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10 March 2020
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Krystian Zarate pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Zarate, age 28, previously resided in Santa Cruz, Arizona. He pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing to occur on July 16, 2020, at 2:00 p.m.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Alden Man Arrested, Charged with Possession and Receipt of Child PornographyRead 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 Brandon Kidder, 35, of Alden, NY, was arrested and charged by complaint with possession and receipt of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in August 2019, the FBI received information that a local IP address was accessing Tor, a computer network available to Internet users designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the Internet to access child pornography. The IP address was subsequently traced to the defendant.
On January 28, 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kidder’s Sandridge Road Apartment in Alden. Investigators seized two Samsung smartphones, a Thermaltake desktop computer, a Dell laptop computer, and two thumb drives. The two computers were submitted to the Western New York Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) for a full forensic exam. An initial search of the Samsung phones and thumb drives recovered videos and images of child pornography, some including infants and depictions of violence.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on March 10, 2020.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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9 March 2020
Washington County Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Methamphetamine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nestor Cordero-Hernandez, age 43, of Fort Ann, New York, pled guilty on Friday to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Cordero-Hernandez admitted that between September 2018 and November 2019, he agreed with others to participate in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed cocaine and methamphetamine. In furtherance of this drug trafficking conspiracy, he distributed over 600 grams of methamphetamine and 450 grams of cocaine in Fort Ann and elsewhere.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 2, 2020, at which time Cordero-Hernandez faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
U.S. Attorney Davis Announces New Criminal ChiefRead the Press Release
BOISE – Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Whatcott will be the new Criminal Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. He succeeds Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Lucoff as the Criminal Chief. Mr. Lucoff was the Criminal Chief for over nine years. At Mr. Lucoff’s request, U.S. Attorney Davis allowed him to step down as Criminal Chief so that he could pursue other opportunities within the Department of Justice. Mr. Whatcott will become the Criminal Chief on March 15, 2020.
Mr. Whatcott is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law. There, he served as an intern at the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and was a dean’s list student. After graduating law school in 2001, he joined the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he handled a number of major felony cases. In September 2005, Mr. Whatcott joined the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. In December 2005, he joined the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, serving as Lead Deputy Attorney General in the Special Prosecutions unit. In February 2009, he became the second Gang Special AUSA to work for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho. In September 2010, he took the oath of office to become an Assistant United States Attorney. He served as the District of Idaho’s Immigration Coordinator, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, and Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator. Mr. Whatcott has also been an active criminal litigator throughout his tenure with the office, and will continue to litigate cases in addition to filling the role of Criminal Chief.
“It has been a privilege to have Aaron guide our criminal division for nearly a decade. His service to our District was remarkable and I will always be grateful for the contributions he has made to better our office,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “I am excited about this new opportunity for Justin to lead our criminal division. He is a natural leader and is well respected within the office. I look forward to working alongside him.”
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U.S. Attorney Attends Department of Justice 2020 National Opioid SummitRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and AUSA Jennifer MammengaWASHINGTON D.C. – United States Attorney Ron Parsons attended the Department of Justice’s National 2020 Opioid Summit held on March 4-6, 2020, at the Robert F. Kennedy Building in Washington D.C. The summit brought together U.S. Attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, health professionals, and other experts from across the country to discuss strategies for confronting and solving the opioid crisis. Featured speakers included U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, First Lady Melania Trump, Uttam Dhillon (Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration), and Sam Quinones (Journalist and Author of Dreamland). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mammenga, Opioid Coordinator for the District of South Dakota, was also in attendance at the summit.
Two Men Indicted for Vandalizing Archaeological ResourceRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal grand jury indicted two Elko residents for allegedly conspiring to vandalize U.S. government property, including an archaeological site, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-Nevada State Director Jon Raby.
Daniel Plata, 25, and Jonathan Pavon, 25, were each charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of destruction of government property, and one count of unauthorized damage, alteration or defacement of archaeological resources. The defendants made their initial court appearance on March 6, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin in Reno.
“This case reinforces the importance of law enforcement working together to maintain Nevada’s landscape, natural resources, and cultural artifacts for everyone to enjoy,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich.
"I would like to thank all of our inter-agency partners for their continued efforts to protect the archaeological resources on public lands that are so critically important to our tribal nations and the American public, including the efforts to prosecute those who vandalize and destroy these important sites," said State Director Raby.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, on September 19, 2019, Pavon posted a video on his Instagram page showing Plata vandalizing: (a) property near the Schelbourne rest stop in White Pine County, Nevada; (b) property in McGill and Lund, Nevada; and (c) rock formations within the White River Narrows Archeological District in the Basin and Range National Monument. The indictment alleges that Pavon acted as a lookout while Plata spray-painted on rock formations that contained petroglyphs.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is a product of an investigation by the BLM. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Kent is prosecuting the case.
To report natural resources crimes on BLM-managed public lands, please call the BLM tip line at (833) 660-5771 or email [email protected].
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Two Lynn Men Plead Guilty to Drug and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Lynn men pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with drug and firearm charges.
Carlos Lopez, aka “C-Lo,” 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Dionis Lopez, aka “Kuku,” 29, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2020. The defendants were arrested and charged in September 2018.
On Nov. 14, 2017, Carlos Lopez possessed and intended to distribute heroin and marijuana while in possession of a Bersa, Model Thunder 380, .380 caliber pistol and a Beretta, Model Px4, 9mm pistol with various rounds of 9mm ammunition. Due to a previous conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, Carlos Lopez was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Dionis Lopez possessed and intended to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana while in possession of a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number and a Glock, Model 19, 9 mm pistol.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes provides for a mandatory sentence of five years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term imposed and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Two Commercial Flooring Executives Plead Guilty to Rigging Bids in Violation of Federal Antitrust LawsRead the Press Release
Two commercial flooring executives, Robert A. Patrey Jr. and Kenneth R. Smith, pleaded guilty for their role in an antitrust conspiracy to rig bids and fix prices for commercial flooring services and products sold in the United States, the Department of Justice announced. The defendants are cooperating with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation.
According to plea agreements filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois, from at least as early as 2009 until at least June 22, 2017, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition in the commercial flooring market by agreeing with other individuals and companies to submit “comp,” or complementary, bids so that the designated company would win the bidding. Smith’s plea today is the fifth plea in the investigation. Patrey entered a guilty plea on Feb. 27, 2020.
“The recent guilty pleas are the latest in the government’s investigation, and they won’t be the last,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “This scheme among commercial flooring contractors in the Chicago area victimized American taxpayers by targeting public institutions, including vulnerable public schools operating in a resource-constrained environment. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and bringing to justice executives involved in these harmful bid-rigging cartels.”
“These defendants illegally manipulated the bidding process, victimizing American taxpayers and vulnerable institutions in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr. of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Chicago Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will continue to protect our communities by holding companies and their executives responsible for bid-rigging schemes.”
Individual violations of the Sherman Act carry maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The guilty pleas are the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging, price fixing, and other anticompetitive conduct in the commercial flooring industry, conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. Last week, in a case arising out of this investigation, Carter Brett, an account executive for a large flooring manufacturer, pleaded guilty to two counts related to a bid-rotation conspiracy and a money-laundering conspiracy.
Anyone with information on bid rigging, price fixing, or other anticompetitive conduct related to the commercial flooring industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office at 312-984-7200, contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Third Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Counterfeiting $100 BillsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – John Sebestyen, 51, Mission Viejo, Calif., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for “washing” $1 bills to produce counterfeit $100 bills, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay $19,900 in restitution.
Sebestyen was the third of three defendants sentenced in the case. Two co-defendants already were sentenced: Courtney Campbell, 38, Bouse, Ariz. (37 months, $18,100 restitution) and Steven Shane Escamilla, 31, Laguna Hills, Calif. (27 months, $19,900 restitution).
According to documents filed in court, an employee at a hotel in Overland Park contacted police to report that the defendants, who were staying at the hotel, were acting suspiciously. They deposited trash in containers away from their rooms that contained evidence of criminal activity.
The defendants washed the ink off $1 bills and reprinted them to look like $100 bills. They used the counterfeit bills to purchase items from retailers in the Kansas City metro area including Target and Ulta Beauty. In some cases, they returned items and received refunds in genuine currency.
McAllister commended the Overland Park Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton for their work on the case.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Meth, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine to distribute.
Jacob Winterhawk Ryder, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Springfield police officers noticed suspicious behavior and approached Ryder, the driver of a Ford Ranger that was parked beside another vehicle in a parking lot, on Jan. 21, 2016. When it appeared as if Ryder was attempting to conceal something underneath the front seat, an officer directed him to step out of his vehicle. The officer saw a live round for a 9mm handgun lying on the driver’s seat.
Police officers searched Ryder’s vehicle and found a loaded Walther .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol underneath the armrest, a loaded New England Firearms 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun under the driver’s seat, and more ammunition. Officers also found a black cloth bag with four Ziploc baggies that contained a total of 63.93 grams of pure methamphetamine, a Ziploc baggie that contained 17.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, a Rubbermaid container that contained 297.6 grams of pure methamphetamine, two LSD tabs, a Ziploc baggie containing mushrooms, a Ziploc baggie with unknown pills, and $1,175.
Under federal statutes, Ryder is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Sissonville Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Federal Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Sissonville man pled guilty in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael Eugene Hicks, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Hicks is one of 21 individuals indicted for their roles in a large meth trafficking conspiracy,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My office will use every available resource to shut down the pipeline of deadly drugs coming into West Virginia, prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law, and protect the people of our state.”
Hicks admitted that between the July and September of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Sissonville and Charleston areas. During the conspiracy, Hicks repeatedly obtained large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron to West Virginia. Hicks would in turn distribute the methamphetamine to various customers and admitted that he knew some of his customers intended to re-distribute the methamphetamine they were purchasing.
On August 5, 2019, Hicks traveled from West Virginia to the Canton, Ohio area to acquire additional methamphetamine. After receiving the methamphetamine in a shopping mall parking lot, Hicks was stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Canton. Hicks was found to be in possession of approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine that he was transporting to West Virginia to sell.
As part of his plea, Hicks admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
Hicks faces 10 years to life in prison when sentenced on June 29, 2020.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
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Savannah man claiming to be a 'sovereign citizen' convicted of illegally carrying a firearmRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A federal jury took less than 15 minutes to find a so-called ‘sovereign citizen’ guilty of illegally carrying a gun.
Michael Levant Williams, 36, of Savannah, was found guilty after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Savannah, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“For the second time this year, a so-called ‘sovereign citizen’ has tried, and failed, to excuse his illegal actions in the Southern District by claiming to be above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “No one is above the law – especially those claiming fictitious legal status in an attempt to circumvent their guilt for repeated criminal behavior.”
Williams, who had a previous federal felony conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, was arrested during a traffic stop by Savannah Police officers Nov. 22, 2018 on a traffic violation. A firearm was recovered during a subsequent search. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing weapons.
After his arrest, and during subsequent legal proceedings, Williams acted as his own attorney and claimed to be a “sovereign citizen” who was immune from the law. In an unrelated case in U.S. District Court in January, an Augusta man who similarly claimed “sovereign citizen” status was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraudulent legal filings that targeted federal officials.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Karl Knoche.
San Bernardino County Man Who Brought Rifle into Restaurant after Being Denied Alcohol Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A convicted felon who brought an assault rifle into a restaurant and brandished it at the manager after employees refused to serve him an alcoholic beverage was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison.
Francisco Alvarado Felix, 33, of Hesperia, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner.
Felix and a friend visited a BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Victorville during the early morning hours of December 29, 2018. He attempted to order an alcoholic drink, but BJ’s employees declined to serve him because he did not have proper identification. When restaurant employees later saw Felix sipping from his friend’s alcoholic beverage, the manager warned Felix he was not allowed to drink alcohol without identification and he would be forced to leave the restaurant if he did it again.
Felix then went to his car and returned with a concealed AR-15 rifle. He flashed the rifle at the manager and the two ended up in a fight on the ground, which resulted in one round being discharged from the rifle. No one was hit. Felix fled the scene with the rifle and hid until the next morning when officers executed a search warrant and arrested him at his house. During the search, officers recovered the AR-15 rifle, ammunition, and, on Felix’s person, 37.6 grams of methamphetamine packaged in two separate baggies.
In August 2019, Felix pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Felix previously was convicted in San Bernardino County Superior Court for felony DUI in 2014 and of three separate felony methamphetamine-related charges in 2015 and 2016.
At the time of the scuffle with the manager at BJ’s Restaurant, Felix was out on bail in a state case. The state case stemmed from a December 5, 2018 incident at a Highland casino when a valet parking attendant found a semi-automatic pistol attached to the front console of Felix’s car next to the driver’s seat. Felix was subsequently charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in that matter, and he has pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His next court hearing in that matter is March 16 before United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who may impose a sentence at that time. Felix faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison in this second firearms-related case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerry C. Yang of the Riverside Branch Office.
Primgar Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of 55 Guns.Read the Press Release
A convicted felon who possessed stolen guns was sentenced on March 6, 2020, to more than a year in federal prison.
Thomas Robert Ginger, Jr., age 45, from Primgar, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. Ginger was previously convicted of felony sponsoring a gathering for use of drugs. Ginger also has four convictions for OWI.
Information provided by the United States at the arraignment, change of plea and sentencing hearings, showed that when Ginger learned of his father’s death, he left his grieving family at the hospital, drove nearly two miles to his mother’s home, and kicked in the exterior door. Once inside, Ginger then broke through another door into an interior “gun room” and stole 55 firearms that had belonged to his father’s Federal Firearm Licensee business. Ginger also took $7,700 in cash and a briefcase that contained a coin collection. He hid the guns in a car at one person’s home and hid the money underneath a sink at his home. When law enforcement confronted Ginger about the crime he initially lied about his whereabouts and involvement. Later, after the weapons were discovered, he confessed.
Ginger was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ginger was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ginger will self-report to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from our Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the O’Brien (Iowa) County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sanborn, Iowa Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4056.
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Plainville Man Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jason J. Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), today announced that KYLE FASOLD, 49, of Plainville, was arrested on Friday and charged with child pornography offenses.
After his arrest, Fasold appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained. Judge Farrish scheduled a detention hearing for tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2020, HSI special agents, with the assistance of the Plainville Police Department and Connecticut State Police, executed a court-authorized search of Fasold’s residence and seized numerous electronic items, including an Apple iPhone X. Preliminary forensic analysis of the iPhone revealed multiple video files and an image file of girls changing in a locker room.
It is alleged that Fasold produced the videos and image himself.
The complaint charges Fasold with production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that this investigation is in its early stages and investigators are working to identify and notify victims.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Plainville Police Department and Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Sarala V. Nagala.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Pittsburgh Man on Parole Sentenced to 6+ Years for Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and a Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Tyrone Swan was sentenced to six years and three months (75 months) in federal prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and para-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl in 2018, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Swan, age 30 of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon also sentenced Swan to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Swan was on state parole from a prior prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault when he conspired to distribute heroin and para-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl in 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Jefferson Hills Police Department, the Pleasant Hills Police Department, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Running a Methamphetamine Pill Pressing OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has pleaded guilty to federal narcotics charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Zachery Hyde, age 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug involved premises before United States District Court Judge Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan scheduled his sentencing for June 29, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.
According to information presented to the court, Hyde conspired with other individuals to acquire large quantities of methamphetamine. Hyde sourced the methamphetamine in a variety of ways, including ordering quantities of methamphetamine over the internet and having it shipped to the Pittsburgh area from out of the country. Hyde then used a location in McKees Rocks to press the methamphetamine into pill form for distribution. On December 7, 2017, the Western District of Pennsylvania FBI Opioid Task Force executed a search warrant at a location in McKees Rocks when Hyde and others were present. FBI recovered approximately 447 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine, pill pressing material, drug paraphernalia, and shipping boxes. At a later date, FBI seized a large hydraulic pill press used in connection with the operation. As part of his guilty plea, Hyde agreed to forfeit the pill press.
The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of not more than 40 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $5,000,000. 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 Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni 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 conviction 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, Stowe-Rox Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The Allegheny Office of the Medical Examiner and Stowe-Rox Police Department also assisted in the prosecution of this case.
Phony Immigration Attorney Who Filed More Than 215 Fraudulent Asylum Applications IndictedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a 25-count indictment charging Elvis Harold Reyes (56, Brandon) with 8 counts of mail fraud, 8 counts of making false statements in immigration documents, and 9 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Reyes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of mail fraud, up to 15 years’ imprisonment for each false statement count, and a mandatory, consecutive term of two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts.
According to the
indictment , Reyes, who owned and operated EHR Ministries Inc., portrayed himself as an immigration attorney, pastor, accountant, immigration expert, former immigration official, and former federal law enforcement officer. Reyes is not and has never been a licensed attorney. Reyes targeted undocumented immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries who were seeking Florida driver licenses and work authorization. He gave false, inaccurate, and incomplete legal and immigration advice to victims in order to induce them to retain his services and those of EHR Ministries.Victims retained and paid Reyes to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. Reyes allegedly filed fraudulent immigration applications in the victims’ names, seeking asylum relief and withholding-of-removal protections provided for under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. In doing so, Reyes falsified answers to questions in the asylum applications—fabricating stories about threats, persecution, and the applicants’ fear of returning to their native countries. Reyes did not inform the victims of the answers that he had provided on their behalf. He also did not inform the victims about the legal, administrative, and other immigration-related consequences that might follow from filing for asylum relief or for Convention Against Torture protection.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Reyes is believed to have filed more than 215 fraudulent applications, with intended losses to victims exceeding $1 million. Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Orlando Man Indicted for False Statements During Purchase of FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of a four-count indictment charging Wilmer Eduardo Mejia-Palacios (36, Orlando) with fraudulently making a false statement to a licensed firearm dealer. If convicted, Mejia-Palacios faces up to 5 years in federal prison for each count.
According to court documents, Mejia-Palacios attempted to purchase firearms on four separate occasions in Orlando. In connection with those attempted purchases, Mejia-Palacios completed a firearms transaction record claiming that he was a United States citizen and that he was not illegally or unlawfully in the United States. Those claims were false.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Nixa Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nixa, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today for distributing methamphetamine he received in the mail from California.
Jerry D. Thornton, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Thornton admitted that he received multiple pounds of methamphetamine through the mail from a source in California from Dec. 8, 2018, to Feb. 5, 2019. He then distributed the methamphetamine to others in southwest Missouri. Thornton received and distributed at least 11.34 kilograms of methamphetamine.
A confidential source told investigators that Thornton received approximately one shipment of methamphetamine each week, and each package contained about five pounds. On Feb. 5, 2019, postal inspectors intercepted a parcel being shipped to Thornton’s address, which contained 990.3 grams of methamphetamine. Inspectors conducted a controlled delivery of a duplicate package, which contained rock salt, to Thornton’s residence.
When the package was retrieved from his porch, officers executed a search warrant of the residence. During a search of Thornton’s residence, agents found a Ruger .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in the drawer of a bedside table and a loaded Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic rifle in the garage.
Under federal statutes, Thornton is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Nixa, Mo., Police Department.
Newark Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Union County CarjackingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for committing a gunpoint carjacking in Union County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Hasson Thomas, 30, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to superseding information charging him with one count of carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of Aug. 18, 2018, Thomas approached a parked vehicle occupied by two people on Chestnut Street in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Thomas entered the vehicle and pointed a firearm at the two occupants while ordering them to exit the vehicle. After ordering the victims out of the vehicle, Thomas drove from the scene. Roselle Park Police in the area attempted to pursue Thomas as he fled the scene at a high rate of speed shortly before crashing.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Thomas to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Roselle Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel J. McCaffery, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace Latzer of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Jamel Semper, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Violent Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel: Chester Keller Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender (Newark)
Mexican National Who Ran Stash House and Laundered Money for Group Linked to Sinaloa Cartel Sentenced to over 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Mexican National who was charged in the first major narcotics trafficking indictment resulting from an investigation by the Los Angeles Strike Force was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for his role in an international narcotics network that transported 21 pounds of pure methamphetamine across the United States-Mexico border on behalf of a drug trafficking organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Edgar Limon, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered Limon to pay a $17,500 fine.
Limon pleaded guilty on July 17, 2019, to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering. Limon was one of 22 defendants named in a 19-count grand jury indictment that was unsealed in 2017.
The indictment outlines a scheme to import hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin from Mexico into the United States. The narcotics were distributed throughout the country via a network of cartel associates, and the proceeds from the domestic narcotics sales were then funneled back to Mexico, according to the indictment. The drug trafficking organization stored drugs in “stash houses” in the San Gabriel Valley, one of which Limon managed.
During the two-year wiretap investigation, members of the Strike Force seized narcotics with an approximate street value in Los Angeles of more than $6 million. The seizures included approximately 290 pounds of methamphetamine, 280 pounds of cocaine, 30 pounds of heroin, and 81 pounds of marijuana.
Limon is one of nine defendants who were taken into custody pursuant to the 2017 federal grand jury indictment, and he is the last of those to be sentenced. The other eight received prison terms of up to 135 months. Several defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives and are believed to be in Mexico.
Between June 2014 and April 2016, there was an agreement between Limon and his codefendants to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, methamphetamine in the Los Angeles area. In one instance, Limon transferred more than 3 kilograms of methamphetamine in El Monte, California. Limon also maintained a stash house in Azusa that served as a distribution point for methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.
In relation to the money laundering offense, Limon and his codefendants conducted financial transactions in the Los Angeles area and elsewhere with the intent to conceal and disguise the nature of the drug trafficking proceeds. Limon received cash that he knew to be drug proceeds, and he conducted financial transactions designed to conceal the money’s illegal origins.
Limon is the brother of Jeuri Limon Elenes, the lead defendant in the indictment who is currently a fugitive and believed to be in Mexico. Limon’s mother and cousin were also charged in the indictment, and both were sentenced to 87 months in federal prison.
The Los Angeles Strike Force investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service and the Azusa Police Department.
The Los Angeles Strike Force was formed in 2014 to target Mexican drug cartels that use the Los Angeles metropolitan region as a primary hub for the distribution of narcotics across the United States. The goals of the Strike Force are to target high-level narcotics traffickers, disrupt and dismantle the cartels’ narcotics trafficking and related money laundering activities, and arrest and prosecute the cartels’ leaders and operatives.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Carley Palmer of the Criminal Appeals Section.
Mexican National Removed from U.S. 5 Times Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARMANDO MACHORRO-ROJAS, 43, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to seven months of imprisonment, time already served, for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in March 2007, Machorro-Rojas had encounters with U.S. Border Patrol that resulted in his voluntary to Mexico. On March 23, 2012, Machorro Rojas was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with operating a vehicle without a license and other offenses. On April 26, 2012, he was deported from the U.S. to Mexico.
On March 29, 2015, Machorro-Rojas was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near Bisbee, Arizona. On April 15, 2015, he was again removed to Mexico.
On June 6, 2015, Machorro-Rojas was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. He was subsequently charged in the District of New Mexico with one count of reentry of a removed alien. He pleaded guilty to the offense, was sentenced to time served and, on July 10, 2015, was removed to Mexico.
On May 31, 2019, Machorro-Rojas was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with burglary in the third degree, risk of injury, larceny in the third degree, breach of peace in the second degree, and interfering/resisting arrest. An immigration detainer that was lodged with the state authorities was not honored, and Machorro-Rojas was released on bond on July 5.
Machorro-Rojas has been detained since August 9, 2019, after he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. On December 6, 2019, he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien.
Machorro-Rojas will again be removed to Mexico.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Slater and Brendan Keefe.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges 27 Defendants in Racehorse Doping RingsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Catherine A. Hermsen, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations (“FDA-OCI”), and Troy Miller, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York (“CBP”), announced the unsealing of four indictments charging 27 individuals with offenses relating to the systematic and covert administration of illegal performance-enhancing drugs (“PEDs”) to racehorses competing across the United States and abroad. The Indictments unsealed today each allege the shipment and administration of adulterated and misbranded drugs designed to secretly and dangerously enhance the racing performance of horses beyond their natural ability, a dishonest practice that places the lives of affected animals at risk.
Of the 27 defendants, 19 – including trainers JORGE NAVARRO and JASON SERVIS – are charged in an indictment detailing four conspiracies to manufacture, distribute, and administer adulterated or misbranded drugs as set forth in United States v. Jorge Navarro, et al., 20 Cr. 160 (the “Navarro Indictment”), which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. Of those defendants, 13 were taken into federal custody and are expected to be presented in the Southern District of New York today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Defendant SETH FISHMAN was previously charged by complaint in United States v. Seth Fishman, 19 Mag. 10120, and arrested on October 28, 2019, in Miami, Florida, and was presented in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The remaining defendants were arrested today outside of the Southern District of New York and adjacent districts, and will be presented today before the appropriate District Courts.
Four additional defendants are charged in United States v. Louis Grasso, et al., 20 Cr. 163 (the “Grasso Indictment”), which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel. Two defendants are charged in United States v. Scott Robinson and Scott Mangini, 20 Cr. 162 (the “Robinson Indictment”), assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken; and two defendants are charged in United States v. Sarah Izhaki and Ashley Lebowitz, 20 Cr. 161 (the “Izhaki Indictment”), assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today’s unsealing of four indictments for widespread doping of racehorses is the largest ever of its kind from the Department of Justice. These defendants engaged in this conduct not for the love of the sport, and certainly not out of concern for the horses, but for money. And it was the racehorses that paid the price for the defendants’ greed. The care and respect due to the animals competing, as well as the integrity of racing, are matters of deep concern to the people of this District and to this Office.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “These men allegedly saw the $100 billion dollar global horse racing industry as their way to get rich at the expense of the animals that were doing all the hard work. Our investigation reveals the cruelty and inhumane treatment these horses suffered all to win a race. The FBI New York Joint Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force worked along with our law enforcement partners at the New York State Police, FDA, and DEA to stop this ring of criminals from abusing helpless animals simply so they could cheat the odds and rake in millions of dollars.”
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “I want to commend our NYPD investigators, working with our federal partners, for carrying out a meticulous and important investigation. Putting the lives of horses at the center of an alleged plot to cheat professional horseracing around the world can never be accepted.”
FDA Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen said: “The FDA is responsible for protecting not only the health of humans, but also of animals. The manufacturing and trafficking of misbranded and unapproved animal drugs, and the administering of such drugs to racehorses to enhance their performance at the track, seriously endangers the health of these animals in pursuit of financial gain. Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of our continued focus on those individuals and companies that put profits ahead of the public health.”
CBP Director of Field Operations Troy Miller said: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to have collaborated with our fellow law enforcement partners during this investigation. We value our partnerships and the arrests today demonstrate that together, no matter how complex the case, we will do what it takes to bring those who violate the law to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments,[1] other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:
The charges in these four Indictments arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) rules and regulations, as well as prohibitions against the use of PEDs, and by deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), notwithstanding the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses. Trainers who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings, and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. Veterinarians and drug distributors simply profited from the callous sale and administration of these medically unnecessary substances.
The Navarro Indictment
The Navarro Indictment charges 19 individuals representing a cross-section of corruption throughout the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries. As alleged, JORGE NAVARRO, a racehorse trainer, has participated in the doping of horses under his control using a variety of PEDs, including customized PEDs designed in part to evade normal anti-doping tests administered by racing regulators. NAVARRO operated his doping scheme covertly, using a straw man to receive certain products designed to mask the presence of PEDs, avoiding explicit discussion of PEDs during certain telephone calls, and working with others to coordinate the administration of PEDs at times that racing officials would not detect such cheating.
NAVARRO trained and doped XY Jet, a thoroughbred horse that won the 2019 Golden Shaheen race in Dubai. As alleged, NAVARRO was intercepted during telephone conversations discussing his doping practices, and administered PEDs to XY Jet. Among NAVARRO’s preferred PEDs were various “blood building” drugs, which, when administered before intense physical exertion, can lead to cardiac issues or death. NAVARRO announced XY Jet’s death, as the result of an apparent heart attack, in January of this year. Investigation of the circumstances of that death remains ongoing.
NAVARRO was assisted by many of the charged defendants in the Navarro Indictment, and also assisted others, including JASON SERVIS, in obtaining adulterated and misbranded drugs to dope racehorses.
As alleged, SERVIS doped virtually all horses under his control, including Maximum Security, the horse that crossed the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for interference. Among the misbranded and adulterated PEDs used by SERVIS was the drug “SGF-1000,” marketed and sold by defendant MICHAEL KEGLEY JR., among others, and which is compounded and manufactured in unregistered facilities. SGF-1000, like many other customized PEDs, may cause racehorses to perform beyond their natural abilities, thereby increasing the risk of injuries. SERVIS and others working with him, including veterinarians KRISTIAN RHEIN and ALEXANDER CHAN, attempted to conceal SERVIS’s doping practices through the use of falsified veterinary bills and fake prescriptions. SERVIS also tipped off NAVARRO to the presence of racing officials searching for signs of illegal doping. NAVARRO expressed his relief regarding SERVIS’ “tip”: “[The track official] would’ve caught our asses fucking pumping and pumping and fuming every fucking horse [that] runs today.”
The Navarro Indictment also includes charges against veterinarian SETH FISHMAN who also created and shipped adulterated and misbranded drugs. As alleged, SETH FISHMAN, along with LISA GIANNELLI, JORDAN FISHMAN, and others, developed and distributed multiple illegal PEDs. Those included “blood building” drugs specifically designed to evade anti-doping testing regimes. On one occasion, SETH FISHMAN touted precisely this deceptive aspect of his illegal PEDs: “[D]on’t kid yourself: if you’re giving something to a horse to make it better, and you’re not supposed to do that. . . . That’s doping. You know, whether or not it’s testable, that’s a different story.”
Finally, the Navarro Indictment includes charges against trainer NICHOLAS SURICK who, among other things, distributed the adulterated and misbranded PED “red acid” (an anti-inflammatory drug) to NAVARRO. SURICK also obtained and administered other adulterated and misbranded PEDs to horses under his care, including administering the blood building drug Epogen to the racehorse Northern Virgin. SURICK and others then took extraordinary steps to physically conceal Northern Virgin from New Jersey state regulators seeking to test horses under SURICK’s control, for which SURICK is also charged with obstruction.
The Grasso Indictment
The Grasso Indictment charges four defendants, including veterinarian LOUIS GRASSO, with conspiring to violate the misbranding laws of the United States. As alleged, GRASSO manufactured, sold, and distributed adulterated and misbranded PEDs for use on racehorses. GRASSO also obtained and distributed other PEDs, including snake venom, a type of pain blocking substance. GRASSO worked with DONATO POLISENO, a Delaware-based distributor of PEDs manufactured by GRASSO and others. The Grasso Indictment also charges two horse trainers, THOMAS GUIDO III and CONOR FLYNN, with, among other things, causing the shipment of adulterated and misbranded PEDs prior to administering those drugs to horses under their control. The dangers of that practice are reflected in the death of a horse doped by GUIDO in or about October 2019, about which GRASSO commented: “I’ve seen that happen 20 times.”
The Robinson Indictment
SCOTT ROBINSON and SCOTT MANGINI are each charged with misbranding and adulteration conspiracies in the Robinson Indictment. As alleged, the two defendants previously collaborated in running online marketplaces selling adulterated and misbranded PEDs for racehorses. The drugs distributed through the defendants’ websites were manufactured in non-FDA registered facilities and carried significant risks to the animals affected through the administration of those illicit PEDs. In one instance, on January 2, 2016, ROBINSON forwarded a customer complaint to MANGINI: “I [i.e., a customer contacting ROBINSON] ordered some [PED-1] . . . starting bout 8 hours after I give the injection and for about 36 hours afterwards both my horses act like they are heavily sedated, can barely walk. Could I have a bad bottle of medicine, I’m afraid to give it anymore since this has happened three times.” Commenting on this complaint, ROBINSON wrote, “here is another one.”
The Izhaki Indictment
The fourth Indictment unsealed today, the Izhaki Indictment, charges SARAH IZKAHI and ASHLEY LEBOWITZ in connection with their distribution of an adulterated and misbranded blood builder sourced illegally from a Mexico-based pharmaceutical company. As alleged, IZHAKI has obtained this substance by smuggling the drug into the United States, where IZHAKI and LEBOWITZ distribute the drug to horse trainers in and around the New York City area.
* * *
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants in each of the four Indictments is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge assigned to each case.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the FBI’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Mr. Berman also thanked the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department for their support of this investigation, and Customs and Border Protection, the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance and expertise.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi, Benet J. Kearney, and Andrew C. Adams are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in these Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Indictments are posted on our website under the heading "Indictments in Horse Doping Case."
Navarro Indictment
Count
Charge
Defendants
Max. Penalty
Count One
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
JORGE NAVARRO
ERICA GARCIA
MARCOS ZULUETA
MICHAEL TANNUZZO
GREGORY SKELTON
ROSS COHEN
SETH FISHMAN
CHRISTOPHER OAKES
NICHOLAS SURICK
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Two
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
SETH FISHMAN
LISA GIANNELLI
JORDAN FISHMAN
RICK DANE JR.
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Three
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
JASON SERVIS
KRISTIAN RHEIN
MICHAEL KEGLEY JR.
ALEXANDER CHAN
HENRY ARGUETA
JORGE NAVARRO
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Four
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
NICHOLAS SURICK
REBECCA LINKE
CHRISTOPHER MARINO
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Five
Obstruction
18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b)(3) & 2
NICHOLAS SURICK
20 years’ imprisonment.
Count Six
Obstruction
18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c) & 2
NICHOLAS SURICK
20 years’ imprisonment.
Grasso Indictment
Count
Charge
Defendants
Max. Penalty
Count One
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
LOUIS GRASSO
DONATO POLISENO
CONOR FLYNN
THOMAS GUIDO III
5 years’ imprisonment.
Robinson Indictment
Count
Charge
Defendants
Max. Penalty
Count One
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
SCOTT ROBINSON
SCOTT MANGINI
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Two
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
SCOTT ROBINSON
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count One
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
SCOTT MANGINI
5 years’ imprisonment.
Izhaki Indictment
Count
Charge
Defendants
Max. Penalty
Count One
Misbranding Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
SARAH IZHAKI
ASHLEY LEBOWITZ
5 years’ imprisonment.
Count Two
Smuggling
18 U.S.C. §§ 545 & 2
SARAH IZHAKI
20 years’ imprisonment.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting an Illegal Alien in His Vehicle to the St. John Ferry TerminalRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Courtney Matthias pleaded guilty to transporting an illegal alien. Matthias will be sentenced at a later date.
According to court documents filed in the case, on October 1, 2019, Matthias transported an illegal alien in his vehicle to the ferry terminal in St. John. In addition, Matthias purchased a ferry ticket for the alien and traveled to St. Thomas with the alien.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Sleeper.
Lee's Summit Man Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Joshua Hardin, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 25, 2019, Hardin pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Oct. 16, 2018, to June 3, 2019.
Hardin was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Kansas City police officers on Oct. 30, 2018. Officers seized a bag that contained 371.38 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle’s driver and a stolen Glock handgun from the floorboard directly behind the driver’s seat. Hardin had 6.8 grams of methamphetamine and 5.22 grams of marijuana in his pockets.
Officers had earlier seized a bag from Hardin that contained54.86 grams of methamphetamine. Officers were called by a homeowner on Oct. 16, 2018, who reported that he saw Hardin, whom he did not know, walk out from behind a shed on his property. The homeowner’s wife then found the bag of methamphetamine behind the shed, and the homeowner contacted the police. Hardin admitted the methamphetamine belonged to him.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Leader of Armed Home Invasion Robbery Crew Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Other Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Detroit, Michigan, found a Colombian man guilty of all charges in a nine-count indictment charging him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy and other violent crimes, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office.
Juan Olaya, 39, of Buenaventura, Colombia, was a leader of an armed robbery crew that traveled the United States committing armed home invasions. Evidence at trial established that the defendant and his crew exclusively targeted families of Indian and Asian descent for their crimes.
Following a two-week trial, Olaya was convicted of one count of RICO conspiracy, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and four counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Laurie J. Michelson of the Eastern District of Michigan, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Olaya and his robbery crew committed a string of home invasions in Georgia, New York, Michigan and Texas in 2014. The organizer of the crew, Chaka Castro, ran the enterprise from 2011 through 2014. Castro generated lists of robbery targets in various states around the county, specifically families of Asian and Indian ancestry, and assigned crews to carry out the armed robberies of these families within their homes. Olaya was the road boss of one such crew, who recruited other members and assigned roles to those members. Olaya and crew members traveled to certain locations, conducted surveillance and executed the robberies.
The crew utilized a particular modus operandi in each of the robberies. Members disguised their appearance with clothing and bandanas so that victims would have difficulty identifying them. They openly carried and brandished firearms to gain control of the victims and then immediately corralled the victims, including children, into one location in the home. At least one crew member then restrained the victims using duct tape and threats of violence, as another ransacked the home in search of cash, jewelry and electronics to steal. The crew organized their trips to involve multiple home invasion robberies over a series of days.
The FBI’s Ann Arbor Office investigated the case with the assistance of federal agencies including U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement agencies in Michigan, including Washtenaw County Sherriff’s Office, Ann Arbor Police Department and Canton Police Department; local law enforcement agencies in Ohio, including Beachwood Police Department; local law enforcement agencies in Georgia, including the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, Cobb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Duluth Police Department and Milton Police Department; local law enforcement agencies in New York, including Nassau County Police Department; the Tennessee Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies in Texas including Allen Police Department, Coppell Police Department, Flower Mound Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, Lewisville Police Department and Southlake Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section 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.
Justice Department Wins Historic Arbitration of a Merger DisputeRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice prevailed in a first-of-a-kind arbitration, which will resolve a civil antitrust lawsuit challenging Novelis’s proposed merger with Aleris Corporation. As a result, Novelis must divest Aleris’s entire aluminum auto body sheet operations in North America, which will fully preserve competition in this important industry. In addition, under the terms of the arbitration agreement between defendants and the Department, Novelis must reimburse the Department for its fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration.
“Today’s decision is a victory for automakers and American consumers and taxpayers and will preserve competition in the market for aluminum auto body sheet,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This first-of-its-kind arbitration proved to be an effective procedure for the streamlined adjudication of a dispositive issue in a merger challenge. As demonstrated in this case, arbitration has the potential to be a powerful dispute resolution tool in the right circumstances and I look forward to applying the learning from this case to future matters. I am very proud of the Division’s talented and dedicated team of lawyers, paralegals, and economists who pioneered this ground-breaking arbitration, representing the Division exceedingly well throughout these proceedings.”
On Sept. 4, 2019, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio seeking to block Novelis Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Aleris Corporation. Prior to filing the complaint, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division reached an agreement with defendants to refer the matter to binding arbitration if the parties were unable to resolve the United States’ competitive concerns with the defendants’ transaction within a certain period of time. Fact discovery proceeded under the supervision of the district court. Pursuant to the arbitration agreement, following the close of fact discovery, the matter was referred to binding arbitration to resolve the issue of product market definition. A ten-day arbitration hearing concluded last week, marking the first time the Antitrust Division has used its authority under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996 (5 U.S.C. § 571 et seq.) to resolve a matter.
Today, the arbitrator ruled for the United States, holding that aluminum auto body sheet constitutes a relevant product market, as the United States had alleged. Because the Department prevailed, the United States will file a proposed final judgment with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio that requires Novelis to divest Aleris’s entire aluminum ABS operations in North America to preserve competition in the relevant market. This arbitration procedure provided certainty and allowed the defendants to close their transaction subject to foreign regulatory review.
The Department thanks Kevin Arquit, a highly-respected and experienced antitrust lawyer and former Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition, for serving as the arbitrator in this matter. The Department also thanks defendants’ legal team from Latham & Watkins, LLP and Fried Frank, and in particular, Dan Wall and the litigating team from Latham & Watkins, for their highly-skilled advocacy and professionalism.
Novelis is a Canadian corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It offers flat-rolled aluminum products in three segments: automotive, beverage can, and specialty products. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, Novelis’s revenues were approximately $12.3 billion. Novelis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Ltd., an Indian company headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Aleris is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It offers flat-rolled aluminum products to the automotive, aerospace, and building and construction industries, among others. In 2018, Aleris’s revenues were approximately $3.4 billion.
Justice Department Cautions Business Community Against Violating Antitrust Laws in the Manufacturing, Distribution, and Sale of Public Health ProductsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced its intention to hold accountable anyone who violates the antitrust laws of the United States in connection with the manufacturing, distribution, or sale of public health products such as face masks, respirators, and diagnostics. The department’s announcement is part of a broader administration effort to ensure that federal, state, and local health authorities, the private healthcare sector, and the public at large are in the strongest possible position to respond to the outbreak of the respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“The Department of Justice stands ready to make sure that bad actors do not take advantage of emergency response efforts, healthcare providers, or the American people during this crucial time,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I am committed to ensuring that the department’s resources are available to combat any wrongdoing and protect the public.”
Individuals or companies that fix prices or rig bids for personal health protection equipment such as sterile gloves and face masks could face criminal prosecution. Competitors who agree to allocate among themselves consumers of public health products could also be prosecuted. The department’s recently announced Procurement Collusion Strike Force will also be on high alert for collusive practices in the sale of such products to federal, state, and local agencies.
Anyone with information on price fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation schemes, or other anticompetitive conduct should call the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Jury Convicts Belleville Woman for Mail Fraud in Worker's Compensation SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A jury deliberated for approximately one hour on Friday, March 6, 2020, before returning guilty verdicts against a Belleville, Ill. woman, Paula Klaustermeier, 53, charged with three counts of mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough presided over the trial which began March 3. Sentencing is scheduled on July 10, 2020.
After sustaining a workplace injury in 1998 as a seasonal federal employee, Klaustermeier collected wage replacement benefits and medical benefits through the Department of Labor, Officer of Worker’s Compensation Program. At trial, the government presented evidence to show that, starting in approximately 2005, Klaustermeier began fraudulently altering medical documentation, or wholly creating fraudulent medical documents, in an effort to support her claim of ongoing disability. Starting in at least 2008 and continuing into 2013, she submitted travel reimbursement requests, claiming she traveled between 30 and 80 miles, almost daily, in order to engage in a therapy treatment at a variety of health club facilities. The evidence showed that Klaustermeier did not, in fact, have valid health club memberships during the time frame in question; it also showed that one of the health club facilities she claimed to travel to for therapy treatments was actually the private residence of her parents. Through these fraudulent travel reimbursements, Klaustermeier received more than $53,000 in benefits.
The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor B. Yanz and Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government at trial.
At sentencing, the offense of mail fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison.
Inland Empire Man Who Stole Doctors’ Identities to Obtain Medication Later Sold on Dark-net Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for running a narcotics distribution outfit that, in part, stole at least nine doctors’ DEA numbers and dates of birth that he used to obtain oxycodone and other prescription medications that he later sold on the dark-net.
Christopher Lazenby, 29, of Homeland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.
Lazenby pleaded guilty in September 2019 to a two-count criminal information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone.
Lazenby perpetrated his scheme by stealing the identities of at least nine doctors and one physician’s assistant. He then used the Drug Enforcement Administration’s online registration system to change the addresses of eight doctors to mailboxes he had rented in South Los Angeles and Carson. Lazenby changed the address of a ninth doctor to show his medical office was a room at a Motel 6 in Inglewood, according to court documents.
With official records showing new addresses for the doctors, Lazenby forged the doctors’ signatures on counterfeit prescriptions and ordered oxycodone, hydrocodone and Adderall to be sent to the addresses he controlled, he admitted in a plea agreement. After he received the narcotics, Lazenby used the dark web and Craigslist to advertise the drugs for sale.
Lazenby was arrested on October 3, 2018 at his hotel room in Torrance, which he had rented using an alias. During searches of his hotel room and car, law enforcement seized narcotics, including 196 grams of methamphetamine, oxycodone pills, prescription pads in the names of the identity theft victims, and rubber stamps in the names of the victim doctors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin R. Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
- Indictments in Horse Doping Case
Huntington Woman Sentenced for Federal Heroin ConvictionRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A Huntington woman caught selling heroin in Huntington in 2018 was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Tonya Lynn Thompson, 37, previously entered a guilty plea to distributing heroin.
“Thompson was selling a number of deadly drugs from her Huntington residence,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “As a result of the good work of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, she will now reside in a federal prison.”
On July 11, 2018, an informant working at the direction of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department went to Thompson’s residence located at 831 15th Street in Huntington to purchase heroin. Inside the residence, Thompson sold the informant heroin in exchange for $140. Thompson also admitted as part of her plea agreement that she assisted in the sale of fentanyl to an informant the prior day at her residence.
On July 16, 2018, deputies executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence. During the search, deputies recovered approximately 12 grams of fentanyl and approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine. Also as part of her plea agreement, Thompson admitted that she distributed fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in Huntington between July of 2017 and July of 2018. Thompson further admitted that she allowed others to stay in her residence for the purpose of storing and selling drugs.
The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
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Huntington Man on Supervised Release Sentenced to Prison for Selling HeroinRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Huntington man, Andre Womble, 30, was sentenced to 21 months for selling heroin, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. In a separate proceeding, Womble was sentenced to 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release by selling heroin. The sentences will run consecutive to one another for a 45 month prison sentence.
“Womble was selling drugs before even completing his term of supervised release from a previous federal drug conviction,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “His return to criminal activity gets him more time in prison.”
Womble previously admitted that on June 18, July 12, and July 19, 2019 he sold heroin to an informant in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who was arrested after postal inspectors seized a large quantity of methamphetamine in the mail, pled guilty today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stewart Longworth Jordan III, 27, pled guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Postal Inspectors play a critical role in our drug enforcement efforts,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “In this one instance, USPS intercepted more than two pounds of meth on its way to Jordan, which he intended to sell. Just because it fits doesn’t mean it’s legal to ship.”
On November 9, 2018, an inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service located a package in the Huntington post office which had been mailed from Nevada and which was found to contain over 2 pounds of methamphetamine. Inspectors subsequently delivered the package to a residence in Huntington and Jordan arrived at the residence to collect the package. Jordan was arrested and admitted in court that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
Jordan faces 5 to 40 years in prison when sentenced on June 16, 2020.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia State Police – Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Holyoke Resident Pleads Guilty to Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to distributing heroin.
Alexis Santana, 18, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2020.
According to court records, Santana sold heroin on Oct. 7, 2019 in Holyoke.
The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million dollar fine.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Todd E. Newhouse of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser announced that JAMES A. MOORE, age 32, of Atlanta, Georgia pleaded guilty on March 5, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier to one count of failure to register as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
MOORE faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. He also faces a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life. Judge Barbier set sentencing for June 25, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Marshals Service, the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office of Atlanta, Georgia in this matter. He also extended his thanks to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Gang member indicted for methamphetamine possession while on probation from previous chargeRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A Blackshear man who claims membership in a notorious white supremacist street gang has been indicted on federal drug charges, while a Bloomingdale, Ga., gang member faces a firearms charge.
Danny Lamar Chancey, a/k/a “Toby,” 47, was indicted by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a prison term of up to 20 years, followed by up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Methamphetamine’s resurgence, driven by supplies pouring in from Mexican cartels, is raising alarm across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office, in concert with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, continue to take down those who would spread this poison in our communities.”
According to court documents, a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investigator and an officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision visited Chancey’s residence as part of a routine check on Chancey, who was on probation from a state conviction for possession of methamphetamine.
Inside the residence, officers found multiple small and large bags containing methamphetamine, along with materials used for distribution. Chancey admitted membership in the Ghost Face Gangsters, a violent white supremacist street gang.
A separate indictment in Southern District U.S. Court charges Bryan Howard Bignault, 29, of Bloomingdale, Ga., with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bignault, an officer of the Ghost Face Gangsters, was charged after Pooler Police found a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. As a convicted felon, Bignault is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Ghost Face Gangsters, a violent, white-supremacist criminal street gang, started inside Georgia’s prison system and spread into communities primarily in Georgia and the Southeast. Operation Vanilla Gorilla, the largest-ever takedown of the Ghost Face Gangsters, resulted in indictments in November and December 2018 and subsequent convictions in the Southern District of Georgia of 46 defendants affiliated with the gang.
“DCS places great value on working with our law enforcement partners,” said Department of Community Supervision Deputy Director James Bergman. “We recognize that we are stronger when we work together to disrupt gangs and protect our communities.”
“I am thankful for the great work from Pierce County investigators and the Department of Community Supervision,” said Pierce County Sheriff Ramsey Bennett. “Their hard work in investigating and prosecuting those who commit crimes is great for our community.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Department of Supervision, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and the Blackshear Police Department, and are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kirkland.
Former Vice President Sentenced for Embezzling $100,000+ from BankRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A former vice president of the First National Bank of Harveyville, Kan., was sentenced today to four months home confinement, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today. In addition, she was ordered to pay restitution of approximately $107,175.
Debra Kay Converse, 60, Harveyville, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement. In her plea agreement, Converse admitted that in April 2019 the president of First National Bank reported to the Wabaunsee County Sheriff that he believed Converse had embezzled from the bank while she was vice president. The bank’s investigation focused on what Converse claimed were glitches in software. On March 29, 2019, Converse resigned from the bank and the bank initiated an audit. The bank also learned that Converse, while serving as City Treasurer for Harveyville wrote $5,700 in checks payable to First National Bank for processing residents’ utility payments. Rather than crediting the revenue to the bank, she cashed the checks.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway for their work on the case.
Former Baltimore County Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Two Counts of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Michael Mannion, Jr., age 46, of Parkville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in federal court to two counts of production of child pornography, and admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with two minor victims.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to his guilty plea, Mannion rented the basement apartment of a townhome in Parkville, Maryland, where he lived alone. On May 6, 2019, Baltimore County Police were called to a residence after a neighbor had seen Mannion in bed naked with Minor Victim 1, who was also unclothed. When police arrived, they located the minor victim, who was 13 years old at the time, in the basement bedroom area. Investigation revealed that Mannion had met the victim a few months before on a social networking application. Mannion had initially met the Minor Victim 1 on March 9, 2019, and brought him to his apartment, where they engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Mannion took photos and videos of Minor Victim 1 during the sexual encounter. Mannion admitted that on March 12, 2019 and March 17, 2019, as well as on additional occasions, he distributed the sexually explicit images of Minor Victim 1 to others. Mannion took additional sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 1 on May 6, 2019. A forensic analysis of Mannion’s cellphone revealed 21 images and two videos depicting the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit activity on March 9, 2019, and an additional eight images of Minor Victim 1 documenting the sexual activity on May 6, 2019.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Mannion also communicated with Minor Victim 2, a 14-year-old male, through the social networking application. Mannion admitted that on April 17, 2019, Mannion went to the home of Minor Victim 2, where he engaged in sexual activity with the victim and took photographs and videos documenting the sexual contact. Mannion distributed the child pornography images of Minor Victim 2 to multiple other users of the social networking application. The forensic analysis of Mannion’s cellphone recovered 18 images and two videos documenting the sexual activity with Minor Victim 2.
According to the plea agreement, Mannion attempted to meet with several other minors with whom he communicated on the social networking application, even after the minors advised Mannion of their ages. Mannion also discussed his sexual interest in other children that he knew or had contact with during sexually explicit chats with users of the application. In addition, a review of Mannion’s laptop computer revealed multiple images of child pornography.
Mannion faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography, followed by up to lifetime supervised release. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary W. Setzer, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Florida Man Charged in Connection with Skimming Devices Installed at New England Gas StationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was arrested today on federal charges arising from his alleged participation in a scheme to install electronic skimming equipment at gas stations across New England, stealing thousands of customers’ debit and credit card account numbers.
Luis Angel Naranjo Rodriguez, 29, of Hialeah, Florida, was charged with one count of possessing 15or more counterfeit access devices (debit and credit card account numbers) and one count of possession of device-making equipment (skimming devices).
Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested in Concord, Mass. on Nov. 17, 2019 after Concord Police found him at a closed gas station standing next to an unlocked gas pump with keys in the lock. According to court documents, officers searched Naranjo Rodriguez and the vehicle next to which he was found, and discovered multiple skimming devices and additional gas pump keys. Officers also searched Naranjo Rodriguez’s hotel room. A review of the devices seized from the vehicle and hotel room resulted in the discovery of more than 5,600 account numbers that appeared to have been stolen via skimming devices. It is alleged that this scheme involved the theft of account information via skimming devices installed at gas stations in Lynnfield, Concord, Malden, Taunton, Randolph and Raynham, Mass., Portland, Maine, Nashua, N.H. and Willington, Conn.
The charging statute for using a counterfeit access device provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing device-making equipment provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Thomas P. Baker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Concord, Lunenburg and Raynham Police Departments in Massachusetts, the Nashua Police Department (New Hampshire) and the Portland Police Department (Maine). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and Fred Wyshak, III are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Five Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges and False Representation of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging VICTOR CHAPOL-AMBROS, age 27, of Mexico, JORGE VALENCIA-ROMERO, age 30, of Mexico JOSE ISAIAS MONTIEL-MARTINEZ, age 33, of El Salvador and FRANCISCO JAVIER CONTRERAS-VILLAVERDE, age 40, of Mexico with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
Additionally, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging GERARDO LOPEZ-MARCIAL, age 38, of Mexico, with illegal reentry and false representation of a social security number.
If convicted of illegal reentry, CHAPOL-AMBROS, previously deported twice and found in Wake County and VALENCIA-ROMERO, previously deported and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of illegal reentry subsequent to a felony conviction (attempted breaking and entering of a building), MONTIEL-MARTINEZ, previously deported and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
CONTRERAS-VILLAVERDE, previously deported and found in Wake County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (robbery). Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of illegal reentry and false representation of a social security number, LOPEZ-MARCIAL, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 7 years imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the cases.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Federal Judge Sentences Defendant in Fraudulent "Sweepstakes" SchemeRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 55-year-old Akintola Akinmadeyemi to 120 months imprisonment for his role in an estimated $340 million intended-loss fraudulent “sweepstakes” scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Houston Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), San Antonio; and, Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Houston Division.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered that Akinmadeyemi pay $111,870.25 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
On May 17, 2019, Akinmadeyemi pleaded guilty to one count of attempt and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In addition to Akinmadeyemi, seven other defendants were charged in the scheme: Austin residents Joel Calvin, age 32, and Clarence Barefield (aka CJ), age 41, Mesquite, TX, resident Donna Lundy, age 55; Nigerian citizens and Canadian residents Harry Cole (aka Akintomide Ayoola Bolu, aka John King, aka Big Bro, aka Egbon), age 49; Emmanuel Olawle Ajayi (aka Wale, aka Walata), age 42; Tony Dada Akinbobola (aka Lawrence D Awoniyi, aka Boss Tony, aka Toyin), age 48; and Bolaji Akinwunmi Oyewole (aka BJ, aka Beejay), age 32. Calvin and Barefield previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering; Lundy pleaded guilty to wire fraud. All three remain pending sentencing.
The remaining defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Sweepstakes) and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Emmanuel Ajayi also faces a second conspiracy-to-commit-wire-fraud charge (Stolen Identity Refund Fraud or SIRF) and an aggravated identity theft charge. Lundy also faces one substantive count of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, the defendants carried out their sweepstakes scheme from 2012 to 2016. Charging $1 per name, Lundy collected over $700,000 by selling lists of elderly potential victims and their addresses to Cole in Canada. Cole and other conspirators based in the Toronto, Ontario Canada metropolitan area sent packages containing fraudulent sweepstakes information to conspirators residing in the U.S. The packages contained thousands of mailers, which U.S.-based conspirators sent to victims notifying them that they had won a sweepstakes. Each mailer included a fraudulent check issued in the name of the victim, usually in the amount of $8,000, and a pre-addressed envelope. Victims were instructed to deposit the check into their bank account, immediately withdraw between $5,000 and $7,000 dollars in cash or money orders and send the money to a “sweepstakes representative” to facilitate the victim collecting his or her prize. By the time the victim was notified by the bank that the deposited check was fraudulent, the cash or money order had been sent by the victim and received by the defendants or conspirators. The intended loss from this scheme was in excess of $250 million, with an actual loss of more than $900,000.
The indictment also alleges that from June 2015 through June 2016, Emmanuel Ajayi led a SIRF scheme in which over 1,200 fraudulent Income Tax Returns were filed using stolen Personal Identifying Information (PII) requesting $25 million in tax refunds. Ajayi used bank accounts involved in the sweepstakes scheme to receive refunds and funnel the money to conspirators in the U.S. An IRS analysis determined that this scheme resulted in the actual loss of approximately $3.4 million paid from the U.S. Treasury.
In order to acquire the money generated by the Sweepstakes and SIRF schemes, the conspirators operated a money laundering conspiracy in the U.S. That conspiracy employed knowing and unknowing participants to conduct financial transactions with the goals of moving the proceeds from both fraudulent schemes outside of the U.S. without detection by law enforcement.
Aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory two years imprisonment upon conviction. Each of the remaining charges call for up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction.
Defendants Cole and Akinbobola were arrested on September 25, 2018, in Canada and are awaiting extradition to the U.S. The whereabouts of Defendants Ajayi and Oyewole are unknown and they are considered fugitives. Barefield is scheduled for sentencing May 5, 2020. Defendants Calvin and Lundy are scheduled for sentencing on September 9, 2020.
Akinmadeyemi has remained in federal custody since his arrest on September 26, 2018. Today he was remanded into U. S. Marshal custody to begin serving his sentence.
This case is being investigated by IRS-CI, HSI, and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael C. Galdo and Neeraj Gupta are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Federal Attorney Celebrates 50 Years at U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK– Richard Pence, an Assistant United States Attorney in Little Rock, celebrated his 50th year with the United States Attorney’s Office on Monday. Pence’s lifetime career as an AUSA makes him the longest serving employee of all 94 United States Attorney’s Offices across the nation.
Pence, known by some as “Scout,” began his career as an AUSA for the Eastern District of Arkansas on March 9, 1970. He joined the office under President Richard Nixon and has worked under eight other Presidents in his tenure. When he started as an AUSA, Pence worked on both criminal and civil cases. The Civil Division was created in 1980, and Pence became the District’s first Civil Chief—a position he held for 38 years. Pence served as Acting United States Attorney after President George H.W. Bush’s term and before President Bill Clinton appointed Paula Casey as United States Attorney.
“Richard’s lifetime of service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office has made a lasting impact on the Eastern District of Arkansas,” said U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland. “In a world where lasting commitment can be hard to find, Richard’s 50 years of tireless dedication are a shining example of what can be accomplished through devotion to a cause.”
The United States Attorney’s Office celebrated Pence’s commitment to public service with a celebration on Monday, where Pence received a letter from United States Attorney General William Barr in recognition of his outstanding dedication. In Pence’s honor, the main conference room at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be renamed the Richard M. Pence Jr. Conference Room.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
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.
Ex-Los Angeles City Councilman Surrenders to Face Federal Charges of Obstructing Public Corruption Probe, Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Los Angeles city councilman surrendered to FBI agents this morning to face criminal charges that he obstructed an investigation into him accepting cash, female escort services, hotel rooms and expensive meals from a businessman during trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, and later lied to the FBI about his conduct.
Mitchell Englander, 49, of Santa Monica, was taken into custody after being named in a seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on January 16. Englander is expected to be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 in the Roybal Federal Building and Courthouse.
The indictment charges Englander with one count of participating in a scheme to falsify material facts, three counts of making false statements, and three counts of witness tampering.
Englander represented Los Angeles Council District 12 in the San Fernando Valley from July 2011 until he abruptly resigned on December 31, 2018, when he had almost two years left on his term. Among his other duties, Englander served as the Council President Pro-Tempore and was on the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, which oversees many of the most significant commercial and residential development projects in the City of Los Angeles.
The indictment alleges that he schemed to cover up his acceptance of cash payments, expensive meals and escort services from a businessman – identified in the indictment as Businessperson A – who operated companies in Los Angeles relating to major development projects and sought to increase his business opportunities in the city. Two months after the Las Vegas trip, Businessperson A began cooperating with the FBI in a public corruption investigation focused on suspected “pay-to-play” schemes involving Los Angeles public officials.
According to the indictment, from August 2017 through December 2018, Englander knowingly and willfully falsified and concealed material facts pertaining to this federal public corruption investigation. Specifically, Englander covered up facts that he had accepted items of value during June 2017 trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, the indictment alleges.
On that trip, when he was accompanied by two city staffers, a lobbyist and a real estate developer, Englander accepted from Businessperson A an envelope with $10,000 in cash, services from a female escort, hotel rooms, $1,000 in casino gambling chips, $34,000 in bottle service at a nightclub, and a $2,481 dinner at a restaurant, according to the indictment. Later, at a golf tournament in Palm Springs on June 12, 2017, Businessperson A allegedly gave Englander an envelope containing $5,000 in cash. Shortly after the trips, Englander arranged for Businessperson A to pitch his business to a friend of Englander’s who was a developer.
In August 2017, after he learned about the FBI’s public corruption investigation, Englander privately sent an encrypted message to Businessperson A via the online messaging service Confide, indicating that he now wanted to reimburse him for portions of the June 2017 Las Vegas trip, the indictment alleges.
The indictment alleges that, on at least three occasions, Englander attempted to corruptly persuade Businessperson A to provide false and misleading information, and omit relevant information from the FBI and federal prosecutors conducting the public corruption investigation. On February 6, 2018, Englander allegedly instructed Businessperson A to lie to the FBI, withhold material information from the FBI, and how to answer certain questions from the FBI, including questions about escort services provided by Businessperson A and Englander’s purported attempts to reimburse Businessperson A. On February 12, 2018, Englander allegedly met Businessperson A in Englander’s car and, after Englander turned up the car stereo music to a loud volume to obstruct possible listening devices, Englander again repeatedly instructed Businessperson A to lie to the FBI while driving in a circle around the block to conceal their meeting.
The indictment further alleges that Englander made false statements to the FBI and federal prosecutors on three separate occasions in 2017 and 2018. For example, on February 7, 2018, Englander falsely stated that he and Businessperson A had not discussed the FBI or its investigation, and that he did not instruct anyone on what to say to the FBI. On December 31, 2018, the day he resigned from the Los Angeles City Council, Englander again met with the FBI and federal prosecutors, and made additional false statements about receiving personal benefits from Businessperson A, and also falsely stated that he encouraged Businessperson A to “be transparent, and share everything” with the FBI, the indictment alleges.
If convicted of the seven charges in the indictment, Englander would face a statutory maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison.
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 case against Englander is part of an ongoing public corruption investigation being conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact their local FBI Field Office. In Los Angeles, the FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at (310) 477-6565.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Veronica Dragalin and Melissa E. Mills of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Elkhart, Indiana Man Sentenced for Making Pipe BombsRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Lee Underwood, age 28, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced in South Bend before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty for making destructive devices, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Underwood was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in late 2017 to early 2018, Underwood made at least five to six pipe bombs while he was a user of methamphetamine and other controlled substances. Someone threw the pipe bombs out of a car and they remained near a busy intersection for several weeks. On several occasions, Underwood fled police, including once when a passenger in the vehicle he was driving shot at a police car that was chasing him.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance from the Indiana State Police, Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department, South Bend Police Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly handled the case.
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Dixon, Missouri Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin Which Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
St. Louis –Michael Charles Natoli, 58, Dixon, Missouri, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for distribution of heroin which resulted in death and serious bodily injury. Natoli appeared today in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
According to court documents, on August 3, 2016, Natoli drove co-defendant Heather Miller to the Economy Inn in St. James, Missouri where they distributed heroin to R.K. and received cash. R.K. was later found unresponsive in the hotel room and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Investigators examined R.K.’s cell phone and noticed a thread of text messages from August 3, 2016 wherein R.K. and “Heather” discussed “Heather” bringing R.K. what appeared to be controlled substances. Thereafter, investigators began using R.K.’s phone to communicate with “Heather.” “Heather agreed to supply R.K. with additional drugs.
On August 4, 2016, Miller and Natoli responded to the hotel and were taken into custody. Officers seized two small bags of heroin from Miller. Natoli admitted he would accompany Miller to St. Louis so she could obtain heroin. Natoli stated that he provided the money up front to buy the heroin and then drove Miller around to sell it.
While officers were interviewing Natoli at the hotel room, an investigator observed B.A. passed out in a vehicle that Miller and Natoli had driven in. B.A. displayed labored breathing, rapid heartbeat, and recent puncture marks on his arms. Officers noted that his pulse was becoming harder and harder to detect. B.A. then stopped breathing and officers had to resuscitate him. Officers recovered a white powder-like substance on his body which was later tested by a laboratory and found to contain heroin. Officers later learned that B.A. had purchased the heroin that he had overdosed on from Miller for $120. Miller gave B.A. the heroin and Natoli took the payment.
Co-defendant Heather Miller is awaiting trial.
These charges are a result of a joint investigation between the St. James Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol- South Central Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
DeCavalcante Associate Admits Cocaine Distribution and Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An associate of the DeCavalcante crime family today admitted possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm during the course of a drug crime, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Mario Galli III, 28, of Toms River, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a FEG 9mm Model PGK-9HP gun, loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, by a convicted felon in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, 2019, investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office executed search warrants on Galli’s residence and the residence of a conspirator. They recovered between400 and 500 grams of cocaine. The search of Galli’s residence also recovered a FEG 9mm Model PGK-9HP gun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Galli was on supervised release from a 2016 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine. He served 30 months in federal prison on that charge.
The charge of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of being a felon being in possession of a firearm during a drug crime carries a penalty of five years in prison which must be served consecutively to the penalty for the drug crime, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 7, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the members of the FBI’s Organized Crime Task Force under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; and investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley of the U.S. Attorney's Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: James Butler Esq.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Attempting to Purchase A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kelly Villalobos (49, Ponte Vedra) with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. If convicted, Villalobos faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on January 26, 2010, Villalobos was convicted of two counts of stealing mail matter by a postal employee, a felony. She was sentenced to 3 years’ probation. On November 26, 2019, Villalobos entered Shooters of Jacksonville, a federally licensed firearms dealer, and attempted to purchase a firearm. Villalobos falsely stated on the ATF paperwork that she had never been convicted of a felony offense.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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 and enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Collin County Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Social Media TextsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A 23-year-old Richardson, Texas man has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno.
Rahul Ramesh Joshi pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2019 to sending threatening communications to injure another, in interstate commerce, and was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on March 6, 2020.
According to information presented in court, in December 2018, a federal law enforcement agent began investigating a complaint from a female Snapchat user. She allegedly received threatening messages on different messaging apps from several different users that all seemed to be connected. Further investigation revealed at least four confirmed victims in different states all receiving similar threatening messages. Joshi had lived in Michigan before attending the University of Texas and eventually moving to Richardson, Texas.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, University of Texas Police Department, and Wellesley Police Department in Massachusetts.