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25 February 2020
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE - Seth Anthony Johnson, 35, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Boise to 60 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and sexual exploitation of minor after a prior conviction for a felony sex offense, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Johnson to serve lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence. After a three-day trial held in October 2019, a jury found Johnson guilty of the three crimes.
According to court records, Johnson was arrested on November 29, 2017. At that time, federal agents discovered six images of child pornography on his cell phone. After eight months of investigation, agents identified the minor victim as an 8-year-old girl. Agents also determined that Johnson had produced the images of child pornography with his cell phone. At the time that he did so, Johnson was required to register as a sex offender under federal and state law due to a prior rape conviction.
“The 60-year sentence imposed by Chief Judge Nye will ensure the community’s most vulnerable members, young children, are protected from future predatory behavior by Johnson,” U.S. Attorney Davis said. “The continued dedication and determination of federal agents to identify the victim in this case was nonpareil.”
“These heinous crimes against children must come to an end,” said Eben Roberts, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Seattle. “The sentencing in this case represents how committed HSI and our partners are about removing dangerous predators from our streets. I could not be more proud of all of those involved in this case,” Roberts continued.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Three Members of the Rollin' 30s Crips Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dermot Shea, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), and Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that yesterday, RANDY TORRES, a/k/a “Rico,” 38, WALSTON OWEN, a/k/a “Purp,” 36, and CHARLES VENTURA, a/k/a “Gutta,” 27, were convicted of racketeering charges relating to their involvement in the violent Rollin’ 30s Crips street gang. OWEN and VENTURA were also found guilty of attempted murders in aid of racketeering and related firearms offenses. The convictions followed a fifteen-day trial before United States District Judge Victor Marrero.
The jury found that TORRES’s involvement in the Rollin’ 30s racketeering conspiracy included the September 19, 2015 murder of Nester Suazo and that OWEN’s involvement included the March 26, 2015 murder of Victor Chafla. Suazo was killed after Torres and other gang members fought with members of a rival Crip faction at a music video shoot in the Bronx. Chafla, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire during an attempt by Rollin’ 30s members to shoot at a member of an opposing street gang in the Bronx. At the time he was shot, Chafla was standing outside the store where he worked stocking fruits and vegetables. Chafla died from his wounds a few days later.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As the jury unanimously found, the defendants were members of a violent gang, and were responsible for multiple murders. Thanks to the dedication of our partners at the NYPD and HSI, the defendants now stand convicted in federal court for their crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictments and other documents in the public record, and the evidence at trial:
From at least in or about 2009 up to and including in or about 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, RANDY TORRES, a/k/a “Rico,” WALSTON OWEN, a/k/a “Purpose,” CHARLES VENTURA, a/k/a “Gutta,” and others were members or associates of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Rollin’ 30s,” also known as the “Harlem Mafia Crips,” or “Dirt Gang.” In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Rollin’ 30s committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and robbery; and they conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics.
OWEN and VENTURA each face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment; all three defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Sentencing of the defendants has been scheduled for July 10, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and HSI.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Fender, Anden Chow, and Jacqueline C. Kelly are in charge of the prosecution.
Statement from Solicitor General Noel Francisco on the Passing of Former Deputy Solicitor General Lawrence WallaceRead the Press Release
Today, Solicitor General Noel Francisco issued the following statement on the passing of former Deputy Solicitor General Lawrence Wallace:
“My colleagues and I are deeply saddened at the recent passing of former Deputy Solicitor General Lawrence Wallace. A native of Syracuse, New York, Larry Wallace graduated from Syracuse University, served in the Air Force, and attended Columbia Law School through the GI Bill. He was editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and graduated in the Class of 1959 alongside future Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He went on to serve as a law clerk to Justice Hugo Black, practice at a firm in Washington, and teach at Duke University Law School.
In 1968, Larry Wallace joined the Office of the Solicitor General. Over the next 35 years, he argued before the Supreme Court 157 times – more than any other lawyer of the twentieth century. He represented the United States in each of those cases. As Deputy Solicitor General for more than three decades, he was admired as an advocate, cherished as a colleague, and respected for his high standards and professionalism. His candor and integrity remain a model for this office and for all who have the privilege to represent the United States.
In addition to being a superb lawyer, Larry Wallace was a talented musician, a generous friend, and a proud veteran. He often said that he felt a deep sense of responsibility when arguing cases on behalf of the government. He discharged that responsibility with skill and distinction throughout his long career. His devoted service to this office will never be forgotten. My colleagues and I extend our condolences to his family and join in mourning his loss.”
St. Joseph Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Leading $2.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for leading a $2.1 million conspiracy that distributed more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine in Buchanan, Clinton, and Nodaway counties.
James Patrick Pardee II, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Pardee to pay the government a money judgment of $2.1 million, which represents the amount of money received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine.
On Sept. 4, 2019, Pardee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2015, to Nov. 16, 2017, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Law enforcement investigators identified Pardee as the head of the organization coordinating large shipments of methamphetamine from the Kansas City area to Buchanan County, Clinton County, and Nodaway County, where it was then redistributed by Pardee and others.
Pardee was arrested following a high-speed chase on Sept. 23, 2017. Plattsburg, Missouri, police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop for a lane violation on a black Audi A4 driven by Pardee. Pardee fled from officers at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour for approximately nine miles, until his vehicle crashed into a guardrail. Pardee and a female passenger got out of the vehicle; Pardee was arrested and the female passenger escaped. Officers found a backpack inside the vehicle that contained numerous clear plastic baggies with a total of more than 2.1 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Investigators later determined that Pardee had recently sold approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine. Pardee admitted that he had sold more than three kilograms of methamphetamine every other day for the past three months.
Pardee is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. Michael Robert Ramsel, 28, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 13 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Eleeseea Leeann Crail, 27, Johnathan Scott Graf, 31, and Adam Christopher Lowe, 40, all of St. Joseph, have pleaded guilty to the same charges and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Plattsburg, Mo., Police Department; the Atchison County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department; the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and Sheriff’s Department; the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the Clinton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; and the Clay County Drug Task Force.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Tim I. Hocutt, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 13 years in federal prison without parole.
On June 25, 2019, Hocutt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Hocutt admitted that he participated in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from Sept. 20, 2017, to Feb. 7, 2018.
Hocutt admitted that he sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer in Springfield on two separate occasions. Hocutt also possessed methamphetamine at the time of his arrest on Feb. 7, 2018. Hocutt admitted that he had been selling methamphetamine almost daily for approximately one year. Hocutt also admitted to having purchased from co-conspirators, and distributed to others, at least 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine during that time period.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Southwick Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Letters and White Powder to Federal Agencies in SpringfieldRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southwick man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for sending two packages containing white powder to federal agencies in Springfield.
Kevin A. Johnson, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to time served in prison (almost 15 months) and three years of supervised release. In November 2019, Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of conveying false information and hoaxes. Johnson was arrested on Nov. 30, 2018.
Between July and November 2018, FBI’s Springfield Office and the Springfield Social Security Administration Office (SSA Springfield), collectively received three packages containing either threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. The Springfield Branch Office of the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office received a letter from an individual claiming responsibility for sending the packages. All of the packages contained a piece of white-lined paper with a hand-drawn logo that appeared to combine the “anarchist A” symbol (the capital letter “A” surrounded by the letter “O”) and the symbol for ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization. Two of the packages contained suspicious white powder.
On July 23, 2018, security cameras at the FBI Springfield Office captured an individual throwing a manila envelope at the front door. The package contained a handwritten note saying: “Death to TRUMP.”
On Oct. 23, 2018, SSA Springfield received a package containing white powder and a handwritten letter stating, among other things: “FOR ALLAH YOU DIE, ATHENA KNOWS YOUR LIES, DEATH TO YOU TRAITORS, AND THE FU----- FBI.”
On Oct. 24, 2018, the FBI Springfield Office received a package through the mail addressed to “AGENT UNCLE HAM.” The package contained white powder and a handwritten note stating: “FOR ALLAH YOU DIE, ATHENA KNOWS YOUR LIES, DEATH TO THE N.O.R.A.D SPIES, AND THE FBI.”
The white powder in the packages was found to contain no hazardous materials.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Division; and Southwick Police Chief Kevin A. Bishop, made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and Holyoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
South Philadelphia Drug Delivery Service Operators, Known as the “Friends,” Convicted at Trial on All CountsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Antoine Clark, 30, Gerald Spruell, 32, and Daniel Robinson, 36, all of Philadelphia, PA, were convicted after more than two weeks at trial of charges including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and distribution or possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin arising from their operation of an almost around-the-clock drug delivery service for several years in South Philadelphia.
Between 2013 and 2016, the defendants and their co-conspirators, known as the “Friends” and “7th Street” drug trafficking group, delivered crack cocaine and heroin to customers along the 7th Street corridor in South Philadelphia using a shared drug phone. The defendants used the phone to take orders and communicate with customers; they would pass the phone off in shifts to keep their operation going almost 24 hours per day. FBI agents conducted surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics from the defendants using audio and video recording devices. Agents recovered narcotics sold by the defendants after stopping their drug customers. During the course of the investigation, agents also intercepted phone calls and text messages from the shared drug phone, which documented the defendants’ illicit activities. Upon defendant Spruell’s arrest in June 2016, Philadelphia Police officers recovered a number of items related to drug trafficking, including two firearms and live rounds of ammunition.
“The defendants in this case ran a drug delivery operation akin to a ‘GrubHub’ or ‘UberEats’ for narcotics,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “But despite their ‘friendly’ moniker, they were no friends to this community. To the contrary, they jeopardized the safety of an entire neighborhood in South Philadelphia. This conviction marks the definitive end to their enterprise, and a new beginning for the 7th Street corridor.”
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum of lifetime imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer and Jason Grenell.
Sex Trafficker Convicted by A Federal Jury Going to Prison for 25 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Ray Davis, 30, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted following a jury trial of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking conspiracy, two counts of production of child pornography, and two counts of distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Marangola and Meghan McGuire, who prosecuted the case, stated that in 2015, the defendant ran a sex trafficking operation with co-defendant, Marcus Brown. Davis and Brown preyed upon and exploited teenagers who were homeless and vulnerable, coercing them to engage in commercial sex acts.
Davis and Brown worked together to take sexually explicit photos of the minor victims and post them on Backpage.com, an online classified advertisement website that was previously shut down by the Department of Justice.
Charges remain pending against Marcus Brown.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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Rochester, PA Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 14 Pornographic Videos Involving a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Elijah Winchester, 23, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in May 2018, law enforcement became aware that Winchester, who was 21 years old at the time, was involved in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old female. After Winchester denied the relationship, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his phone. A forensic review of the phone revealed 14 pornographic videos involving the minor. In some of the videos, both Winchester’s face and the minor’s face are visible.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2020 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Winchester remained detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Beaver Police Department and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Winchester.
Project Parkersburg Update: Final Four Defendants Plead Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The last four Project Parkersburg defendants pled guilty to federal drug charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Aurelius Edmonds 37, of Vienna, and Terrence McGuirk, 50 of Parkersburg, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Antoine Terry, 37, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Amanda Atkinson, 43, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to using a cellular telephone to facilitate drug trafficking offenses. Edmonds, McGuirk, and Terry admitted that they had agreed together to purchase methamphetamine and cocaine from a source of supply in Phoenix, Arizona in August 2018. Edmonds traveled to Phoenix to purchase the drugs and make arrangements with Todd Land and Troy Pastorino to ship them to Dayton, Ohio where he, Terry, and McGuirk would take possession of the shipment.
Police learned of the deal and intercepted the shipment in a traffic stop of Troy Pastorino in Dayton, Ohio on September 19, 2018. Edmonds, Terry, and Land were arrested at a night club where they were awaiting word from Pastorino that the shipment was ready for pickup. McGuirk was arrested in his nearby hotel room. The shipment contained 121 pounds of ICE methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine. McGuirk admitted his intent to distribute his share of the methamphetamine in and around Parkersburg. Edmonds and Terry admitted their intent to distribute the cocaine in Ohio and return to Parkersburg with the proceeds.
Atkinson admitted that on September 18, 2018, Edmonds called her from Dayton and directed her to retrieve drugs from a stash house on Liberty Street in Parkersburg and deliver them to McGuirk. Police observed her travel from Liberty Street to meet McGuirk at a convenience store in Parkersburg. On September 20, 2018, federal agents and officers with the Parkersburg Police Department executed a search warrant at the Liberty Street residence and seized approximately 225 grams of heroin and 478 grams of fentanyl.
“An enormous amount of deadly drugs were seized as a result of Project Parkersburg,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “A drug trafficking organization has been dismantled and all of the federal defendants now stand convicted. Project Parkersburg significantly reduced the availability of meth in Parkersburg and the surrounding area and, no doubt, saved the lives of many, many potential victims. I want to thank the remarkable work of my team including AUSA Josh Hanks and others, as well as the FBI, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Dayton, Ohio Police Department, and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force. Jobs well done by all.”
Edmonds, McGuirk, Terry, and Atkinson are being prosecuted as part of Project Parkersburg – a major takedown and dismantling of a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing methamphetamine and heroin. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Dayton Ohio Police Department, and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force. The long-term, joint investigation resulted in at least 29 individuals being charged in federal and state court, along with the seizure of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, several firearms, and more than $80,000 cash.
Edmond and McGuirk face 10 years to life, and Terry faces five to forty years in federal prison when they are sentenced on June 10, 2020. Atkinson faces up to four years in prison when she is sentenced on June 17, 2020.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Jeremy Wolfe are handling the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Portland Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: A Portland tax return preparer was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Portland for preparing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby sentenced Ashraf Eldeknawey, 46, to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. Judge Hornby also ordered Eldeknawey to pay $97,191 in restitution to the IRS. Eldeknawey pleaded guilty on August 14, 2019.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Eldeknawey operated a tax return preparation business located inside the Ahram Halal Market in Portland from 2015 to 2018. He prepared fraudulent tax returns for clients on which he reported self-employment income that they did not earn. As a result, the clients received tax refunds to which they were not entitled. Eldeknawey also filed a 2014 tax return for himself on which he overstated the expenses associated with a painting business he operated.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Division; the FBI; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit, investigated the case. Attorneys from the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Michael Marlette, age 53, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, which was returned on February 18, 2020 and unsealed today, on or about April 19, 2018, Marlette possessed materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Marlette was released on bond pending trial.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Blawnox Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Tyree Jrevae Booker, age 41, formerly of 2172 Vantine Street.
According to information presented to the court, on December 6, 2018, Booker possessed a firearm and ammunition, knowing that he had previously been convicted of crimes punishable for a term exceeding one year. He also possessed quantities if crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute those substances.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Booker.
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.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Rifle and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Cheron Shelton, age 33, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on March 12, 2016, Shelton possessed a firearm and ammunition, namely a Colt Model M4, .22 caliber rifle, knowing that he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits any person who has been convicted of a felony from owning a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Brendan T. Conway are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allegheny County Police Department and the Wilkinsburg Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Pilot Involved in Marijuana Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD BURNS, 62, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for his role in a large-scale marijuana trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and the evidence presented during a trial of one of Burns’ codefendants, in 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration began investigating a Piper single-engine aircraft, owned by Burns, that was making regular flights between Stratford, Connecticut, and northern California via the southwest United States. On June 28, 2017, Burns flew the aircraft from northern California to Lubbock, Texas. The next day, Burns flew the aircraft from Texas to Arkansas, and then to West Virginia and Connecticut, where he landed in the evening at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford. After it landed, a law enforcement search of the plane revealed approximately 400 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed packages, and Burns was arrested. Investigators determined that the marijuana was intended for Robert Capelli, Scott Bodnar, Terrell Givens and others to distribute in Connecticut.
The investigation revealed that, for more than two years, Capelli and his associates earned millions of dollars by trafficking nearly two tons of marijuana from California to Connecticut. Members of the conspiracy also laundered more than $6 million to purchase marijuana in California, maintain properties for distribution in Connecticut, pay Burns to transport the marijuana, and for other expenses related to the conspiracy.
On May 6, 2019, Burns, of Milford, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. He also agreed to forfeit the Piper aircraft.
Burns, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on May 26.
On July 25, 2019, a jury found Capelli, of Milford, guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. He was found not guilty of one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of money laundering. On December 3, 2019, he was sentenced to 95 months of imprisonment.
As part of this case, Capelli also has forfeited $55,000.
On May 2, 2019, Bodnar, of Ansonia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. On September 4, 2019, he was sentenced to 55 months of imprisonment and ordered to forfeit his 2012 Toyota Camry.
On May 3, 2019, Givens, of Beacon Falls, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. On September 11, 2019, he was sentenced to 55 months of imprisonment and ordered to forfeit his 2009 Jaguar XF and jewelry valued at approximately $8,000.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), the Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations Center, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Stratford, Derby and West Haven Police Departments, and the Second Judicial Drug Task Force in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Marc Silverman.
Pharmacy Owner Admits Role in Multimillion-Dollar Illegal Kickback Scheme and Evading Taxes on over $33 Million of IncomeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The former co-owner of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy today admitted his role in a scheme to pay bribes to health care professionals and evading taxes on $33.9 million in income, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Igor Fleyshmakher, 58, of Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute and tax evasion.
The information alleges that he conspired to violate the anti-kickback statute with seven other individuals, including the following individuals who have been previously charged by superseding indictment or information: Samuel “Sam” Khaimov of Glen Head, New York; Ruben Sevumyants of Marlboro, New Jersey; Alex Fleyshmakher of Morganville, New Jersey; and Eduard “Eddy” Shtindler of Paramus, New Jersey. Shtindler has previously pleaded guilty for his role in a related kickback conspiracy and is pending sentencing.
“Kickback schemes like this not only illegally enrich defendants like Fleyshmakher, they take needed resources from our health care system,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “And after stealing millions of dollars in this way, the defendant stole again, by failing to report this income or pay taxes on it. His guilty plea today will make sure he is held to account for his crimes.”
“This fraudster was part of a kickback scheme that not only tilted the scales toward Prime Aid Pharmacies, but diverted precious federal dollars so he could enrich himself while ripping off the government,” FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “If you are an investor or medical professional participating in a fraud scheme for an ill-gotten gain, you should ask yourself if it's worth the price you will pay. The FBI is searching for schemes like this and if you participate, you will be caught.”
“Bribing doctors to line your own pockets and using secret accounts to evade taxes are both very serious offenses motivated by one thing: greed,” John R. Tafur, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “Today’s guilty plea should send a strong deterrent message to anyone else thinking about participating in this type of illegal activity. If you decide to roll the dice, IRS Criminal Investigation along with our law enforcement partners will find you.”
“Fleyshmakher, with his previously indicted co-conspirators, bribed doctors to illegally increase profits and enrich themselves,” Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said. “Working with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable anyone who attempts to defraud government healthcare insurance programs.”
According to documents filed in this case:
The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City, New Jersey, and Bronx, New York. They processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Igor Fleyshmakher was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City. Khaimov was the other co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager, and Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an owner of Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was a Prime Aid Union City employee.
Staring in 2010, in order to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Igor Fleyshmakher, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, Shtindler, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce doctors’ office to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included expensive meals, designer bags, and payments by cash, check, and wire transfers. The bribes and kickbacks were paid to, among others, doctors and doctors’ employees in New Jersey and New York.
As part of his plea agreement, Igor Fleyshmakher agreed that the improper benefit conferred as part of the conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute was between $3.5 million and $9.5 million.
In addition, between 2012 and 2014, Igor Fleyshmakher diverted a substantial amount of Prime Aid Union City income into a secret bank account that he opened and controlled. He concealed the account from the pharmacy’s tax preparers and did not report any of the funds he deposited into it on his personal income tax returns. In total, he diverted $33.9 million of income into the secret account, all of which he failed to report to the IRS. As a co-owner of the pharmacy, his conduct resulted in a $5.8 million tax loss to the IRS on his share of that income for tax years 2012 through 2014.
The conspiracy and tax evasion charges to which Igor Fleyshmakher pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Comptroller Kevin Walsh, with the ongoing investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges against and allegations in the information pertaining to Khaimov, Sevumyants, and Alex Fleyshmakher are merely accusations, and those three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Eric M. Creizman Esq. and Melisa Madrigal Esq., New York
Parent Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for paying $300,000 to participate the college entrance exam cheating scheme and athletic recruitment scheme for her children.
Michelle Janavs, 49, of Newport Coast, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
The government recommended a sentence of 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a fine of $175,000. In October 2019, Janavs pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Beginning in 2017, Janavs conspired with Rick Singer and others to secure her children’s admission to selective colleges and universities through bribery and fraud.
On Oct. 28, 2017, Janavs’s older daughter took the ACT exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through a corrupt test administrator, Igor Dvorskiy. Singer’s corrupt “proctor,” Mark Riddell, reviewed and corrected the daughter’s answers. In November 2017, Janavs sent a $50,000 check to Singer’s sham charitable organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), to pay for the fraud. Singer, in turn, passed a portion of the money to Riddell and Dvorskiy.
In February 2019, Janavs’s younger daughter took the ACT at the West Hollywood Test Center, and Riddell corrected her answers. Later that month, Janavs wired $25,000 to KWF and mailed a $25,000 check to KWF. Singer, in turn, passed bribes to Riddell and Dvorskiy.
Riddell and Dvorskiy have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Beginning in 2018, Janavs agreed with Singer to pay $200,000 to facilitate her older daughter’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as a purported volleyball recruit. In August 2018, Janavs emailed Singer photos of her daughter playing volleyball so that Singer could create a fake athletic “profile.” In October 2018, a USC athletics administrator, Donna Heinel, secured approval to admit Janavs’s daughter from the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions based on the falsified athletic credentials. Later that month, Janavs mailed Heinel a $50,000 check drawn from her family’s charitable foundation account and made payable to USC Women’s Volleyball, the account designated by Heinel. Janavs was arrested before her older daughter received her formal admission to USC and, accordingly, did not pay the remaining $150,000 of the initially agreed upon amount.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ocean County Man Charged with Online Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was arrested this morning on charges that he induced a minor to send him sexually explicit pictures and to engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kevin Van Pelt, 29, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct and one count of possession of child pornography. Van Pelt appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured appearance bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2018 to October 2018, Van Pelt used multiple online messaging services to communicate with a minor victim, including repeatedly requesting that the minor send him sexually explicit images. Van Pelt also had images of child sexual abuse on his cellular phone when he was arrested by local authorities on May 1, 2019.
The charge of online enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited members of the FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; members of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore; and members of the Woolwich Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Jaramillo, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Admits Role in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted engaging in fraudulent activity that exposed victims to more than $1.5 million in losses, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Joshua Suarez, 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud.According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Suarez was a member of a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain money, including by impersonating account holders and obtaining money from their accounts. He recruited and paid individuals to open bank accounts. A member of the conspiracy then caused money to be deposited into the accounts, money that often had been fraudulently obtained by impersonating victims and transferring money out of their financial accounts. Suarez and others then caused money to be withdrawn from the bank accounts. The conspiracy exposed victims to losses of more than $1.5 million.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Dennis Cleary Esq., West Orange, New Jersey
New Jersey Man Who Traveled to Sacramento to Have Sex with a 13-Year-Old Sentenced to over 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Anaya-Otero, 23, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months, for traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and enticement of a minor, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in April 2016 and again in January 2017, Anaya-Otero traveled to Placer County in order to engage in sexual conduct with a seventh grader. Anaya flew to Sacramento from New Jersey, picked the victim up from her middle school, and took her to a nearby hotel where he had sexual intercourse with her. Anaya-Otero repeated the trip several months later and again engaged in sexual activity with the same victim. Anaya kept a picture of the sexual contact on his cell phone.
Separately, in June 2017, Anaya-Otero had an online relationship over Snapchat and Instagram with a second juvenile victim, age 14, in El Dorado County. Anaya requested sexually explicit images from this juvenile victim and also kept at least one image from this victim on his cellphone.
“This predator carefully planned his contacts with victims and earned their trust. He traveled across the country, not once but twice,” stated U.S. Attorney Scott. “Anaya’s criminal conduct was only interrupted when he was arrested. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his offenses, affords adequate deterrence and protects the public from further crimes by this defendant. Our office is committed to protecting our children and stopping this type of predatory conduct.”
Anaya-Otero was detained in 2018 when he attempted to enter Canada by car. He stated to the Canadian border agent that he was traveling to Canada to meet a 15-year-old girl he had previously contacted on social media. Anaya-Otero was denied entry into Canada, and images of child pornography on Anaya-Otero’s phone were discovered when he was returned to the United States.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey B. Hemesath prosecuted the case.
“Homeland Security Investigations does not allow sexual predators, who commit deviant crimes against children, to go unfettered. HSI Agents are willing to pursue criminals, no matter where they try to hide,” said HSI San Francisco’s Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “This important sentencing highlights the strong consequences brought to bear for criminal behavior towards minors.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
NDTX Round-Up February 25Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – CHRISTOPHER JO STRINGER
On February 20, Christopher Jo Stringer, 41, pled guilty to convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stringer told to stop by police, who had been warned that a man was firing a gun at a vehicle. In response, Stringer raised his hands and pointed a pistol at his head for several seconds. He dropped the gun after being told to do so and was arrested without incident. The officers found methamphetamine on his person, and learned that Stringer had previously been convicted of felony burglary. He faces up to 16 years and 5 months in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by AUSA Danielle Jones.
SENTENCINGS – FELIX GIOVANNI RUIZ MENDOZA AND GUSTAVO RUIZ MENDOZA
On February 20, Felix Giovanni Ruiz Mendoza, 27, and Gustavo Ruiz Mendoza, 24, were sentenced to 18 and 19 years respectively for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers searched two residences in Balch Springs. One of these homes were used as a methamphetamine lab to convert methamphetamine to a crystalline form. The brothers admitted to distributing the methamphetamine in the Dallas are for two months and sending proceeds to Mexico. Officers seized nearly $13,000 and three firearms from the residences. These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department, Balch Springs Police Department, and IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by AUSA George Leal. To learn more about this case, click here.
SENTENCING – ROBERT LUCAS POTEET
On February 25, Robert Lucas Poteet, 30, was sentenced to a year and 6 months in federal custody for aiding in preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent return. Poteet received tax paperwork from a coconspirator. Poteet reported a business loss of over $15,000, despite the coconspirator never saying that he owned a business. Poteet knew this was fraudulent, but nevertheless he submitted this return. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by AUSA Douglas Allen.
Michigan Falconer Sentenced for Bartering Migratory Bird Taken from the WildRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Edward Taylor, 64, Fruitport, Michigan, was sentenced today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker for engaging in a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act. Magistrate Judge Crocker imposed a $10,000 fine payable to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, in care of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Taylor paid the fine immediately.
Magistrate Judge Crocker also ordered that Taylor transfer the illegally-taken northern goshawk to the government so that it could be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator for its eventual release back into the wild. Taylor turned the northern goshawk over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this morning.
On December 11, 2019, Taylor pleaded guilty to arranging with his co-conspirator James Kitzman to barter a northern goshawk taken from the wild in Vilas County, Wisconsin in exchange for a captive-bred Finnish goshawk. It was part of the conspiracy that they covered up the receipt and transport of the northern goshawk from Wisconsin to Michigan, in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the Lacey Act. It is illegal to sell or barter northern goshawks because they are migratory birds and protected by the MBTA.
Specifically, on May 26, 2017, Kitzman took from the wild a female northern goshawk from a nest located on state land in Vilas County. Kitzman traded the northern goshawk for a Finnish goshawk from Taylor. Both Taylor and Kitzman filled out false reports with the Michigan and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources to cover up their actions. Kitzman told his associates to “keep it hush-hush and not tell anybody” that he was giving the female northern goshawk to Taylor. Kitzman also told Taylor to use a cover story if ever asked by authorities about how the northern goshawk was taken and transferred.
At today’s sentencing, Magistrate Judge Crocker observed that, “This Court sees a lot of federal wildlife prosecutions. The Lacey Act and Wisconsin state statutes are there for a reason. They provide for the appropriate stewardship of the natural resources found in Wisconsin.” He added that a message needs to be sent to the falconry and raptor propagator communities, “If you don’t follow the rules you will be prosecuted,” and noted, “This is unacceptable conduct and it will be prosecuted as necessary. It will hit you where it hurts,” observing that the wildlife will be forfeited and large fines imposed, as happened in this case.
Kitzman’s sentencing is set for March 2, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.
The charges against Taylor and Kitzman were the result of an investigation conducted by law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Law Enforcement, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber.
Member of New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM CLAUDIO-SUAREZ, also known as “Willy,” 34, formerly of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a New Haven-based drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and New Haven Police Department revealed that Malbin Rubiera-Herrera, also known as “Chaca,” acquired fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from sources in Connecticut and New Jersey and distributed the drugs through a network of associates in the greater New Haven area. Between October and December 2018, investigators made controlled purchases of narcotics from Rubiera-Herrera. Subsequent court-authorized wiretaps revealed a widespread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that involved the trafficking of kilogram-quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine into Connecticut.
The investigation revealed that Claudio-Suarez distributed narcotics, and also acted as broker for a large shipment of cocaine to Rubiera-Herrera. In March 2019, after Claudio-Suarez had moved to New Jersey, Claudio-Suarez and Rubiera-Herrera were intercepted on recorded calls coordinating the delivery of two kilograms of cocaine to Rubiera-Herrera for redistribution in Connecticut. Ultimately, one of the kilograms of cocaine was sold prior to reaching Connecticut, and the other was seized after a traffic stop in New Jersey.
On June 5, 2019, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Claudio-Suarez, Rubiera-Herrera and 12 other individuals with fentanyl, heroin and cocaine trafficking offenses.
Claudio-Suarez has been detained since his arrest on a state probation violation on April 29, 2019. On October 21, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of heroin.
A search of Rubiera-Herrera's residence at the time of arrest on April 30, 2019, revealed approximately 300 grams of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2019, and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, East Haven Police Department, Easton Police Department, Orange Police Department, and the Cape May County (N.J.) Prosecutor's Office, Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and S. Dave Vatti.
Man Pleads Guilty to Preparing and Filing False Tax Returns and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
David Miller, age 52, from Gilmore City, IA pled guilty to 3 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent income tax returns and 3 counts of receiving stolen government money or property.
In a plea agreement, Miller admitted that he owned and operated a tax return preparation business. While operating that business, he prepared fraudulent income tax returns. Miller’s fraudulent returns resulted in a total loss to the government of $16,114.00 for the tax years 2012-2015. Miller’s clients were deprived of part of their tax refund as a result of Miller’s theft. Miller further stole money belonging to the United States, including 39 partial client tax refunds, resulting in the theft of Federal government funds in the amount of $36,582.00 for the years 2014, 2015, and 2016. Miller’s theft of government funds and relevant conduct for years 2011, 2012, and 2013, and theft of State government funds, resulted in additional losses totaling $73,258.07.
Miller also failed to report the stolen funds as income, which resulted in creating additional tax obligations for himself totaling $30,752.00 for his 2011-2016 tax returns. Miller has agreed to pay a total of $156,706.07 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Miller remains free on bond previously set. For the 3 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, Miller faces a possible maximum sentence of 3 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $100,000.00, and not more than 1 year of supervised release following any imprisonment. For the 3 the counts of receiving stolen government money or property Miller faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and not more than a 3 year term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and investigated by the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-3004.
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Man Arrested for Attempting to Blow up Vehicle at PentagonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arkansas man will make his initial appearance in federal court at 2 p.m. today on charges relating to his alleged attempt at blowing up a vehicle at the Pentagon yesterday.
According to court documents, Matthew Dmitri Richardson, 19, of Fayetteville, was discovered in the Pentagon North Parking lot yesterday morning by a Pentagon Police Officer on patrol. The officer allegedly observed Richardson standing next to a vehicle striking a cigarette lighter to a piece of fabric that was inserted into the vehicle’s gas tank.
After the officer approached Richardson, the defendant allegedly told the officer he was going to “blow this vehicle up” and “himself”. When the officer attempted to detain Richardson, Richardson pulled away and ran across the parking lot towards Virginia State Route 110 and onto Virginia State Route 27. A subsequent review of surveillance camera footage showed that Richardson jumped over a fence into Arlington National Cemetery. Richardson was later found by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency Police Emergency Response Team near Arlington House.
According to court documents, after a search of Richardson, officers allegedly discovered a cigarette lighter, gloves, and court documents related to Richardson’s arrest on or about February 22 for two counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer in Arlington County.
According to court documents, the owner of the vehicle is an active duty servicemember and does not know Richardson.
Richardson is charged with maliciously attempting to damage and destroy by means of fire, a vehicle used in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Woodrow G. Kusse, Chief of Pentagon Police, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Embroski and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-mj-86.
Madison County Man Indicted for Offenses Involving Sexually Explicit Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. - Scotty Dale Johnson, 48, of Richmond, Kentucky, was indicted earlier this month in federal court, for producing, receiving, and possessing sexually explicit images of children.
The indictment alleges that, from October 2018 to April 2019, Johnson knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions. The indictment also alleges that Johnson knowingly received and possessed sexually explicit images of minors.. Johnson appeared for arraignment, on February 25, 2020, in United States District Court in Lexington. Johnson’s trial has been scheduled for April 21, 2020 in Frankfort.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted jointly by the Kentucky State Police, the FBI and University of Kentucky Police Department, in coordination with the Madison County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. If anyone has additional information related to the case, they are encouraged to contact the FBI at 859-246-4700.
If convicted, Johnson faces a prison sentence of up to 30 years each count of production, up to 20 years for each count of receipt, and a maximum of 10 years on the count of possession. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court, after its consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of sentences.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Lowell Man Sentenced for Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for heroin and fentanyl trafficking charges.
Anderson Daniel Jorge Cruz, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2019, Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and fentanyl and other drug trafficking offenses. Cruz has been in custody since his arrest on Jan. 23, 2019, along with co-defendant Joshua Ramos-Rios.
On Jan. 23, 2019, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers seized over one kilogram of heroin mixed with fentanyl hidden inside Cruz’s bedroom ceiling. The seizure was the result of an undercover operation into Cruz and Ramos-Rios. At the time of his arrest, Cruz had an outstanding warrant for homicide in Allentown, Penn., which remains pending. Cruz is also currently charged with murder in Essex County Superior Court.
United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lowell Police Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Local Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Two 2017 CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN –Harry French, 21, has been sentenced to 246 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in two separate criminal episodes. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 4, 2017, as Teresa Lee-Moore was preparing to leave for work from her residence at the Lamar Crossing Apartment Complex she looked out the window and saw three young black males in the parking lot. She waited until they were gone to exit her apartment. Lee-Moore got into her vehicle, a 2015 Dodge Journey, and began to leave when one of the men got in front of her vehicle’s path and pointed a firearm at her and ordered her to stop the car. Once she unlocked the car, the man kept the gun pointed at her as he ordered her to get out of the car. He told her to "leave the keys and her purse or he would shoot her" as he kept the gun pointed at her. She watched as the two other men got into her vehicle, and all three fled the complex.
On August 7, 2017, a juvenile co-defendant gave a full confession to his participation in the carjacking of Lee-Moore. The juvenile stated that De’Quaun Blackmon, an accomplice, used a 9mm black firearm during the carjacking.
On August 23, 2017, after visiting family members, Robert Featherson returned to his gated retirement community at 1 a.m. and noticed three young black males in the parking lot. Featherson exited his vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, and walked toward his unit with the assistance of a cane. As he approached his front door, the three young men approached him, two armed with firearms. One man struck him in the head with the gun, causing Featherson to fall to the ground. The suspects then got on top of him and told him "to shut up or they would kill him." The suspects went through his pockets, taking his keys, cell phone, and wallet. They then fled, and Featherson watched as they drove away in his vehicle. Featherson was transported by ambulance and remained in the hospital overnight due to his injuries.
On August 28, 2017, De’Quaun Blackmon gave a full confession to the carjackings, and admitted that French and the juvenile were with him during the carjackings. Blackmon stated that he approached Lee-Moore’s vehicle and pointed a loaded firearm at her and told her to get out of the car. Blackmon said that he used a loaded 9mm firearm during the carjackings, and that he had left with Harry French.
After the trial but before sentencing, French, from the federal detention facility in Mason, used a contraband cellphone to post witness statements on his social media account. Judge Norris took this conduct into account when making his sentencing decision.
On January 16, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced French to 246 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our Carjacking Initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is continuing to coordinate with our federal and local law enforcement partners to prioritize and target carjacking cases for aggressive federal prosecution. This 20-year sentence confirms that there is a significant consequence for sowing lawlessness and violence in our communities, and French will now reap a long prison sentence for his brazen and dangerous behavior that victimized innocent citizens."
The Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers and P. Neal Oldham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Lexington Businessman Convicted of Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. - A Lexington businessman was convicted on Monday evening, by a federal jury sitting in Frankfort, of charges related to the obstruction of a federal investigation.
After approximately two hours of deliberation, following a five-day trial, the jury convicted 66-year old Timothy Wayne Wellman of 11 counts related to obstructing justice, aiding and abetting the obstruction of a federal grand jury, and aiding and abetting individuals in making false statements to the FBI.
According to testimony at trial, Wellman requested that multiple employees of CRM Companies (CRM) donate money to the campaigns of two city council members and then reimbursed them for their donation. He later asked the employees to give false information to the FBI, who was conducting an investigation into public corruption allegations, by encouraging the employees to lie about reasons for the reimbursement checks and, in some instances, asking them to create false documents (including ledgers and tax forms) to support their false stories.
Wellman was indicted in June 2019.
“People simply cannot obstruct federal law enforcement or grand jury investigations, because such conduct undermines the foundation of our system,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Through his actions, the defendant brazenly attempted to obstruct federal investigations into criminal conduct, by counseling others to lie and create false documents, concealing the truth from federal law enforcement and a federal grand jury. This disgraceful conduct cannot be tolerated. I commend the FBI for their hard work and dedication – without their efforts, this important prosecution would not have been possible.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Ken Taylor.
Wellman will appear for sentencing on July 1, 2020. For the most serious charges, he faces up to twenty years in federal prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $2.75 million. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Latin Dragon Nation Member Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison Following A Conviction for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Javier Aguilera, 27, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by Judge Philip P. Simon to 216 months in prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity as a member of the Latin Dragons Nation street gang, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Javier Aguilera has been a member of the Latin Dragons Nation since approximately 2012, sold drugs and possessed firearms as a member of the gang, and participated in a shooting of a residence in Chicago in April 2017 in which a suspected rival gang member was shot.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in coordination with multiple state and local agencies. In Indiana, these agencies included: the Hammond Police Department; the East Chicago Police Department; the Merrillville Police Department; the Hobart Police Department; the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; the Indiana Department of Corrections; and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. In Illinois, these agencies included: the Chicago Police Department Criminal Enterprise Unit; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office; the Bartlett Police Department; the Calumet City Police Department; the Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph A. Cooley and Kevin F. Wolff and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Laredoan sent to prison for transporting 71 aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to conspiring to transport aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
John Bryan Meredith pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia-Marmolejo handed him an 84-month sentence. He had been on supervised release for two prior cases and was further ordered to serve four more years on each. The total 92-month sentence will be followed by another three years of supervised release.
On July 8, Meredith drove a tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol Checkpoint on Highway 83 near Laredo. Soon after, a K-9 alerted to the presence of concealed humans and/or narcotics within the trailer. At secondary inspection, the K-9 alerted again.
Authorities then removed a seal and opened the rear doors of the trailer which revealed several people, all determined to be in the United States illegally. Those included a total of 71 subjects - 36 Mexicans, 21 Guatemalans, six Salvadorans, five Hondurans and three Brazilians - two of whom were unaccompanied juveniles. In addition, law enforcement also recovered a total of $7,300 hidden inside the gearshift box as well as eight additional seals and seven cellular telephones in the sleeper area of the truck.
Meredith claimed a friend had asked him to drive a tractor-trailer with a load of transmissions to Uvalde, where another driver would meet him. Meredith also stated his friend had already placed the seal on the trailer by the time he arrived.
However, further investigation revealed Meredith had bought the tractor himself and rented the trailer. The investigation revealed he had driven the same tractor and trailer past the Highway 83 checkpoint seven times between May 21 and July 8.
La Crosse Dentist Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A federal jury in Madison, Wisconsin, convicted a La Crosse, Wisconsin, dentist today of four counts of tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the U.S. Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader for the Western District of Wisconsin. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours.
According to evidence presented at trial, Frederick G. Kriemelmeyer, 70, operated a dental practice in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In 2007, Kriemelmeyer was ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin to pay $135,337 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for unpaid income taxes. By 2012, the IRS had assessed Kriemelmeyer for more than $450,000 in taxes, interest, and penalties. Evidence presented at the trial showed Kriemelmeyer took a number of actions to evade paying the taxes he owed, from at least 2013 through 2015, Kriemelmeyer did not file tax returns reporting the income from his dental practice, directed his patients to pay him in cash or by check with blank payee lines, and paid his business and personal expenses with third-party checks and cash.
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley has set sentencing for May 19, 2020. At sentencing, Kriemelmeyer faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Blader commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Knox County Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — Travis Mills, 35, of Barboursville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison on Monday, by United States District Judge Robert Wier, after pleading guilty to trafficking more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Mills admitted that between December 2017 and September 2018, he developed access to individuals through whom he could regularly obtain methamphetamine. Mills also admitted to working with others to distribute more than 50 grams of that methamphetamine in Knox County.
Mills pleaded guilty in July 2019. His co-defendants have already been sentenced. James Mills, 36, was sentenced to 121 months in prison and five years of supervised release, in November 2019. Gretchen Delph, 23, was sentenced to 52 months in prison and four years of supervised release, in December 2019.
Under federal law, Mills and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon his release, Mills will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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KC Tax Preparer Sentenced for False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, tax preparer was sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to file false tax returns.
Azareia Derseh, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 18 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Derseh to pay $108,621 in restitution to the IRS.
On Oct. 24, 2019, Derseh pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. His brother and co-defendant, Ananeia Derseh, 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to the same offense and awaits sentencing. Co-defendant Quashanda King, 39, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to the same offense and has been sentenced to three years of probation.
Azareia Derseh owned and operated a tax preparation business in the Kansas City metropolitan area, under the names Instant Tax Service and Speedy Tax Service, at various locations. Ananiea was the manager in charge of one of the offices and King was the manager in charge of another office.
Azareia and Ananeia Derseh and King each admitted they prepared federal income tax returns for clients containing materially false and fraudulent items. They prepared returns for at least 37 individuals resulting in at least 47 false income tax returns for tax years 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The preparation of false tax returns for individuals was conducted by including false Schedule C information claiming a modest amount of income in order to maximize the Earned Income Credit. This resulted in a higher tax return for the individuals and higher fees paid to the tax preparation business.
Azareia and Ananeia Derseh and King included higher fees to prepare clients’ returns than what the clients were originally quoted. Often, a false Schedule C was included with clients’ returns to increase clients’ refunds. Client refunds were used to pay the high fees, with the fees most often being deducted from clients’ refunds before the refund was issued to the client. Most of the clients had between $669 and $1,437 in fees deducted from their refund.
According to court documents, the typical client who had their return prepared at Instant Tax Service was a very low wage earner, typically with under $3,000 inW-2 wages. Further, the clients were unsophisticated in tax or financial matters. When they walked into one of the two offices, they were assigned a preparer, who input their W-2 wages, dependents, and other identifying information into the appropriate field of their electronically filed returns. There was no meaningful review of the completed return, and sometimes, the client did not get a copy of the return.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
KC Man Sentenced for Stolen Vehicle Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to steal high-end sport utility vehicles and pick-ups from out-of-state dealerships and transport them to Kansas City for sale on the black market.
Joshua Walker, 44, was sentenced by U.S District Howard F. Sachs to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Walker to pay $212,998 in restitution.
On July 10, 2019, Walker pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles across state lines and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Walker admitted that he participated in a conspiracy from Dec. 1, 2015, to Feb. 2, 2016, to steal at least 10 high-end sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks from three out-of-state auto dealerships and deliver them to Kansas City.
Co-defendant Timothy Hood, 38, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2019, to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
Hood and co-conspirators organized small groups to steal 10 vehicles, worth approximately $710,933, from three dealerships in Nebraska and Iowa. Hood affixed fraudulent vehicle identification numbers (VINs) onto the dashboard of the stolen vehicles. Many of the fraudulent VINs used during the conspiracy were true VINs from other vehicles owned by car dealerships and were utilized so that the stolen vehicles would be difficult to trace and could be sold on the black market.
On Jan. 12, 2016, Walker was stopped by police while driving one of the stolen vehicles, a 2015 GMC Sierra. The VIN affixed on the dashboard was fraudulent.
On Jan. 6, 2019, Kansas City police officers saw Walker driving a stolen 2019 Ford F-150. When Walker parked and got out of the truck, he was arrested by officers due to a warrant for a felony probation violation. One of the officers saw a loaded Glock .40-caliber firearm with an extended magazine in the driver’s side door pocket of Walker’s vehicle.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Walker has been convicted in 16 felony cases, including a 2003 case for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After serving his federal sentence in that case, according to court documents, Walker was revoked twice for violating the terms of his supervised release.
On Sept. 22, 2016, Hood was pulled over for a traffic infraction while he was driving one of the stolen vehicles with a fraudulent VIN. Investigators searched Hood’s laptop, which was in the vehicle. The computer contained scanned images of templates for temporary Kansas license plates, insurance cards, notary stamps, bills of sale, release of liens, and bar code labels of VINs. The search of the computer also revealed searches of legitimate VINs that were fraudulently used or affixed to other stolen vehicles in this case.
All of the stolen vehicles have been recovered by law enforcement officers and sold as salvage. Two of the stolen vehicles were recovered at the residence of Hood’s girlfriend.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Justice Department Files Amicus Brief Explaining that Harvard’s Race-Based Admissions Process Violates Federal Civil-Rights LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today filed an amicus brief in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In its amicus brief, the United States explains that Harvard’s expansive use of race in its admissions process violates federal civil-rights law and Supreme Court precedent.
“Race discrimination hurts people and is never benign,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Unconstitutionally partitioning Americans into racial and ethnic blocs harms all involved by fostering stereotypes, bitterness, and division among the American people. The Department of Justice will continue to fight against illegal race discrimination.”
As a condition of receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer funding every year, Harvard expressly agrees to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a cornerstone civil-rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. In 2017, the Department opened a Title VI investigation into Harvard’s admissions process after a complaint was filed by more than 60 Asian-American organizations. That investigation remains underway.
In this case, Students for Fair Admissions, an organization of students and parents, alleged that Harvard College intentionally discriminates against Asian-American applicants when making admissions decisions, in violation of Title VI. The district judge denied Harvard’s various attempts to dismiss the lawsuit, and the case proceeded to a three-week trial in the fall of 2018.
Although the Supreme Court has held that colleges receiving federal funds may consider applicants’ race in certain limited circumstances, the district court’s factual findings demonstrated that Harvard’s use of race is anything but limited. The district court concluded that “more than one third of the admitted Hispanics and more than half of the admitted African Americans, would most likely not be admitted in the absence of Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process.” And these race-based bonuses come at a significant cost to Asian-American applicants, who collectively suffer a substantial penalty under Harvard’s race-based admissions regime. Nevertheless, the district court concluded that Harvard’s use of race in the admissions process did not violate federal law or Supreme Court precedent.
The United States’ amicus brief explains that the evidence at trial showed “that Harvard actively engages in racial balancing that Supreme Court precedent flatly forbids.” The evidence also demonstrated that Harvard’s admissions officers consistently score Asian American applicants lower on the so-called “personal rating.” “In other words,” the brief explains, “Harvard’s admissions officers tended to evaluate Asian Americans, as compared to members of other racial groups, as having less integrity, being less confident, constituting less-qualified leaders, and so on.” “That disparity,” the brief points out, “is undisputed, and unexplained.” For these and other reasons, the United States urged the appellate court to reverse the district court’s judgment.
Jury Finds Wisconsin Dentist Guilty of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Madison, Wisconsin, convicted a La Crosse, Wisconsin, dentist today of four counts of tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader for the Western District of Wisconsin.
According to evidence presented at trial, Frederick G. Kriemelmeyer, 70, operated a dental practice in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In 2007, Kriemelmeyer was ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin to pay $135,337 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for unpaid income taxes. By 2012, the IRS had assessed Kriemelmeyer for more than $450,000 in taxes, interest, and penalties. Evidence presented at the trial showed Kriemelmeyer took a number of actions to evade paying the taxes he owed, from at least 2013 through 2015, Kriemelmeyer did not file tax returns reporting the income from his dental practice, directed his patients to pay him in cash or by check with blank payee lines, and paid his business and personal expenses with third-party checks and cash.
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley has set sentencing for May 19, 2020. At sentencing, Kriemelmeyer faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Blader commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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.
Jury Convicts California Man of Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today that on February 20, 2020, a federal jury in East Saint Louis returned a guilty verdict against
Fernando Alvarez-Carvajal, age 49 of Los Angeles, California. Alvarez-Carvajal was convicted of conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine after a three-day trial.
Evidence presented during the trial established that from October 2016 through December 2018, Alvarez-Carvajal, along with five co-conspirators, was involved in an operation that distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Illinois, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. Specifically, Alvarez-Carvajal used his bank account to funnel drug proceeds and served as a courier of drugs and money for the organization.Alvarez-Carvajal remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending his sentencing on May 20, 2020 in United States District Court. At sentencing, the defendant will face a term of imprisonment of from ten years to life in prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alton, Illinois Police Department under the auspices of the Organized
Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Karelia S. Rajagopal and Special Assistant United States Attorney, Donald S. BoyceJudge Sentences Rochester, PA Man to 5 Years in Prison for Texting Images Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months’ imprisonment and 7 years’ supervised release on his conviction of distribution of images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Brent Cotman, age 30, formerly of 22 White Street, Rochester, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Cotman distributed by text message images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom had not reached the age of 12 years, to an unwitting individual, identified as "S.A.", from October 17, 2017 through October 21, 2017. Cotman had spent more than a year eluding law enforcement while simultaneously sending threatening text messages to more than 30 unsuspecting individuals in the Beaver County area, with attached digital photographs depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. Cotman used a software application known as "TextNow" to anonymize from whom the text messages had been sent.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cotman.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood Marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Johnstown Crack Dealer Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 46 months in prison and six years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Kawan Dock, 43, of Johnstown, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, from May 7, 2019 to May 16, 2019, Dock conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Dock.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for ArsonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Emmett David Smart (29, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for arson of a residential apartment building. The court also ordered Smart to pay $148,920.09 in restitution.
Smart had pleaded guilty on October 31, 2019.
According to court documents, on April 25, 2018, Smart set fire to a four-unit apartment building located at 7304 Sandhurst Road in Jacksonville. At the time of the fire, there were several occupants inside the building. Smart set the fire two days after the owner of the apartment building had initiated eviction proceedings against the tenant of the apartment Smart was residing in at the time of the fire.
This case was investigated by the Florida Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Wilmer Ham a/k/a Jose Lopez, 34, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin. Ham was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
On September 14, 2018, a Jackson Police officer responded to a call at Tony’s Food Mart on Highway 80 in Jackson. Upon arrival, the officer noticed the store clerk frantically waving his hands in an attempt to get the officer’s attention from inside the store. Upon entering, the officer noticed the store was in disarray and a male, later identified as Wilmer Ham, was standing beside the fountain drinks. The officer attempted to speak with Ham, but his behavior led the officer to call for backup. Before assistance could arrive, Ham rushed the officer in an attempt to exit. As the officer tried to stop Ham, they struggled and a firearm fell from Ham’s pocket. The firearm was later determined to be a Ruger, model LCP, .380 caliber pistol. After no assistance arrived, the officer disengaged Ham and Ham left the scene.
Later that day, Jackson Police officers again responded to Tony’s Food Mart. Upon arrival, officers observed the front door partially open with a male, later determined to be Wilmer Ham, in the doorway holding the door open with his foot. Both the officer who responded to the earlier call and the store clerk confirmed that Ham was the same individual from that morning. Surveillance video captured Ham inside the store with a handgun and then tossing the handgun outside the door. The gun was determined to be a Taurus, model PT738 TCP, .380 caliber pistol. An investigation revealed that Ham had two previous convictions in Bronx County Criminal Court for possession of a loaded firearm and for criminal sale of a controlled substance.
In August 2019, Ham was charged in a federal criminal indictment with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He pled guilty before Judge Reeves on November 4, 2019.
On January 15, 2020, the defendant’s wife, Tonya Ham, was charged in a federal superseding indictment with transferring the Taurus pistol to Wilmer Ham on the day in question. The public is reminded that a criminal indictment is a formal charge against a defendant, and is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Indianapolis man with a domestic violence conviction charged with illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today, Donte Swinton, 25, Indianapolis, who on February 5, 2020 exited his vehicle and pointed what appeared to be an AR-15 style weapon, at an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detective, was charged today with possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense.
“Keeping our communities safe from violent criminals remains a top priority at the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Minkler. “Those individuals arrested and released by our criminal justice system who continue to wreak havoc on society by pointing a firearm directly at another person, which in this case was an IMPD officer, are on notice: you will be arrested, convicted, and go to federal prison.”
According to the criminal complaint, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) detectives were in the 2100 block of E. New York Street, Indianapolis, conducting covert surveillance due to a recent increase in armed street robberies. One IMPD detective was in an undercover police vehicle monitoring activity in the area when he observed a silver Mercury sedan slowly drive by his location and stop in his vicinity. A Dodge pickup truck then pulled up next to the sedan and the occupants began talking.
The truck then pulled in front of the detectives’ vehicle and the sedan pulled up next to the detectives’ vehicle blocking it in. The occupant of the sedan began to yell at the detective. The detective thought the situation was about to turn into a robbery and that the person yelling was attempting to get him to exit his vehicle. The detective immediately requested assistance. The sedan backed up and pulled directly behind the detective’s vehicle while the pickup began to reverse towards the front of the officer’s vehicle in an attempt to “pin” the detective’s vehicle in place.
The driver of the sedan exited the sedan holding what appeared to be an AR-15 style rifle and pointed it directly at the detective. The detective was able to maneuver around the pickup truck and move from his location.
Another IMPD officer arrived on scene as the detective was maneuvering around the pickup. The backup officer drew his weapon and identified himself. The individual threw his firearm he was holding into the sedan. Other officers arrived on scene and were able to take the individual into custody and detain two passengers who were inside of the sedan. The individual driving the sedan, and who pointed the firearm at the officer, was identified as Donte Swinton.
Agents inspected the weapon alleged to have been possessed by Swinton and determined it was an Anderson Manufacturing 5.56, AR-15 style, semi-automatic pistol. The firearm was loaded with a thirty-round capacity magazine, with twenty-nine rounds in the magazine itself, and one in the chamber.
In 2017, Swinton was convicted of domestic battery by bodily waste in Marion Co., Ind. Swinton was sentenced to 365 days in jail with 327 days suspended and was to complete twenty six (26) weeks of domestic violence counseling. With this conviction, the court made a specific finding that Swinton had committed a crime of domestic violence, and as a result Swinton lost the right to possess a firearm and or ammunition.
A further check of Swinton’s criminal history revealed that he is currently on pre- trial release in two separate cases in Marion County Superior Court. On February 17, 2018, Swinton was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer, possession of a narcotic drug, maintaining a common nuisance, dealing in marijuana, and possession of marijuana. Additional, on May 1, 2019, Swinton was charged with obstruction of justice, a felony, and possession of marijuana.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Jayson McGrath, who is prosecuting this case for the government, Swinton faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to targeting the District’s most violent geographic areas for the adoption of reactive federal drug and firearm prosecutions. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.2.
Indiana Man Found Guilty of Kidnapping a Child in Calumet CityRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted an Indiana man of kidnapping a child from a Calumet City street as she walked home from school.
On Dec. 20, 2017, at approximately 3:30 p.m., BRYAN PROTHO grabbed the child as she walked on a sidewalk in the south suburb. Protho forcibly dragged the victim into a red Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle and drove away. He then parked the vehicle in a nearby alley and assaulted the child. The victim was able to get out of the car and flag down a passing vehicle, and law enforcement was contacted. The kidnapping was captured on a residential surveillance system.
Protho was arrested on Dec. 27, 2017, and he has remained in federal custody since then. During the two-week trial in federal court in Chicago, the victim testified about her ordeal and identified Protho has her abductor.
The jury on Monday convicted Protho, 41, of East Chicago, Ind., on one count of kidnapping. The conviction is punishable by a minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood did not immediately set a sentencing date. A status hearing was scheduled for March 5, 2020.
The Calumet City Police Department led the investigation, with assistance from the FBI and the Lansing Police Department.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Fletcher, Chief of the Calumet City Police Department; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Dennis Murrin, Jr., Chief of the Lansing Police Department. The officials thanked members of the community for providing valuable assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher V. Parente and Kelly Guzman.
Illegal resident sentenced for purchasing aircraft parts with drug moneyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison in money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick
Abraham Barajas-Alcantar, who resided in McAllen, pleaded guilty Nov. 13, 2019. Specifically, he admitted to purchasing three aircraft engines using $272,649 derived from drug trafficking.
Today, U.S. District Judge Hayden Head ordered he serve a total of 57 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence.
The investigation began in 2015.
Barajas purchased aircraft engines and parts with drug proceeds and shipped them to his business in McAllen. From there, he shipped the merchandise to Mexico for his customers who then used the parts in aircrafts in order to transport drugs.
Drug proceeds were sent to Barajas in the form of bulk cash. He also received them through the funneling of cash deposits via banks in which Barajas had accounts or those to which he had access. This scheme combined the traditional methods of bulk cash smuggling and the use of funnel accounts with trade-based money laundering.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case.
Helena resident sentenced for armed home invasionRead the Press Release
HELENA—A Helena man who admitted brandishing a firearm while he and co-defendants robbed a couple involved in trafficking heroin was sentenced today to 11 years and seven months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Gerald Allen Hiler, also known as Teg, 47, pleaded guilty in October to robbery affecting commerce and to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon presided.
The prosecution said in court records that the FBI learned of a home invasion in Helena in which the victims, a couple, were involved in trafficking heroin. The couple had been given money by co-defendant, Kielan Brett Franklin, to travel to Washington to buy an ounce of heroin. The couple returned with less than an ounce. When the couple did not immediately turn over the heroin, Franklin sent them threatening text messages.
On March 8, 2019, Hiler, Franklin, and co-defendants Morgan Victor Pitsch and Arielle Rose Cowser, went to the couple’s residence. Hiler brandished a pistol during the robbery as the others searched for drugs, money and other valuables. When he learned that the female victim had secretly dialed 911, the robbers fled the home with a small amount of heroin, the female victim’s wedding ring, cell phone and other items. Hiler and Pitsch wore masks.
Franklin and Pitsch have pleaded guilty to charges and are awaiting sentencing. A jury last week convicted Cowser of robbery charges. Cowser is to be sentenced on June 11.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri River Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.
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Georgia Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting Large Amounts of Methamphetamine and Heroin Disguised as Children’s CandyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Cleveland James McKinney, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District David Bramlette III to 151 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally transporting 41.97 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine and 4.5 kilograms of heroin that had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere P. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. McKinney was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
“This criminal endangered not just our citizens but our children, stooping so low as to disguise this poison as candy just so he could make a quick buck, caring not that it would cause damage, destruction and death in our communities. Because of the great work of our federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as our prosecutors, this criminal will not be peddling these toxins to our kids or anyone else anymore,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“By concealing dangerous narcotics as children’s candy, the defendant targeted our most vulnerable population, our youth,” said HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles. “Thanks to HSI special agents, and our partners at the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, our communities will be safer with this criminal behind bars.”
On April 16, 2018, McKinney traveled to Brandon, Mississippi from Atlanta, Georgia, to retrieve a drug shipment that originated in Mexico and entered the United States through Brownsville, Texas. The drugs were concealed in what appeared to be shrink-wrapped, bulk packaged children’s candy. McKinney was to transport the drugs to Atlanta and deliver them to his co-conspirator, Evelyn Michelle Hernandez.
Unbeknown to McKinney, HSI already had intercepted the narcotics shipment and had replaced the drugs with a false substance in packaging almost identical to the children’s candy packaging that had concealed the illegal methamphetamine and heroin. McKinney drove to the designated location and retrieved the packages that he believed contained the illegal drugs. He then began his return trip to Atlanta. He was arrested shortly thereafter. McKinney was charged in a federal criminal indictment and pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on November 21, 2019.
Evelyn Michelle Hernandez was also indicted and was sentenced by Judge Bramlette on November 19, 2019, to 168 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Interdiction Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark.
Four Defendants Arrested in Drug Trafficking Ring That Stretched Across the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging David Washington, a/k/a Dirty Dave, a/k/a Dirt, a/k/a Wavy Davey, 39, and Eleazar Martinez Medina, 50, with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life in prison.
In addition, David Burgin, 47, and Rodney Pierce, 32, were arrested and charged by complaint with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Defendant Burgin is also charged with maintaining a drug involved premises and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. If convicted, Rodney Pierce faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years; David Burgin faces a mandatory 10 years, and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Higgins and Timothy C. Lynch, who are handling the case, stated that the defendants were involved in a drug trafficking ring that stretched from Buffalo to California and involved cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl being transported to the Buffalo, NY area for distribution and sale.
During the course of the investigation, search warrants were executed at 12 residences, during which investigators seized six firearms, ammunition, a quantity of marijuana, over 7 ½ kilos of suspected cocaine and crack cocaine, over 2 kilograms of fentanyl, over $750,000.00 in cash, six traps—many of which were hydraulically operated, scales, and drug packaging materials.
David Washington was arraigned and is being held pending a detention hearing on February 27, 2020. Eleazar Martinez Medina was arraigned in California and will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date. Defendants David Burgin and Rodney Pierce made initial appearances and were released on conditions.
The indictment and criminal complaint are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Tim Howard; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge; and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Director Brian Manaher.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Former Wilkinsburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Images and Videos Showing the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -A former resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 36 months to be followed by eight years of supervised release on his conviction of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jason Gerade Harris, Jr., age 26.
According to information presented to the court, FBI agents received a tip from Minnesota that a complainant discovered naked images of her 7-year-old son sent via Skype. The conversations originated on PlayStation and were continued via Skype. Agents also learned that a 13-year-old Tampa, Florida juvenile was enticed to take explicit pictures of his 6-year-old brother to send using the Kik app. The investigation led to the defendant at 1936 Wright St., Wilkinsburg, PA.
On December 6, 2018, agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence. When they advised that they were at the house because someone used the internet there to coerce minors to send nude photos and/or videos, Harris, Jr. abruptly stated, "It was me", and provided details about his communications with minors. A forensic review of the defendant’s phone revealed two chats of interest in the "TextNow" app, where the defendant requested nude photographs of a minor. The forensic review also revealed 171 images and three videos of apparent child pornography, but nothing from his communications with the children in Minnesota or Florida.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Microsoft software engineer convicted of 18 federal felonies for stealing more than $10 million in digital value such as gift cardsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former Microsoft software engineer was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of 18 federal felonies related to his scheme to defraud Microsoft of more than $10 million, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. VOLODYMYR KVASHUK, 25, a Ukrainian citizen residing in Renton, Washington, worked first as a contractor at Microsoft and then as an employee from August 2016 until he was fired in June 2018. Today, following a five-day trial, KVASHUK was convicted of five counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of filing false tax returns, and one count each of mail fraud, access device fraud, and access to a protected computer in furtherance of fraud. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on June 1, 2020, KVASHUK faces up to twenty years in prison.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, KVASHUK was involved in the testing of Microsoft’s online retail sales platform, and used that testing access to steal “currency stored value” such as digital gift cards. KVASHUK resold the value on the internet, using the proceeds to purchase a $1.6 million dollar lakefront home and a $160,000 Tesla vehicle. Initially, KVASHUK started stealing smaller amounts totaling about $12,000 in value using his own account access. As the thefts escalated into millions of dollars of value, KVASHUK used test email accounts associated with other employees. KVASHUK, a knowledgeable software developer, attempted to mask digital evidence that would trace the fraud and the internet sales back to him. He used a bitcoin “mixing” service in an attempt to hide the source of the funds ultimately passing into his bank account. In all, over the seven months of KVASHUK’s illegal activity, approximately $2.8 million in bitcoin was transferred to his bank accounts. KVASHUK then filed fake tax return forms, claiming the bitcoin had been a gift from a relative.
In closing arguments, Assistant United States Attorney Siddharth Velamoor said KVASHUK “hid behind his colleagues’ names…. dripping fraud and deceit every step of the way…. This is a simple case… anyway you look at it this is a crime of greed.”
KVASHUK testified at trial that he did not intend to defraud Microsoft. He claimed to be working on a special project to benefit the company.
That testimony was, “A house of lies on top of a previous house of lies,” Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion told the jury.
The jury deliberated about five hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
“In addition to stealing from Microsoft, Volodymyr Kvashuk also stole from the government by concealing his fraudulent income and filing false tax returns. Kvashuk’s grand scheme was thwarted by the hard-work of IRS-CI’s Cyber Crimes Unit. Criminals who think they can avoid detection by using cryptocurrency and laundering through mixers are put on notice…you will be caught and you will be held accountable,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Western Area Cyber Crime Unit and the U.S. Secret Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Siddharth Velamoor.