Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 9 December 2019
Madison Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – John Robert Beck, 55, of Madison, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan to possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On September 25, 2018, Beck was stopped for a traffic violation by a Hinds County Sheriff’s deputy on McDowell Road in Jackson. Once stopped, Beck was asked to step outside of his car to speak with the deputy. For his safety, the deputy asked Beck if he had any weapons. Beck responded that he had a handgun on him and a .40 caliber handgun was removed from beneath Beck’s clothes. During their ensuing conversation, the deputy learned that Beck was a convicted felon, that he had been previously convicted in the Circuit Court of Madison County of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On February 20, 2019, Beck was charged in a federal indictment with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Beck will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on April 3, 2020 at 9:00 a.m., and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to Six Years’ Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lee Crawford, age 58, formerly of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 6, 2019, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo, to 72 months’ imprisonment and four years on supervised release for cocaine trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Crawford previously pleaded guilty in July 2019, for distributing cocaine to another individual in Luzerne County in 2013.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
# # #
Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of MailRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark Kerpovich, age 29, of Shavertown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on December 6, 2019, before U.S. District Court Senior Judge A. Richard Caputo to theft of mail.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Kerpovich admitted to stealing mail between October 2017 and October 2018. The thefts were discovered after postal customers in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, complained about mail that was not received and/or mail that was received with contents missing. Some of the missing contents included cash, gift cards, and lottery tickets.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Judge Caputo ordered that a presentence investigation take place. Sentencing is scheduled for May 1, 2020.
The maximum penalty for the charge under federal law is up to five years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Local officer charged with civil rights violationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 40-year-old resident of Weslaco is now in custody on allegations he violated the civil rights of a San Juan man, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Authorities took Juan P. Galindo into custody today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis Dec. 10 at 11 a.m.
Galindo is a sergeant with the San Juan Police Department.
The indictment, returned Dec. 4, alleges he violated the civil rights of an individual in December 2015 while acting under his authority as a uniformed police officer. Galindo allegedly physically assaulted the man while he was in custody. According to the charges, the victim had been handcuffed and under police control when Galindo hit him in the groin area with his knee.
If convicted, Galindo faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Alejandra Andrade is prosecuting the case.
Lauren S. Zurier Sworn in as Assistant United States Attorney, Named Appellate Chief for the District of Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman today announced the appointment and swearing-in of veteran Rhode Island state prosecutor Lauren S. Zurier as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island.
Ms. Zurier, who has worked in the appellate unit of the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General since 1993, and briefed and argued over 180 cases in the Rhode Island Supreme Court, has been appointed by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman as Appellate Chief.
In announcing Ms. Zurier’s appointment, United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “The United States Attorney’s Office is so fortunate to be able to welcome Lauren Zurier to its ranks. Lauren’s more than two-decades-long experience prosecuting many of Rhode Island’s most significant and complex criminal appeals – which followed her graduation from Harvard College and Law School, a federal clerkship, and work as an associate in a large Rhode Island law firm – will make her an invaluable and most welcome addition to the United States Attorney’s Office. And Lauren’s devotion to criminal justice, under five Attorneys General, is practically legendary to the Rhode Island criminal bench and bar.”
Prior to joining the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, Ms. Zurier clerked for the Honorable Frank Kaufman, Senior Judge in the U.S. District Court in Maryland, and worked as a civil litigation associate at law firms in Boston and Providence.
Ms. Zurier graduated from Harvard College magna cum laude in 1984, and from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 1987.
Las Vegas Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking More Than $1 Million in Counterfeit ElectronicsRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Pilchak (619) 546-9709
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 9, 2019
SAN DIEGO – A Las Vegas business owner was sentenced to prison today for running a years-long conspiracy to import counterfeit electronics from China into the United States.
Saad Ahmed was sentenced to six months in custody today by U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan, based on Saad’s conviction for Conspiracy to Traffic in Counterfeit Goods.
Ahmed, 32, owns and operates PhonePartsUSA, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based company that sells cellular telephone parts and other electronics throughout the United States—including to customers in San Diego. In his plea agreement, Ahmed acknowledged conspiring with a variety of individuals in China to bring counterfeit cell phone parts and accessories from China to the United States. The conspiracy stretched back to at least September 2012.
PhonePartsUSA trafficked $1,499,999 worth of counterfeit goods during this period, per Ahmed’s plea agreement. The phony merchandise bore trademarks from Samsung, Apple and the electronic quality certification company UL, but the goods were actually inauthentic copies. Court filings relate that some of Ahmed’s customers had quality complaints about counterfeit parts purchased from his business.
Part of Ahmed’s scheme involved grossly undervaluing his international imports to deflect U.S. Customs’ attention from his shipments, according to court documents. Ahmed then directed his staff to destroy the false undervalued invoices when the shipments arrived at his warehouse.
Ahmed agreed to pay restitution to the three trademark holders in an amount totaling $269,681, which constituted the proceeds Ahmed’s business received from trafficking in the counterfeit merchandise. Ahmed also agreed not to contest the forfeiture of 4,453 cell phone parts and accessories seized from PhonePartsUSA as part of a search by Homeland Security Investigations in June 2018.
“Counterfeit merchandise is a threat to consumers, to legitimate producers, and to the entire economy,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “The public is entitled to trust that a trademark means a product is authentic, and not that an unscrupulous merchant is trying to make a quick buck at their expense. Counterfeit goods are not easy money. They are a crime.”
“HSI takes great pride in getting justice for the victims of this counterfeit merchandise scheme, which preyed on unsuspecting customers,” said Francisco Burrola, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (Nevada). “Counterfeiting and intellectual property rights violations are anything but victimless crimes—they harm legitimate businesses, consumers and governments.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 19-cr-3401-W
Saad Ahmed Las Vegas, NV Age: 32
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Traffic in Counterfeit Goods – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 371 & 2320(a)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine (or twice the pecuniary gain or loss), restitution and forfeiture.
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Customs & Border Protection
Laboratory to Pay $26.67 Million to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Laboratory Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation (Boston Heart), of Framingham, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $26.67 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving payments for patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law and claims otherwise improperly billed to federal health care programs for laboratory testing, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs. The Stark Law forbids a laboratory from billing Medicare and Medicaid for certain services referred by physicians that have a financial relationship with the laboratory. The Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law are intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
The settlement resolves allegations that Boston Heart provided physician practices with in-office dieticians in exchange for physician referrals for laboratory testing. These allegations were originally made in a case filed in the Eastern District of California under the whistleblower, or qui tam, provision of the False Claims Act. The Act permits private parties to sue for fraud on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The settlement also resolves allegations that Boston Heart directly or indirectly paid processing and handling fees and waived patient copayments and deductibles. These allegations were originally made in the District of Columbia under the Act. Whistleblowers Chris Riedel and Claudia Bradshaw will receive approximately $4.36 million of the settlement.
In addition, the settlement resolves allegations that Boston Heart conspired with others to pay doctors kickbacks disguised as investment returns and conspired with certain Texas hospitals and others to submit claims for outpatient laboratory testing for patients who were not hospital outpatients, in order to receive higher reimbursements from federal health care programs.
“This office will continue to take all appropriate action to prevent improper inducements that can corrupt the integrity of physician decision-making,” said U.S. Attorney Scott.
The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of California, the Eastern District of Texas, and the District of Columbia, along with the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, OIG-HHS, and DCIS. The two lawsuits are captioned United States ex rel. FBH1 LLC v. Boston Heart Diagnostics Corp., No. 17-cv-206 (E.D. Cal.) and United States ex rel. Riedel v. Boston Heart Diagnostics Corp., No. 12-cv-1423 (D.D.C.). Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine J. Swann handled the Eastern District of California matter for the United States. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
KCK Man Sentenced to 7+ Years for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., who barricaded himself in an apartment when police responded to a call of a domestic disturbance, was sentenced today to 94 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Nikko D. Pike, 38, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In his plea, he admitted that on April 2, 2017, he was involved in a domestic disturbance with a woman. During the argument he discharged a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson that required the victim to seek treatment in an emergency room at University of Kansas Medical Center.
When officers arrived, they saw Pike with a gun protruding from his pocket. Pike barricaded himself in an apartment before surrendering to police. Police found the pistol hidden a child’s bedroom closet.
At the time of the crime, Pike was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction. He was convicted in Wyandotte County District Court in 2009 on a charge of aggravated battery.
McAllister commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Chicago-Area Gymnastics Coach and Former Olympian Who Sexually Abused Multiple Minor Female AthletesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit seeking to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of José Vilchis, who allegedly concealed from U.S. immigration authorities his repeated sexual abuse of at least three minor female athletes. According to the Department’s civil complaint, Vilchis, a native of Mexico, sexually assaulted the girls at various gymnastics training centers in the greater Chicago, Illinois, area over a span of decades. The complaint alleges that beginning as early as 1985, Vilchis sexually assaulted gymnastics students – some as young as 12 – whom he was coaching, and then concealed his conduct throughout multiple immigration proceedings. The complaint was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois.
“The Department of Justice will do everything in its power to hold accountable those who sexually abuse minors,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “This individual’s abuse of his position of authority and trust to prey on his students is reprehensible, and but for his fraud on our immigration process, he never would have been granted a green card and never would have been permitted to naturalize as a U.S. citizen.”
“Vilchis fraudulently gained U.S. citizenship by lying about the horrific, ongoing crimes he was committing against innocent children,” said acting ICE Director Matthew T. Albence. “His crimes and his fraud have justifiably returned to haunt him as the government pursues his denaturalization. The United States will not allow itself to be a safe haven for sexual predators.”
According to the complaint, Vilchis, 68 – who competed in gymnastics for Mexico during the 1968 Summer Olympics – coached aspiring gymnasts at the Beverly Gymnastics Center in Chicago, the American Academy of Gymnastics in Wheeling, and other gyms in the Chicago area. Vilchis became a permanent resident of the United States in 1991 and a naturalized citizen in 1997. The complaint alleges that in his applications for those benefits, Vilchis concealed his criminal conduct, which began in the 1980s and continued through the time he naturalized, and therefore never lawfully obtained either status.
Vilchis is currently awaiting trial in Will County, Illinois, where he faces 18 criminal charges for sexually assaulting a minor in 2013 and 2014. Those allegations, which concern conduct that occurred after Vilchis naturalized, are separate from the allegations concerning whether he unlawfully naturalized by concealing similar conduct against other minor victims in the 1980s and 1990s.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS), with consultation and support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor. The case is being prosecuted by Aaron Petty and Kathryne Gray of OIL-DCS’s National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
Members of the public who have information concerning this matter are encouraged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the DHS tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form. Callers may remain anonymous.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Campus Free SpeechRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today filed a Statement of Interest in a federal lawsuit in Mississippi, explaining that public colleges cannot trample on their students’ First Amendment rights to free speech. The lawsuit is brought by a student organization and J. Michael Brown, a former student at Jones County Junior College, a public institution of higher education in Mississippi. The college’s policies require campus administrators to preapprove all “meetings or gatherings,” and Mr. Brown alleges that college officials called the campus police on him when he sought to engage on campus with fellow students about topics such as free speech and civil liberties.
“The United States of America is not a police state,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Repressive speech codes are the indecent hallmark of despotic, totalitarian regimes. They have absolutely no place in our country, and the First Amendment outlaws all tyrannical policies, practices, and acts that abridge the freedom of speech.”
“Unconstitutional restrictions on our first freedoms to speak and assemble directly threaten our liberty as Americans,” said United States Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi. “While some may disagree with the content of one’s speech, we should all be fighting for everyone’s Constitutional right to speak. I pray JCJC will do the right thing, change its policies to comply with the U.S. Constitution, and encourage its students to speak and assemble throughout our free state.”
“This is yet another concerning example of students encountering limits on what, when, where, and how they learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “This is happening far too often on our nation’s campuses. This Administration won’t let students be silenced. We stand with their right to speak and with their right to learn truth through the free exchange of ideas—particularly those with which they might disagree.”
Jones County Junior College’s speech policies require students to schedule all meetings and gatherings on campus with college administrators at least three days before the event. College officials reserve the right to schedule or not schedule any activity, and there are no exceptions for even the tiniest of meetings or gatherings. Violations of the college’s speech policies can be grounds for student discipline, which may include expulsion from school. In his lawsuit, Mr. Brown alleges that campus officials twice called the campus police on him as he and one or two others spoke with students on the college’s open central quadrangle about free speech, civil liberties, and marijuana legalization. In both instances, Mr. Brown contends that he was brought to the campus police chief’s office, and was intimidated by the police chief and other campus officials. After these incidents, Mr. Brown says that he stopped engaging in expressive activity on campus for fear of disciplinary action or arrest.
The government’s Statement of Interest points to Supreme Court case law explaining that the First Amendment rights of speech and association extend to the campuses of state universities. While Jones County Junior College’s “extreme preconditions to speech might not be out of place in Oceania, the fictional dystopian superstate in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the Statement of Interest explains, “[t]he First Amendment to the United States Constitution . . . ensures that preconditions like these have no place in the United States of America.”
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Campus Free SpeechRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a Statement of Interest in a federal lawsuit in Mississippi, explaining that public colleges cannot trample on their students’ First Amendment rights to free speech. The lawsuit is brought by a student organization and J. Michael Brown, a former student at Jones County Junior College, a public institution of higher education in Mississippi. The college’s policies require campus administrators to preapprove all “meetings or gatherings,” and Mr. Brown alleges that college officials called the campus police on him when he sought to engage on campus with fellow students about topics such as free speech and civil liberties.
“The United States of America is not a police state,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Repressive speech codes are the indecent hallmark of despotic, totalitarian regimes. They have absolutely no place in our country, and the First Amendment outlaws all tyrannical policies, practices, and acts that abridge the freedom of speech.”
“Unconstitutional restrictions on our first freedoms to speak and assemble directly threaten our liberty as Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi. “While some may disagree with the content of one’s speech, we should all be fighting for everyone’s Constitutional right to speak. I pray JCJC will do the right thing, change its policies to comply with the U.S. Constitution, and encourage its students to speak and assemble throughout our free state.”
“This is yet another concerning example of students encountering limits on what, when, where, and how they learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “This is happening far too often on our nation’s campuses. This Administration won’t let students be silenced. We stand with their right to speak and with their right to learn truth through the free exchange of ideas—particularly those with which they might disagree.”
Jones County Junior College’s speech policies require students to schedule all meetings and gatherings on campus with college administrators at least three days before the event. College officials reserve the right to schedule or not schedule any activity, and there are no exceptions for even the tiniest of meetings or gatherings. Violations of the college’s speech policies can be grounds for student discipline, which may include expulsion from school. In his lawsuit, Mr. Brown alleges that campus officials twice called the campus police on him as he and one or two others spoke with students on the college’s open central quadrangle about free speech, civil liberties, and marijuana legalization. In both instances, Mr. Brown contends that he was brought to the campus police chief’s office, and was intimidated by the police chief and other campus officials. After these incidents, Mr. Brown says that he stopped engaging in expressive activity on campus for fear of disciplinary action or arrest.
The government’s Statement of Interest points to Supreme Court case law explaining that the First Amendment rights of speech and association extend to the campuses of state universities. While Jones County Junior College’s “extreme preconditions to speech might not be out of place in Oceania, the fictional dystopian superstate in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the Statement of Interest explains, “[t]he First Amendment to the United States Constitution . . . ensures that preconditions like these have no place in the United States of America.”
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE - United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph announced that the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. The awards include $1,024,834 million to support public safety activities in the Western District of Louisiana.
“These public safety grants will give our local, state, and community partners additional resources to assist them in the fight against violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “I want to thank the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, for making these grants available to organizations within the Western District of Louisiana. Working together with our law enforcement and community partners, we are making Louisiana safer for its citizens.”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
The following awards were made to organizations in the Western District of Louisiana:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – Local Awards
- City of Shreveport - $127,686
- City of Bossier City – $39,115
- City of Lake Charles - $44,309
- City of Opelousas - $17,834
- City of Natchitoches - $15,632
- Ouachita Parish - $127,351
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office - $72,222
- Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office - $82,155
- Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office - $36,553
- St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office - $13,477
OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
- Lafayette City Parish Consolidated Government - $448,500
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program – State Awards
- Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement - $3,169,999
Information about the programs and awards announced December 4, 2019, is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet. 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.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
# # #
Jury Convicts Denison, Iowa Man for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on December 6, 2019, after a 3-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Jose Carlos Ramirez-Martinez, 31, from Denison, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned following about two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Ramirez-Martinez was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from October 2015 through September 2016, from the Denison, Iowa, area. Evidence showed that Ramirez-Martinez would often have co-conspirators travel for him from Denison to Worthington, Minnesota to deliver ½ lb quantities of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator for further re-distribution in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ramirez-Martinez was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Ramirez-Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force (Worthington/ Nobles County, Minnesota); and the Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-4025. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Iowa Man Charged with Interstate and Cyber StalkingRead the Press Release
Michael Shawn McGuire, age 56, from Cresco, Iowa, has been charged with two counts of interstate stalking and one count of cyber stalking. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed on December 3, 2019, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, on or about August 25, 2018, and May 25, 2019, McGuire traveled from Iowa to Minnesota with the intent to harass the victim and caused the victim to experience substantial emotional distress. The Indictment further alleges, that, between on or about September 10, 2018, and September 20, 2018, McGuire engaged in a course of conduct by using Facebook to harass, intimidate, and cause substantial emotional distress to the victim.
If convicted on all charges, McGuire faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
McGuire appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and after a hearing, was held without bond. Evidence at the hearing established that on August 25, 2018, and May 25, 2019, numerous yard signs were posted in Minnesota, where the victim resides. The signs were sexually explicit and contained the victim’s name, telephone number, address, and email address. During this same time period, various friends, family members, and associates of the victim received sexually explicit mailings with semi-nude photos of the victim. In addition, various Facebook profiles sent similar semi-nude photos to some of the victim’s contacts through Facebook and various fake dating profiles associated with the victim were created.
McGuire’s next appearance for trial is set for February 3, 2020.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2075.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
International Anti-Corruption Day Observed by the Justice DepartmentRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) helps foreign governments combat corruption. OPDAT provides expert assistance and case-based mentoring to foreign counterparts to help develop justice systems that can effectively combat corruption in furtherance of U.S. national security. ICITAP helps foreign governments combat corruption by building capacity of law enforcement institutions and other government entities to investigate misconduct and corruption and to implement internal controls that encourage professional conduct among government employees.
OPDAT’s Senior Counsel on Global Anticorruption provides specialized technical advice, training, and consultation to foreign prosecutors, judges, and investigators around the world. OPDAT’s anticorruption program assists counterparts from other jurisdictions in analyzing, investigating, and prosecuting corruption pursuant to international standards, including the UN Convention Against Corruption. OPDAT’s anticorruption program aids U.S. law enforcement efforts by strengthening international cooperation and promoting evidence sharing around the globe. Most recently, during the weeks of October 21 and 28, at the International Law Enforcement Academies in Botswana and Ghana, respectively, OPDAT led two anticorruption programs for prosecutors and judges.
In its bilateral programs, OPDAT’s Resident Legal Advisors, Intermittent Legal Advisors, and International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Advisors have also provided expert anticorruption assistance and case-based mentoring to foreign counterparts. Notable recent successes include:
- In Indonesia, the OPDAT Indonesia-mentored Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested the mayor of Indonesia’s third largest city, Medan, for allegedly receiving bribes of approximately $25,000. Medan’s public works chief, a protocol official, the mayor’s personal aide, and three businessmen were also arrested. According to the KPK, the mayor had used the funds to cover his family member’s travel expenses.
- In Colombia, an OPDAT-mentored prosecutor helped secure the conviction of the former mayor of Bogotá on 34 fraud and corruption counts related to a public contracting scheme worth $63 million.
- In El Salvador, a judge found that OPDAT-mentored prosecutors had submitted sufficient evidence for the former minister of health and 15 other defendants to be re-tried for defrauding the government of $2.7 million.
- In Paraguay, an OPDAT-mentored organized crime prosecutor oversaw the takedown of a police protection and corruption scheme, filing charges against 21 police officers who were taken into custody for having collaborated with Brazilian transnational criminal organizations, including the Primer Comando Capital and the Comando Vermelho.
- In Serbia, OPDAT supported legislative reforms and institutional capacity building that helped the Ministry of Justice establish four specialized anti-corruption prosecutorial, police, and judicial departments. Since their creation, OPDAT has trained and mentored prosecutors, investigators, and judges assigned to the new departments. The Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office, in close cooperation with Serbia’s Ministry of Interior and regulatory bodies, has secured hundreds of convictions successfully using a task-force model and proactive approach, as trained by OPDAT. In Nis, Serbia, the OPDAT-mentored anti-corruption prosecutorial department has recently garnered positive media attention for achieving significant convictions and having hundreds of ongoing investigations.
Building effective anticorruption investigative capacity depends on institutions having sound management practices and human resource systems. ICITAP helps host-country law enforcement institutions improve their ability to direct and train employees to follow new laws and procedures, to recruit and retain qualified personnel, and to manage them effectively through leadership, discipline, and merit-based incentives. ICITAP also promotes public education campaigns and transparency and assists in setting up units and training personnel to handle citizen complaints in a professional manner. In addition, ICITAP provides training in a range of investigative methods and skills, which are necessary to build a successful anticorruption case.
ICITAP’s team of forensic specialists design and guide critical assistance to foreign laboratories that supports counterparts’ efforts around the world to combat corruption, terrorism, and transnational criminal organizations. Funded primarily through agreements with the U.S. Department of State, ICITAP’s work supports the efforts of the international community and host-country partners to implement and comply with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
To learn more about OPDAT and ICITAP’s capacity-building efforts around the world, go to: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-opdat and www.justice.gov/criminal-icitap.
- In Indonesia, the OPDAT Indonesia-mentored Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested the mayor of Indonesia’s third largest city, Medan, for allegedly receiving bribes of approximately $25,000. Medan’s public works chief, a protocol official, the mayor’s personal aide, and three businessmen were also arrested. According to the KPK, the mayor had used the funds to cover his family member’s travel expenses.
Indianapolis Man Sentenced for Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that Senior U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Otis Brown, III, 18, to 8 years and one day in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown was also ordered to pay $61,154.00 in restitution. Brown previously pleaded guilty to a Hobbs Act robbery; that is, robbing a business involved in interstate commerce and brandishing a firearm during the robbery.
On October 28, 2018, at approximately 9:33 am, Brown, Billy Adell, and Daewoo Robertson robbed the CVS Pharmacy, 1701 Galvin Road South, Bellevue, Nebraska at gunpoint. Robertson, Adell, and Brown are from Indianapolis and drove to Bellevue to commit the robbery. Adell was the driver. Robertson and Brown went into the store. Robertson was armed with a Glock .40 caliber handgun that he pointed at employees and a customer while he and Brown zip-tied them. Robertson and Brown fled the store in Adell’s waiting vehicle, with $60,196.50 in controlled substances. They were caught shortly thereafter when their car was stopped. Officers searched the car and found the gun, zip-ties, and a garbage bag with the stolen drugs. Once the drugs leave the store, they cannot be taken back and resold by CVS and have to be destroyed.
Adell is currently pending trial.
Robertson was previously sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $61,154 in restitution.
The FBI Great Plains Violent Crime Task Force, comprised of FBI agents, Omaha Police Department detectives, Nebraska State Patrol Investigators and Papillion Police Department Detectives, is responsible for the investigation of the robbery. The task force was assisted by the Bellevue Police Department.
Indian Businessman Pleads Guilty to Drug Importation, Smuggling and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A citizen of India pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to smuggle misbranded drugs, and one count of money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jeetendra Harish Belani, a/k/a Jeetu, 37, of Nagpur, India, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
During his plea hearing, Belani admitted that he operated a drug-distribution entity based in India called LeeHPL Ventures. Belani also maintained an associated website—www.leehpl.com. Between 2015 and 2019, Belani admitted that he and his co-conspirators, through LeeHPL Ventures, imported into the United States various drugs available only by prescription, including tapentadol, a Schedule II controlled substance, as well as tramadol, carisoprodol, and modafinil, all Schedule IV controlled substances. In addition, Belani admitted that between 2015 and mid-2017, he worked with two co-conspirators in the United States—William Kulakevich and Julia Fees—to unlawfully smuggle a drug known as etizolam into the United States so that Kulakevich and Fees could resell it via a website they operated—www.etizy.com. Etizolam is part of a class of drugs similar to benzodiazepines, which are often used to treat insomnia and anxiety and carry a potential for abuse and overdose. To evade detection by United States Customs and Border Protection officials, Belani admitted that he and his co-conspirators used false customs declarations that mischaracterized and undervalued the contents of packages sent to the United States by LeeHPL Ventures. In addition, Belani caused drug shipments to be broken into smaller quantities and shipped to multiple addresses to help ensure delivery and avoid interception by United States customs authorities. Likewise, Belani admitted that he caused co-conspirators to initiate payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars from accounts in the United States to accounts he controlled in India or in other locations outside the United States, all as a means to promote his continued efforts to smuggle drugs into the United States.
Belani was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 3, 2019, and he was subsequently extradited to the United States to face the charges contained in an eight-count Indictment returned by a federal grand jury on June 26, 2019.
In addition to the three counts to which Belani pleaded guilty, he also accepted responsibility, pursuant to a written plea agreement, for the conduct charged in the remaining five counts of the Indictment: two additional smuggling charges, two additional drug importation charge, and one additional money laundering charge. Belani also agreed to forfeit a total of $100,000.
Belani faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 for the drug importation conspiracy charge; a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for the smuggling conspiracy charge; and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $500,000 for the money laundering conspiracy charge Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance during the investigation of this matter.
Houston Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Kevin Lawrence, 45, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on December 4, 2019, by Chief U.S. District Daniel P. Jordan III, to 135 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Lawrence was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $2,000.00 fine.
On March 24, 2013, DEA seized approximately 262 pounds of marijuana at the Pilot Travel Center located in Jackson, Mississippi, from Kendrick Applewhite and Steven Davison. During the course of the investigation, agents learned that Kevin Lawrence ordered the marijuana and coordinated the pickup of the marijuana with Applewhite and Davison. The three were indicted on December 13, 2017.
Davison and Applewhite previously pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Davison was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500.00. Applewhite was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500.00.
On October 4, 2018, Lawrence was found guilty, after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court, of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, and using a communication facility to commit the offense.
This case was investigated by the DEA Jackson District Office, DEA Gulf Coast HIDTA and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Wansley and John Meynardie.
Fourth Defendant Convicted in Immigrant Kidnapping and Extortion Scheme Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUCILO CABRERA, 46, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 135 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a kidnapping and extortion scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on several occasions, Cabrera and his co-conspirators targeted individuals after they exited buses at the Port Authority in New York. The victims included women, men and children from Central American countries who did not speak English and were seeking asylum in the U.S. Some of the victims planned to travel from New York to Connecticut. After the victims were told that their connecting bus was not available and that they would provide transportation, the co-conspirators coerced the victims into vehicles. Cabrera and others would then drive the victims around, sometimes for hours, and refused to release them until they or their families agreed to pay the co-conspirators an exorbitant amount of money, on average more than a $1000.
At times, co-conspirators posed as an immigration officer to intimidate the victims further.
Cabrera, who is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S., has been detained since his arrest on June 22, 2016. On March 9, 2018, a federal jury in Bridgeport found Cabrera and two co-conspirators, Francisco Betancourt and Carlos Antonio Hernandez, guilty of kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy offenses. On November 14, 2019, Betancourt was sentenced to 168 months of imprisonment, and on November 18, 2019, Hernandez was sentenced to 96 months of imprisonment.
On October 12, 2018, a fourth defendant, Pascual Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. On July 2, 2019, he was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.
Four South Florida Residents and Jet Link, Inc. Sentenced for Roles in Aircraft Parts Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
On Friday, December 6, 2019, the last of four South Florida residents was sentenced to prison in connection with the operation of Jet Link, Inc., an aircraft parts broker in Margate, Florida.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Wendell W. Palmer, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations - Office of Procurement Fraud, Detachment 5, Dobbins ARB, GA; Special Agent Jozette Gillespie, Acting Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (CID-MPFU); Cyndy Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office announced the sentencing of Robert Cantone, 74, of Coral Springs, Alex Cantone, 41, of Sunrise, Brenda Snelgrove, 58, of Coconut Creek, Ronald Burns, 45, of Hollywood, and Jet Link, Inc., for their roles in an aircraft parts fraud scheme.
The defendants and the corporation previously pled guilty for their respective criminal conduct (Case No. 18cr60329). On December 6, 2019, U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced R. Cantone to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered the defendant to pay $91,095.70 in restitution. Previously, co-defendant Burns was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $6,340 in restitution. Co-defendant Snelgrove was sentenced to 3 years of probation, with six months of house arrest, and ordered to pay $18,581 in restitution. Co-defendant A. Cantone was given Pre-trial Diversion. Jet Link, Inc. was sentenced to 3 years of probation and ordered to pay $91,095.70 in restitution.
According to the court record, Jet Link, Inc. and the co-defendants are now prohibited from conducting further business with the Department of Defense, and during the defendants’ terms of supervised release, they will all be prohibited from purchasing, selling, distributing, or acquiring of aircraft parts, both commercial and military, and shall further be prohibited from associating with or being employed by, any company involved with the purchase or sale of aircraft parts, both commercial and military.
According to court records and evidence presented during hearings, R. Cantone, A. Cantone, Snelgrove, and Burns, would unjustly enrich themselves by fraudulently winning contracts for the supply of military aircraft parts to the Defense Logistics Agency (“DLA”), by supplying the DLA with false certifications on their electronic bid quotations, by stating Jet Link “currently possesses the material,” and that the parts were “inspected for correct part number and for absence of corrosion or any obvious defects,” were “in its original package,” and were “new, unused, and not of such age or so deteriorated as to impair its usefulness or safety,” when, in fact, these parts were not purchased until after the contracts had been awarded by DLA. These parts were thereafter shipped to the Department of Defense, and were often either non-conforming or substandard.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army CID-MPFU, DCIS, and ICE-HSI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former DOD Subcontractor Facing Federal Indictment for Allegedly Submitting False Claims for Hours WorkedRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Melissa Heyer, age 44, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, with submitting false claims to the United States, specifically for claiming to have worked hours on a government contract when she allegedly was not at work.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Teresa A. Moses, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)- Office of Inspector General (OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr., of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office.
Company A was a subcontractor for Company B, providing employees that performed national security duties for the Department of Defense (DOD). From January 2017 until March 2019, Heyer worked for Company A, but was assigned on a day-to-day basis to work for the DOD on national security matters at the National Security Agency (NSA), in Fort Meade, Maryland.
According to the five-count indictment, from January 2017 through March 2019, Heyer held a Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance and performed her duties for Company A and the DOD at a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) at the NSA facility where she worked. She used a badge reader to gain access to the SCIF. The indictment alleges that on at least five occasions between January 2017 and March 2019, Heyer falsely represented to her employer that she had been working at the NSA SCIF when she was actually elsewhere. Heyer allegedly caused false claims to be submitted to the DOD that resulted in the government paying more than $100,000 to Company A, Company B, and Heyer, to which they and Heyer were not entitled.
If convicted, Heyer faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the five counts of making a false claim. 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. At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Heyer be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday, December 11, 2019.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DIA OIG and DCIS for their work on the investigation and thanked the U.S. CYBERCOM Office of Inspector General for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who is prosecuting the case.
# # #
Former Clovis Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Aric Matthew Salazar, 36, formerly of Clovis, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, for receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to a criminal complaint, Salazar was detected by law enforcement investigators when he was sharing numerous child pornography files on a BitTorrent file-sharing network in October 2016. He admitted to investigating agents that he had used file-sharing programs for several years to obtain child pornography. He admitted in a plea agreement that he had received and distributed more than 600 images of child pornography from at least July 2015 through July 2017. Some of the images were depictions of minors being subjected to violence or sadistic conduct.
The sentence imposed includes a term of supervised release of 15 years during which, Salazar’s access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, pay restitution of $12,000 to five victims who filed claims, and pay penalty assessments totaling $5,100.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa 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.
Fleming County Magistrate Pleads Guilty to Crop Insurance Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Christopher G. Hickerson, a Fleming County Magistrate and tobacco farmer, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to charges of conspiracy to commit crop insurance fraud and tax fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Hickerson admitted that from Crop Year 2009 to Crop Year 2016, he made material misrepresentations on his federal crop insurance paperwork, for the purpose of getting money from the federal government that he was not entitled to receive. He admitted that he produced more tobacco crop than he reported to his insurance company, hiding that tobacco by selling it in other people’s names or simply not reporting it to his insurance adjuster.
In his plea agreement, Hickerson acknowledged that in Crop Year 2014, he accomplished this through an agreement, with Debra Muse and another individual identified as R.W., to obtain fake grade sheets and tobacco sales receipts from Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse, which he could submit to his insurance adjuster. Hickerson admitted that the grade sheets – which showed that his tobacco was no-grade or low-grade – were for tobacco that either did not exist or did not belong to him. Hickerson further admitted to failing to report all of his tobacco sales on his tax returns in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
Hickerson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2020. He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy to commit crop insurance fraud conviction and three years in prison on the tax fraud conviction. He faces a $250,000 fine on each charge. Before imposing a sentence, the Court will take into consideration the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal sentencing statutes.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Bethanne Dinkins, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Heather Manzano, Deputy Administrator for Compliance, United States Department of Agriculture-Risk Management Agency; and Willie Skeens, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly announced the conviction. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Kathryn Anderson.
— END —
Five Dominican Nationals Charged with Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Five men have been charged in federal court in Boston as the result of a federal investigation targeting document and benefit fraud.
The following individuals have each been charged with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number, and one has also been charged with making a false statement relating to a federal health care program:
1. Raymer Alfredo Soto Mareta, 28, a Dominican national residing in Lynn. Soto Moreta is charged with using the identification of another person to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license. Soto Mareta also used this stolen identity to obtain MassHealth benefits, Social Security benefits and to apply for unemployment benefits.
2. Reynold Pereyra Diaz, 38, a Dominican national residing in Taunton. Pereyra Diaz is charged with using the identification of another person to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license. Pereyra Diaz also used this stolen identity to obtain MassHealth benefits and to finance a vehicle costing more than $48,000.
3. Yohnny Peguero Villalona, 33, a Dominican national residing in Lynn. Peguero Villalona is charged with using the identification of another person to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license. Peguero Villalona, also used this stolen identity to obtain MassHealth benefits
4. Roberto Melo Guerrero, 39, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence. Melo Guerrero is charged with using the identification of another person to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and to obtain MassHealth benefits.
5. Hector Antonio Cruz Ciprian, 31, a Dominican national residing in Lowell. Cruz Ciprian is charged with using the identification of another person to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license.
Soto Mareta, Pereyra Diaz, and Peguero Villalona were arrested today on criminal complaints and appeared in federal court in Boston. Melo Guerrero and Cruz Ciprian are currently in state custody on unrelated charges, and will be transported to federal court at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes. The DBFTF is currently investigating suspected aliens who are believed to have obtained stolen identities of U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico. The DBFTF has investigated individuals who have used stolen identities to obtain public benefits that they otherwise would not be eligible to receive, including Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identity documents, Social Security numbers, MassHealth benefits, public housing benefits and/or unemployment benefits.
In July 2018, a DGFTF-led investigation resulted in the arrests of 25 individuals on charges of identity theft and Social Security fraud. Separate DBFTF-led investigations resulted in multiple arrests in December 2018, April 2019, June 2019 and September 2019.
The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false representation of a Social Security number and making a false statement relating to a federal health care program each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and the Lynn, Lawrence and Taunton Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely, Adam Deitch and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Firearm Violation Results in Prison Sentence of More Than Nine YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JOSE MANUEL GUTIERREZ, 35, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to 110 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
On February 19, 2019, a grand jury indicted Gutierrez for possessing a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol on December 20, 2018, after having been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year. He pleaded guilty on June 7, 2019.
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Gutierrez to 110 months—or nine years and two months—in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court took into account threats Gutierrez made with a loaded gun in the presence of minor children and a person with whom he was in a domestic relationship at the time. It also considered his lengthy history of abusive and violent behavior spanning the past 15 years, with six prior felony convictions involving firearms.
This case was the result of an investigation by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Oklahoma City Police Department. It is part of “Operation 922,” the district’s local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, DOJ’s initiative against violent crime. "Operation 922" prioritizes firearms prosecutions connected to domestic violence, including domestic violence abusers who possess a firearm and are subject to a victim protective order or have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Felon headed to prison for multiple illegals firearms purchasesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 41-year old previously convicted violent offender has been ordered to federal prison for lying on a firearms application to purchase multiple handguns, announces U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Javier Cruz is from Puerto Rico but resided in Houston. He pleaded guilty Sept. 16.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen handed Cruz a 46-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
At the time of his plea, Cruz admitted he unlawfully purchased four firearms Feb. 9. As part of the purchase, he was required to fill out Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form 4473 in order to complete a background check. Cruz fraudulently signed the form in that he claimed he never had a felony conviction.
However, Cruz actually had multiple prior convictions for violent felony offenses in Puerto Rico – theft by means of violence, robbery, carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a controlled substance. The investigation also revealed that on Feb. 10, Cruz attempted to unlawfully purchase a fifth firearm from the same dealer, again by falsifying information on form 4473. That second attempt failed.
Cruz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Peneguy prosecuted the case.
Fairview, PA Man Sentnced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Fairview, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one day in jail, 12 months home detention, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Matthew E. Poese, 48.
According to information presented to the court, Poese possessed computer images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Poese.
Dominican National Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Diostene Pimental, 42, a Dominican national formerly residing in Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 16 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In September 2019, Pimental pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported.
Pimental was removed from the United States in November 2012 and subsequently re-entered without permission. Pimental had been deported after being convicted of an aggravated felony.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Marcos D. Charles, Acting Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly 7 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun and 61 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A convicted felon has been sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and 61 rounds of ammunition in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago.
ANTONIO BROWN, 25, of Chicago, illegally possessed the gun and two extended-capacity magazines in the 7500 block of South Dante Avenue on Sept. 22, 2018. Brown was in the front passenger seat of a stolen vehicle that had been pulled over by officers from the Chicago Police Department. He initially tried to hide the gun and ammunition under his seat to avoid detection, but the officers discovered the items during an ensuing search of the vehicle.
Brown was not legally allowed to possess a firearm after previously being convicted in state court of the attempted armed robbery of a nail salon. He was released from state prison seven months before the traffic stop.
Brown pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman imposed the 82-month sentence Thursday in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Charlie Beck, interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“In a city plagued by traumatic injuries and death from bullets being indiscriminately sprayed on the street, the public is truly fortunate that CPD was able to interdict defendant and seize his arsenal before any harm could come to anyone,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Devlin N. Su argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “By illegally packing a devastating amount of firepower, defendant dramatically increased the risk of violence to the community.”
According to evidence and arguments presented to the Court during the federal case, Brown has appeared in several music videos and photographs posted on YouTube or Facebook holding handguns equipped with laser sights and extended-capacity magazines similar to the type he possessed during the traffic stop. Brown is frequently seen in the videos and photos aiming the guns directly at the camera.
Holding convicted felons accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, including by prosecuting individuals who illegally possess firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also participates in Project Guardian, an initiative from the Department of Justice that serves as a complementary effort to the success of PSN. Project Guardian focuses specifically on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes, and it emphasizes the importance of using modern technologies to promote gun crime intelligence.
Clinton Man Sentenced to Almost 7 Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for CarjackingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Cedric Winfield, 24, of Clinton, was sentenced Friday before Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 83 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Winfield was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the victim.
On November 7, 2017, while Darrell Moore was on bond for murder in Hinds County, Alexus Guster, Moore, and Cedric Winfield agreed to rob and carjack a victim at gunpoint. At the instruction of Moore and Winfield, Guster lured the victim to the location where Winfield and Moore were waiting to carjack and rob him. Guster and Winfield spoke to the victim while standing at the passenger side of the vehicle. While the victim was distracted, Moore approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, pulled the victim out of the car at gunpoint, and forced him to give up his money and the vehicle. The victim then fled the scene on foot as Moore fired his gun twice in the direction of the victim. Winfield drove the car to his residence where Moore and Guster met him to search the car for valuables.
Winfield pled guilty on October 16, 2018. Moore pled guilty on November 13, 2018, and was sentenced by Judge Jordan to over 12 years in federal prison on May 13, 2019. Guster pled guilty on January 23, 2019, and was sentenced by Judge Barbour to time served and a $1,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Helen Wall and Kimberly Taft Purdie.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Federal Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pled guilty today in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that involved large quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron and sold in West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jared Matthew Whittington, 30, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Whittington participated in a significant meth trafficking network operating between Akron, Ohio and West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “He was responsible for distributing up to 500 grams of meth. A collaborative investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies shut down this group of meth traffickers. We’re working together to close off the steady pipeline of drugs coming from Akron.”
Whittington admitted that during the months of June and July of 2019, he participated with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia. During the conspiracy, Whittington obtained various quantities of methamphetamine which were transported from Akron to be sold in multiple cities in West Virginia including Teays Valley and Charleston. Whittington admitted that he supplied methamphetamine to other West Virginia based meth dealers on a recurring basis and that he was aware the methamphetamine he sold would be re-distributed in West Virginia. As part of his plea agreement, Whittington admitted that he was responsible for distributing up to 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Whittington faces 5 to 40 years in prison when sentenced on March 9, 2020.
This joint investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other agencies which participated and assisted in the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ona Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the United States Marshals Service, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Akron, Ohio Police Department, and the Brecksville, Ohio Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
California Woman Charged and Agrees to Plead Guilty in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California woman will plead guilty to charges filed today alleging that she paid $9,000 to have an individual take online classes for her son, in order to earn credits to facilitate his graduation from Georgetown University.
Karen Littlefair, 57, of Newport Beach, Calif., will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of four months in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $9,500 and restitution.
According to the charging documents, Littlefair agreed with William “Rick” Singer and others to pay approximately $9,000 to have an employee of Singer’s for-profit college counseling business, The Edge College & Career Network (“The Key”), take online classes in place of Littlefair’s son and submit those fraudulently earned credits to Georgetown to facilitate his graduation. The Key employee allegedly completed four classes for Littlefair’s son at Georgetown and elsewhere, and in exchange, Littlefair paid Singer’s company approximately $9,000. Littlefair’s son graduated from Georgetown, using the credits earned by the Key employee, in May 2018.
Singer previously pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government’s investigation.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed not guilty unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Belton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearm Following Police ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after leading police officers on a vehicle pursuit that ended when he drove through residential yards and disabled his vehicle after striking several trees.
“This defendant is the epitome of a career criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “Not even 40 years old, he has been incarcerated or under court supervision for nearly two decades, committing acts of violence both in and out of custody. This office and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to incapacitate criminals who refuse to respect the law and threaten or violate the safety and security of others.”
Gregory P. Middaugh, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Middaugh was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior violent felony convictions.
On March 25, 2019, Middaugh pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Belton police officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on Feb. 10, 2017. Middaugh was kicking at the front door of his estranged girlfriend’s residence, attempting to make entry into the residence. Middaugh fled from the scene in a black Mercedes Benz C280.
Belton police officers attempted to stop Middaugh as he fled from the residence. Middaugh refused to stop and fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. While fleeing, Middaugh hit several parked vehicles. He then left the roadway and continued to drive through yards, where he struck several trees. Middaugh’s vehicle was eventually disabled, and he was taken into custody.
Officers searched the vehicle after Middaugh’s arrest and found a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol with a laser sight attachment lying on the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. The firearm was reportedly stolen. According to court documents, officers also found marijuana packaged for distribution, PCP, cocaine, prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Middaugh has two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for stealing, and prior felony convictions for domestic violence (in which he shot his girlfriend in the face), robbery, armed criminal action and assault on a state Department of Corrections employee.
Between 1998 and 2017, Middaugh was arrested 19 times, which resulted in eight felony convictions and three misdemeanor convictions. Additionally, Middaugh is currently charged with two felony and 14 misdemeanor offenses (including murder) in five pending cases throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. As a result of these convictions, he has been on probation, parole, or incarcerated almost continuously since 1997.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Akron Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl trafficker was sentenced to 92 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Anton Marcel Jeffries, 25, of Akron, Ohio, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.
“Another Akron drug dealer is sentenced to significant time in federal prison for peddling a trifecta of deadly drugs in Huntington,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Jeffries was caught with 108 grams of meth, 25 grams of heroin and 12 grams of fentanyl. Thanks to law enforcement, these dangerous drugs didn’t make it on the streets of Huntington.”
On September 19, 2018, officers with the Huntington Violent Crimes and Drugs Task Force and the Huntington Police Department Special Investigations Bureau executed a search warrant on an apartment residence at 917 9th Avenue in Huntington. Jeffries possessed multiple baggies of what forensic testing confirmed to be approximately 108 grams of methamphetamine, 25 grams of heroin, and 12 grams of fentanyl.
The Huntington Violent Crimes and Drugs Task Force and the Huntington Police Department Special Investigations Bureau conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###
Sunday 8 December 2019
Akron man sentenced to nearly 30 years after firing on three officers, attempting two carjackingsRead the Press Release
An Akron man was sentenced to 355 months in federal prison for shooting at three law enforcement officers as well as attempting to carjack two people and possessing methamphetamine.
Michael P. Johnson, 34, was convicted of one count of assault on law enforcement officers with a deadly weapon, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of attempted carjacking and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On September 24, 2017, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 362 grams of methamphetamine. On January 2, 2018, while working with federal law enforcement agents, Akron police officers attempted to arrest Johnson on the methamphetamine trafficking charges. During a traffic stop, Johnson got out of a vehicle and fired a Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver at the officers. After shooting at the officers, Johnson fled and used the revolver to attempt to carjack the drivers of two vehicles at an Akron gas station. Officers caught Johnson and found that he possessed approximately 136 grams of methamphetamine.
Johnson was also ordered to forfeit $4,767.
“This defendant put dozens of people at risk – the officers he fired upon, the innocent people he tried to carjack and the Akron residents simply passing by,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “Nearly 30 years in prison is an appropriate and just result that should also deter others who so callously disregard the lives of law enforcement offices and innocent community members.”
Akron Police Chief Ken Ball said: “This incident is an example of the grave danger that the men and women of the Akron Police Department face every day in service to their community. We are pleased that the defendant [was] made to answer for his behavior ….”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F. DeBaggis and Aaron Howell following an investigation by the Akron Police Department, the U.S. Marshals and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Saturday 7 December 2019
Rock Island Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA- On Thursday, December 5, 2019, Chad Eric Mink, age 45, from Rock Island, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to a total sentence of 600 months in prison after being convicted of 15 counts alleging various crimes including stalking, interstate domestic violence, receipt and possession of unregistered destructive devices, malicious use of explosive materials, identity theft, using a destructive device during a crime of violence, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, and tampering with a witness and evidence, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.
A jury found Mink guilty of the 15 offenses on June 24, 2019. At trial, the Government presented more than 70 witnesses, including several forensic experts, who testified about Mink’s use of a stolen truck to ram a vehicle occupied by a former intimate partner and her boyfriend; possession of multiple pipe bombs; planting a pipe bomb near his former intimate partner’s room at the Quad City Inn in Davenport; and attempts to influence a witness to destroy evidence and to fabricate evidence.
“This case demonstrates once again the effectiveness of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and investigative talents to remove a very dangerous person from our community,” stated Mario Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kansas City Division.
“Chad Mink is a violent, dangerous stalker who, for years, subjected a good woman to his own personal reign of terror,” said United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. “Mink deserves every day he will spend in federal prison. I commend the prosecution team, including Assistant United States Attorneys Cliff Cronk, Amy Jennings, Will Ripley, Victim-Witness Coordinator Christina Busse, and especially ATF Special Agent Jason Pessman, whose tireless work on this case upheld the highest standards of law enforcement.”
The lead investigative agency was the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The following agencies assisted in the investigation: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States Marshals Service, Rock Island (County) Sheriff’s Office, Davenport Police Department, Milan (Illinois) Police Department, Rock Island Police Department, Muscatine County Jail, and the Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Friday 6 December 2019
USA Milhiser Op-Ed: Warrant-proof encryption threatens public safetyRead the Press Release
As our society has become dependent on a vast and expanding digital infrastructure, it is not surprising that all types of criminal cases – white collar and elder fraud, child sexual exploitation, gun and drug traffickers, and terrorism – are likely to include digital evidence. One of the most critical advances in this new cyber world is the development of advanced encryption techniques. Encryption provides enormous benefits to society, including safe-guarding personal information and facilitation of on-line commercial transactions. However, we must not allow dangerous criminals to cloak their communications and digital activities behind an impenetrable shield.
Digital evidence is of particular importance in investigating and prosecuting criminals who use cyberspace to exploit vulnerable children. Such cases include the production of child pornography in still images, videos, and live-streamed content, as well as sharing and collecting such material. Perpetrators also use technology to entice minors to engage in illegal sexual activity. On-line child exploitation cases have increased dramatically in the past few years, with offenders continually adopting more sophisticated means in committing these heinous crimes and evading justice. In 2018 alone, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received more than 18 million reports which contained more than 23 million images and more than 22 million videos of child pornography. Law enforcement access to this information is critical in exposing criminal activity, locating victims, identifying perpetrators, and protecting our children.
Central Illinois is not immune to these crimes. A Decatur man, Jason Cooper, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison after being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office. Police received a report from a 13-year-old Riverton girl that a Facebook user “Jermaine Jackson” threatened to harm her and her family if she would not meet him to engage in sexual activity. Agents obtained a search warrant for the Facebook account, and based on the data that was obtained, they were able to quickly identify Cooper and his location. Significantly, agents were also able to identify a second victim, a New York girl, whom Cooper had been extorting to provide sexually explicit images for several years. This second victim had never reported the incidents to her parents and may never have been identified without access to digital evidence.
Popular messaging services and social media sites are moving to implement warrant-proof encryption that thwarts the ability of law enforcement to locate victims, identify those responsible for the criminal activity and successfully prosecute guilty parties. When warrant-proof encryption is utilized, digital messages can only be decrypted by end users. Thus, information produced by a service provider in response to a court-ordered warrant remains encrypted and inaccessible to law enforcement officials.
It is imperative to both the safety of the users and public safety that technology providers maintain an appropriate mechanism to allow law enforcement prompt access to encrypted information, whether stored on a device or in transmission, in compliance with a court-issued search warrant or wiretap order. Without such access, cyberspace becomes a lawless space where perpetrators operate undetected and can secretly prey on our children.
Ensuring lawful access to digital information is a priority of the Department of Justice. The Department is committed to the development of a coherent national policy for responsible encryption, which continues to protect personal privacy and provide cybersecurity without compromising the safety of the public, and children in particular, some of our most vulnerable victims.
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores' Statement on the Retirement Announcement of Tulsa Police Chief Chuck JordanRead the Press Release
“Chief Chuck Jordan’s legacy is one of service, courage, and accomplishment. He exemplifies the selfless police ethic of ‘protect and serve.’ There is no better friend to the cause of justice than Chief Jordan. Time and again, he displayed a remarkable balance of prudence and courage when faced with challenging circumstances and consequential decisions. Chief Jordan's reverence for the special responsibility placed in a police chief is as inspiring as it is unwavering. He knew that he had been entrusted to command the men and women who wore the uniform of the Tulsa Police Department; that his guidance and leadership could determine whether his officers made it home to their families. The City of Tulsa is a stronger and safer city because of Chief Chuck Jordan. As we have worked closely together over these last two years, I am also proud to be able call him my friend. Thank you for your service, Chief."
U.S. Attorney Recognizes Law Enforcement for Their Contributions to the Mission of the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized 45 members of federal and local law enforcement from eight law enforcement agencies at its annual Law Enforcement Awards ceremony held at U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The ceremony honored law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond their duties in support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office mission to safeguard Nevada’s communities.
“The recipients of this year’s awards have demonstrated a commitment to excellence, to enforcing the laws, and to protecting the communities they serve day in and day out,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada. “Recognizing their contributions is a small way to honor them. I commend the brave men and women who wear a badge and make Nevada’s communities safer.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Color Guard opened the ceremony. U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich provided welcoming remarks.
The award recipients were honored for their contributions and collaboration towards protecting national security, fighting public corruption, addressing the opioid abuse epidemic, combatting human trafficking, preventing financial fraud crimes, and reducing violent crime on tribal lands. The recipients recognized for their professionalism and dedicated public service came from the following law enforcement agencies:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
- Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI)
- Henderson Police Department
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
# # #
Twentynine Palms Man Arrested on Criminal Complaint Alleging He Made Death Threats to a Congressional Staffer and InternRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging he made more than 10,000 harassing telephone calls this year to government offices and made death threats against a congressional staffer and an intern who answered the calls.
Robert Stahlnecker, 48, of Twentynine Palms, was arrested at his residence on charges of threatening federal officers and employees, interstate communications with threat to injure a person, and anonymous telecommunications harassment. He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside and remains in federal custody. His arraignment is scheduled for December 26.
On August 28, Stahlnecker called a congresswoman’s office in San Mateo, California three times within a span of five minutes, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint that was unsealed today. During the calls, Stahlnecker allegedly berated the intern who answered the call, using vulgar language to insult her, and finally, threatened to come to the congresswoman’s office to kill her.
On September 26, Stahlnecker allegedly made eight telephone calls within a seven-minute span to the Washington, D.C., office of a U.S. Senator from Ohio. During the calls, Stahlnecker allegedly berated the intern who answered the call, insulted the intern by using vulgar language and finally, threatened to come to the senator’s office to kill her.
Stahlnecker has made more than 10,000 calls to government agencies and elected officials between January and November of this year, the affidavit states.
U.S. Capitol Police has been investigating Stahlnecker since at least 2009, opening 41 investigations into threatening or harassing telephone calls he has made involving 53 different elected officials. Stahlnecker has criminal convictions for harassment in New Jersey and making terroristic threats with intent to terrorize in Pennsylvania, according to the criminal complaint. In 2015, he was convicted in in federal court in Riverside of impeding the operations of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by making thousands of telephone calls to the VA – including its suicide prevention line – but that conviction was later overturned on appeal.
The United States Capitol Police and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Dahlquist of the Riverside Branch Office.
Three charged with turning ocean into international drug trafficking superhighwayRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three Colombian citizens are set to appear in federal court for their alleged roles in a drug smuggling attempt involving more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jesus Alfredo De La Cruz Orobio, 59, Juan David Portocarrero Diaz, 34, and Milton Valencia Blandon, 29, are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan today at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
A Houston grand jury returned the indictment Dec. 5.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint, filed Dec. 2, allege that on Nov. 21, 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Thetis was on routine patrol off the Pacific Coast of Colombia and Ecuador. At that time, they allegedly detected a long low profile go-fast vessel 81 nautical miles southeast of Malpelo Island, Colombia. The charges allege the USCG stopped the vessel which did not have a flag, registration documents, homeport name and nor any identification on the hull.
The charges allege authorities boarded the boat and found three crewman, at which time Orobio identified himself as the master of the boat. According to the allegations, USGC conducted a search and discovered 54 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 1,321 kilograms in the hold of the boat along with sophisticated satellite communication and global positioning devices.
The three crewmen are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on a vessel in the high seas in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008.
This is the second such prosecution in the Southern District of Texas under a statute that allows any jurisdiction in the United States to prosecute such smugglers. The law gives the United States jurisdiction over “stateless” vessels without nationality found on the high seas with contraband.
If convicted, each man faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and USCG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Three Illinois Prison Guards Indicted on Charges of Inmate Assault Resulting in Death and Obstruction of the InvestigationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Three Illinois correctional officers made their initial appearance in federal court this morning following their arrest on charges related to the May 2018 assault of an inmate who later died, at Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Ill. Those charged are Todd Sheffler, 51, of Mendon; Willie Hedden, 41, of Mt. Sterling, and Alex Banta, 28, of Quincy.
The indictment alleges that on May 17, 2018, Sheffler, Hedden and Banta assaulted an inmate, who was restrained and handcuffed behind his back at the time, during an escort to another prison unit, in violation of his Constitutional protection to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The victim, identified as Larry Earvin, suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon, and other serious internal injuries, and died in June 2018. The indictment alleges that each defendant falsified incident reports to omit any reference to the assault and that they misled agents of the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of the assault of Earvin that each participated in and witnessed.
“Our laws protect the civil rights of all,” stated U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. “Every day, correctional officers report for public service that is often demanding and under-appreciated. However, our criminal justice system requires that those who perform these difficult duties do so lawfully. Those responsible for the deadly assault of Mr. Earvin must be held accountable.” Milhiser commended the Illinois Department of Corrections for its cooperation and the FBI and Illinois State Police for their thorough investigation of this tragic incident.
Sean M. Cox, FBI Special Agent in Charge stated: "The FBI is committed to vigorously investigating allegations of Constitutional violations by law enforcement officers, including correctional officers, who in this investigation have been indicted with violating the civil rights of Mr. Earvin. This case should be a reminder that everyone, including individuals who are incarcerated, is afforded the same protections under the U.S. Constitution, and no one wearing a badge is above the law."
“The people of Illinois must have confidence in the constitutional integrity of the criminal justice system from the streets, to the courthouse, to corrections,” stated ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “It is the mission of the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigations to work with our state and federal partners to hold accountable those who betray that trust.”
The defendants were arrested late yesterday, Dec. 5, by the FBI and Illinois State Police, and appeared today for arraignment in federal court before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough. The indictment, returned by the grand jury this week, remained sealed pending the defendants’ arrest and court appearance. An initial trial date of Feb. 4, 2020, has been scheduled. Detention hearings for the defendants have been scheduled for this afternoon.
At the time of the alleged crimes, Sheffler was a lieutenant at Western Illinois Correctional Center (WICC); Hedden was a sergeant, and, Banta was a correctional officer, subordinate to Sheffler and Hedden. Inmate Larry Earvin, who was 65 years old, was an inmate at WICC and would have been eligible for parole in September 2018.
According to the indictment, on May 17, 2018, Sheffler, Hedden, and Banta participated in the forcible escort of Earvin from his residential unit to the segregation housing unit. During the transport, Earvin was physically assaulted, without legal justification, while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and posed no physical threat to the defendants or other correctional officers. The indictment alleges that Sheffler, the lieutenant, and most senior officer, and Hedden, the sergeant and senior officer to Banta, failed to intervene to protect Earvin from the assault.
Following the assault, Sheffler, Hedden and Banta each allegedly filed knowingly false incident reports that failed to disclose any assault of Earvin. The false reports allegedly included identical language used by Hedden and Banta that falsely stated that Earvin was delivered to staff in the segregation housing unit “without further incident” other than Earvin resisting the escort and refusing to walk. In addition, the indictment alleges that Sheffler, Hedden and Banta knowingly misled agents of the Illinois State Police during individual interviews by falsely denying any knowledge of the assault of Earvin that they participated in and witnessed.
Hedden is charged in an additional count of obstruction that alleges he persuaded a friend, a fellow employee at WICC, to delete a text message Hedden had sent to the friend following the May 17 incident, to conceal and destroy information relating to the offenses charged.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Victor B. Yanz are representing the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by agents of the FBI-Springfield Division and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Specifically, the indictment charges Sheffler, Hedden and Banta with conspiracy to deprive civil rights (one count); deprivation of civil rights (one count); and conspiracy to obstruct justice (one count.). Each defendant is charged individually with obstruction of the investigation: falsification of document (one count) and misleading conduct (one count.) In addition, Hedden is charged with destruction of a record or other object (one count.)
As charged, the statutory sentence for both conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death is any term of imprisonment up to life. For each count of obstruction, the maximum statutory penalty is up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Texas businessman convicted of making illegal campaign contributions to political candidatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A Houston businessman has pleaded guilty to making illegal political contributions in the names of others to campaign committees for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2017, announced First Assistant U.S. AttorneyTim S. Braley along with Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
James D. Dannenbaum, 80, pleaded guilty today to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act.
On Nov. 22, Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation (DEC) and its parent company, Engineering Holding Corporation, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA). They also agreed to pay a $1.6 million criminal fine for its involvement in a multi-year conduit contribution scheme. Dannenbaum is DEC’s former CEO.
As part of the plea, Dannenbaum admitted that from 2015 through 2017, he and DEC made $323,300 in illegal conduit contributions through various employees and their family members to federal candidates and their committees. DEC corporate funds were used to advance or reimburse employee monies for these contributions. Dannenbaum did not reveal to any of the federal candidates that the corporation was the true source of the contributions. The object of the scheme was for DEC, Dannenbaum and a former employee to gain access to and potentially influence various candidates for federal office, including candidates for the presidency as well as the Senate and House of Representatives.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake of the Southern District of Texas accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 5, 2020. At that time, Dannenbaum faces up to two years in federal prison.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Pearson are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Jessica C. Harvey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Texas Businessman Convicted of Making Illegal Campaign Contributions to Political CandidatesRead the Press Release
A Houston, Texas, businessman has pleaded guilty to making illegal political contributions in the names of others to campaign committees for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2017, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas.
James D. Dannenbaum, 80, pleaded guilty today to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act.
On Nov. 22, Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation (DEC) and its parent company, Engineering Holding Corporation, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and agreed to pay a $1.6 million criminal fine for its involvement in a multi-year conduit contribution scheme. Dannenbaum is DEC’s former CEO.
As part of the plea, Dannenbaum admitted that from 2015 through 2017, he and DEC made $323,300 in illegal conduit contributions through various employees and their family members to federal candidates and their committees. DEC corporate funds were used to advance or reimburse employee monies for these contributions. Dannenbaum did not reveal to any of the federal candidates that the corporation was the true source of the contributions. The object of the scheme was for DEC, Dannenbaum and a former employee to gain access to, and potentially influence, various candidates for federal office, including candidates for the presidency as well as the Senate and House of Representatives.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake of the Southern District of Texas accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 5, 2019.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Jessica C. Harvey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Pearson of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Two Members of the Romanian Cybercriminal Enterprise Bayrob Group Sentenced on 21 Counts Relating to Infecting over 400,000 Victim Computers with Malware and Stealing at Least $4 MillionRead the Press Release
Bogdan Nicolescu, 37, and Radu Miclaus, 37, both from Bucharest, Romania, were sentenced to 20 years and 18 years, respectively, for their roles in a scheme to, among other things, infect more than 400,000 computers with malware and gain access to credit card and other information for later sale on dark market websites.
According to testimony at trial and court documents, Nicolescu, Miclaus, and others operated a criminal enterprise referred to as the “Bayrob Group” from Bucharest, Romania. It began in 2007 with the development of proprietary malware, which they disseminated through malicious emails purporting to be legitimate emails from entities and agencies such as Western Union, Norton AntiVirus, and the IRS. When recipients clicked on an attached file, the malware secretly installed itself onto their computers.
This malware harvested email addresses from the infected computer, such as from contact lists or email accounts, and then sent malicious emails to these harvested email addresses. By using the infected computers to reach out and control additional computers, the defendants infected and controlled more than 400,000 individual computers, primarily in the United States.
In addition to using the infected network to expand its size, Nicolescu, Miclaus, and other members of the Bayrob Group used the collective processing power of the computer network to solve complex algorithms for the financial benefit of the group, a process known as cryptocurrency mining.
Finally, trial testimony and evidence revealed that these defendants engaged in persistent and sophisticated data mining of the infected computers, selling information gleaned from infected computers repeatedly over time on the Dark Web. Investigators discovered evidence on the Dark Web of trafficking in users’ personal financial information, passwords, and access to their computers.
In total, this criminal enterprise resulted in losses of at least $4 million.
Notably, this investigation started with a complaint from a victim in the Northern District of Ohio. But for that victim contacting law enforcement to report suspicious activity and potential theft of information, the defendants’ malware would have likely continued to infect thousands of additional computers and harmed thousands of additional individuals.
“Today’s sentences underscore the critical work being done to investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent those criminals who think that the presumed anonymity of the Internet can hide their pervasive and extensive criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Regardless of whether the criminals are in Romania, or within our District, these sentences send the clear and resounding message that crimes committed using the Internet will not go unpunished.”
"These sentences handed down today reflect the dynamic landscape in which international criminals utilize sophisticated cyber methods to take advantage of and defraud, unsuspecting victims anywhere in the world,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith. “Despite the complexity and global character of these investigations, this investigation and prosecution demonstrate the commitment by the FBI and our partners to aggressively pursue these individuals and bring justice to the victims.”
The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Romanian National Police and the Romanian Directorate for the Investigation of International Organized Crime and Terrorism. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duncan T. Brown and Brian McDonough, along with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. The prosecution was assisted by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
If you or a family member believe you have been a victim of online fraud, theft, or criminal activity, please contact local law enforcement and make a report with the Internet and Cyber Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.
###
Straw Purchaser Pleads Guilty to Illegally Purchasing 31 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to straw purchase 31 firearms.
According to court documents, Alexus Jordon, 23, and her then-boyfriend, Emmanuel Ndjongo, conspired to straw purchase 31 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) in Virginia. Jordon purchased six of the firearms at FFLs in Virginia, while Ndjongo used Jordon’s name to order the remaining firearms from an FFL located in North Carolina and had these firearms shipped to various FFLs in Virginia. Once the firearms arrived in Virginia, Jordon picked the firearms up from the FFL where they had been shipped, and gave the firearms to Ndjongo, who sought to sell the firearms to other individuals.
“It should abundantly clear now to all: If you straw purchase firearms in the Eastern District of Virginia, you will be subject to felony prosecution,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “It is not draconian. Rather, it is practical and just. Straw purchasers have committed felonious conduct and a felony conviction ensures that they can no longer purchase firearms for others.”
Local law enforcement in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland have recovered two of the firearms unlawfully purchased during this conspiracy, both of which had altered or obliterated serial numbers at the time of recovery.
“This investigation demonstrates how individuals criminally abuse the process of purchasing firearms,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Anyone engaged in firearms trafficking should be on notice. ATF works with our law enforcement partners throughout the nation to keep firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them. If you lie when you buy a firearm, you will be held accountable.”
Jordon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison when sentenced on March 6, 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.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas U. Murphy II and Philip Alito are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-335.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town on the Death of Huntsville Police Department InvestigatorRead the Press Release
“All of Alabama is heartbroken again as another Alabama peace officer is gunned down in the line of duty. The Huntsville Police Department investigator, whose name will be released tomorrow, will always be remembered as a good man and a fine officer. Those of us who knew him admired his dedication and professionalism. We must now direct our prayers to his grieving family and pull together in full support of the Huntsville Police Department and law enforcement everywhere who lost another brother of the badge tonight. I am beyond grief.”
Statement by U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling Regarding Acquittal of Brandon ZiobrowskiRead the Press Release
“We respect the jury’s verdict. But in this case the defendant posted a tweet that, on its face, offered $500 to anyone who killed a federal agent. In 2019, over 100 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The public needs to know that, regardless of today’s verdict, we will never hesitate to prosecute apparent threats against law enforcement officers.”
St. Johnsbury Man Sentenced for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Tony Cuthbertson, 50, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was sentenced on December 4, 2019, in United States District Court in Rutland, Vermont, to serve 96 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of knowingly producing with intent to distribute child pornography that is an adapted or morphed depiction of an identifiable minor. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Cuthbertson to serve a ten (10) year term of supervised release, and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, in September and October of 2017, Cuthbertson uploaded images to multiple Chatstep chat rooms. Chatstep is a website on the Internet that makes online chat rooms available to users. Cuthbertson uploaded these images knowing that they would be available to other Chatstep users. Cuthbertson produced these images by cropping images that depicted identifiable minors such that various aspects of the images were highlighted and the child appeared to be engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These images depicted child pornography and Cuthbertson produced them with the intention of distributing them.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the efforts of the Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations in the investigation and prosecution of Cuthbertson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Cuthbertson. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth represented Cuthbertson.
U.S. Attorney Nolan noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice=s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sisseton Man Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of abusive sexual contact was sentenced on December 4, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
David Wayne Carper, age 53, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, between on or about January 2017 and January 2018, Carper knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual contact with the victim, that is, sexual contact by using force. Carper had the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, and degrade the victim and engaged in such sexual contact to arouse and gratify his sexual desires. At the time of the sexual contact, Carper had at least one prior sex offense conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Carper was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.