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10 February 2020
Justice Department Sues State of California, California Governor, and California Attorney General for Prohibiting the Operation of Private Detention Facilities in the StateRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed suit against California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and the State of California challenging California state law A.B. 32, which prohibits any individual or entity from operating private detention facilities in the state.
Under A.B. 32, prisoners and detainees currently housed in private facilities in California will have to be relocated at great cost, potentially isolating prisoners and detainees from their families and causing overcrowding in neighboring states. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), for example, which is responsible for the housing and transportation of federal prisoners awaiting trial and sentencing, will need to relocate nearly 50 percent of its inmates in the Southern District of California and nearly 30 percent of its total California inmates to out-of-state facilities.
A.B. 32 will also require frequent and costly transportation of prisoners and detainees. For USMS, pretrial inmates will have to be frequently transported to and from California to meet the demands of courts, defense attorneys, and any pretrial or probationary requirements. And for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is responsible for the housing and transportation of immigration detainees, any aliens apprehended in California (about 45,000 in fiscal year 2019) will have to be transported to out-of-state facilities using costly air or ground transportation. This drastic increase in USMS and ICE transportation requirements will also heighten security concerns. Finally, A.B. 32 may delay federal proceedings due to the out-of-state relocation of prisoners and detainees.
The lawsuit challenges A.B. 32 as unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because A.B. 32 substantially obstructs the federal government’s housing of federal prisoners and detainees, stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment of congressional objectives related to criminal law and immigration enforcement, directly regulates federal operations, and discriminates against the United States by granting exceptions for California that do not apply to the federal government or its contractors.
A copy of the complaint is available here. The Department of Justice has also moved to enjoin the enforcement of A.B. 32 against the federal government and its contractors. A copy of the motion is available here.
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.
Justice Department Sues King County, Washington, and King County Executive for Prohibiting U.S. Immigrations and Custom Enforcement Contractors from Using King County International AirportRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed suit against King County, Washington, and King County Executive Dow Constantine challenging King County Executive Order PFC-7-1-EO, which has the purpose and intended effect of prohibiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractors from using King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field, as a terminal for flights to remove individuals from the United States or transport immigration detainees within the country.
The Executive Order directs King County officials to “ensure that all future leases, operating permits, and other authorizations for commercial activity at King County International Airport contain a prohibition against providing aeronautical or non-aeronautical services to enterprises engaged in the business of deporting immigration detainees (except for federal government aircraft), to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.”
After the Executive Order was issued, the company providing fixed-based operator (FBO) services (fueling, aircraft maintenance, and similar services) to ICE’s contractor at Boeing Field informed the contractor that it would no longer service its flights, and no other FBO agreed to assist the contractor. As a result of similar refusals at other airports in the Seattle area, ICE’s contractor has been forced to relocate these flights to Yakima, Washington. This has created significant operational difficulties and additional costs for ICE due to: (1) the increased costs of flying in and out of Yakima’s airport, (2) the road conditions between Yakima and Tacoma, which often make transportation of detainees difficult, and (3) the inability to house detainees in or near Yakima in the event of delays or inclement weather. The lawsuit challenges the Executive Order as unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because the Order obstructs and burdens federal activities, discriminates against federal contractors, and is expressly preempted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act, which prohibits localities such as King County from enacting or enforcing laws or regulations that relate to prices, routes, or services of air carriers.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
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 Denison, Iowa Man for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on February 7, 2020, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Juan Lopez-Zuniga, 50, from Denison, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned following about 3 hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Lopez-Zuniga was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from October 2015 through September 2016, out of the Denison, Iowa, area. Evidence showed that Lopez-Zuniga traveled with fellow coconspirators (some of whom have already been convicted for their participation) from Denison, Iowa, to Worthington, Minnesota to deliver half-pound quantities of meth for further distribution in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Lopez-Zuniga would then return to Denison with money from the drug sales.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Lopez-Zuniga was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Lopez-Zuniga faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force (Worthington/ Nobles County, Minnesota); and the Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-4009. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Indictment Unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court Charging an Associate of a Sinaloa Cartel Leader with Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ismael Quintero Arellanes with participating in an international conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana and unlawful use of firearms as part of the Rafael Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, a faction of the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel. The superseding indictment was returned under seal by a grand jury in July 2018. Quintero Arellanes was captured in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico on January 29, 2020. The United States intends to seek his extradition to face charges in the Eastern District of New York.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), announced the charges.
“As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendant conspired with members of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization to flood the United States with large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, together with our partners on the New York Strike Force, will relentlessly pursue the leadership of violent drug cartels and their associates until they are brought to justice.”
“This indictment and arrest are indicative that the walls are closing in on members of the Sinaloa Cartel, like Ismael Quintero Arellanes and DEA’s arch nemesis Rafael Caro Quintero,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. “Caro-Quintero remains at large, however we are working hand in hand with our international, local, state and federal law enforcement partners to disrupt the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking operations by seizing ton-quantities of heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine, while focusing on those responsible, including Caro-Quintero.”
According to the superseding indictment, between January 1980 and June 2018, Caro Quintero led a drug trafficking organization responsible for importing into the United States and distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics, and conspiring to murder persons who posed a threat to his narcotics enterprise. The charged murder conspiracy includes Caro Quintero’s kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in February 1985.
As an associate of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, Quintero Arellanes is charged with participating in an international heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine distribution conspiracy from February 2015 through June 2018, and an international marijuana distribution conspiracy from January 1980 through June 2018, as well as using firearms in support of the drug trafficking organization.
The investigation was led by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is based at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Quintero Arellanes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Gina M. Parlovecchio, Michael Robotti and Erin Reid are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ISMAEL QUINTERO ARELLANES (also known as “Fierro”)
Age: 49
MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-208 (S-3)(FB)
Hundred, WVA Man Admits Purchasing Distribution-Level Quantities of Heroin and Fentanyl for DS44 Neighborhood GangRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Hundred, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Michael Broglie, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Mr. Broglie is one of 37 defendants charged in the Indictment.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019.
The court was further advised that Mr. Broglie purchased distribution-level quantities of heroin and fentanyl from his co-conspirator, Ronald Williams, and re-distributed the drugs to other people.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2020, at 10:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant. Rogers remains on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which
also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives,
Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Houston Man Guilty of Interstate Transportation of Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 44-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Curtric DeMaine White pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.
According to information presented in court, during the early morning hours of July 31, 2019, White and others burglarized Best Buy in Mobile, Alabama and D’Iberville, Mississippi. Later in the evening of that same day, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 West in Vidor, Texas on a vehicle having a fictitious license plate. White was identified as one of the two occupants of the vehicle. While questioning the occupants, the officer noticed a steel security cage in the vehicle. After getting consent to search, the cage was found to have the Best Buy “Geek Squad” insignia on it and contained approximately 20 new Apple iPhones, all of which were determined to belong to Best Buy. In total, the two Best Buy stores suffered a combined loss of $117,363.97 in stolen items and damage to their property.
Under federal statutes, White faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vidor Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.
Guilty Plea: Soldier at Fort Riley Described How to Make Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - Jarrett William Smith, 24, Ft. Riley, Kan., pleaded guilty today to unlawfully distributing instructions for making explosive devices over social media while he was a member of the U.S. Army, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction. Smith joined the Army June 12, 2017. He served as an infantry soldier and was trained in combat and tactical operations. He was transferred to Fort Riley in Kansas July 8, 2019.
The FBI received information that Smith gave out guidance to others on how to construct improvised explosive devices. He spoke to others on social media about wanting to travel to Ukraine to fight with a violent, far-right military group.
On September 20, 2019, from Fort Riley Smith sent a person working undercover for the FBI specific instructions for making an explosive device. He also provided a recipe for creating improvised napalm.
Sentencing is set for May 18. Smith could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Gabriel Felix-Manuel, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 19, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
In a plea agreement, Felix-Manuel admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. On January 16, 2008, Felix-Manuel was ordered deported from the United States in absentia. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested on an unrelated state charge in Florida in February 2010. Felix-Manuel was deported in March 2010.
On October 22, 2019, Felix-Manuel came to the attention of immigration agents during a traffic stop in Waterloo where he admitted being in the United States illegally. Further investigation showed that Felix-Manuel had been working illegally in Waterloo since May 2019, falsely claiming to be a permanent legal resident of the United States and using the social security number of another person for employment purposes.
Felix-Manuel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Felix-Manuel was sentenced to 96 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Felix-Manuel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2070.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Government Contractor Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for $3.7 Million Procurement Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former government contractor was sentenced to 57 months in prison today for his role in carrying out a $3.7 million scheme to defraud at least 35 subcontractors located across the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott of the Eastern District of California, Special Agent in Charge David A. House of the Department of Interior Office of Inspector General’s (DOI-OIG) Western Region Office of Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Ray Park of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (Army CID) Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Pacific Fraud Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Division, Special Agent in Charge Jason Hein of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations’ (Air Force OSI) Office of Procurement Fraud Unit, and Special Agent in Charge Brian Denny of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Western Field Office made the announcement.
Chester L. Neal Jr., 45, of Bourbon Oak, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd of the Eastern District of California. Judge Drozd also ordered Neal to pay restitution in the amount of $3,734,927.50.
Neal pleaded guilty on Aug. 19, 2019, to one count of mail fraud. According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Neal established and controlled several companies through which he bid on and won at least 105 government contracts to provide goods and services to federal agencies including the Department of Interior, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The contracts required Neal to purchase and transport rock, gravel, and other raw materials to military bases and national parks. After winning these contracts, Neal fraudulently induced subcontractors to perform the required work. But when Neal was paid by the government for his subcontractors’ work, he did not pay his subcontractors. Instead, Neal kept the money and spent it at places like casinos, nightclubs, restaurants and hotels. In total, between July 2008 and December 2017, Neal defrauded his subcontractors out of approximately $3.7 million.
DOI-OIG, Army CID, the FBI, Air Force OSI and DCIS investigated this matter. Trial Attorney Kyle W. Maurer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant B. Rabenn of the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former Suburban Insurance Agent Charged with Fraud for Allegedly Swindling Money from Elderly ClientRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former suburban insurance agent has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling money from an elderly client.
DIANE LAZAR was a licensed insurance producer and authorized agent of various insurance companies. Beginning in 2008 and continuing until 2014, Lazar submitted applications for an elderly client in his 80s to purchase several annuities and a life insurance policy from the companies Lazar represented, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Upon approval of the applications, the client paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums and Lazar received commissions from the companies, the indictment states. In some instances, Lazar designated her daughter as the beneficiary of the annuities, falsely claiming that her daughter was the client’s grandchild or great grandchild, the indictment states.
Upon the client’s death in 2014, Lazar attempted to fraudulently collect some of the client’s annuity and insurance proceeds, the indictment alleges. She also submitted a phony power of attorney to the client’s bank to fraudulently withdraw approximately $100,000 from his checking account, the indictment states.
The indictment was returned on Feb. 4, 2020. It charges Lazar, 46, of Cape Coral, Fla., and formerly of Palos Heights, with two counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. Arraignment is set for Feb. 12, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle, Sr.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein.
“Keeping older Americans safe from fraud is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable seniors from those who seek to exploit them.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The bank fraud and false statement counts are each punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. More information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to help seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.
Former Pharmacy Employee Admits Role in Multi-Million Dollar Illegal Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted participating in a conspiracy to pay and accept kickbacks in exchange for medically unnecessary prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Zachary Ohebshalom, 34, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute. The information alleges that he conspired with the following three individuals who have been previously charged by criminal complaint in the District of New Jersey: Mark Filippone M.D., 71, of Wallington, New Jersey; Joseph Vangelas, a/k/a “Joseph Miller,” 33, of Fort Lee, New Jersey; and Marlene Vangelas, 58, of River Vale, New Jersey. Criminal charges against Filippone, Joseph Vangelas, and Marlene Vangelas remain pending. Estela Blaustein, 55 of Mahwah, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty for her role in a related conspiracy to commit health care fraud and is pending sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in May 2016, Ohebshalom participated in a kickback conspiracy stemming from a scheme to obtain millions of dollars in health benefits from the federal workers’ compensation program by prescribing and dispensing expensive, but medically unnecessary, pain creams. Dr. Filippone treated hundreds of now-former U.S. Postal Service employees for injuries they purportedly suffered on the job. He allegedly facilitated their disability claims by submitting forms and medical reports to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Program, for patients who were not, in fact, disabled.
Dr. Filippone also prescribed expensive topical pain creams, which were not needed or wanted by many of his patients. The information alleges that Dr. Filippone steered these prescriptions to a pharmacy in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where Blaustein was the pharmacist-in-charge. The Fair Lawn Pharmacy was owned and operated by Joseph Vangelas and Marlene Vangelas, who, along with Ohebshalom, directed Blaustein and others to mine reimbursement rates within the federal workers’ compensation program for the ingredients of the pain creams in order to determine the most lucrative formulations. Joseph Vangelas, Marlene Vangelas, and Ohebshalom directed Blaustein and others to print prescription labels for Dr. Filippone to use with his patients. Dr. Filippone used the pre-printed labels and sent the prescriptions back to the Fair Lawn Pharmacy. In order to induce Dr. Filippone to prescribe the medically unnecessary pain creams in the exact formulations they wished to obtain, Joseph Vangelas and Marlene Vangelas purchased Dr. Filippone’s medical office and then permitted Dr. Filippone to continue to use the premises, for which he routinely failed to pay rent. Joseph Vangelas, Marlene Vangelas, and Ohebshalom conspired to leverage the property to force Dr. Filippone to continue to send prescriptions to their pharmacy. Dr. Filippone continued to feed prescriptions to the pharmacy, so long as Miller and Vangelas permitted him to remain rent-free in the property.
As part of his plea agreement, Ohebshalom agreed that the improper benefit conferred as part of the conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute was between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.
The count of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute is punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory Ehrie in Newark; the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office Matthew M. Modafferi; the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges against and allegations in the information pertaining to Filippone, Joseph Vangelas, and Marlene Vangelas are merely accusations, and those three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Allegheny County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Running a Large-Scale Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former Allegheny County man was sentenced to 15 years and one month (181 months) in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after his convictions at trial on multiple federal narcotic and firearms offenses. United States District Court Judge Marilyn S. Horan imposed the sentence on Cameron Basking, age 28, previously of Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh.
Basking was previously tried before United States Judge Marilyn S. Horan. He was convicted after a week-long jury trial of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to information presented during the course of the trial, Cameron Basking was the leader of a large scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Allegheny County from January to March 14 of 2018. Basking would receive large amount of fentanyl from two co-conspirator suppliers and then mix that fentanyl for future resale. To further this conspiracy, Basking used multiple locations in Allegheny County to cut and mix the fentanyl, store the fentanyl, and sell the fentanyl.
As part of the investigation, on March 14, 2018, members of the FBI’s Western Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed search warrants at multiple locations and vehicles tied to Basking. At a location on Princeton Boulevard in Wilkinsburg, investigators recovered tens of thousands of stamp bags used to package fentanyl in the basement of this location as well as ammunition. At an address on West Carter in North Versailles, investigators recovered voluminous drug and drug related evidence including over 40 grams of fentanyl, thousands of stamp bags, blenders and grinders, and gas masks to protect from fentanyl exposure. Additionally at the West Carter address, investigators recovered a fully loaded 9mm Glock handgun, a fully loaded Bushmaster .308 assault rifle, two extended 9mm magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. At another location in Wilkinsburg, on Rebecca Street, investigators recovered another firearm and ammunition, a quantity of fentanyl, six digital scales for drug distribution use and fentanyl packaging material.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Basking used the West Carter address to store the fentanyl, the Princeton Boulevard address to cut and mix the fentanyl for distribution, and the Rebecca Street address as the distribution center. In handing down the sentence, Judge Horan found that Basking had an aggravating role in the offense as he was the leader of five or more people in a narcotics trafficking organization.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Christopher Cook represented the Government in this prosecution and trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The Allegheny Office of the Medical Examiner, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics and Vice Division, and Drug Enforcement Agency also assisted in the prosecution of this case.
Florida Woman Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 35-year-old St. Petersburg, Florida woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Erica Ann Lang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin. Ryan Andrew Davis, 35, of Clearwater, Florida pleaded guilty to the same charge on Jan. 16, 2020.
According to information presented in court, on Oct. 24, 2019, Davis and Lang were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 10 East in Beaumont, Texas. A certified narcotics detection dog alerted on the car and a search was performed revealing approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.
Under federal statutes, Davis and Lang each face at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the February Federal Grand Jury A.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jennifer Louise Bruce. Theft of Mail by United States Postal Service Employee. Bruce, 43, of Jennings, is charged with theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. In her position as a sales and services associate in Bristow and Jennings, Bruce allegedly stole hydrocodone tablets from packages by VA Medical Centers and Outpatient Clinics on five different occasions. She is also alleged to have stolen $20 cash from a letter. The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service is the investigative agency.
Kevin Dewayne Burris. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Burris, 54, of Tulsa, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender. The U.S. Marshals Service and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Leslie Michelle Clark. Bank Fraud (Counts 1-29); Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts 30-58). Clark, 52, of Tulsa, is alleged to have knowingly executed a scheme to defraud a financial institution, and to obtain funds under the custody and control of the financial institution by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, that is, by causing checks to be paid from a company’s customer account to Alliance Consulting, a fictitious consulting firm, for fabricated services never rendered, Clark is further charged with 29 counts of aggravated identity theft for allegedly using another individual’s name and signature on the checks which were paid over to Alliance Consulting. The FBI is the investigative agency.
Pablo Gino Hernandez. Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute. Hernandez, 27, is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 grams or more of heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Calvin Johnson. Wire Fraud (Counts 1 and 2). Johnson, aka “Lakeshia Johnson” and “Keyshia Johnson”, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of wire fraud. Starting on approximately February 18, 2018, Johnson was employed in the Northern District of Oklahoma by a call center outsourcing company. Through her employment with the company, Johnson allegedly performed call center services for a financial institution, answering calls from customers concerning suspicious activity on their accounts. During the calls, Johnson gained access to the customers’ account information, including account and routing numbers. Johnson, without the knowledge or consent of the financial institution or its customers, allegedly caused monies to be transferred from customer accounts to various business and financial institutions, such as Best Buy, Verizon Wireless, and several banks. It was part of the Scheme that Johnson used the nearly $20,000 in stolen monies for her own personal expenses. The wire communications were between servers located in the Northern District of Oklahoma and account servers in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; Little Rock, Arkansas; and other financial institutions. The FBI is the investigative agency.
Victor Manuel Martinez-Luna. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Martinez-Luna, 35, unlawfully in the United States, is charged with knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Jeffrey Rahn Reetz. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Reetz, 65, of Claremore, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Mosin-Nagant bolt-action 7.62 caliber rifle; a Kimber .45 caliber pistol; a Beretta 9 mm pistol; a Springfield Arms bolt-action .30 caliber rifle; a Derringer .32 caliber pistol; a New Haven Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun; a Savage Arms .223 caliber rifle; an Olympic Arms 12 gauge shotgun; a Hopkins & Allen .22 caliber revolver; and 1,421 rounds of ammunition. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency.
Jamal Rucker. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Rucker, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Heritage Arms .38 caliber revolver The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
Wesley Scott Stonebarger. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Drug Conspiracy (Methamphetamine); Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Drug Conspiracy (Fentanyl); Possession of Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking Crimes; Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute (Count 7 and 8). Stonebarger, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and associated ammunition. He is also charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and to distribute 500 grams or more of the drug as early as October 2019. He is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Dec. 20, 2019. Stonebarger is also charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and to distribute fentanyl. He is also charged with knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl on Dec. 20, 2019. He is also charged with carrying a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol during and relation to drug trafficking crimes. Finally, Stonebarger is charged with attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (Counts 7 and 8). In Count 7, Stonebarger allegedly attempted to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine contained in a U.S. Postal Service parcel. In Count 8, Stonebarger allegedly attempted to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine contained in a second U.S. Postal Service parcel. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.
Daniel Nathan West. Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. From May 17, 2019, to Dec. 17, 2019, West, 47, of Claremore, is alleged to have knowingly distributed and received child pornography. He is also charged with knowingly possessing and accessing with intent to view one or more graphic image or video files of child pornography. The production of the visual depictions involved the use of at least one prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies.
Farmington Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANTE BARNES, also known as “Tre,” 31, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2019, law enforcement received information that Barnes and Jaquan Leggett, also known as “Tipsy,” were trafficking narcotics in Hartford. The investigation revealed that Barnes and Leggett were using Leggett’s residence on Lenox Street in Hartford to package and store fentanyl and other drugs. Between January and March 2019, investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Barnes in Hartford and Farmington.
Barnes and Leggett were arrested on March 5, 2019. On that date, a search of Barnes’ Farmington residence revealed 440 bags of fentanyl, approximately 23 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, approximately 32 grams of crack cocaine, items used to package narcotics for street sale, and $24,160 in cash. A search of Leggett’s Hartford residence revealed 169 bags of fentanyl, approximately two grams of unpackaged fentanyl, approximately four grams of crack cocaine, approximately two grams of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
Barnes has forfeited the cash that was located and seized at the time of his arrest, and a 2007 Audi A6 3.2Q.
On October 28, 2019, Barnes pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He has been detained since December 5, 2019, when his bond was revoked.
On October 28, 2019, Leggett pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”). He has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Fairport Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead 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 Cody Clarke, 27, of Fairport, NY, pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that on May 20, 2018, Clarke distributed child pornography using the KIK Messenger application on his smartphone. The defendant’s phone was later seized and found to contain approximately 1580 images and 51 videos of child pornography, including images depicting sadistic conduct and the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2020, at 9:15 a.m., before Judge Siragusa.
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Ex-Marijuana Warehouse Employee Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Planning $2 Million Armed Heist with Corrupt LASD DeputyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Walnut man was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for orchestrating a $2 million armed robbery of a commercial marijuana warehouse where over half a ton of marijuana was stolen with the help of a corrupt Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy.
Christopher Myung Kim, 30, was sentenced by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered him to pay a $500,000 fine.
Following a four-day trial in November 2019, a jury found Kim guilty of five felonies: conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kim had worked at the downtown Los Angeles warehouse for years, but a dispute with its owners left him “bitterly disgruntled,” according to court documents. Kim left his job just weeks before the robbery and conspired with LASD Deputy Marc Antrim, 42, of South El Monte, to orchestrate the raid both for profit and to get revenge against his own bosses. Antrim was assigned to the LASD station in Temple City at the time.
Days before the robbery, Kim supplied Antrim with inside information about the robbery, including key details about the warehouse’s layout, operation and security. Kim also gave Antrim the warehouse’s blueprints, noting where security guards likely would be stationed and which rooms Antrim and their co-conspirators should “hit” to ensure that the most valuable items were stolen.
At approximately 3 a.m. on October 29, 2018, Antrim and six co-conspirators began to rob the marijuana distribution warehouse. Antrim was dressed as an armed deputy and flashed his badge and a fake search warrant to gain access to the warehouse. He then detained the warehouse’s security guards in a cage in the back of an LASD Ford Explorer.
During the two-hour robbery, Antrim and the fake law enforcement team stole more than half a ton of marijuana, two large commercial safes containing more than $600,000 in cash and money orders, and other items of value from the warehouse.
Hours after the robbery, Antrim drove a rental truck to a storage facility in Walnut, where Kim had rented a storage unit the day of the robbery. Antrim and co-conspirator Kevin McBride, 44, of Glendora, delivered $1.5 million dollars’ worth of stolen marijuana and marijuana products to Kim to resell for profit.
In the weeks following the robbery, Kim worked diligently to sell off the marijuana, trying to make as much money as he could from it and also to exact revenge against his former employers.
Kim has been in federal custody since his conviction in November 2019.
“Although not physically present during the robbery…Kim was integral to its planning, success, and profitability,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “He was a leader, organizer, and knowingly made this robbery possible.”
Antrim was arrested in November 2018 and pleaded guilty in March 2019 to multiple felonies in connection with the armed robbery. At Kim’s trial, Antrim testified about how he devised and executed the robbery with Kim’s help. Antrim’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13.
Five other defendants, including McBride, have pleaded guilty to criminal charges for their involvement in the robbery and will be sentenced in the coming months.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau provided substantial assistance to the federal investigation.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Joseph D. Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Essex County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Bribing Mail Carriers to Deliver Parcels Containing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, resident was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for bribing mail carriers from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver to him parcels containing marijuana, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Glenn Blackstone, 50, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with one count of giving bribes and one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2014 to September 2017, Blackstone purchased marijuana from a conspirator, who produced the marijuana in California and shipped it in parcels to New Jersey. On multiple occasions, Blackstone bribed two USPS mail carriers to remove the parcels from the normal delivery stream and deliver them instead to him at various locations in Newark. These parcels had fictitious names and addresses on them and were not addressed directly to Blackstone. After receiving the packages from the mail carriers and paying the bribes, Blackstone then sold the marijuana to others in Newark.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Blackstone to five years of supervised release.
One of the mail carriers, Leonard Gresham, 52, of Rahway, New Jersey, also was sentenced by Judge Salas today to three years of probation for taking bribes from Blackstone. Another mail carrier, Fred Rivers, 47, of Newark, was sentenced to three years of probation with a condition of one year of home confinement by Judge Salas on Jan. 23, 2020 for his role in the bribery scheme.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents with the USPS-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Lee M. Cortes Jr., Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
El Dorado Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Dumping Industrial Wastewater in Stockton Sewer SystemRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeremiah Young, 38, of El Dorado, pleaded guilty today to unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Young was an assistant operator for Community Fuels from 2014 to 2016. Community Fuels is registered in San Joaquin County by American Biodiesel Inc. and manufactured biodiesel fuel on property leased from the Port of Stockton
According to court documents, Young participated in a scheme to discharge hundreds of thousands of gallons of polluted wastewater by various unlawful means, including the discharge of wastewater directly into Stockton’s sewer system after tampering with pH readings. Young also caused a discharge on a different date by using an improvised hose system into a floor drain that led to the city’s sewer system.
Young’s older brother and co-defendant, Christopher Young, 41, of El Dorado Hills, was charged with conspiracy, 12 counts of tampering with monitoring equipment, two counts of unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, one count of false statements, and one count of witness tampering. Christopher Young was the Director of Operations at the Stockton plant. The charges against him are pending; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
On July 8, 2019, U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced American Biodiesel for violations of the Clean Water Act when it allowed the discharge of industrial wastewater into the City of Stockton sewer system. American Biodiesel admitted to tampering with monitoring devices and methods designed to detect such violations, and admitted that employees tampered with pH recordings and flow meters for the purpose of underreporting acid and pollutant levels and volumes that would have exceeded the figures allowed under the city’s regulations.
This case is the product of an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department, San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department, Port of Stockton, and California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Scarborough and Paul Hemesath are prosecuting the case.
Young is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mueller on April 27. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or more if the court finds that the offense resulted in a pecuniary loss. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Duquesne Felon Charged with Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Deandre Darnell Hawkins, age 23, formerly of Duquesne, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on September 19, 2019, Hawkins possessed a firearm, knowing he had been previously convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits anyone from owning a firearm who has been convicted of a crime for a term of one year or longer.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Indicate relevant bond/detention information if known
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Department of Justice Files Suit to Enjoin Two Aspects of New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive on ImmigrationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint today against the State of New Jersey, Governor Philip Murphy, and state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal challenging two aspects of New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2018-6.
The complaint seeks to enjoin two aspects of the Directive and for the Court to declare these aspects of the Directive invalid. Among other things, the Directive prohibits state officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) related to the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody. The Directive also requires New Jersey law enforcement to “promptly notify a detained individual, in writing and in a language the individual can understand,” if ICE files an immigration detainer request for the individual.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito stated: “Today’s lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice, seeks to restore the balance of power between the Federal and State governments. The complaint challenges two provisions of the Directive, which limit the situations in which local, county and state officials can provide notice to federal immigration authorities of a detained individual’s upcoming release and mandates that local, county and state officials inform detainees of certain events, including the detainee’s release date. Today’s filed lawsuit presents important legal issues concerning whether the Directive’s prohibitions and restrictions on information sharing and basic cooperation with federal officials violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
Department of Justice FY 2021 Budget RequestRead the Press Release
President Trump’s FY 2021 Budget proposal totals $31.7 billion for the Department of Justice to support federal law enforcement and criminal justice priorities of our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners. The request represents a comprehensive investment in the Justice mission and includes investments to sustain and enhance our vital work to counter incidents of mass violence, stem violent crime, combat cybercrimes, dismantle gangs, address illegal immigration and the immigration caseload, protect the elderly from fraud, help rural communities, strengthen the fight against illegal opioids, and continue the department’s commitment to National Security.
“The President’s budget request would invest significant resources in our nation’s security, including efforts to prevent mass violence while ensuring overall reductions in violent crime that have been achieved in recent years continue,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “This budget would also help us continue to fight the opioid epidemic, secure our international borders, and protect our citizens, our economy and infrastructure from cyber threats. It also gives us the tools to reduce recidivism among federal offenders and provides strong support to the state, local, and tribal police who keep us safe.”
The Department of Justice’s areas of investment include:
- +$942.2 million to strengthen federal law enforcement’s ability to counter violent crime and support communities to prevent violent crime.
- +$638.8 million in resources to counter incidents of mass violence and support state and local agencies in their efforts to prevent violent crime.
- +$379.6 million to fight the opioid crisis. Additional resources will be devoted to combatting transnational criminal organizations, known for supplying illicit substances to the United States.
- +$409.5 million to continue implementation of the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA). These investments support numerous programs dedicated to reducing recidivism among federal offenders.
- +$143.1 million in immigration related program enhancements to stem the tide of illegal immigration, address increased caseload, and enforce our Nation’s immigration laws.
- +$122.8 million in program enhancements to address critical national security and cyber threats.
- $4.3 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for federal grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement and victims of crime, to ensure greater safety for law enforcement personnel and the people they serve. Critical programs aimed at protecting the life and safety of state and local law enforcement personnel, including the Public Safety Partnership Program and the Project Safe Neighborhood Program, demonstrate our continuing commitment to supporting state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
For more information, view the FY 2021 Budget and Performance Summary at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-and-performance-summary
Countering Violent Crime
Nationwide crime rates continue to trend downward: the number of violent crimes decreased by 3.3 percent between 2017 and 2018, while the violent crime rate per 100,000 population decreased by 3.9 percent. However, violent crimes continue to plague our cities and communities, a serious concern that the Department of Justice remains committed to mitigating.
In 2021, the department will build on the attorney general’s priority program, Operation Relentless Pursuit, to reduce violent crime, including human trafficking, transnational criminal activity, and criminal entities in our prisons, and endeavor to dismantle the worst criminal organizations and target the most violent offenders. The operation consists of participation from each DOJ law enforcement agency, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
The FY 2021 budget requests $942.2 million to reduce violent crime and the scourge of human trafficking.
For more information, view the Countering Violent Crime Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
Countering Mass Violence
Mass violence incidents, such as the tragedies of El Paso, Dayton, Orlando, Dallas, and so many others, shatter communities and threaten the fabric of civil society. This administration is taking bold actions to confront mass violence and violent crime, and ensuring that efforts go beyond traditional law enforcement efforts. The budget supports a total of $719 million for the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address targeted violence and to reduce gun crimes. This includes $639 million for DOJ, including $332 million for targeted violence and $307 million for enhanced law enforcement. With this funding, DOJ will utilize a broad spectrum of response, combined with proactive efforts in identification and interdiction of specific threats in order to reduce the risk of mass violence across the United States. Additionally, the budget provides $80 million to DHS to confront these challenges, including $20 million for community grants to support efforts at the local level to identify and mitigate risks.
The FY 2021 budget requests $638.8 million in program enhancements to counter mass violence and violent crime. The Department of Justice is committed to restoring law and order by providing federal resources where they are most needed and most effective. These resources will enable the department to detect, trace, and apprehend dangerous criminals, limiting their painful impact to American citizens.
For more information, view the Countering Mass Violence Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
Drug Enforcement and the Opioid Crisis
The United States is in the midst of the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 67,300 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2018. Over 46,800, or over two-thirds, of these overdose deaths were caused by heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids. While the number of overdose deaths represent a 4.1 percent decline from 2017, drug overdoses remain significantly high. On March 18, 2018, the administration released the Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand, and the department remains committed to doing its part to protect the American people from the impact of drugs and drug-related crime nationwide.
The FY 2021 budget requests $379.6 million in program enhancements and transfers to combat the opioid crisis and bolster drug enforcement efforts. These resources enable the department to target the drug trafficking organizations responsible for opioid abuse and drug-related violence in our communities. It also enhances the capacity of department agents to deny revenues to drug traffickers using the best cyber capabilities and technologies, enabling the department to keep pace with these nefarious actors.
For more information, view the Drug Enforcement and the Opioid Crisis Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
First Step Act
The timely, efficient, and effective implementation of the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA) is a priority for the department and the administration. The landmark criminal justice reform bill includes numerous provisions to reduce recidivism among federal offenders, such as increasing inmates’ access to pre-release custody so that they can finish portions of their sentences in the community; expanding the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program to assist and treat inmates with opioid use disorders; and increasing the availability of evidence-based risk-reduction programs, such as vocational, life skills, and mental health programs..
The FY 2021 budget requests $409.5 million to continue implementing the FSA. These investments will allow an additional 8,700 inmates to ease transition back to their communities, bring MAT treatment to every Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in the nation, and increase inmate access to job and life skills training programs needed to successfully re-enter society.
For more information, view the First Step Act Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
Enforce Immigration Laws
The FY 2021 budget strengthens the nation’s security through stronger enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws. The department is requesting $143.1 million in immigration related program enhancements for FY 2021, to enforce the nation’s immigration laws and defend the federal government against challenges to immigration policies and actions. These investments will also improve our ability to conduct immigration hearings to help combat illegal immigration to the United States by expanding capacity, improving efficiency, and removing impediments to the timely administration of justice. This budget supports the department’s efforts, along with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security, to fix our immigration system.
For more information, view the Enforce Immigration Laws Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
National Security and Cyber
National security remains one of the Department’s highest priorities. Threats are constantly evolving, requiring additional investments to mitigate those threats in innovative ways. Terrorists seek to sabotage critical infrastructure; organized crime syndicates seek to defraud banks and corporations; and spies seek to steal defense and intelligence secrets and intellectual property. Each threatens our nation’s economy and security.
The FY 2021 budget supports the department in responding to those evolving threats by dedicating $122.8 million in program enhancements for the FBI and the National Security Division (NSD).
For more information, view the National Security and Cyber Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
State, Local, and Tribal Assistance
The department is solidly committed to the president’s initiatives to reduce violent crime and address the opioid epidemic. Federal law enforcement officers constitute only 15 percent of the total number of law enforcement officers nationwide; therefore, 85 percent of the officer support relies upon strong partnership with state and local law enforcement. The department supports its partners in state and local law enforcement, who have critical intelligence about violent crime in their communities, and whose actions are crucial in the fight against violent crime and the opioid epidemic.
The FY 2021 budget continues its commitment to state, local and tribal law enforcement by investing approximately $4.3 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding in programs to assist them. Funding has been prioritized to meet the most pressing law enforcement concerns – violent crime and opioid abuse – and to help the victims of crime.
For more information, view the State, Local and Tribal Assistance Fact Sheet at https://www.justice.gov/doj/fy-2021-budget-fact-sheets
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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.
Defendant in Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced to 270 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – In a hearing last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Edward Thomas DeBord, who was previously convicted of trafficking a large quantity of methamphetamine in Smyth County, Virginia, retaliating against a witness, and contempt of court, was sentenced to 270 months in prison. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring made the announcement today.
DeBord, 49, of Saltville, Va., previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin, conspiring to retaliate against a witness, and willfully disobeying a court order.
According to court records, DeBord engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy from April 1, 2016, through April 11, 2017. The conspiracy involved over 50 grams of crystal ice methamphetamine, over 953 grams of methamphetamine and over 125 grams of heroin. These substances were among the items seized from a Smyth County apartment DeBord shared with co-defendant Zachary Blue Carter. DeBord and Carter distributed methamphetamine from the apartment throughout the life of the conspiracy.
Following DeBord’s guilty plea to the underlying drug conspiracy charges, court records show he continued to engage in criminal conduct by retaliating against a witness and knowingly and willfully disobeying a court order. DeBord stole confidential records and caused them to be copied and distributed, both in paper format and through distribution on social media, intentionally causing potential harm to witnesses in the case. DeBord’s actions were in direct violation of a court order directing that confidential records not be disseminated in connection with the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Saltville Police Department investigated the case. The Virginia State Police assisted with DeBord’s arrest and consent search of his apartment. 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, prosecuted the case for the United States, with assistance from Special Assistant United States Attorney Roy F. Evans, who also serves as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Smyth County.
Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Laundering Funds from Lottery Fraud Scheme Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On February 6, 2020, U.S. District Judge James A. Soto sentenced defendant Morgan Alek Forrester to 21 months in prison. As part of his sentence, Forrester was also ordered to pay $176,000 in restitution. Forrester is one of four codefendants who have been charged in this conspiracy. Forrester previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Forrester participated in scheme where Jamaican-based scammers called elderly U.S. victims and falsely stated they had won a lottery. In order to receive their winnings, the elderly victims were told they must first submit money for taxes and fees. Forrester’s role in this conspiracy was to help launder the fraudulent proceeds to Jamaica.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages the public to be wary of similar scams and to verify with law enforcement and family members before sending money after a phone solicitation, to include lottery or other computer related scams.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Homeland Security. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.
Convicted Former Pine Ridge Indian Health Service Pediatrician Sentenced to Five Consecutive Life Sentences for Multiple Sex Offenses Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Spearfish, South Dakota, man convicted of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a week-long jury trial in September 2019 in Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced on February 10, 2020, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Stanley Patrick Weber, age 71, was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences in federal prison for the five Aggravated Sexual Abuse charges, and 15 years on each of the three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. All of these sentences are to be served consecutively to each other, and also consecutive to his previous sentence in the District of Montana of 18 years in federal prison. Weber was also ordered to pay $800,000 in criminal fines and an $800 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Evidence at trial established that Weber, while employed as a pediatrician with the Indian Health Service at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, sexually abused multiple Native American children between 1999 and 2011.
“The district court’s sentence ensures that Stanley Patrick Weber will never roam free again and his remaining days will be spent behind concrete and steel in a federal prison cell,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Our focus today is on the courage and dignity of Weber’s victims, the men who stared down their worst nightmare to come forward and testify about the horrible abuse by him they suffered when they were boys. Their bravery brought this predator to justice. They have our gratitude, and our hope is that the finality of this sentence will bring them some measure of peace. Now, as one nation, one community, and one family, we must come together and do everything in our power to ensure that nothing like this can ever be done to any of our precious children again.”
“As a pediatrician, Dr. Weber took advantage of Native American children enrolled with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Blackfeet Nation, and betrayed their innocent trust in him. The sentencing of Dr. Weber today sends a strong and powerful message that those who sexually abuse children will be held accountable and that we will continue to seek justice for all victims of our programs,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue working with our State, Federal, and Tribal law enforcement partners as we investigate and seek justice against those who would victimize our programs and their beneficiaries.”
The investigation was conducted by the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Rapid City Police Department, and the Spearfish Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted and tried the case.
Weber was immediately remanded back to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Convicted Felon, Arrested During Columbus "Horseshoe" Investigation, Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to more than nine years in prison on a federal gun charge, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. U.S. District Judge Clay Land sentenced Arrington Culpepper, 34, of Columbus, to 115 months in prison, after Culpepper pleaded guilty to one count possession of a stolen firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.
Culpepper was apprehended during a joint operation on September 5, 2017 investigating a high crime area in Columbus associated with criminal gang activity, known as “the horseshoe.” Culpepper fled from agents on foot. During the course of the chase, Culpepper discarded what was later found to be a stolen .380 caliber pistol, a digital scale and a small amount of marijuana. Culpepper has been convicted of the following felony crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year:
- Possession of Cocaine with intent to Distribute: Muscogee County Superior Court, Case No. SU-06-CR-545, sentenced on July 6, 2006;
- Possession of Cocaine: Muscogee County Superior Court, Georgia, Case No. SU-07-CR-276, sentenced on January 14, 2008;
- Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon: Muscogee County Superior Court, Case No. SU-13-CR-1506, sentenced on October 4, 2013;
- Possession of Controlled Substance with intent to Distribute & Felony Fleeing or Eluding Law Enforcement Officer: Muscogee County Superior Court, Case No. SU-15-CR-1557, sentenced on September 25, 2015;
- Possession of Marijuana with intent to Distribute: Muscogee County Superior Court, Case No. SU-15-CR-3355, sentenced on April 25, 2016.
“Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are united and focused on our shared goal to decrease criminal activity in the Columbus region,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to commend the excellent work by the Columbus Police Department, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision and the FBI in this investigation and for their joint efforts protecting our communities.”
The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department, the Department of Community Supervision, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly Nine Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing over a Dozen GunsRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed over a dozen guns in a small northern Iowa town was sentenced today to nearly nine years in federal prison.
Michael Duane Strain, age 63, who was most recently residing in Montana and previously lived in Elma, Iowa, and Minnesota received the prison term after an October 16, 2019 jury verdict finding him guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at trial showed that Strain was living in Elma, Iowa, in late 2010 and early 2011. During that time, Strain frequented a firearms dealer in Elma. Strain was told he could not purchase any guns without filling out paperwork, which he refused to do. Strain was a convicted felon. Strain did purchase ammunition and firearms accessories. He also brought a rifle into the dealer for repair.
Law enforcement started investigating Strain for unlawfully possessing guns. They eventually searched the home Strain shared with his brother and a woman. During the search, officers found thirteen guns in the open, some of which were staged near windows and doors. One of the guns was a sawed-off shotgun. Officers also found ammunition and accessories Strain had purchased.
Following the search, Strain left Iowa at some point. He was indicted in 2011 for two counts of unlawfully possessing guns. The United States Marshal’s Service located Strain in July 2019. Strain was living in rural Montana. The Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives arrested Strain and searched his residence. They found dozens of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition staged around the residence.
Strain’s criminal history includes multiple prior felony convictions out of Minnesota. He was convicted of fleeing from police in 2001. He was also convicted of possessing a pipe bomb and a pistol later in 2001. The pipe bomb was found in Strain’s vehicle, which he had parked near a courthouse while attending a court hearing. In 2003, Strain was convicted of possessing a short-barreled shotgun.
Strain was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Strain was sentenced to 105 months’ imprisonment and fined $12,500. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Strain is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Morfitt and Richard Murphy and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the United States Marshal’s Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 11-CR-2039.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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 /media/1122011/dl?inline.
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Colombian Nationals Indicted for Transporting 1,000 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging two Colombian nationals for their role in transporting nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine aboard a semi-submersible vessel that was seized last month by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Ecuador.
According to court documents, since November 2018, members of the DEA Hampton Post of Duty have been investigating maritime smuggling operations based on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Drug trafficking organizations utilize vessels such as Low-Profile Vessels (LPV), or Self-Propelled Semi-Submersibles (SPSS), to transport multi-hundred kilogram shipments of cocaine from the west coast of Colombia to awaiting transfer vessels or destinations throughout Central or South America.
According to court documents, in late December 2019, law enforcement learned of an LPV that was scheduled to transport nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. Members of the investigative team coordinated with various United States maritime patrol assets and, on January 9, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Vigilant detected an LPV with no indicia of nationality or vessel name 68 miles west from Esmeraldas, Ecuador in international waters.
After gaining positive control of the LPV, a USCG boarding team allegedly encountered Luis Miguel Gonzalez Cortes, 27, and Reinel Galvis Sanchez, 42, along with multiple other individuals, and subsequently seized approximately 50 bales containing approximately 990 kilograms of cocaine. All four mariners found aboard the LPV were detained, with Cortes and Sanchez being transferred to the Eastern District of Virginia for prosecution and the two Ecuadorian mariners being repatriated to Ecuador.
This seizure is part of Operation FUHZ, a DEA Hampton led investigation into maritime smuggling operations based on the Pacific coast of Colombia. The operation targets various drug trafficking organizations that utilize vessels such as LPVs or SPSSs to transport multi-hundred kilogram shipments of cocaine from the west coast of Colombia, to destinations throughout Central or South America, as well as to awaiting transfer vessels for ultimate distribution in the United States. To date, Operation FUHZ has generated intelligence leading to multiple at sea interdictions resulting in the seizure of over 5,300 kilograms of cocaine. Operation FUHZ is coordinated in close cooperation with the DEA Bogota Country Office Group 1, the Colombian National Police DIRAN Sensitive Investigation Unit, the Hampton Police Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Newport News Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and the Newport News Sheriff’s Office.
Both men are charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel. If convicted, each man faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; Danny Diggs, York County Sheriff; Gabe Morgan Sr., Newport News Sheriff, made the announcement after the indictment was returned. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-4.
Chinese military personnel charged with computer fraud, economic espionage and wire fraud for hacking into credit reporting agency EquifaxRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with hacking into the computer systems of the credit reporting agency Equifax and stealing Americans’ personal data and Equifax’s valuable trade secrets.
The nine-count indictment alleges that Wu Zhiyong (吴志勇), Wang Qian (王乾), Xu Ke (许可) and Liu Lei (刘磊) were members of the PLA’s 54th Research Institute, a component of the Chinese military. They allegedly conspired with each other to hack into Equifax’s computer networks, maintain unauthorized access to those computers, and steal sensitive, personally identifiable information of approximately 145 million American victims.
“This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people,” said Attorney General William Barr, who made the announcement. “Today, we hold PLA hackers accountable for their criminal actions, and we remind the Chinese government that we have the capability to remove the Internet’s cloak of anonymity and find the hackers that nation repeatedly deploys against us. Unfortunately, the Equifax hack fits a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China and its citizens that have targeted personally identifiable information, trade secrets, and other confidential information.”
“The indictment exposes the Chinese military’s effort to collect sensitive information of Americans on an unprecedented scale and steal proprietary information for the benefit of the Chinese government. With this announcement, we underscore our resolve to protect our citizens from state-sponsored cyber threats and to unmask those who perpetrate unlawful attacks,” said U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak of the Northern District of Georgia. “These charges were made possible because Equifax worked closely, and early, with our dedicated law enforcement team to hold the perpetrators accountable. As corporations like Equifax continue to be targeted by cyber attacks, this investigation illustrates the critical importance of public-private collaboration to combat the most sophisticated cyber threats.”
“The FBI is dedicated to working with our federal partners to seek justice for anyone who would threaten the safety, security and confidence of our American citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These criminal hackers, sponsored by their government, were not able to hide behind the internet curtain thanks to the determination of FBI Atlanta’s cyber squad, FBI Headquarters Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia and the Justice Department. This does not end our investigation into one of the biggest threats to our national security today.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: The defendants exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts Web Framework software used by Equifax’s online dispute portal. They used this access to conduct reconnaissance of Equifax’s online dispute portal and to obtain login credentials that could be used to further navigate Equifax’s network. The defendants spent several weeks running queries to identify Equifax’s database structure and searching for sensitive, personally identifiable information within Equifax’s system.
Once they accessed files of interest, the conspirators then stored the stolen information in temporary output files, compressed and divided the files, and ultimately were able to download and exfiltrate the data from Equifax’s network to computers outside the United States. In total, the attackers ran approximately 9,000 queries on Equifax’s system, obtaining names, birth dates and social security numbers for nearly half of all American citizens.
The indictment also charges the defendants with stealing trade secret information, namely Equifax’s data compilations and database designs. “In short, this was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans, as well as the hard work and intellectual property of an American company, by a unit of the Chinese military,” said Barr.
The defendants took steps to evade detection throughout the intrusion, as alleged in the indictment. They routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location, used encrypted communication channels within Equifax’s network to blend in with normal network activity, and deleted compressed files and wiped log files on a daily basis in an effort to eliminate records of their activity.
The defendants are charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants are also charged with two counts of unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of economic espionage, and three counts of wire fraud. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Criminal and National Security Divisions of the Department of Justice, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office are investigating the case. The FBI’s Cyber Division also provided support. Equifax cooperated fully and provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Kitchens, Samir Kaushal, and Thomas Krepp of the Northern District of Georgia; Senior Counsel Benjamin Fitzpatrick of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; and Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Attorneys with the Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining evidence from overseas.
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.
Chinese Military Personnel Charged with Computer Fraud, Economic Espionage and Wire Fraud for Hacking into Credit Reporting Agency EquifaxRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Atlanta returned an indictment last week charging four members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with hacking into the computer systems of the credit reporting agency Equifax and stealing Americans’ personal data and Equifax’s valuable trade secrets.
The nine-count indictment alleges that Wu Zhiyong (吴志勇), Wang Qian (王乾), Xu Ke
(许可) and Liu Lei (刘磊) were members of the PLA’s 54th Research Institute, a component of the Chinese military. They allegedly conspired with each other to hack into Equifax’s computer networks, maintain unauthorized access to those computers, and steal sensitive, personally identifiable information of approximately 145 million American victims.“This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people,” said Attorney General William P. Barr, who made the announcement. “Today, we hold PLA hackers accountable for their criminal actions, and we remind the Chinese government that we have the capability to remove the Internet’s cloak of anonymity and find the hackers that nation repeatedly deploys against us. Unfortunately, the Equifax hack fits a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China and its citizens that have targeted personally identifiable information, trade secrets, and other confidential information.”
According to the indictment, the defendants exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts Web Framework software used by Equifax’s online dispute portal. They used this access to conduct reconnaissance of Equifax’s online dispute portal and to obtain login credentials that could be used to further navigate Equifax’s network. The defendants spent several weeks running queries to identify Equifax’s database structure and searching for sensitive, personally identifiable information within Equifax’s system. Once they accessed files of interest, the conspirators then stored the stolen information in temporary output files, compressed and divided the files, and ultimately were able to download and exfiltrate the data from Equifax’s network to computers outside the United States. In total, the attackers ran approximately 9,000 queries on Equifax’s system, obtaining names, birth dates and social security numbers for nearly half of all American citizens.
The indictment also charges the defendants with stealing trade secret information, namely Equifax’s data compilations and database designs. “In short, this was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans, as well as the hard work and intellectual property of an American company, by a unit of the Chinese military,” said Barr.
The defendants took steps to evade detection throughout the intrusion, as alleged in the indictment. They routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location, used encrypted communication channels within Equifax’s network to blend in with normal network activity, and deleted compressed files and wiped log files on a daily basis in an effort to eliminate records of their activity.
“Today’s announcement of these indictments further highlights our commitment to imposing consequences on cybercriminals no matter who they are, where they are, or what country’s uniform they wear,” said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. “The size and scope of this investigation — affecting nearly half of the U.S. population, demonstrates the importance of the FBI’s mission and our enduring partnerships with the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This is not the end of our investigation; to all who seek to disrupt the safety, security and confidence of the global citizenry in this digitally connected world, this is a day of reckoning.”
The defendants are charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants are also charged with two counts of unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of economic espionage, and three counts of wire fraud.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Criminal and National Security Divisions of the Department of Justice, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. The FBI’s Cyber Division also provided support. Equifax cooperated fully and provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Kitchens, Samir Kaushal, and Thomas Krepp of the Northern District of Georgia; Senior Counsel Benjamin Fitzpatrick of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; and Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Attorneys with the Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining evidence from overseas.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Cass County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of JARED ROSS BOSWELL, 33, to 145 months in prison for distributing child pornography. BOSWELL, who pleaded guilty on August 15, 2019, was sentenced today before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in Bemidji, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, from April 2018 through September 2018, BOSWELL used the internet to send obscene materials and distribute sexually explicit images. Specifically, on September 7, 2018, BOSWELL sent an image depicting child sexual abuse to a minor, who he knew to be 10 years old.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Department of Public Safety, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the Bemidji Police Department, the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Munoz.
Defendant Information:
JARED ROSS BOSWELL, 33
Cass County, Minn.
Convicted:
- Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 145 months in prison
- 15 years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Camden Woman Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted her role in a conspiracy to distribute significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Meylin Troncoso, 32, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.
Thirteen other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, Jasmin Velez, Jameel Byng, Kaliel Johnson, David Velez and Carlos Perez – previously have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden. The charges against five other defendants remain pending.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Members of the drug-trafficking organization sold heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and fentanyl – in and around Camden. An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The count to which Troncoso pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of one year in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $2 million fine. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tara McMahon in Philadelphia; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
For the five defendants whose charges remain pending, the charges and allegations are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Distributing FentanylRead 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 Luis Matias, of Buffalo, 29, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute, and distributing, butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that in July 2017, law enforcement officers developed information that the defendant was distributing large quantities of butyryl fentanyl in the Buffalo area.
During the investigation, a confidential source and undercover officers were used to conduct controlled purchases from Matias.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major James Hall; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
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Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to the October 2019 robberies of the TD Bank in Worcester and the East Boston Savings Bank in Revere.
Samuel Jose Baptista, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman, who scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2020. In November 2019, Baptista was charged by criminal complaint.
On Oct. 20, 2019, Baptista entered a branch of TD Bank in Worcester and demanded $10,000 from the bank teller. On Oct. 26, Baptista entered a branch of the East Boston Savings Bank in Revere and demanded $20,000. In both instances, Baptista threatened to detonate a bomb if the bank did not turn the money over to him.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Revere Police Chief James Guido made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Boston Auto Body Shop Owner Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a Hyde Park auto body shop was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with preparing false tax returns for his company, Automotive Specialties Inc.
Richard Poillucci, 62, of Easton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to four months of home confinement, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and restitution of $215,522, which Poillucci has already paid. In October 2018, Poillucci pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns.
Poillucci was the owner of Automotive Specialties Inc. (ASI), an auto body shop specializing in repairing high-end vehicles. Between Sept. 30, 2012 and Sept. 30, 2015, Poillucci cashed millions of dollars of checks from the business at check cashing establishments in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and willfully failed to report that income, or expenses that he paid for in cash with the proceeds from those checks, on ASI’s tax returns. As a result, Poillucci failed to report approximately $569,367 to the IRS, thereby avoiding the payment of approximately $215,552 in federal income taxes.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Bluefield Woman Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Bluefield woman was sentenced to federal prison for distributing drugs, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Cassandra Tiller, 36, was sentenced to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of heroin.
“The opioid epidemic wreaked havoc in communities throughout southern West Virginia and we continue to hold the poison peddlers and chaos-makers accountable,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Make no mistake -- we are winning. Our communities are safer and I’ve put drug dealers on notice. We are fighting every day to take back our communities and protect West Virginia families from drug dealers like Tiller.”
Tiller previously admitted that on March 13, 2017, she distributed heroin to confidential informants in or near Montcalm in Mercer County. She further admitted that she sold heroin to confidential informants on two other occasions.
The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar Kordestani and John File handled the prosecution.
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Bismarck, ND, Man Indicted for Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Bismarck – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on February 10, 2020, Juan Ramon Maisonet, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Clare Hochhalter at initial appearance and arraignment hearings. The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Indictment revealing that a federal grand jury indicted Maisonet on the charge of Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Specifically, the Grand Jury alleges that Maisonet fled from BPD officers and had to be subdued at which time a loaded .45 caliber revolver was discovered in Maisonet’s possession. Maisonet is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. An Indictment is an accusation and notice of charges, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Bismarck Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Brandi Sasse Russell is prosecuting the case.
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Attorney General William Barr Announces Significant Actions to Promote Public Safety and Enforce Federal Immigration LawsRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General William P. Barr addressed the National Sheriff’s Association in Washington, D.C., announcing significant actions to facilitate the apprehension, prosecution, and removal of aliens who are in the United States illegally and have committed criminal acts. Attorney General Barr explained, among other things, that “sanctuary” policies jeopardize public safety by preventing local law enforcement from sharing information and honoring federal detention requests in the context of immigration crimes.
In the District of Nevada, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully prosecuted criminal aliens who unlawfully returned to the country and committed significant crimes in the United States. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with our state, federal, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and to ensure our borders are protected,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Nicholas A. Trutanich. “Hampering federal enforcement efforts poses a risk to public safety.”
Ernesto M. Santacruz, Jr., Deputy Field Office Director, Nevada (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) stated: “We value the cooperation provided by the local law enforcement here in Nevada and know that the indispensable relationship ensures the safety of the people and communities in this state. We must continue to work together to make sure the criminal aliens are off our streets and not released back into the community to reoffend.”
As a recent example, on January 13, 2020, defendant Eric Yokani Moreno-Ochoa was sentenced to 50 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful reentry in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1326. Moreno-Ochoa — who previously had been removed three times from the United States within a five-year period — has prior felony convictions for burglary and trafficking in controlled substance, including 23.8g of methamphetamine.
Over the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada has prosecuted more than 180 illegal reentry cases, many of which involved convicted felons who repeatedly returned to the United States following deportation.
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Armed Robbery Suspect Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Travis Day, a Tennessee man, who in April 2019 robbed the Valero Mart in Marion, Virginia and was arrested two weeks later by police in West Virginia, was sentenced last week in federal court in Abingdon to 108 months in prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.
In September 2019, Day, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of using a firearm in relation to a federal crime of violence.
According to court documents, on April 18, 2019, Day interfered with commerce by threats or violence in relation to his armed robbery of the Valero Fast Mart in Marion. Following an investigation and search by law enforcement in Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia, Day was arrested on May 2, 2019 in West Virginia, with the assistance of the West Virginia State Police.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Marion Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Lena Busscher and Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case for the United States.
Amsterdam Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edwin Rodriguez, a/k/a “Chaka,” age 31, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to possessing and intending to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and City of Amsterdam Police Chief Gregory J. Culick. On May 15, 2019, Rodriguez was the subject of a traffic stop in Amsterdam. In pleading guilty, he admitted that he was stopped while driving to meet a drug customer to whom he planned to sell 100 grams of heroin, and that he was driving with a suspended license. As Amsterdam Police Officers were arresting Rodriguez for driving with a suspended license, a vacuum-sealed bag of powder fell out of his pant leg. The bag contained 100.3 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. Also on May 15, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Rodriguez’s Amsterdam residence. In the apartment’s kitchen, they found an empty bleach bottle, with a hidden compartment containing 1.78 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, which Rodriguez intended to sell. Rodriguez faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life, when United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentences him on June 15, 2020. 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. This case was investigated by the DEA and the Amsterdam Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.Aliquippa Woman Received Packages of Fentanyl Shipped from OverseasRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Carlisha Williams, age 30, of Aliquippa, PA, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, between September 2016 and July 2017, Williams provided co-conspirators an address to receive packages of fentanyl shipped from overseas into the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is part of a long-term investigation by the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force (GPSSTF), which targeted a large scale Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny Counties. The GPSSTF is comprised of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the FBI. The GPSSTF and the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, would like to recognize the significant contributions made to this investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, United Sates Postal Inspection Service, Cranberry Township Police Department and the New Brighton Police Department. The Department of Homeland Security Investigators also assisted in the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
This investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Afghan Man Convicted by Jury of Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Commit Murder for HireRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An Afghan man was convicted Friday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, of conspiring to commit kidnapping and murder-for-hire, targeting a victim and his minor son.
Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted 32-year-old Fnu “John” Sadiqullah of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Fnu “John” Sadiqullah believed that the victim owed him tens of thousands of dollars. After repeated attempts to try to get his money back, through persistent visits to the victim’s place of business, Sadiqullah contacted Mahmoud Shalash to help him get his money back. Shalash had been working with a confidential human source, for whom Shalash had laundered approximately $100,000. Shalash introduced the confidential source to Sadiqullah as an individual who could collect debts, by any means necessary.
Evidence at trial demonstrated that Sadiqullah and the confidential source proceeded to agree to kidnap the victim or his son; attempt to retrieve the money; and then, if necessary, kill the victim. Three days later, when Sadiqullah learned that the victim was in Lexington, Sadiqullah, along with other friends, cornered the victim at his place of business and called the confidential source to carry out the plan. The confidential source, who had been working for the FBI during this entire period of time, reported the incident to the FBI, which then took the victim and his son into protective custody.
A third defendant, Hadi Abdul, was acquitted at the trial.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the verdict. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew T. Boone and Kathryn M. Anderson.
Sadiqullah will appear for sentencing on June 11, 2020. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Shalash had previously pleaded guilty for his role in these offenses, and others, on January 27, 2020. His sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2020. He also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence
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2nd Hundred, WVA Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charge in Connection with Pittsburgh-Based DS44 Neighborhood GangRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Hundred, West Virginia pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jesse Tedrow, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Mr. Tedrow is one of 37 defendants charged in the Indictment.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019.
The court was further advised that Mr. Tedrow purchased distribution-level quantities of heroin and fentanyl from his co-conspirator, Ronald Williams, and re-sold the drugs to other customers.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for September 4, 2020, at 10:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant. Rogers remains on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
"The Sanctuary Policies of the Mecklenburg and Buncombe County Sheriffs Are Reckless and Pose Increased Harm to the Public and to Law Enforcement"Read the Press Release
"The Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties have adopted ‘sanctuary’ policies that endanger our communities and shield criminals from immigration enforcement.
"In 2019, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office alone failed to honor over 200 detainers issued by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), which means that more than a couple of hundred criminal aliens charged with criminal offenses were released back to the community. And those are the ones we can account for.
"By ignoring federal immigration detainers and administrative warrants, and refusing to simply inform ICE officers when an unlawful alien who has committed a criminal act is due to be released to the community, the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties prioritize the protection of criminal aliens above the safety and protection of our communities.
"Rather than uphold our nation’s laws, the Sheriffs compromise the safety of the people they swore to serve and protect. Regardless of the crime the removable aliens have committed; regardless of whether they assaulted women or raped children; regardless of whether they trafficked deadly drugs; and regardless of the likelihood they will commit more crime as soon as they return to the community, criminal aliens are permitted to walk out of prison, free to reoffend in communities they had no right to be in the first place.
"The common-sense approach of removing illegal aliens who have committed a criminal act currently in place in other North Carolina jurisdictions works extremely well. After illegal aliens have been arrested and charged with a crime, they are fingerprinted and booked into jail. When federal immigration authorities learn that a criminal alien who has been arrested is in a jurisdiction’s custody, ICE officers issue a detainer request accompanied by a civil arrest warrant, and ask the sheriff’s office to either notify them before the criminal alien is released, or hold the charged individual long enough to arrange a transfer to federal custody in a safe setting.
"But Mecklenburg and Buncombe County Sheriffs refuse to honor ICE detainers, purporting their hands are tied because these formal detainers are not sufficiently ‘legal’ enough to hold criminal aliens in custody. Their stance is so extreme, that the Sheriffs not only fail to honor a detainer by briefly holding a criminal alien of interest for ICE, they refuse to even make a courtesy call to ICE officers notifying them that a defendant has either satisfied bail conditions or served a jail sentence and is being processed for release.
"So, instead of protecting their communities and cooperating with law enforcement partners, the Sheriffs play the blame-game and instead point their fingers at a flawed judicial system and the absence of federal criminal charging documents for the criminals they have chosen to let loose.
"This blame-game is a complete fallacy. The Sheriffs are well aware that state crimes are not necessarily federal offenses, and even if they are, ICE needs additional time to verify the proper identification of the criminal alien along with prior criminal history and deportations, and gather any additional evidence before presenting a case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once a case is in the federal prosecutors’ hands, an internal review process, which includes supervisory oversight, ensures federal charges are appropriate and the defendant’s identity and status have been thoroughly vetted.
"The Sheriffs claim that releasing into our communities criminal aliens – many of whom have extensive criminal histories - boosts the confidence of immigrant communities in law enforcement, increases their trust in law enforcement, and sends the message that law enforcement are working hard to make their streets safer. That notion is false and dangerous. Upon release from custody, criminal aliens oftentimes seek a safe harbor by returning to the same immigrant communities, where they are prone to reoffend. Ultimately, the Sheriffs’ misguided stance puts the very communities they purport to respect and protect in increased danger, and puts the lives of our law enforcement officers and the public at large at an increased risk of harm.
"When criminal aliens are released, law enforcement officers are forced to go into unknown and potentially dangerous situations to locate and re-arrest the same criminals that could have been taken into custody in the controlled and weapon-free environment of a jail. Instead, the Sheriffs’ current nonsensical policy protects criminals and needlessly endangers the lives of their fellow law enforcement officers, who simply want to do their jobs well and as safely as possible, so that they, too, can return to their loved ones at the end of their work day.
"Equally noteworthy is the fact that collateral consequences are also a real possibility whenever law enforcement attempts to place someone in custody in a dynamic environment like a vehicle stop or a residential arrest. Innocent bystanders in the vicinity are at risk of harm when a known criminal chooses "fight or flight" rather than peaceful compliance with law enforcement. As we’ve seen in recent months, such dangerous encounters can lead to police stand-offs and shootings.
"I urge the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties to do the job they were elected to do, protect every single member of the community from increased risk of harm, and stop needlessly and irresponsibly thrusting fellow law enforcement officers into harm’s way.
"The people of our communities deserve more and have a right to expect their Sheriffs to do all they can to make our streets safe, and our communities a place where we can live, work, and raise our families.
"As a former federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, a former District Attorney for Mecklenburg County, and currently as U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina, I can attest that cooperation and coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement is the only effective strategy that can make our crime fighting efforts successful and stem the tide of increased violence. United we stand and divided we fail.
"I call upon the Sheriffs of Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties to abandon their misguided sanctuary policies that do nothing but shield criminals, put at risk the safety of our neighborhoods, and jeopardize the lives of law enforcement officers.
Let’s work together to make all of our communities as safe as possible and let’s do everything in our power to prevent the loss of innocent life."
9 February 2020
White Horse Man Sentenced for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a White Horse, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding, was sentenced on February 6, 2020, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Shawn Traversie, age 35, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Traversie was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9, 2019. He pled guilty on December 5, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 27, 2019, when Traversie had been drinking and got into an argument with his spouse. Traversie left the residence and when he returned, he discovered the door to his residence was locked and became aggravated. Traversie then kicked the door open, entered the residence, and began assaulting his spouse.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Veblin Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Mail Fraud Involving Head Start ProgramRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Renee K. Olson, age 57, of Veblin, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. Magistrate William D. Gerdes on February 7, 2020, and pled guilty to an Information that charged her with Mail Fraud.
According to court documents, Olson served as the Treasurer of the Region VIII Head Start Association. In September 2014 and continuing to June 2018, Olson devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud the Region VIII Head Start Association of money and property, and obtained money and property from the Region VIII Head Start Association by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, omissions, and promises. In her working capacity, Olson sent out invoices to members of the Title VIII Region, who then paid those invoices and sent those payments to Olson. Upon receipt, Olson converted those payments and used that money for personal expenses. The money was intended to be used to train members of Region VIII Head Start. Instead, Olson deposited those checks into her personal bank account. For the purpose of carrying out and executing the scheme to defraud, and in furtherance of the scheme and artifice to defraud, Defendant knowingly caused the items to be placed in an authorized depository for mail matter.
Mail Fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, and a period of supervised release of 3 years. There is also a $100.00 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution will also be ordered.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date of June 9, 2020, has been set. The defendant was released on bond pending sentencing.
Two Colorado Men Sentenced on Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Colorado Springs, Colorado, men were sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court Judge.
On November 14, 2019, Joshua Cruz, age 30, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
On January 31, 2020, Billy Torrez, age 24, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
The charges related to Torrez, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, having a GSG, .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his vehicle, found when Torrez and Cruz came into contact with Rapid City police officers. Also found in the vehicle was methamphetamine, which Cruz admitted to being his.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Torrez and Cruz were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
St. Francis Man Indicted on Kidnapping and Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Kidnapping, Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, Child Abuse, Assault With a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Michael T. Farmer, age 28, was indicted on November 13, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 6, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between October 6, 2019, and October 8, 2019, Farmer kidnapped and held a woman against her will, unlawfully assaulted her by strangling and suffocating her, unlawfully assaulted her with a dangerous weapon, and unlawfully assaulted her resulting in bodily injury. The Indictment further alleges Farmer did abuse, expose, torture, torment, and cruelly punish a child.
The charges are merely accusations and Farmer is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Farmer was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced on February 3, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Kok Put Kach, a/k/a “Cookie”, age 35, was sentenced to 10 years in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kach was indicted for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2018. He pled guilty on July 2, 2019.
Beginning on an unknown date and continuing through on or about October 2018, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, Kach and James Ayur Garang, a/k/a “Ayur,” and a/k/a “Mike”, did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together, with others known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Co-defendant, James Ayur Garang, a/k/a “Ayur,” and a/k/a “Mike”, was sentenced to 10 years in custody and 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Garang was indicted for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2018. He pled guilty on September 5, 2019.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash prosecuted the case.
Kach was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man who pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, was sentenced on February 6, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Vance Hayes, age 29, was sentenced to a total of 5 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stems from Hayes distributing methamphetamine in the Pine Ridge, South Dakota, area during the timeframe of approximately March 2016 to May 2019. Hayes obtained the methamphetamine from a source in Rapid City.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Badlands Safe Trails Drug Task Force, which includes agents from the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs – Division of Drug Enforcement, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Martin Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. Additional co-conspirators have been sentenced and others are pending trial.
Hayes was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.