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7 February 2020
Utica Man Previously Convicted of Bank Robbery, Charged with Bank Robberies in Depew, Gates, and Penfield Following Thruway Traffic StopRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nicholas Ferrone, 28, of Utica, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with three counts of bank robbery. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that the criminal complaint alleges that the defendant committed three bank robberies:
• On August 20, 2019, Ferrone robbed the Bank of America, located at 5091 Broadway in Depew, NY; • On October 31, 2019, Ferrone robbed the Chase Bank, located at 6 Spencerport Road in Gates, NY; and
• On December 17, 2019, Ferrone robbed the M&T Bank, located at 625 Panorama Trail in Penfield, NY.In each of the three robberies, the defendant was wearing a high-quality latex mask that covered his face, and handed the tellers notes demanding money.
On January 13, 2020, a New York State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Ferrone on the New York State Thruway. The vehicle did not have license plates displayed, nor did it display a valid inspection sticker. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered controlled substances, as well as several high quality latex masks, including one that appears to have been used in the Bank of America robbery in Depew, and another mask that appears to have been used in both the Chase Bank and M&T Bank robberies in Gates and Penfield. Also recovered from the vehicle were numerous items of clothing matching the clothing worn during the three charged robberies, along with two handwritten notes that read “I Have Gun Large Bills” and “I Have Gun All Large Bills.”
In May 2013, Ferrone was convicted in United States District Court in the Northern District of New York on eight counts of federal bank robbery.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being detained.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Major Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief James VanBrederode; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton; the East Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steve Clancy; the Depew, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Miller, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Murdering his Wife on Cruise Ship in Southeast AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Kenneth Ray Manzanares, 42, of Santa Clara, Utah, pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree for the July 2017 killing of his wife, Kristy Manzanares, onboard the cruise ship Emerald Princess in the U.S. Territorial Waters outside Southeast Alaska.
“Every year, millions of visitors come to Alaska to marvel at the stunning scenery of the Great Land,” said U.S. Attorney Schroder. “The vast majority have a safe experience that provides a lifetime of memories. However, on those rare occasions where a crime is committed on a visitor, especially a brutal crime like the murder of Kristy Manzanares, rest assured the Alaskan law enforcement community will act to bring the perpetrator to justice. Our hearts go out to the family and those close to Kristy Manzanares.”
“We at the FBI continue to keep the family and friends of Kristy Manzanares in our thoughts,” said Jeffery Peterson, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Anchorage Field Office. “The full resources of the FBI were apparent in this investigation, led by FBI Anchorage Special Agents in the Juneau Resident Agency and supported by our partners, all of whom worked fiercely to ensure justice on behalf of the victim of this heinous crime.”
According to court documents, beginning on July 24, 2017, Kenneth Manzanares, Kristy Manzanares, and Kristy’s family members were aboard the Emerald Princess on an Alaskan Cruise. On July 25, 2017, the cruise ship travelled to Juneau on the outside waters of the Alaskan coast within the special maritime and territorial waters of the United States. That same day, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Kenneth and Kristy Manzanares were inside their cabin, along with a minor child and their daughter.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Kenneth and Kristy Manzanares became involved in a verbal argument about Kenneth’s behavior that evening, and, during the discussion, Kristy stated she wanted a divorce and told him to disembark the vessel at Juneau in order for him to travel back home to Utah. Kenneth Manzanares told the minor child and their daughter to leave the room; both went into an adjoining relatives’ cabin. A few minutes later, they both heard Kristy Manzanares scream and attempted to reenter the cabin using their room’s adjoining door when Kenneth told them “don’t come in here.” They both went to the connected balcony and observed Kenneth Manzanares straddling Kristy Manzanares on the floor, and striking her in the head with closed fists.
Prior to security officers arriving to the cabin, Kristy Manzanares’ two brothers and father arrived on scene and observed Kenneth Manzanares grab Kristy’s body and drag her toward the balcony. One of Kristy’s brothers then grabbed her ankles and pulled her back into the cabin. Soon after, at approximately 9:03 p.m., ship security and medical personnel arrived and attempted to perform life saving measures on Kristy Manzanares, but were unsuccessful. It was determined that Kristy Manzanares was killed by blunt force trauma to her head and face. Manzanares was arrested on July 26, 2017, and has remained in federal custody.
Kenneth Manzanares faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both, for his crime. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. Additional investigative assistance was provided by the FBI’s Seattle and Salt Lake City Field Offices, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Coast Guard District 17, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Twice-Convicted Chester County Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Again Committing Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that James Connor, 24, of West Chester, PA was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez for multiple child exploitation offenses including manufacturing and possessing child pornography. His sentence also prohibits all contact with his victims and requires that he register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
The defendant pleaded guilty in August 2019 to multiple criminal charges involving his manufacture of child pornography and his sexual abuse and exploitation of a 14-year old child from January 2018 through April 2018. Connor was also convicted of collecting more than 21,000 images of child pornography downloaded from the internet that depicted children who were abused and photographed around the world. At the time he committed these crimes, Connor was already a convicted sex offender, having been convicted in the District of Massachusetts in connection with his cyberstalking and extortion involving a different 14-year old victim just two years prior, in 2016. He was on federal supervised release at the time of these crimes against his second 14-year old victim in 2018, and he was being supervised by the United States Probation Office.
“The defendant is a dangerous predator who repeatedly targeted children for sexual exploitation, even after facing prior criminal consequences,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Clearly, Connor’s original conviction and prison sentence did nothing to dissuade him from preying on vulnerable children. Today’s significant sentence will keep him safely behind bars and unable to commit similar crimes for a much longer time. Protecting children from this type of abuse and holding their abusers accountable will always be a priority of our Office and the Department of Justice.”
“The victimization of a child is unconscionable,” said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Yet these crimes take place too often in our communities. Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners remain committed to wiping out the exploitation of children online. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that there are clear consequences for such menacing behavior.”
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.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Three-Time Convicted Shreveport Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Angelo Demario Young, 30, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed with the court, on June 11, 2019, Angelo Young recorded a video of himself and posted it to social media showing him firing numerous rounds of ammunition from a Glock .357 pistol into a paper target at a shooting range in Shreveport. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Young’s three prior felony convictions in Caddo Parish for illegal possession of a stolen firearm (2009), possession with intent to distribute narcotics (2015), and possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon (2017), prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Angelo Young will be sentenced by Judge Hicks on June 10, 2020, and faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Three Individuals Convicted for Participating in International Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Justin Green, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Office, United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), announced the convictions of three defendants for various offenses relating to an international fraud scheme.
Following a 13-day trial, on February 6, 2020, a jury found Raoul Doekhie, 51, of Suriname, Johnny Grobman 46, of Golden Beach, Florida, and Sherida Nabi, 55, of Suriname, guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiring to obtain pre-retail medical products worth $5,000 or more by fraud or deception, theft of pre-retail medical products, and smuggling goods from the United States. Sentencing is scheduled in Miami, Florida for April 23, 2020.
A fourth conspirator, Edgar Torres, 61, of Brandford, Florida, pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on June 24, 2019. Torres is scheduled to be sentenced in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on February 11, 2020.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between 2013 and 2018, the defendants, who also maintained residences in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, orchestrated an elaborate scheme to obtain FDA-regulated products from manufacturers in the United States at deeply discounted prices, including infant formula, eye-care products, and other food and medical devices. To get these discounts, Doekhie and Nabi told the manufacturers that they were purchasing the products to ship overseas, to Suriname, often in connection with purported government procurement contracts they held in Suriname. In fact, Defendants did not have government procurement contracts and never intended to export the products to Suriname. Instead, Grobman and others sold the products in the United States for tens of millions of dollars, which the three defendants later split among themselves.
The defendants hid their activity from the victim companies in one of three ways. The first was to send “dummy” shipments abroad. The dummy shipments did not contain the products purchased from the manufacturers, but they did generate documentation to prove that an export occurred. The second method was to “U-turn” the products: The products were shipped abroad, generating export documentation. As soon as they arrived overseas, they were shipped back to the United States. The third method was to create fraudulent export shipping documentation showing that the products were exported when they actually never left the country.
According to the superseding indictment, over $61 million in criminal proceeds is traceable to Grobman. Over $69 million is traceable to Doekhie and Nabi.
This case is the second large-scale prosecution by the South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office and FDA-OCI targeting fraud schemes related to the so-called “gray market,” which involves the diversion and re-sale of certain goods that were not intended for distribution in the United States. Previously on September 4, 2019, U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan announced the convictions of five defendants, including Byramji Javat, a citizen of Pakistan and Chairman of the Dubai-based Uniworld Group, for various offenses relating to a global fraud scheme that relied upon false claims about the United States military and the Government of Afghanistan.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of FDA-OCI. She also thanked the Broward County Sherriff’s Office for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Shaw, Christopher Browne, and John Shipley prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Rosen is handling asset forfeiture.
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.
Three Harrisburg Men Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jorge Maldonado, age 59, Joel Maldonado, age 23, and Jose Flores, age 58, all of Harrisburg, were indicted on February 5, 2020, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl; possession of a firearm by a felon; and maintaining a drug premises in Harrisburg between August 1, 2019 and January 23, 2020. The conspiracy involved over 100 grams of heroin and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances is 40 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for maintaining a drug premises is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for possession of a firearm by a felon is 10 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Three Defendants Sentenced to More Than 15 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas – David Clay Fowlkes, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas announced that three (3) individuals were sentenced by the United States District Court for Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than 100 Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, Marion Sue Denton, Jesus Baeza Limon and William Ray Eldridge were arrested on April 26, 2019 in Van Buren, Arkansas, while in possession of approximately 330 grams of heroin and 43 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Defendants in this conspiracy received the following sentences:
Marian Sue Denton, age 50, of Van Buren, Arkansas was sentenced today, February 5, 2020 to 63 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. Denton was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in May 2019, and plead guilty in July of 2019.
Jesus Baeza Limon, age 23, of Bakersfield, California was sentenced January 13, 2020 to 57 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. Denton was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in May of 2019, and plead guilty in September of 2019.
William Ray Eldridge, age 60, of Van Buren, Arkansas was sentenced February 3, 2020 to 70 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. Eldridge was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in May of 2019 and plead guilty in August of 2019.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, 12/21st Drug Task Force, and the Van Buren Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Candace Taylor prosecuted the case for the Western District of Arkansas.
Three Defendants Indicted in Postal Carrier KidnappingRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment charging Mark Rogers, 36, Joseph Way, a/k/a Gus, 34, and Tashara Levans, 35, all of Rochester, NY, with kidnapping of a federal employee. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that the indictment alleges that Rogers, Way, and Levans kidnapped a U.S. Postal Service employee in the City of Rochester on November 16, 2019.
The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and are being held pending detention hearings.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 720 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An El Paso, Texas, man from whom officers seized nearly $500,000 in illegal drug proceeds pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy that distributed more than 720 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area.
Otilio Zaragoza-Navarrette, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from October 2013 to Nov. 15, 2018. Zaragoza-Navarrette admitted that he was a drug courier for the drug-trafficking organization, transporting cocaine to the Kansas City metropolitan area and transporting illicit drug proceeds from the drug-trafficking organization back to Texas and/or to Mexico.
Co-defendant Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon, also known as “Uncle” or “Rambo,” 39, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 22, 2020, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to money laundering. Armendariz-Rascon admitted that he distributed 360 kilograms of cocaine per year in 2015 and 2016, for a total of 720 kilograms of powder cocaine.
Armendariz-Rascon was in charge of coordinating the transportation of loads of cocaine from the El Paso area to the Kansas City metropolitan area for distribution. Armendariz-Rascon would then coordinate the collection of bulk cash that was sent back to El Paso as payment for the cocaine. Armendariz-Rascon admitted that he coordinated the distribution of 10 to 15 kilograms of cocaine per week.
Zaragoza-Navarrette delivered cocaine to Jose Armendariz-Rascon as well as to co-defendants Miguel Armendariz-Rascon, 31, a citizen of Mexico residing in Olathe, Kansas, and Jesus Salvador Campoy-Estrada, also known as “Chava” and “Chavita,” 25, who each have pleaded guilty. Zaragoza-Navarrette hid the cocaine and/or the cash proceeds inside of five-gallon gas cans and anti-freeze jugs on his commercial semi-tractor trailer.
In one instance, law enforcement officers seized nearly $500,000 from Zaragoza-Navarrette. On May 21, 2017, investigators were conducting surveillance at a residence in the 4700 block of North Mulberry Court in Kansas City as Campoy-Estrada was driving a white Chevrolet van with Miguel Armendariz-Rascon in the passenger’s seat. Investigators followed the van as it proceeded to the area of Candlewood Suites, 4450 Randolph Road, Kansas City, and pulled onto Corrington Road on the west side of Candlewood Suites. The van parked in front of a diesel tractor-trailer. Campoy-Estrada carried a white plastic jug from the van to the passenger side of the tractor-trailer. Campoy-Estrada then returned to the van with a red plastic gas can and placed the gas can into the rear of the van. Campoy-Estrada and Miguel Armendariz-Rascon then left the area.
Law enforcement officers continued to surveil the tractor-trailer, being driven by Zaragoza-Navarrette, as it left the Candlewood Suites and began to drive northbound on I-35. The Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop of the tractor-trailer at mile marker 68. Troopers searched the vehicle and found a red five-gallon plastic gas can and two white plastic jugs that contained a total of $491,211.
Zaragoza-Navarrette admitted that he personally transported in excess of 50 kilograms of cocaine during his involvement in the conspiracy. Zaragoza-Navarrette admitted that he transported at least five kilograms of cocaine each time he made a delivery to the drug-trafficking organization. A confidential witness met with Zaragoza-Navarette approximately 18 times. During every meeting with Zaragoza-Navarrette, the confidential witness reported that at least $40,000 to $50,000 would be given to Zaragoza-Navarrette to ship back to Mexico. On a few occasions, approximately $500,000 was provided to Zaragoza-Navarrette.
A confidential source has indicated the drug-trafficking organization purchased cocaine for approximately $27,000 to $27,500 per kilogram. Accordingly, $491,211 in illicit drug proceeds would convert to between 15 and 19 kilograms of powder cocaine.
Zaragoza-Navarrette and Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon are among nine defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case.
Under federal statutes, Zaragoza-Navarrette is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. Jose Armendariz-Rascon is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Sentenced on Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced on February 6, 2020 that ZETRICK JONES, age 36, a resident of Tickfaw, Louisiana, was sentenced to serve a total of 107 months in federal prison for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act. This sentence consisted of 47 months on the drug trafficking charge and an additional 60 months for the firearms violation. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his release from custody.
JONES was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury on December 13, 2018 for five separate violations of federal law. This indictment was the result of a drug investigation that was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.
During the course of this investigation, agents learned that JONES kept several types of drugs and firearms at his residence. This led agents to execute a search warrant at his address on August 6, 2018. As a result of the search, agents recovered 92 grams of heroin, 76 grams of marijuana, 721 Xanax pills, 24 Roxycontin pills, 6.9 grams of methamphetamine, four digital scales and a press (all of which are used in the distribution of illegal drugs), two boxes containing 22 bottles of promethazine, $3,469 in U.S. currency, a stolen pink and black Diamondback .380 caliber pistol (bearing serial number ZI1506), a Zastava AK-47 (serial number 049008), and a stolen black Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun (serial number RZH342), along with various ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu is in charge of the prosecution.
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Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN GENIS, 27, of Stamford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 28, 2019, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of a Century Arms International 7.62 caliber AK pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition from Genis for $900.
In November 2015, Genis was convicted in state court of three counts of possession with intent to sell narcotics. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for May 4, 2020, at which time Genis faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Genis has been detained since his arrest on June 27, 2019.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria del Pilar Gonzalez and Brendan Keefe.
This prosecution has been brought through 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.
South Carolina man sentenced to prison for taking minor across state line for sexRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for picking up a Savannah runaway and taking her across state lines for sex.
Darick McPherson, 20, of Ridgeland, S.C., pled guilty to Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore to 120 months in prison and to pay restitution of $29,775.50, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. McPherson also will be required to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This was no ‘Romeo and Juliet’ romantic fantasy,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “This is an adult predator who groomed a 12-year-old from a troubled home and enticed her to sneak away in the dead of night for his own sick gratification. The young victim will now have an opportunity to mature without his malignant influence.”
According to court documents and testimony, police in Ridgeland, S.C., discovered McPherson with the victim on the night of Dec. 19, 2017, after complaints of a domestic disturbance. The investigation determined McPherson had picked up the 12-year-old from her Savannah home after her guardian left for work and drove her to South Carolina.
“It is clear from this sentencing that McPherson’s actions will not be tolerated by our justice system,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Our warning to predators is that the FBI is determined to go to great lengths to protect our most vulnerable citizens from those who seek to manipulate and do them harm.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with the Allendale, S.C., and Ridgeland, S.C., Police Departments and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.
South Bend Man ChargedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Bradley Burns, age 31, of South Bend, Indiana, has been charged by criminal complaint for conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to deliver and being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to documents in this case, on February 5, 2020, a criminal complaint was filed alleging that agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Oklahoma City. Law enforcement found duffle bags containing 120 pounds of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin located in the car. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations determined that the narcotics were destined for a house on South Kentucky Street in South Bend and that the narcotics were to be delivered to Bradley Burns. Agents replaced the actual narcotics with a sham substance, and then delivered the vehicle to that house. As police approached the house, Burns ran from the back door of the house, leapt over a fence and was thereafter apprehended by police. HSI agents obtained a search warrant for the residence and found a .38 caliber revolver, an AK-47 style rifle, an AR style rifle, a money counting machine, United States currency, receipts for money orders, a heat sealing machine, heat sealing bags, a small quantity of fentanyl, a cutting agent, and cell phones.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a Criminal Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated Homeland Security Investigations (a component of the Department of Homeland Security) with the assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, South Bend Police Department (including its Strategic Focus and SWAT Units), St. Joseph County Police Department, the Indiana State Police and Elkhart City Police. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Schultz.
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Snow Hill Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced JEREMY DWIGHT LANE, 38, of Raleigh to 240 months’ imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. LANE was named in an 11-count Indictment on August 14, 2019, charging him with 10 counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. On November 7, 2019, he pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
According to the investigation, beginning in April 2017, local law enforcement in South Carolina identified an IP address engaged in the downloading and sharing of child exploitation material on a peer to peer network. After the IP address was traced to LANE at an address in La Grange, North Carolina, South Carolina law enforcement referred the case to North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).
On June 12, 2017, the NCSBI and Greene County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the address. LANE agreed to be interviewed and admitted that he had been downloading child pornography from the internet for about a year. LANE, also admitted to having previously molested two students who had been under his care. A forensic examination of LANE’S laptop and other electronic devices uncovered over 50 images and 100 videos that he had collected from the internet depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Smith County Woman Sentenced in Counterfeit Immigration Documents ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –A 53-year-old Tyler, Texas woman has been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno today.
Virginia Colis Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Sep. 30, 2019 to conspiracy to produce and transfer false identification documents and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. The court also ordered forfeiture of firearms and ammunition; a computer and three printers; $30,961.09 in currency and bank accounts; and two pieces of real property in Flint, Texas.
According to information presented in court, beginning in April 2009, Rodriguez conspired with others, including her husband, Jose Luis Marquez Rodriguez, to produce and sell fictitious U.S. identification documents to others. The false documents included U.S. Social Security cards and Permanent Residence cards. Rodriguez admitted to being personally responsible for the transfer of over 25 false identification documents as part of this conspiracy. Marquez Rodriguez will be sentenced later this month. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 23, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Tyler Resident Agency, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson.
Saint Louis County Man Indicted for Armed Carjacking that Resulted in Victim's DeathRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – A federal indictment was returned today against Lashawn Travion Clayburn, 18, of Saint Louis County, for his role in the January 5, 2019 death of victim Naomi Miller, 61, of Pine Lawn. The indictment specifically charges Clayburn with one count for carjacking victim Miller’s 2014 red Ford Escape and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of that carjacking that resulted in victim Miller’s death.
If convicted, both charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. As is always the 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.
Clayburn has been in state custody since March 2, 2019, when he was charged in Saint Louis City Circuit Court with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Chrishaun Hilliard on January 17, 2019.
“Today’s indictment is an example of what happens when law enforcement joins together at every level to make our communities safer and bring those responsible for these senseless acts of violence to justice,” said Marino Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.
“We are pleased that the coordinated effort of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners involved in the investigation of this horrible crime resulted in this federal indictment,” said North County Police Cooperative Major Ron Martin after the return of today’s indictment. “Ms. Miller was a cherished member of this community. We hope today’s indictment brings some small solace to her family and many friends.”
“The Major Case Squad of the greater St. Louis Area is dedicated to responding rapidly to assist in solving these homicides. Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly with local, state, and federal authorities to make sure perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes,” stated Bruce Hayes, Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the North County Police Cooperative, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, and the Ferguson Police Department are investigating this case.
Rochester Woman Sentenced for Role as Driver in Greece Liquor Store RobberyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Kayla Dade, 20, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of Hobbs Act Robbery, was sentenced to serve 31 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who handled the case, stated that on January 23, 2019, the defendant drove co-defendants Lavon Wims and Malik Lott to the vicinity of Jordy’s Spirits at 3725 Dewey Avenue in Greece, NY. Dade waited in the car while Wims and Lott entered Jordy’s Spirits. Once inside, Wims pointed what appeared to be a handgun at a store employee and demanded money. Lott assisted Wims in removing cash from the register, and they left with approximately $350. Wims and Lott then returned to Dade’s car, and she drove them away from the area of the robbery. The defendant knew that Wims had committed robberies prior to January 23, 2019, and previously possessed a firearm.
Co-defendants Lott and Wims were previously convicted and sentenced for their roles in the robbery at Jordy’s Spirits, as well other robberies in the Rochester area.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rochester Area Major Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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Rochester Man Sentenced to Prison After Fleeing Police with Cocaine and A GunRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Anthony McIntyre, 37, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted following a jury trial of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and who subsequently pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a handgun and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 86 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean C. Eldridge and Cassie M. Kocher, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on December 1, 2017, Rochester Police officers attempted to stop a vehicle that was being driven by the defendant on Dewey Avenue after seeing the driver commit a traffic violation. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle, McIntyre pulled into a driveway on Ravine Avenue, got out of the vehicle, and ran. While the defendant was running, he removed from his waistband a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun that had a defaced serial number and was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. McIntyre threw the gun in a garbage can, as he continued to run from officers. He was taken into custody after a brief, block-long chase.
While searching the defendant, officers also found approximately 93 grams of cocaine, a quantity of marijuana, and $2,746 in his pants and jacket pockets.
On April 10, 2007, in U.S. District Court, McIntyre was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison. As a result, the defendant was legally prohibited from possessing a gun on December 1, 2017.
In addition to convicting defendant of the aforementioned charges, the jury also found McIntyre guilty of possessing marijuana.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division.
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Providence Man Sentenced for Unlawful Sale of Firearms, Witness IntimidationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man, one of twenty-six individuals arrested during an eighteen month Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into firearms and drug trafficking in and around Providence in 2017 and 2018, was sentenced on Thursday to twenty-four months in federal prison.
Emmanuel Miamen, 25, was arrested in September 2018 by members of the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force after unlawfully selling two AR-47 assault rifles and two handguns, and offering to sell an individual a grenade launcher for $8,000.
Soon after Miamen’s arrest and arraignment in U.S. District Court in October 2018, he posted several threatening messages on social media directed at his indictment and a person who assisted the FBI in the investigation. He was re-arrested and charged with witness intimidation.
Miamen pleaded guilty on June 13, 2019, to conspiracy to traffic in firearms, trafficking in firearms, conspiracy and unlicensed dealing in firearms, and attempted witness tampering.
On Thursday, Miamen was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to twenty-four months imprisonment to be followed by three years’ supervised release, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
This Project Safe Neighborhoods case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and Helen H. Lee, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the Rhode Island National Guard.
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Providence Man Faces up to 20 Years in Prison in $568 Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who threatened a bank teller as he passed a note demanding cash is facing up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on Thursday in a bank robbery that netted him $568.
David L. Evans, 51, admitted that on May 31, 2018, he handed a note to a teller at a Santander Bank branch office in Providence demanding cash, at the same time telling her to empty both drawers and that “you have three seconds to give me the money and I’m not joking, I’m serious.”
According to information presented to the court, the bank teller handed Evans $568 in cash. Contained in the currency was a GPS tracker and Dye pack, which Evans threw back at the teller as he left the bank.
Evans did nothing to conceal his face and identity during the robbery, which was recorded on bank surveillance video and still photographs. The images were used to confirm his identity. He was arrested on June 6, 2018, by Providence Police Detectives and the FBI.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy, Evans pleaded guilty to a charge of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2020.
Bank robbery is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in prison followed by up to 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of up to $250.000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey P. Veroni and Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Palm Bay Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Rose Beth Litzky (33, Palm Bay) to 30 years in federal prison for conspiring to sexually exploit children, sexually exploiting children, and possessing child pornography.
A federal jury had found Litzky guilty on July 29, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2014 and 2016, Litzky conspired with her boyfriend, Roberto Oquendo, to sexually exploit two young children in her custody and care. Litzky, who lived in Florida, caused the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct while Oquendo watched using a video and messaging app from his residence in Virginia. Oquendo created hundreds of screenshots of the explicit visual depictions and transported them to Brevard County, where law enforcement found them on his cell phone.
During an interview with law enforcement officers, Litzky also admitted to producing hundreds of sexually explicit pictures of the children and texting them to Oquendo for his sexual gratification. Law enforcement searched Litzky’s phone and found a sexually explicit image of one of the children, who was two years old at the time the picture was taken.
On August 26, 2019, U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Oquendo to 50 years in federal prison for his role in the offenses.
“Child pornography is a despicable crime so I commend the efforts of the agents and federal prosecutors who are relentless in their work to ensure children are protected from these sexual predators,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael McPherson.
“I am so very proud of these agents who are devoted to protecting children by making sure the evil men and women who hurt them are brought to justice,” stated Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. “These cases are an example of how cooperation between agencies keeps our children safe. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting these cases and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for all of their support in fighting the exploitation of children.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilianys River Miranda and Karen L. Gable.
This 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Owner of Essex County-Based Medical Transportation Company Admits Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Khalid M. Chadder, age 50, of Ticonderoga, New York, pled guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud Medicaid.
The announcement was made by:
- United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith;
- New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett;
- James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and
- New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro.
Chadder operated Chadder Imports, Inc., d/b/a Adirondack Taxi and Limo, Inc. (“Adirondack Taxi”), a Medicaid-funded transportation company based in Ticonderoga.
Chadder admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he committed several frauds against Medicaid and the New York State Department of Health, including: billing Medicaid and receiving payment for trips where beneficiaries drove themselves to their own medical appointments, and falsifying the identities of the drivers for those trips; and billing Medicaid and receiving payment for roundtrips to and from medical appointments when the beneficiaries took only one-way trips with Adirondack Taxi.
Chadder faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years, when he is sentenced on June 9, 2020 by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Chadder has also agreed to pay $200,000 in restitution.
Chadder is the last of 6 defendants to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with a multi-agency investigation into Medicaid fraud committed by the owners and operators of medical transportation companies based in Essex County. The following defendants have previously pled guilty:
Name
Residence
Federal charge(s)
Sentence
Arshad Nazir
Ticonderoga
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud; conspiracy to pay bribes and kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries
1 year and 1 day in prison, and ordered to pay $450,000 in restitution
Waqas Nauman
Queensbury, New York
Health care fraud
Time served (25 days in jail), and ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution
Khurram Gondal, aka Khurram Choudhary
Ticonderoga
Health care fraud
Time served (25 days in jail), and ordered to pay $60,000 in restitution
Qaiser Gondal
Watervliet, New York
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud
Sentencing scheduled for March 11, 2020
Anthony Armstrong
Ticonderoga
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud; conspiracy to pay bribes and kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries
Sentencing scheduled for March 11, 2020
These cases were investigated by the FBI, the New York State Police’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Office of the New York State Inspector General, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Several additional agencies assisted in this investigation, including the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; New York State Police-Troop B; the Office of the New York State Comptroller, Division of Investigations; New York State Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); Essex County Sheriff’s Office; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG); and the New York State Department of Labor.
Oregon Man Working Remotely for Provo Company Charged with Using Position, Access to Defraud CompanyRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charges Dustin Erhardt, age 33, of Beaverton, Ore., with five counts of wire fraud in connection with what the indictment alleges was a scheme to use his position and access as a contractor to defraud a Provo company.
According to the indictment, Erhardt began working as a contractor for Dark Energy, a Provo business, on March 27, 2017. His primary job was to do marketing for Dark Energy. He worked remotely and never met the owner of the company in person, the indictment says. His responsibilities included managing Dark Energy’s Amazon seller account.
Dark Energy makes military grade power products, including the Poseidon Device, which is a portable charger that is waterproof and crushproof. The device retails for $99.99, according to the indictment. One of the places the company sells its products is on Amazon. The company keeps its products at a warehouse in Salt Lake City, managed by Agile Supply Chain Strategies.
The indictment alleges that from about July 6, 2017 through about Dec. 7, 2017, Erhardt devised a scheme to defraud his employer. As a part of the scheme, Erhardt used Dark Energy’s confidential information without authorization, including login information to its warehouse, to ship to company’s products to himself or to Amazon Fulfillment Centers for sale on his own Amazon account. The indictment alleges he pocketed the proceeds of the scheme. According to the indictment, Erhardt stole at least 1,102 Poseidon Devices from Dark Energy through his scheme.
The indictment alleges that when the company discovered that there were unauthorized sellers on Amazon, who had somehow acquired the Poseidon devices, Erhardt offered to find out who the unauthorized sellers were in an effort to conceal his theft from the company. When Erhardt was laid off in December 2017, Dark Energy was still unaware he was the unauthorized Amazon seller. He continued to sell the remaining Poseidon Devices he had diverted from the company. As the investigation into continued, law enforcement officers discovered Erhardt was the unauthorized seller.
Erhardt was arrested Wednesday morning in Oregon and had an initial appearance in federal court in Oregon. He is not in custody. His next court appearance will be Thursday at 3:45 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Furse in Salt Lake City. The maximum potential penalty for each of the five counts of wire fraud is 20 years in federal prison.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Salt Lake City are prosecuting the case. It is being investigated by the FBI’s Cyber Task Force and Provo Police Department Detective Robert Payne, who is a member of the Cyber Task Force.
Opportunity for Victim Input to Court in Pending Motion by Bernard L. Madoff for Sentence ReductionRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, Attorney for the United States acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that, pursuant to an order issued by the Honorable Denny Chin, United States Circuit Court Judge, victims of Bernard L. Madoff have the opportunity to provide the Court with their views regarding Madoff’s pending motion for a sentence reduction. A copy of the notice to victims is attached (the “Notice”).
As set forth in the Notice, on June 29, 2009, defendant Bernard L. Madoff was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 150 years. Madoff has served approximately 10 years of his sentence.
On February 5, 2020, Madoff filed a motion with the Court for a sentencing reduction pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582 and the First Step Act. The motion, which seeks Madoff’s immediate release from prison, is based primarily on his various medical conditions. The Government will file a response to Madoff’s motion. The Court may also order a public hearing on the motion. A copy of the briefs relating to Madoff’s motion for a sentence reduction can be found at:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/madoff-sentence-reduction
If you are a victim of Madoff’s crimes and you wish to provide your views to Judge Chin with respect to Madoff’s motion for a sentence reduction, you may do so. Please address any such correspondence to the Court, but send the correspondence to the Victim/Witness coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York by email as follows:
Ms. Wendy Olsen-Clancy
Victim/Witness Coordinator
United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York
email: [email protected]
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will then provide a copy of any correspondence received to the Court and counsel for Madoff. The Court has set a deadline of February 28, 2020 for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to receive any correspondence from victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also provide notice on the above-noted website of any public hearing date set by the Court.
Op Ed: Banning Fentanyl Analogues Is Good Policy for Communities Suffering from the Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the President signed into law the “Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act.” This law is critical to ensuring that law enforcement around the country have the tools they need to fight the deadly opioid epidemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2017. Opioids, including the dangerous illicitly-made drug fentanyl, accounted for over 47,600 of those deaths. Preliminary numbers suggest similar results for 2018. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Several years ago, drug dealers began mixing fentanyl with heroin to increase the appeal of heroin for users. As the potency increased, so did the number of overdose deaths. Because fentanyl is made in labs using chemicals, its structure is easily manipulated. Drug cartels that manufacture and traffic this poison understand American laws and know how to exploit them. They know that by changing a single molecule in the chemical structure of fentanyl, they have essentially created a new drug that, unlike fentanyl, is not permanently illegal in the United States.
These drugs known as “fentanyl analogues,” do the same thing fentanyl does: creating more addicts and killing more Americans. These analogues can be up to 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl and its analogues are increasingly being pressed into pill form, causing extreme danger to users who might not know the true nature of the substance.
The Department of Justice noted these trends and, on February 6, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued an emergency temporary two-year order that made all fentanyl analogues illegal. This greatly assisted American law enforcement, including my office, in its fight against the drug cartels and subsequently against the opioids crisis, which is no stranger to Tennesseans.
In 2018, the Eastern District of Tennessee, which covers 41 of 95 counties in the state of Tennessee and approximately 2.5 million people, was one of the 10 hardest hit areas in the United States for drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths. The proximity of Knoxville to the interstates, coming up from Atlanta and down from Detroit, make our district a hotbed for drug activity and trafficking.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, like much of the nation, over the past five years drug overdose deaths in Tennessee have consistently increased. In 2018 alone, 1,818 Tennesseans died of a drug overdose, and 742 of those deaths involved fentanyl or its analogues. Since DEA’s two-year order was signed, in East Tennessee alone, our Assistant U.S. Attorneys have indicted 25 cases and 110 defendants involving fentanyl. Five of those 25 cases involved fentanyl analogues (20 percent). We have alleged in these indictments that nine people have died as a result of ingesting these dangerous substances.
Because of the impact that the emergency order has had on preventing analogues in our communities, Congress recently enacted the “Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act,” providing a 15-month extension of DEA’s original order, which President Trump signed into law yesterday. The temporary extension, which expires on May 6, 2021, will continue to help us in our efforts to combat this epidemic; but to ensure fentanyl analogues are never able to devastate communities like fentanyl has, we hope Congress will eventually pass permanent legislation to make these substances illegal to help the people of Tennessee and this nation.
Omaha Daycare Owners Sentenced for Fraudulent PracticesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Naimi Haji, 29, and her husband, Abdikadir Miji, 32, both of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for theft of government property. Miji was sentenced to 8 months in prison and will also serve 3 years on supervised release. He is to pay $100,287.06 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. Haji will be on federal probation for 5 years and pay restitution in the amount of $42,840.20.
The Omaha couple owned Comfort Home Care and M&N Day Care Center which were licensed by the State of Nebraska as Family Child Care Home II businesses. Haji signed contracts with the State of Nebraska to receive reimbursement payments through the Child Care and Development Fund program (CCDF) for child care expenses for eligible children pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States and the State of Nebraska. Miji and Haji then submitted claims for the daycares for reimbursement.
Investigation by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Health and Human Services showed that between June 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016, Miji and Haji worked to submit false claims relating to the number of children attending the daycare facilities in order to receive payments from the United States and the United States Department of Health and Human Services through the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program. The claims contained false information about the number of students attending the daycares on given days and the hours students were at each daycare. Based on those false claims, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reimbursed $42,840.02 alone. Miji and Haji then converted those fund for their own personal use. The total loss from the day care centers amounted to $100, 278.06.
“Every dollar in the taxpayer-funded child care program is vitally important to our nation’s families,” said Curt Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working with our State and Federal law enforcement partners, we will investigate and seek justice against those who would attack these crucial benefits.”
This case was investigated by U.S. HHS Office of Investigations and Office of Audit Services, the State of Nebraska HHS Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, and Housing & Urban Development Office of Investigations.
Northwood, Ohio man charged with smuggling goods and misbranded drugsRead the Press Release
An indictment was filed against Eric Taylor, age 44, of Northwood, Ohio, charging him with smuggling goods, misbranded drugs and unapproved drugs.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the United States Food and Drug Administration. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Freeman.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
North Liberty Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On February 5, 2020, United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey, sentenced Ricki Charles Hess, age 55, of North Liberty, to 144 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Hess was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment, pay $9,000 in restitution and $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and to comply with sex offender registry requirements upon release.
On August 19, 2019, Hess pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The investigation began in August 2017 when the North Liberty Police Department received a cyber-tip from the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force relating to Hess. Agents searched Hess’s residence and seized several electronic devices. A forensic analysis was conducted on Hess’s HP computer, a hard drive, and a cellular phone and it revealed numerous images of child pornography. In excess of 160 video files and more than 30 images of child pornography were found in Hess’ possession.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), with assistance from the North Liberty Police Department and ICAC. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
New York man pleads guilty to Brunswick, Ga., bank robberyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A New York man has admitted to robbing a Brunswick bank in October 2019.
Lionel Valenzuela, 54, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Brunswick to one count of Bank Robbery, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In his plea, Valenzuela admitted robbing the Ameris Bank at 3440 Cypress Road in Brunswick on Oct. 30, 2019. Valenzuela threatened the clerk by saying he had a firearm and demanding money. He ran from the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash, and was quickly captured by Brunswick Police officers after a private citizen identified him. The cash from the robbery was recovered, but no weapon was found.
“Lionel Valenzuela needlessly put working people in fear for their lives for the sole purpose of stealing money,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We’re grateful to the alert bystander and the Brunswick Police officers who stopped Valenzuela’s brief crime spree, and hope a substantial prison sentence will bring it to a permanent end.”
“The FBI would like to thank the citizen who helped the Brunswick police officers arrest Valenzuela,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It’s another example of how our partnerships with law enforcement agencies and our reliance on the public for assistance are vital in protecting our citizens.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Joshua Bearden.
Nashville Man Convicted of Sex-Trafficking 12-Year-Old RunawayRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – February 7, 2020 – Tavarie Williams, 40, of Nashville, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of sex trafficking a minor and transportation of a minor for the purpose of engaging in prostitution and criminal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. The jury found Williams not guilty of a third count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, after the week-long trial.
According to evidence and testimony at trial, in June and July 2016, Williams picked up a 12-year old runaway girl in San Antonio, Texas and posted ads on Backpage.com advertising her for prostitution. During this time, Williams transported the girl to Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee for the purpose of having sex with Backpage clients. Evidence and testimony also established the Williams engaged in sexual intercourse with the 12-year-old as well.
On July 29, 2016, Williams was arrested at a hotel in Franklin, Tennessee and the 12-year-old was rescued.
Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced later this year.
This case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; The U.S. Marshals Service; the Franklin Police Department; and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juliet Aldridge and Brooke Schiferle prosecuted the case.
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Multi-agency task force tackles illegal dumping in Sam Houston National ForestRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Several individuals will be participating in a clean-up effort following their charges of illegal dumping in the Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF), announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Montgomery County District Attorney Brett W. Ligon.
On Aug. 1, 2019, area law enforcement formed a multi-agency task force comprised of federal, state and local agencies to attempt to curb illegal dumping in the SHNF. Dumpsters are placed in the forest and people are encouraged not to litter, but the ongoing problem warranted further action.
During the initial enforcement period, task force officers identified and charged a number of people for illegally dumping materials in SHNF. These individuals were typically found to be illegally discarding furniture, tires, construction materials, bottles, rags and various other forms of trash in the forest. A number of state and federal prosecutions are now pending for the illegal dumping, and multiple arrests have occurred. In an effort to remedy the immediate problem, a number of the individuals charged are scheduled to take part in a clean-up effort in SHNF Saturday, Feb. 8.
“Dumping on National Forest land is illegal and goes against the conservation mission of the property,” said Patrick. “With federal and state land set aside for parks and conservation throughout Montgomery and surrounding counties, this was the perfect joint partnership. District Attorney Ligon has been fantastic, and his involvement was key in bringing local law enforcement to the project.”
“People need to think twice about dumping their garbage on forest land that belongs to all of us,” said Ligon. “This behavior is not harmless, it will not be tolerated, and there will be consequences when we catch the people who are involved.”
Both Ligon and Patrick commended the dedicated enforcement efforts of game wardens, agents and deputies from Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and Montgomery County Precinct One Constable’s Office in addressing illegal dumping in SHNF.
Assistant District Attorneys Michael Ghutzman and Nathan Alsbrooks handled the state charges, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Epley is handling the federal matters.
Members of Anderson and Indianapolis drug trafficking organization indicted by federal grand juryRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced federal charges against five individuals, who are alleged to have operated a drug trafficking organization, in Anderson, Ind. and Indianapolis. The defendants were indicted on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, distribution of methamphetamine and marijuana, and unlawful use of a communication facility.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to identifying and removing violent drug traffickers who have infested our neighborhoods,” said Minkler. “People who choose to earn a livelihood by peddling poison into our communities, will be targeted, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Those charged federally include:
Charles House, 37, Anderson, Ind.
Sean Brown, 25, Anderson, Ind.
Tommy Compton, 39, Indianapolis
Marcus Hayes-Patterson, 34, Anderson, Ind.
Gregory Hendricks, 34, Anderson, Ind.
In October 2018, the Madison County Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into Charles House’s drug trafficking organization. House traveled to California to purchase narcotics and then mailed the narcotics to multiple addresses in Anderson with connections to House. The drugs were then redistributed by co-conspirators Brown, Hayes-Patterson, and Hendricks in Anderson. Compton was House’s Indianapolis source of supply for marijuana. Defendants facilitated their drug trafficking activities through the use of cellular phones and often used code words to try to conceal their illegal activities.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Anderson Police Department, Madison County Drug Task Force, and Muncie Police Department.
“These individuals thought they were above the law and could run their drug trafficking organization without any consequences. These arrests send a strong message that there is zero tolerance for those who bring dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall, FBI Indianapolis. “It should also send a very clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners aren’t going anywhere - we will continue our collaborative efforts to identify and dismantle criminal enterprises anywhere in the state of Indiana and hold those involved accountable.”
“These arrests should serve notice to those willing to engage in similar criminal activity that the Anderson Police Department and our federal, state and local partners will work relentlessly to rid our community of nefarious influences by seeking federal jurisdiction on cases when applicable,” said Chief Jake Brown, Anderson Police Dept. “By seeking prosecution of drug dealers at a federal level, the citizens of Anderson will get more ‘bang for their buck’. Our residents can rest easier knowing that we are committed to creating a safe environment, and we will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for the sale and distribution of dangerous narcotics in Anderson and surrounding areas.”
“The indictment of these individuals underscores the successful teamwork between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners as we continue to pursue traffickers of all narcotics,” said Ed Gallashaw, Inspector in Charge, Detroit Division. “The Inspection Service’s objective in these investigations is to protect the mail system from being used for criminal purposes and to help protect postal employees and customers from coming in contact with dangerous substances, and the charges leveled against this drug trafficking organization have brought us one step closer to fulfilling that objective.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Lindsay E. Karwoski, who is prosecuting this case for the government, House and Brown face up to life in prison if convicted. Hendricks faces up to 40 years imprisonment if convicted. Hayes-Patterson and Compton face up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are considered innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilizing OCDETF to target, investigate, and prosecute organizations that supply and distribute methamphetamine, marijuana, and other controlled substances in the District. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 3.1 and 3.3.
Member of Isleta Pueblo sentenced to year in federal prison for child endangermentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Leon Sanchez, 31, of Bosque Farms, New Mexico was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque on Feb. 5 to one year and one day in prison for child endangerment.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to this offense on July 17, 2019. According to Sanchez’s plea agreement, he committed the offense on the Isleta Pueblo in Valencia County, New Mexico on Oct. 6, 2018. Sanchez got out of his vehicle holding a firearm and shot in the general direction of the victim, a child less than 18-years-old. Sanchez’s conduct endangered the child, but did not cause any bodily injury. Sanchez is an enrolled member of Isleta Pueblo.
The Isleta Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Mendenhall prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Threatening a Member of CongressRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Darryl Albert Varnum, age 43, of Westminster, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to the federal charge of making a threatening communication, specifically to threatening a member of Congress.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Steven A. Sund of the U.S. Capitol Police.
United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur stated, “We take violent threats extremely seriously. The investigation began immediately upon learning of the threats. Mr. Varnum was arrested on July 8th and subsequently indicted.”
According to his plea agreement, on June 26, 2019, Varnum called the office of a member of Congress which was located in Florida and left a voicemail message in which he threatened to murder the member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who supported legislation that Varnum opposed.
Varnum faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Capitol Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the case.
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Manager of Insurance Brokerage Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Defrauding More Than 1,100 CustomersRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NANCY CREDIDIO, the former manager of a car insurance brokerage, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for defrauding more than 1,100 victim customers out of more than $415,000. CREDIDIO previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud before United States District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “For many years, Nancy Credidio duped car insurance applicants and car insurance companies alike. She lied to them – defrauding insurance applicants out of hundreds of thousands of dollars – to benefit herself. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who commit such fraud will face serious consequences.”
According to the allegations in the Information to which CREDIDIO pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
In order to legally drive a car in New York State, the car must be covered by an insurance policy. From in or around 2010 through in or around 2017, CREDIDIO was a manager at a Queens, New York–based entity that sold such insurance policies. During that period, CREDIDIO participated in various fraudulent practices.
First, CREDIDIO made various misrepresentations that hurt more than 1,100 insurance applicants and deprived them of more than $415,000 in connection with a roadside assistance program (the “RAP”). Specifically, CREDIDIO duped applicants into buying the RAP, whereby applicants spent much more on the RAP than they could possibly have received in return. (Applicants often paid $465 for the RAP for one year, even though the most that they could have possibly received in return was $250.) In some instances, CREDIDIO simply enrolled applicants in the RAP by signing their signature without their consent. In other instances, CREDIDIO lied to applicants by falsely claiming that they were required to purchase the RAP in order to obtain car insurance. On average, each victim spent more than $300 on the RAP and received less than $3 in return. In order to maintain a steady flow of insurance applicants, CREDIDIO also used some of the RAP proceeds to pay cash kickbacks ($50 to $300 per customer) to the car dealerships who referred her business.
In addition, CREDIDIO made various misrepresentations that harmed insurance carriers. For example, on some insurance applications, she falsely claimed that an applicant qualified for certain discounts—such as for defensive driving courses—when the applicant did not in fact qualify for those discounts. On other applications, she misrepresented the identity of the person operating the car, in order to conceal the fact that the true driver had a problematic driving history that would have led the insurance carrier to decline the policy or to charge a higher premium. For instance, CREDIDIO used the name of a relative (of the actual applicant), or a customer with an existing insurance policy who had no connection whatsoever to the policy being purchased.
After her arrest in this case, CREDIDIO’s misconduct in the car insurance industry persisted. While released on bail, she committed more than 215 (additional) instances of fraud and/or theft, which harmed at least two employers and various insurance applicants.
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In addition to her prison term, CREDIDIO, of Flushing, New York, was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. CREDIDIO was also ordered to pay $417,395.70 in restitution and to forfeit $197,400.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Automobile Insurance Plan.
The matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Man from Albuquerque pleads guilty to federal drug and firearm possession chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –Raymond Maestas, 43, of Albuquerque, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on Feb. 4 to charges of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute heroin, carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A grand jury indicted Maestas for these offenses on June 27, 2019. In his plea agreement, Maestas admitted committing these offenses in Bernalillo County on Feb. 14, 2017. He rear-ended another vehicle while driving in Albuquerque. When police came to tow his vehicle, they discovered a backpack on the rear floor board containing a semi-automatic handgun, 98.5 grams of heroin, and 48 grams of Methamphetamine. Maestas was forbidden from possessing any firearms at the time of these offenses because he was previously convicted of trafficking heroin.
Maestas is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 12 to 16 years in federal prison under the terms of his plea agreement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Tierney and Kimberly A. Brawley are prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to more than 11 Years for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on February 7, 2020, Ignacio Tapia-Lopez, age 38, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tapia-Lopez to 11 years, 7 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Tapia-Lopez will be deported to Mexico as he is not a U.S. citizen.
On July 30, 2019, agents with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations were conducting surveillance on Tapia-Lopez as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. During the surveillance, Tapia-Lopez was observed driving a vehicle near Interstate 480 and Martha Street, and was stopped by an Omaha Police Officer after committing a traffic infraction. Tapia-Lopez was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. A drug detecting canine was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed 23 pounds of methamphetamine in a box on the front passenger seat. During a post-arrest interview, Tapia-Lopez admitted to his involvement in distributing narcotics.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Omaha Police Department.
MS-13 Gang Member Implicated in 9 Attempted Murders Sentenced to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member implicated in nine attempted murders was sentenced yesterday to life in federal prison following an investigation by HSI, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Rolan Ivan Hernandez-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Tasmania,” pleaded guilty in April 2019 to RICO conspiracy, and was sentenced Thursday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
Two of his coconspirators, Jerson Gutierrez-Ramos, a.k.a. “Sparky,” and Kevin Cruz, a.k.a. “Street Danger,” also pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and were sentenced to 40 years and 21 years imprisonment, respectively.
As members of MS-13 – a violent transitional gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control” – the defendants were requited to commit acts of violence to maintain membership.
According to plea papers, all three were members of the MS-13 clique “Irving Loco Salvatruchas,” or IRC, which attempted to kill nine people and extort a tenth during six violent episodes in the Dallas area in 2017.
Both El Salvadorian citizens in the U.S. illegally, Mr. Hernandez-Fuentes, 22, and Mr. Gutierrez-Ramos, 21, admitted to participation in all six violent episodes. Mr. Cruz, 20, also in the U.S. illegally, admitted to participation in four.
“Their despicable motto says it all: ‘kill, rob, rape, control.’ MS-13 espouses a vicious disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “When machete-wielding gang members terrorize our streets, they will be met with swift and certain justice. We are gratified the Court has put this defendant behind bars for the rest of his life.”
“Aside from justice being served for the many victims of violent crime at the hands of blood thirsty MS-13 gang members, this life sentence also demonstrates HSI’s capabilities and resolve to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations piece by piece,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “We will not tolerate the presence of these vicious criminals in our communities and will continue to prioritize taking them down and putting them where they belong - behind bars!”
Per the defendant’s plea papers:
- On July 14, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, and other MS-13 members travelled to an apartment complex in Dallas to kill an individual whom they believed belonged to a rival gang. At the complex, the MS-13 gang members — armed with machetes and knives — ambushed the victim and another man, intending to kill both. The gang members struck, stabbed and cut the victims, inflicting life-threatening injuries. One victim had his throat and chest sliced open, necessitating cardiac surgery and an extended hospital stay. The other victim sustained cuts and lacerations to his face and head. After the attack, Hernandez-Fuentes licked the victims’ blood from the machete and stated that he liked the “taste of victory.”
- On July 15, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, and other MS-13 gang members attacked, robbed, and extorted a drug dealer in Irving. The gang contacted the victim under the guise of seeking heroin. Armed with the same machete from the night before, Hernandez-Fuentes later forced the victim to kneel by hitting him with the flat part of machete and then then cutting him with it. Gutierrez-Ramos then kicked the victim and another gang member took the heroin. Hernandez-Fuentes took a cell phone photo of the victim and told him that they could find him if he refused to pay the ILS clique an extortion fee, a “tax,” to deal drugs in their territory.
- On August 9, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, Cruz, and other MS-13 gang members attacked a victim whom they believed belonged to a rival gang at an apartment complex in Dallas, intending to kill the victim. Armed with a sledgehammer, an icepick, a metal bar, a stick, and a knife, they chased the victim, caught him when he tripped, and then attacked him. The victim, who managed to escape, suffered significant injuries, including stab wounds to his back and lacerations on several parts of his body, which left him hospitalized for three days.
- On August 19, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, Cruz, and other members of MS-13 attacked and robbed a victim whom they believed was a rival gang member at an apartment complex in Irving. Hernandez-Fuentes approached the victim near a Shell gas station and lured him to a nearby apartment complex where his fellow gang members were waiting. After robbing the victim, they savagely beat, kicked, and hit him with a metal bat until they thought that he was dead. The victim suffered significant injuries, including a fractured skull and bleeding from his brain, which required hospitalization.
- In late August, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, Cruz, and other MS-13 members plotted twice to kill a man believed to be a member of a rival gang. They first lured the victim to a park in Dallas, where they were waiting to kill him with machetes and a shotgun. The victim ultimately refused to get out of his car when he arrived at the park, and they aborted the plan to kill him. A few days later, they renewed the plot. At an apartment complex in Dallas, they blocked the victim from leaving and confronted him with a shotgun. Gutierrez-Ramos pointed the shotgun at the victim’s chest to shoot him, but the weapon jammed and did not fire. The victim then drove away and escaped.
- On September 25, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, Cruz, and other MS-13 gang members went to Running Bear Park in Irving to ambush and kill a victim whom they believed to be a rival gang member. Armed with machetes, sticks, and a shotgun, they lured the victim to the park under the guise that they were going to buy a tattoo machine from him. The victim, however, unexpectedly arrived at the park with three friends. Nonetheless, the victims were lured to the back of the park where the armed gang was hiding in the woods and waiting to spring. When the victims arrived near the wooded area, the armed gang confronted them and forced them to kneel. A brutal attack ensued as the assailants hacked at the four victims with their machetes. One male victim escaped unscathed. During the attack, Hernandez-Fuentes hit one male victim with the shotgun and told him not to “mess with the mara (gang).” At some point, Hernandez-Fuentes got distracted, and the victim ran away. Hernandez-Fuentes fired at the victim but missed, and the victim escaped by swimming across a pond. Another male victim also escaped after he sustained a serious cut to his arm, which required hospitalization. The female victim, however, was not so fortunate. She was savagely maimed, sustaining multiple deep lacerations to her arms, hands, and leg from the machete attack. The female victim, who was left for dead badly bleeding in the park, sustained permanent and life-threatening injuries, which required extensive medical care and hospitalization. After the attack, the attackers drove away with their weapons and property stolen from the victims. The police arrested the attackers in the days following the savage assault.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Irving Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Sid Moody are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney Julie Finocchiaro of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime and Gang Section.
- On July 14, 2017, Hernandez-Fuentes, Gutierrez-Ramos, and other MS-13 members travelled to an apartment complex in Dallas to kill an individual whom they believed belonged to a rival gang. At the complex, the MS-13 gang members — armed with machetes and knives — ambushed the victim and another man, intending to kill both. The gang members struck, stabbed and cut the victims, inflicting life-threatening injuries. One victim had his throat and chest sliced open, necessitating cardiac surgery and an extended hospital stay. The other victim sustained cuts and lacerations to his face and head. After the attack, Hernandez-Fuentes licked the victims’ blood from the machete and stated that he liked the “taste of victory.”
Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
WHEN: Monday, February 10, 2020 at 1:30 PM
WHERE: Terry Sanford Federal Building
310 New Bern Avenue
Room 158
Raleigh, NC 27601
Re: Project Guardian Gun Trafficker Guilty Plea
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the implementation of the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian and the guilty plea of William John Shaw for making false statements during the purchase of firearms. Four firearms were found in Washington, D.C. and Capitol Heights, Maryland. One was recovered after an officer involved shooting in South East Washington that resulted in the death of the criminal. Prior to the shooting, the same suspect was found with a firearm purchased by Shaw. The defendant was suspected of using the firearm to rob individuals who wanted to purchase marijuana from him. Other firearms purchased by Shaw were recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department from a convicted felon and by Prince Georges County Police Department during an investigation.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., Special Agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) 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.
Loxahatchee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Andrew Melendez-Gonzalez, 22, of Loxahatchee, Florida, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for coercing a 15-year-old girl from the Philippines into taking sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and sending them to his cellular telephone.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, and Rick Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.
Melendez-Gonzalez pled guilty on December 4, 2019, to producing child pornography, possessing child pornography, transferring obscene material to a minor, and stalking.
According to court records, Melendez-Gonzalez met the 15-year-old victim in an on-line chat room in 2018. He was in Florida. The minor was in the Philippines. After the initial on-line contact, Melendez-Gonzalez communicated with the minor through text messages. He texted the minor an image of his penis and directed her to record sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and send those to him by text message. The defendant told the minor that if she did not continue texting sexually explicit images to him, he would post the ones he had of her on the internet and send them to the press. Melendez-Gonzalez also texted the minor that he knew where she lived and went to school and that if she did not respond to his messages, he would travel to see her. He also threatened to kill himself if she did not respond.
Law enforcement officers located and arrested Gonzalez after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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 U.S. 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.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigation efforts of HSI and PBSO. She also thanked the 15th Judicial Circuit Palm Beach County State Attorney Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Including a Murder in RiverheadRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Terrill Latney, an associate of the Red Stone Gorilla “set” of the Bloods street gang based in Riverhead, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson to racketeering, including conspiring to distribute narcotics and participating in the murder of Thomas Lacolla on November 17, 2015.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“As a result of the outstanding work by our prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force, Latney has been held accountable for his role in a large-scale narcotics distribution operation and a senseless act of violence that took a man’s life,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “We hope today’s guilty plea begins to bring a measure of closure to the victim’s family.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, Latney participated in the distribution of large quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin in the Riverhead area for nearly a decade. On November 17, 2015, Latney assisted members of the Bloods in their attempt to kill a rival gang member. Specifically, Latney drove three Bloods members to a location in Riverhead where they fired at least 39 shots into a vehicle that they erroneously believed was occupied by the rival gang member. In fact, the car was occupied by Lacolla, who was killed in the fusillade.
When sentenced, Latney faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendant:
TERRILL LATNEY (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)
Age: 39
Mastic Beach, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (S-2) (JS)
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 30 Months Imprisonment for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Deaviea Brown, age 19, was sentenced today to 30 months’ imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty to a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition on November 13, 2019. There is no parole in the federal system. The Honorable Richard G. Kopf, Senior United States District Court Judge, presided over the case.
The Lincoln Police Department’s Gang Unit and the FBI have been investigating a local street gang named “Day One Brothers” or “D1B.” In doing so, they learned that one member of the gang purchased a silver and black Taurus Model G2C 9mm handgun on May 3, 2019. Police officers executed a search warrant at that member’s residence on June 14, 2019 and recovered that firearm, along with other evidence. As part of the search warrant, police also seized and searched that gang member’s cellular phone. The phone contained numerous pictures of that gang member, and several of his friends and associates, in possession of that firearm, among other firearms. One of the people depicted was Deaviea Brown.
Brown was convicted of attempted possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver on January 22, 2019, in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska. That prior felony conviction precludes him from possessing ammunition or firearms. On June 2, 2019, Brown was arrested and found to be in possession of ammunition.
In addition to the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided assistance.
Lexington Felon with Handgun Sentenced to Total of 139 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A Lexington resident was sentenced on February 6, 2020, in federal court in Greensboro for knowingly possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
FRANKLIN ALEXANDER MILLS, age 39, was convicted by a jury in September 2019 of knowingly possessing a .45 caliber handgun after previously being convicted of a felony offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. Trial evidence showed that on December 27, 2018, a Salisbury Police officer initiated a traffic stop on MILLS’ vehicle. As the officer made it to the driver’s side door of the vehicle, MILLS accelerated and fled. Multiple police units joined the pursuit, during which time MILLS committed numerous traffic violations. Officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle, but were alerted less than a minute later to a vehicle crash on Bringle Ferry Road. When officers arrived at the scene of the crash they observed MILLS’ vehicle, but MILLS had fled on foot. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a Hi-Point .45 pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. Investigators also located a driver’s license and registration with MILLS’ name. At approximately 3:00 a.m. on December 28, 2018, law enforcement officers arrested MILLS at Lexington Hospital after being notified that he was there seeking treatment. MILLS has multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2010 federal conviction in the Middle District of North Carolina for firearm and controlled substance violations. MILLS was on supervised release from that conviction at the time of his arrest in 2018.
United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. sentenced MILLS to a 24 month term of imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release, and to a 115 month term of imprisonment for the felon in possession of a firearm charge, and ordered that the sentences run consecutively. In addition to prison time, MILLS was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a special assessment of $100.00.
The case was investigated by the Salisbury Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry M. Meinecke.
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Lee's Summit Woman, Brother Sentenced for $1.7 Million Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Missouri, woman and her brother, a Denver, Colorado, man, were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than $1.7 million of marijuana that was mailed from Colorado to Missouri.
Natalie J. McNeil, 34, and Tanner L. McNeil, 30, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips. Natalie McNeil was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison without parole and ordered to forfeit $121,000 to the government. Tanner McNeil was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole and ordered to forfeit $1,033,788 to the government.
They are among five Missouri residents and two Colorado residents who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case.
Tanner McNeil and co-defendant Benjamin T. Parker, 29, of Denver, shipped the marijuana to co-conspirators in Missouri for further distribution. The marijuana was shipped in sealed packages inside plastic protein containers, and each shipment usually contained between four to six pounds. A total of 121 packages (484 to 726 pounds of marijuana) were shipped during the conspiracy.
Natalie McNeil deposited cash in structured amounts (to avoid federal transaction reporting requirements) in the bank accounts of Tanner McNeil and Parker. The cash deposits were made in bank branches in Missouri then withdrawn shortly afterward by Tanner McNeil and Parker at bank branches in Colorado.
A total of $1,769,244 in deposits of drug proceeds were made in Missouri, with $1,033,788 being made into Tanner McNeil’s bank account and $735,456 being made into Parker’s bank account. Investigators determined that $1,295,063 of the deposited drug proceeds were withdrawn by Tanner McNeil and Parker in Colorado shortly after the deposits were made in Missouri.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jess E. Michaelsen and Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
OCDETF
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.Lead Defendant Sentenced in Major Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – The lead defendant in a drug distribution organization that trafficked methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from Texas and Indiana into Southwest Virginia was recently sentenced in federal court on drug conspiracy charges, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.
In a hearing yesterday, Daniel Augusto Rosa-Suarez, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison. He was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and quantities of cocaine.
In all, three individuals were charged as part of this drug trafficking conspiracy. Jon Trevor DeBord entered a guilty plea in January 2020 and is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2020. A third defendant, Robert Louis Gray Osborne, is scheduled for trial in May 2020.
According to court documents, Rosa-Suarez conspired with at least 12 others to traffic large quantities of crystal ice methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from Texas and Indiana into Southwest Virginia for redistribution. In Virginia, the organization operated primarily in Smyth County and the Harrisonburg area from August 26, 2016, through May 25, 2018. Rosa-Suarez admitted he led the organization to distribute controlled substances in Virginia, Alabama, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, and other jurisdictions. He also admitted he traveled extensively throughout the United States to acquire drugs for his drug trafficking organization and distribute it to sub-distributors in various jurisdictions, including the Western District of Virginia. Rosa-Suarez admitted that he conservatively distributed over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6.8 kilograms of cocaine, and 1.1249 kilograms of heroin.
This case arose from a series of indictments stemming from an ongoing methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy ring operating primarily in the Smyth County, Virginia, area. In total, 20 defendants have now been charged in connection with the investigation, including seven defendants who have been convicted and sentenced to date.
The investigation of this case was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bristol, Virginia, with assistance from the Smyth County Virginia Sheriff’s Office. Numerous other agencies also provided assistance throughout the investigation, including the Drug Enforcement Administration in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Birmingham, Alabama, Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Abingdon, Virginia Police Department, Rockingham County Virginia RUSH Drug Task Force, Rockingham County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Harrisonburg, Virginia Police Department, Bessemer, Alabama Police Department, Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Unit, and the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Roy F. Evans, who is also Commonwealth’s Attorney for Smyth County, prosecuted the case for the United States.
Las Vegas Man Charged with Attempting to Buy A Fake PassportRead 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 Patrick Sileo, 62, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was arrested and charged by complaint with fraud in connection with identification documents. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that on November 11, 2019, an undercover HSI Special Agent (UCA) was contacted online by the defendant who was utilizing the email address [email protected]. Sileo inquired about purchasing a fraudulent passport and stated that he found the UCA's email address on a website known to law enforcement that advertises the sale of various illegal products, such as fraudulent identity documents, drugs, and counterfeit goods, among other illicit items. The UCA posed as a seller/online vendor of fraudulent documents.
The defendant told the UCA that he was a U.S. citizen currently located in the United States who had returned from Southeast Asia “some” months ago. He further stated that he had a United States passport that would be expiring in one week and that the Internal Revenue Service had blocked it from being renewed.
The following day, on November 12, 2019, Sileo told the UCA that he would use it to travel to Southeast Asia, and that it would be his primary identity document. He also asked for clarification on the process of purchasing the document. The UCA explained that defendant needed to make the purchase online, then send the UCA biographical information, a facial photograph, and signature to be placed on the fraudulent passport. The UCA would, in turn, create a document utilizing the information.
On November 23, 2019, [email protected] ordered a United Kingdom passport with the UCA, placing $3,585.00 in escrow on the dark web website for the purchase of the document. The defendant provided the UCA with a copy of a facial photograph, as well as fictitious information to be placed on the passport. On December 6, 2020, the defendant advised the UCA where to mail the passport to in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The defendant was arrested in Nevada and returned to the Western District of New York. Sileo made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Lake Charles Man Sentenced to Prison for Seven Years on Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Dexter Nash, 34, of Lake Charles, was sentenced February 6, 2020, by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr., to 24 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, to run consecutively. Judge Cain also sentenced Dexter Nash to three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Nash pled guilty to these charges on October 24, 2019.
According to information presented to the court, on May 4, 2017, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies stopped Nash’s vehicle for a traffic violation and discovered that he was in possession of 35 grams of cocaine and $3,865 in cash. Officers secured a court approved search warrant of Nash’s residence and found an AK-47 rifle loaded with two 30 round magazines and a safe containing $2,461 in cash, a money counter, and an electronic hand mixer containing white powdery residue on the end. They also found a black backpack containing two digital scales, the key to the safe, a box of sandwich sized plastic bags, and several individually wrapped bags of powder cocaine totaling 192 grams.
Dexter Nash admitted to possessing between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine that he intended to distribute and that he intentionally possessed the AK-47 to use to advance his cocaine trafficking.
The FBI and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Vermaelen prosecuted the case.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Jury convicts career drug dealer of trafficking cocaineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Alfonzo Jamal Lewis has been convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
“For more than a decade, despite a ceaseless pattern of criminality, Alfonzo Lewis was a beneficiary of probated sentences and dismissed charges in the state system,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “My office and the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s HIDTA program are committed to ensuring that drug dealers and traffickers like Lewis are held to account for their crimes.”
“This successful investigation and prosecution should be a warning to other drug traffickers that the Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA and our federal, state, local and Tribal partners are committed to keeping our communities safe,” said Director Daniel Salter, Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On multiple occasions in late 2015, Lewis traveled from southwest Georgia to the Atlanta metro area and purchased bulk amounts of cocaine. He then took the cocaine back to the Albany, Georgia, area to sell. On August 20, 2015, HIDTA agents observed Lewis entering and exiting a drug stash house in Decatur, Georgia, but did not attempt an arrest.
Four months later, on December 14, 2015, agents observed Lewis entering and exiting a drug stash house in East Point, Georgia where they observed him place a backpack on the backseat of his vehicle. While on his way back to Albany from East Point, Lewis’s vehicle was stopped by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol for speeding. Five kilograms of highly-pure cocaine were recovered from the backseat, and Lewis was arrested.
Immediately following his arrest, Lewis was charged in Fulton County Superior Court with trafficking in cocaine. Lewis had been released from prison only one year earlier. Despite having recently served a sentence for several serious state offenses, including aggravated assault, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, Lewis was granted a bond and released from state custody on the Fulton County charge. A Superior Court judge later dismissed the trafficking case entirely. Thereafter, a federal grand jury charged Lewis with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. After a three-day trial, Lewis was convicted on February 5, 2020 of both charges.
Sentencing for Alfonzo Jamal Lewis, a/k/a Pookie, 34, of Albany, Georgia, is scheduled for May 12, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II.
This case is being investigated by the Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. The Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Monroe Police Department, Albany Police Department, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Emory Law School Extern Joseph N. Lenoff are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jury Convicts State Inmate for Mailing Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
In San Antonio this morning, a federal jury convicted 47-year-old State of Texas inmate Scott Coalwell of mailing threatening communications including threats to injure his former defense attorney, a probation officer and the U.S. District Clerk for the Western District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau.
Jurors convicted Coalwell on three counts of mailing threatening communications. Evidence presented at trial revealed that while incarcerated in Texas Department of Criminal Justice—Dominguez Unit in San Antonio, Coalwell mailed threatening letters to his defense attorney, probation officer and the sitting judge in his McLennan County case; his defense attorney in his Bexar County case; and the U.S. District Clerk for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. When questioned by investigators, Coalwell identified these individuals as being “on the top of his enemy list” and that he intended to “lock and load and go through my enemy list.”
Coalwell faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the threat to the U.S. District Clerk and up to five years in federal prison for each of the remaining two counts. He remains in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for June 15, 2020 before Senior U. S. District Judge David A. Ezra.
The U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice—Office of Inspector General and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Judge in Del Rio Sentences Latin King Gang Member to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
In Del Rio on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Bryan Torres, aka “Doughboy,” of Houston to 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Steven S. Whipple, Houston Division, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered that Torres pay a $3,000 fine.
On March 23, 2017, a federal jury convicted Torres of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence presented during trial revealed that during 2012 through 2015, Torres supplied methamphetamine to other Latin King gang members in Uvalde and San Antonio.
Co-defendants Omar Barajas, Miguel Flores, Albert Guadalupe Mendoza, Jr., Andrew Hernandez, Nathan Wayne Ornelas, Ian Jon Gernandt, Samantha Nicole Houston Goodale, Matthew James Eldred, and Angelica Inguanzo all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Barajas is from Houston, Mendoza is from Austin, and the remaining co-defendants are from San Antonio. Penalties for the co-defendants ranged up to 216 months in federal prison.
This case resulted from an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Uvalde Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Hail and Justin Chung prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.