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Thursday 23 January 2020
Chicago-Area Resident Indicted for Scheme to File False Claims for Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
A Chicago-area resident was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with mail fraud, submitting false claims to the United States for tax refunds, and aggravated identity theft, announced Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. The Jan. 16, 2020, indictment was unsealed following today’s arrest.
According to the indictment, Wilmer Alexander Garcia Meza allegedly used personal identifying information of third parties—including their names, dates of birth, and identification documents such as foreign passports—to fraudulently obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS to individuals who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a social security number. The indictment further alleges that from 2013 through 2017, Garcia used these ITINs to file fraudulent tax returns in the names of the third parties to claim thousands in fraudulent refunds. Garcia also allegedly used the identification documents to cash the fraudulently obtained refund checks.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count, five years in prison for each false claim count, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who are investigating the case, and Trial Attorneys Thomas Flynn and Michael Landman of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
California meth trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A California man who admitted that two pounds of meth found during a traffic stop were his was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Tony Gregory Amador Ortiz, 25, of Rancho Cordova, CA, pleaded guilty in October to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The prosecution said in court records that an undercover surveillance operation by Missoula drug task force officers on July 15, 2019 led to a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Ortiz was a passenger. In a search of the vehicle, officers found two pounds of meth. Ortiz admitted the meth belonged to him. Two pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 7,248 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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California Resident Convicted of Multiple Charges Related to Possession and Distribution of Controlled Substances in One of the Largest Drug Busts Ever for WyomingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, Mark A. Klaassen, announced today that Rio Linda, California resident Arnold Devonne Butler, 53, has been convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl; and conspiracy to distribute those substances. Butler was found guilty after a five-day jury trial in the United States District Court in Casper. Butler will be sentenced at a later date by Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Butler faces a minimum sentence of 15 years.
This case involved a commercial vehicle inspection that resulted in the discovery of nearly 60 pounds of narcotics, including 46 pounds of methamphetamine, two and half kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of heroin, and a kilogram of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. On May 14th, 2019 at approximately 10:03 a.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper was patrolling eastbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 373, in Laramie County, Wyoming. He came upon a rollback tow truck traveling eastbound and towing a gray 2017 Ford Fusion 4 door sedan. During questioning, the Trooper became suspicious of Butler’s activities and explanation of his travel. A drug detection dog was called and alerted on the rear passenger compartment of the towed vehicle. The ensuing search revealed the narcotics load in a manufactured compartment between the rear passenger seat and trunk area.
“Unfortunately our highways are being used by drug traffickers to bring addictive substances from smuggling gateways in places like California to distribute them across the nation, in some cases using commercial vehicles to disguise their illegal cargo,” said United States Attorney Mark Klaassen. “We must continue our efforts at all levels of law enforcement to disrupt this flow and protect our communities.”
This case results from a multi-agency investigation conducted by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and was prosecuted by United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen and Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
California Man Sentenced for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Sean Andrew O’Neal, 58, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, was sentenced today in Omaha, Nebraska, to 54 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for wire fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. O’Neal was also ordered to pay $477,324.27 in restitution to his victims. After his prison sentence, O’Neal will serve a three-year of supervised release.
Beginning in August, 2012 and continuing through March, 2014, O’Neal devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from his victims, one from the Kearney, Nebraska, area and the other from Canada. O’Neal was a co-owner and employee of Investment Properties Mexico (IPM) located in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The company was a real estate investment firm in the business of selling land and condominiums located in Mexico. IPM marketed the company through the Internet to solicit private individuals seeking to purchase real estate in Mexico. During those years, O’Neal befriended and groomed the victims into investing in his scheme when he was fully aware of the devastating financial impact the loss would have on his victims. O’Neal then took the money provided by his victims and used the funds for his own personal gain. All the while, O’Neal continued to assure his victims that the properties in Mexico had been purchased.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Boone County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.- A Petersburg, Kentucky man, Craig Jeremy Harp, who was previously convicted of possession of crystal methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning.
According to court documents, on November 30, 2018, Harp was a driving a car in Covington, when officers stopped him for a traffic violation. Officers found crystal methamphetamine and digital scale on his person, and also recovered seven bindles of crystal methamphetamine from the vehicle. The total amount of methamphetamine was approximately 27 grams.
Harp was indicted on the charge in June 2019. Harp has prior felony convictions for trafficking in a controlled substance.
Under federal law, Harp must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Belgian National Holding Illinois Attorney’s License Indicted for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Belgian national holding an Illinois law license has been indicted on money laundering charges involving funds obtained from three Massachusetts victims.
Hassan A. Abbas, 52, of Belgium, was indicted on one count of money laundering and two counts of unlawful monetary transactions. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday, Abbas was detained pending a detention hearing set for Jan. 24, 2020.
According to the charging documents, between July 2017 and December 2018, Abbas created sham corporate entities and opened bank accounts in the name of those entities. Those bank accounts were used to receive fraudulently obtained funds from a number of victims. Two Massachusetts victims were victimized through a business email compromise (BEC) scam in which the victims were tricked into wiring money to an individual they thought was their real estate broker. A BEC scheme is a sophisticated scam often targeting individuals and businesses involved in wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques, to cause victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the scammers. The third Massachusetts victim was allegedly the victim of a romance scam, in which perpetrators create fictitious online personas to develop online romantic relationships with individuals in the U.S., and then leverage those relationships to obtain money and/or property.
Once the fraudulently obtained funds reached the accounts controlled by Abbas, Abbas initiated wire transfers to accounts overseas, and transferred other sums of the fraudulently obtained money to his own personal accounts, which he then spent.
The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property. The charge of unlawful monetary transaction provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Mackenzie A. Queenin of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baltimore County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution Charges and to Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Deandre Laquan Jones, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 27, of Towson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute drugs near a school, and to being a felon in possession of firearms.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Fentanyl and firearms are a deadly combination, and they are particularly unacceptable near our elementary schools. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of convicted felons and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Deandre Jones was a convicted felon who chose to sell drugs and possess guns. He now likely faces 12 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his guilty plea, from December 2018 to February 2019, Jones distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. On January 31 and again on February 11, 2019, Jones sold an undercover Baltimore County Police officer two “packs” of heroin—each containing 25 gel capsules—for $375.
On February 22, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in Parkville, Maryland, which was rented by Tyrell Curry, Jones’ co-conspirator, and was within 1,000 feet of a Baltimore County elementary school. Jones used the apartment to distribute fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine. From the apartment, law enforcement recovered two baggies containing a total of approximately 345 grams of fentanyl, cutting agents, digital scales, two kilogram presses, and bags of packaging materials. In addition, officers found documents and an identification card belonging to Jones, and two empty .40-caliber extended magazines, from which the BCPD Forensic Services Section recovered a latent print of Jones’ left thumb. In the living room, officers located a coffee table that had been custom-manufactured to contain a hidden compartment secured by a wireless lock. Investigators later learned that the table had been purchased by, and shipped to, Deandre Jones at the Parkville apartment. When the hidden compartment in the table was opened, law enforcement recovered plastic bags containing 16 grams of fentanyl, 175 grams of heroin, 185 grams of crack cocaine, and 173 grams of powder cocaine, as well as a .410-caliber handgun and 19 rounds of .410-caliber ammunition.
That same day, BCPD officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and recovered three iPhones in the bedroom, and an AK-47 loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in Jones’ nightstand. The firearm had been reported stolen in October 2018. In his office, officers found a money counter, $13,700 in cash, a one-kilogram block of fentanyl, a loaded 9mm pistol, which had been reported stolen in April 2017, a book bag that contained eight plastic bags containing a total of 1.9 kilograms of cocaine, and five additional bags containing 138 grams of heroin. A search of Jones’ vehicles recovered two additional loaded firearms and a fourth iPhone.
A subsequent forensic examination of Jones’ iPhones recovered message between Jones and Curry relating to drug trafficking, including discussions about the Parkville apartment, potential customers, sources of supply, possible police surveillance, and ammunition.
As part of his plea agreement, Jones has agreed to forfeit assets obtained as a result of, or used to facilitate Jones’ drug trafficking, including: $13,708 in cash; a 2013 Lexus GS 350; an AK-47 and 30 7.62x39mm cartridges; a double-action revolver and 19 .410-caliber cartridges; two 9mm pistols and 26 9mm cartridges; and a .40-caliber pistol and 13 .40-caliber cartridges.
Jones and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Jones will be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.
Co-defendant Tyrell Daronte Curry, a/k/a “Mike,” age 28, of Baltimore previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Christopher J. Romano, who are prosecuting the case.
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Anchorage Man Indicted for Using Craigslist to Set up Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that an Anchorage man has been indicted for allegedly using Craigslist, Inc.’s internet marketplace to lure sellers to a meeting location and rob them at gunpoint.
Cloyd Lacap, Jr., 21, was named in the federal indictment charging him with interference with commerce by robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Lacap is currently in federal custody, and is awaiting his first court appearance on the charges.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 24, 2019, after identifying an iPhone for sale on Craigslist, Lacap arranged to meet with the seller at the Rustic Goat Restaurant on Turnagain Street in Anchorage. Upon meeting, Lacap robbed the seller of the iPhone at gunpoint. The indictment also alleges that earlier on the same day, after identifying another item for sale on Craigslist, this time a PlayStation gaming console, Lacap arranged to meet the PlayStation’s seller at Balto Seppala Park on Wisconsin Street in Anchorage. Upon meeting, Lacap also conducted an armed robbery on the seller.
If convicted, Lacap faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery offenses, and a mandatory minimum of seven years for the firearm offense. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Albuquerque Career Criminal Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Heroin Distribution Resulting in Death of Cameron WeissRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced Raymond Moya, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., to life imprisonment in federal court today for his conviction on two heroin trafficking offenses, including a distribution of heroin on Aug. 12, 2011, that resulted in the death of Cameron Weiss, an 18-year-old La Cueva High School student, on Aug. 13, 2011. A federal jury convicted Moya on May 13, 2019, following a six-day trial.
During this morning’s sentencing hearing, Judge Herrera sentenced Moya to 30 years of imprisonment on the heroin distribution not resulting in death charge, with the sentence to run consecutive to a 72-month sentence previously imposed in another federal drug trafficking case in 2014. The Judge also sentenced Moya to life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in the death charge.
“The life sentence imposed in this case is a just result for a career criminal who committed the most serious kind of drug offense, distributing heroin resulting in the death of a victim,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “While no punishment can return Cameron Weiss to his family and friends, we hope this sentence provides his loved ones with some measure of healing.”
“This case is a sad reminder that drugs kill, and Raymond Moya’s sentencing sends a strong message that dealers will be held responsible for the death and despair that they cause, “ said DEA Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson. “DEA remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer by bringing to justice those who deal drugs with a disregard for human life.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to have been a part of this investigation, particularly in support of the victims,” said U.S. Marshal Sonya K. Chavez. “We are committed to continuing to work diligently for safer communities and justice in our state.”
“We appreciate the persistence of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for the family of Cameron Weiss,” said APD Chief Mike Geier. “Addiction is at the heart of so many problems in our community. We have to target the predators who have no regard for the lives they are ruining.”
During Moya’s trial, numerous witnesses testified about final week of the life of Cameron Weiss, who died of a heroin overdose on the morning of Aug. 13, 2011. The jury learned that Mr. Weiss had been addicted to heroin for two years, after getting hooked on opiate painkillers to treat serious sports injuries sustained as a student athlete at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque.
Mr. Weiss had spent time in rehab, but had relapsed and ended up in jail in Aug. 2011. While in jail, Mr. Weiss learned that Moya was a source of heroin supply who could be contacted through go-betweens. After he was released from jail on Aug. 7, 2011, Mr. Weiss contacted a go-between, who purchased heroin from Moya and delivered it to Mr. Weiss. The following day, Mr. Weiss joined his family in California where they were vacationing; the family returned to Albuquerque on Aug. 11, 2011. The next day, Aug. 12, 2011, Mr. Weiss met with another go-between, who purchased more heroin from Moya, including heroin which Mr. Weiss ingested over the course of the evening and into the night. At the end of the night, a friend dropped Mr. Weiss off at home. Mr. Weiss went into his bedroom and went to sleep; he never woke up. A pathologist determined that Mr. Weiss died as the result of a heroin overdose.
Moya faced a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in death charge based on his status as a career criminal. Moya’s prior criminal history included prior felony drug convictions for possession of a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
The Albuquerque office of the DEA investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean J. Sullivan, Paul Mysliwiec, and Nicholas Jon Ganjei prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s commitment in partnership with other law enforcement to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids and to establish new programs to provide services to victims of the opioid crisis.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced BRANDON F. ALLEN, 31, of The Bronx, New York on January 9, 2020 for bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Allen was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received eighteen months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment with restitution to be determined within ninety days. The FBI investigated this case.
Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced RICHARD DEAN REAVIS, 48, of Newton, North Carolina on January 21, 2020 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Reavis was arrested in Pinedale, Wyoming. He received fifty-seven months of imprisonment, to be followed by twenty-four months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $500.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.
Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced MARDOQUEO RUIZ-CHAVEZ, 28, of El Salvador on January 21, 2020 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Ruiz-Chavez was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. He was previously deported from the United States to El Salvador in September of 2019. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigated this case.
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced BENJAMIN ROBERT DMITRY DELANY, 24, of Cheyenne, Wyoming on January 23, 2020 for assault with a dangerous weapon on a federal employee. Delany was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received forty-two months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The Department of Veterans Affairs Police investigated this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
200+ Years Imprisonment for 22 Defendants Guilty in Moultrie Drug Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – 22 of 23 defendants charged with various federal drug crimes linked to a large narcotics and methamphetamine ring operating out of a Southwest Georgia community have been sentenced to prison for their crimes, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner handed down sentences for 22 defendants concluding on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at the federal courthouse in Albany. The remaining defendant awaiting sentencing, Alejandro Bustamante, will be sentenced at a later date after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of criminal contempt of court.
On January 22, 2020:
Gabino Tobias, 45, of Fairburn, Georgia was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Maria Del Carmen Salazar Mirales, 46, of Fairburn, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Gricelda Bustamante-Gutierrez, 37, of Norman Park, Georgia was sentenced to 180 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Ricardo Gutierrez, 32, of Norman Park, was sentenced to 292 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On January 16, 2020:
Kristen Dismuke, 31, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Trabian Jones, 43, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana;
Eric Townsend, 31, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Torranza McNeal, aka “Cheese,” aka “Meke,” was sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.
On January 15, 2020:
Brenton Miller, 32, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 180 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
Regina Miller, 36, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine;
Ramon White, 37, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
James Fielder, 35, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
On January 14, 2020:
Josh Whaley, 38, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Tony Stamper, aka “Buggie,” 31, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to cocaine and marijuana;
Bryant Pittman, aka “John Gotti,” 36, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 200 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On January 13, 2020:
David Spradley, aka “ManMan,” 37, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 218 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Johntavious Johnson, aka “Mikey,” 33, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to one county conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Jarvis West, 32, of Moultrie, was each sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to one county conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Ricardo Bodiford, aka “Rico,” 34, of Moultrie, was sentenced on January 13, 2020 to 260 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In earlier proceedings:
Stacy McLellan, 50, of Norman Park, was sentenced on May 13, 2019 to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
Eric Lamar, 37, of Moultrie, was sentenced on October 16, 2019 to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana;
Brad Tuff, 39, of Moultrie, was sentenced on March 13, 2019 to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Investigators began a court-authorized wiretap on Bodiford’s cell phones on April 9, 2018. The wiretap investigation continued until law enforcement agents executed search warrants on several locations across Moultrie, Georgia from May 7-8, 2019, locating large amounts of illicit drugs, including two pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 13 pounds of marijuana, loaded firearms and cash, among other amounts of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
“I cannot overstate the good work of the GBI partnering with other dedicated federal and local law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their work shutting down a dangerous methamphetamine ring. Their effort directly resulted in large amounts of harmful narcotics taken off our streets, saving countless lives and making our communities safer,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “Dealers be warned: Criminals caught violating federal drug laws will be prosecuted, and the penalties are steep.”
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Moultrie Police Department and the Leon County Florida Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
"Operation Benchwarmers" Nets Nearly $1 Million in Illegal Narcotics, 16 Defendants in Custody, One Remails At-LargeRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. — More than 300 law enforcement members from 23 agencies and task forces participated in “Operation Benchwarmers,” a coordinated take-down capturing 16 of 17 defendants wanted on federal gun and drug charges, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. The operation, believed to be the largest law enforcement operation in the history of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, took place on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia region, netting an estimated street value of $955,986 in illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, along with 43 firearms and assault rifles, plus $84,013 in cash. One defendant remains at-large, Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy,” 25, of Athens and Texas. In addition, six individuals were taken into custody on state charges (see below). The investigation was conducted by the FBI Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, with the assistance of the following agencies:
- Athens-Clarke Fire Department
- Banks County Sheriff’s Office
- Clarke County Sheriff’s Office
- DeKalb County Police Department
- FBI
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation
- Georgia Department of Community Supervision
- Georgia Department of Corrections
- Georgia State Patrol
- Greene County Sheriff’s Office
- Gwinnett County Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Madison County Sheriff’s Office
- Oconee County Sheriff’s Office
- City of Statham Police Department
- United States Marshals Service
- United States Probation Office
- Walton County Sheriff’s Office
Federal indictments charging 17 individuals have been unsealed. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. The following individuals are charged and have been taken into custody, unless otherwise noted:
16 of the individuals are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine. The penalty is a mandatory minimum ten years in prison up to a maximum life term in prison, a $10 million dollar fine and five years supervised release:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One”
Jamian Huff, aka “Dunk,” 34, of Athens
Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy” (at-large)
Manuel Gonzalez Romero, of Athens and Mexico
Steven Ricole Scott, aka “Black,” aka “Unc,” 43, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens
Maquila Jones, aka “Qui,” 20, of Athens
Nicholas Jackson, aka “Nick Bean,” 26, of Athens
Terrell Bush, aka “T-Rock,” 45, of Athens
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
Robert Bolton, Jr., aka “Rob,” 31, of Athens
10 individuals are charged with distribution of cocaine base/crack cocaine. The penalties range from a maximum 20 years in prison to a maximum 40 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (15 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (9 counts)
Jamian Huff, aka “Dunk,” 34, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (2 counts)
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
Steven Ricole Scott, aka “Black,” aka “Unc,” 43, of Athens (3 counts)
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Robert Bolton, Jr., aka “Rob,” 31, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Maquila Jones, aka “Qui,” 20, of Athens
8 individuals are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The penalty is a mandatory minimum five years in prison up to a maximum life term in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (12 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (7 counts)
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (3 counts)
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
3 individuals are charged with distribution of heroin. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (5 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (3 counts)
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (2 counts)
6 individuals are charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin. The penalties range from a maximum 20 years in prison to a maximum 40 years in prison:
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Terrell Bush, aka “T-Rock,” 45, of Athens
Nicholas Jackson, aka “Nick Bean,” 26, of Athens
Manuel Gonzalez Romero, of Athens and Mexico
Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy” (at-large)
2 individuals are charged with distribution of methamphetamine. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens
2 individuals are charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in prison:
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
1 individual is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The penalty is a maximum ten years in prison:
Armand Payne, 39, of Athens
The following subjects were taken into custody during “Operation Benchwarmers” on state charges:
Luis Besave-Lagunas (Charged in Madison County with Trafficking Heroin, Trafficking Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony)
Zenon Carrera-Ferrer (Charged in Athens-Clarke County with Trafficking Methamphetamine, Trafficking Heroin and Possession of Cocaine)
Dwight Moreland (Probation Violation)
Andreas Lane (Charged in Madison County with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Probation Violation)
Adian Mapp (Charged in Madison County with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
Leonard Jackson (Charged in Athens-Clarke County with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
The following firearms, cash and illegal drugs were seized:
- 43 firearms seized (including 8 assault rifles)
- $84,013 U.S. Currency seized
- 8.34 kilograms of heroin (Street Value: $667,200)
- 4.3 pounds of crystal methamphetamine (Street Value: $195,400)
- 26.1 ounces of crack cocaine (Street Value: $78,200)
- 2.4 pounds of marijuana (Street Value: $4,376)
- 3.31 ounces of power cocaine (Street Value: $9,400)
- 94 controlled pharmaceuticals (Street Value: $940)
- 40 grams of oxycodone (Street Value: $470)
“This operation represents the best of what law enforcement can accomplish when federal, state and local agencies come together with the unified goal of eradicating drug trafficking from a community,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Our message to drug traffickers and gang members and other criminals in Athens is clear: Law enforcement is committed to protecting the citizens of Athens from illegal guns, gangs and drugs. I want to thank all participating agencies involved in this historic operation.”
“This case is a perfect example of how the FBI’s partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are integral to protecting law abiding citizens in our communities,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The results of this operation speak for that. There is no question that our community is safer today than it was before these arrests.”
“The broad collection of law enforcement agencies allowed for an aggressive offense to be waged against a well-established poly-drug distribution network,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Drug traffickers ultimately bring misery and destruction to communities. Consequently, DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to serving and protecting these communities. The city of Athens, Georgia and surrounding areas are safer because these criminals have been removed from our streets.”
“With these arrests, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department is demonstrating its commitment to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to remove violent felons from our community,” said ACCPD Chief Cleveland Spruill. “These suspects, with extensive criminal histories, face significantly long sentences in federal prison. It further indicates that the ACCPD does not tolerate gun violence and drug trafficking within our community. We are grateful for the efforts of our officers who have worked countless hours on this case and acknowledge the support of the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.”
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, 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. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/archives/projectguardian.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Wrestler sent to prison for running drug smuggling conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison after admitting he conspired to import over 50 kilograms of meth into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jose Ramos-Delgadillo pleaded guilty Oct. 3, 2019, to two counts – conspiracy to import and importation of meth.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana handed him a 46-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, Ramos-Delgadillo is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
On Aug. 4, 2019, Ramos-Delgadillo arrived in Laredo at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge driving a Ford Escape. An initial search yielded 24 bundles of meth concealed within the tires. However, authorities also discovered an additional 19 bundles in the vehicle’s firewall.
Upon questioning, Ramos-Delgadillo claimed he was a wrestler from Guadalajara, Mexico, who was traveling to Dallas to visit a friend.
He soon admitted he knew there were narcotics in the vehicle. He expected to be paid $5,000 for transporting the drugs.
The drugs weighed a total of 53.56 kilograms with an approximate value of more than $300,000.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
West Yellowstone man admits possessing unregistered improvised bombsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A West Yellowstone man today admitted to possessing unregistered improvised bombs after law enforcement found three small devices in his truck last year, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Charles Gibson Bailey, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered explosive devices. Bailey faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided and recommended Bailey’s plea be accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, who is hearing the case. Sentencing is set for May 8. Bailey was released.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said evidence showed that on Feb. 26, 2019, the West Yellowstone City Court issued a protection order against Bailey. On March 27, 2019, in connection with an investigation into Bailey’s violation of the protection order, law enforcement officers searched Bailey’s truck.
During the search, officers seized three small destructive devices, which were examined by an expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The ATF expert concluded the three devices were designed as weapons and were properly identified as improvised explosive devices. Bailey did not register the devices with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the ATF, West Yellowstone Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and National Park Service.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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Washington Woman and Nevada Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Role in Insurance Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Teresa Ann Gonzalez, age 63, of Otis Orchards, Washington, and Michael Adam White, age 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada were sentenced for their respective participation in an insurance fraud scheme involving staged accidents. Chief United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Gonzalez to a 10-month term of imprisonment and White to a 14-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after each is released from federal prison. Chief Judge Rice also ordered Gonzalez to pay restitution in the amount of $13,132 and forfeiture of $13,132, and White to pay restitution in the amount of $50,000 and forfeiture of $50,000. Gonzalez pled guilty in June 2019, to one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy. White pled guilty in June 2019, to one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy and four counts of mail fraud.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Gonzalez was involved in one staged automobile accident in Spokane, Washington that defrauded an insurance company out of $236,324. Gonzalez received approximately $13,132 of the fraud proceeds. White was involved in four staged accidents that defrauded insurance companies out of approximately $1,085,392. White received approximately $50,000 of the fraud proceeds.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Staging phony car accidents on our streets poses a significant danger to innocent citizens and results in higher insurance premiums. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, along with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute aggressively those individuals who may perpetrate such fraud. I commend the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Marshals Service for their outstanding work investigating this case.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington Criminal Healthcare Fraud Investigator, with assistance from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. This case was prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, and Brian Donovan, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
Wahpeton, ND, Man Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for the Transportation of a Child for purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on January 22, 2020, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter D. Welte sentenced Dustin James Gilleo, age 33, Wahpeton, ND, to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by a 15 years of supervised release for the charge of Transportation of a Minor. Gilleo was further ordered to pay $100 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $900 in restitution to the North Dakota Crimes Victims’ Compensation.
“The internet erased distance and created the opportunity for this defendant to entice a juvenile away from the safety of her home and into the sordid web of a sexual predator,” said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, “I commend the work of each law enforcement entity involved in this case, as their swift action avoided further victimization and put this predator away.”
On January 3, 2019, the Beautfort County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina, reported that a missing juvenile female from Burton, SC, had been located via cellular phone tracking at the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport. Further investigation by the MSP Airport Security revealed the missing juvenile entered a vehicle belonging to Dustin Gilleo of Wahpeton, ND. On January 4, 2020, the Wahpeton Police Department located the missing juvenile female at a residence in Wahpeton, ND, at which time law enforcement removed the juvenile from the residence, and later interviewed her. During the interview, she said she left her residence in South Carolina and met Gilleo at the MSP Airport as they had previously planned. Gilleo then drove the juvenile to his residence in Wahpeton, ND, where Gilleo and the juvenile engaged in sexual intercourse.
Gilleo admitted that the female found at his apartment was the missing juvenile from Burton, South Carolina. Gilleo acknowledged meeting the juvenile online and the two had been communicating for over five months. Gilleo admitted their communications were sexual in nature and that they had exchanged sexually explicit images of one another via text and various apps. Gilleo further admitted that he knew the girl was 16 years old at the time she travelled to North Dakota, and he admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl at his apartment.
United States Attorney Drew Wrigley commended those involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case, the Homeland Security Investigation, North Dakota Bureau of Investigation, Wahpeton Police Department, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina, and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl.
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Venezuelan Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced RICARDO ABDEL, of Doral, Florida, to 48 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered them to pay $19,966.71 in restitution. ABDEL, a permanent resident alien from Venzuela, was named in a two-count Criminal Information charging Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. ABDEL pled guilty to those charges on March 20, 2019.
In March 2018, the Wilmington Police Department (WPD) was alerted by investigators with the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) fraud division of ongoing fraudulent debit/credit card withdrawals being made from member accounts at various automated teller machines (ATMs) in the Wilmington area. On March 5, 2018, the United States Secret Service (USSS) was notified by the SECU and the WPD that three individuals were attempting to illegally withdraw money from an SECU ATM located on Wrightsville Avenue in Wilmington. Officers responded to that location and conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which ABDEL and two other persons were riding. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately $9,319 in United States currency, numerous debit/credit cards, computers, digital storage media, and two debit/credit card readers/encoders.
Investigators with the SECU’s fraud unit and the USSS determined that the fraudulent debit/credit cards were used at multiple ATM locations in the Wilmington area over a period of several days. Further, the SECU’s fraud unit confirmed that an illegal debit/credit card skimming device had been placed on a SECU ATM in Leland, North Carolina. A forensic search of the seized laptop computers and cell phones revealed 566 individual card numbers which were issued by 71 different financial institutions, including 7 card numbers which were issued by financial institution in Mexico and 1 from India. The intended loss was calculated at $283,000.
On July 3, 2018, investigators received credible information identifying co-conspirators based in Venezuela and in the Miami, Florida, area who were involved in the scheme to commit access device fraud. The conspirators downloaded credit card data from Bluetooth debit/credit card skimming devices which were secretly installed in Tritan ATMs. After obtaining the debit/credit card and personal identification numbers (PIN) from the debit/credit card skimming devices, the coconspirators used a credit card reader/writer to reencode counterfeit debit/credit cards. In March 2018, ABDEL and his conspirators used the fraudulent debit/credit cards at ATMs in the Wilmington area to withdraw funds from multiple victims’ accounts. The investigation revealed that the group was traveling to various states, including Georgia, California, and Florida, to install debit/credit card skimming devices. It is estimated that the group made $250,000 monthly as a result of the fraudulent scheme.
Additionally, investigators learned that in March 2018, ABDEL spent four or five days in the Wilmington area placing pin-hole camera skimming devices on ATMs and collecting account numbers. Those numbers were then encoded onto magnetic stripe cards and used to fraudulently withdraw funds from ATMs. ABDEL and the others also travelled to the Wilmington area two to three weeks earlier in order to recover debit/credit card skimming devices and computers which were left in a suitcase in a storage unit by another coconspirator.
The United States Secret Service, the Wilmington Police Department and the Kure Beach Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes represented the government.
Vancouver Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in Two CasesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Darlene Michelle Sturdevant, 61, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin throughout the Portland Metropolitan Area, possessing with intent to distribute heroin, and committing an offense while on release.
According to court documents, in February 2018, Sturdevant was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Rene Elene Griffen Nunn, 60, also of Vancouver, when the two were stopped by the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Investigators believed Sturdevant and Nunn were driving from Vancouver to Portland to distribute drugs.
A search of the vehicle revealed $155,949, a digital scale, and a notebook in Sturdevant’s backpack and approximately 87 grams of heroin in Nunn’s purse. Investigators returned to Vancouver and searched a residence shared by Sturdevant, Nunn, and others and found an additional 367 grams of heroin and a kilogram of methamphetamine.
Sturdevant was charged with drug trafficking and released pending trial. After pleading guilty in October 2018, DEA learned that Sturdevant was again selling drugs. On January 29, 2019, DEA agents executed a search warrant at Sturdevant’s new residence in Portland and seized approximately 558 grams of heroin, digital sales, a drug ledger, and $27,250.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez ordered Sturdevant to forfeit $183,199 seized by investigators.
On October 31, 2019, Nunn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. She will be sentenced on March 4, 2020.
This case was investigated by the DEA and CCITF and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Van Nuys, California, man convicted of sexual assault on an aircraftRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Van Nuys, California, man was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of two federal felonies for his sexual assault on a young woman on a flight from London to Seattle. BABAK REZAPOUR was convicted of abusive sexual contact in a special aircraft jurisdiction and abusive sexual contact with an incapacitated victim. The jury deliberated about two and a half hours following a five-day jury trial. REZAPOUR was remanded to custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on April 24, 2020.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, REZAPOUR sexually assaulted the 22-year-old victim while she was incapacitated from medication and alcohol on a Norwegian Air flight from London to Seattle on January 10, 2018. The victim had taken prescribed anti-anxiety and anti-nausea medication and drank a glass of wine. The victim then accepted a second glass of wine purchased for her by REZAPOUR. After drinking the second glass, the victim became unusually sleepy. She awoke to find REZAPOUR sexually assaulting her. REZAPOUR used his jacket to shield the activity from other passengers. The victim fled to the back of the plane and reported the assault to flight attendants.
At trial, witnesses described seeing REZAPOUR move into the seat next to the victim, contradicting his statements to law enforcement that he had stayed in his aisle seat with an open seat between them. In multiple statements to different investigators following the incident, REZAPOUR changed his description of what had occurred on the plane. In addition to consistent statements from the victim and witnesses, prosecutors used DNA evidence to prove REZAPOUR’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. An FBI DNA expert described how she discovered REZAPOUR’s DNA inside the victim’s underwear. Abusive Sexual Contact on an Aircraft is punishable by up to two years in prison, and Abusive Sexual Contact with an Incapacitated Victim is punishable by up to three years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Port of Seattle Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marie Dalton and Grady Leupold.
United States Attorney Erica H. Macdonald Appointed by United States Attorney General William P. Barr to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of JusticeRead the Press Release
During a ceremony today in Washington, D.C., United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. On October 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13896, authorizing and designating the Attorney General to create such a Commission that would explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime. The launch of the Commission was announced at today’s ceremony as well.
“There is no more noble and important profession than law enforcement. A free and safe society requires a trusted and capable police force to safeguard our rights to life and liberty,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “But as criminal threats and social conditions have changed the responsibilities and roles of police officers, there is a need for a modern study of how law enforcement can best protect and serve American communities. This is why the President instructed me to establish this critical Commission, whose members truly reflect the best there is in law enforcement. Together, we will examine, discuss, and debate how justice is administered in the United States and uncover opportunities for progress, improvement, and innovation.”
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said, “I am honored to serve on this Commission alongside a group of incredible leaders who are dedicated to service and public safety. I undertake this responsibility fully cognizant that the Commission’s recommendations will impact our communities, law enforcement professionals and many components of the criminal justice system for decades into the future. My highest priority as United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota is keeping individuals, families and communities safe, which is the same priority I bring to this Commission.”
The Executive Order instructs the Commission to conduct its study by focusing on the law enforcement officers who are tasked with reducing crime on a daily basis. It also directs the Commission to research “important current issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” and recommends a variety of subjects for study, such as, but not limited to:
- The challenges to law enforcement associated with mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and other social factors that influence crime and strain criminal justice resources;
- The recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of law enforcement officers, including in rural and tribal communities;
- Refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes;
- The need to promote public confidence and respect for the law and law enforcement officers; and
- The effects of technological innovations on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, including the challenges and opportunities presented by such innovations.
The Commission will principally conduct its study through a series of hearings, panel presentations, field visits, and other public meetings. At these events, the Commission will hear from subject matter experts, public officials, private citizens, and other relevant stakeholders and institutions who can provide valuable insight into these issues.
The Commissioners, appointed by the Attorney General and announced today, are urban police chiefs, state prosecutors, county sheriffs, members of rural and tribal law enforcement, federal agents, a U.S. Attorney, and a state attorney general. In addition to their diverse experiences and backgrounds, each member brings to the Commission an expertise in formulating and shaping law enforcement policy and leading police departments and law enforcement organizations.
The Commission will meet monthly for the next year and then report its findings to the Attorney General, who will submit a final report to the President.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $16,113,273.52 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2019Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY -- U.S. Attorney John W. Huber announced Wednesday that $16,113,273.52 in criminal and civil actions was collected in Utah during fiscal year 2019, which ended Sept. 30, 2019.
Of this amount, $5,937,820.86 was collected in criminal cases and $10,175,452.66 through civil actions.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,020,570.97 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $3,450 came from criminal cases and $2,017,120.97 through civil actions.
“The money we have collected is used to provide restitution to victims of federal crimes and support important victim assistance programs,” Huber said today. “These funds also come from divesting criminals of the proceeds of their illegal conduct.”
Collections this year included the Lyle Jeffs case, where $99,216.53 in forfeited assets were applied to Jeffs’ $1 million restitution judgment in March 2019 in favor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Another defendant voluntarily paid $449,571.19 in February 2019 in full satisfaction of his restitution debt.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,517,673 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2019. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice’s assets forfeiture fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Two Mississippi Men Sentenced for Roles in Automotive Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Long Beach, Mississippi men were sentenced today for their roles in a long-running odometer tampering scheme, the Department of Justice announced.
U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. sentenced Oscar M. Baine, 42, to 36 months’ incarceration and ordered him to pay $619,200 in restitution. Jeffrey Lyn Savarese II, 36, was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration and ordered to pay $320,000 in restitution. Both men pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to alter odometers. Baine also pleaded guilty to odometer tampering.
As part of his guilty plea, Baine admitted that he purchased high-mileage vehicles from wholesale automobile auctions, dealerships, and individuals, and arranged to alter the vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower-mileage readings. Baine admitted that he paid Savarese and others to change or alter odometers at his used car lot in Gulfport. Baine then sold the rolled-back vehicles to unsuspecting consumers for inflated prices. He also admitted that he and a co-conspirator caused at least 387 vehicles to be rolled back between 2011 and 2014, which resulted in consumer losses of more than $600,000. Savarese admitted that he began altering odometers for Mississippi and Louisiana used-car dealers in 2011 and reset the odometers on at least 200 used vehicles for Baine.
"The Department of Justice has long been committed to prosecuting automobile dealers, wholesalers, and mechanics who defraud consumers by selling vehicles with unlawfully altered odometers," said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. "Vehicle mileage is critical to consumers who rely on that information to evaluate the value and safety of a used vehicle."
"These criminals not only defrauded hundreds of people but they directly put families and the general public at risk," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi. "We will continue to do all that we can to protect our citizens from fraudsters who endanger others just to make a quick buck."
Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation (NHTSA), assisted by the State of Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, investigated the case.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761. More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf .
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Two Mississippi Men Sentenced for Roles in Automotive Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Long Beach, Mississippi men were sentenced today for their roles in a long-running odometer tampering scheme, the Department of Justice announced.
U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. sentenced Oscar M. Baine, 42, to 36 months’ incarceration and ordered him to pay $619,200 in restitution. Jeffrey Lyn Savarese II, 36, was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration and ordered to pay $320,000 in restitution. Both men pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to alter odometers. Baine also pleaded guilty to odometer tampering.
As part of his guilty plea, Baine admitted that he purchased high-mileage vehicles from wholesale automobile auctions, dealerships, and individuals, and arranged to alter the vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower-mileage readings. Baine admitted that he paid Savarese and others to change or alter odometers at his used car lot in Gulfport. Baine then sold the rolled-back vehicles to unsuspecting consumers for inflated prices. He also admitted that he and a co-conspirator caused at least 387 vehicles to be rolled back between 2011 and 2014, which resulted in consumer losses of more than $600,000. Savarese admitted that he began altering odometers for Mississippi and Louisiana used-car dealers in 2011 and reset the odometers on at least 200 used vehicles for Baine.
"The Department of Justice has long been committed to prosecuting automobile dealers, wholesalers, and mechanics who defraud consumers by selling vehicles with unlawfully altered odometers," said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. "Vehicle mileage is critical to consumers who rely on that information to evaluate the value and safety of a used vehicle."
"These criminals not only defrauded hundreds of people but they directly put families and the general public at risk," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi. "We will continue to do all that we can to protect our citizens from fraudsters who endanger others just to make a quick buck."
Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation (NHTSA), assisted by the State of Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, investigated the case.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s odometer fraud hotline at (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761. More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf .
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms.
Twelve Individuals Indicted in Methamphetamine Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that twelve defendants, primarily residents of Haskell and Pittsburg Counties, have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and other controlled substances in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere. Drug Conspiracy is punishable by not less than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $10,000,000 fine or both. Eight of those defendants were also indicted for conspiracy to launder money and money laundering charges which are punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine greater of $500,000 or two-times the amount of the transaction or both. The indictment also charges two defendants with firearm offenses carrying punishment of not more than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000 fine or both. A coordinated law enforcement operation to arrest the defendants charged in the indictment began this morning and is ongoing. A copy of the full indictment can be found online at https://go.usa.gov/xdYg4.
The indictment alleges the defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization that utilized the United States mail to transport controlled substances from California to Oklahoma for distribution in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere. The indictment also alleges defendants utilized bank accounts and various wire transfer entities to facilitate the unlawful activities and launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking organization.
Defendants indicted are Kimberly Diana Noel, age 52, of Desert Hot Springs, California; Early Willard Woodmore, III, age 32, of Quinton, Oklahoma; Calvin James Woodmore, age 31, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Amber Nicole Woodmore, age 29, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Valerie Nacole Adcock, age 36, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Dennis Clyde Marshall, Jr., age 36, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Prentice Roland Keith, age 48, of Kinta, Oklahoma; Jimmie Ray Stephens, age 65, of Lewisville, Oklahoma; Tiffany Ann Meeks-Davis, age 32, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Michael Dewane Hunt, age 54, of Kinta, Oklahoma; Choice Lynn Needham, age 45, of Quinton, Oklahoma; and Janet Sue Troutt, age 60, of Rogers, Arkansas.
The charges arose from a joint investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (“OBN”), the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, the Haskell County Sheriff’s Office, the District 18 District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the McAlester Police Department, and the Stigler Police Department. The investigation was part of and include members of the DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking (“HIDTA”) Task Force.
“Methamphetamine continues to be the leading cause of death by overdose in Oklahoma. It is therefore imperative that the law enforcement community diligently investigate the drug trafficking organizations that push this poison into our communities,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “I commend the DEA, its task force partners, and the many other agencies that assisted with this long term investigation. In rural Oklahoma this type of team work amongst federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies is key to our fight against the drug trade.”
“The arrest of Mr. Woodmore and his associates have undoubtedly made our communities safer and prevented the further destruction that methamphetamine can bring to neighborhoods in Eastern Oklahoma. The DEA will continue to work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners across the state to ensure justice is served,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Field Division.
“Today’s arrests send a clear message to those who attempt to launder illegal drug proceeds. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to uncovering the profits earned from illegal activity and prosecuting the criminals who try to hide them,” said Kevin Caramucci, IRS Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “We are pleased to join forces with our Federal, State and local law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue and crack down on drug dealing organizations in our communities.”
“It’s in our mission statement,” said Thomas Noyes, the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth Division, “to defend the U.S. Mail from being used to facilitate criminal activity in an effort to protect our communities. To this end, Postal Inspectors will spare no effort, and aggressively work towards dismantling criminal networks and seeking the maximum prosecution of offenders. We thank the U.S Attorney’s Office for their dedication, and are proud to be joined with the many federal, state and local agencies whose combined efforts brought this investigation to a successful resolution.”
Haskell County Sheriff Timothy Turner said, “This long-term investigation that began in Haskell County would not have been as great a success without the collaboration of local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies. I am thankful for those agencies that participated. As a result of our joint efforts, the citizens of Haskell County and Eastern Oklahoma are safer.”
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.
A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Individuals Indicted and Arrested for Lying to an Agency of the United States and the Embezzlement of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On January 15, 2020, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against David Luis Rey-Delgado, David Santiago-Delgado, and José Daniel Cruz Gómez-Hernández, charging them with false statements made to an agency of the United States, and multiple counts of embezzlement of government property, announced United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. The Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service Law Enforcement Ranger are in charge of the investigation.
According to the information contained in the indictment, on June 11, 2019 David Luis Rey-Delgado and David Santiago-Delgado willfully and knowingly made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior, a department or agency of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, by stating during an interview with the National Park Service Law Enforcement Ranger, that the Polaris all-terrain vehicle had been bought from an unknown individual in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. The statements and representations were false because, as the defendants herein knew, the Polaris all-terrain vehicle had been taken from a parking garage without authorization and was not bought in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. Defendant Rey-Delgado is also facing one count for embezzlement of government property for knowingly stealing, purloining and converting to his use or the use of another a Polaris all-terrain vehicle, property of the United States of a value exceeding $1,000, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
The indictment also charges José Daniel Cruz Gómez-Hernández in two counts for false statements and six counts for the embezzlement of government property. As per the evidence, on August 23, 2019, Gómez-Hernández willfully and knowingly made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior, by stating during an interview with the National Park Service Law Enforcement Ranger, that he had disposed of the generator, cement mixer, backhoe, icebox, washer/dryer combo unit and trolleybuses that he was contracted to remove and destroy from the San Juan National Historic Site, a historical site managed by the National Park Service. The statements and representations were false because, as the defendant herein knew, the property was not destroyed and he kept them in a field for his own interest without authorization.
In addition, on April 8, 2019, defendant Gómez-Hernández took and submitted pictures of the generator, cement mixer, backhoe, icebox, washer/dryer combo unit and trolleybuses that he was contracted to remove and destroy. The statements and representations were false because, as the defendant herein knew, the property was not destroyed, and the photographs were submitted in order to receive the payment of $1,050.00, agreed to. Counts Six to Eleven of the Indictment constitute counts of embezzlement for each piece of property that the defendant was supposed to remove and destroy from the San Juan National Historic Site. The defendants are also facing a forfeiture count for the embezzled property.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney María L. Montañez-Concepción. If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000.00 for the false statements violations; and up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000.00, for each embezzlement count.
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Thirteen Members and Associates of Violent Sex Trafficking Gang “the Sevens” Charged in Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
READING, PA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia William Walker announced today that 13 individuals from Reading were charged in a 22-count Superseding Indictment with offenses including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion of a minor; various violent crimes in aid of racketeering offenses including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and assaults with dangerous weapons; sex trafficking; and child exploitation and firearms offenses.
The charged individuals are:
- Shaquile W. Newson, a/k/a “Raw,” a/k/a “San,” 26;
- Alexander M. Malave, a/k/a “Buju,” a/k/a “Ace,” 28;
- Karvarise E. Person, a/k/a “Crazy K,” a/k/a “Killa,” a/k/a “K,” 30;
- Fatiema S. Bivens, 28;
- Isaiah Rowe, a/k/a “Izzy,” 21;
- James Goode, a/k/a “Jamil,” 44;
- Yojang Torres-Rosario, a/k/a “Domi,” 26;
- Richard Poulson, a/k/a “ATL,” 26;
- Jessica Lopez, a/k/a “Mother of the Sevens,” 39;
- Ryan Nunez, 23;
- Tyashia Monroe, a/k/a “Little Baby,” 19;
- Wendy Espada, 28; and
- Michael Diaz-Walker, a/k/a “Big Mike,” 32.
The charges stem from a years’ long investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department for crimes committed by a gang called “The Sevens,” operating primarily from a boarding house located on 125-127 South 4th Street in Reading.
The racketeering conspiracy allegedly operated out of the boarding house as far back as December 2017, and it continued until in or about March 2019. Multiple acts of violence in furtherance of the conspiracy were perpetrated against many victims over this period of time. More specifically, the Superseding Indictment discusses 15 victims of sex trafficking and violent crime, two of whom are minors. The Superseding Indictment also sets out 43 overt acts in furtherance of this sex trafficking and drug trafficking conspiracy.
The charges describe a shocking series of dehumanizing and violent actions. For example, the Superseding Indictment recounts how one victim was held down while her hair was cut with gardening shears and was told she would be taken for a “trunk ride” if she did not comply with the gang’s demands. It describes how other victims were shot, assaulted with a baton, stabbed with a knife, and hit with a hammer. Another was murdered. It details how another victim, a minor, was forced to have a sexual encounter with a gun held to her head; how that same victim was assaulted with a baton and hammer and locked naked in a dog kennel. It also describes how pictures of that victim’s abuse were used to advertise online the Sevens’ sex trafficking business.
“The allegations here against the Sevens gang describe a level of depravity that is hard to imagine,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “We have stopped this violence and the Sevens gang will no longer menace the streets of Reading. This is fitting in that January 2020 is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. My Office is committed to working with all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to rid our District of the scourge of human trafficking.”
“The Sevens gang not only operated a sex trafficking ring involving minors, but also allegedly perpetrated crimes of drug trafficking, assaults, robberies, and even homicides,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Walker. “These horrific crimes were taking place in our own backyard. Thanks to HSI’s close partnership with the Reading Police Department and our law enforcement colleagues in the area, we were able to track down these violent criminals, and most importantly, put a stop to an illicit operation that would have undoubtedly resulted in more innocent victims. It’s critical that members of the public educate themselves on human trafficking crimes so they recognize the indicators and alert law enforcement accordingly. An educated public can help law enforcement rescue victims of these heinous situations and ensure those committing these acts are punished.”
“I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Homeland Security Investigations for their cooperation and support during this lengthy investigation,” said Captain Paul Reilly, Investigations Division, Reading Police Department. “The City of Reading is safer after the removal of the Sevens’ gang members from our streets. These individuals preyed on the young, weak and vulnerable members of our community. They held no reservations in resorting to violence to handle disputes or to enforce their authority in the community.”
If convicted, all defendants face up to lifetime imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Texas Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Ray Scott, 39, Winnesboro, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 14 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. This prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release.
In 2013, Scott was convicted in Texas of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct. As a result of this state conviction, Scott was required to register as a sex offender, but failed to do so. In August 2018, Scott was arrested in Portage County, Wisconsin, on an outstanding warrant from Texas for failure to register there. From late 2017 through August 31, 2018, Scott worked and lived in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Scott did not report his Wisconsin employment or residence as required, which led to the federal charge for failure to register in Wisconsin for which he was sentenced today.
After Scott was released from state custody on the Texas warrant, but before he was charged with failure to register in Wisconsin, he travelled to Eagle County, Colorado. He was charged with failure to register as a sex offender and sexual exploitation of a child in Eagle County, Colorado. Scott’s Colorado charges are still pending.
The charge against Scott was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger.
Tacoma woman pleads guilty to three federal felonies related to 7-year benefit fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 39-year-old Tacoma resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and embezzlement of mail by a postal employee. ILIGANOA THERESA LAUOFO illegally collected more than $267,000 over the course of a fraud scheme that began in 2011 and continued until 2018. LAUOFO is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on April 17, 2020.
According to records in the case, LAUOFO lied about her household composition and income, used stolen identities to claim additional benefits and open bank and credit accounts, and stole checks from the mail during a period when she was employed by the U.S. Postal Service. Between April 2011 and December 2018, LAUOFO applied for welfare benefits, including food, childcare, and income assistance, by claiming her husband did not live with the family, and submitted falsified documents to bolster that claim. Had her husband’s income been counted, she would not have qualified for the assistance she received. In addition to the benefits claimed in her own name, LAUOFO applied for and received additional benefits in stolen identities of friends and family members. Across those various identities, LAUOFO also stole and misused the identity information of 13 minor children who lived in American Samoa, claiming they resided with her (or her alternate identities) when they did not. By claiming these children, she received additional food and childcare benefits. In all, LAUOFO fraudulently received $222,294 in benefits.
LAUOFO falsely claimed the children on her tax filings, resulting in over $35,000 in tax credits and refunds that she did not deserve.
The fraud did not end with stolen benefits. LAUOFO used some of the identities she stole to open bank and credit accounts. She opened one of those accounts in the name of her ex-husband three years after he died, and deposited worthless checks in the bank account and quickly withdrew cash before the bank realized the fraud. More than $10,000 in loss resulted from that conduct.
Finally, in March 2018, when LAUOFO was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, she stole and deposited checks from the mail she was assigned to deliver. She deposited the checks into an account in the name of one of the identities she had stolen in the benefits fraud scheme. Later, in April 2018, LAUOFO discarded and destroyed more than 200 pieces of mail, later admitting she threw the mail in a dumpster so she could complete her route more quickly.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and embezzlement by a postal employee is punishable by up to five years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory consecutive two-year prison term to follow any punishment imposed on the other counts of conviction. The ultimate sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Fraud and Accountability (DSHS/OFA), and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs. Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration, specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.
Supplier to Drug Trafficking Organization and Two of Its Members Admit Roles in Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man and two Mercer County, New Jersey, men today admitted their roles distributing heroin in and around Trenton, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Duane Paulino-Escalera, 27, of Philadelphia, and Izae Alford, 21, of Trenton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to separate informations charging each of them with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Darryl Young, 27, of Trenton, pleaded guilty before Judge Shipp to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
In June 2019, Paulino-Escalera, Alford, Young, and eight others were charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Paulino-Escalera, Alford and Young are the first three defendants to plead guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2018 through May 2019, the defendants and others engaged in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the areas of Stuyvesant, Hoffman and Highland avenues in Trenton, as well as in the area of Barbary Road in Philadelphia.
Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Robert M. Gbanapolor obtained regular supplies of “bricks” of heroin (approximately 50 smaller, individually packaged glassine envelopes or baggies containing heroin) from Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi.”
Members of the conspiracy distributed the heroin supplied by Paulino-Escalera to other conspirators, distributors, sub-dealers, and end users in and around Trenton. Law enforcement officers intercepted numerous discussions among the conspirators regarding issues such as heroin quality and availability, branding, quantity and customer satisfaction.
The heroin conspiracy counts to which Paulino-Escalera and Alford pleaded guilty each carry a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. The heroin conspiracy count to which Young pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencings for Paulino-Escalera and Alford are scheduled for May 4, 2020; sentencing for Young is scheduled for May 6, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; and task force officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked detectives and officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore; detectives and officers of the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Earle; members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives and officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Pesce; and special agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric A. Boden and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations against the remaining eight defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sioux Falls Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Dayton Charles Nordstrom, age 30, was indicted on January 7, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on January 16, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about December 9, 2019, Nordstrom possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The charge is merely an accusation and Nordstrom is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga is prosecuting the case.
Nordstrom was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Shirley Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Shirley woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to stealing Social Security benefits.
Shirley Daley, 84, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2020. Daley was charged in April 2019.
From June 2005 through December 2017, Daley received Spouse’s/Widow’s Benefits from Social Security using one name and Social Security number, while also receiving Retirement Benefits using a different name and a different Social Security number. When she applied for Retirement Benefits, Daley told the Social Security Administration that she had never been married and that she had never filed for benefits. In fact, Daley had been married and she had been receiving Spouse’s/Widow’s Benefits for four years. From June 2005 through December 2017, Daley stole approximately $319,076 in Social Security benefits.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Shelton Man to Serve Prison Time for Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SALVATORE PERRY, 45, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 30 days of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone. Judge Bolden ordered Perry to serve his first six months of supervised release in home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2017 and November 2018, law enforcement made five controlled purchases of 30mg oxycodone pills from Perry. Perry sold between 30 and 60 pills each transaction. Perry had obtained the pills from at least two other individuals who had prescriptions for the drugs.
Perry was arrested on December 4, 2018. On that date, investigators searched his residence and seized oxycodone pills, along with Perry’s cell phone, which contained evidence of the drug sales.
On October 24, 2019, Perry pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone.
Perry who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on February 7.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego to Serve as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of JusticeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM –Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego was appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice announced, U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. Attorney General William P. Barr announced the establishment of the Commission today. On Oct. 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13896, authorizing and designating the Attorney General to create such a Commission that would explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime.
“This Commission is critical, not only because it is timely, but because law enforcement faces more and greater challenges than ever before,” Town said. “Sheriff John Samaniego is a dedicated public servant with the experience and capacity which will serve the Commission’s purpose well. Not only will the fruits of this effort reduce crime in America, it will reduce the respect deficit towards law enforcement that so deservedly need our support.”
“I am grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve the interests of our country and our nation’s law enforcement officers,” Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego said. “I will work tirelessly to represent Shelby County and the State of Alabama. Most importantly, I will strive to deliver to President Trump, along with my fellow Commissioners, recommendations that will better serve our citizens, safeguard liberties, and encourage and support our nation’s law enforcement and their families.”
The Commissioners, appointed by the Attorney General and announced today, are urban police chiefs, state prosecutors, county sheriffs, members of rural law enforcement, federal agents, U.S. Attorneys, and a state attorney general. In addition to their diverse experiences and backgrounds, each member brings to the Commission an expertise in formulating and shaping law enforcement policy and leading police departments and law enforcement organizations.
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.
Romanian Man Sentenced in ATM Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that January 22, 2020, Alex Barbu was sentenced in federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Barbu received a thirty-nine month custody sentence for his part in an ATM skimming operation. The sentence consisted of 15 months on the bank fraud charge, and 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade also ordered that Barbu serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison, and pay $4,848.35 in restitution. Upon his release from prison, Barbu, a Romanian national, will be turned over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.
In a guilty plea hearing, the court found that on January 12th and 19th, 2019, a young female accompanied by Barbu was observed via surveillance footage placing an unauthorized camera device on an ATM owned and operated by United Bank in Bay Minette, AL. The camera was used to illegally capture a customer's PIN as it was being entered on the ATM keypad. The young female then placed an ATM-skimmer on the same ATM. ATM skimmers are illegal devices designed to fit over the ATM card insert, known as a bezel, in order to read and siphon ATM customer bank account information when the bank customer uses their bank card at the ATM. Later the same day the young female was observed via surveillance footage returning to the ATM and retrieving both the camera and skimming devices.
During the timeframe on January 12, 2019, when the unauthorized ATM skimmer and camera devices were in place and active on the ATM, 30 customers’ account numbers and PINs were exposed. The majority of those customers had their account numbers and PINs compromised through a series of fraudulent transactions that occurred January 26-27, 2019 by Barbu.
The operations officer at United Bank stated after the fraudulent transactions were discovered, all of their customers had their ATM cards and PINs deactivated and reissued. The operations officer has also advised that none of their customers had authorized any of the attempted and/or completed transactions and, all of their ATM cards had been in each customers’ possession before and during the time of the fraudulent activity.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile Division, Mobile, AL. There was joint cooperation and direct assistance by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection; Bay Minette Alabama (AL) Police Department (PD); Mobile AL PD; Daphne AL PD; Foley AL PD; Prattville AL PD; Pascagoula Mississippi PD; Padukah Kentucky PD; FBI Jackson Division; FBI Memphis Division, and credit for Barbu's capture and extradition by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, US Attorney's Office, and FBI Minneapolis Division, all in Minnesota.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Haley Hansler, 33, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hansler conspired with two other individuals to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. On November 7, 2018, the New Hampshire State Police (“NHSP”) conducted a vehicle stop of a vehicle driven by Hansler and seized approximately 58 grams of heroin and smaller quantities of crystal “ice” methamphetamine and other narcotics. Later the same evening, members of the NHSP and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) searched Hansler’s hotel room in Ossipee, New Hampshire and seized approximately 171 grams of crystal “ice” methamphetamine and smaller quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics and Hansler’s semi-automatic handgun. On December 20, 2018, DEA agents arrested Hansler and a co-conspirator at their Rochester residence and seized approximately 60 grams of fentanyl, as well as four firearms and ammunition.
Hansler is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2020.
“Fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine are lethal drugs that have caused serious harm to the people of New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The danger of drug trafficking is further enhanced when drug dealers are outfitted with firearms. The brave law enforcement officers who confront them deserve every protection the law can provide. Accordingly, we are committed to vigorously prosecuting traffickers who choose to possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trade.”
This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad; the New Hampshire State Police; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the Strafford County Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Reno Man Sentenced for Trafficking Endangered Lion and Leopard PartsRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – Robert Barkman, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced today to 60 days of intermittent confinement by the Bureau of Prisons during a one-year term of probation for illegally trafficking parts from endangered African lions and leopards, announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Barkman, 51, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a one count information charging him with wildlife trafficking in violation of the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones sentenced Barkman to 60 days of intermittent confinement during a one-year term of probation. As part of the terms of his probation, Barkman will be required to perform 100 hours of community service for a wildlife conservation organization, and will not be permitted to work for an organization that handles threatened or endangered species.
In court documents filed in federal court, between March 24, 2016 and April 2, 2016, Barkman admitted to selling and shipping a lion skull and leopard claws to Arongkron Malasukum, a resident of Woodside, New York, for $1,400. As part of the plea, Barkman further admitted that between January 2016 and October 2016, he received approximately $6,000 for the interstate sale of threatened or endangered wildlife in violation of United States law.
Malasukum previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August 2018 for his role in purchasing skulls and other parts from endangered wildlife, and then exporting them to Thailand. As part of his plea, Malasukum admitted that between April 9, 2015 and June 29, 2016, he exported approximately 68 packages containing skulls, claws, and parts from endangered and protected species, with a total fair market value in excess of $150,000. All of the exports were sent to Thailand.
“This investigation involved the international trafficking of the skulls, teeth, and claws from protected African lions and tigers and depicts just how appalling and widespread wildlife trafficking can be,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “I commend our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada and the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Section in holding this individual accountable for his crime."
The investigation was handled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Walkingshaw and Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.
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Princeton Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Princeton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Bangor to distributing cocaine base (crack), United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, on April 25, 2019, Robert McKenna, 48, sold crack to an undercover agent from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency at a residence in Indian Township, Maine.
McKenna faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. He also faces between three years and a lifetime of supervised release.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI investigated the case.
The prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Panola County Felon Convicted of Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 38-year-old Carthage, Texas, man has been convicted of federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Timothy Earl Brown was found guilty today of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to information presented in court, on Oct. 14, 2016, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a rural residence in Panola County for a prowler. Brown was spotted by law enforcement carrying a rifle in a wooded area near the home. Brown fled but was apprehended and also found in possession of a revolver. Further investigation revealed Brown is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Brown was convicted in Panola County in 2000 for theft, in 2000 for escape and in 2011 for sexual assault. He also has a prior conviction in the Eastern District of Texas for being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2004. Brown was indicted for this incident on June 21, 2018 and charged with federal firearms violations.
Under the federal statute, Brown faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence; deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition, and body armor; and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Panola County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Noble and Alan Jackson.
Palm Beach County Resident Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Bank Robbery and Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
On January 16, 2020, Palm Beach County resident Rodrick Domonique Jones was sentenced to 12½ years in prison, following his jury trial conviction for bank robbery and armed bank robbery.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Jones, 38, of Lake Park, Florida was sentenced to 150 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn following his conviction for four counts of bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), and five counts of armed bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a) and (d) (Case No. 19cr80013).
According to evidence presented at trial, Jones committed nine bank robberies at Chase banks throughout Southern Florida between December 11, 2015 and February 17, 2018. In each robbery, Jones approached a bank teller and presented a demand note stating that he had a gun and demanding that the teller give him money. Each time Jones wore a baseball cap, acted like a normal customer to avoid attention, and tried to keep from touching anything at the bank. In two of the robberies, Jones pointed his gun into the side of the customer next to him when the teller did not give him money fast enough. In two of the robberies, Jones left behind his fingerprints on demand notes.
During a search of Jones’ residence, investigators recovered guns and evidence on Jones’ cell phones showing that he researched the banks before robbing them, often conducting web searches for the target banks and saving Google Maps images of the banks and surrounding areas. Evidence also linked Jones to the vehicles seen leaving the scenes of the robberies. The trial evidence included witness testimony, surveillance video from the banks and nearby businesses, fingerprint analysis, and images and messages from Jones’ phones and Facebook account.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris and Trial Attorney Christina Brown from the Antitrust Division.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Falsely Reporting an Imminent Mass ShootingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DAVID AARON JACOBS, 43, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for intentionally conveying false and misleading information by making a hoax threat of a mass shooting announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
A superseding criminal information was filed in January 2020 against Jacobs that charged him with a single count of making a hoax threat on March 30, 2017. According to the information, Jacobs emailed the El Reno Police Department and a local news station stating: "[t]wo boys that [the defendant] know[s] are planning to do something awful. They have been meeting at the house of a Palestinian man name[d] [Individual 1] who lives in Oklahoma city and [Individual 1] has given them guns and helped them to plan to shoot people at the big academic testing event at Redlands Community College tomorrow afternoon."
At the time he made the hoax threat, Jacobs was on federal supervised release after serving the term of imprisonment for his previous federal convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Based on his new crime, Jacobs’s term of supervised release was revoked on August 17, 2017, and he was sentenced to an additional term of 36 months’ imprisonment.
This afternoon, Senior U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Jacobs to serve 42 months in prison, to run partially concurrent with 18 months of his revocation. Judge Russell also ordered Jacobs to pay $22,996.39 in restitution to law enforcement for the costs of responding to the hoax and imposed three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the El Reno Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Dillon and Mark Stoneman prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to court filings for further information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Ohio Man Who Transported More Than Four Kilograms of Heroin to Pennsylvania Sentenced to 6 ½ Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Curtis Riley, age 57, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced on January 15, 2020 by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 6 ½ years’ imprisonment followed by two years on supervised release for acting as a courier for a heroin trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of heroin to locations throughout the United States.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Riley previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. Riley transported a total of between four and 10 kilograms of heroin (which is equivalent to between 160,000 and 400,000 retail bags) between 2017 and December 2018. There were traces of fentanyl in some of the heroin seized by state police troopers.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Ocean County, New Jersey Attorney Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Failing to Pay over Payroll Taxes and Making False Statements on Loan ApplicationRead the Press Release
George Gilmore, a partner at an Ocean County, New Jersey, law firm, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for his conviction on two counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes withheld from employees to the IRS and one count of making false statements on a bank loan application submitted to Ocean First Bank N.A.
On April 17, 2019, Gilmore, 70, of Toms River, New Jersey, was acquitted of two counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013 and 2014; the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on one count of income tax evasion for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015. The verdicts were returned following a trial that began April 1, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Gilmore worked as an equity partner and shareholder at Gilmore & Monahan P.A., a law firm in Toms River, where he exercised primary control over the firm’s financial affairs. Because he exercised significant control over the law firm’s financial affairs, Gilmore was responsible for withholding payroll taxes from the gross salary and wages of the law firm’s employees to cover individual income, Social Security and Medicare tax obligations. For the tax quarters ending March 31, 2016, and June 30, 2016, the law firm withheld tax payments from its employees’ checks, but Gilmore failed to pay over in full the payroll taxes due to the IRS.
Gilmore also submitted a loan application to Ocean First Bank containing false statements. On Nov. 21, 2014, Gilmore reviewed, signed, and submitted to Ocean First Bank a Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to obtain refinancing of a mortgage loan for $1.5 million with a “cash out” provision that provided Gilmore would obtain cash from the loan. On Jan. 22, 2015, Gilmore submitted another URLA updating the initial application. Gilmore failed to disclose his outstanding 2013 tax liabilities and personal loans that he had obtained from others on the URLAs. Gilmore received $572,000 from the cash out portion of the loan.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Gilmore to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig for the District of New Jersey and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the FBI Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division; and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the U.S. Department of Justice - Tax Division.
Ocean County Attorney Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Failing to Pay over Payroll Taxes and Making False Statements on Loan ApplicationRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – George Gilmore, a partner at an Ocean County law firm, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for his conviction on two counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes withheld from employees to the IRS and one count of making false statements on a bank loan application submitted to Ocean First Bank N.A., First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
On April 17, 2019, Gilmore, 70, of Toms River, New Jersey, was acquitted of two counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013 and 2014; the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on one count of income tax evasion for calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015. The verdicts were returned following a trial that began April 1, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Gilmore worked as an equity partner and shareholder at Gilmore & Monahan P.A., a law firm in Toms River, where he exercised primary control over the firm’s financial affairs. Because he exercised significant control over the law firm’s financial affairs, Gilmore was responsible for withholding payroll taxes from the gross salary and wages of the law firm’s employees to cover individual income, Social Security and Medicare tax obligations. For the tax quarters ending March 31, 2016, and June 30, 2016, the law firm withheld tax payments from its employees’ checks, but Gilmore failed to pay over in full the payroll taxes due to the IRS.
Gilmore also submitted a loan application to Ocean First Bank containing false statements. On Nov. 21, 2014, Gilmore reviewed, signed, and submitted to Ocean First Bank a Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to obtain refinancing of a mortgage loan for $1.5 million with a “cash out” provision that provided Gilmore would obtain cash from the loan. On Jan. 22, 2015, Gilmore submitted another URLA updating the initial application. Gilmore failed to disclose his outstanding 2013 tax liabilities and personal loans that he had obtained from others on the URLAs. Gilmore received $572,000 from the cash out portion of the loan.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Gilmore to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, special agents with U.S. Attorney’s Office under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, and special agents of the FBI Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division; and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the U.S. Department of Justice - Tax Division.
Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino Esq., Chatham, New Jersey
OP-ED: We Need a Permanent Ban on Fentanyl AnaloguesRead the Press Release
In 2017, almost 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. It’s a sad reality that New England as a whole has been particularly hard hit by opioids. In fact, per capita, of the 12 states across the country with the most opioid overdose fatalities, all six of our states make the list. Much of that is due to illicitly produced fentanyl.
To maintain and build upon a recent decline in opioid overdose deaths nationwide, law enforcement must have all the necessary tools at their disposal. One such tool is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) 2018 order making all fentanyl-related drugs illegal in the United States. Unfortunately, that order was temporary and will expire in just a few weeks. The Senate recently passed bipartisan legislation approving a 15-month extension of the temporary order. While this is a step in the right direction and the House should follow suit and pass the Senate’s bill, a longer term solution is needed. A permanent ban on all fentanyl analogues would send a strong message to the cartels and sophisticated drug operations that pedal illicit fentanyl that the United States is serious about addressing this crisis and their actions will not be tolerated.
Illicit fentanyl is manufactured in labs in China and Mexico. It is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. So powerful, in fact, that only a couple milligrams – the size of a few grains of salt – can kill the average person.
Fentanyl, however, is unique. Because it is made in labs using chemicals, its structure is easily manipulated. And the drug cartels that manufacture and traffic this poison into our neighborhoods understand American laws and know how to exploit them. They know that by changing a single molecule in the chemical structure of fentanyl, they have essentially created a new drug. One that, unlike fentanyl, is not illegal in the United States. These drugs, known as “fentanyl analogues,” do as fentanyl does: create more addicts and kill more Americans. Yet, the analogues – which can be up to 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine – will all become legal if Congress fails to act.
The DEA’s 2018 decision to temporarily schedule – that is, to make illegal – all fentanyl-related substances was a response to the extraordinary legal loophole exploited by drug traffickers.In April 2019, China also outlawed all fentanyl-related substances. This is extraordinary progress, with one caveat. Unlike China’s law, the United States’ has an expiration date.
On Feb. 6, 2020, the DEA’s temporary order expires, and all drugs seized by U.S. investigators over the past two years that have tested positive as fentanyl analogues will no longer be illegal. If Congress fails to pass the SOFA legislation it will have a dramatic impact not just on the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who spend their lives investigating and prosecuting drug dealers, but on communities already hard hit by the opioid epidemic, many of which are right here in New England.
Despite recent reductions in opioid deaths across New England for the first time in decades, prosecuting drug dealers – particularly those who peddle heroin and fentanyl – remains a top priority for each of our offices. But our federal resources are not infinite; we need all the help we can get. Passing this legislation would provide invaluable support to us as prosecutors and the entire law enforcement community as we continue to combat the opioid crisis in New England and all throughout America.
A number of organizations have voiced opposition to the proposed legislation, arguing that the bill does not “embrace public health approaches to the overdose crisis.” We agree that a comprehensive approach to the crisis is needed, and a permanent fentanyl analogue ban should be viewed as part of a holistic effort. But time is running out: there is no doubt that drug traffickers are eagerly awaiting the temporary order’s expiration to start flooding our communities with these dangerous drugs. The passage of this legislation is quite literally a matter of life and death.
There should be nothing partisan about declaring fentanyl analogues illegal, any more than there is partisanship about the dangers of ricin or cyanide. And there is certainly nothing partisan about saving lives and bringing justice to those who profit from addiction and even death. For the safety of our New England communities, we urge Congress to pass legislatio nmaking permanent the DEA’s temporary scheduling of all fentanyl-related drugs.
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Christina E. Nolan is the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont
Aaron L. Weisman is the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island
Scott W. Murray is the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire
Andrew E. Lelling is the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
Halsey B. Frank is the United States Attorney for the District of Maine
John H. Durham is the United States Attorney for the District of ConnecticutO'Fallon, Illinois Man Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
St. Louis – Michael L. Cooper, 40, of O’Fallon, Illinois, was charged in a federal complaint with distribution of child pornography.
According to the complaint, on or about January 21, 2020, an undercover officer, utilizing a false persona, was contacted on a social media applications by an individual later identified as Michael Cooper. Cooper sent the undercover officer multiple child pornography videos and images via the internet containing depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in various sexual acts. Cooper advised the undercover officer on several occasions that he was sexually attracted to minor males, and desired to engage in sexual acts with minor males.
As agreed upon with the undercover officer utilizing his false persona, Cooper responded to a local hotel to meet the undercover officer and purportedly engage in sexual acts with him while watching child pornography. However, upon his arrival at the hotel room, Cooper was taken into custody. Cooper indicated that there was child pornography on his laptop in his residence and on his cellular telephone. Cooper also admitted to being in possession of and distributing child pornography.
Charges set forth in the Complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Saint Louis County Police Department are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAYREN JAKAR WYNN, 30, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 7, 2015, Wynn was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 14 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine in The Hill neighborhood in New Haven. He was released from federal prison in July 2016.
On July 12, 2018, New Haven Police detectives performed a traffic stop of a vehicle that Wynn was operating. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Hi-Point CF380 handgun and a quantity of marijuana.
In addition to his prior federal conviction, Wynn’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Wynn has been detained since July 12, 2018. On August 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and admitted that he violated the conditions of his federal supervised release.
Judge Bryant sentenced Wynn to 78 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm, and a consecutive 14 months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Nepalese Man Sentenced on Marriage Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Nepalese man currently residing in California was sentenced today in Bangor for marriage fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Eilove Shrestha, 28, to one month in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Shrestha pleaded guilty on July 8, 2019.
According to court records, on June 20, 2018, Shrestha, a Nepalese citizen then lawfully in the United States in a temporary status, agreed to pay a United States citizen $13,000 to marry him so he could obtain permanent resident status, also known as, a “green card.” Four days later, Shrestha flew to Maine and the two were married the next day. Before and after the wedding, Shrestha paid the United States citizen hundreds of dollars via wire transfers, while he continued to live and work in another state.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Brewer Police Department.
Morgan County man indicted on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gunner Scott Young, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was indicted today on a child pornography charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Young, age 28, is charged with one count of “Possession of Child Pornography.” Young is accused of having pornographic images involving minors under the age of 12 in June 2019 in Morgan County.
Young faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Montgomery County Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud & Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- Steven Ray Williams, 58, of Hope, Kentucky, admitted to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft involving fraudulent representations to a financial institution on Wednesday, before U.S. District Court Judge Karen K. Caldwell.
In 1999, Williams borrowed a series of loans from the Farm Services Agency (FSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To pledge collateral for the loans, Williams listed farm equipment that he owned, as well as cattle and other livestock. In April 2012, the Williams failed to make a loan payment to the FSA and in May 2012, he declared bankruptcy.
According to the plea agreement, from March 2012 through June 2015, Defendant Williams regularly sold off the cattle at various stockyards in central Kentucky, and because they had been previously pledged as collateral to the FSA, the Defendant sold the cattle in the name of others and not in his own name. Upon receiving payment for the cattle sold in the form of a check, the Defendant would forge the signature of the person the check was made out to, and then add his own signature below, enabling him to deposit the funds into his own bank account. Because he was in default on his FSA loans, Williams’ actions brought about a financial gain and deprived the FSA any chance at recovering proceeds from livestock that had been pledged as collateral.
Williams was indicted in September 2019.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jason M. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, for USDA OIG, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Moynahan.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2020. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Mexican national sentenced for trafficking $5 million in methRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 51-year-old resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been handed a significant sentence for possession with intent to distribute 69 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Mario Gabriel Sorcia-Quintana pleaded guilty Jan. 8, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced Sorcia-Quintana to a total of 100 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the prison sentence.
On July 20, 2018, Quintana arrived at the Gateway port of entry in Brownsville driving a Nissan Xterra. At the time, he claimed to be en route to San Antonio with his family, including his four-year-old child, and presented travel permits for all three occupants.
He was referred to secondary inspection where authorities then discovered an unusually high-density reading of all four tires. Further investigation revealed an anomaly, resulting in the discovery of a rectangular metal compartment found inside the tire. Authorities then drilled a hole in it and found a white powdery substance which tested positive for the properties of meth.
The packages were not properly sealed. Therefore, authorities called a hazmat team for assistance in extracting the narcotics due to the potential exposure of the contents in the metal compartments.
They removed a total of 69.10 kilograms from all four tires which was found to have an approximate value of $5 million.
Quintana has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Llanos-Salinas prosecuted the case.