20, 2018, Cato was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on the East End of Charleston for a defective light. Upon officers approaching the vehicle, they smelled marijuana. All occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle. Cato stepped out of the vehicle and ran from the traffic stop on foot. While fleeing, he put his hands near his hoody pocket and was apprehended. During a pat-down for officer safety, officers located a Smith & Wesson 32 caliber pistol. Cato admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a 2003 felony conviction for distribution of cocaine base. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders handled the prosecution.
Brashan Beverly, 32, of Dunbar, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Beverly admitted that on January 3, 2019, he possessed a firearm, that is a SCCY, Model CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in Tornado, Kanawha County, West Virginia. At the time he possessed the firearm, he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior drug conviction. Beverly faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 11, 2020. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Nitro Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Saunders and Joseph F. Adams are handling the prosecution.
These cases are 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 these cases with support from the Project Guardian partners referenced above. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Ponce Man Arrested on Charges of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Ángel Miguel Rivera-Quiñones, 74, from Ponce, Puerto Rico, was arrested for production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography, following an investigation by the FBI, the Police of Puerto Rico, and the Department of Justice for the Region of Ponce, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow.
According to the three-count indictment, from on or about 2015 through 2018, Rivera-Quiñones induced a female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The defendant used a facility of interstate and foreign commerce to entice and coerce the female minor to engage in sexual activity and received the child pornography depictions via computer.
Assistant United States Attorneys Linet Suárez and Nicholas W. Cannon, Deputy Chief of the Immigration, Cybercrime, and Child Exploitation Unit, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen (15) years imprisonment, and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years’ incarceration per count. An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Pill-mill doctor gets decades in prison for healthcare fraud, illegally dispensing massive amounts of drugsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Savannah doctor who operated a “pill mill” dispensing massive amounts of controlled substances – sometimes in return for cash or sex – has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Dr. Frank H. Bynes Jr., 69, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Bynes, who was found guilty in October 2019 by a federal jury on 13 counts of Unlawful Dispensation of Controlled Substances and three counts of Health Care Fraud, also was ordered to pay restitution of $615,145.06 to Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, and after completion of his prison sentence must serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Frank Bynes poured gasoline on the raging fire of the opioid addiction crisis in our country,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “He destroyed the lives of countless individuals and deservedly will swap his white coat for a prison jumpsuit.”
According to court testimony and documents, Bynes worked at the MBA Community Clinic in Savannah, a/k/a MBA Diabetic Shoe and Supply Store, and at Georgia Laboratory Diagnostic in Garden City, where he wrote prescriptions for more than 1,800 patients. An estimated 51,329 pharmacy fills were attributed to Bynes during a three-year period in Georgia alone, totaling in excess of 4.6 million doses of pills, opioid patches and other controlled substances.
Many of the prescriptions were part of the so-called “holy trinity” drug cocktail of opioids, alprazolam and Soma, and were provided to patients who Bynes knew were drug-addicted. According to evidence introduced at trial, Bynes prescribed the deadly drug cocktail to Medicare patients at a higher rate than any other physician in the United States.
While operating his illegal pill mill, Bynes falsely claimed to work for the Department of Justice and displayed a fake police badge to intimidate patients. Bynes also frequently used his ability to write prescriptions to exploit female patients and coerce them into providing sexual favors. Among other evidence introduced at trial were documents establishing Bynes knew multiple patients suffered an overdose – yet he disregarded numerous warnings and continued to prescribe the drug cocktail on which his patients had overdosed. In addition, Bynes defrauded Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare, resulting in excess of $2 million in fraudulent pharmacy claims.
“Dr. Bynes’ actions are despicable and contributed to the opioid crisis we are experiencing in our state and nation,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “He placed his selfishness over the needs of his patients, and with this sentence, I hope that the many people he harmed can find some closure and begin the healing process.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division commented, “Complicit doctors like Dr. Bynes, who ran a pain clinic, often prey on patients who are addicted to prescription drugs. This defendant dispensed addictive prescription drugs under the guise of a stethoscope and white coat, when in actuality, he was nothing more than a common drug trafficker. This successful investigation was a direct result of hard work put forth by all law enforcement agencies involved and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This doctor will now serve a lengthy prison term.”
“Dr. Bynes is going from operating a pill mill to living in a prison cell. Justice was well-served today,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “This substantial and warranted sentence ensures that Frank Bynes will no longer be the menace to society he once was.”
“The opioid addiction crisis in this country also touches the military and their families,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, DCIS, Southeast Field Office. “Dr. Bynes took advantage of his military patients who were struggling with addiction for his own personal pleasure and financial gain. DCIS, in partnership with this U.S. Attorney’s Office, will aggressively pursue individuals who seek to harm our military members and their dependents.”
“Like law enforcement, medical professionals take an oath. And like the vast majority many of the professionals take their oaths seriously,” said Everett Ragan, Director of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team. “Unfortunately, there are those like Dr. Bynes who go against their oath for personal gain. Doing so simply made Dr. Bynes a drug dealer in a white coat. What’s worse is Dr. Bynes’ actions negatively impacted the opioid epidemic. I am proud to say that our agency played a huge role in bringing down this monster.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners are actively investigating the pharmacies who filled illegitimate prescriptions from Dr. Bynes, including previously announced criminal and civil prosecutions of Chip’s Discount Drugs, Fulghum Drug’s Inc., Darien Pharmacy, and others. Pharmacists are required under federal law to ensure that a prescription is written for a legitimate medical purpose and must refuse to fill those that are not legitimate. Any individuals who have information about illegal prescribing by physicians, dispensing by pharmacies, or other diversion, and any individuals who believe they were victims of Bynes, should call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422 and ask for the Opioid Coordinator.
The case was investigated by the DEA, HHS-OIG, DCIS, the Georgia Medicaid Control Fraud Unit, and CNT, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Matthew Josephson, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos and Jim Mooney, Deputy Director of the Georgia Medicaid Control Fraud Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Pikeville Man Convicted of Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Pikeville man was convicted by a federal jury on Thursday evening, for being a felon in possession of a pistol and sawed-off shotgun.
According to testimony at trial, the Kentucky State Police responded to a complaint that Richard Starghill had refused to leave another person’s residence. He was then found in possession of a loaded revolver and a sawed – off shotgun. Starghill has a lengthy criminal history involving multiple convictions for drug trafficking and a recent conviction for felony assault.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, FBI Louisville Field Office; and Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police Commissioner, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rabold.
Starghill will appear for sentencing on June 12, 2020. He faces up to a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Pike County Woman Sentenced to 420 Months for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.- A Pikeville woman, Christina Brook Mitchell, 31, was sentenced on Friday to 420 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for production and distribution of child pornography.
Mitchell previously admitted that she took explicit photographs of two minor female victims and sent the images via Facebook Messenger to Johnathan Manigault. Mitchell admitted that Manigault instructed her how to take the images and that she agreed to photograph additional underage victims for Manigault.
Manigault, Mitchell’s co-defendant, will be sentenced on April 10.
Under federal law, Mitchell must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge for FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly made the announcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The investigation was directed by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna Reed.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Petersburg Man Sentenced for Firearms and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to over five years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and distributing a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and acetylfentanyl.
According to court documents, Jacoby Williams, 34, is a previously convicted felon. In September 2018, Williams sold a confidential source a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and acetylfentanyl after the confidential source ordered heroin from Williams. Shortly thereafter, Williams sold a .357 Ruger revolver and ammunition to the confidential source. During the encounter, Williams wiped his fingerprints off of the firearm, and indicated that he had more firearms for sale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.
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. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Kenneth Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-040.
Pennsylvania Man Charged with Smuggling Endangered Tropical Birds into VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated Jafet Rodriguez, 39, of Hazleton Pennsylvania, has been charged with unlawfully smuggling tropical birds into Vermont from Canada, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the federal anti-smuggling statute.
Rodriguez appeared before United States Magistrate Judge John Conroy on February 13, 2020 and was released on personal recognizance. The next hearing in the case is a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 28, 2020.
According to court documents, the Government alleges that on December 30, 2019, at 10:30 A.M., the defendant walked across the Canadian border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont and approached a car parked in Stanstead, Quebec. According to the Government’s allegations, the defendant retrieved a black duffle bag containing the birds from the vehicle parked in Quebec and then walked back into the United States. United States Border Patrol Agents intercepted Rodriquez after he entered another vehicle (with Pennsylvania license plates) in Derby Line, Vermont. The agents recovered seven live tropical birds from this vehicle.
According to court records, the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory determined that five of the birds were Yellow-headed Amazons (Amazona oratrix) and two birds were White-bellied Parrots (Pionites leucogaster). These birds are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (commonly referred to as “CITES”). Under the Endangered Species Act, species which are protected under CITES cannot be imported without the appropriate permits. The birds were turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and transported to the New York Animal Import Center in Rock Tavern, New York for a period of quarantine.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges contained in the Criminal Complaint are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If he is convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum possible term of imprisonment of 20 years under the statute prohibiting the unlawful smuggling of merchandise into the United States. If convicted, the defendant’s actual sentence would be informed by the advisory Sentencing Guidelines.
Surveillance photograph of alleged taking custody of duffel bag containing birds. 4 yellow-headed amazon parrots inside an animal carrier. Yellow-headed amazon parrot inside a cardboard box.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security
Investigations with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Rodriguez is represented by David McColgin of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Burlington, Vermont.
The following photographs were contained in the Government’s Criminal Complaint Affidavit filed with the Court on January 28, 2020:
New York Men Found Guilty of Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Two Brooklyn, New York men were convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin following a jury trial, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Melquan Jordan, (a/k/a “Squirrel”), 30, and Edward Canty III (a/k/a “Demo”), 31, on October 23, 2019, but today U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy denied the defendants’ motions for judgment of acquittal.
According to evidence presented at trial, Jordan and Canty conspired to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin transported from outside Maine for distribution in Portland and Lewiston. Jordan’s distribution involved more than 100 grams of heroin. The other conspirators named in the indictment, Lamale Lawson (a/k/a “Bishop” and “King Bishop”), 28, of Brooklyn; Akeem Cruz (a/k/a “Vibe” and “Mello”), 29, of Brooklyn; and Christopher Rickett (a/k/a “Chris”), 32, of Portland, pleaded guilty in August 2019 to participating in the conspiracy. Sierrha Frisbie (a/k/a “Cici”), 27, of Portland, pleaded guilty in December 2018.
Jordan faces between 10 and 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine and between four years and life on supervised release. Canty faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine and between three years and life on supervised release. All six defendants will be sentenced following preparation of presentence reports by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Portland and South Portland Police Departments; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the FBI investigated the case.
Montgomery Woman Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Her Participation in Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - On February 12, 2020, Diamond Markayla Mathis, 24, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for her role in committing multiple armed robberies and violating federal firearms laws, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell, and Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley. Following her 11-year prison sentence, Mathis will be on supervised release for three years. She was also ordered to pay $6,975.00 in restitution to the victims.
Mathis had previously pleaded guilty in November 2019 to taking part in a string of armed robberies that occurred in October 2016 with co-defendant, DeGregory Deon Lee, 24, also from Montgomery. According to court documents, their crime spree took place from October 24, 2016 until October 31, 2016, and included the robberies of ten Montgomery businesses. However, evidence indicates that Mathis only participated in six of those crimes. The robberies involving Mathis include:
- Hyundai Market Store on Woodmere Boulevard, October 24, 2016;
- Midori Sushi Bar on Woodmere Boulevard, October 24, 2016;
- Alabama Hotel on Monticello Drive, October 25, 2016;
- China King Restaurant on Zelda Road, October 30, 2016;
- Tai Ji Acupressure store on Minnie Brown Road, October 30, 2016; and
- Satsuki Japanese Restaurant on Atlanta Highway, October 30, 2016;
A firearm was used during each of the robberies and, on a least one occasion, Mathis used pepper spray against an employee. Evidence also indicated that she threatened some of the victims with a knife, and during the Alabama Hotel robbery, Mathis struck an employee with a can of pepper spray causing injury.
Lee’s sentencing hearing will take place at a later date. At sentencing, he will be facing up to 20 years in prison for participating in the robberies listed above, along with two that took place on October 26, 2016, and two on October 31, 2016.
“For too long, violent crime has plagued our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “Regardless of whether a person is walking down the street or working to make a living—like the victims in this case—everyone should feel safe in their daily activities. I hope that this case serves as a reminder that there are severe consequences for injecting fear and violence into the daily lives of members of our community.”
FBI SAC James Jewell stated, "There is no place in today’s society for violent behavior and reckless disregard for human life. The men and women of the FBI work day in and day out with our state, local, and federal partners to see that justice is served upon predators such as these."
Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley said, “The Montgomery Police Department appreciates our close working relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and we want to thank our federal partners for bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion with the sentencing of Diamond Mathis and the pending sentencing of DeGregory Lee.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Russ Duraski prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners: Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montgomery Police Department. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Methamphetamine Dealing Couple Pleads Guilty to Distributing Ketamine Which Resulted in the Death of a Teenager Whose Body Was Found Floating in a Texas BayouRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that CARLOS MARIO CANTU-COX, age 48, and his husband, CHRISTOPHER CANTU-COX, age 37, both of Pasadena, Texas, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 for distributing ketamine that resulted in the death of a Slidell, Louisiana teenager. The eighteen year old’s dead body was found floating in a Texas bayou.
As described in court documents, the CANTU-COXES were large-scale methamphetamine suppliers to the Houston and New Orleans area. One of their customers was an eighteen year old from Slidell, Louisiana, who frequently traveled to Texas to stay at their home. During one of these visits, the teenager was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and the CANTU-COXES posted his $6000 bond.
The teenager did not appear for his Texas court appearances and the CANTU-COXES told their New Orleans customers that they wanted the teenager so they could transport him back to Texas and recover their bond. Williams Harrison Farris, age 39, a New Orleans-based methamphetamine dealer and user who was supplied by the CANTU-COXES learned that the couple was looking for the teenager and were offering free methamphetamine to anyone who successfully led them to him.
Farris had previously dated Kacie Doucet, aged 37, another New Orleans-based drug user. Farris knew that Doucet was connected to the teenager on Facebook. At the direction of Farris, Doucet contacted the teenager over Facebook on multiple occasions and suggested that they meet for a sexual encounter. Farris and Doucet enlisted the help of Leilani Aspuria, age 25, of Jefferson Parish, the only one of the three with a car.
The CANTU-COXES were aware that Doucet’s offer of a sexual encounter with the teenager was a ruse, and that the real purpose of picking up the teenager in Slidell at his grandfather’s house was to provide him with a cocktail of powerful drugs and thus render him incapacitated so he could be delivered to the CANTU-COXES who were staying at a hotel in downtown New Orleans. The CANTU-COXES supplied the drug cocktail, which contained ketamine, as well as instructions on how to mix the drugs with alcohol so that it could be administered to the teenager without him knowing what he was taking.
Doucet and Aspuria picked up the teenager on February 23, 2016 and gave him the CANTU-COXES’s drug cocktail, which the couple referred to as an “elixir.” Eventually, the teenager passed out, at which point Doucet and Aspuria drove to the parking garage of Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans. Farris had been following Doucet and Aspuria on his motorcycle. The teenager’s body was then transferred to the CANTU-COXES’ car. The CANTU-COXES then drove back to Texas, with the teenager passed out in their back seat.
Somewhere near the Louisiana-Texas border, the CANTU-COXES realized that the teenager was no longer breathing. The CANTU-COXES continued driving to their home in Pasadena, Texas and parked in their driveway. Because it was still daylight, they left the teenager’s body in the car. At nightfall, the CANTU-COXES drove to a bridge over Sims Bayou in the Houston area and put the teenager’s body into the bayou. The teenager’s body washed to the shore of Sims Bayou a week later. The CANTU-COXES later paid Farris a quantity of methamphetamine for his efforts in capturing the teenager.
U.S. District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter will sentence the CANTU-COXES on May 5, 2020. The CANTU-COXES face up to twenty years in prison. Farris, Doucet, and Aspuria have all plead guilty to the same charge. U.S District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Aspuria to ten years of imprisonment on February 7, 2020. Farris will be sentenced on March 18, 2020. Doucet will be sentenced on April 8, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Louisiana State Police, Houston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys David Howard Sinkman and Brandon S. Long and are in charge of the prosecution.
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Man from Albuquerque sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for methamphetamine traffickingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Gaspar Leal, 49, of Albuquerque, New Mexico was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque to 30 years (360 months) in prison after juries found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine at two separate trials.
On July 12, 2016, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Leal and two others with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on June 8, 2016. On Dec. 6, 2017, a jury returned a verdict finding Leal guilty of conspiracy and not guilty of distribution. Two co-defendants pleaded guilty in this case. Candace Tapia, 24, of Albuquerque received a sentence of 18 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and Bernadette Aurora Tapia, 51, of Albuquerque received a sentence of 21 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
On Dec. 20, 2017, a grand jury returned a separate indictment charging Leal with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between July 21, 2016, and Aug. 3, 2016, and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on July 25, 2016. On July 23, 2019, a jury found Leal guilty of conspiracy and not guilty of distribution.
The evidence at Leal’s trials proved he conspired with his co-defendants and others to distribute methamphetamine in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The evidence showed investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) used an informant who initiated contact with Leal, who was employed as a barber, by posing as a customer wanting a haircut. The evidence also showed Leal arranged drug deals by phone while in jail.
ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Norman Cairns, Kimberly Brawley, and Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Trafficking “Ghost Guns” and DrugsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine, and firearms without serial numbers, also known as “ghost guns”, from North Carolina to Virginia.
According to court documents, Flavio Lopez Garcia, 27, trafficked over 140 grams of methamphetamine, over 57 grams of cocaine, and seven firearms from North Carolina to Virginia. Five of the firearms were “ghost guns”, as they did not have serial numbers or other identifying markers. Two additional firearms destined for Virginia were recovered during Garcia’s arrest in North Carolina. After bringing the contraband over state lines, Garcia sold the items in a combined drug and gun trafficking scheme in exchange for profit.
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. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark Herring, Attorney General for Virginia; and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Assistant Attorney General Karolina Klyuchnikova prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-319.
Man Charged with Defrauding Banks and Investors of $5 MillionRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was charged this week in U.S. District Court with defrauding five federally insured financial institutions and two investor families of more than $5 million dollars, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores
William Brian Mulder, 61, is charged with 26 counts of Bank Fraud; 41 counts of Causing the Interstate Transmission of Moneys Taken by Fraud, and five counts of Engaging in Unlawful Monetary Transactions.
According to a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury, Mulder is alleged to have repeatedly represented himself to banks and investors as a person of high net worth who owned and controlled assets that, in fact, did not exist. Mulder pledged these assets as collateral for loans and lines of credit that totaled approximately $4 million. Among the phony assets were life insurance policies that Mulder represented to have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The superseding indictment also charged Mulder with having fraudulently obtained over $1 million from investors. Mulder allegedly told the investors that they could invest through his own family trust and also in specific ventures, such as the financing of a doctor’s home that, Mulder claimed, was being built in the Joplin, Missouri, area. The superseding indictment alleges that, in fact, the purported investment opportunities were bogus and that Mulder used the investor funds for his own purposes.
“The superseding indictment in the Mulder case touches upon two important aspects. First, Mr. Mulder is alleged to have defrauded financial institutions that are the mainstay of commercial activity in our communities. Second, Mr. Mulder is alleged to have defrauded individuals who sought to invest in commercial ventures,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Our next step is to hold this white collar criminal accountable in a court of law, and we are prepared to do so.”
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Mulder faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and fines of twice the amount of loss caused by his actions, if convicted at trial.
The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Treasury-Office of Inspector General, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-Office of Inspector General are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Leitch is prosecuting the case.
Local man sent to prison for impersonating federal agentRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Cypress resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for illegally possessing a machine gun and impersonating a federal agent, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Mitchell Shoemaker pleaded guilty Aug. 23, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. handed Shoemaker a 78-month sentence for the firearms charge. He also received a 36-month sentence for the impersonation, which is to be served concurrently to the other sentence imposed. The sentences are to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Shoemaker was further ordered to pay $2,000 in fines. At the hearing, the court considered that Shoemaker continued to abuse illegal substances and to unlawfully possess several firearms after he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2014. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Shoemaker has spent years lying and deceiving others, that he obstructed justice by destroying evidence and that he has shown virtually no respect for the law.
“The Diplomatic Security Service’s (DSS) strong relationship with the Magnolia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas continues to be essential in the pursuit of justice,” said Jeffrey McGallicher, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS - Houston Field Office. “This shows the positive outcome when local law enforcement and federal agencies work together to stop someone from impersonating a federal agent.”
On Dec. 18, 2018, Shoemaker presented a fake badge to law enforcement officers at the shooting range in Magnolia. He admitted he represented himself to be an agent with DSS in order to gain access to the law enforcement only shooting range. He was found to not have ties to any federal agency and was immediately taken into custody.
At the time of his arrest, Shoemaker was in possession of seven firearms and two silencers. Among them was a machine gun - a F.N. (FN Herstal) PS90, 5.7 caliber rifle – that he was prohibited from possessing. Eight more firearms were seized from Shoemaker’s home the following day pursuant to a federal search warrant.
The investigation revealed Shoemaker had previously represented himself to be a federal law enforcement agent and participated in target practice with a local officer.
Authorities obtained video of him firing weapons, including the machine gun. They also found additional videos in which Shoemaker discussed the features of the F.N. PS90 weapon and modifications he made to the firearm. In the video, he pointed out the “giggle switch” which refers to the selector level to switch the weapon to automatic fire.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
DSS, ATF and Magnolia Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Britni Cooper prosecuted the case.
Local Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $825,000Read the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael C. Greutman, 59, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty today
to thirteen counts of wire fraud and four counts of tax evasion stemming from his embezzlement of
funds from his employer. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of
Florida, announced the guilty plea.Between 2009 and 2016, Greutman embezzled over $825,000 from his employer, a family-owned business in Shalimar, Florida. Greutman worked as the Chief Financial Officer and stole money by making
unauthorized online payments to pay his credit cards with employer funds, using corporate credit cards for unauthorized personal purchases, and transferring company funds to his personal bank
accounts. He used his position to create false documentation and manipulate accounting records to cover up his scheme. Greutman also failed to report the embezzled money as income on his income tax
returns.Greutman faces the following penalties:
• Wire Fraud: a maximum of 20 years in prison
• Filing a false tax return: a maximum of 3 years in prisonThe sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 12, 2020, at 10:30 am at the United States Courthouse
in Pensacola.Deputy United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp is prosecuting the case after a joint investigation by
the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation as
part of the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that
serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access
public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District
of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.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.Las Vegas Man Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison Based on False Statement During the Purchase of 35 Firearms over the Course of One YearRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who was convicted of making a false statement when he purchased a firearm was sentenced yesterday to 28 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for the San Francisco Field Division.
“This case stems from the Department of Justice’s new gun violence reduction initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Lying to a licensed firearms dealer and buying a gun for someone else is a serious offense. Our office will continue to work closely with ATF and local law enforcement to prosecute these crimes.”
“The goal of Project Guardian is to reduce the threat of gun violence throughout the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Roundtree. “Our focus is removing crime guns from our communities. Part of that focus encompasses identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who lie on federal firearms transaction forms. ATF is happy to announce the continued success of the Project Guardian initiative through this conviction and our continued work and partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”
In November 2019, a jury found James Williams Jr., 29, guilty of making a false statement during a purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, between May 2017 and May 2018, Williams purchased 35 firearms, mostly handguns, and many of the same make, model, and caliber from various Las Vegas firearms dealers over approximately a one-year period. In May 2018, when purchasing one of those firearms, Williams made a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer regarding his residential address in Las Vegas. As proven at trial, Williams in fact did not reside at the address that he falsely listed as his residence on the Firearms Transaction Record form. At sentencing, U.S. District Chief Judge Miranda M. Du noted that numerous firearms bought by Williams have been recovered by law enforcement officers at crime scenes in multiple states.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Du sentenced Williams to three years of supervised release.
The case was the product of an investigation by the ATF, with the assistance of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Grimmer and Tony Lopez prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-project-guardian-nationwide-strategic-plan.
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Las Vegas Man Sent to Prison for Scheme to Defraud Mortgage LenderRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Robert Lyle Buckhannon, 59, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to serve 24 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a California mortgage lender in connection with a Battle Creek business, On Deck Sports Bar & Grill. Buckhannon will spend two years on court supervision following release from prison and was ordered to pay $467,213.98 in restitution to his victims and a $1,000 fine.
“West Michigan is not a safe zone for fraudsters,” commented U.S. Attorney Birge. “Mr. Buckhannon brought his scheming ways here and now he’s headed to prison.”
In July 2019, Buckhannon pleaded guilty in a Grand Rapids federal courtroom to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Buckhannon admitted that, in 2013, he sent fake lease agreements and fake rent checks to the mortgage lender purporting to show $42,000 in annual rental income to induce the lender to loan $456,000 to On Deck Sports Bar & Grill, a Battle Creek business owned by co-defendant Kelly DeMoss (a/k/a Kelly Flees). In truth, there were no tenants or leases in the building, only the restaurant. After fraudulently obtaining the loan proceeds, Buckhannon and DeMoss siphoned off $36,500 of the loan proceeds for the purchase of a personal residence, which had not been disclosed to the lender and which held no mortgage on the residence. Shortly after the fraud scheme was executed, On Deck Sports Bar and Grill was destroyed by fire on December 30, 2013.
Judge Neff’s sentence reflected in part that Buckhannon had previously been convicted of a wire fraud conspiracy in Nevada for his role in defrauding investors in connection with a hedge fund called the Vestium Equity Fund in which he was ordered to pay $239,686.19 in restitution to those victims. He is serving a three-year probationary sentence for that offense. The Court noted the need for punishment and specific deterrence given Buckhannon’s prior fraudulent conduct and other criminal history.
Buckhannon’s co-defendant, Kelly Flees, previously was sentenced by Judge Neff to serve one year on federal probation and to pay $30,654.42 in restitution for her role in the offense. Ms. Flees was convicted of misprision of a felony (having knowledge of Buckhannon’s felony offense, failing to report it to law enforcement, and taking an affirmative step to conceal the crime).
The case was investigated by the Grand Rapids office of the ATF and the Battle Creek Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher O’Connor and Erin Lane prosecuted the case.
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Jury Finds Madison Man Guilty of Armed Robbery, Drug & Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jeremiah Edwards, 34, Madison, Wisconsin, was found guilty yesterday evening of armed robbery of an O’Reilly Auto Parts store, brandishing a firearm during that crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing THC-products with an intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. The jury reached its verdict after 7 hours of deliberations following four days of testimony in federal court in Madison.
The evidence presented at trial showed the Edwards, along with Kanasha Woods, 25, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, robbed the O’Reilly Auto Parts Store on South Stoughton Road in the Town of Blooming Grove, Wisconsin, on November 8, 2018. Both Edwards and Woods brandished firearms during the robbery and obtained cash from the safe and cash register drawers. Edwards and Woods fled the scene in Edwards’s vehicle and drove to the Moorish Science Temple in downtown Madison where Madison police officers attempted a traffic stop. Edwards evaded the stop and led the police in a high-speed chase through downtown Madison that ended with him crashing the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
During a search of the getaway vehicle, officers found the robbery proceeds, a ski mask and gloves used by Woods in the armed robbery, a receipt from Walmart showing the purchase of the mask and gloves, and a tactical light/laser that was on the firearm used by Edwards during the robbery. Officers also found a variety of marijuana and THC products in individually packaged portions with home-made labels with skull & crossbones in the names of “OG” and “LK.” During a second search of the vehicle, officers found a loaded 9mm Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol along with a black stocking hat with a green Moorish star on it in a hidden compartment in the ceiling of the vehicle behind a sunglasses holder. Analysts from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab in Madison testified that the Glock 19 and the black stocking hat contained Edwards’s DNA.
The government also presented evidence that four hours after the robbery, Edwards drained his bank account at an ATM in a laundromat located just one mile from the crash site, and fled to Chicago using a fake ID in the name of Henry Gilmore. Edwards was arrested in Chicago on March 11, 2019.
At trial, Woods testified that after attending services at the Moorish Science Temple in Madison on the day of the robbery, she was told by Caliph Muab-el, the Grand Sheik of the Temple (and Edwards’s brother), to get into Edwards’ vehicle and that she could trust Edwards that he would drive her home safely. Woods testified that Edwards told her he made and sold THC products, and that he supplied the marijuana and THC products that she was selling on behalf of Caliph Muab-el. Edwards offered her two exotic strains of marijuana to sample. After smoking the marijuana, Edwards pulled out the Glock and pointed it at Woods and told her he wanted her help as a lookout for a robbery. He told her she could “make some money or get hurt.” He then drove her to a Walmart and gave her $20, and told her to buy a mask and gloves for the robbery. Edwards then drove to the O’Reilly store and circled around it a number of times waiting for customers to leave the store. Once the parking lot was empty, Edwards and Woods entered the store brandishing pistols and ordered the store manager to show Edwards the safe. Edwards was unhappy with the three-minute time delay on the safe and threatened the manager by racking his gun and telling the manager, “don’t make me f*** you up.”
Woods pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of the O’Reilly store on March 25, 2019. She was sentenced on June 19, 2019, to 42 months in prison.
Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled Edwards’s sentencing for April 17, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. Edwards faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years on the robbery charge, 10 years on the felon in possession charge, and five years on the drug charge. He also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years on the brandishing charge during the robbery, and another mandatory minimum penalty of five years on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Federal law requires that the mandatory seven-year and five-year gun sentences be served consecutively to each other, and to any sentence imposed on the robbery charge, the drug charge, and the felon in possession charge.
The charges against Edwards and Woods are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Chadwick M. Elgersma and Daniel J. Graber handled the prosecution.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
John Guerrero Sentenced to 155 Months for Drug Distribution and Firearms ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that John Guerrero (also known as “Sunshine” to his former drug customers in Franklin County) was sentenced today in federal court on one count of conspiring to distribute two hundred and eighty grams or more of cocaine base and one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Guerrero—who is 27 and a resident of Boston, Massachusetts—was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss to a period of incarceration of 155 months, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracies.
The defendant pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement he entered into with the United States. According to court records, Guerrero was responsible for the distribution of at least 2.8 kilograms of “crack” cocaine in the Franklin County area and for the trafficking of at least 30 illegally purchased firearms from Vermont to the Boston area. Guerrero and his coconspirators used drug customers to purchase firearms for them in exchange for controlled substances. Their offenses continued from at least September 2017 through March 2018.
As part of his plea agreement, the defendant had agreed to a sentencing range of 144 to 180 months (12-15 years). In exchange, the United States agreed to dismiss two additional criminal charges, including interstate transportation of firearms from which the serial numbers had been removed, altered, or obliterated. The defendant could have been sentenced up to life imprisonment for the remaining counts of conviction in the absence of the plea agreement.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan noted: “These cases are among the most serious cases we investigate and prosecute. The damage currently caused by dangerous drugs in our communities, including those in Franklin County, cannot be overstated. To make the situation worse, these particular individuals trafficked firearms across state lines into a separate community, deliberately introducing them into neighborhoods already saturated with violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to the prosecution of crimes at the intersection of dangerous drugs and illegal firearms.”
The investigation of this case was a joint effort between agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and local law enforcement—particularly the St. Albans Police Department. Their efforts were part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a 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.
This prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. John Guerrero was represented by David F. Kidney, Esq. of Barre, Vermont.
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.
Jacksonville Woman Indicted for Perjury, Passport Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Brandi Nicole Fletcher (24, Jacksonville) with perjury, fraudulently obtaining a passport, and aggravated identity theft in connection with passport fraud. If convicted, Fletcher faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the false statement in an application for a passport count, up to 5 years for the perjury count, and a consecutive mandatory term of two years for the aggravated identity theft count.
According to court documents, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in Jacksonville began investigating Fletcher after she appeared in federal court in July 2019 as a potential third-party custodian for a federal defendant seeking to be released on bond. During that hearing, Fletcher claimed, under oath, to be another person with the initials K.N.P. Fletcher also claimed to have the date of birth of K.N.P. and claimed to have no prior criminal record. All of these claims were false. Further investigation by the USMS revealed that Fletcher had obtained a Florida identification card in the name of K.N.P. approximately one hour prior to appearing in federal court. A facial recognition search of the Florida driver license database also showed that Fletcher had been issued Florida driver licenses or identification cards in her own name, as well as in the names of four other individuals.
In August 2019, Fletcher was arrested in South Carolina on unrelated charges for possession of stolen property. At the time of her arrest, she was in possession of a United States passport in the name of a person with the initials A.I.N.D., as well as at least 12 identification documents for other individuals, including birth certificates, social security cards, Florida identification cards, and a Georgia driver license. Further investigation by the United States Diplomatic Security Service revealed that, in February 2019, Fletcher had submitted an application for the passport using identification documents belonging to another person. In submitting the passport application, Fletcher swore that she was A.I.N.D.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Diplomatic Security Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing and Discharging a Firearm During Waffle House RobberyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Nicholas Thames, 22, of Jackson, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 120 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm after he had been previously convicted of felony crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thames was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
“Project EJECT was created to expel this exact type of criminal from our communities – those who violently threaten and terrorize our fellow citizens. Because of the work by the Jackson Police Department and the FBI, this criminal was quickly apprehend and prosecuted before he was able to harm anyone else. For at least the next decade, this criminal will not be able to hurt any more innocent civilians,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
On October 27, 2017, Thames entered a Waffle House restaurant on Beasley Road in Jackson, armed with a .45 caliber handgun. Thames covered his face with a red bandana in an attempt to conceal his identity. However, Thames was recognized by several witnesses because he had eaten at the restaurant just an hour earlier. Thames fired one shot from his pistol into the ceiling of the business, then pointed the gun at an employee, demanding money. The employee emptied the register, giving the contents to Thames. After receiving the cash, Thames fled on foot. In all, Thames got away with approximately $400.00.
Officers with the Jackson Police Department responded to the scene immediately. An officer spotted Thames walking in an apartment complex wearing clothing that matched the description given by the Waffle House employees. Thames was arrested and officers found a large sum of money and a black handgun on his person. Officers also found several other items that the defendant admitted taking from a vehicle that he had broken into in the area.
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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
Jackson County Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Jackson County man for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge James G. Hernandez.
U.S. District Judge Anne Marie Axon sentenced Joshua Taylor Holcomb, to 7 ½ years in prison to be followed by 10 years supervised. Holcomb pled guilty in October to possessing more than 2700 images of child pornography and 351 videos on his laptop and thumb drive. Holcomb will have to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
“Criminals who victimize our children through digital pixels, videos or photos expect a visit from federal law enforcement,” Town said. “He will now spend the next 7 ½ years looking at prison bars instead of a computer screen.”
HSI investigated the case along with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, State Bureau of Investigations, which Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted.
Indictment: Gun Deal in Parking Lot Went Badly for FelonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man was indicted Thursday on federal charges of assaulting an undercover officer after she paid him $400 for a handgun, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Nicholas Newman, 19, Kansas City, Kan., was charged with one count of robbery, one count of assaulting a federal officer, one count of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
An affidavit filed in the case alleges that on Feb. 6, 2020, Newman met the undercover officer in the parking lot of a Sunfresh grocery store at 241 S. 18th Street in Kansas City, Kan. The agent gave Newman $400 and he gave her a .45 caliber Ruger Model P234 pistol. She asked if the gun came with a clip and he said it did. Then Newman reached for the firearm and tried to pull it away from her. During the struggle, the agent shouted for help and a second agent grabbed Newman from behind.
If convicted, Newman could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm, up to 25 years on the robbery count, up to 20 years on the assault count and not less than five years on the charge of brandishing a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting. This case is being prosecuted under Project Guardian, a Justice Department initiative focused to reducing gun violence.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Cory Castro, 28, Lawson, Mo., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 21, 2019, in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face not less than five years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million on the methamphetamine charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The Lenexa Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting.
Perfecto Morales-Santiago, 42, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 27, 2020, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting.
Stephen M. Nelson, 31, Kansas City, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in February and July 2019 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
Monta Simmons, 31, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Center on Brewer Place in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 20, 2019.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Henderson Man Sentenced to 26 Years Imprisonment for Heroin and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that yesterday in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JONATHAN ANTWAN MITCHELL, 34, of Henderson, North Carolina to 312 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
MITCHELL was named in an Indictment filed on December 4, 2018, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On July 22, 2019, MITCHELL pled guilty to that charge.
According to the investigation, in August of 2018, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from MITCHELL. This purchase occurred in Henderson, North Carolina.
A few days later, a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car that MITCHELL was driving. MITCHELL sped away, reaching speeds of up to approximately 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. After a couple of miles, MITCHELL lost control and wrecked the car in a ditch. MITCHELL ran from the car and after a struggle with the trooper, was ultimately placed under arrest. Agents from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation arrived at the scene to assist. As a result of the arrest and a search of the car, agents recovered over 1,200 dosage units of heroin, approximately $31,000 in US currency, a semiautomatic pistol, and a 50-round extended magazine. MITCHELL later admitted to agents that he had been dealing heroin in the Henderson and Vance County area since 2014.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; the State Bureau of Investigation; the Vance County Sheriff’s Office; and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nick J. Miller represented the government.
This case is part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Hedge Fund Manager Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Defrauding Investors of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NICHOLAS JOSEPH GENOVESE was sentenced on February 11 in Manhattan federal court to 140 months in federal prison for committing securities fraud. GENOVESE induced more than $11.2 million in investments in a hedge fund that he founded, Willow Creek Investments LP (“Willow Creek”), by misrepresenting his qualifications and professional background and concealing that he had prior felony convictions for fraud-related crimes. In February 2018, GENOVESE was charged, arrested, and detained for perpetrating this fraud. In October 2018, GENOVESE pled guilty to one count of securities fraud before United States District Judge William H. Pauley III, who also imposed the sentence.
United States Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Nicholas Genovese is a recidivist fraudster and con artist who tricked more than ten victims into investing more than $11.2 million dollars into his hedge fund, Willow Creek, based on false claims about his background and credentials. Genovese brazenly lied to his victims, falsely claiming that he was an heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune, that he had an Ivy League MBA, and that he had served in senior roles at major Wall Street firms. In reality, Genovese was a repeat offender with nine prior criminal convictions for fraud-related and other crimes. Genovese now faces more than a decade in prison for defrauding his victims.”
According to the allegations set forth in the Complaint and Indictment filed against GENOVESE in Manhattan federal court, and statements made in public court filings and proceedings including GENOVESE’s sentencing hearing:
In or about 2015, GENOVESE began soliciting individuals to invest in the hedge fund that became Willow Creek, which was based in New York, New York. In doing so, GENOVESE represented, among other things, that he was part of the Genovese family that had owned the Genovese Drug Store chain in the New York area and was an heir to this family’s fortune from the sale of that business for hundreds of millions of dollars in the late 1990s; that he had graduated from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business; and that he had extensive Wall Street experience. In particular, GENOVESE claimed that he had been a Goldman Sachs partner and a Bear Sterns portfolio manager before forming Willow Creek. Based in part on these claims, victims invested $11,211,704 with GENOVESE.
These representations were false. GENOVESE is not related to the Genovese family that owned and sold the Genovese Drug Store Chain, did not attend the Tuck School of Business, and had never worked for Goldman Sachs or Bear Stearns. GENOVESE also did not tell his investors that he had multiple prior felony convictions for fraud-related offenses including forgery, identity theft, and grand larceny.
When investors began to ask for their money back, GENOVESE put them off. He told one investor that he would only return that investor’s funds after “the stars have aligned,” or else there would be a risk that almost all the money would be lost as a result of the purported impracticalities of unwinding unspecified trading positions. Records indicate that GENOVESE lost approximately $8 million trading in TD Ameritrade accounts between January 2015 and December 2017. GENOVESE also used proceeds of his fraud to purchase various luxuries for himself.
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GENOVESE, 54, was born and raised in Illinois and is a resident of New York, New York. In addition to his prison term, GENOVESE was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $11,211,704 in addition to forfeiture of the proceeds of his crime.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the New York Regional Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Samson Enzer is in charge of the prosecution.
Fresno County Man Indictment for Large-Scale Marijuana CultivationRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Diego Garcia Lua, 61, of Orange Cove, charging him with cultivating marijuana and maintaining a drug-involved premises, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Lua used his orange orchard to disguise the presence of approximately 6,305 marijuana plants he was growing there.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Servatius and Katherine E. Schuh are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lua faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine on count one and a 20-year maximum penalty and $250,000 fine on count two. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Indian Health Services Doctor Indicted on Multiple Counts of Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, man formerly employed as a physician for Indian Health Services at the Wagner Indian Health Service Clinic has been indicted by a federal grand jury for four Counts of Sexual Abuse and four Counts of Abusive Sexual Contact involving his patients.
Pedro Ibarra-Perocier, age 58, was indicted on February 4, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 13, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $800 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Count 1 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately January 2017, and August 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly caused and attempt to cause Adult Victim #1 to engage in a sexual act by threatening and placing Adult Victim #1 in fear.
Count 2 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately January 2014, and February 2017, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly caused and attempt to cause Adult Victim #2 to engage in a sexual act by threatening and placing Adult Victim #2 in fear.
Count 3 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately April 2018, and August 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly caused and attempt to cause Adult Victim #3 to engage in a sexual act by threatening and placing Adult Victim #3 in fear.
Count 4 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately April 2018, and June 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly caused and attempt to cause Adult Victim #4 to engage in a sexual act by threatening and placing Adult Victim #4 in fear.
Count 5 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately January 2017, and August 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, sexual contact with Adult Victim #1 by threatening and placing Adult Victim #1 in fear.
Count 6 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately January 2014, and February 2017, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, sexual contact with Adult Victim #2 by threatening and placing Adult Victim #2 in fear.
Count 7 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately April 2018, and August 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, sexual contact with Adult Victim #3 by threatening and placing Adult Victim #3 in fear.
Count 8 of the Indictment alleges that on or about between approximately August 2016, and June 2018, Ibarra-Perocier knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, sexual contact with Adult Victim #4 by threatening and placing Adult Victim #4 in fear.
The charges are merely accusations and Ibarra-Perocier is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann M. Hoffman and Jeffrey C. Clapper are prosecuting the case.
Ibarra-Perocier was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Former Generic Pharmaceutical Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Criminal Antitrust ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former senior executive pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs, the Department of Justice announced.
According to court documents, from at least March 2013 until at least June 2015, Hector Armando Kellum, a former senior executive at a generic pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, conspired to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers for generic drugs. The conspiracy affected products including, but not limited to, clobetasol and nystatin triamcinolone cream. Kellum’s co-conspirators included a generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York and various individuals, including Ara Aprahamian, who was indicted in Philadelphia on Feb. 4, 2020. Kellum has agreed to cooperate with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into criminal antitrust violations in the generic drug industry.
“With today’s guilty plea, the Antitrust Division continues its prosecution of high-ranking executives who conspired to cheat America’s most vulnerable elderly consumers by raising prices for vital drugs,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Competition in our healthcare system is a critical focus for the Antitrust Division, and rooting out collusion by executives is a key priority in keeping our markets free.”
“Today’s guilty plea by the former pharmaceutical senior executive is yet another example of the dedication and determination exhibited by the legal and investigative teams,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Along with our partners at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those individuals responsible for unlawful behavior within the generic drug industry.”
“Kellum’s plea shows he lost sight of the basic principle that medicine is intended to heal sick people, not line an individual's pockets by colluding to rig bids and manipulate drug prices," said Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "The FBI and our partners will continue to fight for the American public to have access to a competitive marketplace for pharmaceuticals. We will not stand by while large corporations and business executives in power try to skirt the rules at the expense of unsuspecting citizens.”
Kellum is the fourth executive to be charged in this investigation, and the third to plead guilty. To date, two companies have also been charged. The corporate charges were resolved by deferred prosecution agreement.
A violation of the charged offense carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
This case is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation 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 drug industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug and Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. - On February 13, 2020, Jose Antonio Yanez, 50, of Pirtleville, Ariz., was sentenced to 72 months in prison by United States District Judge James A. Soto. Yanez had previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Receiving a Bribe, and Importation of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance. Yanez was also ordered to pay $340,434 in restitution to United States Border Patrol, for salary he received while he was involved in the conspiracy.
From 2014 to 2016, while working as a United States Border Patrol Agent at the Douglas and Naco stations, Yanez used his position to assist drug traffickers to transport thousands of kilograms of marijuana. Among other acts, Yanez turned Border Patrol cameras away from an 18-person group of smugglers carrying marijuana in large backpacks, purposely left his area of responsibility so that vehicles containing more than 4,100 kilograms of narcotics could cross the border, and provided law enforcement sensitive materials and information to co-conspirators, all in exchange for money. Yanez admitted to accepting more than $16,000 in bribes during the conspiracy. Further, Yanez personally smuggled at least 160 alprazolam and tramadol pills into the United States from Mexico to distribute to another person.
“It is a unique affront to our system of justice when people like Yanez breach the trust placed in them by our communities,” said United States Attorney Michael Bailey, “and we have established a new Public Integrity section in our office to vigorously pursue matters like this.”
The investigation was handled by the Cochise Border Corruption Task Force, comprised of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility, Border Patrol, DEA, and the Douglas Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Gordon E. Davenport III, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
Five Defendants Appeared in Federal Court This Week for Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced the resolution of several cases this week, all of which are separately noted.
SENTENCING – ALBERT MICKLUS III
Multi-Convicted Felon from Boyce Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Albert Micklus III, 31, of Boyce, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 11, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 100 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty on November 6, 2019, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
During the execution of an arrest warrant on April 24, 2018, officers with the U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force found Micklus hidden in a camper and in possession of a Smith & Wesson M&P 5.56mm AR-15 rifle that he admitted to stealing during a home invasion.
Prior to his arrest on April 24, 2018, Micklus’ criminal history included felony convictions for attempted entry of an inhabited dwelling and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (2009), simple burglary and criminal conspiracy (2012), and possession of a controlled dangerous substance (2017). At the time of his arrest, he had outstanding state arrest warrants for attempted first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, home invasion, aggravated cruelty to animals, domestic abuse battery, and second degree battery.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshal’s Service, Louisiana State Police, and the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
SENTENCING – DANIEL ELLSWORTH
Felon Sent Back to Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Daniel Lee Ellsworth, 29, of Alexandria, was sentenced on February 11, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 32 months in prison and one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty on October 21, 2019, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 11, 2018, parole officers went to Ellsworth’s residence to conduct a compliance check. Ellsworth was on state probation at the time for a felony conviction in Rapides Parish for attempted possession of a firearm by a felon. While there, officers found a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun in his bedroom. Ellsworth is a multiple-time convicted felon, and admitted that he knew his status as a convicted felon prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition. There is no parole in the federal system.
Daniel Ellsworth has prior felony convictions in Rapides Parish for simple burglary (2009), possession of marijuana (2015), attempted possession of a firearm by a felon (2015), and drug paraphernalia (2018). He also has a prior felony conviction in Calcasieu Parish for illegal use of a weapon (2013). It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections’ Division of Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shannon prosecuted the case.
SENTENCING – RONALD LOUIS HALL JR.
Alexandria Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Firearms and Drug Offenses
ALEXANDRIA – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Ronald Louis Hall Jr., 29, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 10 years in federal prison for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone. Judge Drell also sentenced Hall to three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Hall pled guilty to these charges on November 14, 2019.
On January 6, 2019, while traveling in Rapides Parish, a Louisiana State trooper initiated a stop of Hall’s vehicle for two traffic violations. As the officer approached the vehicle to make contact with Hall, he encountered the smell of burnt marijuana. Hall admitted to smoking marijuana earlier and consented to a search of his vehicle. During the search, officers found a 9mm extended magazine containing 16 rounds of ammunition in the glove compartment. Officers later discovered a hidden compartment in the vehicle that held five plastic cellophane bags containing 452 Oxycodone pills, a powerful opioid.
Hall has prior felony narcotics convictions in Rapides Parish for possession of marijuana second offense (2013) and third offense (2015), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine (2014). It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess firearms or ammunition.
The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
GUILTY PLEA – WILLIS ELMER LACOUR
Alexandria Man Admits to Distributing Methamphetamine
ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Willis Elmer Lacour, 39, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to information presented to the court, Lacour was known to law enforcement as a multi-convicted drug felon who was distributing methamphetamine in and around Central Louisiana. On December 4, 2019, agents with the FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force arrested Lacour for distribution of approximately 460 grams of methamphetamine. At the time of his arrest, officers found $1,851 in Lacour’s pocket and $5,640 in the glove compartment of the vehicle he was driving. Lacour claimed ownership of the cash found in the glove compartment and admitted to distributing the methamphetamine.
Lacour faces up to 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine at his sentencing on May 15, 2020.
The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Crawford is prosecuting the case.
GUILTY PLEA – KENTRELL DEMARCIA TURNER
Armed Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Federal Court
SHREVEPORT, La. – A Shreveport resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced.
Kentrell Demarcia Turner, 28, pleaded guilty on February 12, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
During routine patrol on February 23, 2018, a Shreveport Police officer detected the smell of marijuana coming from a parked vehicle. As the officer approached the vehicle, Turner exited and stood near the open driver’s side door. Once out of the vehicle, officers could see a large plastic bag containing marijuana on the center console and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. The pistol was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Officers also discovered $3,509 in Turner’s left front pocket. After Turner was transported to the Shreveport City Jail, he attempted to remove powder cocaine that he had hidden on his body. An inventory of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of cocaine rocks found on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat.
Turner has prior felony convictions from 2011 and 2012 in Caddo Parish for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess firearms or ammunition.
Judge Hicks scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2020, at which time Turner faces up to 20 years in prison for the cocaine charge, and five years in prison for the firearm charge.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
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The firearms cases were brought as 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. PSN is 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.
The firearms cases are 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 https://www.justice.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.