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Thursday 16 January 2020
Prolific Wholesale Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison After His Trial Conviction on Federal Charges for a Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Related Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Paul Alexander, a/k/a David Paul Hayes and Shorty, age 47, of Hanover, Maryland, to 35 year in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on five federal charges including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances—specifically fentanyl, possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Judge Bennett also ordered that Alexander forfeit more than $4 million in cash seized during the investigation, three luxury vehicles, seven Rolex watches, two Cartier bracelets with diamonds, a diamond tennis bracelet, and two designer bags. The jury returned its verdict in the evening on Monday, October 1, 2019.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“More people die of opioid overdoses than murder in Maryland, while drug dealers spend their profits on luxury cars and jewelry,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Fentanyl dealers, like Paul Alexander, sell death and despair, and dealing in fentanyl and using a gun increases their odds of federal prosecution. As a result of his conviction, Paul Alexander will now spend 35 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. He will also forfeit to the government all of the proceeds from his drug business, including the cash, cars, jewelry, and other items he bought with drug money.”
According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, from April 2018 through January 2019, Paul Alexander distributed large amounts of fentanyl in and around the Baltimore area. An 11-month investigation by DEA into Alexander’s drug trafficking activities resulted in the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl—enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people—and over $4 million in cash from Alexander’s car and apartments on January 2, 2019.
The evidence showed that Alexander distributed fentanyl on several occasions to a Baltimore County drug trafficker in 2018. In addition, he was observed conducting narcotics-related transactions with another drug dealer, and surveillance video at his apartment complex revealed that Alexander used several vehicles to store and deliver drugs. The evidence proved that Alexander utilized vehicles and residences in the names of relatives and associates in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation.
Witnesses testified that the DEA and Anne Arundel County police executed search warrants on January 2, 2019, at two apartments associated with Alexander. Law enforcement testified that they recovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine that contained 24 rounds of ammunition, multiple bags filled with over $4 million in cash, jewelry, and narcotics distribution paraphernalia.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner, who tried the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin, who handled pre-trial litigation.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 57 months’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Brian Horvath, 48.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around September 2016, and continuing thereafter to November 30, 2017, Horvath conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms but less than 15 kilograms of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The court was further informed that during the period of the conspiracy, Horvath frequently received cocaine from two of his co-defendants in quantities ranging from, at the beginning of the conspiracy, one-half ounce to, towards the end of the conspiracy, 18 ounces, which he then redistributed to various individuals in Allegheny and Westmoreland County.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Horvath. The task force was headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Stowe Township Police Department also provided assistance in this investigation. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Pennsylvania Anesthesiologist Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania anesthesiologist was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for filing a false income tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
From 2010 through 2018, James G. Allen Jr., 54, filed and caused the filing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of sixteen false tax returns for himself and his wife. On these tax returns, Allen did not report more than $3 million in income that the pair earned as anesthesiologists. In addition to filing false tax returns, Allen took steps to conceal the couple’s assets and income from the IRS, including depositing money in an offshore bank account held in the Bailiwick of Jersey, wiring money to Columbia to purchase a house, purchasing cryptocurrency and gold, and registering a vehicle in the name of a purported church. In total, Allen caused a tax loss of more than $900,000 to the United States.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab ordered Allen to serve a one year term of supervised release and pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $ 1,084,658.52.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Carl F. Brooker, IV of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website at www.justice.gov/tax.
Pasadena Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Cyberstalking and Causing Intentional Damage to a Protected ComputerRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Ahmad Kazzelbach, age 26, of Pasadena, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of cyberstalking and intentional damage to a protected computer.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
According to Kazzelbach’s plea agreement, beginning in June 2015, Kazzelbach and the victim both worked at Company A, an insurance broker located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and in December 2015 began a romantic relationship, moving into a shared apartment. In late May 2016, the victim ended her relationship with Kazzelbach. Although Kazzelbach moved out of their shared apartment, he subsequently began a year-long scheme to harass the victim by compromising her personal online accounts, forging policy cancellation letters on behalf of her clients, and filing false reports with law enforcement that ultimately resulted in the victim being wrongfully arrested and incarcerated on multiple occasions.
Specifically, on July 25, 2016, Kazzelbach created an e-mail account that mimicked the victim’s real e-mail address and within 10 minutes, changed the name on the victim’s Apple account to the fake e-mail address he had created. Two days later, Kazzelbach initiated a password reset, locking the victim out of the account which controlled certain settings on her iPhone, as well as access to the photos, music, and videos associated with her account. Kazzelbach also accessed the victim’s Instagram account and changed a portion of her user name to “whore,” and accessed the victim’s online student loan account and changed the account e-mail address to the fake address he had created.
Kazzelbach also admitted that in late August 2016, he used a fax machine at Company A to send two letters purporting to cancel supplemental health insurance policies belonging to two of the victim’s clients, whose information Kazzelbach had accessed through his position at Company A. On August 28, 2016, Kazzelbach accessed the victim’s own online health insurance account, to which she had previously given Kazzelbach limited access for initiation purposes, and made unauthorized changes to the victim’s race, pregnancy status, and income. The change in income resulted in the victim being disqualified from the plan in which she had enrolled, potentially modifying or impairing her medical care.
On September 1 and October 1, 2016, Kazzelbach attempted to access the victim’s bank account and tax-filing account, respectively, using a proxy server, which can be used to hide an electronic device’s true location or identity. However, investigators were able to identify the true Internet Protocol (IP) address from which the attempts were made and determine that the account was subscribed to by Kazzelbach’s father at a residence where Kazzelbach was then residing.
On September 30, 2016, Kazzelbach sent a text message to the victim in which he disguised his real identity by using a “spoofing” program, which used computer software to make it appear as though the message originated from a Florida-based cell phone number that did not belong to Kazzelbach. In the message, Kazzelbach wrote, “Prepare yourself for what’s coming…the last 3 months were just the beginning. I have bigger plans for you…I love how easily manipulated you can be.”
As detailed in his plea agreement, Kazzelbach filed a petition for a protective order against the victim on December 10, 2016, in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County, falsely alleging that the victim had physically abused him and made violent threats in text messages and on social media. A temporary protective order was granted on December 13 and a hearing on a final protective order was scheduled for December 29, 2016. Between December 13 and December 29, Kazzelbach contacted Anne Arundel County on four occasions to falsely report that the victim was continuing to harass and threaten him in violation of the temporary protective order. Based on Kazzelbach’s sworn statement, and text messages and phone calls on Kazzelbach’s phone that he had spoofed to make it appear that the victim had contacted him, when in fact, she had not, the court issued four arrest warrants for the victim. On December 29, 2016, the final protective order against the victim was granted, effective for a period of one year. Then, between December 29, 2016 and June 2017, Kazzelbach made 14 additional false reports to law enforcement, causing 7 more criminal actions to be filed against the victim in Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties, and resulting in her false imprisonment for four nights.
In March 2017, the Anne Arundel County prosecutor handling Kazzelbach’s case asked for Kazzelbach’s consent to download the contents of his iPhone, but Kazzelbach refused. The prosecutor told Kazzelbach that if he did not permit a full search of his phone, the Anne Arundel charges against the victim would be dismissed. In response, Kazzelbach began making false reports to Baltimore County instead. In May 2017, the Anne Arundel charges against the victim were dismissed. Baltimore County Police officers subsequently began their own investigation and determined that no attempted or completed text messages were sent from any of the victim’s accounts on the dates and times alleged by Kazzelbach.
Kazzelbach faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for cyberstalking and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for intentional damage to a protected computer. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for May 1, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and P. Michael Cunningham, who are prosecuting the case.
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Owner of Unlicensed D.C. Row House Indicted for Murder in Connection with Fatal FireRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James G. Walker, 61, the owner of a commercially zoned row house at 708 Kennedy Street, N.W., was arraigned by Superior Court of the District of Columbia Judge Ronna L. Beck on two counts of second degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The grand jury indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division Ashan M. Benedict; Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Peter Newsham; and Fire and EMS Chief Gregory M. Dean.
According to the indictment and related court documents, on August 18, 2019, Fitsum Kebede, Yafet Solomen, and others resided at the row house on Kennedy Street owned by Walker. Although Walker used the structure as a boarding house, he did not have a certificate of occupancy for the building and the structure was in violation of several fire safety codes. During the morning of August 18, 2019, a fire broke out inside the building. Kebede and Solomen were in the basement at the time and were unable to exit the premises. They subsequently died from smoke inhalation. Following the indictment, Walker was arrested on January 15, 2020.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. If convicted, Walker faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervised release.
In announcing the indictment and arraignment, U.S. Attorney Liu, ATF SAC Benedict, MPD Chief Newsham, and Fire and EMS Chief Dean commended the work of the ATF Arson and Explosives Task Force that investigated the case, including MPD, ATF, and Fire and EMS. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinet Bryant, who is prosecuting the case.
Owner of D.C. Area Tax Preparation Business Indicted for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. returned an indictment today charging an Indianapolis, Indiana, resident with conspiracy to file false claims, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns, and tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Awett Tedla was the owner and operator of Speedy Tax Services LLC, a tax preparation business in Washington, D.C. and District Heights, Maryland. From 2012 through 2016, Tedla and her coconspirators allegedly obtained and used third party identities to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claiming tax refunds. The indictment also charges that from 2013 through 2016, Tedla falsified her own personal returns by omitting business receipts.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Tedla faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, 10 years in prison for conspiring to file false claims for refunds, five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. Tedla also faces a term of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Sean Green of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Owner of Construction Company Sentenced to Prison for Disaster Fraud in the United States Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Juli Campbell was sentenced to 14 months in prison for fraud related to FEMA’s Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Program. Campbell, the owner of a Puerto Rico construction company, pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining disaster relief funds intended to help the Territory rebuild following the 2017 hurricanes.
The STEP Program provides federal funds for essential repairs to homes damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. According to the plea agreement previously filed in the case, Campbell operated Campbell Development, LLC, which was a subcontractor performing STEP-funded work in St. Croix, VI. Campbell executed a scheme whereby the company submitted fraudulent invoices and timesheets related to a STEP-funded subcontract, showing work not actually performed. As part of her sentence, Campbell was also ordered to pay $179,033 in restitution.
"Disaster relief funds are intended to aid Virgin Islanders who suffered during the hurricanes" said U.S. Attorney Shappert. "Individuals and contracting companies that fraudulently diverted these funds must be held to answer for their actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made disaster fraud a priority and will continue to prosecute individuals and companies that violate federal law."
"The DHS OIG takes any and all allegations of fraudulent activity seriously and intends to hold accountable those who try to use natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria to take advantage of others," said Special Agent in Charge Jay H. Donly of the DHS-OIG Miami Field Office. "The DHS OIG will continue to use its investigative resources to stop those who use these circumstances for personal and illegal gain."
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General as well as Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Brooks.
Oshkosh Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Buying a Firearm for a Juvenile who featured it in an Instagram Post with the comment “Revealing New School Shooter Gun”Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 15, 2020, U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Hunter C. Nicholson (age: 19) to 30 days’ imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release after Nicholson pled guilty to Making a False Statement to a Federal Firearms Dealer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(6).
On June 17, 2019, the resource officer for the Oshkosh Area School District alerted the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department that 16-year-old “Juvenile Male”—an Oshkosh North student—posted an Instagram video of someone shooting an assault-style rifle, accompanied by the following comment: “Revealing new school shooter gun.” As a result of the post, Winnebago County deputies questioned Juvenile Male and seized the firearm—an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, 5.56-millimeter rifle with a Magpul pistol grip. Deputies also recovered two ammunition magazines for the rifle and several rounds of ammunition.
Juvenile Male told deputies that he posted the video and made the comment, but said that he meant it as a joke. Juvenile Male admitted that Hunter C. Nicholson bought the rifle for him at a federally licensed firearms dealer in Oshkosh. During the transaction, Nicholson completed the federally required ATF Form 4473 and falsely answered that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm. Deputies and ATF agents subsequently interviewed Nicholson, who admitted making the unlawful purchase and false statements when he bought the firearm for Juvenile Male.
Making a false statement to a federal firearms dealer is a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release.
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Funnell and Farris Martini.
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Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Ohio County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Shawndale Davis, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Davis, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Davis, having been convicted of two prior felonies and prohibited from having firearms, admitted to having a .45 caliber revolver in October 2019 in Ohio County.
Davis faces up to 10 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Northern Iowa Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Making False Statements and Will Pay More Than $315,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Nursing Facility ResidentsRead the Press Release
Dr. Joseph X. Latella, a primary care doctor in Webster City, Iowa, was sentenced today to two months in prison and to pay a fine after previously pleading guilty to making false statements related to health care matters. Dr. Latella has also agreed to pay $316,438.96 to resolve False Claims Act allegations relating to claims he submitted for routine visits for nursing facility residents between January 1, 2014, and November 30, 2018. The United States alleged that Dr. Latella submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for the most intensive and expensive claim code for such visits when, in fact, he was not performing services sufficient to justify use of that code.
Dr. Latella admitted in a plea agreement that, in June 2018, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa was conducting a civil investigation about concerns that Dr. Latella was “upcoding” claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid and billing for more intensive visits with patients at Webster City area nursing homes than he had performed. The United States Attorney’s investigation indicated that Dr. Latella was billing over 93% of his nursing home visits to Medicare under the most intensive and expensive claim code. For these claims to be valid, a doctor typically must spend 35 minutes at the patient’s bedside and on the patient’s facility floor or unit. Medicare paid more than $94 for these claims, but would only have paid no more than $32 if the least expensive claim code, for routine ten minute visits, had been billed. In July 2016, a Medicare contractor sent Dr. Latella a letter warning him that his billing patterns were significantly more expensive than other doctors.
In July 2018, Dr. Latella submitted sworn written answers to the United States Attorney, in which Dr. Latella falsely declared that, with respect to certain Medicare claims in 2017 and 2018, he had spent approximately 35 minutes for each of 12 patients’ care at two nursing homes. With respect to one particular date in October 2017, Dr. Latella falsely swore he “started visiting the nursing home patients at 7:30 a.m. and completed my visits with each patient at approximately 5:30 p.m.” In truth, a federal agent had conducted in-person surveillance of Dr. Latella on that date, and Dr. Latella only was on site at the first nursing home for a total of 47 minutes and did not visit the second nursing home at all on that date. The administrator of the first nursing home estimated that Dr. Latella spent approximately five minutes with each nursing home patient during his visits to that nursing home.
Dr. Latella made further false statements about claims in January and February 2018, which the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered through videotaped surveillance. For example, Dr. Latella billed nine claims for services allegedly provided to nine Medicare patients, on February 2, 2018, at a nursing home, but the surveillance showed that Dr. Latella was only on site at the nursing home for a total of 14 minutes.
Dr. Latella provided the United States Attorney with fraudulent, re-created treatment notes in order to cover up his overbilling scheme. Dr. Latella’s staff had a practice of shredding all notes for all nursing home patients immediately after billing the taxpayers for those services; at the time of the audit, therefore, Dr. Latella had no records of any of the treatment he had ever provided to patients at the nursing homes. To re-create the notes, Dr. Latella contacted the nursing home administrators and nursing managers of various nursing homes and asked for copies of patients’ charts. In truth, elderly residents of nursing homes did not receive the care for which taxpayers paid him, and these vulnerable nursing home residents’ family members cannot know whether and to what extent those nursing home residents received medical care from Dr. Latella over the years.
Dr. Latella was the medical director of two nursing homes at which he was billing fraudulently. Dr. Latella also was the Hamilton County Coroner, provided services to inmates in the Hamilton County Jail and in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service, and he also evaluated workers’ compensation claims for a major Webster City employer.
In total, Dr. Latella admitted that, between January 1, 2014, and November 30, 2018, he submitted 1,140 false claims to Medicare, which were not justified, and he was paid $107,980.59 by Medicare for those claims. Dr. Latella also admitted that he caused Medicaid to make unjustified payments in the total amount of $9,218.73 for these claims. As a part of his plea agreement, Dr. Latella has agreed to pay no less than $107,980.59 to Medicare and $9,218.73 to Medicaid for economic losses caused by his commission of the offense.
“Like all providers, doctors who treat Iowa’s elderly population have a duty to provide needed medical services and bill accurately for those services. By his alleged actions, Dr. Latella scammed the healthcare system and left his elderly patients and their families wondering if the patients received care they needed,” said Peter E. Deegan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “When our office’s civil investigators made an official inquiry into his billing practices, Dr. Latella tried to throw the government off the scent by lying and creating false records. This settlement and prosecution demonstrate my office’s focus on ensuring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receive the care to which they are entitled, public monies are well spent, and individuals or entities responding to my office’s civil investigative demands provide complete and truthful responses.”
“Government health care rules require bills be submitted only for services actually provided - anything more is fraudulent and a disservice to patients needing vital care,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to protect the integrity of government health care programs and taxpayers funding these vital services by holding providers fully accountable.”
The civil matter arose from an affirmative investigation. False Claims Act cases can also be brought under the qui tam provisions of the Act, which encourage whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any financial recovery. The civil case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa Carrington and Jacob Schunk. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek. The cases were investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Attempted Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A New York City man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Bangor to conspiring and attempting to interfere with commerce by robbery, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, in July 2016, Hector Munoz, 52, and others developed a plan to commit a robbery in Rangeley and steal controlled substances from a residence in the town. On July 28, 2016, Munoz and an unnamed conspirator entered the residence intending to take the controlled substances by using actual and threatened force, violence and fear of injury. Munoz and his conspirator were armed with knives and a baseball bat at the time of the attempted robbery.
Munoz faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the two charges. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; and the Rangeley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
Muskogee Man Found Guilty of Possession of Material Involving Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Glenn Randall Ferguson, age 48, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of Possession Of Certain Material Involving The Sexual Exploitation Of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and 2252(b)(2). The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 and concluded on Friday, January 10, 2020 with the guilty verdict.
Evidence presented at trial proved that between March 6, 2014 and April 16, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly possessed, attempted to possess and accessed with intent to view images and videos which contained visual depictions, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Those images and videos had been transported in interstate commerce by computer. The evidence included the seizure from the defendant’s computer of over 1,900 images and more than 50 videos of children, ranging in age from infants to pre-teens, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The verdict was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”) is a Department of Justice initiative launched to combat the proliferation of technology facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state, local, and tribal enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, PSC attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis and Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.
Multi-Kilo Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mecklenburg County man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 27 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, Vincent Maurice Lewis, 45, arranged for the delivery of 28 kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Virginia. On May 30, 2019, a tractor-trailer that originated in Texas and was driven by co-defendant Jorge Enrique Suarez, delivered the cocaine to Lewis in Brodnax. Lewis had received multiple shipments of cocaine from the suppliers in Texas and had distributed at least 71 kilograms of cocaine starting before January 2018 and through his arrest in May 2019.
Suarez was sentenced to 36 months in prison in December 2019.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Swan Song. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principle 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-089.
Mortgage Fraud Broker Sentenced for His Role in Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Gregory Gibbons, 54, of Mobile, Alabama, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, was sentenced to time served by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $1,458,847.90 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, CitiBank, and M&T Bank.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Lynch and Elizabeth Moellering, who handled the case, stated that between June 2008 and February 2009, the defendant conspired with others, including Alagi Samba, a realtor, and Daniel Badu, to devise a scheme to obtain eight loans for unqualified borrowers for homes in the Bronx, NY. As part of the scheme, Gibbons acted as the mortgage broker and altered income and asset documents of the borrowers before they were sent to financial institutions.
For instance, Gibbons altered and created documents to make it appear that defendant Badu qualified for a mortgage on a property at 814 Faile Street in the Bronx. The defendant indicated that Badu was a research ophthalmologist and earned a specific income when in fact, Badu was not a research ophthalmologist nor did he receive the income stated on a loan application. Gibbons knew that these false loan documents were submitted to
The Funding Source, a mortgage bank, in order to secure a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Based on that false application and supporting documentation, the loan was approved. The Funding Source then sold the loan on the secondary market to M &T Bank, which wired funds from New York through the State of Ohio to purchase the loan.
The defendant and his co-conspirators arranged for additional fraudulent loans to be approved, including another loan for Badu, and caused wire communications to be transmitted in interstate commerce for those loans. These fraudulent transactions caused losses of approximately $4,800,007 affecting M&T Bank and other financial institutions including SunTrust Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, and Citibank.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph Cronin, Boston Division; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brad Geary; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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More than two dozen defendants charged in major gang-related drug trafficking indictmentRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A major investigation targeting an expansive, gang-related drug trafficking ring operating in Georgia has resulted in a 61-count indictment naming 26 defendants on federal charges.
Indictments in Operation Ace in the Hole were returned under seal in U.S. District Court in Statesboro, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After the indictments were unsealed, the charges were announced in a news conference at the Toombs County Courthouse. Additional defendants face state charges in the investigation.
“With leaders that included a regional boss of the Gangster Disciples, this drug trafficking organization was a major source of illicit narcotics, gang violence and illegal guns throughout the Toombs County area and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our brave local, state and federal law enforcement partners pursued this conspiracy tirelessly for more than a year, and our office’s prosecution of these charges will be just as relentless.”
Investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, working with federal and local law enforcement agencies, started the investigation in August 2018 in response to increasing gang violence and drug-related activities in the Vidalia, Ga., area. The investigation identified Deltinaud Toussaint, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Tino,” a/k/a “Tino Black,” 44, of Vidalia, as the primary supplier of the organization’s narcotics – including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA or “Ecstasy,” and marijuana – through connections in Atlanta.
An alleged member of the conspiracy for whom the operation is named, Justin Adams, a/k/a “Ace,” 39, of Vidalia, was identified as a regional leader of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang.
In June 2019, investigators executed search warrants at eight houses in Atlanta and Vidalia used for stashing or distributing narcotics, seizing more than two kilos of cocaine, four kilos of marijuana, half a kilo of methamphetamine, more than two kilos of MDMA, pints of Codeine, 600 grams of Xanax, pill presses, and surveillance equipment. The drugs were hidden in such items as children’s backpacks and baby-formula bottles. Investigators also seized 20 firearms, including a fully automatic machine gun and several assault-style rifles, a trove of gang-related documents, and approximately $49,000 in cash.
A full list of the defendants charged in the case follows. If convicted, each of the defendants faces a possible sentence of up to life in prison.
“The amazing work on ‘Operation Ace in the Hole’ demonstrates the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) model of prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency investigative and prosecution strategy that proves effective against command and control elements of regional, national and international gangs,” said Adam W. Cohen, Director of the OCDETF Program for the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The confiscation of drugs, guns and money, and the removal of 26 defendants from the streets, will immediately make the citizens of Toombs County safer,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “None of it would have been possible without the cooperative effort of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Our commitment to dismantling gangs that wreak havoc in our communities and endanger the people who live in them will never end.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “These notorious gang-related drug dealers distributed poison to the community and caused fear through means of violence and intimidation. Step by step, the government disrupted and dismantled this once-thriving criminal network. This effort would not have been successful without the spirited level of cooperation between DEA, its federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“This case is the product of a concerted collaborative effort on the part of ATF and its federal, state and local partners to target, investigate, and eliminate the perpetrators of violent crime, to include eradicating criminal gang activity,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case is a great example of how you leverage law enforcement resources to target the offenders driving crime in Toombs County area and beyond.”
“We are committed to working with our partners to get dangerous guns and drugs off the streets,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will not allow gangs to continue to terrorize neighborhoods with hardworking citizens who want to raise their families in a safe environment.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, the Lyons Police Department, the Oconee Drug Task Force, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Joseph McCool.
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.
Those charged in the indictment of Operation Ace in the Hole are:
- Deltinaud Toussaint, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Tino,” a/k/a “Tino Black,” 44, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Distribution of Methamphetamine and Marijuana; two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine, Alprazolam, Codeine and Marijuana; two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and 17 counts of Use of a Communications Facility;
- Justin Adams, a/k/a “Ace,” 39, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; four counts of Distribution of Cocaine; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Andre Jackson, a/k/a “Dre,” 30, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; two counts of Distribution of Marijuana; two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine and Marijuana; and Distribution of Cocaine;
- Monica Mitchell, 38, of East Point, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; and Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms;
- Daniel Asberry, 31, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and two counts of Use of a Communications Facility;
- Ozell Johnson, a/k/a “Bip,” 38, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine, Alprazolam, Codeine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Laporshia Canty, 44, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine, Alprazolam, Codeine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Stacy Tobler Sr., a/k/a “Turtle,” 46, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine, Alprazolam, Codeine and Marijuana; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Audrea Salem, 42, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Darryl Marcus Allen, a/k/a “Twin,” 37, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and Distribution of Cocaine;
- Alonzo Roberts Jr., a/k/a “Toot,” a/k/a “Two,” 31, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Taneka Warren, 29, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; and Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms;
- Jermaine Bouie, a/k/a “Dollar,” 29, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine;
- India Mitchell, a/k/a “Shay,” 32, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine, Alprazolam, Codeine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime; and two counts of Use of a Communications Facility;
- Crystal Wheeler, 36, of Allenhurst, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Vincent Page, a/k/a “VP,” 31, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Terry Williams, a/k/a “Young Buck,” 31, of Mount Vernon, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine and Hydrocodone;
- Torey Johnny Lee Washington, a/k/a “Fool,” 39, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Tyson Ransom, 34, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Donnie Edmonds Jr., a/k/a “Hotboy,” 35, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and two counts of Use of a Communications Facility;
- Lee Syntell Kelley, a/k/a “Truth,” 39, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Nicole Mitchell, 30, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and two counts of Use of a Communications Facility;
- Lanard Wallace, a/k/a “Nardo,” 30, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Frederick Cooper, a/k/a “Coop,” 40, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Use of a Communications Facility;
- Ryan Antwain Harris, 34, of Lyons, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and two counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine; and,
- Otis Peeples, a/k/a “Bull,” 26, of Vidalia, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Conspiracy to Use, Carry or Possess Firearms; and two counts of Distribution of Marijuana.
Monongalia County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeremy Matthew Cralton, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cralton, age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearms by Person Convicted of Domestic Violence Crime.” Cralton, having previously convicted of a domestic violence charge and prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to an AR-15 rifle in March 2019 in Monongalia County.Cralton faces up to 10 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 Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Moberly Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft After Withdrawing Money from Missing Wife's AccountRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Lawrence Warfel, 76, of Moberly, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft. Warfel appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Henry A. Autrey who ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $11,688.11.
According to court records, in September 2017, Lawrence Warfel’s wife, Penny, disappeared. Prior to her disappearance, Penny had been receiving monthly Social Security benefits deposited directly into her bank account. After Penny’s disappearance, her Social Security benefits were withdrawn at an ATM, and investigators retrieved surveillance footage showing Lawrence withdrawing money from that ATM using the debit card connected to the bank account where Penny’s Social Security benefits were being deposited. In September 2018, Lawrence admitted he had been using Penny’s debt card in order to withdraw her Social Security benefits following her disappearance.
Warfel pled guilty in October 2019.
This case was investigated by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and the Social Security Administration. Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane Klocke handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Milwaukee Woman Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing and Transferring a Firearm that was later recovered from a Convicted Felon and Shooting SuspectRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that after a court trial on January 14, 2020, U.S. District Judge JP Stadtmueller found Ayse E. Duncan (age: 32) guilty of Possessing a Firearm as an Unlawful User of Controlled Substances and Transferring a Firearm to an Unlawful User of Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(d)(3) & (g)(3). Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2020. On each count, Duncan faces maximum penalties of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
According to the trial evidence, Duncan bought a 9-mm pistol on December 9, 2018, from a federally licensed firearms dealer at a gun show in Waukesha, Wisconsin. At the time, Duncan was an unlawful user of crack cocaine, and was therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm. In completing the required ATF Form 4473 for the sale, Duncan falsely answered “no” when asked if she was an unlawful user of a controlled substance. Thereafter, in January 2019, Duncan transferred the pistol to her then-boyfriend, knowing that he was an unlawful user of crack cocaine and that he intended to give the pistol to the couple’s drug dealer to satisfy their drug debt. Duncan later learned from her boyfriend that he had, in fact, transferred the pistol to the drug dealer. Duncan’s boyfriend subsequently died from a drug overdose on August 7, 2019.
On August 14, 2019, Milwaukee police officers responded to a report of gunfire that was detected by the city’s automated ShotSpotter system. Upon arrival in the area, officers chased the suspected shooter as he ran away with a pistol in his hand. The suspect refused officers’ commands to drop the gun and turned toward them, raising the pistol. An officer reacted by firing at the suspect, who was struck and fell to the ground. The suspect was successfully treated for his injuries and is charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court from the incident. The pistol recovered from the suspect was the same 9-mm pistol that Duncan had unlawfully purchased and transferred months earlier.
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs
This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Funnell and Farris Martini.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Miami-Dade Resident Charged Federally for Importing Cocaine into Key LargoRead the Press Release
Today, a federal grand jury indicted a Miami-Dade resident with importing cocaine into Key Largo, Florida.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Zinnia P. James, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, made the announcement
Elio Diaz Hernandez, 55, of Miami, was arrested on January 3, 2020 and initially charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine (Case No. 20-mj-05001). U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow is scheduled to arraign Diaz Hernandez on the federal indictment in Key West tomorrow, January 17, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. (Case No. 20-CR-10003-MOORE).
According to allegations in the court record, Diaz Hernandez was operating his boat at night without navigation lights, on the waters east of Key Largo. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Charles Sexton was also in the area and launched a pursuit boat with law enforcement officers to investigate. As the U.S. Coast Guard boat approached, Diaz Hernandez threw a bag into the water and attempted to flee. After a brief chase, the officers were able to stop Diaz Hernandez.
The officers recovered the bag Diaz Hernandez threw into the water. Inside the bag were fifteen packages that contained a substance which field tested positive for cocaine. The approximate combined weight of the packages is thirty-six pounds.
If convicted of the charged offense, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
A criminal complaint and indictment are charging documents that contain allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Sattler.
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.
Mexican national sentenced to prison for repeatedly entering U.S. illegallyRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Julian Patino-Espinoza, 29, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States and violating supervised release from his prior federal illegal reentry conviction.
This marks Patino-Espinoza’s third illegal reentry conviction. Two of those convictions have occurred in Dayton.
Most recently, according to court documents, Patino-Espinoza was deported in November 2018 from the Brownsville, Texas port of entry.
In June 2019, Patino-Espinoza was encountered by federal immigration agents at the Clinton County Jail in Wilmington, Ohio where he was being held after arrest for a misdemeanor offense.
Likewise, Patino-Espinoza had been encountered by federal immigration agents at the Montgomery County Jail in March 2018, when he was booked there after an arrest for unrelated offenses.
In August 2019, Patino-Espinoza pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Rebecca Adducci, Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt is representing the United States in this case.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to six months in federal prison.
Daniel Espinosa-Rodriguez, age 24, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Coralville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 23, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At his earlier guilty plea, Espinosa-Rodriguez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States three times and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Espinosa-Rodriguez was first deported on April 5, 2017, following an arrest for aggravated assault in Texas. Espinosa-Rodriguez was deported a second time on June 10, 2017, following a conviction for illegal entry into the United States which occurred on April 27, 2017, and a conviction for driving while intoxicated which occurred in September 2016. Espinosa-Rodriguez was deported a third time in December 2017 after he illegally entered the United States on June 27, 2017. Espinosa-Rodriguez was convicted of illegal entry into the United States a second time on June 29, 2017, and was sentenced to 180 days’ imprisonment which he served prior to being deported.
On July 31, 2019, Espinosa-Rodriguez and other illegal aliens came to the attention of immigration agents following a traffic stop in Benton County, Iowa.
Espinosa-Rodriguez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Espinosa-Rodriguez was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Espinosa-Rodriguez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-84.
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Metairie Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Obtain Oxycodone by Fraud and to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that CHRISTIE LYNN BROWNING, age 42, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana pled guilty on January 15, 2020 to a dual object conspiracy to obtain possession of oxycodone by fraud and to unlawfully distribute oxycodone.
According to court documents, between November 2017 and January 2019, BROWNING conspired to acquire oxycodone pills by using fictitious prescriptions and to then distribute those oxycodone pills on the black market. BROWNING faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release. United States District Court Judge Martin L.C. Feldman set sentencing for April 8, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for their work investigating the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorney Myles Ranier.
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
WHEN: Friday, January 17, 2020 at 1:00 PM
WHERE: New Hanover County Historic Courthouse
Commissioners Assembly Room 301
24 North 3rd Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Re: Operation DodgeBall
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the sentencing of multiple gang member defendants in a multi-year heroin/fentanyl and heroin conspiracy investigation in Wilmington and New Hanover County. These defendants were not only responsible for the sale of narcotics in Wilmington, but also multiple violent acts. We will also highlight the important partnerships between all levels of law enforcement in this and other investigations during the preceding year. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, consisting of FBI Special Agents, Wilmington Police Department investigators and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated this case.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., District Attorney Ben David, and members of the FBI, ATF, ICE/HSI, Wilmington Police Department, and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are expected to be present at this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail Don Connelly at [email protected]. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
Mark Hulett Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 16, 2020, Mark Hulett, 48, of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Rutland to serve 120 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Hulett to serve a ten-year term of supervised release, and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which reported that a file depicting child pornography had been uploaded to an Internet search engine. Subsequent investigation of the CyberTip revealed that the file had been uploaded from Hulett’s residence in Ferrisburgh. On May 14, 2019, members of law enforcement executed a search warrant at that residence and recovered Hulett’s computer and phone. A forensic search of those devices revealed that Hulett possessed over 2,000 images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent minor children.
Hulett was previously convicted in 2005, in Vermont Superior Court, of aggravated sexual assault and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.
U.S. Attorney Nolan commended the efforts of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara A. Masterson and Spencer Willig handled the prosecution of Hulett. Assistant Federal Public Defender David L. McColgin represented Hulett.
U.S. Attorney Nolan noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Marion man sentenced for illegal transportation of grizzly bear clawsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Marion man who admitted illegally transporting grizzly bear claws to Washington after shooting the bear in the Bob Marshal Wilderness in 2017 was sentenced today to three years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Bryan Berg, 35, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to illegal transportation of grizzly bear claws, a Lacey Act Violation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided.
Berg faced a maximum one year in prison, a $10,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
The prosecution said in court records that law enforcement received a tip in September 2017 that Berg shot a grizzly bear, which is a threatened species, in the Hart Basin area of the Bob Marshal Wilderness in Montana. Agents flew to the scene and found a dead grizzly bear that was pushed down the mountain. The bear’s front claws had been removed.
In an interview with law enforcement officers in March 2018, Berg said he shot the grizzly bear in self-defense, which the investigation confirmed to be accurate. Berg, however, did not report the grizzly bear shooting as required by law. Berg then removed the claws and took them to Washington. Berg cannot legally possess or transport the claws. Berg knew that taking the grizzly bear claws was illegal and turned them over to law enforcement during the interview. Berg also provided law enforcement with photographs and video of him near the grizzly bear after the shooting.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
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Manhattan Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Enticing A Minor to Have SexRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOEL DAVIS pled guilty to enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity, possession of child pornography, and distribution and receipt of child pornography. DAVIS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison. DAVIS pled guilty today before United States District Judge George B. Daniels.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted today, Joel Davis arranged to meet a 15-year-old boy for sex, and engaged in illegal sexual activity with the 15-year-old. He also possessed child pornography that included children under the age of 12. Davis rightly faces a lengthy prison sentence for victimizing children.”
According to the Information and other documents filed in the case to which DAVIS pled, as well as statements made during the plea proceeding:
In or about June 2018, DAVIS used a cellphone to arrange a meeting to engage in sexual activity with a 15-year-old boy and in fact met with the 15-year-old boy and engaged in illegal sexual activity. In addition, between at least in or about May 2018 and June 2018, DAVIS possessed images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors who were not yet 12 years old, and received and distributed material containing child pornography using a cellphone.
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DAVIS, 24, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of enticement of a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison; one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison; and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
DAVIS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Daniels on May 7, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the FBI in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.
Man with Long Criminal History Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that STEVEN A. FINKLER, 55, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to credit card fraud and identity theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2017, Finkler stole credit cards from two of his employer’s customers and used the cards to make more than 40 fraudulent charges in Connecticut and New York. The charges included Finkler’s purchase of jewelry for his girlfriend, Apple products and electronic devices, and other high-end consumer and retail goods for either himself or his friends. The total loss to the victims was $20,892.75.
In September 2018, Finkler, using another individual’s identity, opened a membership at a fitness center with gym locations throughout Connecticut. Finkler also used the same stolen identity to create accounts with mobile device payment applications. Between September 2018 and May 2019, Finkler visited multiple gym locations and stole credit cards from lockers and other locations while the victims were located elsewhere in the gym. Using the stolen credit cards, and the mobile device payment applications, he made approximately $144,000 in fictitious charges to bank accounts that he created and controlled. He then returned the credit cards to the victims’ wallets before the victims returned to the locker room. At least 49 individuals were victimized through this scheme.
Finkler pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud (credit card fraud), one count of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2020, at which time Finkler faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
Finkler also has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $145,682.08.
Finkler has been detained since his arrest on August 15, 2019.
Finkler has a criminal history that spans 35 years and includes numerous convictions, including five federal convictions stemming from various fraud schemes.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, and the Wallingford, Avon, North Haven, Madison, Glastonbury and Branford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala Nagala and Margaret Donovan.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that Steven Finkler has also used the name “Andrew Finkler,” as well as other aliases. Individuals who believe they have been victimized by this scheme, or by this defendant, are encouraged to call the U.S. Secret Service at 203-865-2449.
Man Who Escaped from Federal Custody Sentenced to Another Six Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from his federal custody at a residential reentry center was sentenced today to another six months in prison.
Franklin Foster, age 27, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 1, 2019, guilty plea to escape from custody.
Foster has a long criminal history, including numerous convictions for theft and a conviction for attempted burglary. Fosters’ first federal conviction and sentence of imprisonment was imposed on September 2, 2014, after he pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In that case, police attempted to stop Forster while he was driving a stolen car. Foster sped away and led officers on a high speed chase through multiple counties. He eventually stopped, but was then in an armed standoff for about an hour with officers. After he surrendered, officers found three guns in his possession. After pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, Foster was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison.
On June 8, 2019, Foster was serving the end of his prison term at a residential reentry center in Waterloo, Iowa. After being told he was going to be punished for violating the rules of the center, Foster left the center and never returned. He was arrested by the United States Marshal’s Service eight days later.
Foster was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Foster was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Foster is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2057.
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Man Sentenced for Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to over 19 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
According to court documents, in September 2018, Dante Jermel Davis, 40, was the subject of a court-authorized surveillance of his telephone communications by law enforcement. Law enforcement heard a series of phone conversations concerning the imminent delivery of controlled substances by another party to Davis. The investigators detained Rawl Christopher Stennett after he was seen carrying a backpack and entering the lobby of an apartment building in downtown Norfolk, where Davis’ maintained a “stash” apartment. The investigators discovered five kilograms of cocaine inside Stennett’s backpack. The agents then detained Davis’ outside his “stash” apartment. Pursuant to a search warrant, the agents searched Davis’ apartment and discovered approximately 397 grams of heroin, 14 grams of cocaine, over $160,000 in cash, two digital scales, and a money counting machine. The investigators also searched Davis’ other residence in Virginia Beach, and discovered $100,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol, ammunition, marijuana, and another money-counting machine. Davis has a previous conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute from 2010.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Jim O’Sullivan, Chesapeake Sheriff; and Michael A. Moore, Portsmouth Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-158-3.
Malian Terrorist Leader Charged with the Death of U.S. Citizen Michael J. Riddering and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-MurabitounRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was filed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn charging Mimi Ould Baba, a citizen of Mali, with the murder of United States citizen Michael J. Riddering, and conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support, including personnel, to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (“AQIM”) and al-Murabitoun, designated foreign terrorist organizations. The defendant is currently in custody in Mali.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“The Eastern District of New York and our partners in U.S. law enforcement will continue to work tirelessly with foreign counterparts to identify, incapacitate and prosecute terrorists who target American citizens anywhere in the world,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Counter-terrorism remains our number one priority.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the governments of Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire and Mali for their continued support and assistance throughout this investigation
“The charges allege that Mimi Ould Baba played a central role in the planning of two separate terrorist attacks directed at Westerners in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire in early 2016. Those attacks resulted in the murder of American citizen Michael Riddering and 48 other innocent victims from numerous countries,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Baba is currently in Malian custody for his terrorism-related activities. We fully support the Malian investigation and prosecution of Baba and will continue to work with the authorities there to pursue our shared goal of holding Baba accountable for his crimes. At the same time, these charges reflect that the U.S. justice system remains a powerful tool to bring to bear against those who harm our citizens abroad. We will continue to pursue justice for Mr. Riddering and for all American victims of terrorism. Our memories are long and our commitment to justice is unending.”
“There’s nothing we could ever do to take away the pain felt by the families of those Baba killed during his 2016 terrorist attack in Burkina Faso, but four years later, we take some comfort in the fact that he will be held accountable for his egregious crime. I can only hope that as time goes on, we will remember the victims’ names instead of the attacker's, especially our own American citizen Michael Riddering, who was killed that day,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“Among the 30 killed in the attack four years ago was an American, Michael Riddering. Michael was in charge of an orphanage and a women’s crisis center in Burkina Faso. This case is another reminder that when terrorists kill an American, even half a world away, the FBI Special Agents and New York City Police Detectives of the JTTF will work as long as it takes, and go as far as it takes to bring justice,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.
As alleged in the complaint, Baba and the operations chief of al-Murabitoun planned and executed the January 15, 2016 terrorist attack at the Café Cappuccino and Hotel Splendid in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The attack resulted in the deaths of 30 individuals, including Riddering. Prior to the attack, Baba surveilled attack locations in Ouagadougou, arranged the transport of AK-47 machine guns and hand grenades to be used in the attack, and transported the three suicide attack operatives to the Café Cappuccino. Riddering, a patron at the Café Cappuccino, was shot multiple times by the attackers and died at the scene. Following the attack, AQIM issued a public statement claiming responsibility for the attacks on behalf of AQIM and al-Murabitoun.
Baba also allegedly participated in the planning and execution of the March 13, 2016 resort attack in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire. Following the attacks in Ouagadougou, Baba once again met with the operations chief of al-Murabitoun to plan an additional attack against western targets in Cote d’Ivoire. Thereafter, Baba identified an individual to further plan and execute the operation, and assisted in identifying three suicide operatives. Baba also procured the vehicle used to transport the weapons for the attack. On March 13, 2016, three individuals armed with AK-47s and grenades attacked resort patrons along the beach of Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, killing 19 individuals and wounding many others. Subsequently, AQIM issued a public statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret E. Lee and Michael T. Keilty are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Stephanie Sweeten of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department also assisted in the investigation.
The Defendant:
Mimi Ould Baba
Age: 32
MaliE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-56
Malian National Charged with the Overseas Murder of a U.S. Citizen and Providing Material Support to Two Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was filed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Mimi Ould Baba, 32, a citizen of Mali, with the murder of U.S. citizen Michael J. Riddering and conspiring to provide material support, including personnel (including himself), services, and property to two designated foreign terrorist organizations, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and al-Murabitoun. The defendant is currently in custody in Mali pending investigation and prosecution by Malian authorities.
“The charges filed allege that Mimi Ould Baba played a central role in the planning of two separate terrorist attacks directed at Westerners in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire in early 2016. Those attacks resulted in the murder of American citizen Michael Riddering and 48 other innocent victims from numerous countries,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Baba is currently in Malian custody for his terrorism-related activities. We fully support the Malian investigation and prosecution of Baba and will continue to work with the authorities there to pursue our shared goal of holding Baba accountable for his crimes. At the same time, these charges reflect that the U.S. justice system remains a powerful tool to bring to bear against those who harm our citizens abroad. We will continue to pursue justice for Mr. Riddering and for all American victims of terrorism. Our memories are long and our commitment to justice is unending.”
“The Eastern District of New York and our partners in U.S. law enforcement will continue to work tirelessly with foreign counterparts to identify, incapacitate and prosecute terrorists who target American citizens anywhere in the world,” said United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York. “Counter-terrorism remains our number one priority.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the governments of Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire and Mali for their continued support and assistance throughout this investigation.
“There’s nothing we could ever do to take away the pain felt by the families of those Baba killed during his 2016 terrorist attack in Burkina Faso, but four years later, we take some comfort in the fact that he will be held accountable for his egregious crime. I can only hope that as time goes on, we will remember the victims’ names instead of the attacker's, especially our own American citizen Michael Riddering, who was killed that day,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney.
“Among the 30 killed in the attack four years ago was an American, Michael Riddering. Michael was in charge of an orphanage and a women’s crisis center in Burkina Faso. This case is another reminder that when terrorists kill an American, even half a world away, the FBI Special Agents and New York City Police Detectives of the JTTF will work as long as it takes, and go as far as it takes to bring justice,” said NYPD Commissioner Dermot F. Shea.
As alleged in the complaint, Baba, along with the operations chief of al-Murabitoun and others, planned the Jan. 15, 2016, terrorist attack at the Café Cappuccino and Hotel Splendid in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Baba assisted in the planning and preparation for the attack by conducting surveillance of potential targets frequented by Westerners, facilitating the transportation and storage of AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades to be used in the attack, conducting a walk-through of the attack with the three suicide operatives, and driving the armed operatives to the attack site on the day of the attack. Thirty people were killed in the terrorist attack, including American Michael J. Riddering and numerous victims from other Western countries and Burkina Faso. Riddering, a patron at the Café Cappuccino, was shot multiple times by the attackers and died at the scene. Following the attack, AQIM issued a public statement claiming responsibility for the attacks on behalf of AQIM and al-Murabitoun.
Baba also participated in the planning and preparation for the March 13, 2016, resort attack in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire. Following the attack in Ouagadougou, Baba met with the operations chief of al-Murabitoun to plan another attack against Westerners, this one in Cote d’Ivoire. Thereafter, Baba identified an individual to assist with the preparations for the attack and in identifying three suicide operatives to conduct the attack. Baba also procured the vehicle that was used to transport the weapons that were used in the attack. On March 13, 2016, three suicide operatives armed with AK-47s and grenades attacked resort patrons along the beach of Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, killing 19 people from a number of countries and wounding many others. Following the attack, AQIM issued a public statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret E. Lee and Michael T. Keilty are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Katie Sweeten of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department assisted in the investigation.
MS-13 defendant sentenced to 35 years in prison for directly participating in three homicides in aid of racketeeringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in the MS-13 racketeering case was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 420 months in prison for his involvement in multiple homicides, including the murder of a former confidential informant.
Juan Jose Jimenez-Montufar (also known as Chele Trece), 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in August 2019. He admitted to his involvement in multiple homicides, including the 2006 murder of a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement agencies in the Columbus area.
Jimenez-Montufar is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
As part of his August guilty plea, Jimenez-Montufar admitted to shooting and killing Jose Mendez in 2006. At that time, Mendez was a confidential informant working with law enforcement agencies in the Columbus area. In December 2006, Jimenez-Montufar and other MS-13 members drove Mendez to a remote location east of Columbus to murder him. Jimenez-Montufar shot Mendez in the head and left his body in Perry County.
Jimenez-Montufar also participated in other homicides, assaulted victims, set fire to an extortion victim’s car, and took part in drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A Sargus, Jr. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.
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Laurel County Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. - A Laurel County man was convicted today by a federal jury in London for possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine.
After two hours of deliberation following a two day trial, the jury convicted 58-year-old Timmy L. Fields of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
According to testimony at trial, on April 21, 2019, a Kentucky State Police Trooper stopped Fields’ vehicle and found Fields in possession of over 985 grams of methamphetamine. Fields has prior felony drug convictions for unlawful possession of a methamphetamine precursor and trafficking in a controlled substance.
Fields was indicted in June 2019.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Dan Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division, and Commissioner Rodney Brewer, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by KSP and DEA. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
Fields will appear for sentencing on May 8, 2020. He faces a statutory minimum of 25 years in prison, up to a maximum of Life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Latrobe Woman Sentenced for Role in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to two years probation on her conviction of money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed sentence on Kathy Darling, age 62.
In connection with sentencing, the court was advised that during the period from January 2011 through May 2016, Darling became a member of a money laundering conspiracy. Darling conducted financial transactions affecting interstate commerce, knowing that the property involved in the financial transactions represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity. Darling knew that each of the financial transactions was designed in whole or in part to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. As part of the money laundering conspiracy, the defendant and her co-conspirators conducted the following financial transactions: 1) withdrew funds from prepaid debit cards and credit cards; 2) transmitted and received funds via MoneyGram, Walmart and Western Union; 3) cashed checks and money orders; and 4) sent and received wire transfers of funds. The funds involved in these transactions, which totaled thousands of dollars, were the proceeds of wire fraud.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary McKeen Houghton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Latin King Gang Member Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Sean Pena, 37, of Portage, Indiana, and a member of the Chicago-based Latin Kings, was sentenced by Judge Simon to 108 months in prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Pena was held responsible for drug trafficking activity involving between 5 kilograms and 15 kilograms of cocaine distributed by the Latin Kings street gang. As a member of the Latin Kings, Pena attended gang meetings and paid dues, which went to the purchase of such things as firearms and narcotics for the gang. Pena was involved in distributing narcotics and patrolled Latin King neighborhoods looking out for rival gang members and police.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents. The Lake County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, have also provided assistance. The Latin King case is being prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Nicholas J. Padilla.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Illicit Sexual Conduct While Traveling and Residing in CambodiaRead the Press Release
A Kentucky resident pleaded guilty in federal court today that he, a U.S. citizen, engaged and attempted to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two minor females while he traveled and resided in Cambodia.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jerry Templet of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Nashville, and Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer made the announcement.
Micky Rife, 36, formerly of Salyersville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove. In his plea agreement, Rife admitted that between Sept. 3, 2012, and Dec. 9, 2018, he traveled in foreign commerce, and between March 7, 2013 and Dec. 9, 2018, he resided in Cambodia, and that during those periods he touched two minor females under their clothing and inside or on their genital areas on more than one occasion. He further admitted that both minor victims were under the age of 12 when the illicit conduct occurred.
Rife was previously indicted for two separate counts of the same offense in February 2019. He pleaded guilty to a single-count information filed today. Sentencing is scheduled for April 7, 2020.
The investigation was conducted in Cambodia and Kentucky by HSI and the Kentucky State Police. Trial Attorney Lauren S. Kupersmith of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Marye prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Juvenile Carjacker Sentenced to 134 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Elijah Roberts, 19, of St. Louis City, was sentenced to 134 months in prison for his involvement in a February 2018 carjacking. Roberts appeared today before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey who imposed the sentence.
According to the court documents, on February 13, 2018, the victim was securing her two minor children in their car seats. When she got into the driver’s seat, Roberts, who was 17 years old at the time, yanked open her car door. Roberts pointed a firearm at her and demanded her keys. The victim handed over her keys and removed her infant daughter from the vehicle. Before she could remove her second child -- a fifteen-month old boy -- from his car seat, Roberts drove off in the stolen vehicle. Police responded and found the toddler unharmed in an alley.
Police eventually located Roberts who was still inside the carjacked vehicle. Roberts fled from police officers for approximately 45 minutes – ramming two police cars and injuring one police officer during the pursuit. After driving through parks and over curbs, the vehicle broke down. Roberts was arrested.
Roberts pleaded guilty in October to carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime.
“To the young people in our community, know that you have a choice when it comes to guns: Pick one up or put it down. We want you to put it down,” said United States Attorney Jeff Jensen after today’s sentencing. “Whether you are 17 or 70, if you choose to commit a violent crime in this district, you will be aggressively prosecuted at the federal level. A federal prosecution means no parole; significant prison time; serving that prison sentence far from Saint Louis; and intensive supervised release once prison is over.”
Jensen continued, “In the last two years, this office has doubled the number of federal prosecutions of individuals who have chosen to pick-up firearms and commit violent acts with them. This specifically includes increased prosecution of juveniles.”
The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
Jury convicts Texas man for illegally transporting aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A Laredo federal jury has convicted a 60-year-old San Antonio man for transporting two dozen illegal aliens in a hidden compartment within a moving truck, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
They deliberated for eight hours before returning the verdicts against Clarence James Lee following a one-day trial on two counts of transporting an alien.
On Sept. 26, 2019, authorities at the Bruni immigration checkpoint on Texas Highway 359 stopped a Penske truck. Lee was driving. He said he lived in San Antonio and was moving furniture to Kingsville. During the initial inspection, a K-9 detected contraband in the cargo area of the truck.
The jury heard Lee had consented to a search a search of the truck. Soon after, law enforcement discovered 24 illegal aliens hidden behind a false wall built into the truck. Furniture and appliances were blocking the door, leaving those inside with no means of escape. Upon their release, the aliens were sweating profusely, gasping for air and immediately asked for water.
A temperature reading inside the truck measured 94 degrees.
At trial, the jury heard Lee was to be paid cash and narcotics to drive the truck from Laredo to Kingsville. Testimony revealed he admitted he thought it contained contraband. However, Lee claimed he did not know people were in the back of the truck until he received a call about eight minutes prior to arriving at the checkpoint. He still decided to continue his trip.
The defense attempted to argue that Lee thought he was smuggling narcotics. Therefore, he did not have the required intent to be convicted of alien smuggling. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty.
Two others in a scout car pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaňa presided over the trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Lee faces up to five years in prison and well as a maximum $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Harrison and Jennifer Day are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Independence Man of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal jury today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Jose D. Drew, 29, was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Drew was in possession of a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine on July 13, 2018.
Agents stopped a vehicle when it pulled into a parking spot in front of an apartment building and arrested Drew. When agents searched the vehicle, they found the Glock pistol between the passenger seat (where Drew was sitting) and the center console. A DNA comparison later confirmed that Drew’s DNA was located on the trigger guard area of the pistol.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Drew has three prior felony convictions for robbery and armed criminal action.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Under federal statutes, Drew is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Hyannis Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cape Cod man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a wide-ranging heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Krymeii Fray, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2020.
In May 2019, Fray and 10 co-defendants were arrested and charged with various drug distribution offenses. According to court documents, in 2018, federal, state and local law enforcement began an investigation focusing on Edwin Otero, the alleged leader of a Cape Cod-wide drug trafficking organization. It is alleged that Otero and his co-conspirators distributed large quantities of heroin throughout Cape Cod -including Hyannis, Mashpee, Centerville, and Osterville and Pawtucket, R.I. Interceptions from Otero’s phone identified Fray as a drug trafficker supplied by Otero.
On May 8, 2019, Otero, and others were involved in a shooting at Fray’s residence related to a drug debt Fray allegedly owed Otero. After the shooting, agents intercepted Otero discussing the fact that he had shot at Fray.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin carries a mandatory sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Huntsville Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –A federal judge today sentenced a Huntsville man to 25 years in prison for sexually exploiting a 10-year-old child, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge James G. Hernandez.
United States District Court Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Darnell Lawson to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography and enticing a young girl to engage in sexual activity for the purpose of creating obscene images. Lawson pled guilty to these charges in August 2019 and is required to register as a sex offender.
“A long prison sentence is well-deserved for this defendant,” Town said. “Lawson stole the innocence of a young girl and gave her no sanctuary of a childhood. He will now spend the next 25 years in federal prison where there is no sanctuary of parole.”
“This case demonstrates how HSI seeks to partner with all the relevant stakeholders to protect those among us that are the most vulnerable,” Hernandez said. "HSI partnered with Huntsville PD, and the NCAC multidisciplinary team to get this predator off our streets.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/pcs.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations along with the Huntsville Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Becher, Sr. prosecuted.
Houston Woman Latest to be Sentenced in Smith County Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 31-year-old Houston woman has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Angelica Iczayana Jaimes-Loredo pleaded guilty on July 25, 2019 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III.
According to information presented in court, between January 2018 and August 2018, Jaimes-Loredo and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Smith County, Texas area. On Nov.14, 2018, Jaimes-Loredo; Suri Surai Rivera-Zuniga, 25, of Houston; Kevin Russ Ivy, 58, of Whitehouse, Texas; and Stephen Paul Barton, 55, of Tyler; were charged in a six-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jaimes-Loredo and Rivera-Zuniga admitted to distributing approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine on Aug. 18, 2018 in Whitehouse, Texas. Ivy admitted to possessing with intent to distribute 88 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 16, 2018 in Whitehouse, Texas. Barton admitted to distributing 48.7 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 16, 2018 and 35.7 grams of methamphetamine on July 20, 2018 in Whitehouse, Texas.
Rivera-Zuniga pleaded guilty on April 2, 2019 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison on Sep. 26, 2019. Ivy pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 49 months in federal prison on Sep. 19, 2019. Barton pleaded guilty on July 25, 2019 to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison on Jan. 13, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.
Harrison County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Scott Collins, of Stonewood, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Collins, age 37, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm.” Collins admitted to having a .22 caliber rifle, a 9mm pistol, and a .223 caliber rifle in Barbour County in July 2018. All three firearms are stolen.
Collins faces up to 10 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Gulfport Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Gulfport, Mississippi, tax return preparer was sentenced to 15 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Stacey Pritchett Williams owned and operated Stacey’s Unique Tax Service, a tax return preparation business located in the Gulfport area. From 2015 through 2016, Williams filed returns for her clients that reported false business income, education credits, and fuel credits, in an effort to obtain inflated refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Williams often deducted her fee from the client’s refunds and, at times, charged $999 to prepare a return. In all, Williams caused a tax loss to the United States of at least $100,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr., ordered Williams to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution of $102,382 to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Gilford Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Phillip R. Andrews, 80, of Gilford, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday, to transportation of child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or before June 13, 2016, Andrews used his cellular phone to produce sexually explicit images of a child under eighteen years of age. These images were uploaded onto his social media accounts using the internet.
Andrews is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2020.
“Protecting the innocence of children is a top priority for federal law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who create, transport or distribute child pornography do grave harm to the victims who are portrayed in these images. In order to safeguard our young people, we work closely with HSI and all of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute child exploitation and child pornography crimes.”
“The conduct of Mr. Andrews will never be tolerated in any way, shape or form. The protection of innocent minors will always be an investigative priority of HSI. Investigations like this are a prime example of our public safety mission,” said, Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Boston. “HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to stand up for the victims who are subjected to unacceptable abuse with each and every downloaded image.”
This matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Gilford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Getaway Driver Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Two 2019 Bank Robberies in BaltimoreRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Richard Adams age 59, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with armed bank robberies committed in Baltimore on January 23 and February 1, 2019.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Adams’ guilty plea, he served as the getaway driver in connection with two armed bank robberies committed by his two co-defendants. On January 23, 2019, Adams drove his co-defendants to a bank in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore, in a car he had rented two weeks earlier. Adams’ co-defendants were each armed and wore masks and gloves when they entered the bank. The robbers told everyone to put their hands up and one of the robbers approached the victim teller, pointed his firearm at her, and demanded $100 dollar bills and “loose bills” from the bottom drawer of the till. Meanwhile, the other robber held the customers and other bank employees at gunpoint in the lobby area of the bank. The victim teller handed over the cash and the robbers ran away. As they ran through a parking lot adjacent to the bank, they accidentally dropped more than $5,000 in cash. They then got into the gray car driven by Adams, who had been waiting for them, and Adams drove them away from the area.
On February 1, 2019, Adams drove his co-defendants to a bank located in the 2900 block of O’Donnell Street in Baltimore, in a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo that was registered to Adams. Adams’ co-defendants entered the bank armed with the same firearms they had used in the previous robbery and again wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities. The robbers pointed their firearms at the tellers and demanded money. After the tellers handed over cash from the till, the robbers demanded more cash. The tellers provided the robbers with cash from the bank’s vault and included a GPS tracker, which was activated. The robbers fled the bank and got into Adams’ car and Adams drove them away from the bank.
Baltimore Police Department (BPD) units responding to the robbery were provided with the GPS tracking information and located the vehicle with Adams and his co-defendants inside. All three were arrested. At the time of their arrests, one of the robbers had the gun used in the robbery on his person. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered the second firearm and a blue backpack containing the cash stolen during the robbery and the GPS tracking device. Later that day, a search was executed at Adams’ residence which recovered clothing and a leather duffel bag used during the first robbery.
Adams faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting armed bank robbery, and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum of life in federal prison for aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Adams’ co-defendants are scheduled to go to trial on June 1, 2020. All three defendants remain detained.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.
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Georgia Man Admits Engaging in Distributed Denial of Service Attacks Against CompanyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia man today admitted his role in initiating a cyberattack known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) against a company that maintained servers in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tucker Preston, 22, of Macon, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of damaging protected computers by transmission of a program, code or command.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
DDoS is a type of cyberattack that purposefully directs such a large volume of superfluous traffic to a victim’s web server or other computer system that it can slow or shut down service. In or around December 2015, Preston arranged for an entity that engages in DDoS attacks to initiate attacks against a company. The entity directed DDoS attacks against the victim company, causing damage and disrupting the victim’s business.
The count to which Preston pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: Ijeoma Eke Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Four Texas Men Arrested for Transporting Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— Four Texas men were arrested today on federal charges of transporting stolen money as well as conspiring to transport stolen money. The defendants, all of Dallas—Antonio Denard Few, 34; Christopher Landelle Burns, 31; James Darron Miller, Jr., 32; and Steven Jadon Williams, 39—were charged by a grand jury in an indictment handed down on January 7, 2020.
Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced the indictment, which details a scheme in which the defendants targeted ATMs located in Walmart Neighborhood Market Stores in Conway and Benton, as well as locations in Oklahoma including Edmond, Oklahoma City, and Broken Arrow.
The indictment alleges that from December 2018 through January 2019, the defendants rented vehicles to drive from Dallas to Oklahoma and Arkansas in order to break into Walmart Neighborhood Market stores to steal or break into ATMs. The defendants allegedly utilized tools and bought gloves and clothing to conceal their identity while they conducted the break-ins, and they communicated by cell phone to orchestrate the robberies.
The indictment charges all four defendants with two counts of transporting $5,000 or more of stolen money—one count relating to the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Conway, and one count relating to the robbery of an ATM at a Shell Superstop in Benton. All four are also charged with one count of conspiracy to transport $5,000 or more of stolen money.
During today’s arrests, authorities seized 15 firearms, including eight handguns and seven rifles; approximately $15,000 cash and a currency counter; and multiple crowbars, bolt cutters, and heavy gauge cables with hooks.
The joint investigation was conducted by the FBI Little Rock Field Office, FBI Dallas Field Office, and FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, with assistance from Benton Police Department and Conway Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bart Dickinson.
The penalty for transporting stolen money is not more than ten years’ imprisonment, and the penalty for conspiracy to transport stolen money is not more than five years’ imprisonment. Both charges carry potential penalties of not more than three years of supervised release and not more than a $250,000 fine.
An indictment only contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Former Salyersville Resident Pleads Guilty to Illicit Sexual Conduct While Traveling and Residing in CambodiaRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A former resident of Salyersville, Kentucky, Micky Rife, 36, admitted in federal court on Thursday, that he, a U.S. citizen, engaged and attempted to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two minor females while he traveled and resided in Cambodia.
Rife pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove. In his plea agreement, Rife admitted that between September 3, 2012, and December 9, 2018, he traveled in foreign commerce, and between March 7, 2013 and December 9, 2018, he resided in Cambodia, and that during those time frames, he touched two minor females under their clothing and inside or on their genital areas on more than one occasion. He further admitted that both minor victims were under the age of 12 when the illicit conduct occurred.
Rife was previously indicted for two separate counts of the same offense in February 2019. He pleaded guilty to a single count Information filed on January 16, 2020.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI), SAC Nashville, and Rodney Brewer, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted in Cambodia and Kentucky by HSI and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Marye and Trial Attorney Lauren S. Kupersmith of the Child Obscenity and Exploitation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Rife is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2020. He faces up to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former President of Newell Rubbermaid Sentenced for Tax Fraud Related to Offshore Asset Protection CompanyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Jeffrey Cooley, 66, of Toledo, OH was sentenced to one month incarceration, 12 months’ supervised release, and a $210,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson for filing a false tax return which reported that Cooley had purchased an offshore trust company years after he actually did in order to evade paying appropriate taxes.
Cooley served as global president of Newell Rubbermaid from 1998 to 2004. Sometime in or around 2005, after his retirement, Cooley and others purchased an offshore trust company named Southpac Trust (BVI) Limited, an asset protection company that owned and operated a bank in the Cook Islands. According to the charges in this case, Cooley’s 2012 tax return falsely reported that he had purchased Southpac in 2012, when in fact he had co-owned it continuously through nominee entities since 2005.
On October 3, 2019, Cooley pleaded guilty. In addition to the charged conduct, Cooley admitted that, after purchasing Southpac in 2005, he established an offshore bank account in Switzerland in the name of a nominee entity which allowed him to covertly receive his income from Southpac and its subsidiaries. Cooley received more than $300,000 of income into this Swiss account. In addition, in order to access these funds covertly, Cooley traveled from his home in the United States across the border into Canada multiple times to withdraw funds in cash via debit cards. Cooley no longer owns or holds any interest in Southpac.
“This case is an example of sheer greed,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Cooley was already wealthy through his earnings as the president of a globally recognized company, but that simply wasn’t enough for him. Instead, he felt the need to cheat in order to line his pockets through fraud. He invested in a company and then went to great lengths to hide that investment so he wouldn’t have to pay his fair share of taxes. That was an intolerable affront to every honest American taxpayer.”
“Every American who pays his or her taxes should be offended that a select few use anonymous offshore accounts to evade their tax liability,” said Guy Ficco SAC, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We owe it to every American taxpayer to use all lawful means to identify and prosecute individuals, like Mr. Cooley, who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty to pay their fair share of taxes.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray and by First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.