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Thursday 13 February 2020
Niagara Falls Woman Going to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tammy Hoover, 41, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Higgins and Misha Coulson, who handled the case, stated that between December 2016 and December 27, 2016, the defendant conspired with others to distribute cocaine in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY, areas.
Sometime in December 2016, Hoover agreed to receive delivery of a U.S. Postal Service parcel, which contained a quantity of cocaine, at her residence on North Avenue in Niagara Falls. The defendant did so at the request of co-conspirators, and expected a monetary payment in exchange for her role in taking the delivery and safeguarding the parcel.
Prior to delivery, the parcel was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service and was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. The parcel contained a large quantity of cocaine packaged within a plastic file box in five separately wrapped kilogram-sized bricks. The parcel was then repackaged with sham materials and a controlled delivery was conducted on December 27, 2016. Hoover received the package at her residence, and signed for it. The defendant was arrested at that time. The parcel was recovered from within the residence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata.
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New London Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Role in Southeastern Connecticut Drug RingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EMILIO RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Millz,” 26, of New London, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a southeastern Connecticut drug trafficking ring.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, and firearms.
The investigation revealed that Rodriguez received heroin from Royshawn Allgood, also known as “Boy Roy,” and Anthony Whyte, also known as “Jack Mac,” then distributed the drugs to his own customers.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Rodriguez, Allgood and 22 other individuals with various offenses. On August 6, 2019, a superseding indictment included charges against an additional two defendants.
Rodriguez has been detained since his arrest on March 11, 2019. On October 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Allgood pleaded guilty to related charges and, on January 3, 2020, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment. Whyte is awaiting trial.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook and UConn Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
New Jersey Woman Entered into Sham Marriage to Provide Nigerian Native Living in Pittsburgh with Lawful Permanent ResidencyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A New Jersey resident has plead guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Entering a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Marilyn J. Horan was Ajia Strauss, age 28, of Newark, NJ.
According to information presented to the court, from June 2016, to March 2019, Monsuru Ogunbiyi and Ajia Strauss conspired with one another to defraud the United States. Ogunbiyi, a native and citizen of Nigeria who was living in Pittsburgh, and Strauss, a native and citizen of the United States, agreed to enter into a sham marriage so that Ogunbiyi could obtain lawful permanent residency in the United States. As part of the conspiracy, Ogunbiyi agreed to pay money to Strauss. Also as a part of the conspiracy, Ogunbiyi and Strauss submitted false and fraudulent statements and documents to the United States.
The Court set sentencing for June 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, or both, for the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case.
New Jersey Man, Avowed Member of White Supremacist Group, Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statements to FBIRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Fred Arena, 41, of Salem, New Jersey, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge John R. Padova for making false statements to government agents.
Arena, who was an employee of a federal contractor at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and as such was required to obtain a federal security clearance, lied to obtain the clearance. He also subsequently lied to federal investigators who asked him about his answers to questions on the security clearance paperwork. He was arrested and detained in October 2019, and pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2019.
On January 10, 2019, Arena completed the standard Form SF-86 to obtain a federal security clearance for his employment. On that form, he was required to disclose whether he had ever been a member of an organization that used (or advocated the use of) force or violence to prevent others from exercising their constitutional rights. He falsely answered that he had not. In fact, Arena was an avowed member of Vanguard America, a white supremacist group that fits that description. His membership in Vanguard America and his participation in their activities were demonstrated by his many admissions and photos on social media, including events surrounding the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. On the same application, Arena was asked whether he had had property repossessed within the past seven years. He falsely answered that he had not. In fact, Arena had previously defaulted on a car loan, and his car was repossessed within the seven year window.
As part of his sentence, the Court specifically ordered that Arena shall, during the period of supervised release, be barred from membership and participation in any organization that advocates or practices unlawful acts of force or violence to discourage others from exercising their rights under the United States Constitution or any state of the United States.
“Lying on federal security clearance forms and to government agents are very serious matters,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Further, no employee working for the federal government, being paid with taxpayer dollars, has any business being a member of a white supremacist group or espousing white supremacist views. Under the terms of today’s sentence, Arena’s activities will be closely monitored by the Court and Probation after he finishes his jail term in order to prevent him from engaging in new criminal behavior that may violate the civil rights of others and endanger the public.”
“Fred Arena lied about being a white supremacist to land a security clearance and government job he never should have had,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “When the FBI questioned him about his background, he continued this pattern of deception. There must be serious consequences for actively deceiving federal agents. Otherwise, critical investigations would grind to a halt, hobbling our justice system and giving criminals and terrorists the upper hand.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, the Camden County Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Joseph LaBar and Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Martha Nye.
Nashua Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Donald Johnson, 34, of Nashua, was sentenced in federal court to 42 months for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson was involved with a drug trafficking organization that distributed crack cocaine and other drugs to various customers in the Nashua area. Johnson purchased crack cocaine from the organization and re-sold it to his own customers. He also assisted other members of the organization with their distribution activities by, among other things, allowing them to use his residence to meet customers.
Johnson previously pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.
“Drug trafficking destroys lives and undermines the quality of life in communities all over New Hampshire” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Stopping the distribution of illegal drugs requires the close cooperation of law enforcement at all levels. Working together we can maintain public safety. I commend the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Nashua Police Department for bringing this drug trafficker to justice.”
“Donald Johnson’s role in this cocaine-trafficking ring was not insignificant to the people of Nashua, whose addictions he exploited. The record shows he offered up his home as a meeting place for customers, while doing his own crack deals on the side,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The truth is, any part played in illegal drug activity has a potentially deadly outcome, and so the FBI will continue to pursue investigations into both individuals and groups eager to profit from the pain and suffering of others.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana Konesky and Anna Krasinski.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Monongalia County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Katina Sabatino, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to two years probation for her role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Sabatino, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Device” in February 2019. Sabatino admitted to using a phone to assist with distributing controlled substances in April 2018 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Mexican National Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Tehama CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Miguel Alvarez Cervantes, 55, a Mexican national living in Los Molinos, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley, to nine years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Cervantes pleaded guilty in July 2019. According to court records, federal agents began investigating Cervantes and co-defendant Maria Cervantes-Echevarria, in 2017 for suspected methamphetamine trafficking in Shasta and Tehama Counties. In August and September 2018, an undercover agent purchased over 3 pounds of methamphetamine from Cervantes during three controlled buys. In addition, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cervantes-Echevarria’s and co-defendant Marta Jiminez Lopez’s home in September 2018, they seized over 34 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of heroin, three firearms, and over $44,000 in cash.
Cervantes-Echevarria and Lopez, both Mexican nationals living in Los Molinos, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are scheduled to be sentenced in March 2020.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the Tehama Interagency Drug Enforcement (TIDE) task force, and the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigations Team (SUMIT), with special assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Highway Patrol.
Mexican Citizen, Previously Convicted of Negligent Homicide, Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Antonio Salas-Miranda, age 41, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Salas-Miranda admitted as part of his guilty plea that he is a citizen of Mexico, and that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on November 20, 2002, June 3, 2008 and again on June 18, 2008. On two occasions, Salas-Miranda had been arrested by immigration authorities in New Jersey and on one occasion, he was arrested by Border Patrol in Arizona after he entered the United States without inspection from Mexico.
On October 12, 2018, he was arrested by an ICE-ERO officer in Wilton, New York. New York State Police Officers had interviewed Salas-Miranda while conducting a homicide investigation. ICE checked the fingerprints of Salas-Miranda, discovered his prior removals, and detained him.
On April 9, 2019, Salas-Miranda was convicted in Saratoga County Court of criminal possession of a weapon and criminally negligent homicide, resulting in a sentence of 10 years in state prison. The Saratoga County prosecution stemmed from the possession and discharge of a firearm by Salas-Miranda at the Crest Inn, in Wilton, that caused the death of Michael Kornacki. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino directed that the federal sentence she imposed today run consecutive to the New York State sentence. The 24-month federal sentence is the maximum permitted by law.
This case was investigated by ATF and ICE-ERO, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Meth traffickers get decades in prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Multiple men have been ordered to prison for a significant amount of time following their convictions related to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Those convicted include Marcial Martinez, 37, Dallas; Saul Delgado, 31, Duncanville; Javier Del Rio, 34, Garland; and Mexican citizens Jose Adalberto Munoz-Mancias, 38, Cuidad Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico; and Edson Roman Gonzalez, 37, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. They all pleaded guilty in either June or July 2019 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than five hundred grams of meth.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Munoz-Mancias to serve 360 months in federal prison. Already on supervised release for a previous conviction of illegal re-entry, the court revoked the remainder of that term and further ordered he serve an additional 24 months to run in part concurrent and in part consecutive for a total of 370 months. The court imposed respective sentences of 170 and 120 months for Roman and Delgado.
On Jan. 29, Del Rio was sentenced to 174 months imprisonment.
Judge Alvarez sentenced Martinez on Jan. 21 to a 25-year-term of imprisonment.
Martinez and Delgado will also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. Del Rio will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Not U.S. citizens, Munoz-Mancias and Roman are expected to face removal proceedings following their prison terms.
When imposing the sentencings, Judge Alvarez noted the drug trafficking organization had been successful in distributing such a significant amount of meth, that it could have devastated many families.
On Dec. 3, 2018, Munoz-Mancias had siphoned a significant amount of liquid meth from one tractor-trailer to undercover authorities and instructed them to drive the load to Dallas which they did the following day.
There, Del Rio and Roman siphoned the liquid meth into plastic barrels. After it was removed, Delgado arrived and confirmed the delivery. Martinez subsequently arrived and paid the undercover agents approximately $20,000 for the transportation.
In total, authorities seized approximately 150 gallons of liquid meth which converts to more than 500 kilograms of meth.
All have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen J. Rees prosecuted the case.
Members of Newark’s ‘Famous Boyz’ Street Gang Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five Newark men who were members of a street gang known as the “Famous Boyz” have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Robert Dorrah, 21, a/k/a “Cash Out,” was sentenced today to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Dorrah previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Ibn Saadiq, 22, a/k/a “Zero,” was sentenced on Feb. 11, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
David Lamar, 28, a/k/a “Brazy Ru,” was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.
Angelo West, 22, a/k/a “Come Up,” was sentenced on Jan. 16, 2020, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Quaheem Bethea, 21, a/k/a “Troub,” was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.Judge Arleo imposed all the sentences in Newark federal court.
In October 2018, Dorrah, Saadiq, Lamar, West and Bethea, along with 12 other members of a violent drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Newark, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and/or heroin. Shaka McKinney and Jahid Vauters, a/k/a “K,” a/k/a “KO,” also were charged with firearms possession offenses. To date, seven other members of the conspiracy, in addition to Dorrah, Saadiq, Lamar, West and Bethea, have pleaded guilty to drug and/or firearms charges in Newark federal court and await sentencing.
On Feb. 25, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Patricio Hernandez, Jonathan Hernandez, and Jonathan Garcia, a/k/a “Bebo,” with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine for their alleged participation in supplying the “Famous Boyz” with cocaine. On Sept. 30, 2019, a grand jury returned a 21-count superseding indictment against the remaining defendants, Patricio Hernandez, Jonathan Hernandez, Garcia, Javon Holmes, a/k/a “J-Dot”, and John Mosley, a/k/a “Breezy,” a/k/a “Brazy,” with various drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and heroin, distribution of cocaine base and heroin, distribution of controlled substances and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges in the superseding indictment remain pending against the remaining defendants.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are members and associates of the Famous Boyz – a subset of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang – which dealt significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, primarily in and around the area of South 18th Street and 15th Avenue, in Newark. The gang often referred to this area as the “8 Block,” “18th,” or simply by reference to the number “8”.
Mosley was a primary source of narcotics for the Famous Boyz and often directed the gang’s drug operations. Mosley and other members of the Famous Boyz shared narcotics, customers, and firearms with one another in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking activities, and they used juveniles to distribute narcotics and stash firearms. Patricio Hernandez and Jonathan Hernandez were among the main suppliers of crack cocaine to Mosley, while Vauters supplied Mosley with heroin. Heroin sold by Famous Boyz members, including Dawes, Armstrong and Williams, contained a fentanyl analogue, which is extremely dangerous and highly addictive.
Members of the Famous Boyz also used social media to promote the gang’s criminal activities, including by advertising their narcotics trafficking activities and proceeds and by threatening both rival gang members and any individuals who consider cooperating with law enforcement. Those members who sold narcotics also enriched themselves by committing other crimes, including robberies. For example, law enforcement, acting on information obtained from a wiretap, arrested West while he was attempting to commit a robbery. After law enforcement seized a .40 caliber firearm from the scene, Mosley was overheard complaining to Holmes, “so all the rachets gone” and “damn we just lost all the straps,” referring to the Famous Boyz losing their firearms.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to sentencings.
He also thanked the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, and the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gary Marshuetz.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Mary E. Toscano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel:
Dorrah: John Whipple Esq., Morristown, New Jersey
Bethea: Kathleen M. Theurer Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
West: Michael V. Calabro Esq., Newark
Lamar: Michael P. Koribanics Esq., Newark
Saadiq: James Patton Esq., Livingston, New JerseyMedia AdvisoryRead the Press Release
WHEN: Friday, February 14, 2020 at 2:00 PM
WHERE: United States Attorney’s Office
150 Fayetteville Street
Suite 2100
Raleigh, NC 27601
Re: Results of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Wake County Targeted Enforcement Operation
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the results of a recently completed enforcement operation in Wake County by Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers targeting those illegal aliens who were previously arrested by local authorities and then a federal detainer was not honored by the local sheriff.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are expected to be present at this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail Don Connelly at [email protected]. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
McKees Rocks Man Illegally Possessed Multiple Types of Drugs, Five Firearms, Ammunition and a Bulletproof VestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Joseph Alexander, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that September 11, 2018, members of the FBI Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed a federal search warrant at a residence on Saint John Street, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Mr. Alexander was located throwing objects from the rear window of the residence. Agents responded to the backyard of the residence and recovered quantities of heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, tramadol, and N–Ethylpentylone. Agents then searched the residence and recovered five firearms, an assortment of ammunition, and a bulletproof vest.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $1250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Maplewood Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography, Passport FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40, to 160 months in prison for distribution of child pornography and making false statements in an application for a passport. DOKULIL, who pleaded guilty on September 13, 2019, was sentenced today before Judge Joan N. Ericksen in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between December 2008 and November 2018, DOKULIL admitted to using file-sharing software to search for, acquire, and distribute images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. DOKULIL also admitted to traveling to the Philippines on multiple occasions and, while there in 2016, purchased several DVDs containing child pornography.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in November 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at DOKULIL’s residence and seized several items, including electronics, electronic media, various travel documents, and DOKULIL’s passport. Law enforcement informed DOKULIL that he could not report his passport lost or stolen in order to obtain a new one because the location of his passport (i.e., in the custody of the FBI) was known to DOKULIL. Despite the warning, DOKULIL submitted an application to the State Department for a replacement passport and, under penalty of perjury, falsely reported that his passport was “lost” or “missing.” After fraudulently obtaining a replacement passport, DOKULIL traveled to the Philippines. On February 26, 2019, DOKULIL was located and arrested in the Philippines and was later deported to the United States.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40
Maplewood, Minn.
Convicted:
- Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
- False statement in application for passport, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 160 months in prison
- 15 years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Mapleton Man Sentenced to over Eight Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Mapleton man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Daniel Easler, 44, to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Easler pleaded guilty on August 27, 2019.
According to court records, on the evening of December 4, 2018, the Caribou Police Department received a call from a citizen stating that there was a vehicle off the road in a snow bank. Law enforcement responded to the scene. There was no one in the vehicle but there were footprints in the snow leading away from the vehicle. Officers followed the footprints and found Easler, a convicted felon, lying in the snow. A search of Easler revealed multiple firearms and ammunition. One of the firearms had previously been reported as stolen.
The Caribou Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
Manager of Middletown Mall sentenced for bankruptcy and tax fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dietrich S. Fansler, former owner of the Middletown Mall, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for bankruptcy fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Fansler, of Morgantown, West Virginia, is the managing member of Pin Oak Properties, LLC, which operated Middletown Mall in Fairmont. Fansler, age 59, pled guilty to one count of “Fraudulent Concealment of Bankruptcy Estate Assets” and one count of “Willful Failure to Pay Over Tax” in September 2019.
Fansler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017. Between June 2017 and January 2018, Fansler collected rent from the tenants of the mall and was required to deposit that money into the debtor-in-possession account of Pin Oak Properties. Fansler admitted to using some of that collected rent, approximately $225,000, for expenses unrelated to Pin Oak Properties and concealing it from the creditors of the bankruptcy estate.
Fansler also admitted to failing to pay the withheld income taxes from employees of Pin Oak Properties and another one of his companies, Villa Rentals, Inc. He admits, too, that he did not pay personal income taxes for years 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. The total loss to the IRS is more than $880,000.
Fansler was ordered to pay $225,000 in restitution to the bankruptcy trustee, as well as $880,446.82 in restitution to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Littleton Felon Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that a federal jury found Johnathon Irish, 33, of Littleton, New Hampshire, guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of firearms after a four-day trial. The verdict was returned late on Wednesday afternoon.
In December of 2014, Johnathon Irish previously was convicted of aiding and abetting the making of a material false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and making a material false statement to a federal agent. In light of his felony convictions, he is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Evidence presented at trial showed that between December of 2018 and November of 2019, Irish possessed at least two firearms, a Sig Sauer 1911, .45 caliber pistol and a Catamount Fury, 12 gauge shotgun.
Irish is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2020.
“In order to maintain public safety, it is vital to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against those who unlawfully possess guns. I appreciate the efforts of the FBI and State Police for their work investigating this case.”
“The goal of sentencing is to send a clear message of deterrence and rehabilitation. But it’s a message that Johnathon Irish chose to ignore,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We thank the jury for its swift and prudent verdict because a felon who possesses a firearm when prohibited from doing so is a potential danger in a society where laws are respected and obeyed.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Kasey Weiland.
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Kirkwood Man Sentenced for Stealing Almost 4 Million Dollars from His Former EmployerRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Bryan G. Vonderahe, 45, of Kirkwood, Missouri, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay approximately 3.8 Million Dollars in restitution to his former employer following his conviction for wire fraud. Vonderahe appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White.
According to court documents, beginning during January 2012 and continuing through January 2019, Vonderahe schemed to defraud The Boyd Group and its affiliated companies where he was employed as chief financial officer and controller. After setting himself up as a sham vendor, Vonderahe issued approximately 500 company checks to himself during that period of time, totaling approximately 3.8 million dollars, without the knowledge or authority of the company’s ownership. Vonderahe falsified internal company records and issued false financial statements to the company’s outside auditors in order to cover up and conceal his lengthy and substantial fraud scheme. Vonderahe used the stolen and embezzled funds for his own personal use, unrelated to the legitimate business of the company, including to pay for luxury automobiles; to pay for travel for himself and his family to locations such as Florida, Colorado, and Nevada; to make payments on his personal residential mortgage; and to pay for gambling and related activities. The United States forfeited several of Vonderahe’s luxury automobiles, including a Range Rover and a Cadillac Escalade, as well as his personal residence at 1943 Windy Hill Road in Kirkwood, Missouri.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Kenner Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On February 11, 2020, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced GARRETT ROTH, age 27, a resident of Kenner, to fifty-one months in the Bureau of Prisons for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
Roth was charged on August 13, 2018 in a one-count bill of information with possessing a Taurus, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol while being an unlawful user of and addicted to heroin. ROTH will serve 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release
This case was brought as 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.
U. S. Attorney Peter Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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Jury convicts tax preparer of fraud and tax violationsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A suburban Houston-area man has been convicted of 15 counts of fraud and tax violations following a two-week jury trial, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Winfred Fields operated tax and bookkeeping businesses from an office on Richmond Avenue in Houston for many years under the business names Fields Enterprises, Your Tax Professionals and The Tax Boss.
At trial, the jury heard Fields participated in a scheme involving the submission of U.S. Individual Tax Returns on behalf of foreign people working on vessels on the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States. These crewmembers were engaged in oil and gas exploitation activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
Evidence showed Fields falsely claimed workers were exempt from U.S. tax under a tax treaty between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, Spain or New Zealand. The employing companies had previously provided to the IRS withholdings from the worker’s wages and reported the income to the IRS. However, Fields submitted amended tax returns as well as original nonresident tax forms 1040NR claiming a refund of the entirety of the amounts paid in as U.S. taxes for various tax years including 2007 through 2012.
Fields charged a fee of $2,500 for each crew member’s first return and required a $1,000 fee for each return thereafter. He required direct receipt of the refunds so that he could negotiate the checks and take his fee off the top. Fields had some refund checks deposited directly into one of several bank accounts he maintained. Alternatively, he cashed the checks at a Houston check cashing business or had the checks deposited into one of several attorney trust accounts three different Houston lawyers had maintained. Fields gathered the check proceeds or deposited them into the attorney trust accounts after paying a fee to the check cashing business and the attorneys for the service of cashing the U.S. Treasury checks. Fields deposited the proceeds in one of several bank accounts he utilized during the scheme.
Fields agreed to provide the remainder of the refund proceeds to the foreign clients. He did that for a while, but ultimately stopped forwarding any money to the workers. As those individuals began contacting him to ask for updates on their refund claims, he repeatedly sent misleading and materially false responses to their questions.
The jury heard that Fields fraudulently obtained $3,097,974.19 in tax refunds from the IRS and kept approximately $1,302,271.75 for himself.
The defense attempted to convince the jury he acted in good faith and believed the wages were exempt. He also claimed he was trying to pay the crewmembers their refunds but just got behind. The jury rejected Fields’ contentions in their verdict and found him guilty as charged on all 15 counts.
U.S. District Ewing Werlein Jr. presided over trial and has set sentencing for May 2020. At that time, Fields faces up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and count of mail fraud. For the other 13 tax fraud convictions, he also faces up to three years in federal prison. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to his victims and up to $250,000 in fines.
IRS - Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Annis and Charles Escher prosecuted this case.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – A federal jury today found Nolan Nishida, 37, of Wailuku, Hawaii, guilty of attempted enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2442(b). The verdict followed a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. Sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2020.
According to the information presented during trial, on October 11, 2017, Nishida exchanged messages with an individual whom he believed was a 14 year-old girl. He made arrangements to meet the girl for sex, and drove to meet up with her. Instead of meeting the girl, he was arrested.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maui Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Early and Margaret Nammar.
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 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.
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Jury Convicts San Antonio Businessman Brian Alfaro on Federal Mail Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal jury convicted 50-year-old Brian Alfaro, owner of Primera Energy, LLC, of scheming to defraud investors in his company, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; and, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office.
Following an eight-day trial, jurors convicted Alfaro of seven counts of mail fraud. Evidence presented during trial revealed that from January 2012 to June 2015, Alfaro offered individuals the opportunity to invest in numerous oil and gas prospects, including the Screaming Eagle 4H Prospect in Gonzales County, Screaming Eagle 6H Prospect also in Gonzales County, and Black Hawk Horizontal Buda #1 Prospect. Investors mailed investment checks to Primera in San Antonio. Alfaro told investors their monies would be used for expenses related to operation of the prospects, however, Alfaro used investor funds to support his extravagant lifestyle.
Alfaro, who was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following today’s verdict, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud charge. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2020, in front of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery.
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Surovic and Robert Almonte are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Judge in Austin Sentences Owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. to Federal Prison for Investment and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 49-year-old Charles McAllister, CEO and owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. (BDI), to ten years in federal prison for money laundering and scheming to defraud customers out of millions of dollars, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; and, Texas State Securities Board Commissioner Travis J. Iles.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered McAllister to pay restitution in the amount of $16,186,212.56 to over 5,800 victims of the defendant’s scheme. Judge Yeakel also ordered that McAllister be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
“I am pleased that this scammer was brought to justice. We won’t tolerate such brazen frauds in Texas,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
On October 4, 2019, a jury convicted McAllister of two counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property.
According to evidence presented during the five-day trial, from at least January 2009 through July 2015, McAllister perpetrated a scheme that falsely represented that funds obtained from individual customers would be used to purchase precious metals on behalf of the customer and either shipped directly to the customer or stored in BDI’s vault. Instead of buying the precious metals with the customer’s funds and storing customer metals, McAllister spent customer property on BDI corporate expenses, on other investment activities, and for his own personal use and benefit.
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message to those who seek to lie, cheat and steal from others for their own financial gain,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Combs. “The victims in this case trusted the defendant but he took their money and used it fraudulently and for his own personal financial gain. The FBI will vigorously pursue those who carry out these deceitful and fraudulent schemes without regard to their victims.”
“Today's sentencing of Charles McAllister demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain,” stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Goss. “Investment schemes can thrive for a time on false claims about how the money is being invested and where the returns are coming from. But that time is gone, and as this sentencing shows, it's time for those responsible to face judgment.”
Agents with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas State Securities Board conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Keith Henneke prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Inland Empire Man Convicted of Federal Criminal Charges for Making Threats Against Congressional Staffers and an InternRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man has been found guilty by a jury of federal criminal charges that he made harassing telephone calls to government offices and threatened to injure congressional staffers and an intern who answered the calls.
Robert Eric Stahlnecker, 48, of Twentynine Palms, was found guilty yesterday evening of one count of making threats by interstate commerce and five counts of anonymous telecommunications harassment. The jury acquitted him of two counts of threatening federal employees.
According to the evidence presented at his two-day trial, on September 26, 2019, Stahlnecker made eight telephone calls within a seven-minute span to the Washington, D.C., office of Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. During the calls, Stahlnecker berated the intern who answered the call, insulted the intern by using vulgar language and finally, threatened to come to the senator’s office to kill her.
Between September and November 2019, Stahlnecker made multiple abusive telephone calls to staff members and interns of multiple members of Congress.
Stahlnecker has made more than 10,000 calls to government agencies and elected officials between January and November of last year, according to court documents.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson has scheduled a May 4 sentencing hearing, at which time Stahlnecker will face a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison.
The United States Capitol Police and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter H. Dahlquist and Robert S. Trisotto of the Riverside Branch Office.
Indian Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Alien TransportationRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK - Jaswinder Singh, age 30, and a citizen of India who most recently resided in Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for knowingly transporting illegal aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Singh, who worked as an Uber driver, admitted that between January 1, 2019 and May 20, 2019, he picked up several aliens whom he knew had crossed illegally into the United States and transported them into the interior of the United States, in exchange for payment. On May 20, 2019, the day he was arrested for this offense, Singh drove to a location in St. Lawrence County, New York, to pick up two aliens – including a child – who had illegally crossed into the United States from Canada. The aliens paid Singh $2,200 after he picked them up.
Singh, who previously sought and received asylum in the United States, faces possible deportation as a result of this offense. United States District Judge David N. Hurd imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Singh is released from prison, in the event that Singh is not deported.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
In Settlement with United States and Montana, Atlantic Richfield Agrees to Framework for Cleanup of Mining Contamination in Butte, MontanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Justice Department, announced the release of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) consent decree. This document provides the framework for the continued cleanup of mining-related contamination to protect public health and the environment in Butte and Walkerville, Montana.
The consent decree requires Atlantic Richfield to undertake or finance over $150 million in cleanup actions, provide financial assurances for future cleanup actions, and provide enhanced community benefits through the implementation of end land use plans along the Silver Bow Creek Corridor.
Additionally, EPA Region 8 is releasing an amendment to the 2006 Record of Decision for the BPSOU Operable Unit in this matter that will expand cleanup efforts. The amendment will require the removal of contaminated tailings at the Northside and Diggings East Tailings areas and contaminated sediment and additional floodplain contamination from Silver Bow and Blacktail Creeks. The amendment will also require the treatment of more contaminated stormwater before it flows into the creeks, and the capture and treatment additional contaminated groundwater. Once executed by the parties and entered by the Court, the consent decree will implement this amended remedy.
The release of the consent decree will provide the commissioners of Butte Silver Bow County – who must approve the document before it can be submitted to the court – an opportunity to consider the document in a public forum. This process allows Butte Silver Bow County to inform and educate the public and the county commissioners about the content of the consent decree. Once that process concludes, the county commissioners will vote on whether to approve the document.
“Montanans value clean water not just to drink, but to sustain our rich and beautiful environment,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for the District of Montana. “I applaud the work of the negotiating teams from the Justice Department, EPA, the state of Montana, Butte Silver Bow County and Atlantic Richfield in completing this complex agreement. We look forward to the cleanup proceeding with all speed.”
“I am very pleased to announce the release of the proposed Consent Decree and Amended Record of Decision to the Butte community,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “These documents secure the financial resources and actions for the continued cleanup of open space, residential areas, creeks and groundwater across the community. They reflect EPA’s commitment to work diligently to complete the cleanup after nearly four decades of Superfund in the great town of Butte.”
Once all consent decree signatures are obtained, the consent decree documents will be lodged with the federal district court of Montana. The Justice Department will publish a formal notice in the Federal Register, stating that the department is accepting public comment on the document for a period of thirty days from the date the notice is published. Under State law, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is also required to hold a public comment period on the consent decree, which will run concurrently.
While the public comment period will not start until after the consent decree is lodged with the court, EPA, the state, Butte Silver Bow County, and Atlantic Richfield have posted the document on their websites, and paper copies will be made available at the Montana Tech Library (1300 W. Park St.) and Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (27 W. Park St.) for public review at www.epa.gov/superfund/silver-bow-butte.
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.
In Settlement with United States and Montana, Atlantic Richfield Agrees to Framework for Cleanup of Mining Contamination in Butte, MontanaRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Justice Department, announced the release of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) consent decree. This document provides the framework for the continued cleanup of mining-related contamination to protect public health and the environment in Butte and Walkerville, Montana.
The consent decree requires Atlantic Richfield to undertake or finance over $150 million in cleanup actions, provide financial assurances for future cleanup actions, and provide enhanced community benefits through the implementation of end land use plans along the Silver Bow Creek Corridor.
Additionally, EPA Region 8 is releasing an amendment to the 2006 Record of Decision for the BPSOU that will expand cleanup efforts. The amendment will require the removal of contaminated tailings at the Northside and Diggings East Tailings areas as well as contaminated sediment and additional floodplain contamination from Silver Bow and Blacktail Creeks. The amendment will also require the treatment of more contaminated storm water before it flows into the creeks, and the capture and treatment of additional contaminated groundwater. Once executed by the parties and entered by the court, the consent decree will implement this amended remedy.
The release of the consent decree will provide the commissioners of Butte Silver Bow County – who must approve the document before it can be submitted to the court – an opportunity to consider the document in a public forum. This process allows Butte Silver Bow County to inform and educate the public and the county commissioners about the content of the consent decree. Once that process concludes, the county commissioners will vote on whether to approve the document.
“Montanans value clean water not just to drink, but to sustain our rich and beautiful environment,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for the District of Montana. “I applaud the work of the negotiating teams from the Justice Department, EPA, the state of Montana, Butte Silver Bow County and Atlantic Richfield in completing this complex agreement. We look forward to the cleanup proceeding with all speed.”
“I am very pleased to announce the release of the proposed Consent Decree and Amended Record of Decision to the Butte community,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “These documents secure the financial resources and actions for the continued cleanup of open space, residential areas, creeks and groundwater across the community. They reflect EPA’s commitment to work diligently to complete the cleanup after nearly four decades of Superfund in the great town of Butte.”
Once all consent decree signatures are obtained, the consent decree documents will be lodged with the federal district court of Montana. The Justice Department will publish a formal notice in the Federal Register, stating that the department is accepting public comment on the document for a period of 30 days from the date the notice is published. Under State law, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is also required to hold a public comment period on the consent decree, which will run concurrently.
While the public comment period will not start until after the consent decree is lodged with the court, EPA, the state, Butte Silver Bow County, and Atlantic Richfield have posted the document on their websites, and paper copies will be made available at the Montana Tech Library (1300 W. Park St.) and Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (27 W. Park St.) for public review at www.epa.gov/superfund/silver-bow-butte.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Illegal Alien Found Guilty of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, and jurors having deliberated less than 40 minutes, a federal jury found Carlos Landeros-Salcedo, 26, guilty of prohibited person (alien) in possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on March 29, 2016, Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit detectives were called to a residence regarding a drug complaint. The homeowner and the defendant were informed of the complaint. The homeowner gave verbal and written consent for law enforcement to search the residence.
The defendant informed officers that he had a gun and powder in his bedroom. He then showed officers his room where a gray Tanfoglio 10mm caliber pistol on the defendant’s bed was in plain view. The firearm was loaded with approximately 10 rounds of ammunition.
Additionally, detectives recovered 21 small bags containing powder cocaine inside a jar in a dresser drawer, an assortment of baggies and a black digital scale. The defendant provided a written statement admitting to possession of the drugs.
In May of 2016, when federal agents interviewed the defendant, he admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and illegally present in the United States.
After being indicted in September 2016 on federal charges, the defendant avoided capture until August 2019. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of fake immigration documents.
Sentencing is set for May 22, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, where the defendant faces up to ten years imprisonment for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and up to twenty years imprisonment for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. Additionally, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of at least five years imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He also faces possible deportation after completion of his sentence of confinement.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized and renewed our commitment to immigration enforcement, and this case demonstrates our focus on those violent and dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry. We commend the outstanding investigative work of HSI and ICE in this case."
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations-Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Hudson Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm After Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Hudson man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Charles Werenko, 52, to time served (2 ½ months) and two years of supervised release. Judge Walker found Werenko guilty following a one-day bench trial on October 3, 2019.
The evidence at trial revealed that in 2015, Werenko was convicted of domestic violence assault in the Penobscot County Superior Court. Following his conviction, he knowingly possessed a .357 Magnum revolver from an unknown date until January 31, 2019.
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Hercules, California Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Her Role in Business Email Compromise Scheme Victimizing Eastern District of Louisiana CompanyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that SONOVAH JUDITH HILLMAN, age 29, a resident of Hercules, California, pleaded guilty on February 13, 2020 to Count One of a two-count Indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
According to court documents, HILLMAN acted as a “money mule” in a scheme to victimize Victim A, a floating crane and stevedore Victim headquartered in Convent, Louisiana, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. HILLMAN and her co-conspirator(s) engaged in a “business email compromise” (BEC) scheme. They accomplished their scheme by obtaining access without authorization to the email accounts of one or more employees of Victim A for the purpose of obtaining private data, including usernames, passwords, bank account information, and the content of email accounts through a “phishing” scam. After gaining access to an email account of a Victim A employee, the individual(s) arranged to have emails in the account forwarded to a separate email account under their control. Thereafter, HILLMAN’s co-conspirators registered a domain name similar to Victim A’s domain (for example, “Victin A” instead of “Victim A”) and, pretending to be representatives of Victim A, sent emails to Victim A’s customers, including Victim B. The false emails stated that there had been an audit of Victim A’s bank accounts and that Victim A’s customers should remit funds owed to Victim A to a new bank account.
On about May 10, 2017, HILLMAN’s co-conspirators contacted one of Victim A’s customers (Victim B) via email and, pretending to be employees of Victim A, instructed that Victim B should remit funds owed to Victim A, approximately $92,007.85, to a Bank of America account that belonged to HILLMAN. After Victim B sent the funds to HILLMAN’s account, HILLMAN engaged in a series of transactions over the next five days to transfer the money to others, withdraw over $40,000 in cash, and spend ill-gotten money on personal items, including vacations and airline flights.
HILLMAN faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. Sentencing before Judge Milazzo has been scheduled for June 3, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PEDRO ALVARADO, 43, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of marijuana from Alvarado. On July 24, 2019, a court-authorized search of Alvarado’s residence revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson, Model 422, .22 caliber handgun, and approximately two pounds of marijuana.
Alvarado’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for risk of injury, assault, larceny and narcotics offenses. Federal law prohibits the possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. It is also a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Alvarado faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Alvarado is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson 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 neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Harrison County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen Bray, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Bray, age 36, pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base in Proximity of a Protected Location.” Bray admitted to selling cocaine base, also known as “crack,” near Lincoln Middle School in Harrison County in November 2017.
Bray faces at least one and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grand Jury Indicts 3 Top Administrators of Philippine Church in Scheme to Traffic Workers and Defraud Immigration SystemRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury has charged three top administrators of a Philippines-based church with overseeing a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a bogus charity after the defendants illegally obtained visas and other immigration documents that allowed the workers to enter and remain in the United States.
The one-count indictment returned by the grand jury late Wednesday alleges a conspiracy to commit a series of offenses, including trafficking with respect to forced labor, document servitude, immigration fraud and marriage fraud.
The three defendants were arrested last month after being named in a criminal complaint that alleged a conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Today’s indictment expands the scope of the alleged scheme and includes new details about the immigration fraud portion of the scheme.
The core allegations of the case are that representatives of the church – the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) – obtained visas for church members to enter the U.S. by claiming, for example, they would be performing at musical events. But once the church members arrived in the United States, they were required to surrender their passports and work long hours as “FTWs” (full-time workers), who solicited donations for a church non-profit called the Children’s Joy Foundation USA (CJF). While the workers raised funds by telling donors their money would benefit impoverished children in the Philippines, the indictment alleges that most or all of the money raised was used to finance KOJC operations and the lavish lifestyles of church leaders.
While some KOJC workers knew they were entering the U.S. to be fundraisers, the indictment alleges “other KOJC workers were unaware of the actual purpose until they were forced…to solicit on the streets nearly every day, year-round, working very long hours, and often sleeping in cars overnight, without normal access to over-the-counter medicine or even clothes.”
The defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and other immigration documents “to prevent and restrict…KOJC workers’ liberty to move and travel in order to maintain the labor and services of KOJC workers, some of whom were and had been a victim of a severe form of trafficking,” according to the indictment.
The three defendants charged in the indictment are:
- Guia Cabactulan, 59, the lead KOJC administrator in the United States who maintained direct communication with KOJC leadership in the Philippines;
- Marissa Duenas, 41, who allegedly secured the passports immediately after workers entered the U.S. and handled fraudulent immigration documents for KOJC workers; and
- Amanda Estopare, 48, who allegedly was in charge of tracking and reporting the money raised in the U.S. to KOJC officials in the Philippines.
All three defendants – who were arrested on January 29 and remain in federal custody – are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on February 20 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
As part of the long-running scheme, the three defendants kept productive workers in the U.S. by obtaining student visas or by arranging sham marriages with KOJC workers who were U.S. citizens, the indictment alleges. To create the illusion of legitimate marriages, Duenas allegedly possessed ATM cards to show immigration officials that workers in the sham marriages had joint bank accounts. Furthermore, Cabactulan and Duenas possessed wedding rings for KOJC workers to use during their fraudulent marriage ceremonies, according to the indictment. Immigration records summarized in the criminal complaint indicate there were 82 marriages involving KOJC administrators and FTWs over the past two decades.
When authorities searched the KOJC compound in Van Nuys on January 29, Cabactulan and Duenas possessed approximately 72 Filipino passports, seven United States passports, and one Ukrainian passport that belonged to other people, according to the indictment, which also notes that Duenas possessed four male wedding rings and three female wedding rings in an office at the KOJC compound.
The search also revealed that Duenas possessed a file titled “Traitor” that contained information on KOJC members who fled the church, the indictment alleges.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The conspiracy charge alleged in the indictment carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the FBI is encouraging potential victims or anyone with information about KOJC activities to contact investigators. Those with information are asked to call the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565. Individuals may also contact the FBI through its website at https://www.fbi.gov/tips.
The ongoing investigation into KOJC is being led by the FBI, which is receiving substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Ahn and Jake Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Glendale Couple Indicted for Illegal Firearms Possession and Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 11, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against a couple allegedly involved in drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The indictment charged Marquis Townsend (age: 39), and Silena Washington (age 29) each of Glendale, WI. The indictment charged the defendants as follows:
DEFENDENTS
COUNT
CHARGE
PENALTIES
Marquis Townsend
One
Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 21 USC § 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(c)
Up to 20 years in prison.
Two
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, 18 USC § 924(c)
Mandatory minimum 5 consecutive years in prison, up to life in prison.
Three
Felon in Possession of a Firearm, 18 USC §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2)
Up to 10 years in prison.
Silena Washington
One
Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 21 USC § 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(c)
Up to 20 years in prison.
Two
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, 18 USC § 924(c)
Mandatory minimum 5 consecutive years in prison, up to life in prison.
If convicted, Townsend and Washington face the imposition of fines and terms of supervised release in addition to the imprisonment listed above.
According to the indictment, on January 28, 2020, Townsend and Washington possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute the substance. Townsend and Washington also possessed a Kimber Ultra Carry II .45 caliber pistol; a Glock 22. 40 caliber pistol; a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol; and a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol in furtherance of drug trafficking. Townsend did so despite knowing he could not legally possess firearms.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs
This case was investigated by the Glendale Police Department. Assistant United States Bridget J. Domaszek will prosecute the case.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Gang Leader Sentenced to 20 Years for Racketeering and Related Offenses, Including an Attempted Murder in A Subway StationRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL WHITE, a leader of a violent street gang known as the “Young Gunnaz,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the Young Gunnaz, including an attempted murder of three individuals at a subway station on October 28, 2012. WHITE was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense following a two-week trial in October 2018 before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Michael White, a gang leader, was responsible for a shooting spree in and around NYCHA’s Mill Brook Houses. He shot rival gang members in front of a public school, in a community center, and in a subway station. Today’s sentence recognizes the serious impact of gun violence in our communities. We will continue to aggressively prosecute all who engage in these senseless acts of violence.”
According to the evidence presented in court during the trial:
From at least in or about 2010 through in or about October 2017, WHITE was a member of the Young Gunnaz set of the YGz based in the Mill Brook Houses. WHITE was also a member of MBG, also known as “Money Bitches Guns,” a local gang based in the Mill Brook Houses. As part of his membership in both gangs, WHITE shot seven people. Specifically, on January 25, 2010, WHITE shot and injured a 16-year-old rival on a street corner in the Mill Brook Houses. On January 31, 2010, WHITE shot and injured an 18-year-old rival at a baby shower. Later on January 31, 2010, WHITE shot a rival gang member near a building in the Mill Brook Houses, causing the individual to suffer life threatening injuries. On February 12, 2010, WHITE shot and injured an 18-year-old rival outside a public school. On October 28, 2012, WHITE shot and injured three individuals in the Cypress Avenue Subway Station.
* * *
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Rothman, Jordan Estes, and Gina Castellano are in charge of the prosecution.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lafayette L. Carr, age 29, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Carr was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in the early morning hours of April 18, 2019, law enforcement officers served a search warrant on a particular motel room at a motel on Goshen Road in Fort Wayne, Indiana upon information that Carr had sold narcotics in the motel room during the night while armed with a firearm. Inside the motel room, officers located small, pre-packaged amounts of cocaine and heroin, digital scales and baggies. A few feet from the narcotics, officers located a loaded .40 caliber handgun hidden inside the motel room coffee pot.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indiana State Police and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Nokes.
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Former Valex Federal Credit Union Employee Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – A former Valex Federal Credit Union loan officer and assistant manager was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for bank fraud, announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph.
U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell also ordered Cynthia J. Feazell, 49, of Montgomery, Louisiana, to pay $221,426.44 in restitution to Valex Federal Credit Union’s insurer, CUNA Mutual – CUMIS Insurance (CUMIS). According to court documents, Feazell worked as a loan officer and assistant manager at Valex Federal Credit Union (Valex) in Rapides Parish from 1997 to 2016. The defendant decided to purchase a mobile home in 2015 and obtained loan funds from Valex. She did not qualify for the loan, so she transferred three vehicle loans taken out in her name to her mother’s name in order to lower her debt-to-equity ratio so that it would appear she qualified for the loan. Additionally, Feazell authorized loans for her ex-husband, even though she knew he did not meet the Valex credit requirements. Feazell admitted at her guilty plea on September 10, 2019, that she falsified documents to accomplish the scheme and was aware her actions were fraudulent.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger 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.
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Former Tennessee State University Employee Pleads Guilty in Federal Student Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – February 13, 2020 – Renauld Clayton, 32, of Chicago Illinois, formerly of Nashville, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to student loan fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. Clayton was indicted in May 2019 after an investigation determined that he had fraudulently received and misappropriated $84,500 in student loan payments.
During the plea hearing, Clayton admitted that during 2014-2015, while employed in the admissions office of Tennessee State University (TSU), he obtained the personal identifying information of TSU students and others and applied for student loans in their names. When the funds were received, Clayton diverted the money to his personal bank account, depositing more than $60,000 during this time for his personal use.
Clayton faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and up to 20 years when he is sentenced on June 19, 2020.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Secret Service, following an internal audit by TSU. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Beth Myers and Kathryn W. Booth are prosecuting the case.
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Former Labor Union President Convicted Conspiracy, Embezzling Union Health Plan Funds and Lying to Federal OfficialsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former president of a Colton-based labor union has been found guilty by a jury of 14 felony charges for stealing nearly $800,000 from the union’s health plan fund, which he used to pay for personal expenses including legal bills and a car loan for his son’s Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
John S. Romero, 73, of Loma Linda, was found guilty late yesterday afternoon of one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of theft in connection with health care, and one count of making a false statement to a government agency. United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips scheduled an April 27 sentencing hearing, at which time Romero will face a statutory maximum sentence of 130 years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at his five-day trial, Romero appointed himself president of United Industrial Services Workers of America (UISWA) and the trustee of the UISWA health care plan. Money paid into the plan was supposed to be used exclusively for health care benefits to its participants. Instead, Romero stole the union’s health plan funds for the benefit of himself and his immediate family.
In furtherance of his scheme, Romero appointed a sham trustee who had no prior experience with unions. He also actively misled the third-party administrators of the health plan into making improper payments from the health plan.
From 2008 to 2014, Romero embezzled health plan funds to pay a $110,000 personal civil judgment against himself and his son, John J. Romero, 55, also of Loma Linda. He also embezzled $40,000 to pay criminal defense lawyers who represented Romero in a separate case. Romero funneled more than $310,000 to himself by disguising them as rent payments on two properties he owned and held under a shell company. In addition, he stole more than $300,000 in union health care plan money to make “salary” payments to his family. He also used plan funds to pay off $25,000 loan on his son’s Ford Mustang.
Romero also was convicted of filing a false financial report with the U.S. Department of Labor in which he concealed the existence of more than $100,000 in union receipts and disbursements that Romero held in a secret bank account and from which he made regular payments to his mistress.
Following the guilty verdicts, Judge Phillips ordered Romero into custody, citing the danger he posed in light of evidence that Romero had attempted to intimidate witnesses who testified against him at trial.
Romero advanced his scheme by appointing his son the secretary and treasurer of the union, and his ex-wife, Evelyn Romero, 71, the UISWA president and trustee after 2010. At this time, Romero was serving a two-year federal prison sentence related to making false statements to federal officials made while he was president of a different labor union. Romero’s son, ex-wife, and daughter, Danae Romero, 42, of Loma Linda, have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the current matter. They are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har and Aaron B. Frumkin of the General Crimes Section.
Former Georgia Youth Softball Umpire Sentenced in Child Sexual Exploitation Case, Judge Orders No Contact with ChildrenRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A former youth softball umpire arrested during “Operation End Game,” a multi-agency effort targeting and arresting adult perpetrators seeking sex with children, was sentenced to prison and will not be allowed to have contact with children without supervision, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. James Hughes Morriss, 50, of Dacula, Georgia entered a guilty plea on November 19, 2019 to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor, and was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 by U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. In addition, once his prison sentence is served, Morriss will be under terms of Court supervision that prohibit him from having contact or working with minors without supervision, and his use of the internet and cellular devices will be monitored by the Court. Morriss will also be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Law enforcement in Georgia is aggressively working to find and arrest adults preying on children, and our office will vigorously prosecute perpetrators to the maximum extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “As a softball umpire, this individual intentionally positioned himself to be around youth. I commend the GBI, FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for stopping this individual, and for yet another excellent operation protecting Georgia’s children.”
“A dangerous child predator will no longer be free to victimize our children,” said ACCPD Chief Cleveland Spruill. “I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney Peeler and his staff for their efforts holding ‘Operation End Game’ defendants accountable for their crimes. This operation showcases the cooperative work of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and sends a clear message to sexual predators--our children are our most valuable asset and their protection is a priority.”
“Operation End Game did exactly what it was tasked to do: Put an end to criminal attempts of predators to irreversibly harm young children,” said Debbie Garner, GBI Special Agent in Charge and Commander of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. “The GBI and the Georgia ICAC Task Force will work tirelessly with our partners to protect our children against those who seek to harm them.”
“This case is an example of the importance of our law enforcement partnerships in our efforts to rid our communities of those who would choose to do harm to the most vulnerable in our society,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Chris Hacker. “Those who prey on our children must be held accountable to send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”
“Operation End Game” was a three-day proactive effort centered in Athens, Georgia beginning July 25, 2019 to arrest adults communicating with children on-line and then traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex. On July 26, 2019, an undercover officer communicating with perpetrators online under a profile named “Lizzie” with a photo of a young girl, received notification in the mobile application Skout from an individual later identified as Defendant Morriss. Within the first few exchanges, Defendant Morriss, who was 49 at the time, asked “Lizzie” her age and was told she was only 14-years-old and attended a school in Georgia. Defendant Morriss, familiar with many schools in Georgia due to his work around the state as a youth softball umpire, recognized the named school. Defendant Morris initiated a sexually explicit discussion and suggested an in-person meeting with the child; he also requested and received photos of the purported 14-year-old. Morriss then traveled to meet the 14-year-old child in Athens for sexual purposes, and was arrested at the designated meeting place shortly after midnight on July 27, 2019.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie Freeman is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Former EMT Human Resource Manager Indicted for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Kate Palos, 32, of Affton, Missouri, was indicted today by a federal grand jury for her involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Palos was the human resource manager for Express Medical Transporters (EMT), which transported Medicaid patients to medical appointments. In order to receive reimbursements for the transports, EMT had to use drivers who had complied with certain defined requirements. Drivers had to receive CPT and other safety training and not have a history of criminal or other violations that could jeopardize the safety of patients. When EMT did not have compliant drivers, non-compliant drivers would transport the patients. Palos changed, or directed other employees to change, the names on the trip logs and use the names/signatures of compliant drivers. In some instances, Palos used the names of drivers, who were no longer working for EMT at the time the transports were made. These fraudulent documents were submitted to support requests for payment.
Palos faces a penalty up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former Detroit Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Taking $15,000 in Cash Bribes from A Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
Former Detroit Police Officer Michael Mosley, age 48, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable George Caram Steeh to bribery for taking $15,000 in cash bribes from a drug trafficker, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining Schneider in the announcement was Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Officer Mosley is a nineteen-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department. As stated during Mosley’s guilty plea, in April 2019, Mosley was a member of the Police Department’s Major Violators Unit. On April 3, 2019, Detroit police officers, including Officer Mosley, searched a drug trafficker’s house pursuant to a search warrant. The search uncovered two kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of cocaine, and six firearms. The drug trafficker confessed to owning the three kilograms of drugs to Officer Mosley, and the trafficker signed a confession. After the April 3 search, Officer Mosley remained in contact with the drug trafficker in an effort to secure the trafficker’s cooperation concerning other criminal activity.
Subsequently, the drug trafficker offered Officer Mosley a cash bribe of $15,000 in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges based on the three kilogram drug seizure. Officer Mosley agreed to the deal. On May 2, 2019, Officer Mosley collected $10,000 in cash that the drug dealer left for Mosley in the backyard of an abandoned house in Detroit. On May 23, 2019, Officer Mosley accepted another $5,000 in cash left for him by the drug trafficker at the abandoned house. In exchange, Officer Mosley gave the drug trafficker the original copy of his confession.
In addition to pleading guilty to one count of bribery, Mosley will be forfeiting the $15,000 he took in bribes.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider commended the outstanding work of the FBI in conducting this criminal investigation of a corrupt police officer.
“It’s rare that a police officer commits a crime, but in this case Officer Mosley betrayed his oath as a police officer, and he betrayed the citizens of Detroit and the vast majority of his fellow officers who seek to protect and serve with integrity,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate public officials who abuse their authority and seek to use their power to line their own pockets.”
“The citizens of Detroit deserve better from their public servants. Wrongdoing by police officers undermines the public's trust and confidence in law enforcement officers who are sworn to defend and uphold the law,” said Special Agent in Charge D’Antuono. “The men and women of the Detroit Police Department are dedicated to serving this community and misconduct by one of its officers is not a reflection of the entire force. However, the FBI will do everything in its power to bring corrupt police officers to justice and to restore faith in the integrity of law enforcement throughout the city.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, David A. Gardey, and Shankar Ramamurthy.
Former Dentist Sentenced to 71 Months for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bilal Ahmed, 47, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced to 71 months’ incarceration on February 10, 2020, having pled guilty to a federal charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which he and others caused the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program to be defrauded out of more than $5 million. The Honorable Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted the parties’ joint request for a sentence that runs concurrently with a 16-year sentence that Ahmed currently is serving for sexually assaulting patients. The Court also ordered Ahmed to pay $5,421,227 in restitution and $3,978,879.93 in forfeiture.
The announcement was made Monday, February 10, 2020 by U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea, Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal Division, Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, for the region that includes Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Ahmed was indicted in January 2019, along with his former office manager, on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud, and five counts of wire fraud. Ahmed pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to Count II of the Indictment and the remaining charges were dismissed at sentencing.
According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court at the time of the plea hearing, Ahmed was a practicing dentist who owned and operated Universal Smiles, a dental practice, in Northwest, Washington, D.C. When Ahmed’s dental license was suspended by the D.C. Dentistry Board, and subsequently was surrendered by him, Ahmed opened and operated Dental Equipment and Services (“DES”). DES was a Maryland company that employed dentists on contract to work at Universal Smiles’ former business location in the District of Columbia. According to court paperwork, through Universal Smiles and DES, Ahmed and his office manager engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by defrauding D.C. Medicaid, a health care benefits program jointly funded by the federal government and the District of Columbia to provide health care services to residents who meet the income qualifying requirements. As part of the scheme, Ahmed applied to be a Medicaid provider. According to Ahmed’s admissions, once approved to bill Medicaid, he and the office manager sought to increase the dental practice’s profits by recruiting Medicaid recipients as patients and then then billing D.C. Medicaid for thousands of provisional crowns that were not provided to the patients. From August 9, 2012, through February 26, 2014, D.C. Medicaid paid Universal Smiles approximately $12.4 million; and it paid DES approximately $1.2 million from November 17, 2014, though February 1, 2016. According to court paperwork, more than one-third of the money paid out by D.C. Medicaid was for services that Ahmed’s dental offices did not provide.
The indictment remains pending with respect to Ahmed’s former office manager, who has pled not guilty and whose case is set for trial on June 1, 2020. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Shea, Special Agent in Charge Dunham, and Special Agent in Charge Dixon 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’s Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys, Brittany Phillips, Lauren Hernandez and Amanda Rohde, Forensic Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, and the D.C. OIG Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise A. Simmonds, Michelle Bradford and Lionel Andre, who prosecuted the case.
Former Caregiver Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Investigation Related to Violation of Disabled Resident’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Anthony R. K. Flores, a former employee of a Missouri residential treatment facility, pleaded guilty in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to criminal charges arising from a civil rights investigation into the death of C.D., a Missouri ward of the state with developmental disabilities. Flores pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice by knowingly falsifying a document with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence an investigation related to the death of C.D.
According to the plea agreement, Flores worked as a caregiver at Second Chance Homes, an organization that provided housing and care for developmentally disabled persons through a Missouri Department of Mental Health initiative. Victim C.D. had been a resident at Second Chance Homes since 2008.
In early 2016, C.D.’s health deteriorated over a period of several months, culminating in his death later that year. Prior to the law enforcement becoming aware of C.D.’s death, he was reported missing by his primary caretaker, Sherry Paulo. In 2019, Sherry Paulo and Anthony Flores – the defendant’s parents – pleaded guilty to civil rights violations in connection with C.D.’s death.
Flores admitted in his plea agreement that after C.D. was reported missing to the Fulton Police Department, Flores wrote a false statement in which he stated that he saw C.D. alive and well on April 16, 2017. Flores did so while knowing that he had not seen C.D. in at least six months.
“The defendants’ actions in seeking to impede law enforcement from locating a developmentally disabled individual are unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to hold people accountable who seek to obstruct the investigation of criminal civil rights offenses.”
“The defendant attempted to cover up a crime and lied to authorities who were searching for the missing victim,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “Obstructing justice and impeding an investigation won’t be tolerated. Our nation’s civil rights laws are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, which each one of us is morally and legally obligated to uphold.”
“The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our federal, state and local partners to protect the civil rights of every citizen. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to seek justice on behalf of all victims and aggressively investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” said Timothy Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Kansas City, Missouri.
“Flores’ efforts to obstruct the investigation into the death of this vulnerable individual is a serious crime that demands punishment,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Coordinating with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating such misconduct.”
Under Flores’s plea agreement, he faces a maximum of 24 months incarceration. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson City Resident Agency of the FBI Kansas City Division and the St. Louis Field Office of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Kansas City Region. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindi Woolery and Gregg Coonrod of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer and Trial Attorney Janea Lamar of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section. The Fulton, Missouri Police Department and Callaway County Prosecutor Christopher Wilson contributed significantly to the successful investigation and prosecution of this matter.
Five Indicted for Firearms Offenses in Sacramento, Fairfield, Stockton, and FresnoRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that a federal grand jury has returned indictments in the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.
Andre Parker, 54, of Sacramento, was charged today with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 29, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in which Parker was riding and found a Springfield XD .45-caliber handgun underneath Parker’s seat. Parker has several prior felony convictions—including prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.
Derick Louangamath, 30, of Sacramento, was charged today with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle that Louangamath was driving and found a Glock 26, along with loaded 10-, 15-, and 33-round magazines. Louangamath has several prior felony convictions—including prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.
Hack Townsend Culling Jr., 27, of Fairfield, was charged on Feb. 6 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in April 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Culling for various traffic violations. The officers searched Culling and his motorcycle based on Culling’s status on post-release community supervision and found a .25-caliber pistol in one of the saddle bags on Culling’s motorcycle. Culling cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of six felony offenses, five of the convictions are domestic violence offenses. This case is the product of an investigation by the Fairfield Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
Gabriel Mata, 25, of Fresno, was charged on Feb. 6 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Jan. 19, law enforcement officers discovered that Mata possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P, .40-caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Mata has three prior felony convictions—including one prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm conviction—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Yim is prosecuting the case.
Lawrence Macken, 42, of Stockton, was charged on Jan. 24 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 12, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Macken’s vehicle and found a Bersa Firestorm .380 semi-automatic handgun in the dash compartment near the driver’s seat. Macken has numerous prior felony convictions—including two felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions, two assault convictions, and multiple vehicle-theft convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
The 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 www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Federal fraud complaint filed against men accused of scamming hotels, limousine serviceRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Augusta charges two men with using fraudulent and stolen credit cards to steal from hotels and a limousine company.
Aaron Barnes-Burpo, 28, of Crestview, Fla., and Walker Washington, 51, who is listed as homeless, are charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Thanks to alert citizens in Augusta who acted on their suspicions, this crime spree across the country came to an abrupt halt in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Christine.
The complaint alleges that Barnes-Burpo and Washington organized a group of men and women who portrayed themselves as affiliated with the Roc Nation production company and the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, and used those fictitious representations along with fraudulent and stolen credit cards to rent luxury limousines, including a Rolls-Royce, and defraud hotels of thousands of dollars in goods and services in cities including Atlanta, Macon and Nashville.
The scam unraveled when staff at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Augusta became suspicious and alerted authorities.
“The FBI would like to thank the staff of the Fairfield Inn in Augusta for their awareness that helped end the run of these alleged fraudsters,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The arrests should serve as a warning that no matter how elaborate fraud schemes are, the FBI is determined to protect American citizens who fall victim to them.”
A criminal complaint contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Rhodes.
Federal Jury Convicts Defendant on Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced the conviction of Jonathan Francis Kimbrell, a 45-year-old resident of Livingston, Louisiana. Kimbrell was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 20, 2019, and charged with the attempted enticement of a minor.
After a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles, the jury unanimously convicted Kimbrell after deliberating for approximately two hours. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, from May 2, 2019, until June 6, 2019, the defendant communicated online with two undercover FBI agents. The defendant believed that he was communicating with an 11-year old girl, her stepfather, and her mother, when in fact, the FBI agents had undertaken those online personas. The defendant believed that the “stepfather” had been repeatedly molesting his “stepdaughter” and was now offering the “child” for sexual encounters by another adult. The defendant did his best to convince the stepfather, mother, and child that he should be allowed to join in molesting the child. Hundreds of emails were exchanged over more than 30 days in which Kimbrell sent numerous graphic emails describing how he would have sex with the child. Kimbrell also did his best to convince the three that sex would be better with him than with the stepfather. During the conversations with the fictitious child, Kimbrell developed and encouraged the nicknames of “Turtle” for himself and “Princess” for the child. Eventually, Kimbrell met the undercover agents who he believed to be the stepfather and mother at a restaurant in Denham Springs to discuss the ground rules for his first sexual encounter with the 11-year old girl. At this meeting, the defendant believed the child to be waiting in a motel room across the parking lot. Kimbrell was arrested as he left the restaurant walking toward the motel where he believed the child was waiting. When he was arrested, Kimbrell was found to be in possession of two boxes of condoms, personal lubricant, and baby oil. Kimbrell was also in possession of a rhinestone key chain that spelled out “Princess,” which he had purchased as a gift for the child.
As a result of this conviction, Kimbrell faces a maximum sentence of not less than ten years and up to life in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release of not less than five years and up to life. In addition to the supervised release, Kimbrell will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which will apply throughout his life.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Justice was achieved today. The evidence presented at trial clearly established that the defendant took several steps to engage in sexual conduct with a minor and that he worked continuously to achieve his goal. This conviction illustrates that protecting our children from people like Jonathan Kimbrell will continue to be a top priority of this office. I commend the excellent work of the prosecutors and agents involved in this important matter, and we look forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue offenders who target the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Bryan A. Vorndran, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge, stated, “Protecting children against predators is paramount. The FBI’s Baton Rouge Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force intercepted Jonathan Kimbrell while he was enroute to meet an 11-year old child for the purposes of engaging in sex. The men and women of the FBI New Orleans Field Office will continue to aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm and exploit children.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frederick A. Menner, Jr. and Demetrius D. Sumner.
Dustin Richards Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Knoxville, Tenn. - On February 13, 2020, Dustin Ray Richards, 26, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan to serve 97 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. Following his imprisonment, Richards will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years and will be required to register with the state sex offender registry in any state in which he lives, works, or attends school.
In March 2018, Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit investigated to identify individuals who were using peer-to-peer software to share child pornography within Tennessee. The investigation uncovered an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address in Knoxville that was making child pornography files available for downloading. The IP address was traced to Richards and a federal search warrant was executed on his residence. The execution of a federal search warrant led to the discovery of over 10,000 images and videos containing child pornography stored on Richards’s computer.
The case was investigated by the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Morris represented the United States in Court.
This case was brought forward as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Dubois Man Sentenced n for Defrauding Social SecurityRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of DuBois, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 3 years’ probation with 180 days of home detention on his conviction of conversion of government funds, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Daniel P. McIntosh, 41.
According to information presented to the court, from Aug. 1, 2014, to July 31, 2016, McIntosh did receive and convert falsely to his own use a total of $41,529.70, which represents approximately 115 separate Social Security Administration benefit payments made to him and also to him as representative payee for his wife and minor children, to which he or they were not entitled.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of McIntosh.
District Woman Found Guilty of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Vulnerable AdultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Moureen Masika, 31, was found guilty on Monday, February 10, 2020, of one count of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person or Vulnerable Adult and three counts of Second-Degree Theft after a jury trial. The incidents were part of a fraud scheme perpetrated by Masika, a home health aide, on her patient, an 88-year-old man with dementia, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea. This trial is the first involving the charge of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person or Vulnerable Adult in D.C. since the crime was passed into law in 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for March 9, 2020.
According to the government’s evidence, over the course of five months in 2018, Masika made 49 trips to CVS during which she obtained over $3,000 in cash using the victim’s debit card. To maximize the cash obtained, Masika would make multiple transactions back-to-back and request cash back at each transaction. Her fraud came to an abrupt end when the victim’s family confronted her.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Shea commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including the Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mika, who is detailed from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia to handle financial crime cases involving elderly victims; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Kelley and Stephanie Miller; and paralegals Chad Byron and Antoinette Sakamsa.
This prosecution is part of the Office’s wider efforts to combat crimes against seniors. In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia simultaneously launched initiatives to address the abuse and exploitation of older adults. The Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative at the U.S. Attorney’s Office expanded its response to criminal and civil violations targeting older adults. The initiative has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop and coordinate further its prosecution of these cases and enhance its overall support of older or vulnerable victims. The team consists of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates from across the Office, to include the Superior Court, Criminal, and Civil Divisions, as well as the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. This prosecution marks the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General have together prosecuted a case of this kind, and this collaboration is continuing.
Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei and Subsidiaries Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Steal Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment was returned yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei), the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, and two U.S. subsidiaries with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher A. Wray, Director, FBI, announced the charges.
The 16-count superseding indictment also adds a charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets stemming from the China-based company’s alleged long-running practice of using fraud and deception to misappropriate sophisticated technology from U.S. counterparts.
The indicted defendants include Huawei and four official and unofficial subsidiaries — Huawei Device Co. Ltd. (Huawei Device), Huawei Device USA Inc. (Huawei USA), Futurewei Technologies Inc. (Futurewei) and Skycom Tech Co. Ltd. (Skycom) — as well as Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wanzhou Meng (Meng). The new superseding indictment also contains the charges from the prior superseding indictment, which was unsealed in January 2019.
As revealed by the government’s independent investigation and review of court filings, the new charges in this case relate to the alleged decades-long efforts by Huawei, and several of its subsidiaries, both in the U.S. and in the People’s Republic of China, to misappropriate intellectual property, including from six U.S. technology companies, in an effort to grow and operate Huawei’s business. The misappropriated intellectual property included trade secret information and copyrighted works, such as source code and user manuals for internet routers, antenna technology and robot testing technology. Huawei, Huawei USA and Futurewei agreed to reinvest the proceeds of this alleged racketeering activity in Huawei’s worldwide business, including in the United States.
The means and methods of the alleged misappropriation included entering into confidentiality agreements with the owners of the intellectual property and then violating the terms of the agreements by misappropriating the intellectual property for the defendants’ own commercial use, recruiting employees of other companies and directing them to misappropriate their former employers’ intellectual property, and using proxies such as professors working at research institutions to obtain and provide the technology to the defendants. As part of the scheme, Huawei allegedly launched a policy instituting a bonus program to reward employees who obtained confidential information from competitors. The policy made clear that employees who provided valuable information were to be financially rewarded.
Huawei’s efforts to steal trade secrets and other sophisticated U.S. technology were successful. Through the methods of deception described above, the defendants obtained nonpublic intellectual property relating to internet router source code, cellular antenna technology and robotics. As a consequence of its campaign to steal this technology and intellectual property, Huawei was able to drastically cut its research and development costs and associated delays, giving the company a significant and unfair competitive advantage.
When confronted with evidence of wrongdoing, the defendants allegedly made repeated misstatements to U.S. officials, including FBI agents and representatives from the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, regarding their efforts to misappropriate trade secrets. Similarly, the defendants engaged in obstructive conduct to minimize litigation risk and the potential for criminal investigations, including the very investigation that led to this prosecution.
The superseding indictment also includes new allegations about Huawei and its subsidiaries’ involvement in business and technology projects in countries subject to U.S., E.U. and/or U.N. sanctions, such as Iran and North Korea – as well as the company’s efforts to conceal the full scope of that involvement. The defendants’ activities, which included arranging for shipment of Huawei goods and services to end users in sanctioned countries, were typically conducted through local affiliates in the sanctioned countries. Reflecting the inherent sensitivity of conducting business in jurisdictions subject to sanctions, internal Huawei documents allegedly referred to such jurisdictions with code names. For example, the code “A2” referred to Iran, and “A9” referred to North Korea.
Huawei employees also allegedly lied about Huawei’s relationship to Skycom, falsely asserting it was not a subsidiary of Huawei. The company further claimed that Huawei had only limited operations in Iran and that Huawei did not violate U.S. or other laws or regulations related to Iran. In fact, the indictment alleges Skycom was Huawei’s unofficial subsidiary that, among other services, assisted the Government of Iran in performing domestic surveillance, including during the demonstrations in Tehran in 2009.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The government’s investigation is ongoing. Individuals with knowledge of misconduct by Huawei, its subsidiaries, employees or agents should contact the FBI’s New York Field Office at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The FBI’s New York Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) New York Field Office, U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement’s (OEE) New York Field Office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southwest and Northeast Field Offices are jointly conducting the investigation. Agents from the FBI, HSI and OEE offices in Dallas provided significant support and assistance. The government’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Julia Nestor, David K. Kessler and Sarah Evans, MLARS Trial Attorneys Laura Billings and Christian Nauvel and CES Trial Attorneys Thea D. R. Kendler and David Lim are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan G. King of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Margaret O’Malley and John Riesenberg of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. Additional Criminal Division and National Security Division Trial Attorneys and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Texas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Texas, the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California have provided valuable assistance with various aspects of this investigation.
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.