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14 January 2020
Fourth Conspirator Pleads Guilty to Participation in a Ponzi Scheme Involving $2.5B in Transactions and $1B in LossRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ryan Guidry, 43, of Pleasant Hill, pleaded guilty today to participating in a massive fraud scheme involving a solar energy company in Benicia that defrauded investors of approximately $1 billion, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Those losses resulted from investment transactions in solar energy hardware valued at approximately $2.5 billion. Guidry also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting money laundering. Guidry is the fourth person to plead guilty to federal criminal charges relating to the fraud scheme since October.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2018, the solar energy company manufactured mobile solar generator units (MSG), solar generators that were mounted on trailers. The company touted the versatility and environmental sustainability of the MSGs and claimed that they were used by cellphone companies to provide emergency power to cell towers in the case of a power failure. They were also claimed to be used to power lights at sporting and other events.
The company solicited investors by claiming that there were very favorable federal tax benefits associated with investments in alternative energy. The company structured the transactions in order to maximize the tax benefits to the investors. Investors would buy the MSGs without ever taking possession of them. They would pay a percentage of the sales price and finance the balance with the company. Then the investors would lease the MSGs back to the company, which in turn leased them to third parties. A portion of the lease revenue would be used to pay the investors’ debts to the company and to the investors. The third‑party leases, however, generated little income and the company paid early investors with funds contributed by later investors.
According to court documents, Guidry joined the company in 2012 and became its Vice President of Operations. Guidry and his co-conspirators used fraudulent financial statements and other false information to hide from investors the company’s use of later investor payments to pay financial obligations the company made to earlier investors — in a classic Ponzi scheme. Additionally, Guidry accepted $1 million from a co-conspirator to obtain an unauthorized signature on a false contract his co-conspirator later used to induce investments by victims. In another instance, Guidry accepted $20,000 from that co-conspirator to obtain a signature on a related false contract, which the co-conspirator also used to induce an investment by victims. Guidry and another conspirator signed that second contract using a fake name and shared the $20,000. During the conspiracy, Guidry also worked with co-conspirators to frustrate certain investors’ inspections of MSGs to conceal from those investors the fact that the company had not built the MSGs it sold to those investors. For example, in advance of an inspection, Guidry and certain co-conspirators scraped off VIN number stickers identifying MSGs sold to one investor and replaced them with VIN number stickers identifying MSGs sold to a later investor. On another occasion, Guidry and his co-conspirators coordinated the delivery of MSGs to field inspection sites before and on the day of an inspection to trick the inspectors into believing those MSGs had been deployed at those sites all along, when they had not.
Joseph W. Bayliss, 44, of Martinez, and Ronald J. Roach, of Walnut Creek, each pleaded guilty to related charges on Oct. 22, 2019. Robert A. Karmann, 53, of Clayton, pleaded guilty to related charges on Dec. 17, 2019. The investigation into the fraud remains ongoing.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS‑Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys André M. Espinosa and Kevin C. Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Guidry is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on April 21. Guidry faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fort Myers Felon Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Johnny Lee Thornton, Jr. (27, Fort Myers) to four years and seven months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm used in the offense. Thornton had pleaded guilty on October 23, 2019.
According to court documents, on February 8, 2019, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department located a loaded firearm under a parked vehicle that Thornton had been standing near. Subsequent forensic analysis of the firearm linked it to Thornton. As a previously convicted felon, Thornton is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Former Stony Brook University Professor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Cancer Research FundsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Geoffrey Girnun, a former Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Director of Cancer Metabolomics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University (SBU), pleaded guilty to theft of government funds from cancer-related research grants issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The plea proceeding was held before United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley. Girnun resigned his position at SBU in December 2019. When sentenced, Girnun faces up to 10 years in prison, as well as restitution, forfeiture and a fine to be determined.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, Girnun has been held accountable for his unconscionable scheme to embezzle for his personal use hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funds that were intended to help find a cure for cancer,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, for their investigative work on the case.
Between December 2013 and December 2017, Girnun stole approximately $78,000 in NIH funds that were earmarked for cancer research. He then used those funds to pay for personal expenses, including payments on his home mortgage. At his guilty plea proceeding today, Girnun agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $225,000, which includes the NIH funds and approximately $147,000 from SBU’s foundation and state-sponsored grants.
Girnun has a doctorate degree in cancer biology and while employed at SBU, served as a principal investigator for various research projects.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Erin E. Argo and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
GEOFFREY GIRNUN
Age: 49
Woodmere, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-416 (DJH)
Former Prison Guard and Mother of Inmate Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Smuggle Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former Huttonsville Correctional Center guard and the mother of a Huttonsville inmate were sentenced to federal prison for drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Mark Steven Taylor, 40, of Richwood, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. Pamela Gail Adkins, 44, of Oak Hill, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and heroin.
“Sad and so tragic,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Since becoming United States Attorney, I’ve had many parents tell me they feel a sense of relief when their son or daughter is arrested because at least while incarcerated they won’t have access to drugs. Not Adkins. She wanted deadly meth and heroin delivered to her incarcerated son. And Taylor, a correctional officer who is supposed to uphold the law, totally betrayed public trust to make a little money on the side by smuggling drugs into the prison. Their drug smuggling scheme has them both headed to federal prison.”
Taylor previously admitted that on February 26, 2019, while employed as a Corrections Officer at the Huttonsville Correctional Center, Adkins gave him quantities of methamphetamine and heroin to smuggle into the prison. He further admitted that she paid him $500, and that he had smuggled drugs into Huttonsville on one prior occasion. Adkins admitted giving Taylor the drugs and paying him to smuggle them into the prison where her son was incarcerated.
After being alerted to the scheme by Huttonsville Correctional Center Investigators, members of the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force set up surveillance in Craigsville where they observed Adkins give Taylor the package containing methamphetamine and heroin. Task force officers arrested Taylor after finding him in possession of the drugs at the scene of the transaction. They arrested Adkins in a traffic stop a short distance away.
The Huttonsville Correctional Center and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution.
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Former Police Officer Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of an Unregistered Fully Automatic FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker, sitting by designation in Baltimore, sentenced James Piccirilli, age 38, of Towson, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered fully automatic firearm. The sentence was imposed on January 13, 2020.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
“This is not a case of someone using firearms to hunt, or to keep his family safe,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This is a firearms expert who purposely manufactured highly dangerous, highly regulated firearms, and knowing the harm they could cause, attempted to illegally sell them. This conduct poses a significant risk to public safety and we take seriously any effort to violate laws regulating fully automatic weapons, which can wound and kill at an alarmingly high rate.”
The National Firearms Act regulates certain firearms, known as “NFA firearms,” such as short-barreled rifles; fully automatic firearms; firearms that can be readily made fully automatic; and parts that can make a firearm fully automatic. Individuals may not possess an NFA firearm that is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), nor can a person sell or transfer an NFA firearm without the prior approval of the ATF.
According to his guilty plea, on October 5, 2018, Piccirilli took an MKE 5.56mm caliber firearm, which had been altered to convert it into a fully automatic short-barreled rifle, bringing the firearm under the regulation of the NFA, to the home of another individual, who was a licensed gun dealer in Maryland. As detailed in court documents, Piccirilli, formerly a police officer in Brunswick, Maryland, legally owned non-NFA firearms and had the skill and expertise to convert non-NFA firearms into NFA firearms. Piccirilli admitted that the firearm belonged to him, but it was not registered to him.
As detailed in his plea agreement, in November 2018, unbeknownst to Piccirilli, ATF seized the firearm. In December 2018, Piccirilli attempted to sell the firearm to an ATF undercover agent without ATF’s prior approval. According to information presented to the Court, Piccirilli tried to launder the unregistered firearm by attempting to get the gun dealer to register the illegal firearm and/or sell it, so that the sale of the gun would appear to be legal. This set up the sale with the ATF undercover agent. As documented through text messages and recorded telephone calls, Piccirilli used evasive language with the ATF undercover agent and tried to conceal the nature of the transaction. On December 14, 2018, as Piccirilli left his house to complete the transaction, he was apprehended by ATF agents. Investigators executed search warrants on his house and two vehicles, seizing 10 unregistered fully automatic firearms, one unregistered short-barreled rifle, and seven unregistered silencers.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon Moore, who prosecuted the case.
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Former Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking as Part of Braddock Wiretap InvestigationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Travis Moore, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock section of Pittsburgh. Moore, and other individuals, were identified as members or associates of a neighborhood based street gang, self-titled "SCO", which illegally distributed controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh region. In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through May of 2019. Intercepted communications confirmed that Moore was an associate of co-defendant, Howard McFadden, and was as one of McFadden’s sources of supply for heroin. The court was further informed that on at least one occasion, in conjunction with intercepted communications, the defendant was observed via pole camera footage at a trap house location on Seddon Avenue in Braddock, PA, which was owned by McFadden and used by members of the conspiracy. As a result of today’s guilty plea, Moore has accepted responsibility for the distribution of at least 100 but less than 400 grams of heroin.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2020, at 11:00 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 5 years, but not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Moore remains incarcerated pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies include the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Former New Haven Tax Preparer is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEVON WILLIAMS, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to eight months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams formerly owned and operated Perfect Preparers, LLC, a tax preparation business based in New Haven. Between approximately 2014 and 2017, Williams prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that contained inflated deductions, including false deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, charitable donations, and mortgage interest. Some returns contained false Schedule C (sole proprietorship business) information. Losses suffered by the IRS as a result of his fraud totaled at least $550,000.
Judge Hall ordered Williams to pay restitution of $550,000.
On October 3, 2019, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.
As a result of Williams’ fraudulent conduct, many of his clients’ filed tax returns will need to be amended. Williams’ clients are required to resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.
Williams, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 4, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
Former Marin Boy Scout Leader Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – John Blecka was sentenced to 33 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down today by the Honorable William Alsup, U.S. District Court Judge.
Blecka, 65, of San Rafael, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on October 1, 2019. In his plea agreement, Blecka admitted that in May 2019, he possessed more than 150 images and videos containing child pornography. At the time of the charged conduct, Blecka was a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America and had served in a local leadership position with the organization.
A federal grand jury indicted Blecka on July 16, 2019, charging him with one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Alsup sentenced Blecka to a 10-year term of supervised release and also ordered him to pay $9,000 in restitution and to register as a sex offender. Judge Alsup ordered Blecka to begin serving his sentence on April 30, 2020.
Christina Liu and Ross Weingarten are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Margoth Turcios. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the assistance of the San Rafael Police Department.
Following Facebook Tip, Balch Springs Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
A woman who videotaped as she forced a 9-year-old girl to perform sex acts on her husband has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum sentence, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Dawn Greenwood, 39, pleaded guilty in October to production of child pornography.
According to plea papers, Ms. Greenwood used a cell phone to videotape her husband, Shon Greenwood, and the 9-year-old child, who’d been living at the couple’s home.
The case came to light when Facebook notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Mr. Greenwood had posted sexually explicit images of minors on his account.
Following searches at both their Boone County, Missouri and Balch Springs, Texas residences, agents seized the Greenwoods’ phones, and found copies of the video on both devices.
The minor victim was immediately removed from the home and is being cared for by a guardian.
Mr. Greenwood pleaded guilty in December and is set to be sentenced in March.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Dallas Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge David Godbey handed down the sentence.
Florida Man Sentenced in ATM "Cash-out" SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Florida man who admitted to successfully conducting more than 100 ATM “cash-out scheme” withdrawals in two days in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in May 2019 using stolen identities and fraudulent ATM cards was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 36 months in federal prison.
Dean Emmanuel Colin, 27, of Miami, was arrested outside a Santander Bank branch office by Seekonk, Mass., Police on May 23, 2019, after bank security officials notified the United States Secret Service that they were monitoring live video of an individual making repeated fraudulent withdrawals of large sums of cash using multiple cards. The Secret Service in turn notified the Seekonk Police Department who responded to the bank and detained Colin.
An investigation by the United States Secret Service and the Seekonk and Warwick Police Departments determined that Colin and others encoded blank ATM cards with individuals’ personal identifying and account information stolen during a data breach. The account holders had large or no limits on ATM cash withdrawals.
According to information presented to the Court, Colin travelled to Boston and rented a hotel room in Foxborough, Mass., on May 22, 2019. He spent the next two days traveling around Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island conducting ATM withdrawals with the use of fraudulent ATM cards. Colin attempted to conduct 173 ATM fraudulent cash withdrawal transactions totaling $289,530. At least 112 of those transactions were successful, totaling $174,660.
At the time of his arrest, Colin was found to be carrying nine ATM cards. From inside his vehicle, law enforcement seized additional bank cards and a hotel room plastic key card. A court-authorized search of Colin’s hotel room resulted in the seizure of a sweatshirt Colin is seen on surveillance video wearing while visiting some of the ATMs, two bank cards, and $65,920 in cash.
Additionally, U.S Postal inspectors and Secret Service agents obtained a search warrant for a package sent by Colin from Warwick, R.I., to his residence in Miami. Inside the package was a cereal box containing several plastic bags of wrapped bundles of cash totaling $48,500, labelled with the names of co-conspirators.
Colin pleaded guilty on September 11, 2019, to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison, 3 years supervised release. The Court will determine restitution at a later date.
Colin’s sentence, imposed today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Craig A. Marech, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service, Seekonk Police Chief Frank John, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun.
United States Attorney Weisman thanks the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Bristol County, Massachusetts, District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Five Area Residents Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Major Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO - The Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, and multiple law enforcement agencies arrested 15 people, including five St. Louis area residents, today on charges that they conspired to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Among those charged were:
Miguel Silva-Torres, Jr., 31, of St. Ann;
Frank Stogsdill, Sr., 57, of O’Fallon, Missouri;
David Henderson, 58, of Bonne Terre;
Royce Spann, 35, of St. Louis; and
Randall Bryant, 48, of DeSoto.
The five men were added in a sealed Superseding Indictment dated January 9, 2020, that details the seizures of drugs, money, and firearms from the group. It was unsealed today following the arrests. They join Ramon Gonzalez, 47, of St. Peters, Missouri, who was charged in April 2019. According to the Superseding Indictment, the conspiracy reached nearly halfway across the country, and included significant seizures in St. Louis, Kansas City, and California. The investigation culminated in April and May 2019, with the seizure of more than $150,000 in May alone.
“As today’s unsealed indictment demonstrates, when someone chooses to sell drugs, support or join a drug trafficking organization that distributes drugs, there is an entire network of federal, state and local law enforcement officers ready to stop them,” said United States Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen. “In the last year, this office has doubled the number of federal firearm- and drug-related prosecutions as a result of cooperative and wide-reaching investigations like this.”
“We know there is a correlation between drugs and violence in the St. Louis Metro area. This is the kind of drug and weapons trafficking criminal organization the DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, seek to dismantle,” said DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. “By taking out the entire organization with operations extending beyond Missouri’s borders, these charges today are another step toward making the St. Louis Metro area a safer place.”
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar added, “On behalf of the St. Charles County regional Drug Task Force, we are extremely proud to have worked in partnership with the DEA in bringing down one of the largest drug distribution networks in our region’s history.”
Echoing those sentiments was Chief Rick Struttmann of the St. Peters Police Department, who noted, “The St. Peters Police Department is appreciative of the collaborative efforts and partnership between the DEA and state and local law enforcement officers. Operations of this nature are a clear demonstration of how federal, state and local task forces work when it comes to identifying and arresting criminals who are willing to participate in the distribution of controlled substances in our communities. These investigative efforts have a great impact on making our communities safer.”
As is always the case, charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Final defendant gets life for meth distributionRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 64-year-old Brownsville resident has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to running a drug distribution ring over a two-year period, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Roberto Rosales Jr. pleaded guilty Feb. 21, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Rosales to serve the rest of his life in prison. At the hearing, the court noted his prior lengthy criminal history and that his is still involved in narcotics distribution at his age. Judge Rodriguez further stated that even after serving prior prison sentences, he reoffends and continues to sell narcotics as soon as he is released. He further noted Rosales is a danger to society, has large quantity Narcotics sales which indicates dangerous sources in Mexico and sees no chance of rehabilitation.
The court previously sentenced co-defendants Sarahi Hernandez, 22, and Mariella Ramirez, 25, both of Brownsville, to 87 and 60 months, respectively. They had admitted to possession and assisting in the sale of multiple narcotics and mailing them throughout the United States and Virgin Islands over a two-year-period.
At the time of his plea, Rosales admitted that for more than two years he would coordinate with individuals in Mexico to pick up methamphetamine smuggled through port of entries into the United States.
He ran the conspiracy from his residence in Brownsville, which served as a staging area for shipping methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana via FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Once the narcotics were at his house, he would package and produce labels in order to ship the methamphetamine to co-conspirators throughout the country.
Rosales would then drop off the parcels at the U.S. Post Office or UPS store. He utilized the unknowing services of UPS and USPS to ship narcotics-laden packages to multiple destinations in the U.S. and Virgin Islands.
Rosales would also sell methamphetamine and other narcotics in person to individuals he trusted which were taken to locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi for street distribution. During the course of the conspiracy, Rosales recruited multiple young women whom he paid with cash and narcotics and allowed them to socialize at his house for assisting in his distribution scheme.
During the investigation, authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, discovered evidence of a complex shipping organization and seized more than four kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of heroin and 30 kilograms of marijuana as well as multiple different pills including Xanax and Ecstasy.
Present at his house at that time was Hernandez, who was in charge of the house and in possession of the narcotics.
Rosales has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin S. Dinsdale prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Mexican Timeshare Resale Fraud ProsecutionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juan Carlos Montalbo, 57, of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a timeshare fraud in Mexico, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Montalbo, while working in the timeshare industry in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, would tell timeshare owners that he could guarantee the sale of their existing timeshare vacation rentals, often to pay for other timeshare products Montalbo was attempting to sell them. He and his coconspirators would guarantee the sales and would represent that buyers were already arranged who were ready to pay for the timeshares. In truth, no buyers had actually been arranged. Instead, other coconspirators would convince the victims of the fraud to wire additional money from bank accounts in the United States and Canada to bank accounts in Mexico for alleged up-front payments including taxes, fees, and commissions to make the sale of the timeshare occur. The conspirators would assure victims that the non-existent buyers had already deposited money into trust accounts and that the sellers’ up-front fees would be fully reimbursed from those funds after the sale was complete.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the case.
Montalbo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on April 21. Montalbo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Co-defendant Marco Antonio Ramirez Zuno pleaded guilty in March 2017, and is scheduled for a status hearing regarding sentencing on March 17, 2020. Co-defendant Wayne Arthur York II pleaded guilty in November 2019, and is scheduled for a sentencing on March 3, 2020.
Ex-Fannie Mae Employee Gets over 6 Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme with Millions of Dollars in Corrupt Commissions and SalesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former Fannie Mae employee was sentenced today to 76 months in federal prison for a multimillion-dollar scheme to take bribes and to discount sales of Fannie Mae-owned properties to herself and to real estate brokers in exchange for cash kickbacks.
Shirene Hernandez, 47, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford, who also ordered her to pay $982,516 in restitution to Fannie Mae.
After a five-day trial in February 2019, a jury found Hernandez guilty of two wire fraud counts involving deprivation of honest services in furtherance of her scheme, which resulted in more than $120 million in sales and more than $3 million in corrupt commissions to brokers. The brokers who benefited from the sales paid the bribes and kickbacks to Hernandez in cash, which sometimes was stuffed into envelopes and delivered in parking lots, airports and coffee shops.
The evidence at trial showed that the bribery scheme arose out of Hernandez’s misuse of her official position with the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), a government-sponsored entity under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). From 2010 until 2015, Hernandez worked as a sales representative for Fannie Mae at its Irvine office. As part of its operations, Fannie Mae acquires properties through foreclosures and other methods, and sales representatives then manage and sell those properties for Fannie Mae’s benefit.
As a sales representative, Hernandez was responsible for picking real estate brokers to whom she assigned Fannie Mae-owned property listings. Brokers sought the listings because they would obtain commissions on them when the properties were sold. In violation of Fannie Mae rules and federal law, Hernandez demanded and received bribes from the brokers as a condition of her assignment of properties to them. As part of the scheme, she also received bribes for approving below-market sale prices of Fannie Mae-owned properties to the corrupt brokers.
Hernandez – using intermediaries and alter egos – bought at least one Fannie Mae-owned property in Sonoma for herself at a below-market price. She ensured that multiple offers higher than her own below-market price were rejected. Hernandez then paid for the property using a duffel bag filled with $286,450 in cash, which she gave to her sister-in-law to bring to the sale’s closing.
Hernandez also helped family members become Fannie Mae-approved brokers, and then steered nearly $80 million in Fannie Mae listings to them, resulting in nearly $2 million in commissions in less than three years.
In total, Hernandez received more than $1 million in benefits, including the cash kickbacks and rent that she collected and equity that she built in the Fannie-Mae property she bought for herself.
“The crime that [Hernandez] committed was egregious,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “Rather than act in the public’s best interests…she used her position to line her own pockets. [She] is unremorseful and unrepentant, and would seemingly do it all again if she could avoid being caught.”
The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section, Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section, and Jonathan S. Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section.
Erie Man Indicted for Violating Federal Laws Relating to the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The five-count Indictment named Jeffrey Adam Jepson, 38, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment presented to the court, Jepson took sexually explicit photos of a victim who was under the age of six. He also distributed those computer images depicting the minor victim to an undercover officer.
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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 140 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dominican National Sentenced for Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominical national, who has been arrested numerous times under a false identity for heroin offenses, was sentenced today for identity theft charges.
Marlon Suazo Santos, 31, a Dominican national who resided in Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 30 months in prison to be served consecutively to a state drug conviction. Suazo Santos will face deportation proceedings upon completion on his sentence. In October 2019, Suazo Santos pleaded guilty to two counts of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Suazo Santos used the identity of a U.S. citizen on more than a dozen applications submitted to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles for driver’s licenses and other identification documents. Suazo Santos also used this identity on applications for MassHealth benefits and during booking when arrested for numerous heroin-related offenses and other crimes.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
District Court Orders Michigan Seafood and Salad Processor to Comply with Food Safety RequirementsRead the Press Release
A federal court in eastern Michigan permanently enjoined a Hamtramck, Michigan, firm from processing or distributing ready-to-eat seafood salads as well as non-seafood salads, pierogis, and dips processed under insanitary conditions, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed on Jan. 13, 2020, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States alleged that defendants Home Style Foods Inc., the company’s president, Michael J. Kowalski, and the company’s quality manager, Juan Valesquez, violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by processing and distributing fish products and other food, including salads, pierogis, and dips, in a facility where government inspectors previously found evidence of listeria contamination. The complaint also alleged violations of seafood safety regulations designed to mitigate hazards associated with the processing of fish and fishery products. According to the complaint, FDA issued a warning letter to Home Style Foods in April 2016.
“The Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding consumer health by rigorously enforcing America’s food safety laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with FDA to ensure that companies take food sanitation and safety laws seriously.”
“Michigan’s food supply should always be safe, and that is why the Justice Department takes this case so seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider for the Eastern District of Michigan. “There simply is no excuse for serving contaminated food products.”
“After repeated food safety violations, the FDA worked with DOJ to obtain this injunction in order to prevent potentially contaminated food from reaching consumers. The company failed to take the appropriate corrective actions resulting in this action,” said FDA Chief Counsel Stacy Cline Amin, J.D. “When a company fails to follow the law, the government will take action to protect the food supply.”
The defendants agreed to be bound by a consent decree filed with the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The order entered by the Court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and requires Home Style Foods to stop processing and distributing its products unless it complies with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction.
Trial Attorney Danielle Serbin of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch represented the United States with the assistance of Noah T. Katzen, Associate Chief Counsel, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, Food and Drug Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-edmi.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Department of Justice Antitrust Division to Co-Host Workshop on Venture Capital Investment and Antitrust Law with Stanford UniversityRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and Stanford University will hold a public workshop on Feb. 12, 2020, to explore the intersection between venture capital and antitrust law. The full-day workshop will discuss trends in venture capital investment from the 1990s through present, with a focus on what antitrust enforcers can learn from investors about how to identify nascent competitors in markets dominated by technology platforms. The workshop will also address proposed solutions to concerns that competitive alternatives to the market-leading platforms are not attractive investment opportunities.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Stanford Graduate School of Business will co-host the workshop, which will bring together venture capitalists, academics from both law and business, and other tech industry stakeholders. The Antitrust Division and Stanford intend to explore the practical considerations that early stage investors face when calculating the risks of investing in a startup and exit strategies.
“The Antitrust Division is excited to partner with Stanford University on this workshop to learn from participants in the venture capital industry, who must predict the future of technology markets on a daily basis,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Private investment plays a critical role in the dynamic competition that characterizes many technology markets, and it is fundamental to our mission at the Antitrust Division that we understand how market conditions today affect incentives for that investment.”
Assistant Attorney General Delrahim will open the workshop, followed by a fireside chat with Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital regarding trends in venture capital investment. Next, Stanford Law Professor Doug Melamed will introduce the basic legal framework for venture capitalists to think about antitrust principles, and then a series of panels will examine: (1) kill zones; (2) monetizing data; and (3) investing in platform-dominated markets. Dean Jonathan Levin of the Stanford Graduate School of Business will open the workshop’s afternoon session, which will conclude with a roundtable discussion recapping the competitive concerns raised throughout the day and evaluating proposed solutions to those concerns.
The Department of Justice invites comments from the public on the topics covered by this workshop. Interested parties may submit public comments online now through March 14, 2020, at [email protected].
The workshop is free and open to the public and will take place at Paul Brest Hall, 555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford University, from 9 a.m. Pacific Time to 5 p.m. Pacific Time. A recording of the workshop will be available on the Division’s website. Registration information, an agenda, directions to the event, and a list of speakers will be available in the near future on the event webpage. Please register in advance for the workshop at https://law.stanford.edu/event/public-workshop-on-venture-capital-and-antitrust/. Members of the press also should copy [email protected] on their registration email. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. If you need such an accommodation, please contact the Antitrust Division at [email protected]. Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodations needed and a way to contact you if we need more information.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Crime down across Northern District of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Crime across the Northern District of West Virginia, particularly violent crime, is falling. Nationwide, violent crime has decreased 3% from 2017 to 2018, according to the FBI. This is largest yearly decrease since 2013.
In the Northern District of West Virginia the decreases have been even greater. Decreases in violent crime exceeded 30% in Bridgeport, Martinsburg and Wheeling, but crime rates were lower across the district. The number of federal criminal defendants prosecuted in the district have increased by 50% since 2016.
“While federal prosecutions are at record levels, the focus upon violent crime by Attorney General Barr and the incredible work by local, state and federal law enforcement across the district have directly impacted the results. West Virginians are safer due to their great work. We anticipate this positive trend to continue,” said United States Attorney Bill Powell.All statistics were collected by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, through local, county and state law enforcement.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on January 14, 2020, Dustin Shawn Morrison, age 39, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Morrison was sentenced to 151 months in prison to be followed by a term of supervised release of five years.
On April 26, 2019, law enforcement was conducting a routine check of parolees when officers stopped Morrison. Morrison was found in possession of a bag containing three pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and the Iowa State Parole Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Columbia Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for CarjackingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that Shawkeem Reese, 20, of Columbia, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to using a firearm in furtherance of carjacking.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on June 29, 2019, Reese approached a victim seated in a Chrysler 300 vehicle parked near the Greenview area of Columbia. Reese then brandished a loaded firearm and directed the victim to exit the vehicle. Reese entered the vehicle and drove away. Minutes later, Columbia Police Department officers saw the car traveling on West Beltline Boulevard and began pursuit. Reese led officers in a high-speed chase, accelerating up to 110 miles per hour. Ultimately, Reese crashed the vehicle into three parked cars at a used car lot and fled on foot. Officers quickly apprehended Reese and located a firearm in the Chrysler 300.
Federal law prohibits Reese from possessing firearms based on his prior state convictions for burglary and assault and battery.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie, of Columbia, sentenced Reese to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Reese was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alyssa Leigh Richardson and Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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Chicago Man Charged with Stalking Federal Probation OfficerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man who was recently released from federal prison has been arrested for allegedly stalking and harassing his probation officer.
ISAAC MYLES, 50, was arrested Friday on a federal complaint charging him with cyberstalking. A detention hearing is scheduled for today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole in Chicago.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jason R. Wojdylo, acting Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Kelly.
Myles has been on supervised release since July 2018 after completing a federal prison sentence. An officer from the U.S. Probation Department was assigned to meet with Myles at his home or workplace and monitor his compliance with court-ordered conditions of release.
According to the complaint, Myles partially exposed his genitals to the officer during an official visit to Myles’s home in September 2018. The Probation Department then reassigned supervision of Myles to a different probation officer. More recently, Myles repeatedly called the initial officer, leaving sexually explicit voicemails on her phone and referring to the officer in obscene and degrading terms, the complaint states. From Dec. 1, 2019, to Jan. 2, 2020, approximately 29 calls were placed from Myles’s phone to the officer’s phone, according to the complaint.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Chicago Man Charged with Stalking Federal Probation OfficerRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man who was recently released from federal prison has been arrested for allegedly stalking and harassing his probation officer.
ISAAC MYLES, 50, was arrested Friday on a federal complaint charging him with cyberstalking. A detention hearing is scheduled for today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole in Chicago.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jason R. Wojdylo, acting Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Kelly.
Myles has been on supervised release since July 2018 after completing a federal prison sentence. An officer from the U.S. Probation Department was assigned to meet with Myles at his home or workplace and monitor his compliance with court-ordered conditions of release.
According to the complaint, Myles partially exposed his genitals to the officer during an official visit to Myles’s home in September 2018. The Probation Department then reassigned supervision of Myles to a different probation officer. More recently, Myles repeatedly called the initial officer, leaving sexually explicit voicemails on her phone and referring to the officer in obscene and degrading terms, the complaint states. From Dec. 1, 2019, to Jan. 2, 2020, approximately 29 calls were placed from Myles’s phone to the officer’s phone, according to the complaint.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to Three and A Half Years in Prison for Stealing Thousands of Pieces of MailRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Erik Raymond Magana, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for stealing thousands of pieces of mail from at least 1,300 victims in North and South Carolina, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray. Magana was also ordered to serve one year in supervised release, and to pay $77,304 as restitution. Magana pleaded guilty on April 2, 2019, to mail theft and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
According to filed court documents and statements in court, from at least 2016 until November 2018, Magana routinely stole mail from residential mailboxes in neighborhoods in North and South Carolina. Magana typically targeted affluent neighborhoods, and committed the theft in the middle of the night or pre-dawn to avoid detection. Among the pieces of mail Magana stole were personal and business checks and credit cards, which he used to commit bank fraud and identity theft.
Court records show that Magana dumped some of the stolen mail at various locations in Charlotte, but hoarded the majority of it in his apartment. After cataloguing the mail recovered over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Magana had stolen mail from at least 1,300 victims. According to statements made in court during Magana’s sentencing hearing, this was the largest recovery of stolen mail conducted by USPIS in the Charlotte region in at least 15 years. Due to the unsanitary conditions in Magana’s apartment, some of the recovered mail could not be properly identified or delivered to the intendent recipients, court records show.
Magana is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Charlotte, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and noted that the case is the result of the Charlotte Financial Crimes Task Force (CFCTF). The task force was formed in early 2016 by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and currently comprises over 25 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies located in the Western District of North Carolina. The goal of the taskforce is to focus on the identification and development of financial fraud investigations in the Charlotte area. Based on crime trends in the area, the task force began to focus its efforts on violent offenders with lengthy criminal histories who are committing fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Certified Public Accountant Pleads Guilty to Participating in Federal Contract Bribe Conspiracy and Committing Tax FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Dustin M. Lewis, 45, of Henderson, Nev., pleaded guilty today for his role in a bribery scheme involving a federal contract and committing $1.5 million in tax fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, Lewis was a certified public accountant employed by L.L. Bradford & Company, an accounting firm, in Las Vegas. Beginning in February 2015 through about February 2016, Lewis and co-conspirator Frederick J. Leavitt — a public official with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) — devised and executed a scheme to defraud the United States. Leavitt had been assigned to a selection committee for awarding government contracts to perform auditing services for USBR programs. As part of the conspiracy, Lewis paid more than $150,000 in bribes to Leavitt. In exchange for those payments, Leavitt steered an audit contract to L.L. Bradford. Lewis and Leavitt agreed to conceal the bribe payment from others.
Further, in a separate scheme, Lewis and Leavitt conspired to file fraudulent tax forms for tax year 2013, on behalf of six business entities that, collectively, claimed over $11,000,000 in false and fraudulent business deductions. This caused a tax loss to the United States Treasury in excess of $1.5 million.
The FBI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Interior investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Myhre and Patrick Burns are prosecuting.
Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon on April 30, 2020. The maximum penalty for Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the maximum penalty for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Lewis agreed to pay restitution of $704,002 to the Southern California Public Power Authority and to pay restitution of $220,770 to OneWest Bank. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Leavitt previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing on February 4, 2020.
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Cape Coral Man Sentenced for Fraudulent Scheme to Overharvest More Than 50,000 Pounds of Gulf Reef Fish from Southwest Florida WatersRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mark Edward Zywotko (47, Cape Coral) to 60 days in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for committing mail fraud in the perpetration of a fraudulent scheme to overharvest more than 50,000 pounds of Gulf reef fish from the waters off Southwest Florida. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Zywotko to forfeit $286,260.74, representing the amount of proceeds he obtained as a result of the offenses, and to pay $291,884.69 in restitution to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Zywotko had pleaded guilty on August 2, 2019.
According to court documents, Zywotko was the captain of the Pine Island-based fishing vessel Little Z. From January 2013 through December 2017, Zywotko illegally overfished and sold at least 50,971 pounds of federally-regulated Gulf reef fish, including Red Grouper and Red Snapper, having a wholesale value of approximately $286,260.74. Zywotko then submitted false documents to state and federal agencies, including the NOAA’s NMFS, in order to conceal his overfishing.
“The prosecution of this case and the court's sentencing underscores the severity of this violation to our nation's marine resources and the businesses that depend on them,” said Tracy Dunn, Assistant Director, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. “NOAA OLE will continue to pursue violations of the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program and encourages the reporting of suspected IFQ violations to law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
Canonsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Kevin Francisco Torres-Gerena, 26, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that investigative efforts in connection with a Homeland Security investigation revealed that Torres-Gerena was the subscriber of an IP address associated with successful downloads of child pornography from an electronic device using that IP address. The court was further informed that law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant at Torres-Gerena’s residence on September 5, 2018, and later uncovered, during forensic review of the electronic devices seized during the execution of the search warrant, 116 videos and 36 images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, many of which involved children under the age of twelve.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2020 at 9:30 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendant remains on bond pending the sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigations San Antonio Field Office, the North Strabane Police Department and the Canonsburg Police Department, conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Torres-Gerena.
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 individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Camden Man Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Velez, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Eleven other members – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, Jasmin Velez, Jameel Byng, and Kaliel Johnson – have previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy in the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden. Charges against six other defendants in this case remain pending.
The guilty pleas in this case reflect that the various members of the drug-trafficking organization sold heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine in and around the City of Camden.
According to documents filed in this case and other cases and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations against the other defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Mark Catanzaro Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
California meth trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A California man who admitted transporting methamphetamine to Billings for distribution in Montana was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Oscar Antonio Valenzuela, 27, of Calexico, CA, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The prosecution said in court records that Valenzuela was among a group of couriers who brought meth from Mexico to Billings in 2017 and 2018. Investigators learned of Valenzuela in early 2017 when they received cell phone records from phones seized from individuals distributing meth in Montana. A search warrant on a phone seized from a cooperating distributor showed months of text messages between the distributor and Valenzuela about transporting meth to Billings. The distributor also identified Valenzuela as the driver of a car that brought 20 pounds of meth to Billings. Twenty pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 72,480 doses and has a street value of about $150,000. Other witnesses involved in meth trafficking identified or provided information about Valenzuela.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI Transnational Organized Crime West task force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Montclair, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to drug trafficking after transporting more than four pounds of heroin and approximately five pounds of fentanyl aboard a bus en route to New York City.
Daniel O. Villanueva, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Villanueva has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 3, 2019.
According to court documents, detectives with the MoWIN (Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics) Task Force contacted Villanueva at a local bus station when he disembarked from a bus originating from Los Angeles, California, en route to New York City. Villanueva gave detectives permission to search his backpack in the overhead bin in the passenger compartment of the bus. No contraband was found in the backpack.
Near Villanueva’s backpack was a green backpack, which Villanueva claimed did not belong to him. Detectives removed the green backpack and a police service canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside the backpack. When passengers boarded the bus, detectives asked whether the backpack belonged to any of them. No one claimed the backpack, so detectives removed it from the bus and searched it. They found four bundles, concealed within men’s clothing, which contained a total 2.022 kilograms (approximately 4.4 pounds) of heroin and 2.27 kilograms (approximately five pounds) of fentanyl.
Villanueva, who had been escorted off the bus, told detectives the green backpack was his. Villanueva told detectives he was to be paid $5,000 to deliver the heroin and fentanyl to New York City.
Under federal statutes, Villanueva is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
California Fraudster Sentenced in Maryland to Four Years in Federal Prison for A Credit Card Fraud Scheme with Losses of More Than $1.365 MillionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Osakwe Ismael Osagbue, age 32, of Los Angeles, California, to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to obtain and use fraudulent credit cards, resulting in a loss of at least $1,365,746.24. Judge Xinis also entered an order requiring Osagbue to forfeit and to pay restitution of $1,365,746.24. The sentence was imposed on January 13, 2020.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service- Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miller of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office.
According to Osagbue’s plea agreement, from December 2016 through December 2018, Osagbue obtained bank-issued credit cards in the names of other individuals and businesses, without their knowledge or consent, which he had mailed to addresses in Maryland and elsewhere. Osagbue admitted that he then used those credit cards to conduct unauthorized transactions through Square tokens. A Square token was a physical magnetic strip or chip reader that a merchant could attach to a mobile device and use as a point of sale (POS) terminal to conduct payment card transactions.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Osagbue made it appear that these transactions were being conducted by legitimate merchants, such as plastic surgery centers, when in fact they were being conducted by Osagbue for his own benefit. To conceal the scheme, Osagbue altered the global position system (“GPS”) location information for transactions conducted through the Square tokens to match the general location of the merchant that appeared to be conducting the transaction. The proceeds of these transactions were deposited into bank accounts, which Osagbue opened in the names of other individuals and companies. Osagbue subsequently withdrew the funds, often using automated teller machines (ATMs). Bank surveillance images show Osagbue using ATMs located in California, Georgia, and Maryland to withdraw funds.
Osagbue admitted that the loss attributable to the scheme to defraud and reasonably foreseeable as to him was at least $1,365,746.24, and that the scheme involved more than 10 victims.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Gregory Bernstein, who prosecuted the case.
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California Aviator Convicted of Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Nicholas King Beyer was convicted in United States District Court today of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on pilot medical certification forms, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Special Agent in Charge James Wahleithner; and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General Regional Acting Special Agent in Charge Susan Ocampo. The verdict was handed down today following a half-day bench trial before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge.
Judge Breyer found Beyer, 34, of Discovery Bay, Calif., guilty on two counts of making false statements to the FAA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), and two counts of falsifying, concealing, or covering up material facts by trick, scheme, or device, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1).
Evidence at trial showed that Beyer made false statements on applications for an airman medical certificate, FAA Form 8500-8, which he submitted to the FAA in 2016, and again in 2018. The FAA’s airman medical certificate process is the mechanism by which the FAA evaluates whether pilots are mentally and physically fit to fly. The evidence showed that Beyer falsely stated on both of his Form 8500-8s that he had never been diagnosed with, did not have, and had never had a mental disorder of any sort; when in fact Beyer had been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2016. The evidence also showed that Beyer falsely stated on the forms that he was only receiving disability benefits for knee and back injuries from the VA, when he was also receiving disability benefits for Major Depressive Disorder.
A federal grand jury indicted Beyer on August 23, 2018, charging him with two counts of making false statements to the FAA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), and two counts of falsifying, concealing, or covering up material facts by trick, scheme, or device, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1). Judge Breyer convicted Beyer on all four counts.
Judge Breyer scheduled the defendant’s sentencing hearing for April 22, 2020.
Beyer faces maximum statutory penalties of five (5) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2) and each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1). However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Shepard and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ward are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Hector Lopez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Businessman Sentenced to Two-And-A-Half Years Imprisonment for Conspiring to Bribe Veterans Affairs OfficialRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that Anthony Bueno, age 45, was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in a conspiracy to bribe a VA official so that clients of his company would gain an unfair advantage in the VA contracting process. Bueno was remanded into custody immediately after the sentencing hearing. The FBI’s Denver Field Office and the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Central Field Office joined in today’s announcement.
According to court records, Bueno and his business partner, Robert Revis, agreed to help an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a veteran and small business owner, bribe a contracting specialist at the VA’s Network Contracting Office in Colorado, Dwane Nevins. As part of the bribery scheme, Bueno and Revis, working with Nevins, agreed to submit bids from small businesses owned by veterans disabled during military service (one of whom was the undercover FBI agent) under contract with Buenon and Revis’ consulting company so that federal contracts would be set aside for only those companies. As Bueno explained to the undercover agent, the conspirators would then “own all the dogs on the track”, meaning their clients were guaranteed to get the contracts. Bueno, Revis and Nevins worked to conceal the nature of the bribe payments by either kicking back to Nevins a portion of the payments made to the consulting company, or by asking the consulting company’s clients to pay Nevins directly for sham training classes related to federal contracting.
Dwane Nevins, who pleaded guilty in September 2019 to every count of an indictment charging him with this scheme, including counts of conspiracy, receiving bribes, extortion, and criminal conflicts of interests, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19, 2020. Robert Revis pleaded guilty in April 2019 to an Information charging him with a single count of supplementing the salary of a federal official. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 2, 2020. Bueno pleaded guilty on September 17, 2019.
Bueno has also pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money arising from a completely separate wire fraud scheme in which he used false representations about investment opportunities to take over a million dollars from several victims. Sentencing in that case, pending before United States District Judge William J. Martinez, is scheduled for January 23, 2019.
“Illegally manipulating the government contracting process will result in harsh consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Mr. Bueno will now have more than 2 years in federal prison and a lifetime as a convicted felon to think about the harm he caused taxpayers.”
“As today’s sentencing of Anthony Bueno demonstrates, we will continue to hold accountable those individuals who, at the expense of our veterans and taxpayers, engage in corrupt schemes to defraud the government," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips.
“This sentence illustrates the serious consequences of undermining the federal contracting process,” said Gregg Hirstein, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “We will always hold accountable those who seek to corrupt the VA’s business practices.”
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
The defendant was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan D. Fields and Hetal J. Doshi.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Marcello Wiggins, aka Slurp, 37, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possessing with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possessing with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Laura A. Higgins, who are handling the case, stated that on March 8, 2019, Buffalo Police Officers responded to an “unknown trouble” 911 call on Gatchell Street. When officers arrived, they observed the defendant engaged in an argument with a female with his arms wrapped around her body. As officers began to get out of their marked patrol vehicle, Wiggins fled. One of the officers pursued the defendant on foot along Gatchell Street and observed Wiggins toss a firearm beneath a parked vehicle. The firearm, a semi-automatic pistol bearing a defaced serial number, was recovered and the defendant was arrested, searched, and found in possession of suspected controlled substances. Subsequent testing determined that the substances were cocaine, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and a mixture containing butyryl fentanyl.
On April 12, 2019, the defendant was again arrested after he was stopped in a taxi cab arriving at a residence on Tuxedo Place in Buffalo. Wiggins, who was a backseat passenger, was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. In plain view on the floor of the taxi, officers observed a bag containing suspected controlled substances and a digital scale. Another bag of suspected controlled substances was observed on the ground in the area from which the defendant had been removed from the taxi. Subsequent testing determined that the bags contained butyryl fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Team Buffalo, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Erie County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Billings tattoo parlor owner sentenced for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Billings man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, including selling the drug at his tattoo parlor, was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Charles Eugene Venditti, 42, was convicted by a jury in August on all five counts in an indictment, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and three counts of distribution.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that law enforcement received information in May 2018 that Venditti was distributing meth. An investigation included having a confidential informant make three monitored meth buys from Venditti, including two buys that occurred at Venditti’s tattoo business, at 145 Grand Ave., and one in Venditti’s vehicle. Each purchase was for an ounce of meth for $800.
Law enforcement served search warrants on Venditti’s residence and business and another person’s residence. The search found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth at Venditti’s residence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Godfrey and Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Tevontae Harris, age 25, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 97 months in federal prison to run consecutive with his other pending state charges, following his conviction of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Harris to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm and ammunition involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, Livingston Parish Sheriff deputies were conducting surveillance of Harris’ condo complex in Denham Springs, Louisiana. While there, they observed Harris retrieve a Mirco Draco, 7.62x39 mm semi-automatic pistol from the trunk of his vehicle. Harris then brought the firearm into his residence. LPSO obtained a search warrant for Harris’ residence and recovered the firearm he was seen carrying into his residence. The firearm was loaded with an extended magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition.
Prior to possessing the firearm, Harris was convicted in St. Landry Parish in January 2019, of attempted simple robbery.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Keeping firearms out of the hands of violent felons is a high priority for this office and our federal and local partners. This conviction and sentence sends a message that we will make every effort to ensure our communities are free of armed felons. I want to congratulate our prosecutor, the ATF, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.”
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals, like Tevontae Harris, who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF Baton Rouge Field Office Resident Agent in Charge Mary Downie. “Reducing firearm related crimes and keeping our neighborhoods safe is the top priority for ATF.”
Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard stated, ‘We do our best to be observant and to introduce the best evidence we can to prosecutors. I’m proud of my skilled deputies and am grateful that they choose to serve and protect in Livingston Parish. As always, I’m also thankful for our U.S. Attorney who is an excellent partner when it comes to fighting crime.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Thornhill.
13 January 2020
Wood County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Benjamin Lee Parsons, 31, of Mineral Wells, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing firearms after being involuntarily committed to a mental hospital. Upon release from prison, Parsons will serve three years of federal supervised release, during which he will receive mental health treatment. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
“We are simply not going to tolerate the possession of firearms by anyone that has been prohibited as a result of mental health considerations. We are not going to wonder why we didn’t do more after the fact,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Project Guardian is an important, innovative initiative of Attorney General Barr aimed at reducing gun violence. My office is working with ATF and other federal, state and local partners to identify, investigate and prosecute cases like this one where the threat of gun violence is real. Excellent work by the entire team on this important case.”
Beginning in 2016, Parsons was under investigation arising from making threats against police and others and claiming to have interest in terrorist organizations. In December 2015, he wore a mask to a church service in Mineral Wells. In January 2017, he told several witnesses at a church in Parkersburg that he was armed, that he had recently thought about shooting police, that he had been watching violent terrorist videos, and that he had communicated with foreign terrorists and discussed several “soft targets” in Wood County. The Wood County Sheriff’s Department responded and seized numerous firearms from his residence. Parsons was later involuntarily committed to a mental hospital by Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton in February 2017. That adjudication prohibited him from possessing firearms under both state and federal law.
In October 2018, investigators learned that Parsons had acquired additional firearms including a high-capacity semiautomatic FNH model M249S 5.56 caliber assault rifle. The rifle is the semiautomatic civilian version of the Squad Assault Weapon (SAW) used by the United States military. Federal and local police learned that Parsons had obtained the weapon from another individual who told investigators that he had purchased it for Parsons from a licensed firearms dealer in Marietta, Ohio. Police arrested Parsons on October 31, 2018 on a federal charge of conspiracy to provide false information to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the acquisition of a firearm. On November 2, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at a wooded area in Mineral Wells where Parsons had been living. When investigators executed the search warrant, they recovered the FNH assault rifle and a Molot 5.45x39mm rifle from a locked case Parsons kept at his campsite on the property. The FNH was loaded with approximately 190 rounds of belted ammunition in a drum magazine. Investigators also located and seized 12 magazines for the Molot loaded with 164 rounds of ammunition, 32 additional unloaded magazines, and approximately 640 rounds of 9mm and other rifle ammunition.
On May 20, 2019, Parsons pled guilty in federal court to possessing the SAW and Molot 5.45x39 rifle after being committed to a mental institution.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks handled the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing.
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. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners: the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the Parkersburg Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Wichita Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery at Family DollarRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to committing an armed robbery at a Family Dollar in south Wichita, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Toney D. Williams, 25, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Oct. 1, 2019, he displayed a handgun when he robbed a Family Dollar at 2301 S. Seneca.
Sentencing is set for April 13. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 84 months in federal prison.
McAllister commended the FBI, the Wichita Police Department, the Safe Streets Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Drove Getaway Car in Series of RobberiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man pleaded guilty today to driving the getaway car in a series of commercial robberies, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Shaiquille Harris, 26, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In his plea, Harris admitted participating in robberies at the following stores:
- Kwik Shop, 710 W. 29th, Wichita, Kan.
- Kwik Shop, 3959 S. Hydraulic, Wichita, Kan.
- Kwik Shop, 3601 E. 47th South, Wichita, Kan.
- QuikTrip, 2821 E. 31st South, Wichita, Kan.
Harris admitted that in each case he drove and a co-defendant entered the store to commit the robbery.
Co-defendant Brelen VonFange, 28, Wichita, Kan., is awaiting trial.
Sentencing for Harris is set for April 13. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each robbery count and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.
McAllister commended the FBI, the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
West Haven Man Involved in Meriden Carjacking Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DON MEEKER, 33, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 73 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a Meriden carjacking
According to the evidence presented during Meeker’s trial, on January 1, 2016, two men from out of state who were driving a rented 2015 Volkswagen Passat were victims of an armed carjacking in the vicinity of Hobart Street and Myrtle Street in Meriden. The victims reported that they had asked an individual, later identified as Kyle Valentine, for directions at a gas station. Valentine told the victims to follow a car in which Valentine was a passenger. After traveling a few minutes, the car stopped. Valentine and Elbert Llorrens then exited the car and approached the Passat. Llorens pointed a handgun at one of the victims who was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, opened the door and stated “I want everything.” The victims exited the car and Llorens and Valentine stole their wallets and cell phones and then drove away in the Passat.
The investigation revealed that Meeker drove the car that the carjacking victims followed, and that Meeker provided the handgun to Llorens. After the robbery, Meeker, Llorens and Valentine spilt the money stolen from the victims.
On December 12, 2017, a jury found Meeker guilty of one count of taking a motor vehicle from a person by force and violence or by intimidation.
Llorens and Valentine, both of New Haven, previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Haven, Meriden, Milford, New Haven and West Haven Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas P. Morabito and Patrick F. Caruso.
Two Vermont Men and Two Connecticut Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, as of today, Samuel Fuller, 33, of Orleans, Vermont; James Bassett, 40, of North Troy, Vermont; Luis Luna, 28, of Hartford, Connecticut; and Edwin Martinez, aka “Pino,” 26, of Hartford, Connecticut, have each pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute illegal narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine base. The court will sentence Mr. Fuller on May 11, 2020, Mr. Bassett on April 20, 2020, Mr. Luna on May 11, 2020, and Mr. Martinez on April 9, 2020. The drug crimes all four defendants have pleaded guilty to carry 5 year mandatory minimum sentences and maximum sentences of 40 years. However, the sentences will be determined by the court with reference to the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. In addition, Fuller and Luna pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base. Luna and Martinez pleaded guilty to a conspiracy stretching from December 2018 to June 2019, while Fuller and Bassett pleaded guilty to a conspiracy ending in May 2019.
According to publicly available information, Edwin Martinez was Luis Luna’s fentanyl source during the charged time period, and Luis Luna, in turn, supplied Samuel Fuller with the fentanyl that originated with Mr. Martinez. After purchasing fentanyl from Luis Luna, Samuel Fuller would split the fentanyl with James Bassett, who had provided the money for the purchase from Luis Luna. In addition, Mr. Luna was Mr. Fuller’s cocaine base source and would sell cocaine base to Mr. Fuller, who would then sell it in Vermont. During the time period of the charged conspiracies, every two weeks or so, Mr. Fuller would collect money from Mr. Bassett, then, Mr. Fuller would communicate with Mr. Luna and order specific amounts of illegal drugs, including fentanyl and cocaine base. Then, on a date agreed upon by Mr. Fuller and Mr. Luna, Mr. Fuller would drive to Hartford, Connecticut where he would meet Mr. Luna at various locations. Mr. Luna would obtain fentanyl from Mr. Martinez and then sell it to Mr. Fuller. Mr. Luna would also sell cocaine base to Mr. Fuller. Once the transaction was over, Mr. Fuller would drive back to Vermont, split the fentanyl with Mr. Bassett, and they would each sell fentanyl to Vermonters. Mr. Fuller would also return to Vermont with cocaine base that he would sell to Vermonters. Mr. Bassett and Mr. Fuller had a customer base in the Northeast Kingdom, primarily in Caledonia and Orleans Counties.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Vermont State Police’s Drug Task Force conducted the investigation in this matter.
U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan praised the agencies’ collaborative investigation. She stated:
“Last November, we announced the arrest of 16 people in the Northeast Kingdom following the sustained deployment of law enforcement resources to combat the drug epidemic in that region of Vermont. We told drug traffickers to stop using the Interstate 91 corridor to ferry drugs to addicted individuals in Orleans and Caledonia counties and other parts of Vermont. We also promised that the Kingdom would never go overlooked by law enforcement and that we would continue to blanket the state with drug enforcement resources. With these convictions involving a drug pipeline running to the Northeast Kingdom from points south, we reiterate those messages. Out-of-state traffickers of highly-lethal drugs like fentanyl should not come to Vermont, and Vermonters in the business need to get out. Contrary decisions will lead to federal charges.”
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Nikolas Kerest. Mr. Fuller is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. Mr. Bassett is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Mr. Luna is represented by Natasha Sen, Esq. Mr. Martinez is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two foreign nationals made court appearances today in connection with their respective charges for illegally re-entering the United States.
“Both of these defendants have shown a complete lack of respect for the laws of this country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case represents an all too common scenario here in the Eastern District of Virginia: A defendant illegally enters the United States and then commits additional crimes while here illegally. This criminal conduct creates serious public safety risks for our communities, and has the full attention of my office and our law enforcement partners.”
In Norfolk federal court, Jorge Sormiento-Rodriguez, 46, of Honduras, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for illegal reentry. Sormiento-Rodriguez illegally entered the United States sometime before 2010. He was arrested and convicted in 2010 for driving under the influence (DUI) in Norfolk, and again in 2011 for possession of narcotics but was deported prior to the adjudication on that charge. Sometime prior to December 2018, Sormiento-Rodriguez again illegally entered the United States. In December 2018, he was arrested in Norfolk for another DUI and possession of narcotics. He was convicted of the DUI and both narcotic charges in June 2019.
In Richmond, Reynaldo Ostorga-Rodriguez, 42, of El Salvador, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. According to court documents, Ostorga-Rodriguez was first apprehended by Border Patrol in December 2004 along the border and allowed to return to Mexico. He then attempted to illegally enter the United States two more times and was apprehended and returned to Mexico. He later illegally entered the United States in February 2006, and in March 2006 he was arrested by the Chesterfield County Police for DUI. He was convicted and sentenced for both offenses. In May 2006, Ostorga-Rodriguez was arrested by the Virginia State Police for the felony violation DUI, convicted, and sentenced to three years in prison. He was released following completion of the sentence. In June 2010, Ostorga-Rodriguez was again arrested by the Chesterfield County Police for another DUI and related offenses, was convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison. Following completion of his sentence, on May 22, 2012, ICE removed him to El Salvador.
On an unknown date, Ostorga-Rodriguez again illegally reentered the United States. In October 2019, Ostorga-Rodriguez was arrested by the Richmond Police for DWI. He was later released from the Richmond City Jail without notification to ICE. In November 2019, Deportation Officers apprehended Ostorga-Rodriguez in a vehicle stop. Ostorga-Rodriguez was positively identified and taken into ICE custody. On Nov. 20, 2019, a federal grand jury returned the indictment to which the defendant pleaded guilty.
Ostorga-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal following a felony conviction, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 14. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and S. David Schiller are prosecuting the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-192 (Sormiento-Rodriguez) and 3:19-cr-166 (Ostorga-Rodriguez).
Three Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three defendants were sentenced for federal drug crimes today by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
“Three more drug dealers are on their way to federal prison for peddling their poisons in and around Huntington,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We continue our work with federal, state and local law enforcement to bust up drug dealers and to put drug thugs on notice -- if we find you, we will prosecute you to the maximum extent of the law.”
Quashane Varner, 22, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Varner previously admitted that on March 9, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department searched his rental vehicle. Officers found two bags of methamphetamine in the center console. In total, officers found 47 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale. The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation.
Krystal Ewing, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Ewing previously admitted that between December 2018 and May 2019 she conspired with other individuals to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Huntington, West Virginia. Ewing admitted that she would travel to Detroit, Michigan to obtain heroin for George Lockhart for him to sell in Huntington. Ewing is the first defendant sentenced that was prosecuted as part of Operation Free Market, a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area. The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
Kenneth Alexander, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. Alexander previously admitted that on August 1, 2018, he and another individual sold heroin to a confidential informant in the 1100 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington, West Virginia. The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecutions.
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St. Thomas Man Apprehended in Red Hook Shopping Center Parking Lot with a 9mm Handgun and Ammunition, Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Jabari Hodge, 29, of St. Thomas, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to court documents, on October 6, 2019 at approximately 1:10 a.m., VIPD officers approached the defendant, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of his parked vehicle, with the driver’s side door open, in the parking lot of a shopping center in the Red Hook area. The defendant was the only person located in the vehicle. Upon approaching the defendant, one of the officers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer saw what appeared to be a marijuana on the floorboard near the defendant’s feet. Another VIPD officer noticed a partially-opened bag with what appeared to be a jar containing marijuana inside. The officers informed the defendant that they were going to search the vehicle, at which point the defendant stated, "Just take the weed and let me go." The officers proceeded to search the vehicle and located a fully loaded, silver and black 9mm Kel tec handgun with one round in the chamber and seven rounds in the magazine.
Prior to his October 6, 2019 apprehension, the defendant had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not authorized to possess a firearm under federal law.
Hodge faces a sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. However, should the court determine that the defendant is an armed career criminal, then the defendant will be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan A. Albino.
St. Thomas Man Apprehended After Discharging a .45 Handgun into a Business Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Arnold Malone, 44, of St. Thomas, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to court documents, on August 22, 2019, Virgin Islands Police Department officers responded to a call that an individual had discharged a firearm on St. Thomas.
When the officers arrived, they were unable to locate the man. Moments later, Central Dispatch advised the officers that the man had returned and discharged his firearm inside of a business establishment after he was denied entry by the manager. The officers traveled to the business establishment, and the manager advised them that the man was in the alley.
Officers made contact with the man, who was later identified as the defendant, Arnold Malone, and asked to speak with him in reference to the shooting. Officers asked the defendant if he had a license to possess a firearm in the United States Virgin Islands. The defendant responded that he did not. Officers conducted a pat down of the defendant and discovered a Lallamar Minimax X45 .45 caliber, with an extended magazine containing nine (9) rounds.
Prior to August 22, 2019, the defendant had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not authorized to carry a firearm under federal law.
Malone faces a sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. However, should the court determine that the defendant is an armed career criminal then the defendant will be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan A. Albino.
St. Louis City Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Social Security Checks for a Deceased PersonRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Robert Fountaine, 56, of St. Louis City, pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds. Fountaine appeared today before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey who accepted his plea and set sentencing for April 14, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, Fountaine was cashing the Social Security checks of Ethel Barbee, who died in September 1999. Ms. Barbee was reportedly Fountaine’s step-mother, and Fountaine was receiving her benefit checks in the mail as her representative. Following Ms. Barbee’s death, Fountaine reported to the Social Security Administration that the monies received were continuing to go to Ms. Barbee, or to her care. In 2018, Fountaine stopped cooperating with the Social Security Administration reporting requirements, and only then were Ms. Barbee’s benefits were suspended. Due to the concealment of Ms. Barbee’s death and the continued collection of her SSA benefits, Fountaine received $144,465.30 in government benefits to which he was not entitled.
The Social Security Administration is investigating the case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane Klocke is handling the case.
South Portland Man Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: A South Portland man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Portland for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
Chief Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Patrick Clark, 53, to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. Clark pleaded guilty on July 16, 2019.
According to court records, on January 4, 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, U.S. Postal Inspectors seized a package that had been addressed to the defendant at his apartment, and found approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine inside. Law enforcement officers then executed a second search warrant at the defendant’s apartment. In the bedroom where Clark was present, they found 11 grams of methamphetamine, more than $800 cash and a digital scale.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
South Boston Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Jermaine Tindal, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2019, Tindal pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Tindal was arrested and charged in September 2018 and has been in custody since.
On July 19, 2018, Tindal possessed a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun and five rounds of Remington 12-gauge ammunition after previously being convicted in South Carolina of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. He then sold the shotgun and ammunition to another individual in the Mary Ellen McCormack public housing development.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is 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.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 30 years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possessing, Distributing, and Producing Child Pornography as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on October 30, 2019, was sentenced on January 13, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Kevin Allen Lamm, a/k/a Kevin Malone, age 35, was sentenced to 360 months on each count to be served concurrently in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release on each count to be served concurrently, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $300.
Lamm was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 9, 2017.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between January 12, 2017, and April 27, 2017, when Lamm knowingly received and possessed child pornography. The investigation also revealed that Lamm created a fake Facebook account and used it to persuade a 14 year-old girl in another state to send sexually explicit photographs to him using Facebook Messenger. When law enforcement searched his Sioux Falls apartment, they found child pornography images and videos on a digital memory card. Lamm's sentence was enhanced because he had previously been convicted of a child pornography offense in Lake County, South Dakota, in 2006
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Lamm was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on January 13, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Timothy Tyler Segich, age 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $5,100.
Segich was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 8, 2019. He pled guilty on November 1, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from text messages Segich sent to a 14 year-old girl in April 2018. In the texts, Segich requested the girl send nude photos of herself to him on his cell phone. His attempt to obtain child pornography was discovered when law enforcement searched the girl's phone with her parents' consent.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force in David County, Utah. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Segich was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.