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Wednesday 18 December 2019
New York For-Hire Vehicle Driver Charged with Transporting A Minor from New Jersey to New York to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man was charged with traveling to New Jersey to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 16 and transporting the minor from New Jersey to New York to engage in criminal sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Richard Gabriel Piedra Ordonez, 35, of Sunnyside, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. Piedra is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case:
In May 2019, Piedra began communicating with a New Jersey resident under the age of 16 using various social media and messaging platforms. Over the course of the subsequent months, Piedra and the victim met in person and Piedra engaged in sexual conduct with the victim. Piedra traveled to Cape May County to have sex with the victim and also drove the victim to his home in New York City, where he engaged in criminal sexual activity with the victim.
The count of transporting a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The offense of traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with FBI’s Atlantic City Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner, and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland, for its assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that AARON RUDOLPH, age 26, of New Orleans, was sentenced for bank robbery on December 12, 2019.
According to the court documents, AARON RUDOLPH conspired with his co-defendant, JOHN RUDOLPH, by entering the First Bank and Trust located at 1320 South Morrison Boulevard, in Hammond, Louisiana and robbing the bank of approximately $10,490.96 at gunpoint.
United States District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced AARON RUDOLPH to 60 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced DARRYL DOUSE a.k.a. “TURKEY”, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, on December 17, 2019 for his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
According to court paperwork, DOUSE got into a gunfight near the intersection of Bienville and Treme Street on March 17, 2019, hitting the other shooter in the foot. The shootout was captured on surveillance footage and numerous witnesses identified DOUSE as one of the shooters. About a week later, Jefferson Parish authorities stopped another individual who was a felon and found him in possession of a short-barreled rifle. The seized weapon was test fired and a ballistic comparison using the NIBIN system linked that gun to the March 17 shooting involving DOUSE.
DOUSE was arrested by the New Orleans Police Department on charges related to the shooting. After being arrested by state authorities, DOUSE admitted to his participation in the shooting. At the time of the shooting, DOUSE had been convicted of two counts of attempted armed robbery and knew that he was a felon who could not possess firearms. DOUSE also admitted to participating in another shooting around the same area on a different date. Federal authorities adopted DOUSE’s case for federal prosecution.
United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced DOUSE to 84 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment on the gun charge.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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New Haven Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TORRENCE GAMBLE, also known as “Bones” and “Bone,” 46, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a New Haven drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2017, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force initiated an investigation into a New Haven drug trafficking organization headed by Jermayne Butler. The investigation, which included physical surveillance, 13 controlled purchases of narcotics, and court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, revealed that members of the organization were distributing crack cocaine and oxycodone in and around New Haven. Gamble was a trusted associate of Butler who headed the organization’s crack distribution in the Vernon Street area of New Haven.
Butler, Gamble and several other members of the organization were arrested on federal criminal complaints on February 6, 2018. On February 8, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 30-count indictment charging 19 individuals with various offenses.
Gamble’s criminal history includes multiple convictions related to the sale of drugs, and a conviction for criminal possession of a firearm.
Gamble has been detained since his arrest. On August 12, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine base. (“crack”).
Butler pleaded guilty on August 9, 2019, and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, which includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, West Haven Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and David C. Nelson.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Money Stolen from Texas RetireesRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 35-year-old Lukman Shina Aminu of Manchester, NH, to 51 months in federal prison today for his alleged scheme to launder over a million dollars from multiple fraudulent schemes, including thousands stolen from former Texas state employees retirement plans, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered that Aminu pay $1,158,285.14 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
On January 2, 2019, Aminu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. By pleading guilty, Aminu admitted that beginning in June 2017, he used personally identifiable information (PII) from state employees to make changes to their accounts in the Employees Retirement System of Texas internet portal. Bank deposit information on file in the system was changed which re-routed retirement payments to debit cards Aminu controlled. Aminu then used the debit cards for cash withdrawals and to purchase money orders which were used for personal expenses and to purchase used vehicles to be shipped overseas to Nigeria and Benin for resale. Aminu also admitted to receiving multiple transfers from victims of other schemes on other debit cards that had been opened using their PII. This scheme also involved using car purchases and shipments to send money back to Nigeria (in the value of the shipped car), while simultaneously laundering the funds or “cleaning the money” to make the money appear as legitimate income.
“Today’s sentencing is a message to all who seek to deceitfully defraud others for personal gain,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “In this case, the defendant’s actions robbed former Texas public servants of their retirement payments. These selfish actions harmed countless families as the defendant then used the money to purchase used vehicles and ship them to be sold overseas. The FBI will not rest until those who perpetrate these crimes are brought to justice.”
The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Public Integrity Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Galdo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
New Britain Man Who Shot Girlfriend and Her 2 Children Sentenced for Federal Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMAINE SCOTT, also known as “Maine G,” 39, formerly of New Britain, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the morning of March 29, 2017, New Britain Police responded to a residence in New Britain after a report that Scott had shot and seriously wounded his girlfriend and two of his girlfriend’s children at the residence. The victims subsequently reported that Scott, who was lying in bed, became angry when he thought the children were being too loud as they were getting ready for school. After an argument ensued, Scott retrieved a gun from behind the headboard of the bed, chased his girlfriend’s 17-year-old daughter into the bathroom and shot her in the stomach and thigh. He then shot his girlfriend’s 12-year-old son in his leg, and then his girlfriend in her stomach. Scott then fled the residence.
All three victims survived their injuries
Investigators conducted a search of the residence and recovered a .40 caliber pistol, four spent .40 caliber bullet shell casings, and more than 63 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
Scott was apprehended in Middletown on September 18, 2017. On May 16, 2019, he pleaded guilty in New Britain Superior Court to three counts of assault in the first degree. On July 24, 2019, he was sentenced to a 30-year term of imprisonment, no portion of which is suspended.
Scott has a criminal history that spans 20 years and includes convictions for firearm, drug, burglary, larceny and other offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On September 4, 2019, Scott pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Scott’s federal sentence will run concurrently with his state sentence.
This matter was investigated by the New Britain Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Nashville Woman Arrested with Four Kilograms of Fentanyl at Nashville Bus StationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – December 18, 2019 – Jennifer Montejo, 31, of Nashville, was charged in a criminal complaint on December 12, 2019, with possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the criminal complaint, Montejo and others had been previously identified as targets in a drug trafficking investigation in the Nashville area and at a state prison. Montejo was arrested on December 11, 2019, at a Nashville bus station as she was returning from California, after purchasing a one-way airline ticket to Los Angeles, days earlier. Approximately four kilograms of a substance believed to contain fentanyl, and about one kilogram of a substance believed to be heroin were discovered in Montejo’s luggage.
Montejo was on bond for state drug charges in Dickson County, Tennessee, which resulted from an incident in July 2019, where the Tennessee Highway Patrol stopped Montejo on Interstate 40 as she was travelling from California, and subsequently found approximately ¾ of a kilogram of pills containing fentanyl, about one kilogram of heroin, and three firearms.
If convicted, Montejo faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison,
The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into substantial drug trafficking which is allegedly being coordinated by a state prisoner. That investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Tennessee Department of Corrections – Office of the Inspector General, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and other partner agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Three Years for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Alejandro Rosales-Gonzalez (36, Mexico) to three years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation.
Rosales-Gonzalez had pleaded guilty on September 30, 2019.
According to testimony and court documents, since 2001, Rosales-Gonzalez has been returned or deported from the United States to Mexico eight times. He has been charged and convicted for illegal entry and illegal reentry four times since 2011, including this case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement most recently encountered Rosales-Gonzalez on April 19, 2019, following his arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in Melbourne, Florida.
“Thanks to the hard work of our Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team, this violent criminal illegal alien is out of our communities,” said Miami ERO Field Office Director Michael W. Meade.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE, in the Middle District of Florida.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that MANUEL LIRA-RIVERA, age 35, a native of Mexico, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to illegally using a Social Security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
United States District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced LIRA-RIVERA to time served (4 months of imprisonment), followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to court documents, prior to August 14, 2019, LIRA-RIVERA submitted a fraudulent Form I-9 application in order to obtain employment with a construction company. He attested on the form that he was someone else. He used a fraudulent Social Security card in the name of the other person which also contained that person’s actual Social Security number as verification. In order to finalize employment with that company, he was required to take a safety course at another location on August 14, 2019. He once again provided the fraudulent Social Security card as proof of his identity, but an employee suspected the card was fraudulent and alerted Customs and Border Protection. Subsequent record checks confirmed his real identity.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of United States Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Social Security Administration agents in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
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Metro Kansas City Among Seven Cities in Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including the combined metropolitan area of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas - through a surge in federal resources.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources in Kansas City, Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister in Kansas and U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison in the Western District of Missouri, along with the federal law enforcement heads based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, announced their participation immediately following the Attorney General’s press conference.
“I am excited about this opportunity for the Kansas City metro area to take part in a program that will provide us more manpower and more money to fight crime,” McAllister said. “Relentless Pursuit will help us reach our goal of making everyone in our community safer. As the name of the operation indicates, we won’t stop until we achieve the goal of reducing violence in Kansas City.”
“Kansas City, which has been wracked by too much violence for too long, is participating in this national initiative to focus more federal law enforcement resources where they are needed most,” Garrison said. “Operation Relentless Pursuit will deploy more agents and officers with additional resources to confront the epidemic of violent crime in our community. The very name of this operation – Relentless Pursuit – is a warning to violent criminals: We will not stop until you are behind bars.”
“Driven by crime-gun intelligence, including the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, firearms tracing data and our experience and expertise in investigating violent gun crime, ATF, as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit, will continue to identify and hold accountable the trigger pullers and firearms traffickers that expose our neighborhoods to violence,” said Marino Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.
“This operation will allow the DEA to enhance our existing forces in an effort to disrupt and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations operating in the Kansas City metro area,” said Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. “These traffickers - including cartels and street gangs - will stop at nothing to turn a profit, often using violence and intimidation to expand their network.”
“The FBI remains committed to combatting violent crime throughout our city,” said Timothy R. Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Kansas City Division. “Through Operation Relentless Pursuit we will enhance existing forces to direct additional manpower and resources to target the hierarchy of criminal gangs and enterprises. Along with our federal, state and local partners we remain steadfast in our pursuit to dismantle and incapacitate the worst offenders responsible for violence in our community.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service will provide focused relentless pursuit of the most violent fugitives impacting the greater Kansas City area,” said U.S. Marshal Mark James of the Western District of Missouri. “We appreciate Attorney General Barr’s commitment of resources to help us in this fight.”
“Reducing violent crime in Kansas City will take a partnership involving law enforcement and the community,” said U.S. Marshal Ron Miller of the District of Kansas. “The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to work with our community every day, removing the most violent criminals from our streets.”
Operation Relentless Pursuit will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
Member of “the Dark Overlord” Hacking Group Extradited from United Kingdom to Face Charges in St. LouisRead the Press Release
A United Kingdom national appeared today in federal court on charges of aggravated identity theft, threatening to damage a protected computer, and conspiring to commit those and other computer fraud offenses, related to his role in a computer hacking collective known as “The Dark Overlord,” which targeted victims in the St. Louis, Missouri, area beginning in 2016.
Nathan Wyatt, 39, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the Eastern District of Missouri and arraigned on Dec. 18 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah. He pleaded not guilty and was detained pending further proceedings.
A federal grand jury indicted Wyatt on Nov. 8, 2017. According to court records, beginning in 2016, Wyatt was a member of The Dark Overlord, a hacking group that was responsible for remotely accessing the computer networks of multiple U.S. companies without authorization, obtaining sensitive records and information from those companies, and then threatening to release the companies’ stolen data unless the companies paid a ransom in bitcoin. Victims in the Eastern District of Missouri included healthcare providers, accounting firms, and others. Among other things, Wyatt is alleged to have participated in the conspiracy by creating email and phone accounts that he used to send threatening and extortionate emails and text messages to certain victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Missouri.
“Today’s extradition shows that the hackers hiding behind The Dark Overlord moniker will be held accountable for their alleged extortion of American companies,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We are thankful for the close cooperation of our partners in the United Kingdom in ensuring that the defendant will face justice in U.S. court.”
“Cyber criminals who harm victims in the Eastern District of Missouri cannot hide behind international borders to evade justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri. “Today’s case demonstrates the United States’ commitment to unmasking criminal hackers and bringing them to justice, no matter where they may be located.”
“Cyber hackers may no longer use territorial borders to shield themselves from accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. “This case is another example of how the FBI successfully works with international law enforcement partners to bring alleged perpetrators to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office also provided support. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the extradition of Wyatt. The department thanks law enforcement and international cooperation authorities in the United Kingdom for their substantial assistance in the investigation.
Senior Counsel Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Matthew Drake of the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Member of Zuni Pueblo pleads guilty in federal court to strangling and suffocating woman in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ferrigno Yuselew, 37, of Zuni, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque yesterday to a charge of assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocating.
In Yuselew’s plea agreement, he admitted to committing the offense on the Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County on December 17, 2015. Yuselew put his hands around his wife’s neck and strangled her until she lost consciousness. The couple’s two children were at home during the assault. Yuselew is an enrolled member of Zuni Pueblo.
Yuselew is currently in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to 21 months in prison under the terms of his plea agreement.
The Pueblo of Zuni Tribal Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.
Member of "the Dark Overlord" Hacking Group Extradited from United Kingdom to Face Charges in St. LouisRead the Press Release
Indictment St. Louis – A United Kingdom national appeared today in federal court on charges of aggravated identity theft, threatening to damage a protected computer, and conspiring to commit those and other computer fraud offenses, related to his role in a computer hacking collective known as “The Dark Overlord,” which targeted victims in the St. Louis, Missouri, area beginning in 2016.Nathan Wyatt, 39, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the Eastern District of Missouri and arraigned on Dec. 18 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah. He pleaded not guilty and was detained pending further proceedings.
A federal grand jury indicted Wyatt on Nov. 8, 2017. According to court records, beginning in 2016, Wyatt was a member of The Dark Overlord, a hacking group that was responsible for remotely accessing the computer networks of multiple U.S. companies without authorization, obtaining sensitive records and information from those companies, and then threatening to release the companies’ stolen data unless the companies paid a ransom in bitcoin. Victims in the Eastern District of Missouri included healthcare providers, accounting firms, and others. Among other things, Wyatt is alleged to have participated in the conspiracy by creating email and phone accounts that he used to send threatening and extortionate emails and text messages to certain victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Missouri.
“Today’s extradition shows that the hackers hiding behind The Dark Overlord moniker will be held accountable for their alleged extortion of American companies,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We are thankful for the close cooperation of our partners in the United Kingdom in ensuring that the defendant will face justice in U.S. court.”
“Cyber criminals who harm victims in the Eastern District of Missouri cannot hide behind international borders to evade justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri. “Today’s case demonstrates the United States’ commitment to unmasking criminal hackers and bringing them to justice, no matter where they may be located.”
“Cyber hackers may no longer use territorial borders to shield themselves from accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. “This case is another example of how the FBI successfully works with international law enforcement partners to bring alleged perpetrators to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office also provided support. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the extradition of Wyatt. The department thanks law enforcement and international cooperation authorities in the United Kingdom for their substantial assistance in the investigation.
Senior Counsel Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Matthew Drake of the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Bribing D.C. Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marvin Parker, 61, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for paying more than $40,000 in bribes to two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) employees, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
In July 2019, Parker pled guilty to one count of bribery of a public official in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Emmett G. Sullivan sentenced him to 18 months in prison to be followed by 18 months of supervised release. Parker was also ordered to forfeit $40,001.00, the minimum dollar value of the bribes he paid to MPD officials.
According to Parker’s admissions made in connection with his plea, Parker was the owner and sole proprietor of RPM Associates, through which he solicited clients involved in traffic accidents to connect them with legal and medical services. Parker admitted to paying cash to two MPD employees to influence them to provide him with information about individuals who had been involved in traffic accidents in in the District. After receiving this information, Parker would contact those individuals by phone and offer to assist them with obtaining legal representation and medical services. MPD’s General Orders prohibits officers and employees from releasing Traffic Crash Reports except under limited circumstances. D.C. Law prohibits the solicitation of traffic accident victims within 21 days of the accident when the solicitation is for financial gain and for the purpose of directing the victim to practitioners, such as attorneys or medical providers. Parker admitted that he solicited and entered into a scheme with two different MPD employees, whom he paid anywhere from $50 to $500 per week for the personal identifying information of recent traffic crash victims. During an approximately two-year span between 2015 and 2017, Parker paid more than $40,000 in cash bribes to the two employees.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who assisted the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division. She also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegal specialist Mariela Andrade and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Floyd, Kathryn Rakoczy, and Colleen Kukowski along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Manhattan Doctor Pleads Guilty to the Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone and Fentanyl Resulting in Patient’s OverdoseRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GORDON FREEDMAN, a doctor who practiced in New York, New York, pled guilty today to one count of distributing oxycodone and fentanyl to a patient for no legitimate medical purpose, which resulted in the overdose of the patient. FREEDMAN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Less than two weeks ago, Gordon Freedman was convicted of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a pharmaceutical company to push medically unneeded fentanyl. Today, in a separate but hardly unrelated case, he admitted to dispensing massive quantities of oxycodone and fentanyl to a patient who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2017. It seems clear Gordon Freedman was more concerned with his own wealth than his patients’ health.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment against FREEDMAN and filings in related proceedings:
From in or about 2013 through in or about May 2017, FREEDMAN, who worked at and owned a private pain-management office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and was an Associate Clinical Professor at a large hospital in Manhattan, prescribed numerous controlled substances to a particular patient (“Patient-1”), including enormous quantities of oxycodone and fentanyl. For example, in 2013 alone, FREEDMAN prescribed Patient-1 approximately 85,427 oxycodone pills – an average of approximately 234 oxycodone pills per day – containing a total of approximately 2,422,435 mg of oxycodone.
On or about April 13, 2017, FREEDMAN gave Patient-1 prescriptions for approximately 150 doses of a drug containing fentanyl, and for approximately 950 oxycodone pills containing approximately 30 mg of oxycodone per pill. On or about May 4, 2017, Patient-1 died of a fentanyl overdose after ingesting a quantity of the drug prescribed by FREEDMAN on or about April 13, 2017.
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FREEDMAN, 59, of Mount Kisco, New York, pled guilty to one count of distributing oxycodone and fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence for the defendant will be determined by the judge.
FREEDMAN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nathan on March 18, 2020.
On December 5, 2019, FREEDMAN was convicted in a separate case, U.S. v. Gordon Freedman et al., 18 Cr. 217 (KMW), of charges of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud. In connection with that case, FREEDMAN is scheduled to appear for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood on March 19, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Solowiejczyk, David Abramowicz, and Katherine Reilly are in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - David Nguyen, 37, of Manchester, was sentenced on Tuesday to 60 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 1, 2018, a cooperating individual, at the direction of law enforcement officers, arranged to buy fentanyl at Nguyen’s apartment. The cooperating individual later went to Nguyen’s apartment and purchased a quantity of fentanyl.
On December 4, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Nguyen’s apartment, where they located two scales with drug residue.
Nguyen previously pleaded guilty on September 10, 2019.
“The distribution of fentanyl has caused great hardship in Manchester and throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This five-year prison term should serve as warning to fentanyl dealers operating in the Queen City. Under Operation SOS, we will continue to work closely with the Manchester Police Department and law enforcement agencies throughout Hillsborough County to bring drug dealers to justice.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice and Violations of Federal Firearms and Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that KENDALL BARNES, age 23, of New Orleans, pled guilty on December 17, 2019 to a superseding bill of information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, to possession with the intent to distribute heroin, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and to obstruction of justice.
According to court documents, on or about February 19, 2018, KENDALL BARNES placed a recorded jail call directing another individual to move a firearm and ten bags of heroin from a hidden location. United States District Court Judge Gregory Guidry set sentencing in this matter for April 7, 2020.
KENDALL BARNES faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. For the possession with the intent to distribute heroin count, BARNES faces a maximum term of 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. For possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, BARNES faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years up to a maximum of life, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For the obstruction of justice count, BARNES faces up to ten years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Violent Crimes Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.
Man Driving Around with Knife and Large Amount of Methamphetamine Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who intended to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced December 17, 2019, to more than three years in federal prison.
Mathew John Wharton, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2019, guilty plea to distribution with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea and sentencing, Wharton admitted that in January of 2019, he was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers during a traffic stop. During the stop, Wharton had a knife on him and nearly an ounce of methamphetamine in his vehicle. Defendant intended to sell the methamphetamine to other people. In April 2019, officers executed a search warrant at Wharton’s Cedar Rapids residence. There, they located methamphetamine, marijuana, paraphernalia, a Springfield shotgun, a Remington 1100 semi-automatic firearm, and ammunition.
Wharton’s residence was also the subject of a search warrant executed by Cedar Rapids police back in December of 2016. During that search, officers located methamphetamine, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .410 gauge shotgun.
Wharton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wharton was sentenced to 36 months’ and 28 days’ imprisonment. A $100 special assessment was imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-00038.
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Man Convicted of Receiving and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Virginia Beach man today on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to court records and evidence presented at the bench trial, Augustin Dante Ezequiel Arce, 30, of Virginia Beach, was identified sharing images of child sexual abuse over a peer-to-peer network throughout 2017 and the first part of 2018. An Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force officer with the Harrisonburg Police Department downloaded images of child sexual abuse in an undercover capacity from Arce’s mobile devices. In August 2018, Arce was indicted by a federal grand jury. After being asked to turn himself in, Arce fled the district and was found several months later in southern California, living in a tent.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ezequiel Arce faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 2, 2020. 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; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen declared the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and Daniel P. Shean are prosecuting the case.
The Harrisonburg Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-121.
Luzerne County Woman Sentenced to 66 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 17, 2019, Victoria Kraynak, age 28, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for conspiring to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Kraynak pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in Pennsylvania, from approximately November 2015 through March 2017. Kraynak admitted to working as a drug dealer in the conspiracy, to transporting drugs from New York to Pennsylvania for redistribution, to possessing firearms, and to supervising other members of the conspiracy. Kraynak admitted to trafficking in excess of 840 grams of crack cocaine, fentanyl, and in excess of 1 kilogram of heroin, the latter of which is the equivalent of 40,000 potentially fatal doses of heroin.
Kraynak was charged in June 2017 with 14 other individuals. All of her co-defendants have pleaded guilty, with 13 others having already been sentenced:
- Kassandra Martin of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Joshua Lenchick of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Kristyna Shotwell of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment;
- Tanay Jones of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to a time served sentence of 19 days’ imprisonment;
- William Waring of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- John Maybank of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 53 months’ imprisonment;
- Siobhan Daniels, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment;
- Luis Nevarez, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Adonis Smith, of New London, Connecticut, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Cara Dubaskas, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to a time served sentence of seven months;
- Chad Eckrote, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to three years of probation;
- Adam Gottstein, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment; and
- Amanda Romano, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and by the Kingston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 50 Month’s Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 13, 2019, United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Felix Silva, a/k/a Carlos Santana, a/k/a Hector Borero, age 51, a former resident of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to 50 months’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Silva was apprehended by the Pennsylvania State Police during a traffic stop on Interstate 81 in December 2017. A search of the vehicle with the assistance of a drug sniffing canine resulted in the seizure of more than 700 grams of heroin found concealed in a trap inside the door of Silva’s vehicle. Seven-hundred grams of heroin is approximately equivalent to 28,000 retail bags of heroin.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Scranton, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Long Island Man Indicted for Causing Overdose Death in Suffolk CountyRead the Press Release
Marlon Thompson was arraigned this afternoon in federal court in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and heroin from April 2018 through May 2019, and distribution of a controlled substance containing fentanyl resulting in the fatal overdose of a Fredrick Koenig of Selden, New York, on December 26, 2018. Thompson was ordered detained pending trial.
Thompson was previously detained on state charges and was transferred into federal custody today.
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.
“Marlon Thompson showed no regard for human life when he allegedly sold a lethal dose of fentanyl to the victim,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who contribute to the opioid epidemic.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department for their assistance on the case.
“Drug trafficking trends indicate that poly-drug doses are being sold on the street without customers’ knowledge of its potency,” said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. “Case in point, a toxic cocktail containing fentanyl resulted in a fatal overdose. I applaud our law enforcement partners on their diligent work throughout this investigation.”
If convicted of distributing a controlled substance causing the death of Koenig, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum of life in prison.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s investigation is continuing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Catherine M. Mirabile is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MARLON THOMPSON
Age: 38
Selden, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-596 (DRH)
Leader of Large Drug Trafficking Organization and Five Associates Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced the sentencing of James C. Hull, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as part of Operation Hidden Fee, an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network based and operating in Baton Rouge.
On December 12, 2019, U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Hull to 125 months in federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and heroin, distribution of methamphetamine, and unlawful use of a communications facility. The Court further sentenced Hull to 5 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, from March 2017 and continuing to June 2017, Hull directed Cody Stafford, Dustin Henderson, William and Frank Lipscomb to store and distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in their residences to distribute to customers Hull sent to those locations. Brian Hernandez, another associate, helped Hull distribute amounts of heroin and methamphetamine to Hernandez’s set of customers, and then paid Hull the cash owed for the drugs Hull supplied to him on credit. Agents learned that Henry Hayes and Byron Lawson supplied Hull with multi-ounce quantities of heroin and methamphetamine for distribution to others. During the execution of warrants in connection with this investigation, law-enforcement agents seized firearms from the residence of Cody Stafford and Dustin Henderson.
On June 20, 2019, U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Henry Hayes to serve 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine. On August 22, 2019, Judge Dick sentenced Frank Lipscomb to serve 57 months in prison after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine, and unlawful use of a communications facility.
On October 1, 2019, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced William Lipscomb to serve 63 months in prison after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and heroin and unlawful use of a communications facility. On October 4, 2019, Judge Jackson sentenced Cody Stafford to serve 42 months in prison after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine. On October 21, 2019, Judge Jackson sentenced Dustin Henderson to serve 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and crack and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and unregistered silencers.
Byron Lawson and Brian Hernandez pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine. Sentencing for Hernandez is set for January 2, 2020 and for Lawson on January 16, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The numerous convictions and significant sentences handed down in this case are a testament to the efforts of our prosecutors and our federal, state and local partners who consistently work with us to keep heroin, meth, and crack cocaine out of our communities. The investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking organizations requires intensive work by all involved, and this result shows that we will use all of the tools at our disposal to keep our streets free from these poisons.”
“Methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine are destructive poisons that can cause terrible harm to the quality of life in any community,” said Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s New Orleans Field Division. “Side by side with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, DEA is holding drug dealers accountable. We are seizing their profits, shutting down their distribution networks, and putting dealers where they belong- behind bars. This investigation demonstrates our unending resolve to remove drug dealers from the communities here in the greater Baton Rouge area and across the country. These lengthy sentences will put these criminals out of commission for a long time.”
“The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is committed to continuing to work to get dangerous drugs and weapons off our community streets,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said. “I’m grateful for the partnership we have with the U.S. Attorney and his dedication to prosecuting these cases on the federal level for stronger sentencing.”
The investigation is yet another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
These ongoing investigations were led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with invaluable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge City Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Other agencies also assisted in apprehending the defendants, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Sheriffs’ Offices in Ascension, Iberville, and West Baton Rouge Parishes.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Piedrahita and Lyman E. Thornton III, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Cal Leipold.
Law School Graduate Who Posed as Licensed Attorney Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Roberta A. Guedes (40, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a fraudulent scheme wherein she posed and practiced law as a licensed attorney. Guedes faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in 2014, Guedes graduated from Stetson University College of Law, but twice failed the Florida Bar exam. Guedes has never been licensed to practice law in Florida nor in any other state. Despite this, in the fall of 2014, Guedes incorporated two fake law firms—Ferguson and McKenzie LLC, and Immigration and Litigation Law Office, Inc. Guedes marketed her legal services and rented office space at the Rivergate Tower in downtown Tampa. She took on multiple client-victims, misrepresenting herself as an attorney. Guedes charged her client-victims fees for her services, which ranged from representation in immigration proceedings to family law matters. At times, Guedes impersonated a law school classmate and licensed attorney who had no involvement in Guedes’s sham law firms. As part of her fraudulent scheme, Guedes filed court pleadings and immigration petitions using her former classmate’s name and Florida Bar number, and also made several personal appearances in federal immigration court (Orlando) and Hillsborough County court posing as a licensed attorney.
Guedes furthered her fraudulent scheme by using other victims’ personal identity information. For example, Guedes used one victim’s social security number, birthdate, and other identifying information to open bank accounts, credit cards, and other lines of credit for personal expenses and business-related expenses for her sham law firms.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, with assistance from the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James A. Conner III, 44, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 48 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Conner pleaded guilty to this charge on October 7, 2019.
Between November 2018 and January 2019, investigators from the La Crosse Police Department purchased approximately 52 grams of methamphetamine from Conner. During one of the controlled buys, Conner admitted to selling a half pound of methamphetamine every two to three days.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the amount of methamphetamine purchased by investigators underestimates the scale of Conner’s dealings. Judge Conley also stated that, despite knowing the dangers of methamphetamine, Conner repeatedly provided people with a dangerous drug.
The charge against Conner was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Michigan Man Who Was Convicted in IsraelRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit seeking to revoke the naturalized United States citizenship of Abdul Jabbar Naji Shalabi, who allegedly concealed from U.S. immigration authorities his provision of material support to the terrorist organization Hamas by twice concealing bomb-making materials on behalf of a known Hamas bomb maker. According to the Department’s civil complaint, Shalabi, a native of Jordan, was convicted in Israel of providing such support to the terrorist organization. The complaint alleges that, throughout his naturalization proceedings, Shalabi concealed both his provision of support to Hamas and his Israeli conviction. The complaint was filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Michigan.
“We will use all available tools to enhance national security and counter the threat of terrorism,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt. “The Department of Justice is deeply committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who defraud the American people and government by concealing their material support for terrorists.”
“This Administration is dedicated to keeping the American people safe and protecting the integrity of our legal immigration system,” said Ken Cuccinelli, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. “Through his behavior, this individual has proven unqualified for citizenship in the United States and must be held accountable for fraudulently obtaining that incredible privilege.”
According to the complaint, Shalabi, 39, a resident of Ypsilanti, Michigan, immigrated to the United States in 1997 but later left the United States to study at Bir Zeit University in the West Bank. The complaint alleges that in late 2002 Shalabi was arrested by Israeli authorities on suspicion of having concealed acetone, a bomb-making component, on behalf of Hamas bomb maker Ahmad Abu-Taha. Shalabi pleaded guilty in an Israeli court in March 2003 to Providing Service to an Unlawful Association (Hamas) and was incarcerated. The complaint alleges that following his release and return to the United States, Shalabi naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2005, but lied about and concealed his provision of support to Hamas, arrest, conviction, and imprisonment.
“Any person who obtains American citizenship through lies is not entitled to the benefit of citizenship in our country, and this is especially true for people who support violent terrorist organizations such as Hamas,” said U.S. Attorney Schneider for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel for National Security Aaron Petty of OIL-DCS’s National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Caplan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the City of Chicago to Enforce USERRA Rights of U.S. Army ReservistRead the Press Release
On Dec. 17, 2019, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of Captain and Judge Advocate Derrick Strong against the City of Chicago Fire Department (CFD), alleging that the City violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it failed to provide Strong with an opportunity, after his return from active duty military service, to take a promotional examination that he missed while deployed.
“Beginning with the American Revolution and every day since the Revolution, American patriots risked their lives to establish and defend our nation by serving in the United States armed forces. The United States has an obligation to ensure that employers do not penalize our servicemembers for performing their military duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Generations of Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our soldiers, sailors, and other servicemembers, and the United States Department of Justice remains committed to robust enforcement of civil rights protections for these brave women and men.”
“The men and women of our Armed Forces make personal sacrifices to protect our nation, and they have rights that must be respected,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. “The Department of Justice will not falter in protecting the rights of those who selflessly serve our country.”
According to the complaint, Strong is currently assigned to the 416th Theater Engineer Command’s (TEC), Office of the Staff Judge Advocate as a trial counsel and administrative law attorney, where he provides legal advice and overall legal support to the 416th TEC and its Command. He is also employed as a cross-trained firefighter and emergency medical technician-basic (firefighter/EMT) for the Chicago Fire Department. Strong is currently assigned to Squad 5, which is a special operations heavy rescue unit. From Sept. 30, 2016, to June 26, 2017, he was actively deployed with the U.S. Army Reserve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While Strong was deployed, the city of Chicago administered a test for firefighters to become fire engineers. He alleges, as outlined in the complaint filed in federal court, that the CFD violated USERRA by failing to provide him with an opportunity to take a fire engineer promotional examination following his return to work upon his honorable discharge from active duty military service.
The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. This lawsuit stems from a referral to the Department of Justice from the U.S. Department of Labor, after an investigation by the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at https://www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against City of Chicago to Enforce USERRA Rights of U.S. Army ReservistRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice on Tuesday filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of Captain and Judge Advocate Derrick Strong against the City of Chicago Fire Department (CFD), alleging that the City violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it failed to provide Strong with an opportunity, after his return from active duty military service, to take a promotional examination that he missed while deployed.
“The men and women of our Armed Forces make personal sacrifices to protect our nation, and they have rights that must be respected,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Department of Justice will not falter in protecting the rights of those who selflessly serve our country.”
“Beginning with the American Revolution and every day since the Revolution, American patriots risked their lives to establish and defend our nation by serving in the United States armed forces. The United States has an obligation to ensure that employers do not penalize our servicemembers for performing their military duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “Generations of Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our soldiers, sailors, and other servicemembers, and the United States Department of Justice remains committed to robust enforcement of civil rights protections for these brave women and men.”
According to the complaint, Strong is currently assigned to the 416th Theater Engineer Command’s (TEC), Office of the Staff Judge Advocate as a Trial Counsel and Administrative Law Attorney, where he provides legal advice and overall legal support to the 416th TEC and its Command. He is also employed as a Cross-Trained Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (Firefighter/EMT) for the Chicago Fire Department. Mr. Strong is currently assigned to Squad 5, which is a Special Operations Heavy Rescue unit. From Sept. 30, 2016, to June 26, 2017, he was actively deployed with the U.S. Army Reserve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While Strong was deployed, the City of Chicago administered a test for firefighters to become fire engineers. He alleges, as outlined in the complaint filed in federal court, that the CFD violated USERRA by failing to provide him with an opportunity to take a Fire Engineer promotional examination following his return to work upon his honorable discharge from active duty military service.
The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. This lawsuit stems from a referral to the United States Department of Justice from the United States Department of Labor, after an investigation by the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites here and here, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website here.
Justice Department Awards More Than $333 Million to Fight Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced awards of more than $333 million to help communities affected by the opioid crisis. More than $12.5 million will help public safety and public health professionals in the District of Minnesota combat substance abuse and respond effectively to overdoses. Funds were awarded by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.
“The opioid crisis has destroyed far too many lives and left too many Americans feeling helpless and hopeless,” said Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan for the Office of Justice Programs. “This epidemic—the most deadly in our nation’s history—is introducing new dangers and loading public health responsibilities onto the public safety duties of our law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice is here to support them during this unprecedented and extremely challenging time.”
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald said, “Everyday, families and communities are torn apart because of the opioid crisis. This funding will directly support communities throughout Minnesota that are working to combat the crisis and heal from its devastating impact.”
Awards will support an array of activities designed to reduce the harm inflicted by these dangerous drugs. Grants will help law enforcement officers, emergency responders and treatment professionals coordinate their response to overdoses. Funds will also provide services for children and youth affected by the crisis and will support the nationwide network of drug and treatment courts. Other awards will address prescription drug abuse, expand the capacity of forensic labs and support opioid-related research.
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Minnesota:
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program: Category 1
Awardee:
Amount Awarded:
City of Minneapolis
$894,346
City of Duluth
$897,596
County of Itasca
$600,000
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program: Category 2
Awardee:
Amount Awarded:
Department of Public Safety – Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
$6,449,990
Enhancing Community Responses to the Opioid Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims
Awardee:
Amount Awarded:
Native American Community Clinic
$750,000
Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Courts Discretionary Grant Program: Category 1
Awardee:
Amount Awarded:
Carver County
$500,000
Judiciary Courts of the State of Minnesota
(Beltrami County Drug Court)
$499,979
Judiciary Courts of the State of Minnesota
(Mille Lacs County Drug Treatment Court)
$500,000
Judiciary Courts of the State of Minnesota
(Third Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court)
$500,000
Scott County
$500,000
Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Courts Discretionary Grant Program: Category 2
Awardee:
Amount Awarded:
Anoka County Court Administration
$499,996
Information about these programs and awards is available here. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage. The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Mark Wesley Schmit (50, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Schmit was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Schmit had pleaded guilty on August 2, 2019.
According to court documents, during the course of the investigation of an unrelated child exploitation case, the FBI learned that a particular individual had exchanged a series of text messages with Schmit. At one point during that conversation, that individual sent several explicit videos to Schmit, claiming that they depicted his 13-year-old sister. In response, Schmit requested that the individual send him additional graphic sexual videos of that purported child. Schmit then sent an image to that individual, which depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a young girl.
On April 16, 2019, FBI agents arrested Schmit pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. During an interview, Schmit admitted to sending and receiving child pornography, and that he had a sexual interest in looking at images of underage girls. Schmit also admitted that he had used a fictitious internet persona to portray himself as a teenage boy, for the purpose of meeting underage girls through social media. In some cases, Schmit had cultivated long-term online relationships with his victims so that he could solicit them to send him sexual images of themselves. A subsequent investigation revealed that Schmit had solicited and received sexual images from at least three underage girls. A forensic analysis of Schmit’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least five images depicting the sexual abuse of young children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
This is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Justice Department Awards More Than $333 Million to Fight Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
More than $3.2 Million Will Support Efforts to Combat Drugs and Crime
in the Northern District of Ohio
The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs announced awards of more than $333 million to help communities affected by the opioid crisis. More than $3.2 million will help public safety and public health professionals in the Northern District of Ohio combat substance abuse and respond effectively to overdoses. OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan made the announcement during a visit with local, state and federal officials in West Virginia, one of the states hardest hit by the epidemic.
“The opioid crisis has destroyed far too many lives and left too many Americans feeling helpless and hopeless,” said PDAAG Sullivan. “This epidemic—the most deadly in our nation’s history—is introducing new dangers and loading public health responsibilities onto the public safety duties of our law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice is here to support them during this unprecedented and extremely challenging time.”
With more than 130 people dying from opioid-related overdoses every day, the Department of Justice has made fighting addiction to opioids—including heroin and fentanyl—a national priority. The Trump Administration is providing critical funding for a wide range of activities—from preventive services and comprehensive treatment to recovery assistance, forensic science services and research—to help save lives and break the cycle of addiction and crime.
“These dollars will boost the efforts of our law enforcement, prevention, education and treatment efforts throughout northern Ohio,” said United States Attorney Justin Herdman. “We expect that these grants will save lives and help turn the tide of this multi-generational epidemic. The Department of Justice is committed to our partners here in Ohio and these funds are just one measure of that support.”
The awards support an array of activities designed to reduce the harm inflicted by these dangerous drugs. Grants will help law enforcement officers, emergency responders and treatment professionals coordinate their response to overdoses. Funds will also provide services for children and youth affected by the crisis and will support the nationwide network of drug and treatment courts. Other awards will address prescription drug abuse, expand the capacity of forensic labs and support opioid-related research.
The following awards were made to organizations in the Northern District of Ohio:
- Erie County: $600,000 to encourage and support development of a site-based program.
- Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lima County: $400,000 to facilitate justice and mental health collaboration programs.
- City of Cleveland: $750,000 to facilitate justice and mental health collaboration programs.
- Ashtabula County: $139,111 for Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court.
- Medina County Drug Court: $500,000 for Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court.
- Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court: $439,924 for Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court.
- Summit County: $455,471 for Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court.
Information about the programs and awards is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Inland Empire Man Indicted on Bank Fraud Charges Alleging He Orchestrated $2.4 Million “Bust-Out” SchemeRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man faces federal criminal charges that he masterminded a bank account “bust-out” scheme that defrauded Wells Fargo out of $2.4 million and compromised more than 900 of its accounts.
Steven Michael Banks Hubbard Jr., a.k.a. “Marcus” and “Man,” 36, of Rialto, was charged in an 11-count federal grand jury indictment returned today. Hubbard, who was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on December 6 and remains in custody, was indicted on nine counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. His arraignment is scheduled for December 26 in United States District Court in Riverside.
The indictment alleges that, between May 2015 and July 2019, Hubbard executed his scheme to defraud by first convincing individuals to open a checking account at Wells Fargo. Once the accounts were opened, the customers gave Hubbard their debit cards, PIN codes, and their personal identifying information, the indictment alleges.
Using a customer’s account, Hubbard allegedly would deposit an average of more than $2,000 in cash into the customer’s account via a Wells Fargo ATM. Typically the same day, Hubbard would withdraw the cash that he had deposited into the customer’s account, according to the indictment.
Hubbard would then call Wells Fargo customer service, impersonate the bank customer, and report the debit card as being stolen; resulting in the cash withdrawal being deemed as fraudulent, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this matter. Wells Fargo then would issue a provisional credit in the amount Hubbard claimed had been fraudulently withdrawn from the account, the affidavit states. Once Wells Fargo deposited the provisional credit into the account, Hubbard allegedly immediately withdrew that money as well. In some instances, Hubbard repeated the scheme on the same account until Wells Fargo closed the account due to fraudulent activity, according to the affidavit.
The indictment alleges Hubbard committed specific acts of bank fraud on several occasions in December 2017, March 2019 and May 2019.
Wells Fargo estimated the loss to the bank to be $2,433,341 and involved approximately 950 compromised accounts, according to the affidavit. Wells Fargo informed law enforcement of Hubbard’s alleged “bust-out” scheme.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Hubbard would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and two years in federal prison for each count of aggravated identity theft.
The FBI investigated this matter, with assistance from the United States Secret Service, the Rialto Police Department, and investigators from Wells Fargo.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerry C. Yang of the Riverside Branch Office.
Indictment: Items Thrown from Car Included Methamphetamine, HandgunRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Shaun Salazar, 59, Bonner Springs, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Dec. 15, 2018, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
According to documents filed in court, when Bonner Springs police attempted to stop the defendant’s car officers saw several objects being thrown from the car. Items recovered included a ziplock bag of methamphetamine, a .45-caliber handgun and a magazine containing ammunition. Inside the car, officers found a .380-caliber pistol and two baggies of methamphetamine.
If convicted, he could face not less than five years and not more than 40 years on the drug charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession by a felon. The Bonner Springs Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jesus Labrado, 27, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 16, 2019, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
Joshua A. Chase, 35, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Community Corrections Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 13, 2019.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
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Haverhill Woman Sentenced for Drug TamperingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill licensed practical nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for drug tampering.
Lauren Perrin, 47, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2019, Perrin pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance morphine, which is used for pain relief.
While working as a licensed practical nurse at Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center in Amesbury, Perrin took morphine sulfate from three bottles prescribed to a hospice patient for her own personal use. In an attempt to avoid detection, she replaced the extracted morphine with cough syrup. Perrin’s tampering lowered the potency of the three bottles of morphine sulfate to only 4-29% of the intended potency. The victim was given the diluted morphine and deprived of necessary pain relief in the weeks before her death.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Hartford Man Charged with Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ACOSTA-TORRES, 59, of Hartford, was arrested today and charged in a federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Acosta appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for December 23.
As alleged in the complaint, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Acosta’s Hartford residence earlier today and seized a Sony camcorder and two thumb drives. Preliminary analysis of the thumb drives revealed hundreds of videos of child pornography, including at least two videos of Acosta sexually abusing a minor victim.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Hartford and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Hartford Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY CARILLO, also known as “Boogie,” 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for a kidnapping and violent assault he committed with four other members of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation (“Latin Kings”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 26, 2018, Carillo and Josue Franco lured an individual (“the victim”) to a residence on Benton Street in Hartford. When the victim entered the residence, Jonathan Otero and Luis Pitt were waiting. Carillo, Franco, Otero and Pitt then threatened, assaulted and tortured the victim, prevented him from leaving the residence, and demanded a ransom. After the victim was restrained, Carillo’s brother, Pedro Carillo, arrived at the residence and participated in the ongoing assault and torture of the victim, which included burning him with cigarettes, pistol-whipping him and throwing a dart into his foot.
The defendants forced the victim to call someone to deliver money in exchange for his release. The victim then called his father. Franco grabbed the phone and told the victim’s father if he did not deliver $500 they were going to kill his son. After the call, Otero put a bullet in the victim’s hand and told him he would use that bullet to shoot him in the head if the victim could not get the ransom money.
Anthony Carillo and others then drove the victim to different locations in Hartford in an effort to collect ransom. Carillo eventually released the victim.
The victim was treated at a hospital for a fractured cheekbone, a facial laceration, a concussion and other injuries.
Anthony Carillo has been detained since his arrest on October 4, 2018. On September 24, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The other four defendants also pleaded guilty to related charges. On December 10, 2019, Otero was sentenced to 154 months of imprisonment, and on December 16, 2019, Franco was sentenced to 132 months of imprisonment. Pitt and Pedro Carillo are detained while awaiting sentencing.
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 Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division has provided critical assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Hamden Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CLEMENTE HOLMES, also known as “Cavali” and “Vali,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2019, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of narcotics from Holmes at his Goodrich Street residence. On January 22, 2019, a court-authorized search of the residence revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine, as well as a loaded 9mm handgun. Holmes was arrested on state charges on that date.
In February 2019, investigators made a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Holmes, who had posted bond after his state arrest.
Holmes was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 26, 2019. At the time of his arrest, a search of his residence revealed more heroin packaged for distribution. He has been detained since his arrest.
In 2012, Holmes was convicted in state court of sale of narcotics and possession of a pistol without a permit.
On September 3, 2019, Holmes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, one count of possession of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”) with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the East Haven, Hamden and New Haven Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Georgia Inmate Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty for His Role in Grand Jury Scam That Targeted Local ResidentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that NICHOLAS ROTUNDA ALLEN, age 39, an inmate in Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be served consecutively to his state sentence in an unrelated matter, restitution to “Victim A” in the amount of $5,500, supervised release for 3 years, and payment of a $100 special assessment fee by United States District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 371, for his role in perpetrating a grand jury fraud scam and victimizing a resident of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, ALLEN was sentenced to a period of incarceration as part of a felony conviction on February 22, 2016 in the State of Georgia. He began serving his sentence at Jimmy Autry State Prison, a Georgia Department of Correction facility located in Pelham, Georgia, on about March 30, 2016. Jimmy Autry State Prison housed approximately 1,700 adult male inmates and had approximately 119 correctional officers employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections overseeing them. In about 2016, several inmates and correctional officers at Jimmy Autry State Prison were the subject of a series of federal prosecutions related to a scheme by which inmates bribed correctional officers to smuggle contraband, namely cellular phones, into the prison.
On November 6, 2017, and November 7, 2017, ALLEN used a contraband cellular telephone to contact Victim A, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, from inside the state prison. Although he was not permitted to have a phone inside the jail, ALLEN obtained the phone from a non-incarcerated co-conspirator. The cellular telephone ALLEN used was associated with two Georgia-based phone numbers, but he attempted to avoid detection and make it appear as though he was located within the New Orleans area by utilizing a “spoofing” application that made it appear to Victim A that someone with a local phone number, (504) XXX-5237, was contacting him.
ALLEN pretended to be a Deputy United States Marshal and informed Victim A that he had unlawfully failed to report for jury duty service for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. ALLEN further told Victim A that because he had failed to appear for jury duty, a warrant had been issued out of the Eastern District of Louisiana for Victim A’s arrest. ALLEN said that Victim A had the choice of either being arrested on the warrant or paying a $5,500 fine to have the arrest warrant dismissed. Victim A paid the fine by buying a series of pre-paid cash cards and giving the account numbers to ALLEN. Thereafter, Victim A paid ALLEN by buying a total of eleven (11) pre-paid cash cards and giving the cards’ account numbers to ALLEN.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Marshal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Four Men Convicted of Firearms Offenses as Part of Federal Anti-Violence Initiative Are Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that four defendants were sentenced to prison for firearms violations. The defendants were prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce gun laws.
U.S. v. Elroy Marshall
Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced today Elroy Lee Marshall, 39, of Hamlet, N.C., to 105 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, on October 15, 2017, Marshall possessed a Ruger Model LC9, 9mm pistol, which he carried in his pocket. Marshall has a prior federal conviction for his involvement in an armed postal robbery, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Gleason and Anthony Enright, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
U.S. v. Zacharias Lee
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. sentenced Zacharias Lee, 27, of Charlotte, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. According to court documents, on March 26, 2018, Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call. Upon locating the vehicle, the officers observed Lee, who was the driver of the vehicle, trying to hide a firearm under the vehicle while he was talking to the officers. A second firearm was recovered from the backseat of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, law enforcement determined that Lee had stolen a total of four firearms, by breaking into parked vehicles belonging to firefighters, at three fire departments in Mecklenburg County. Lee has two other prior state convictions for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Court records show that Lee was on probation for his second Possession of a Firearm by a Felon conviction when he broke into the vehicles and stole the firearms.
The case was investigated by ATF and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Cortney Randall, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
U.S. v. Santario Boyd
Judge Conrad also sentenced yesterday Santario Boyd, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. According to court documents in this case, on January 31, 2018, Boyd shot a victim in the leg in response to something the victim said to Boyd. On February 21, 2018, CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Boyd for the shooting, and a firearm was located in the bedroom where Boyd was found. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the recovered firearm was the same one Boyd used to shoot the victim. On January 31, 2019, Boyd pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
ATF and CMPD handled the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly was in charge of the prosecution for the United States.
U.S. v. Marcus Watkins
Yesterday, Judge Conrad sentenced Marcus Bernard Watkins, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison and three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on August 30, 2017, probation officers with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) and CMPD officers conducted a warrantless search and compliance check at Watkins’ residence, who at the time was under state supervision. Over the course of the search, law enforcement located a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Watkins’ bedroom. Due to his prior conviction, Watkins was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
ATF, NCDPS and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
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In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the aforementioned prosecutions, and noted that these cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Initiated by Attorney General William P. Barr, 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 ATF 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.
Four Men Appear in Federal Court for Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that four men appeared in federal court before Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to enter guilty pleas and then receive sentences.
“These four defendants have 11 prior removals between them,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “That is 11 times they’ve skipped line. No one likes a line skipper- not at Disney World and not at our border. They need to follow the necessary process to legally enter the United States.”
Felix Hernandez, Jose Avila-Salmeron, Jorge Lanche-Bustos, and Pastor Lara-Parez, each entered a plea of guilty to the felony offense of illegally reentering the United States. After entering guilty pleas, the Court proceeded directly to the sentencing phase of the proceedings. Felix Hernandez received a sentence of six months incarceration, Jose Avila-Salmaron and Lanche-Bustos received sentences of “credit for time served” and Pastor Lara-Perez received eight months federal incarceration. At the conclusion of their sentence of federal incarceration, they will be immediately remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings. They have all been in federal custody since September 5, 2019. The investigations were conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and assisted by the Montgomery Police Department.
On September 5, 2019, all four men were found in Montgomery, Kanawaha County, West Virginia. Federal agents with ICE had received information from the Montgomery Police Department that the men were working on a railroad project and were not United States citizens. ICE agents investigated the information, corroborated the details, and subsequently located the four men at the described location. ICE agents approached the four men and requested identification from them. All four men produced foreign identification documents and immediately admitted that they were not in the United States legally. They also had no identification documents permitting them legal status. ICE agents took the four men into federal custody. Fingerprinting matched all four men to prior removals from the United States and all four had prior removals from the United States to Mexico. None of the men had obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. All four further admitted to ICE agents that they were Mexican citizens.
Felix Hernandez, 39, had a prior New Jersey felony drug conviction from 2007 and was removed from the United States to Mexico after this felony conviction. Jose Avila-Salmaron, 44, had two prior removals from the United States to Mexico in 2010 and 2017. Jorge Lanche-Bustos had two prior removals from the United States to Mexico in 2015 and 2016. Pastor Lara-Perez, 38, had six prior removals from the United States to Mexico including three removals in 2010, and one in each of the years 2013, 2015, and 2016.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over all of the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecutions.
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Former Sacramento CEO Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Peter Wong, 61, founder and former CEO of Sunrise Shoes and Pedorthic Service Corporation, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to five years in prison for health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between March 2008 and Feb. 2015, Wong and Anthony Lazzarino, 69, former Chief of Podiatry for the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Northern California Health Care System, engaged in a scheme to defraud the VA by billing for custom work and services that were prescribed but not supplied in shoes delivered to veterans. In addition, they and Wong’s former employee Jai Aing Chen, who separately pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2016, agreed to make materially false statements to the VA regarding where the shoes were manufactured, in the course of applying for a national contract worth over $11 million per year. A federal jury found Wong and Lazzarino guilty of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on May 17, 2019.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Bickley is prosecuting the case.
Lazzarino is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mendez on Feb. 11, 2020. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each health care fraud count, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud conspiracy count. 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. Mendez sentenced Chen to one year and one day in prison on Aug. 6, 2019.
Former Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Deliver Large Quantity of Heroin to Undercover FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has plead guilty to federal narcotics charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Mark Ridley, age 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute heroin and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin in front of United States District Court Judge Mark R. Hornak.
According to information presented to the court, on April 25, 2017, Ridley conspired with others to transport a large quantity of heroin to the Hazlewood section of Pittsburgh. Ridley believed that he was transporting the heroin to sell to a drug customer. However, Ridley was actually communicating with two FBI agents acting in an undercover capacity. FBI recovered a large quantity of heroin in a secret compartment of the passenger door after Ridley arrived to a location driven in a car by co-defendant Leonard Rushin-Felder, who has previously pleaded guilty in this case. After arresting Ridley, FBI agents recovered three cell phones from Ridley including the phone undercover agents were in contact with.
The law provides for a sentence of not more 30 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, Stowe Rox Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Shaun Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Former New Bedford Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford police officer pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.
Paul Hodson, 43, of Acushnet, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2020. Hodson was indicted on June 20, 2019.
Following an investigation into the use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks for the trade of child pornography, a search was executed at Hodson’s home. Hodson was interviewed on scene and admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing software to trade child pornography. During the course of forensic analysis of Hodson’s computer, hundreds of child pornography files were recovered, including at least one file that was distributed to undercover law enforcement in the course of the investigation that led to the search warrant.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $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 and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Acushnet Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Mail Carrier Admits Stealing Credit Cards from the MailRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier today admitted that he intercepted and removed envelopes containing credit cards from the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jaquan Miller, 30, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to steal mail. He remains released on a $50,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Miller was a USPS employee at the Hudson City Station Post Office in Jersey City, New Jersey. From the summer of 2017 through August 2018, Miller removed envelopes containing credit cards from the mail and delivered the stolen credit cards to Moussa Dagno and Olagoke Araromi and others, who then used the stolen credit cards at retail stores to purchase electronics and other items. Dagno and Araromi each pleaded guilty in April 2019 to paying bribes, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, and were sentenced on Oct. 15, 2019, to 57 months in prison and 61 months in prison, respectively. Miller is the seventh former USPS employee who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from Dagno’s and Araromi’s bribery scheme.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2019.
U.S. Attorney 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 guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Donald Millman Esq., of West Orange, New Jersey
Former IT Administrator Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Conspiracy Relating to Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Read the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Janardhan Nellore pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, United States District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Janardhan Nellore admitted to participating in an insider trading scheme by trading on material, nonpublic, inside information that he learned through his employment at Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (“PANW”), where Nellore worked as an IT administrator. Nellore admitted that he obtained confidential information about PANW’s quarterly financial performance and traded on that information before PANW disclosed its financial results to the public. Nellore admitted that he placed illegal inside trades in the brokerage accounts of other people for his own benefit and for the benefit of the account holders around PANW’s quarterly earnings announcements.
Nellore also admitted that he tipped PANW’s nonpublic information to other people who then traded PANW securities around the company’s earnings announcements using this inside information. Nellore admitted that the members of the conspiracy made more than $7 million as a result of their illegal insider trading.
Nellore was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on December 12, 2019, and arraigned on December 17, 2019. Nellore was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, six counts of securities fraud and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1348 and 2, and three counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1). Under the plea agreement, Nellore pled guilty to Count One, conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Nellore is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal.
Nellore’s next appearance is scheduled for February 26, 2020, before Judge Koh for a status conference on sentencing. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 is 25 years and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution and forfeiture, if appropriate. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Kaleba and Patrick R. Delahunty are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with the assistance of the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Former IRS Employee Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Fallyn Mathis, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $12,628 by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, for collecting unemployment compensation while, at the same time, earning income from her seasonal employment with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The defendant pled guilty in this case to one count of theft of government money in August 2019. The charge stems from Mathis’ intermittent conduct between 2015 and 2017, during which time the defendant repeatedly certified her eligibility for federal unemployment compensation benefits through the Department of Labor's recertification process, while she was actually in active-work status with, and receiving a salary from, the IRS. Each false certification prompted the payment of unemployment compensation funds that were electronically deposited into her bank account. Mathis was not entitled to receive more than $12,600 in unemployment benefits that she collected during this time period.
“While serving as an employee of the IRS, a federal government agency working on behalf of taxpayers, the defendant abused the government’s unemployment compensation system for a substantial amount of time,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mathis was essentially double-dipping at taxpayers’ expense; taking funds to which she was not entitled and that should have gone to someone actually struggling with unemployment.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to identifying and prosecuting Internal Revenue Service employees who fraudulently abuse Federal benefits programs,” said J. Russell George. “We appreciate the assistance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and the commitment of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in prosecuting this defendant.”
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang.
Former Clovis Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Rocky Cottrell, 37, a former resident of Clovis, was sentenced on Dec. 6 by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between Jan. 2016 and Aug. 2016, Cottrell persuaded two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced visual depictions of that conduct. In addition, Cottrell transmitted some of the images via the internet.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Tierney and Laura Withers prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Former Cape Cod Bookkeeper Indicted a Second Time on Embezzlement ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cape Cod woman was indicted on federal charges yesterday in connection with embezzling more than $390,000 from an employer.
Jessica L. Greenan, 42, of Centerville, formerly an employee of a Cape Cod construction company, was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Greenan was previously indicted in September 2019 for embezzling $1.1 million from a previous employer, and is pending trial in that case. Several of the charges in the new indictment are alleged to have occurred after Greenan was released on conditions in the earlier prosecution.
The most recent indictment alleges that Greenan embezzled funds from the construction company while she was employed as a bookkeeper between August 2018 and September 2018. Greenan allegedly made more than $5,300 in unauthorized charges to a company credit card, embezzled more than $287,000 from company bank accounts to pay her own credit cards, converted more than $11,000 of company funds to pay her auto loans, forged the company owner’s signature to transfer company funds to conceal her frauds, and fraudulently obtained more than $6,300 in unauthorized payroll after her employment had been terminated.
Each charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, forfeiture, and restitution. Each charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million, forfeiture, and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two year prison sentence, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case. 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 and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Extensive Cyberstalking and Threats CampaignRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conducting an extensive cyberstalking campaign that targeted his former schoolmate, a 31-year-old woman who lived in Massachusetts at the time. The victim’s name is being withheld to protect her privacy.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling of the District of Massachusetts and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Byron A. Cardozo, 35, who previously resided in Jacksonville and Tamarac, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the District of Massachusetts. Cardozo pleaded guilty in August 2019 to one count of cyberstalking and one count of making interstate threats. Cardozo was arrested in August 2018 and has been held in custody since.
According to the indictment, to which Cardozo pleaded guilty, and evidence presented at sentencing, Cardozo engaged in an 18-month-long, multi-faceted cyberstalking and threats campaign targeting the victim. He launched his campaign in February 2017, shortly after the victim wrote, and had published in an online magazine, an essay describing a one-time, traumatic sexual encounter she had with Cardozo when she was approximately 13 and he was approximately 17 and they attended the same school in Florida. She used pseudonyms for Cardozo and others in the essay.
Cardozo then sent hundreds of online communications, many of which he made in the “comments” section to the essay and on the victim’s personal website. In those communications, Cardozo claimed that the victim had fabricated her claims about the coercive nature of the 2001 sexual encounter, he provided graphic descriptions of his purported consensual sexual encounter with the victim, and he described how he continued to masturbate to the victim’s photographs. Cardozo also made express and implicit threats to injure the victim. At other times, he also apologized to her for the traumatic sexual experience in 2001, asked for forgiveness, expressed his love for her and made veiled threats to commit suicide “because of you.” Cardozo continued to harass and threaten the victim despite the fact that she had obtained a state court order in April 2017, forbidding him from communication with her.
The FBI’s Boston Field Office conducted the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit in the District of Massachusetts, are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced for Extensive Cyberstalking and Threats CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for cyberstalking and threatening his former schoolmate, a 30-year-old Massachusetts woman.
Byron A. Cardozo, 35, who previously resided in Jacksonville and Tamarac, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2019, Cardozo pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of making interstate threats. Cardozo was arrested in August 2018 and has been in custody since.
Cardozo engaged in an 18-month-long, multi-faceted cyberstalking and threats campaign targeting his former schoolmate. He launched his campaign in February 2017, shortly after the victim wrote an essay published in an online magazine describing a one-time, traumatic sexual encounter she had with Cardozo when she was approximately 13-years-old and he was approximately 17-years-old. The victim used pseudonyms for Cardozo and others in the essay. In response, Cardozo sent hundreds of online communications, many of which he made in the “comments” section to the essay and on the victim’s personal website, where he claimed that the victim fabricated her claims about the coercive nature of the sexual encounter. Cardozo provided graphic descriptions of his purported consensual sexual encounter with the victim and made express and implicit threats to injure the victim. At other times, he also apologized to her for the traumatic sexual experience, asked for forgiveness, expressed his love for her and made veiled threats to commit suicide. Cardozo continued to harass and threaten the victim despite the fact that she had obtained a state court order in April 2017, forbidding him from communicating with her.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling’s Cyber Crime Unit and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.