Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
13 February 2020
Three Local Doctors and Staff/Patients Indicted for Conspiring to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
St. Louis, Missouri – Eleven individuals were indicted today by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute controlled medications, such as oxycodone, without a legitimate medical purpose; obtaining controlled medication by deceit and subterfuge; paying and receiving illegal kickbacks for referrals to lab for urine tests of the patients; and submitting false claims to Medicare and other health insurers.
ASIM MUHAMMAD ALI, M.D., 49, of Creve Coeur;
ALEXIS DORJAY BUTLER, 32, of Bellefontaine Neighbors;
SHAUNTA C. CROSBY, 33, of Ferguson;
ERIN MELISSA HERMAN, 35, of Oakville;
VLADIMIR KOGAN, 39, of Afton;
JERRY DALE LEECH, D.C., 47, of Creve Coeur;
STANLEY L. LIBRACH, M.D., 58, of Chesterfield;
DENIS J. MIKHLIN, 40, of Chesterfield;
EBONY R. PRICE, 37, of St. Louis;
ERICA T. SPATES, 32, of Berkley; and
TIJUANA A. SPATES, 36, of Jennings.
According to the indictment, Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali and Dr. Stanley Librach, medical doctors, and Dr. Jerry Dale Leech, a chiropractor, and Denis J. Mikhlin illegally wrote and distributed hundreds of prescriptions for oxycodone, oxycontin, hydromorphone, and fentanyl for patients whom Dr. Ali and Dr. Librach did not see, examine, or evaluate. One day a week for about two hours, Dr. Ali or Dr. Librach came into the American Pain Institute (API) and later Institute for Pain Management (IPM) and pre-sign stacks of prescriptions, which were given to API and IPM patients during the next week or two. Dr. Ali and Dr. Librach continued to write prescriptions for controlled substance drugs although many patients repeatedly tested negative for the prescribed drugs and positive for illegal street drugs.
According to the indictment, Dr. Leech, an owner of API and chief of staff for IPM, Denis Mikhlin, the owner of Doctors on the Go, and the other defendants bought and sold prescriptions for controlled substances written in the name of Dr. Librach and other doctors. Dr. Leech received between $200 and $500 for each script he sold, receiving on some occasions as much as $5000. Dr. Leech and Mikhlin also identified or had other co-defendants identify persons whose names could be used on fraudulent scripts. The patients were paid in cash or with some of the pills. Dr. Ali, one of the co-owners of Central Diagnostic Laboratory (CDL) paid illegal kickbacks to Dr. Leech, Dr. Librach, and Mikhlin for the referral of drug tests that they sent to CDL.
“Doctors and trained practitioners know better than anyone the twin dangers of addiction and overdose that come with powerful narcotics,” said DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. "DEA will investigate doctors, like these ones, who prescribe a controlled substance outside the normal course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose to stop their illegal practices."
“As Attorney General, it’s my duty to protect all six million Missourians. To that point, our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works diligently with both state and federal partners to root out and prosecute fraud. When doctors are abusing the healthcare system and irresponsibly doling out potentially addictive medications for personal gain, we need to hold them responsible. I’m grateful for the chance to work with our federal partners on this case.”
"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of overdose deaths in this country involved prescription or illicit opioid," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "It is appalling that any health care professional would knowingly fuel this epidemic rather than help stop it."
“Doctors who prescribe medically unnecessary and potentially addictive drugs are a threat to their patients, and their actions will not be tolerated,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue working closely with our State and Federal law enforcement partners to protect patients and the government healthcare programs on which they depend.”
If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services – OIG are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is handling this case.
Charges set forth in the Indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Shooting His Co-Defendant During a Home InvasionRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Dallas Richardson, 25, of St. Louis, MO, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a home invasion where he shot co-defendant Kyle Phillips. Richardson appeared today before United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey.
According to court documents, between January 2016 and February 2018, Richardson was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed multi-pound amounts of marijuana within the Eastern District of Missouri. Richardson received some of the marijuana. The organization then collected the proceeds of the marijuana sales and utilized MoneyGrams purchased at various outlets, including Wal-Mart stores within the Eastern District of Missouri, to send the proceeds to the source of supply, Cedric Davis, in California.
Both co-defendants Joseph Hope and Jack Huck supplied marijuana to co-defendant Kyle Phillips. In December 2016, Phillips received bulk quantities of marijuana from Hope but refused to pay. As a result, Hope planned a robbery and retaliation against Phillips.
On January 12, 2017, Hope recruited Richardson to conduct the robbery of Phillips in order to retrieve either the marijuana or proceeds derived from the sale of the marijuana. Richardson and his associate drove from St. Louis to Phillips’ residence in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Wearing masks and armed with firearms, including an assault rifle, Richardson forcibly entered the front door of the residence while his associate entered the residence through a bedroom window.
During the robbery, Richardson shot Phillips in the abdomen. Both Richardson and his associate assaulted Phillips, including with the stock of their firearms. The two men also kicked and assaulted with their firearms three other individuals that were present. Richardson and his associate took the safe, small amounts of marijuana, and the victims’ wallets, which contained small amounts of cash and exited the residence.
The following co-defendants in this drug conspiracy have been sentenced:
Jack Huck – 89 months in prison;
Seth Ault – 36 months in prison;
Cedric Davis, Jr. – 46 months in prison;
Cody Henderson – 3 years probation;
Joseph Hope – 96 months in prison;
Deven Huck – 48 months in prison;
Zach Hunter – 3 years probation;
Dakota McCain – 32 months in prison;
Dustin Puckett – 3 years probation;
Collin Weber – 3 years probation; and
Jacob Wolff – 3 years probation.
Richardson pleaded guilty in October to one count of robbery and one count of possessing a firearm that was discharged and Phillips is awaiting trial.
The Missouri Highway Patrol, the Ste. Genevieve Police Department, the Homeland Security Investigation, the Warrenton Sheriff’s Department, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Major Case Squad investigated this case.
St. Johns County Registered Sex Offender Charged with Receiving Child Sex Abuse Images, Possessing A Firearm, Illicit International Travel, and Hacking A JumbotronRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Samuel Arthur Thompson (49, St. Augustine) with receiving and possessing child sex abuse images, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, failing to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), and transmitting damaging commands to a protected computer. If convicted on all counts, Thompson faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 100 years, in federal prison. Thompson has been a convicted felon and required to register as a sex offender since 1998, when he was convicted in Alabama of second degree sodomy on a child.
According to court documents, from April 2017 through February 2018, Thompson was a contractor for the Jacksonville Jaguars. His contract was not renewed, and, as of February 23, 2018, he was no longer employed by the organization. During the 2018 - 2019 NFL season, the Jaguars experienced multiple incidents involving malfunctions of the video board (commonly referred to as a “Jumbotron”) located within the Jaguars’ stadium. Thompson was identified as the architect of the video board system. A subsequent investigation revealed that an account associated with Thompson had been used to remotely log into the computer system and send commands to a rogue server that had been placed in the Jaguars’ server room, resulting in the outages.
On July 17, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence for evidence related to the computer intrusion. During the search, agents recovered a firearm from Thompson’s nightstand. As a previously convicted felon, Thompson is prohibited from possessing firearms. The FBI also seized multiple pieces of computer equipment and Thompson’s iPhone. A review of the electronic items revealed that Thompson had received child sex abuse images on his iPhone in 2018 and that Thompson had additional child sex abuse images on two of the computers.
Nine days after the execution of the search warrant, Thompson traveled from the United States to the Philippines without reporting his international travel prior to his departure, in violation of SORNA. Further investigation revealed that Thompson had also traveled to the Bahamas in July 2019 and failed to report that trip. On January 31, 2020, Thompson was arrested in Los Angeles following his deportation from the Philippines.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
It is another case 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.
South Bend, Indiana Man Sentenced to 130 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Maurice Sylvester, age 32, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of heroin, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Mr. Sylvester was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Mr. Sylvester was charged along with two others with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. Law enforcement found Mr. Sylvester and over four pounds of methamphetamine in a home when they served a search warrant in South Bend. Mr. Sylvester also had over $1200 of currency hidden on his body that had been used to purchase drugs. Phone records, text messages and fingerprints all linked Mr. Sylvester to the drug business. Mr. Sylvester has previously been convicted of six felonies, most involving drugs.
Kenneth Sanders, a co-defendant, was previously sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. A third defendant awaits sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms with the assistance of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Schaffer and Kimberly Schultz.
###
Somersworth Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD - James Howard, 39, of Somersworth, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 27, 2019, agents from the ATF executed a search warrant at a home where Howard stayed. At the home, agents found a Marlin Wester Auto firearm receiver and ammunition.
Howard is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Howard is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2020.
“Preventing violent crime requires that we keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Under Project Safe Neighborhoods we work closely with ATF, the Somersworth Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute criminals who possess guns unlawfully.”
“This arrest demonstrates the outstanding partnership between ATF and the Somersworth Police Department as well as the commitment we share to work together to interdict illegal firearms and the criminals that compromise the safety of our communities,” said Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Char ATF Boston Field Division.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Somersworth Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
###
Saint Louis Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Shooting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Saint Louis, MO – Johnzell Moorehead, 30, of Saint Louis, MO, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. Wines appeared today before U.S. District Judge John A. Ross who imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, Moorehead and an associate, Daryaun Wines, were travelling inside a vehicle in the early morning hours of October 12, 2017. Earlier that day, Moorehead and Wines had been involved in an altercation with another individual resulting in that individuals being shot.
Concerned about possibly retaliation from that earlier shooting, Moorehead and Wines were being followed by two additional associates who were in a separate vehicle. Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Federal Officer Archie Shaw was on-duty and, as part of an on-going investigation into drug distribution activity, began to follow the second of the two vehicles. Special Federal Officer Shaw was utilizing an unmarked law enforcement vehicle.
Moorehead and Wines noticed Special Federal Officer Shaw’s vehicle. Moorehead and Wines split-up from their other associates (who were being followed by Special Federal Officer Shaw). The vehicle being followed by Special Federal Officer Shaw intentionally led Special Federal Officer Shaw to the intersection of Miami and Iowa streets within the City of Saint Louis. As Special Federal Officer Shaw drove through the intersection, Wines and Moorehead shot Special Federal Officer Shaw. Wines and Moorehead traveled to that location for the purpose of committing the shooting.
Special Federal Officer Shaw’s vehicle was struck several times by the gunfire. Special Federal Officer Shaw himself was also struck by gunfire. After being shot, Special Federal Officer Shaw was able to drive himself to safety. Moorehead and his associates fled the area.
“Officer Shaw has shown great courage throughout this investigation and during his almost 30 years of service and dedication to the citizens of St. Louis. The St. Louis Police Department appreciates the continued support and assistance we’ve received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and all our federal partners in this case,” state Chief John Hayden, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
"The importance of Officer Archie Shaw to this community can be understood by law enforcement’s relentless and wide ranging response in the immediate aftermath of his October 12, 2017, shooting and throughout the almost three years since the incident occurred,” said Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Rea after today's proceeding.
Rea continued, “Law enforcement has held Mr. Moorehead and Daryaun Wines accountable for their actions. In the course of doing so, officials also dismantled an entire drug organization resulting in five additional federal prosecutions. That is a total of seven federal prosecutions arising out of the shooting of Officer Shaw. Offense conduct such as this cannot and will never go unchecked by the United States Attorney’s Office. We hope that these sentences of 25 years for Mr. Moorehead and 17 years for Mr. Wines make that clear.”
The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigated this case.
Sacramento Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking of a Child and Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or CoercionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a six-day trial, Jaquorey Rashawn Carter, 24, of Sacramento, was found guilty today of sex trafficking of a child, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
“The defendant targeted vulnerable young women and underage girls to work as prostitutes for him on the streets of California cities and inside seedy motels,” U.S. Attorney Scott stated. “Thanks to the thorough work of the investigating agencies, the defendant’s years-long pimping operation has come to an end. For the next several years, he will be in a place where he cannot harm young females.”
“Traffickers see their victims as mere commodities to be controlled and sold. This case illustrates the cycle of violence and exploitation victims often face and traffickers’ brazen disregard for the law,” said FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. “The FBI works with its local and state partners to ensure criminals face justice for their actions and victims of trafficking are connected with the support they need to move forward with their lives.”
“Sex trafficking is a monstrous crime. It has no place in our society, let alone near our children,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “Those who profit from the detestable exploitation of human beings must pay a high price. We owe many thanks to the multi-jurisdictional law enforcement team that successfully investigated and prosecuted this case.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2013 and October 2018, Carter targeted vulnerable young women and underage girls to work as prostitutes for him. Carter used a consistent pattern of behavior in recruiting and keeping close association to the women and girls who worked for his financial benefit. As part of Carter’s pimping operation, he put girls and women in motel rooms and had them engage in prostitution in Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, Sunnyvale, and Santa Ana, in order to make money from their prostitution activity.
Starting in 2013, Carter recruited two 14-year-olds to work as prostitutes for him in Oakland. Ultimately, the girls were returned home to Sacramento, but Carter continued to transport, harbor and maintain one of the underage girls in connection with prostitution activity through 2018.
Evidence presented at trial also showed that Carter has been arrested or contacted by law enforcement on multiple occasions on the streets or in high-crime areas while he was transporting his victims to or from his illegal business opportunities. In September 2018, a federal judge authorized the wiretap of Carter’s cellphone. Sacramento-based task force agents then intercepted calls demonstrating that Carter was actively recruiting, harboring, transporting, and managing several women engaged in prostitution throughout California. During the calls, Carter discussed his pimping operation and his involvement in violence, and he threaten to physically beat one of his victims.
Task force agents identified at least five different women that Carter was either recruiting or actively managing in ongoing prostitution. On Sept. 19, 2018, law enforcement intervened during an intercepted call when Carter described his plan to hurt a woman. At the time of the call, Carter was driving to Oakland with four women in his car. A California Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop and arrested Carter for falsely impersonating someone. A short time later, while out on bail, Carter assisted a fellow pimp who savagely beat a woman inside a car. The victim tried to exit the car, but Carter stood outside the car and attempted to prevent her from escaping.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit, and the Sacramento Police Department. The California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Jason Hitt are prosecuting the case.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2020, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. Carter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison for sex trafficking of a child. Carter also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Both counts of conviction carry a maximum fine of $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Schoolsafety.gov Launches to Help Educators, Administrators, Parents, and Law Enforcement Prepare for ThreatsRead the Press Release
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration launched the federal school safety clearinghouse website: SchoolSafety.gov. This website is a one-stop-shop with resources for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) administrators, educators, parents and law enforcement to use to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security, and support in schools.
In an effort to address this important issue, President Trump had earlier established the Federal Commission on School Safety to review safety practices and make meaningful and actionable recommendations of best practices to keep students safe. This new website has been created with input from the Commission, and the inter-agency cooperation of the Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services,
“As a parent, I understand the importance of knowing that our children are as safe and protected as they can be in our schools,” said United States Attorney Mark Klaassen. “I know that many districts across Wyoming have already taken substantial and important steps to make our schools safer and I hope this new website will be a welcome additional resource. This information may also be useful to parents concerned about security issues who want to stay informed about ways to address these issues for themselves and their families.”
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Timothy Ray Vance, 54, of Salem, Oregon, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine throughout Marion County.
Vance has a long criminal history dating back to 1983. Vance served more than 20 years in prison after being convicted in Marion County Circuit Court in 1994 on two counts of robbery, two counts of burglary, and one count each of kidnapping and theft.
Two months after completing post-prison supervision, in August 2018, Vance was found to be involved in a large methamphetamine distribution network. By October 2018, investigators discovered the network’s source of supply and at least one informant who revealed they had purchased methamphetamine from Vance on ten different occasions. A different informant told investigators that on one occasion, Vance sold them one pound of methamphetamine for $3,200.
In February 2019, Salem Police Department executed a search warrant on Vance’s residence. Investigators located 62.7 grams of methamphetamine, $2,780 in cash, drug packaging materials, and two handguns. Vance was placed under arrest and later released.
In March 2019, investigators learned that Vance was dealing methamphetamine out of a Salem hotel room. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Vance after obtaining a search warrant on his vehicle. During the search, they found 443 grams of methamphetamine, $1,500 in cash, and two additional firearms.
On November 11, 2019, Vance pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Vance agreed to abandon four firearms used to facilitate his crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Registered Sex Offender Gets 50 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A registered sex offender who pleaded guilty to committing child sexual exploitation crimes while still on supervised release in a previous case was sentenced today to 50 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Daniel Eric Merida, 36, El Dorado, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography, two counts of possessing child pornography, and one count of sending obscene material to a minor.
In his plea, Merida admitted using the internet to contact a minor beginning in 2012 when she was 12 years old. He used the internet to sexually exploit the victim, sending her obscene material as well as child pornography. During a search in March 2018, he was found in possession of additional child pornography. After his arrest in November 2018, a second search revealed the defendant had used online storage to transport more child pornography, and he was in possession of more child pornography on his phone.
McAllister commended Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Elizabeth Township Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Providence Woman Sentenced in Multi-State Fraud & ID Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence woman who admitted to working directly with the local leader of a far-reaching multi-state fraud scheme that defrauded banks, finance companies, car dealerships, and retailers, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to two years and one day in federal prison.
Yenesia Pujols, 48, worked alongside Octavio Andres Difo-Castro, 29, of Edgewater, N.J., the admitted leader of an organization with roots reaching into the Dominican Republic, that purchased stolen personal identifying information from the Dark Web, including Social Security numbers, and used the information to create fraudulent driver’s licenses, open bank accounts, apply for and receive financing for automobiles, and open retail credit accounts used to purchase clothing, electronic devices, and furniture – some of which was shipped to the Dominican Republic and displayed on Instagram accounts.
At the time of his guilty plea, Difo-Castro admitted that at his direction several individuals opened bank accounts using fraudulent IDs he provided to deposit and withdraw fraudulently obtained funds; to pose as both the seller and the buyer of vehicles to fraudulently secure bank and/or credit union financing from financial institutions in several states; and to obtain retail store credit to make purchases at clothing, furniture, and cellphone retailers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Pujols willingly agreed to play the role of bank and retail store customers by opening bank accounts to be used exclusively for the purpose of depositing fraudulently obtained car loan checks and quickly siphoning off cash, and to pose as customers at Sprint retailers from which she fraudulently obtained numerous high-end smart phones to be sold by Difo-Castro.
Pujols also admitted to obtaining and using stolen personal identifying information of an American citizen, including her Social Security number and date of birth, to apply for and gain employment. Pujols did so despite claims to Social Security that she was disabled and unable to work, all the while fraudulently collecting Social Security disability benefits.
Additionally, Pujols admitted to using stolen personally identifying information and fraudulent documents provided by Difo-Castro to improve her personal appearance through cosmetic surgery.
Pujols pleaded guilty on October 15, 2019, to aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and Social Security fraud.
At sentencing today, United States District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., imposed a sentence of 24 months and one day imprisonment, 3 years’ supervised release, and ordered Pujols to pay restitution totaling $86,144, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, and Scott E. Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
Difo-Castro pleaded guilty on September 19, 2019, to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to access device fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and nineteen counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2020.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
The investigations were led by the U.S. Secret Service, with the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and thanks the United States Postal Inspection Service and East Providence, Seekonk and Mansfield Police Departments for their assistance in the investigations.
###
Prolific identity thief convicted following three-day trialRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle man who stole tens of thousands of dollars from a woman in her 70’s while she lay dying in the hospital, was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of ten federal felonies. DWAYNE BROOKS was convicted of six counts of bank fraud and attempted bank fraud, two counts of use of unauthorized access devices, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The jury deliberated about four hours following the three-day trial. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart scheduled sentencing for May 18, 2020.
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, between November 2016 and April 2018, BROOKS used debit cards, credit cards, checks, and other financial information stolen from mail, cars, and homes to steal money from multiple victims. One of the victims, a 78-year-old woman ultimately died in the hospital while BROOKS was looting her accounts. During the scheme, BROOKS repeatedly used her information to open credit accounts, drain bank accounts, and even attempted to obtain her power of attorney. While the woman was in the hospital, surveillance video shows BROOKS using keys stolen from her ex-husband’s car to burglarize her condominium, taking bags full of valuables. A second victim, an 84-year-old Seattle woman, is still trying to untangle the fraud he committed against her accounts, including her retirement investment account. Finally, BROOKS stole and attempted to cash a $34,000 tax refund check.
In all, BROOKS’ fraud exceeds $120,000.
In closing argument, Assistant United States Attorney Seungjae Lee noted, BROOKS’ scheme “was simple, but devastating. He had no regard for those left behind holding the bag. An 84-year-old woman is still trying to recover from the fraud on her accounts. A second victim spent her last months in the hospital while the defendant was draining her accounts.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) with assistance from the Duval Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Renton Police Department, and the Washington State Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seungjae Lee and Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs. Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, specially designated to pursue fraud cases in federal court.
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Supplying Deadly Heroin in NewarkRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Canda Quach, 28, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews. Quach previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 3000 grams of heroin in capsule form.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Castle County Police Department investigated an overdose death involving suspected heroin capsules in August, 2017. Heroin sold in Delaware is typically packaged in clear plastic baggies containing a blue wax paper sheet, which is usually “stamped” or otherwise branded to differentiate it from other types of heroin. The emergence of heroin capsule sales in the greater Newark area was novel and unique to Delaware.
Following an investigation into the death of the victim, officers arrested co-defendant Rodney Cox for delivering the fatal dose of heroin capsules. Judge Andrews sentenced Cox to 51 months in federal prison on August 20, 2017. Cox received the heroin capsules from co-defendant Jawaan Wallace, who was sentenced by Judge Andrews on August 20, 2019 to 10 years in federal prison. As the heroin supplier for Wallace, Quach was the source of the heroin capsules in Delaware. Since Quach’s arrest on February 1, 2018, officers have no reported cases of heroin capsules distributed in Delaware.
Commenting on the sentence, U.S. Attorney Weiss noted: “This case highlights both the tragedy of heroin overdoses and the collective response needed to combat it. The collaborative efforts of federal and local law enforcement resulted in Mr. Quach’s arrest and conviction. The deadly heroin capsules the defendant distributed took a human life. Today’s sentence appropriately reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crime.”
“Quach was responsible for distributing over 3,000 grams of heroin in capsule form, which represented a distribution method that was different from what is normally seen in this region. As such, Quach’s unusual method of packaging heroin was likely tied to the significant amount of heroin that he was responsible for distributing,” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “This case is a reminder that illegal street drugs, especially when packaged in an innocuous from like a capsule, pose a deadly threat to the people that use them.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the First State Overdose Taskforce with assistance from the New Castle County Police Department and Delaware State Police. The Task Force consists of state and federal law enforcement partners who work to investigate overdose deaths soon after they occur. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Logan prosecuted the case.
Palm Beach County Resident Sentenced to Prison Term for Defrauding Victim Out of Approximately a Half of a Million DollarsRead the Press Release
WEST PALM BEACH – United States District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg sentenced Scott Woolley, 59, of Delray Beach, Florida, to five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for scheming to defraud the owner of a skin care product company out of about half a million dollars.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
On December 3, 2020, Woolley pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud. According to court records, the victim was the majority owner of Aubio Life, LLC, Aubio Life Sciences, LLC (Aubio Life), a skin care products company. The victim appointed Woolley as the CEO of Aubio Life, with a salary of $13,000 per month. In 2017, without the victim’s consent, Woolley transferred about $500,000 from Aubio Life bank accounts to bank accounts that Woolley controlled. The bank accounts that Woolley controlled were located in Palm Beach County, Florida. Woolley used the money to make a down payment on a house in Delray Beach, Florida.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the USSS and the Delray Beach Police Department in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris prosecuted this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Orem, Utah Return Preparers Indicted for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY -- A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, returned an indictment Thursday afternoon charging Sergio Sosa, and his adult children, Alissa and David Sosa, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah.
Sergio Sosa was also charged with one count of tax evasion, and he and his children were each charged with one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the internal revenue laws.
According to the indictment, Sosa owned and operated Sergio Central Latino (SCL), a tax return preparation business in Orem, Utah, where both Alissa and David worked. From 2003 through 2017, Sosa allegedly did not timely file his personal tax returns and after multiple audits, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determined that he owed more than $750,000 in unpaid taxes. When the IRS began collection efforts, Sosa and his children allegedly agreed to obstruct IRS collection of the outstanding taxes by hiding Sosa’s personal assets, residential properties, and by titling SCL in the children’s names.
The indictment also alleges that when the IRS suspended SCL’s ability to electronically file client tax returns due to Sosa’s unpaid taxes, David Sosa changed SCL’s business name and obtained electronic filing authorization in a third party’s name. It is further alleged that Alissa Sosa falsely represented to the IRS that she owned a residence that was, in fact, her father’s, and that she withdrew funds from an account that she knew had been levied by the IRS. As of 2019, Sosa allegedly owes more than $1.1 million in taxes, penalties, and interest.
If convicted, the Sosas each face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and three years in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the internal revenue laws. Sergio Sosa faces an additional five years in prison for tax evasion. The Sosas also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Individuals charged in an indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Huber thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Hackford-Peer and Trial Attorney Erin S. Mellen of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Ohio Resident Charged with Operating Darknet-Based Bitcoin “Mixer,” which Laundered over $300 MillionRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was arrested for his operation of Helix, a Darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service.
In the three-count indictment unsealed Feb. 11 in the District of Columbia, Larry Harmon, 36, of Akron, Ohio, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and conducting money transmission without a D.C. license.
According to the indictment, Harmon operated Helix from 2014 to 2017. Helix functioned as a bitcoin “mixer” or “tumbler,” allowing customers, for a fee, to send bitcoin to designated recipients in a manner that was designed to conceal the source or owner of the bitcoin. Helix was linked to and associated with “Grams,” a Darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Harmon advertised Helix to customers on the Darknet as a way to conceal transactions from law enforcement.
“Helix allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit narcotics proceeds and other criminal profits for Darknet users around the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment underscores that seeking to obscure virtual currency transactions in this way is a crime, and that the Department can and will ensure that such crime doesn’t pay.”
“For those who seek to use Darknet-based cryptocurrency tumblers, these charges should serve as a reminder that law enforcement, through its partnerships and collaboration, will uncover illegal activity and charge those responsible for unlawful acts,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea of the District of Columbia.
“The brazenness with which Helix operated should be the most appalling aspect of this operation to every day citizens. There are bad actors and then there are criminals who facilitate hundreds of other crimes,” said Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The sole purpose of Harmon’s operation was to conceal criminal transactions from law enforcement on the Darknet, and because of our growing expertise in this area, he could not make good on that promise. Working in tandem with other sites, he sought to be the ‘go-to’ money launderer on the Darknet, but our investigators once again played the role of criminal disrupters, unraveling the interlinked web from one tentacle to another. We thank the Belizean authorities and other law enforcement agencies for their assistance on this case.”
“The perceived anonymity of cryptocurrency and the Darknet may appeal to criminals as a refuge to hide their illicit activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of the Criminal Division of the FBI Washington Field Office. “However, as this arrest demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing the illegal practices of money launderers and other financial criminals to light and to justice, regardless of whether they are using new technological means to carry out their schemes.”
The indictment alleges that Helix moved over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from Darknet markets. Helix partnered with the Darknet market AlphaBay to provide bitcoin laundering services for AlphaBay customers. AlphaBay was one of the largest Darknet marketplaces in operation at the time that it was seized by law enforcement in July 2017.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was led by the IRS-CI and the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, IRS Field Offices of Washington, D.C.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Oakland, California; and the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Field Offices of Cleveland, Ohio — Akron Resident Agency; Newark, New Jersey; and San Francisco, California — San Jose Resident Agency and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service provided essential support for the operation.
Internationally, the Belize Ministry of the Attorney General and the Belize National Police Department simultaneously executed a search warrant of a residence allegedly leased by Harmon in Belize as U.S. authorities executed warrants in the United States. U.S. law enforcement agencies, coordinated by U.S. Embassy Belmopan, assisted in the Belize action. “These actions underscore the vital importance of working closely with our law enforcement partners in Belize to make both of our countries more safe and secure,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Keith Gilges.
Trial Attorneys S. Riane Harper and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Additional assistance has been provided by Trial Attorneys Emily Siedell and Brian Nicholson of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, former CCIPS Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl of the Northern District of Ohio.
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.
North Wilkesboro Man Is Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced yesterday Ronnie Dean Brown, 36, of North Wilkesboro, N.C., to 121 months in prison on child pornography charges, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Brown was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of ICE/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina, and Sheriff Chris Shew of the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, join the U.S. Attorney’s office in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, in September 2018, law enforcement became aware that an individual, later identified as Ronnie Brown, was accessing child pornography online. In October 2018, law enforcement approached Ronnie Brown, who was at Charlotte Douglas Airport on his way to Las Vegas. Court records show that Ronnie Brown refused to cooperate with law enforcement, and afterwards contacted his wife, Kelly Brown, and instructed her to “get rid of his laptop.” Kelly Brown did as instructed and gave the laptop to another individual, who later turned it over to law enforcement.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ronnie Brown’s residence and seized a computer and portable storage media. According to court records, a forensic examination of the seized items revealed that Ronnie Brown possessed more than 4,100 images of children, including infants and toddlers, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the child pornography depicted sadistic and masochistic conduct.
On October 3, 2019, Ronnie Brown pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. He is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
Kelly Brown previously admitted to giving her husband’s laptop to another individual according to his instructions, in an attempt to prevent law enforcement from seizing it. Kelly Brown further admitted that when she followed Ronnie Brown’s instructions, she and her husband were both aware that law enforcement were conducting an investigation into child pornography. Kelly Brown has pleaded guilty to a federal felony related to her obstruction of the investigation and is currently awaiting sentencing.
HSI and the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children. By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
North Platte Man Receives 40-Year Sentence for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Mathew S. Goad, 34, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for conspiracy and production of child pornography. Goad was sentenced to 40 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay $3,600 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
In March of 2019, a state search warrant was served at the home of a target living in Kansas City, Missouri. During a forensic examination of the computer seized in the Kansas City investigation, the examiners located screenshots of a chat between the Kansas City target and Mathew Goad. During the chat, Goad indicated he had sexually assaulted a child and recorded that assault. Goad then sent the recording to the target. Further investigation revealed that Goad and his co-defendant, Cory Preitauer, were both involved in the production of the video. Preitauer will be sentenced at a later date.
After his arrest, Goad admitted to the production and distribution of the video during an interview with law enforcement. Agents conducted a forensic examination of electronic devices owned by Goad that were seized at the time of his arrest. There were approximately 3,400 image files and 800 video files of child pornography recovered from Goad’s laptop computer.
U.S. Attorney Kelly added, “The actions of Goad and his co-defendant will have a lifelong effect on this young victim. Today’s sentence sends a powerful message to those who prey on the most vulnerable of children.”
“The terrible and deliberate acts of this individual hurt both the victim and victim’s family. While this sentence will never remove this hurt, it should reassure the public that the FBI will vigorously pursue child predators until justice is served and children are rescued,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Kristi Johnson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Niagara Falls Woman Going to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tammy Hoover, 41, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Higgins and Misha Coulson, who handled the case, stated that between December 2016 and December 27, 2016, the defendant conspired with others to distribute cocaine in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo, NY, areas.
Sometime in December 2016, Hoover agreed to receive delivery of a U.S. Postal Service parcel, which contained a quantity of cocaine, at her residence on North Avenue in Niagara Falls. The defendant did so at the request of co-conspirators, and expected a monetary payment in exchange for her role in taking the delivery and safeguarding the parcel.
Prior to delivery, the parcel was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service and was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. The parcel contained a large quantity of cocaine packaged within a plastic file box in five separately wrapped kilogram-sized bricks. The parcel was then repackaged with sham materials and a controlled delivery was conducted on December 27, 2016. Hoover received the package at her residence, and signed for it. The defendant was arrested at that time. The parcel was recovered from within the residence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata.
# # # #
New London Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Role in Southeastern Connecticut Drug RingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EMILIO RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Millz,” 26, of New London, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a southeastern Connecticut drug trafficking ring.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, and firearms.
The investigation revealed that Rodriguez received heroin from Royshawn Allgood, also known as “Boy Roy,” and Anthony Whyte, also known as “Jack Mac,” then distributed the drugs to his own customers.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Rodriguez, Allgood and 22 other individuals with various offenses. On August 6, 2019, a superseding indictment included charges against an additional two defendants.
Rodriguez has been detained since his arrest on March 11, 2019. On October 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Allgood pleaded guilty to related charges and, on January 3, 2020, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment. Whyte is awaiting trial.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook and UConn Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
New Jersey Woman Entered into Sham Marriage to Provide Nigerian Native Living in Pittsburgh with Lawful Permanent ResidencyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A New Jersey resident has plead guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Entering a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Marilyn J. Horan was Ajia Strauss, age 28, of Newark, NJ.
According to information presented to the court, from June 2016, to March 2019, Monsuru Ogunbiyi and Ajia Strauss conspired with one another to defraud the United States. Ogunbiyi, a native and citizen of Nigeria who was living in Pittsburgh, and Strauss, a native and citizen of the United States, agreed to enter into a sham marriage so that Ogunbiyi could obtain lawful permanent residency in the United States. As part of the conspiracy, Ogunbiyi agreed to pay money to Strauss. Also as a part of the conspiracy, Ogunbiyi and Strauss submitted false and fraudulent statements and documents to the United States.
The Court set sentencing for June 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, or both, for the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case.
New Jersey Man, Avowed Member of White Supremacist Group, Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statements to FBIRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Fred Arena, 41, of Salem, New Jersey, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge John R. Padova for making false statements to government agents.
Arena, who was an employee of a federal contractor at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and as such was required to obtain a federal security clearance, lied to obtain the clearance. He also subsequently lied to federal investigators who asked him about his answers to questions on the security clearance paperwork. He was arrested and detained in October 2019, and pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2019.
On January 10, 2019, Arena completed the standard Form SF-86 to obtain a federal security clearance for his employment. On that form, he was required to disclose whether he had ever been a member of an organization that used (or advocated the use of) force or violence to prevent others from exercising their constitutional rights. He falsely answered that he had not. In fact, Arena was an avowed member of Vanguard America, a white supremacist group that fits that description. His membership in Vanguard America and his participation in their activities were demonstrated by his many admissions and photos on social media, including events surrounding the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. On the same application, Arena was asked whether he had had property repossessed within the past seven years. He falsely answered that he had not. In fact, Arena had previously defaulted on a car loan, and his car was repossessed within the seven year window.
As part of his sentence, the Court specifically ordered that Arena shall, during the period of supervised release, be barred from membership and participation in any organization that advocates or practices unlawful acts of force or violence to discourage others from exercising their rights under the United States Constitution or any state of the United States.
“Lying on federal security clearance forms and to government agents are very serious matters,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Further, no employee working for the federal government, being paid with taxpayer dollars, has any business being a member of a white supremacist group or espousing white supremacist views. Under the terms of today’s sentence, Arena’s activities will be closely monitored by the Court and Probation after he finishes his jail term in order to prevent him from engaging in new criminal behavior that may violate the civil rights of others and endanger the public.”
“Fred Arena lied about being a white supremacist to land a security clearance and government job he never should have had,” said Tara A. McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “When the FBI questioned him about his background, he continued this pattern of deception. There must be serious consequences for actively deceiving federal agents. Otherwise, critical investigations would grind to a halt, hobbling our justice system and giving criminals and terrorists the upper hand.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, the Camden County Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Joseph LaBar and Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Martha Nye.
Nashua Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Donald Johnson, 34, of Nashua, was sentenced in federal court to 42 months for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson was involved with a drug trafficking organization that distributed crack cocaine and other drugs to various customers in the Nashua area. Johnson purchased crack cocaine from the organization and re-sold it to his own customers. He also assisted other members of the organization with their distribution activities by, among other things, allowing them to use his residence to meet customers.
Johnson previously pleaded guilty on August 14, 2020.
“Drug trafficking destroys lives and undermines the quality of life in communities all over New Hampshire” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Stopping the distribution of illegal drugs requires the close cooperation of law enforcement at all levels. Working together we can maintain public safety. I commend the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Nashua Police Department for bringing this drug trafficker to justice.”
“Donald Johnson’s role in this cocaine-trafficking ring was not insignificant to the people of Nashua, whose addictions he exploited. The record shows he offered up his home as a meeting place for customers, while doing his own crack deals on the side,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The truth is, any part played in illegal drug activity has a potentially deadly outcome, and so the FBI will continue to pursue investigations into both individuals and groups eager to profit from the pain and suffering of others.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgiana Konesky and Anna Krasinski.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
###
Monongalia County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Katina Sabatino, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to two years probation for her role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Sabatino, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Device” in February 2019. Sabatino admitted to using a phone to assist with distributing controlled substances in April 2018 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Mexican National Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Tehama CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Miguel Alvarez Cervantes, 55, a Mexican national living in Los Molinos, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley, to nine years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Cervantes pleaded guilty in July 2019. According to court records, federal agents began investigating Cervantes and co-defendant Maria Cervantes-Echevarria, in 2017 for suspected methamphetamine trafficking in Shasta and Tehama Counties. In August and September 2018, an undercover agent purchased over 3 pounds of methamphetamine from Cervantes during three controlled buys. In addition, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cervantes-Echevarria’s and co-defendant Marta Jiminez Lopez’s home in September 2018, they seized over 34 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of heroin, three firearms, and over $44,000 in cash.
Cervantes-Echevarria and Lopez, both Mexican nationals living in Los Molinos, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are scheduled to be sentenced in March 2020.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the Tehama Interagency Drug Enforcement (TIDE) task force, and the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigations Team (SUMIT), with special assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Highway Patrol.
Mexican Citizen, Previously Convicted of Negligent Homicide, Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Antonio Salas-Miranda, age 41, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Salas-Miranda admitted as part of his guilty plea that he is a citizen of Mexico, and that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on November 20, 2002, June 3, 2008 and again on June 18, 2008. On two occasions, Salas-Miranda had been arrested by immigration authorities in New Jersey and on one occasion, he was arrested by Border Patrol in Arizona after he entered the United States without inspection from Mexico.
On October 12, 2018, he was arrested by an ICE-ERO officer in Wilton, New York. New York State Police Officers had interviewed Salas-Miranda while conducting a homicide investigation. ICE checked the fingerprints of Salas-Miranda, discovered his prior removals, and detained him.
On April 9, 2019, Salas-Miranda was convicted in Saratoga County Court of criminal possession of a weapon and criminally negligent homicide, resulting in a sentence of 10 years in state prison. The Saratoga County prosecution stemmed from the possession and discharge of a firearm by Salas-Miranda at the Crest Inn, in Wilton, that caused the death of Michael Kornacki. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino directed that the federal sentence she imposed today run consecutive to the New York State sentence. The 24-month federal sentence is the maximum permitted by law.
This case was investigated by ATF and ICE-ERO, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Meth traffickers get decades in prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Multiple men have been ordered to prison for a significant amount of time following their convictions related to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Those convicted include Marcial Martinez, 37, Dallas; Saul Delgado, 31, Duncanville; Javier Del Rio, 34, Garland; and Mexican citizens Jose Adalberto Munoz-Mancias, 38, Cuidad Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico; and Edson Roman Gonzalez, 37, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. They all pleaded guilty in either June or July 2019 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than five hundred grams of meth.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Munoz-Mancias to serve 360 months in federal prison. Already on supervised release for a previous conviction of illegal re-entry, the court revoked the remainder of that term and further ordered he serve an additional 24 months to run in part concurrent and in part consecutive for a total of 370 months. The court imposed respective sentences of 170 and 120 months for Roman and Delgado.
On Jan. 29, Del Rio was sentenced to 174 months imprisonment.
Judge Alvarez sentenced Martinez on Jan. 21 to a 25-year-term of imprisonment.
Martinez and Delgado will also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. Del Rio will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Not U.S. citizens, Munoz-Mancias and Roman are expected to face removal proceedings following their prison terms.
When imposing the sentencings, Judge Alvarez noted the drug trafficking organization had been successful in distributing such a significant amount of meth, that it could have devastated many families.
On Dec. 3, 2018, Munoz-Mancias had siphoned a significant amount of liquid meth from one tractor-trailer to undercover authorities and instructed them to drive the load to Dallas which they did the following day.
There, Del Rio and Roman siphoned the liquid meth into plastic barrels. After it was removed, Delgado arrived and confirmed the delivery. Martinez subsequently arrived and paid the undercover agents approximately $20,000 for the transportation.
In total, authorities seized approximately 150 gallons of liquid meth which converts to more than 500 kilograms of meth.
All have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen J. Rees prosecuted the case.
Members of Newark’s ‘Famous Boyz’ Street Gang Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five Newark men who were members of a street gang known as the “Famous Boyz” have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Robert Dorrah, 21, a/k/a “Cash Out,” was sentenced today to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Dorrah previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Ibn Saadiq, 22, a/k/a “Zero,” was sentenced on Feb. 11, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
David Lamar, 28, a/k/a “Brazy Ru,” was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.
Angelo West, 22, a/k/a “Come Up,” was sentenced on Jan. 16, 2020, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Quaheem Bethea, 21, a/k/a “Troub,” was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2020, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.Judge Arleo imposed all the sentences in Newark federal court.
In October 2018, Dorrah, Saadiq, Lamar, West and Bethea, along with 12 other members of a violent drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Newark, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and/or heroin. Shaka McKinney and Jahid Vauters, a/k/a “K,” a/k/a “KO,” also were charged with firearms possession offenses. To date, seven other members of the conspiracy, in addition to Dorrah, Saadiq, Lamar, West and Bethea, have pleaded guilty to drug and/or firearms charges in Newark federal court and await sentencing.
On Feb. 25, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Patricio Hernandez, Jonathan Hernandez, and Jonathan Garcia, a/k/a “Bebo,” with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine for their alleged participation in supplying the “Famous Boyz” with cocaine. On Sept. 30, 2019, a grand jury returned a 21-count superseding indictment against the remaining defendants, Patricio Hernandez, Jonathan Hernandez, Garcia, Javon Holmes, a/k/a “J-Dot”, and John Mosley, a/k/a “Breezy,” a/k/a “Brazy,” with various drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and heroin, distribution of cocaine base and heroin, distribution of controlled substances and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges in the superseding indictment remain pending against the remaining defendants.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are members and associates of the Famous Boyz – a subset of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang – which dealt significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, primarily in and around the area of South 18th Street and 15th Avenue, in Newark. The gang often referred to this area as the “8 Block,” “18th,” or simply by reference to the number “8”.
Mosley was a primary source of narcotics for the Famous Boyz and often directed the gang’s drug operations. Mosley and other members of the Famous Boyz shared narcotics, customers, and firearms with one another in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking activities, and they used juveniles to distribute narcotics and stash firearms. Patricio Hernandez and Jonathan Hernandez were among the main suppliers of crack cocaine to Mosley, while Vauters supplied Mosley with heroin. Heroin sold by Famous Boyz members, including Dawes, Armstrong and Williams, contained a fentanyl analogue, which is extremely dangerous and highly addictive.
Members of the Famous Boyz also used social media to promote the gang’s criminal activities, including by advertising their narcotics trafficking activities and proceeds and by threatening both rival gang members and any individuals who consider cooperating with law enforcement. Those members who sold narcotics also enriched themselves by committing other crimes, including robberies. For example, law enforcement, acting on information obtained from a wiretap, arrested West while he was attempting to commit a robbery. After law enforcement seized a .40 caliber firearm from the scene, Mosley was overheard complaining to Holmes, “so all the rachets gone” and “damn we just lost all the straps,” referring to the Famous Boyz losing their firearms.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to sentencings.
He also thanked the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini, and the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gary Marshuetz.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Mary E. Toscano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Dorrah: John Whipple Esq., Morristown, New Jersey
Bethea: Kathleen M. Theurer Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
West: Michael V. Calabro Esq., Newark
Lamar: Michael P. Koribanics Esq., Newark
Saadiq: James Patton Esq., Livingston, New JerseyMedia AdvisoryRead the Press Release
WHEN: Friday, February 14, 2020 at 2:00 PM
WHERE: United States Attorney’s Office
150 Fayetteville Street
Suite 2100
Raleigh, NC 27601
Re: Results of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Wake County Targeted Enforcement Operation
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the results of a recently completed enforcement operation in Wake County by Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers targeting those illegal aliens who were previously arrested by local authorities and then a federal detainer was not honored by the local sheriff.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are expected to be present at this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information, please e-mail Don Connelly at [email protected]. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
McKees Rocks Man Illegally Possessed Multiple Types of Drugs, Five Firearms, Ammunition and a Bulletproof VestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Joseph Alexander, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that September 11, 2018, members of the FBI Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed a federal search warrant at a residence on Saint John Street, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Mr. Alexander was located throwing objects from the rear window of the residence. Agents responded to the backyard of the residence and recovered quantities of heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, tramadol, and N–Ethylpentylone. Agents then searched the residence and recovered five firearms, an assortment of ammunition, and a bulletproof vest.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $1250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Maplewood Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography, Passport FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40, to 160 months in prison for distribution of child pornography and making false statements in an application for a passport. DOKULIL, who pleaded guilty on September 13, 2019, was sentenced today before Judge Joan N. Ericksen in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between December 2008 and November 2018, DOKULIL admitted to using file-sharing software to search for, acquire, and distribute images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. DOKULIL also admitted to traveling to the Philippines on multiple occasions and, while there in 2016, purchased several DVDs containing child pornography.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in November 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at DOKULIL’s residence and seized several items, including electronics, electronic media, various travel documents, and DOKULIL’s passport. Law enforcement informed DOKULIL that he could not report his passport lost or stolen in order to obtain a new one because the location of his passport (i.e., in the custody of the FBI) was known to DOKULIL. Despite the warning, DOKULIL submitted an application to the State Department for a replacement passport and, under penalty of perjury, falsely reported that his passport was “lost” or “missing.” After fraudulently obtaining a replacement passport, DOKULIL traveled to the Philippines. On February 26, 2019, DOKULIL was located and arrested in the Philippines and was later deported to the United States.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40
Maplewood, Minn.
Convicted:
- Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
- False statement in application for passport, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 160 months in prison
- 15 years of supervised release
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Mapleton Man Sentenced to over Eight Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Mapleton man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Daniel Easler, 44, to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Easler pleaded guilty on August 27, 2019.
According to court records, on the evening of December 4, 2018, the Caribou Police Department received a call from a citizen stating that there was a vehicle off the road in a snow bank. Law enforcement responded to the scene. There was no one in the vehicle but there were footprints in the snow leading away from the vehicle. Officers followed the footprints and found Easler, a convicted felon, lying in the snow. A search of Easler revealed multiple firearms and ammunition. One of the firearms had previously been reported as stolen.
The Caribou Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
Manager of Middletown Mall sentenced for bankruptcy and tax fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dietrich S. Fansler, former owner of the Middletown Mall, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for bankruptcy fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Fansler, of Morgantown, West Virginia, is the managing member of Pin Oak Properties, LLC, which operated Middletown Mall in Fairmont. Fansler, age 59, pled guilty to one count of “Fraudulent Concealment of Bankruptcy Estate Assets” and one count of “Willful Failure to Pay Over Tax” in September 2019.
Fansler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017. Between June 2017 and January 2018, Fansler collected rent from the tenants of the mall and was required to deposit that money into the debtor-in-possession account of Pin Oak Properties. Fansler admitted to using some of that collected rent, approximately $225,000, for expenses unrelated to Pin Oak Properties and concealing it from the creditors of the bankruptcy estate.
Fansler also admitted to failing to pay the withheld income taxes from employees of Pin Oak Properties and another one of his companies, Villa Rentals, Inc. He admits, too, that he did not pay personal income taxes for years 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. The total loss to the IRS is more than $880,000.
Fansler was ordered to pay $225,000 in restitution to the bankruptcy trustee, as well as $880,446.82 in restitution to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Littleton Felon Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that a federal jury found Johnathon Irish, 33, of Littleton, New Hampshire, guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of firearms after a four-day trial. The verdict was returned late on Wednesday afternoon.
In December of 2014, Johnathon Irish previously was convicted of aiding and abetting the making of a material false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and making a material false statement to a federal agent. In light of his felony convictions, he is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Evidence presented at trial showed that between December of 2018 and November of 2019, Irish possessed at least two firearms, a Sig Sauer 1911, .45 caliber pistol and a Catamount Fury, 12 gauge shotgun.
Irish is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2020.
“In order to maintain public safety, it is vital to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against those who unlawfully possess guns. I appreciate the efforts of the FBI and State Police for their work investigating this case.”
“The goal of sentencing is to send a clear message of deterrence and rehabilitation. But it’s a message that Johnathon Irish chose to ignore,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We thank the jury for its swift and prudent verdict because a felon who possesses a firearm when prohibited from doing so is a potential danger in a society where laws are respected and obeyed.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Kasey Weiland.
###
Kirkwood Man Sentenced for Stealing Almost 4 Million Dollars from His Former EmployerRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Bryan G. Vonderahe, 45, of Kirkwood, Missouri, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay approximately 3.8 Million Dollars in restitution to his former employer following his conviction for wire fraud. Vonderahe appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White.
According to court documents, beginning during January 2012 and continuing through January 2019, Vonderahe schemed to defraud The Boyd Group and its affiliated companies where he was employed as chief financial officer and controller. After setting himself up as a sham vendor, Vonderahe issued approximately 500 company checks to himself during that period of time, totaling approximately 3.8 million dollars, without the knowledge or authority of the company’s ownership. Vonderahe falsified internal company records and issued false financial statements to the company’s outside auditors in order to cover up and conceal his lengthy and substantial fraud scheme. Vonderahe used the stolen and embezzled funds for his own personal use, unrelated to the legitimate business of the company, including to pay for luxury automobiles; to pay for travel for himself and his family to locations such as Florida, Colorado, and Nevada; to make payments on his personal residential mortgage; and to pay for gambling and related activities. The United States forfeited several of Vonderahe’s luxury automobiles, including a Range Rover and a Cadillac Escalade, as well as his personal residence at 1943 Windy Hill Road in Kirkwood, Missouri.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Kenner Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On February 11, 2020, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced GARRETT ROTH, age 27, a resident of Kenner, to fifty-one months in the Bureau of Prisons for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
Roth was charged on August 13, 2018 in a one-count bill of information with possessing a Taurus, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol while being an unlawful user of and addicted to heroin. ROTH will serve 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Peter Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
* * *
Jury convicts tax preparer of fraud and tax violationsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A suburban Houston-area man has been convicted of 15 counts of fraud and tax violations following a two-week jury trial, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Winfred Fields operated tax and bookkeeping businesses from an office on Richmond Avenue in Houston for many years under the business names Fields Enterprises, Your Tax Professionals and The Tax Boss.
At trial, the jury heard Fields participated in a scheme involving the submission of U.S. Individual Tax Returns on behalf of foreign people working on vessels on the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States. These crewmembers were engaged in oil and gas exploitation activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
Evidence showed Fields falsely claimed workers were exempt from U.S. tax under a tax treaty between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, Spain or New Zealand. The employing companies had previously provided to the IRS withholdings from the worker’s wages and reported the income to the IRS. However, Fields submitted amended tax returns as well as original nonresident tax forms 1040NR claiming a refund of the entirety of the amounts paid in as U.S. taxes for various tax years including 2007 through 2012.
Fields charged a fee of $2,500 for each crew member’s first return and required a $1,000 fee for each return thereafter. He required direct receipt of the refunds so that he could negotiate the checks and take his fee off the top. Fields had some refund checks deposited directly into one of several bank accounts he maintained. Alternatively, he cashed the checks at a Houston check cashing business or had the checks deposited into one of several attorney trust accounts three different Houston lawyers had maintained. Fields gathered the check proceeds or deposited them into the attorney trust accounts after paying a fee to the check cashing business and the attorneys for the service of cashing the U.S. Treasury checks. Fields deposited the proceeds in one of several bank accounts he utilized during the scheme.
Fields agreed to provide the remainder of the refund proceeds to the foreign clients. He did that for a while, but ultimately stopped forwarding any money to the workers. As those individuals began contacting him to ask for updates on their refund claims, he repeatedly sent misleading and materially false responses to their questions.
The jury heard that Fields fraudulently obtained $3,097,974.19 in tax refunds from the IRS and kept approximately $1,302,271.75 for himself.
The defense attempted to convince the jury he acted in good faith and believed the wages were exempt. He also claimed he was trying to pay the crewmembers their refunds but just got behind. The jury rejected Fields’ contentions in their verdict and found him guilty as charged on all 15 counts.
U.S. District Ewing Werlein Jr. presided over trial and has set sentencing for May 2020. At that time, Fields faces up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and count of mail fraud. For the other 13 tax fraud convictions, he also faces up to three years in federal prison. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to his victims and up to $250,000 in fines.
IRS - Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Annis and Charles Escher prosecuted this case.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – A federal jury today found Nolan Nishida, 37, of Wailuku, Hawaii, guilty of attempted enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2442(b). The verdict followed a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway. Sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2020.
According to the information presented during trial, on October 11, 2017, Nishida exchanged messages with an individual whom he believed was a 14 year-old girl. He made arrangements to meet the girl for sex, and drove to meet up with her. Instead of meeting the girl, he was arrested.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maui Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Early and Margaret Nammar.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
# # #
Jury Convicts San Antonio Businessman Brian Alfaro on Federal Mail Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal jury convicted 50-year-old Brian Alfaro, owner of Primera Energy, LLC, of scheming to defraud investors in his company, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; and, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office.
Following an eight-day trial, jurors convicted Alfaro of seven counts of mail fraud. Evidence presented during trial revealed that from January 2012 to June 2015, Alfaro offered individuals the opportunity to invest in numerous oil and gas prospects, including the Screaming Eagle 4H Prospect in Gonzales County, Screaming Eagle 6H Prospect also in Gonzales County, and Black Hawk Horizontal Buda #1 Prospect. Investors mailed investment checks to Primera in San Antonio. Alfaro told investors their monies would be used for expenses related to operation of the prospects, however, Alfaro used investor funds to support his extravagant lifestyle.
Alfaro, who was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following today’s verdict, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud charge. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2020, in front of U.S. District Judge Fred Biery.
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Surovic and Robert Almonte are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Judge in Austin Sentences Owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. to Federal Prison for Investment and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 49-year-old Charles McAllister, CEO and owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. (BDI), to ten years in federal prison for money laundering and scheming to defraud customers out of millions of dollars, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; and, Texas State Securities Board Commissioner Travis J. Iles.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered McAllister to pay restitution in the amount of $16,186,212.56 to over 5,800 victims of the defendant’s scheme. Judge Yeakel also ordered that McAllister be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
“I am pleased that this scammer was brought to justice. We won’t tolerate such brazen frauds in Texas,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
On October 4, 2019, a jury convicted McAllister of two counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property.
According to evidence presented during the five-day trial, from at least January 2009 through July 2015, McAllister perpetrated a scheme that falsely represented that funds obtained from individual customers would be used to purchase precious metals on behalf of the customer and either shipped directly to the customer or stored in BDI’s vault. Instead of buying the precious metals with the customer’s funds and storing customer metals, McAllister spent customer property on BDI corporate expenses, on other investment activities, and for his own personal use and benefit.
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message to those who seek to lie, cheat and steal from others for their own financial gain,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Combs. “The victims in this case trusted the defendant but he took their money and used it fraudulently and for his own personal financial gain. The FBI will vigorously pursue those who carry out these deceitful and fraudulent schemes without regard to their victims.”
“Today's sentencing of Charles McAllister demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain,” stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Goss. “Investment schemes can thrive for a time on false claims about how the money is being invested and where the returns are coming from. But that time is gone, and as this sentencing shows, it's time for those responsible to face judgment.”
Agents with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas State Securities Board conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Keith Henneke prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Inland Empire Man Convicted of Federal Criminal Charges for Making Threats Against Congressional Staffers and an InternRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man has been found guilty by a jury of federal criminal charges that he made harassing telephone calls to government offices and threatened to injure congressional staffers and an intern who answered the calls.
Robert Eric Stahlnecker, 48, of Twentynine Palms, was found guilty yesterday evening of one count of making threats by interstate commerce and five counts of anonymous telecommunications harassment. The jury acquitted him of two counts of threatening federal employees.
According to the evidence presented at his two-day trial, on September 26, 2019, Stahlnecker made eight telephone calls within a seven-minute span to the Washington, D.C., office of Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. During the calls, Stahlnecker berated the intern who answered the call, insulted the intern by using vulgar language and finally, threatened to come to the senator’s office to kill her.
Between September and November 2019, Stahlnecker made multiple abusive telephone calls to staff members and interns of multiple members of Congress.
Stahlnecker has made more than 10,000 calls to government agencies and elected officials between January and November of last year, according to court documents.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson has scheduled a May 4 sentencing hearing, at which time Stahlnecker will face a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison.
The United States Capitol Police and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter H. Dahlquist and Robert S. Trisotto of the Riverside Branch Office.
Indian Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Alien TransportationRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK - Jaswinder Singh, age 30, and a citizen of India who most recently resided in Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for knowingly transporting illegal aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Singh, who worked as an Uber driver, admitted that between January 1, 2019 and May 20, 2019, he picked up several aliens whom he knew had crossed illegally into the United States and transported them into the interior of the United States, in exchange for payment. On May 20, 2019, the day he was arrested for this offense, Singh drove to a location in St. Lawrence County, New York, to pick up two aliens – including a child – who had illegally crossed into the United States from Canada. The aliens paid Singh $2,200 after he picked them up.
Singh, who previously sought and received asylum in the United States, faces possible deportation as a result of this offense. United States District Judge David N. Hurd imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Singh is released from prison, in the event that Singh is not deported.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
In Settlement with United States and Montana, Atlantic Richfield Agrees to Framework for Cleanup of Mining Contamination in Butte, MontanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Justice Department, announced the release of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) consent decree. This document provides the framework for the continued cleanup of mining-related contamination to protect public health and the environment in Butte and Walkerville, Montana.
The consent decree requires Atlantic Richfield to undertake or finance over $150 million in cleanup actions, provide financial assurances for future cleanup actions, and provide enhanced community benefits through the implementation of end land use plans along the Silver Bow Creek Corridor.
Additionally, EPA Region 8 is releasing an amendment to the 2006 Record of Decision for the BPSOU Operable Unit in this matter that will expand cleanup efforts. The amendment will require the removal of contaminated tailings at the Northside and Diggings East Tailings areas and contaminated sediment and additional floodplain contamination from Silver Bow and Blacktail Creeks. The amendment will also require the treatment of more contaminated stormwater before it flows into the creeks, and the capture and treatment additional contaminated groundwater. Once executed by the parties and entered by the Court, the consent decree will implement this amended remedy.
The release of the consent decree will provide the commissioners of Butte Silver Bow County – who must approve the document before it can be submitted to the court – an opportunity to consider the document in a public forum. This process allows Butte Silver Bow County to inform and educate the public and the county commissioners about the content of the consent decree. Once that process concludes, the county commissioners will vote on whether to approve the document.
“Montanans value clean water not just to drink, but to sustain our rich and beautiful environment,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for the District of Montana. “I applaud the work of the negotiating teams from the Justice Department, EPA, the state of Montana, Butte Silver Bow County and Atlantic Richfield in completing this complex agreement. We look forward to the cleanup proceeding with all speed.”
“I am very pleased to announce the release of the proposed Consent Decree and Amended Record of Decision to the Butte community,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “These documents secure the financial resources and actions for the continued cleanup of open space, residential areas, creeks and groundwater across the community. They reflect EPA’s commitment to work diligently to complete the cleanup after nearly four decades of Superfund in the great town of Butte.”
Once all consent decree signatures are obtained, the consent decree documents will be lodged with the federal district court of Montana. The Justice Department will publish a formal notice in the Federal Register, stating that the department is accepting public comment on the document for a period of thirty days from the date the notice is published. Under State law, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is also required to hold a public comment period on the consent decree, which will run concurrently.
While the public comment period will not start until after the consent decree is lodged with the court, EPA, the state, Butte Silver Bow County, and Atlantic Richfield have posted the document on their websites, and paper copies will be made available at the Montana Tech Library (1300 W. Park St.) and Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (27 W. Park St.) for public review at www.epa.gov/superfund/silver-bow-butte.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
In Settlement with United States and Montana, Atlantic Richfield Agrees to Framework for Cleanup of Mining Contamination in Butte, MontanaRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Justice Department, announced the release of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU) consent decree. This document provides the framework for the continued cleanup of mining-related contamination to protect public health and the environment in Butte and Walkerville, Montana.
The consent decree requires Atlantic Richfield to undertake or finance over $150 million in cleanup actions, provide financial assurances for future cleanup actions, and provide enhanced community benefits through the implementation of end land use plans along the Silver Bow Creek Corridor.
Additionally, EPA Region 8 is releasing an amendment to the 2006 Record of Decision for the BPSOU that will expand cleanup efforts. The amendment will require the removal of contaminated tailings at the Northside and Diggings East Tailings areas as well as contaminated sediment and additional floodplain contamination from Silver Bow and Blacktail Creeks. The amendment will also require the treatment of more contaminated storm water before it flows into the creeks, and the capture and treatment of additional contaminated groundwater. Once executed by the parties and entered by the court, the consent decree will implement this amended remedy.
The release of the consent decree will provide the commissioners of Butte Silver Bow County – who must approve the document before it can be submitted to the court – an opportunity to consider the document in a public forum. This process allows Butte Silver Bow County to inform and educate the public and the county commissioners about the content of the consent decree. Once that process concludes, the county commissioners will vote on whether to approve the document.
“Montanans value clean water not just to drink, but to sustain our rich and beautiful environment,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for the District of Montana. “I applaud the work of the negotiating teams from the Justice Department, EPA, the state of Montana, Butte Silver Bow County and Atlantic Richfield in completing this complex agreement. We look forward to the cleanup proceeding with all speed.”
“I am very pleased to announce the release of the proposed Consent Decree and Amended Record of Decision to the Butte community,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “These documents secure the financial resources and actions for the continued cleanup of open space, residential areas, creeks and groundwater across the community. They reflect EPA’s commitment to work diligently to complete the cleanup after nearly four decades of Superfund in the great town of Butte.”
Once all consent decree signatures are obtained, the consent decree documents will be lodged with the federal district court of Montana. The Justice Department will publish a formal notice in the Federal Register, stating that the department is accepting public comment on the document for a period of 30 days from the date the notice is published. Under State law, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is also required to hold a public comment period on the consent decree, which will run concurrently.
While the public comment period will not start until after the consent decree is lodged with the court, EPA, the state, Butte Silver Bow County, and Atlantic Richfield have posted the document on their websites, and paper copies will be made available at the Montana Tech Library (1300 W. Park St.) and Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (27 W. Park St.) for public review at www.epa.gov/superfund/silver-bow-butte.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Illegal Alien Found Guilty of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, and jurors having deliberated less than 40 minutes, a federal jury found Carlos Landeros-Salcedo, 26, guilty of prohibited person (alien) in possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on March 29, 2016, Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit detectives were called to a residence regarding a drug complaint. The homeowner and the defendant were informed of the complaint. The homeowner gave verbal and written consent for law enforcement to search the residence.
The defendant informed officers that he had a gun and powder in his bedroom. He then showed officers his room where a gray Tanfoglio 10mm caliber pistol on the defendant’s bed was in plain view. The firearm was loaded with approximately 10 rounds of ammunition.
Additionally, detectives recovered 21 small bags containing powder cocaine inside a jar in a dresser drawer, an assortment of baggies and a black digital scale. The defendant provided a written statement admitting to possession of the drugs.
In May of 2016, when federal agents interviewed the defendant, he admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and illegally present in the United States.
After being indicted in September 2016 on federal charges, the defendant avoided capture until August 2019. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of fake immigration documents.
Sentencing is set for May 22, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, where the defendant faces up to ten years imprisonment for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and up to twenty years imprisonment for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. Additionally, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of at least five years imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He also faces possible deportation after completion of his sentence of confinement.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized and renewed our commitment to immigration enforcement, and this case demonstrates our focus on those violent and dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry. We commend the outstanding investigative work of HSI and ICE in this case."
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations-Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
###
Hudson Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm After Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Hudson man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Charles Werenko, 52, to time served (2 ½ months) and two years of supervised release. Judge Walker found Werenko guilty following a one-day bench trial on October 3, 2019.
The evidence at trial revealed that in 2015, Werenko was convicted of domestic violence assault in the Penobscot County Superior Court. Following his conviction, he knowingly possessed a .357 Magnum revolver from an unknown date until January 31, 2019.
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Hercules, California Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Her Role in Business Email Compromise Scheme Victimizing Eastern District of Louisiana CompanyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that SONOVAH JUDITH HILLMAN, age 29, a resident of Hercules, California, pleaded guilty on February 13, 2020 to Count One of a two-count Indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
According to court documents, HILLMAN acted as a “money mule” in a scheme to victimize Victim A, a floating crane and stevedore Victim headquartered in Convent, Louisiana, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. HILLMAN and her co-conspirator(s) engaged in a “business email compromise” (BEC) scheme. They accomplished their scheme by obtaining access without authorization to the email accounts of one or more employees of Victim A for the purpose of obtaining private data, including usernames, passwords, bank account information, and the content of email accounts through a “phishing” scam. After gaining access to an email account of a Victim A employee, the individual(s) arranged to have emails in the account forwarded to a separate email account under their control. Thereafter, HILLMAN’s co-conspirators registered a domain name similar to Victim A’s domain (for example, “Victin A” instead of “Victim A”) and, pretending to be representatives of Victim A, sent emails to Victim A’s customers, including Victim B. The false emails stated that there had been an audit of Victim A’s bank accounts and that Victim A’s customers should remit funds owed to Victim A to a new bank account.
On about May 10, 2017, HILLMAN’s co-conspirators contacted one of Victim A’s customers (Victim B) via email and, pretending to be employees of Victim A, instructed that Victim B should remit funds owed to Victim A, approximately $92,007.85, to a Bank of America account that belonged to HILLMAN. After Victim B sent the funds to HILLMAN’s account, HILLMAN engaged in a series of transactions over the next five days to transfer the money to others, withdraw over $40,000 in cash, and spend ill-gotten money on personal items, including vacations and airline flights.
HILLMAN faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. Sentencing before Judge Milazzo has been scheduled for June 3, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PEDRO ALVARADO, 43, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of marijuana from Alvarado. On July 24, 2019, a court-authorized search of Alvarado’s residence revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson, Model 422, .22 caliber handgun, and approximately two pounds of marijuana.
Alvarado’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for risk of injury, assault, larceny and narcotics offenses. Federal law prohibits the possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. It is also a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Alvarado faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Alvarado is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Harrison County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen Bray, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Bray, age 36, pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base in Proximity of a Protected Location.” Bray admitted to selling cocaine base, also known as “crack,” near Lincoln Middle School in Harrison County in November 2017.
Bray faces at least one and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grand Jury Indicts 3 Top Administrators of Philippine Church in Scheme to Traffic Workers and Defraud Immigration SystemRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury has charged three top administrators of a Philippines-based church with overseeing a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a bogus charity after the defendants illegally obtained visas and other immigration documents that allowed the workers to enter and remain in the United States.
The one-count indictment returned by the grand jury late Wednesday alleges a conspiracy to commit a series of offenses, including trafficking with respect to forced labor, document servitude, immigration fraud and marriage fraud.
The three defendants were arrested last month after being named in a criminal complaint that alleged a conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Today’s indictment expands the scope of the alleged scheme and includes new details about the immigration fraud portion of the scheme.
The core allegations of the case are that representatives of the church – the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) – obtained visas for church members to enter the U.S. by claiming, for example, they would be performing at musical events. But once the church members arrived in the United States, they were required to surrender their passports and work long hours as “FTWs” (full-time workers), who solicited donations for a church non-profit called the Children’s Joy Foundation USA (CJF). While the workers raised funds by telling donors their money would benefit impoverished children in the Philippines, the indictment alleges that most or all of the money raised was used to finance KOJC operations and the lavish lifestyles of church leaders.
While some KOJC workers knew they were entering the U.S. to be fundraisers, the indictment alleges “other KOJC workers were unaware of the actual purpose until they were forced…to solicit on the streets nearly every day, year-round, working very long hours, and often sleeping in cars overnight, without normal access to over-the-counter medicine or even clothes.”
The defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and other immigration documents “to prevent and restrict…KOJC workers’ liberty to move and travel in order to maintain the labor and services of KOJC workers, some of whom were and had been a victim of a severe form of trafficking,” according to the indictment.
The three defendants charged in the indictment are:
- Guia Cabactulan, 59, the lead KOJC administrator in the United States who maintained direct communication with KOJC leadership in the Philippines;
- Marissa Duenas, 41, who allegedly secured the passports immediately after workers entered the U.S. and handled fraudulent immigration documents for KOJC workers; and
- Amanda Estopare, 48, who allegedly was in charge of tracking and reporting the money raised in the U.S. to KOJC officials in the Philippines.
All three defendants – who were arrested on January 29 and remain in federal custody – are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on February 20 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
As part of the long-running scheme, the three defendants kept productive workers in the U.S. by obtaining student visas or by arranging sham marriages with KOJC workers who were U.S. citizens, the indictment alleges. To create the illusion of legitimate marriages, Duenas allegedly possessed ATM cards to show immigration officials that workers in the sham marriages had joint bank accounts. Furthermore, Cabactulan and Duenas possessed wedding rings for KOJC workers to use during their fraudulent marriage ceremonies, according to the indictment. Immigration records summarized in the criminal complaint indicate there were 82 marriages involving KOJC administrators and FTWs over the past two decades.
When authorities searched the KOJC compound in Van Nuys on January 29, Cabactulan and Duenas possessed approximately 72 Filipino passports, seven United States passports, and one Ukrainian passport that belonged to other people, according to the indictment, which also notes that Duenas possessed four male wedding rings and three female wedding rings in an office at the KOJC compound.
The search also revealed that Duenas possessed a file titled “Traitor” that contained information on KOJC members who fled the church, the indictment alleges.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The conspiracy charge alleged in the indictment carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the FBI is encouraging potential victims or anyone with information about KOJC activities to contact investigators. Those with information are asked to call the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565. Individuals may also contact the FBI through its website at https://www.fbi.gov/tips.
The ongoing investigation into KOJC is being led by the FBI, which is receiving substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Ahn and Jake Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office.