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13 January 2020
San Diego Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Portland for Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—David George Hopkins, 61, San Diego, California, was sentenced today to 200 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release for traveling with the intent to engage in sex with a minor and other related charges.
Hopkins was previously convicted at trial in February 2019 on one count each of attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, attempting to coerce or entice a minor, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transferring of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents and information shared at trial, on June 9, 2017, Hopkins traveled from San Diego to Portland, Oregon believing he would be able to have sex with a 13-year-old girl named Paula along with her mother, Norma, and her mother’s friend, Ana, with whom he had been chatting online. Unbeknownst to Hopkins, he had been chatting with an FBI Special Agent acting as both Norma and Paula, and with a person using the alias Ana.
Hopkins and Ana began chatting online in 2012, and during one of the conversations, Hopkins raised the topic of having sex with a minor female in Peru and sent Ana a photo of what was purportedly him receiving oral sex from a minor.
In February 2017, Hopkins again contacted Ana and they began communicating using Skype and Facebook. In their first few conversations after reconnecting, Hopkins disclosed more details about his sexual relations with a minor in Peru. He also claimed to have had similar illicit contact with a minor in Panama. Hopkins later wrote, “did it bother u i [sic] had sex with young girls?” Hopkins did not present his conduct as a fantasy and Ana did not believe it was.
Concerned by the information shared with her, Ana reported Hopkins to the Eugene Police Department who referred the matter to the FBI. In March 2017, Ana met with an FBI Special Agent and agreed to cooperate with an investigation of Hopkins.
Ana continued chatting with Hopkins and their conversations grew increasingly more detailed and graphic as Hopkins shared information about his claimed past sexual experiences with minors and his desire to continue such behavior. In one conversation, Ana mentioned her fictitious Peruvian friend Norma. Hopkins asked if they could all have sex together. Ana also mentioned that Norma had a daughter named Paula. Hopkins also expressed an interest in having sex with Paula.
Ana told Hopkins that Norma had agreed to let him have sex with Paula. Shortly thereafter, Hopkins began communicating directly with Norma, the FBI Special Agent. The conversation quickly turned sexual and they discussed Hopkins flying to Oregon. In subsequent conversations, Hopkins began asking Norma about having sex with Paula, and, later, began communicating online directly with Paula. Hopkins chatted with Paula about having sex with her, describing in detail what he wanted to do. Hopkins sent Paula a picture of his genitals, and asked her to send him a picture of hers.
In June 2017, Hopkins flew from San Diego to Portland with intent to engage in sexual conduct with Paula. He was met and arrested by the FBI at Portland International Airport upon his arrival. His luggage was searched and Hopkins had brought with him stockings and underwear for Paula. Hopkins’ claims of abusing children have not been corroborated. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Eugene on June 20, 2018.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Amy Potter and Jeff Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
Rosebud Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on January 13, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Jacqueline Roberta Little Sack, age 41, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Little Sack was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. She pled guilty on October 21, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy between Little Sack and others during the early part of 2019, where Little Sack used her home on the Rosebud Indian Reservation as a place where methamphetamine was distributed. The conspiracy involved over 50 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Valentine, Nebraska Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Little Sack was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that James T. Stephens, 21, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that on June 19, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home. During the search, officers recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a loaded shotgun, approximately 80 decks of fentanyl, and approximately four bags of cocaine. Stephens was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his January 15, 2016, conviction, in Onondaga County Court, for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Office.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Frederick Bernard Morgan, 51, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that on July 17, 2019, the defendant was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle, having previously been convicted, in December 2002 in Monroe County Court, of Assault in the Second Degree. As a result, the defendant is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Office.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Randolph County woman admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Robin Lee Short, of Elkins, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Short, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Short admitted to selling methamphetamine in October 2017 in Randolph County.Short faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Probation Revoked for Cissna Park, Ill., Farmer Serving Sentence for Federal Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – An Iroquois County farmer, Jeremy Seggebruch, 40, of Cissna Park, Ill., has been ordered to serve 364 days in prison for violating the terms of his probation sentence for federal crop insurance fraud. On Jan. 9, 2020, Seggebruch was immediately taken into custody after U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid revoked his probation and sentenced him to serve 364 days in the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Judge Shadid had previously sentenced Seggebruch, in December 2016, to three years of probation for making false statements to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Seggebruch had under-reported the number of bushels of corn produced in relation to a federal crop insurance claim. During the term of probation Seggebruch was barred from participating in any USDA programs and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300,759 to Heartland Crop Insurance.
At the hearing on Jan. 9, 2020, Seggebruch admitted violating his probation by (1) participating in the Federal Crop Insurance program through his sister’s company, Sega Ag Production, Inc.; (2) receiving monetary benefits from a USDA program through Sega Ag Production, Inc.; (3) obtaining a $64,981 loan to purchase Ford Super Duty F-350 truck without prior approval from the U.S. Probation Office; (4) violating a state order of protection against him obtained by his wife; and, (5) failing to notify his probation officer of his Nov. 27, 2019, arrest for violating the order of protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General.
Pittsburgh-Area Man Assaulted Security Guards at Downtown Pittsburgh Social Security OfficeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH -A Pittsburgh-area man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of assault of federal employees, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Isaiah Paillett, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on December 14, 2018, Paillett entered the Social Security Office in Downtown Pittsburgh and became irate and confrontational with an employee there. Paillett then left the office. The security guards at the office were notified that, due to Paillett’s behavior, he was not permitted back in the building. Within minutes of exiting, Paillett attempted to reenter the building. When a security guard prevented Paillett from reentering, Paillett shoved that guard back several feet. A second guard then began pushing Paillett out of the building, at which time Paillett began punching that second security guard in the head. The second guard was treated at an area hospital for the injuries inflicted by Paillett and released later that same day.
Chief Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of twenty-eight years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey R. Bengel and Douglas C. Maloney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Protective Service and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Paillett.
Owner of Tax Preparation Business Pleads Guilty to Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A former Gulfport, Mississippi, tax return preparer pleaded guilty on Friday to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Alvin Mays owned and operated City Tax Service, a tax return preparation business in the Gulfport, Mississippi area. From 2012 through 2017, Mays prepared—and trained his employees to prepare—false tax returns. To fraudulently inflate client refunds, the returns claimed false education credits and losses from fictitious businesses. Mays charged his clients exorbitant preparation fees, sometimes as high as $1,600 per return. In total, May’s conduct caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $900,000.
U.S. District Judge Halil S. Ozerden scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2020. Mays faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on each count, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. In his plea agreement, Mays agreed to pay restitution of $321,605 to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stanley Harris and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Orchestrating Multi-Million Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Andres Fernandez (38, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $14.98 million, representing the losses suffered by the victims of Fernandez’s fraud scheme. Fernandez had pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud on August 6, 2019.
According to court documents, Fernandez orchestrated an investment scheme that defrauded at least 81 victims out of millions of dollars. Fernandez solicited individuals to invest in concert events that he claimed were being produced by his companies – Kadaae Entertainment Corporation and Kadaae LLC. He told his victims that their investment would be used to fund specific concert events for artists including Julio Iglesias, Pitbull, Nicky Jam, Garth Brooks, Ana Gabriel, and Drake, and promised a return of up to 100 percent on the investments. As part of the scheme, Fernandez used fake contracts and other false documents to convince victims that he and his companies were under contract to produce the events. In fact, neither Fernandez nor his companies were involved in most of the events he had solicited to his victims.
Fernandez used the funds sent by investors for his own personal use and to pay fraudulent investment returns to earlier investors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Operation Mountaineer Highway Update: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man pled guilty today for his participation in a drug trafficking operation in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Bobby Mack, Jr., 39, from Scarbro, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. Mack is the twelfth and final defendant to enter a guilty plea as a result of Operation Mountaineer Highway, an extensive investigation into drug trafficking in the Fayette County area. Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Oak Hill Police Department.
“182 grams of heroin. Firearms. $343,097 in drug proceeds,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Mack was part of a significant drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing massive amounts of deadly drugs in southern West Virginia. All of the defendants charged as part of Operation Mountaineer Highway now stand convicted of their crimes. Responding to the opiate crisis with tough law enforcement has been, and will remain, a priority for me and my office. We are achieving remarkable results.”
Mack admitted that he participated in the drug trafficking organization by supplying heroin to a co-conspirator. More specifically Mack admitted that on July 16, 2018, he distributed 182 grams of heroin to co-conspirator. After Mack distributed the heroin, the co-conspirator was stopped by law enforcement officers and admitted that he had obtained the heroin from Mack at Mack’s residence in Scarbro. Based on this information, officers obtained a search warrant for Mack’s residence. While conducting the search warrant, officers located items commonly used in drug distribution, three firearms, and approximately $343,097 dollars in cash. As part of the plea agreement, Mack agreed to forfeit to the United States the firearms which he was prohibited from possessing due to a prior felony conviction, as well as the $343,097.
Mack faces at least 5 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on April 9, 2020.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman are in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
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Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Ohio woman pled guilty today to possessing a quantity of methamphetamine in relation to drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Danielle Seagraves pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Collaborative and proactive law enforcement efforts are keeping significant amounts of dangerous drugs off our streets,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And it is only by prosecuting cases like this that we can hold the poison peddlers accountable.”
Seagraves admitted that on April 18, 2017, she had in her possession approximately 33 grams of methamphetamine that she intended to sell to individuals in and around Ripley, West Virginia. Before she could complete any drug transaction, officers with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested Seagraves and seized the methamphetamine. Seagraves’ arrest was part of a successful far-reaching April 2017 inter-agency investigation and sweep that ultimately resulted in the arrest of thirteen individuals, eight of whom were charged with meth-related offenses. The investigation into these individuals focused on methamphetamine that was being brought from Ohio into Jackson County, West Virginia. That investigation removed an estimated $320,000 worth of methamphetamine from the community.
Seagraves faces up twenty years in prison when sentenced on April 6, 2020. Seagraves is currently serving a multi-year state prison term in Ohio for drug-related activity.
The Jackson County Bureau of Investigation, comprised of deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and officers with the Ravenswood and Ripley Police Departments, worked closely with the West Virginia State Police, the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, and the DEA, to conduct the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Erik S. Goes are handling the prosecution.
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Oakland Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Mekivil Julius Franklin was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
Franklin, 49, of Oakland, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on October 11, 2019. According to papers filed by the government, Franklin was driving in Oakland in the early morning hours on August 2, 2018, when police attempted to stop him. Rather than yielding to the police, Franklin drove away. Franklin led police on a lengthy chase, at times reaching speeds of 90 or 100 MPH on the I-880 freeway. The pursuit ended when Franklin crashed into a police vehicle in the intersection of 9th Avenue and East 12th Street in Oakland. Two Oakland Police Department officers sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash. Franklin seriously injured himself as well. Police found that Franklin was in possession of a loaded Ruger pistol. According to his plea agreement, Franklin acknowledged he had been previously convicted of felonies, and therefore he was not eligible to possess a firearm or ammunition.
A federal grand jury indicted Franklin on September 18, 2018, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Franklin pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant is in custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Kopczynski is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Helen Yee and Adrienne DelaPena. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the Oakland Police Department.
Norwalk Man Involved in Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 35 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUAN CARLOS FIGUEROA, 40, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 35 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between March and June 2018, Figueroa and others trafficked kilogram quantities of narcotics, including cocaine and methamphetamine, from a source of supply in New Rochelle, New York, into Norwalk and the surrounding area. On May 31, 2018, Figueroa and a co-conspirator, Rafael Lopez-Macias, traveled to New Rochelle to obtain two kilograms of cocaine from a source.
Figueroa has been detained since his arrest on October 11, 2018. On that date, a search of his residence revealed a drug press machine and other items used to process and package narcotics.
On May 6, 2019, Figueroa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
On March 27, 2019, Lopez-Macias, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of reentry of removed alien. On July 3, 2019, he was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, and the New Rochelle, Norwalk and Stamford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Lauren C. Clark.
North Carolina Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Charlotte, North Carolina, tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramonda Byrd owned and operated Divine Financial Solutions, a Charlotte, North Carolina, tax preparation business with locations on Beatties Ford Road and Central Avenue. From 2012 through 2017, Byrd prepared false tax returns on behalf of her clients. By reporting fictitious business income and expenses as well as false medical expenses, charitable contributions, and child and dependent care expenses, she sought to cause the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to pay inflated refunds. Byrd’s fee was then often deducted from the client’s refund. In all, Byrd’s conduct caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $270,000.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. At sentencing, Byrd faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Murray thanked special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley, who prosecuted the case.
Nebraska Woman to Federal Prison for Participation in Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced January 9, 2020, to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Corissa Schwartz, 39, from Wayne, Nebraska, received the prison term after a September 13, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Schwartz admitted that from October 2017 and continuing to about January 2018, she and others distributed nearly two pounds of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. On two occasions in October 2017, Schwartz distributed over 26 grams of pure methamphetamine during controlled drug purchase operations with law enforcement.
Schwartz was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. It was revealed at sentencing that Schwartz’s long criminal history included twenty-five convictions since 2004. Schwartz was sentenced to 122 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Schwartz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Steenholdt and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-4087.
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Nash County Man Sentenced to 15 Years as Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced ARTHUR THOMAS VICK, 61, of Rocky Mount to 180 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He was found to be an Armed Career Criminal thereby subjecting him to a minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
VICK was named in an Indictment filed on October 10, 2018, charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. On September 18, 2019, VICK pled guilty to that charge.
According to the investigation, on August 24, 2018, Officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance at an apartment in Rocky Mount. The caller reported VICK threatened her with a handgun. Upon arrival, officers observed VICK in a shouting match with the female. The officers discovered a loaded firearm hidden in VICK’s waistband and another in the trunk of the vehicle he used. VICK’s prior criminal history includes a federal felon in possession of a firearm conviction and an attempted second degree murder conviction, stemming from his attack on a law enforcement officer in Nash County in 1997.
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. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina implements the PSN Program through its Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Rocky Mount Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case for the government.
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.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison Following Deportation and Document FraudRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who had been deported five times, illegally returned to the United States, and then used a false identification document to obtain a job was sentenced on January 10, 2020, today to twelve months in federal prison.
Jose Amayo-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Iowa, received the prison term after an October 3, 2019, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
In a plea agreement, Amayo-Hernandez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States five times and that he illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Amayo-Hernandez was first deported in April 2013 following a conviction for illegal entry into the United States. Amayo-Hernandez was deported a second time on November 15, 2013, following a second conviction for illegal entry into the United States. He was again deported five days later on November 20, 2013, and again in September 2014. Amayo-Hernandez was deported a fifth time in August 2015 following a July 2015 conviction in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas for illegal reentry into the United States, a felony.
Amayo-Hernandez also admitted he used a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when he completed employment forms in October 2016 and August 2019 at a business in Lansing, Iowa. The Alien Registration number on the “green card” was issued to another person. The Social Security account number used by Amayo-Hernandez on tax paperwork was issued to someone else.
On August 19, 2019, Amayo-Hernandez came to the attention of immigration agents following his arrest on traffic charges in Clayton County, Iowa.
Amayo-Hernandez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Amayo-Hernandez was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Amayo-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-1031.
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Metro Detroit Psychologist Sentenced to 51 Months for Health Care Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A psychologist with multiple clinic locations throughout Metro Detroit, will spend 51 months in prison for the commission of health care fraud and money laundering offenses, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Joining Schneider in the announcement was Steven M. D’Antuono, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Paul Lucki Smith, 54, was sentenced on January 7, 2020, by U.S District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman after pleading guilty to health care fraud and unlawful monetary transactions.
Smith, a psychologist who practiced for over 20 years at various locations throughout Metro Detroit, submitted claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for reimbursement for services that he did not provide. In three years, Smith fraudulently obtained $3,163,172.92 from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Smith subsequently used hundreds of thousands of dollars from the proceeds of his fraud to purchase real property, liquor licenses, and furniture, in his venture to become a hotelier in Arcadia, Michigan.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court forfeited Smith’s interests in funds tied to the health care fraud and money laundering schemes, liquor licenses, and two pieces of real property. The Court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $3,163,172.92
The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Engstrom and Shankar Ramamurthy.
Methamphetamine and Pill Dealers Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Judy Raley Townley, 58, and William Erwin Townley, 52, both of Elberta, Alabama, were sentenced in federal court for their participation in a drug distribution operation involving both methamphetamine ice and the illegal distribution of prescription pills. Mrs. Townley was also charged with providing a firearm to a convicted felon, her husband and co-defendant William Erwin Townley. Mr. Townley was also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony. Both defendants entered a guilty pleas to the charges in April of 2019.
United States District Court Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 60 months imprisonment in Mrs. Townley’s case on each count, but ordered that the sentences run concurrently. She also ordered that upon release from custody, Mrs. Townley would serve a term of four years under supervised release. The judge ordered that Mrs. Townley will pay a special assessment of $200. Judge Dubose sentenced Mr. Townley to 120 months imprisonment, consisting of 60 months on the drug count and 60 months on the gun count, with the sentences to run consecutively. The judge ordered that Mr. Townley would serve a term of four years under supervised release when he was discharged from his prison sentence. She also ordered that he would pay $200 in special assessments. The judge did not impose a fine in either case.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that James Adam Widener, 28, of Robertsdale, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Widener had entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge, and United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 94 months imprisonment.
Judge Dubose also ordered that Widener would serve a period of five years under supervised release when he is discharged from prison. During that term, he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The judge ordered that Widener will pay a special assessment of $100, but she did not impose a fine.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Christopher Edward Brown, 28, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Brown had entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge, and United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of 105 months imprisonment.
Judge Dubose also ordered that Brown would serve a period of five years under supervised release when he is discharged from prison. During that term, he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The judge ordered that Brown will pay a special assessment of $100, but she did not impose a fine.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Meth Trafficker from Moss Point Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Lowery Sanders, 54, of Moss Point, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 192 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Sanders was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
On June 12, 2018, the Biloxi Police Department Special Crimes Unit received information that Sanders would be conducting narcotic activity at a local hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi. On June 13, 2018, DEA learned that Sanders would be traveling to Jackson, Mississippi, to purchase three ounces of methamphetamine for $1,300.00. Through their investigation, agents confirmed that Sanders did in fact pick up the methamphetamine in Jackson.
On June 13, 2018, investigators with the Biloxi Police Department observed Sanders exit his vehicle and enter a Biloxi hotel. Shortly thereafter, they made contact with Sanders and advised him of the complaint received regarding narcotics activity and requested and received verbal consent to search Sanders’ room. While searching the room, investigators discovered approximately three ounces of methamphetamine along with other drugs. The methamphetamine was tested and confirmed to be 72 grams net weight. Sanders was indicted on February 6, 2019, and pled guilty before Judge Wingate on July 24, 2019.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Drama Queen” targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in central Mississippi. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Police Department, Pearl Police Department, Biloxi Police Department and the Richland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Man Who Supplied Crack to New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC BURRUSS, also known as “E,” 40, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the “Island Brothers” street gang in New Haven. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, also revealed that the drug trafficking organization had established a base of operation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The investigation subsequently identified a second drug trafficking network that involved the large-scale distribution of heroin.
Burruss supplied crack cocaine to one of the drug trafficking organizations.
On July 9, 2019, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 15-count indictment charging Burruss and 24 others with federal narcotics offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.
Burruss has been detained since his arrest on July 10, 2019. On September 25, 2019, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
Burruss’ criminal history dates to 1996 and includes nine felony convictions, including five for drug-related offenses and one for a firearm offense.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle and Elena L. Coronado.
Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man with citizenship in Lebanon and the United States pleaded guilty today to a two-count criminal information charging him with child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents, George A. Nader, 60, admitted that he arranged to transport a 14-year-old boy from Europe to Dulles International Airport for purposes of illegal sexual conduct in early 2000. Nader had met the boy in Prague, Czech Republic, and later brought him to his residence in Washington, D.C. Nader also admitted that, in September 2012, he possessed or accessed with intent to view video images of child sexual abuse while he was in New York. In exchange for the plea, the government agreed to dismiss an indictment involving similar charges returned in the Eastern District of Virginia in July 2019.
Nader pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor boy for purposes of illegal conduct and one count of possession of child pornography, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years when sentenced on April 10. 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.
Nader had been previously been convicted of transporting child pornography into the Eastern District of Virginia in 1991.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu is prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents and local, state and federal partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-201.
Man Arrested Just After Distributing Methamphetamine Sentenced to Nearly 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Iowa man caught with nearly four ounces of methamphetamine was sentenced today to just under 180 months in prison.
Eric James Blumer, age 37, from Palo, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a July 22, 2019, guilty plea to the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Information disclosed at sentencing and at a plea hearing showed that, in June 2017, Blumer was stopped by law enforcement officers while driving a vehicle in Linn County, Iowa. Officers found nearly four ounces of “ice” methamphetamine in his vehicle. Blumer admitted that he intended to sell the “ice”. Blumer later admitted that, earlier in the day, he had possessed nearly a pound of “ice” methamphetamine, and he had just gotten rid of it prior to the traffic stop.
Blumer has 14 prior criminal convictions. His criminal history includes, but is not limited to, convictions for OWI, theft, escape, and possessing a firearm. In 2003, Blumer was convicted and sentenced to prison for manufacturing methamphetamine.
Blumer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Blumer was sentenced to 179 months and 29 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, Hiawatha Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Muscatine County Drug Task Force, United States Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00083.
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Mail Truck Driver Sentenced for TheftRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A contract mail truck driver for the U.S. Postal Service was sentenced today to two years on federal probation for stealing money from the mail, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, he was ordered to pay more than $3,000 restitution.
David A. Logan, 51, Fort Scott, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of mail theft. In his plea, he admitted stealing money from pieces of mail on his route. In one count, he admitted stealing two pieces of mail containing $50 and $675. In the other count, he admitted stealing three pieces of mail containing $100, $130 and $70. The crimes occurred in Chanute, Kan.
McAllister commended the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Leader of Extensive Drug Ring Operating Across Middle, South Georgia Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – The ring-leader of an illicit drug operation that reached into communities across middle and south Georgia was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison earlier today, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner sentenced Ricardo Bodiford, aka “Rico,” 34, of Moultrie, Georgia, to 260 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Bodiford’s indictment, filed in July 2018, lists a total of 23 defendants (including Bodiford) charged with various drug crimes related to the illegal drug operation. All 23 defendants have entered guilty pleas for their crimes, and all 23 defendants are expected to be sentenced this month. Today, co-defendant David Spradley, aka “ManMan,” 37, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 218 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Co-defendants Johntavious Johnson, aka “Mikey,” 33, and co-defendant Jarvis West, 32, both of Moultrie, were each sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to one county conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
Investigators began a court-authorized wiretap on Bodiford’s cell phones on April 9, 2018. Within two days, agents determined that Spradley worked closely with Bodiford in obtaining various controlled substances from two sources. The wiretap investigation continued until law enforcement agents executed search warrants on several locations across Moultrie, Georgia from May 7-8, 2019, locating large amounts of illicit drugs, including two pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 13 pounds of marijuana, loaded firearms and cash, among other amounts of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
“Agencies at the federal, state and local level worked seamlessly to shut down a major drug operation that was infecting communities across our District,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “Our office is committed to fighting the rise of meth throughout Georgia. As reflected by these strong sentences, anyone who chooses to deal illicit drugs will face severe consequences. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their excellent work.”
“Today’s sentencing illustrates the seriousness that comes when drug traffickers distribute large volumes of poison to the community, as was the case in this investigation. This defendant’s lengthy prison sentence appropriately fits the high level of criminal activity he was engaged in,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The investigation of this case was a success because of the unified efforts between DEA, its law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“This sentencing illustrates that drug trafficking at any level will not be tolerated in the state of Georgia. It is paramount that violators of drug laws be held accountable. The GBI is fully committed to working with our local and federal partners in drug enforcement to address these types of crimes,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the GBI.
“We are very appreciative of the support of our federal partners. These criminals have been causing havoc in our community for a long time. The only way to meaningfully curb drug-related crime of this magnitude in the Moultrie area is with the assistance of the federal government,” said Sheriff Rod Howell, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office.
“The individuals prosecuted in this case all have extensive criminal histories and have committed multiple criminal offenses within our community. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all the agencies that were involved, especially to our state and federal partners. Successful drug enforcement practices must be a coordinated effort within the purview of all law enforcement agencies, and this case is an outstanding example of that. Colquitt County and the City of Moultrie is safer because Mr. Bodiford and Mr. Spradley, along with their co-conspirators, are off the streets,” said Chief Sean Ladson, Moultrie Police Department.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Moultrie Police Department and the Leon County Florida Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for selling fentanyl to an undercover officer.
Jonathan Marquez, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2020. Marquez was arrested in September 2019 and has been detained since October 2019.
In September 2019, an undercover officer placed an order with a fentanyl dealer, and Marquez then met the undercover officer at an arranged location in Lawrence. Marquez handed the officer 11 individually-wrapped bags containing brownish powder in exchange for cash. Laboratory results later determined that the brownish powder contained fentanyl.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Coercing Minors to Send Him Sexually Explicit ImagesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that David Ohmar Harris, 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced January 10, 2020, by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 15 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. This term of imprisonment will be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Harris pleaded guilty to this charge on October 7, 2019.
Between December 2016 and August 2017, the defendant coerced and manipulated numerous underage girls to send him explicit images of themselves. When they failed to comply with his demands to send more images, he posted their explicit images on the website Pornhub and sent them to the girls’ relatives. Judge Conley said that Harris’s conduct was monstrous and created a “real world nightmare” for his victims.
Judge Conley praised the victim who originally came forward to report this crime, saying she showed “strength, bravery, and courage.” He indicated that by coming forward, she likely saved many girls and young women from the defendant’s unthinkable bullying.
The charge against Harris was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the assistance of the North Las Vegas and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
La Junta Man Sentenced to Serve 19 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, and Marijuana While Possessing A Firearm During A Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that Robert Chad Nolan, age 42, of La Junta, Colorado, was sentenced to serve 228 months (19 years) in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana as well as possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Nolan was also ordered to serve 5 years on supervised release after his prison sentence. Nolan appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion. The Denver Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined in today’s announcement.
Nolan was first indicted by a federal grand jury on June 21, 2018. He was found guilty of the charges following a three-day jury trial on January 24, 2019.
According to court documents, including the government’s sentencing statement, in early February 2018, Nolan possessed with intent to distribute over 64 grams of methamphetamine, over 10 grams of heroin, over 24 grams of cocaine, and over 800 grams of marijuana. Further, he possessed a .380 caliber pistol while he was trafficking the illegal drugs.
The defendant was a known drug dealer in La Junta for at least 17 years, contributing substantially to this small town’s drug problems. When he was caught by law enforcement, Nolan had between 5,250 and 11,700 personal use doses of narcotics. Nolan was previously twice convicted for drug trafficking. He served 6 years in state prison for the first drug trafficking offense, and he served 8 years in state prison for the second drug trafficking offense.
Notably, Nolan dealt his drugs out of his house, where his kids lived. Some of the drugs were kept on the bathroom counter for all to see. Law enforcement also found $36,000 in cash hidden in grocery bags under the bath tub.
“Taking a drug dealer of this level off the streets in a small town like La Junta is significant,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “This guy was particularly egregious. Not only was he causing significant harm to the community, but he was doing it with a weapon and doing it in front of his own children. It is good to get him out of the community and out of his home.”
“Those that endanger the safety and security of our communities will be met by every resource possessed by law enforcement. ATF is proud to have worked with our partners at the La Junta Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration on this successful investigation.”
The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer. This case was investigated by the Denver Field Division of the ATF, with support from the Denver Division of the DEA, the La Junta Police Department and the Otero County Sheriff. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn.
Kenner Psychiatrist Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Medicare by Soliciting and Receiving Kickback Payments for Medically Unnecessary Home Health ReferralsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that PADMINI NAGARAJ, age 62, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana was sentenced on January 9, 2020 by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to four years’ probation, which includes 250 hours of community service, in connection with her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition, NAGARAJ was fined $10,000 and agreed to pay restitution to the Medicare program.
According to court records, NAGARAJ admitted that, between September 2012 and July 2014, in return for accepting illegal health care kickbacks, she referred beneficiaries who she treated at a Louisiana-based psychiatric facility for medically unnecessary home health services and further fraudulently certified that the beneficiaries were eligible to receive such services. NAGARAJ admitted that she accepted $1,500 a month from four different home health agencies, which were disguised kickbacks. NAGARAJ also admitted that she moved her patients to the different home health agencies based on whichever agency agreed to pay her a kickback. The home health agencies then submitted the fraudulent claims to Medicare and were reimbursed for the medically unnecessary home health services.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services for their work investigating the case. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Jared Hasten, Katherine Payerle, and Claire Yan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Justice Department Sues Los Angeles Apartment Owners, Manager, Alleging Sexual Harassment of Their Female TenantsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit alleging the managers and owners of two apartment buildings in the Westlake neighborhood in Los Angeles violated federal law by sexually harassing their female tenants for more than a decade.
The complaint, filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles, alleges that Filomeno Hernandez, Ramin Akhavan, Bonnie Brae Investment Services LLC, and Westlake Property Services LLC violated the Fair Housing Act. The defendants manage or own the properties at issue in this case – 729 S. Bonnie Brae St. and 720 S. Westlake Ave. – which are located near MacArthur Park in the Westlake District of the City of Los Angeles.
Hernandez, the locations’ property manager, sexually harassed female residents at the rental properties from at least 2006 through the present, the lawsuit alleges. The complaint alleges that Hernandez engaged in harassment that included, among other things, frequently and repeatedly engaging in unwanted sexual touching, including sexual assault; making unwelcome sexual advances and comments; offering to reduce rent or excusing late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex; and entering the homes of female tenants without their consent.
“Sexual harassment of vulnerable women is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate this behavior by any landlord or property manager,” said Nick Hanna, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. “Those who abuse their positions of power will be held accountable under the Fair Housing Act.”
“No woman should have to endure sexual harassment, especially in her own home,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is unacceptable and illegal, and the Justice Department will continue vigorously to enforce the Fair Housing Act to combat this type of discrimination and to obtain relief for its victims.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties, and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct, which must be proven in federal court.
In October 2017, the Department of Justice launched an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department announced the nationwide rollout of the initiative. Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed 13 lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. More information about the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/civil-division/civil-rights-section.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings operated or owned by Filomeno Hernandez or Ramin Akhavan, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line:
- English language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 1 to continue in English and select mailbox 9992 to leave a message; or
- Spanish language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 2 to continue in Spanish and select mailbox 6 to leave a message.
Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected] or may file a complaint about housing discrimination or other civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office by calling (213) 894-2879, emailing [email protected] or completing and submitting this form.
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Property Manager and Owners of Los Angeles Apartment Buildings Near MacArthur ParkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that female tenants in residential apartment buildings in Los Angeles, California, were subjected to sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that property manager Filomeno Hernandez sexually harassed female residents at the rental properties since at least 2006 through the present. According to the complaint, Hernandez engaged in harassment that included, among other things, frequently and repeatedly engaging in unwanted sexual touching, including sexual assault, making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, offering to reduce rent or excusing late or unpaid rent in exchange for sex, and entering the homes of female tenants without their consent. The apartment buildings are located at 729 South Bonnie Brae Street and 720 Westlake Avenue, near MacArthur Park. The Department’s complaint names Filomeno Hernandez, Ramin Akhavan, Bonnie Brae Investment Services LLC, and Westlake Property Services LLC as defendants. Defendants manage or own properties where the illegal conduct occurred.
“No woman should have to endure sexual harassment, especially in her own home,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is unacceptable and illegal, and the Justice Department will continue vigorously to enforce the Fair Housing Act to combat this type of discrimination and to obtain relief for its victims.”
“The sexual harassment of vulnerable women is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate this behavior by any landlord or property manager,” said Nick Hanna, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. “Those who abuse their positions of power will be held accountable under the Fair Housing Act.”
In October 2017, the Department of Justice launched an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department announced the nationwide rollout of the initiative, including three major components: an outreach toolkit to leverage the Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, a public awareness campaign, including the release of a national Public Service Announcement and a new joint Task Force with HUD to combat sexual harassment in housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed thirteen lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties, and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct, which must be proven in federal court.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. More information about the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/civil-division/civil-rights.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings operated or owned by Filomeno Hernandez or Ramin Akhavan, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line:
- English language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 1 to continue in English and select mailbox 9992 to leave a message; or
- Spanish language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 2 to continue in Spanish and select mailbox 6 to leave a message.
Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected], or may file a complaint about housing discrimination or other civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office by calling (213) 894-2879, emailing [email protected], or completing and submitting this form.
Jefferson County woman sentenced for role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Molly L. Huber, of Ranson, West Virginia, was sentenced today to time served and three years supervised release for selling cocaine, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Huber, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Cocaine Hydrochloride” in September 2019. Huber admitted to selling cocaine in July 2018 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S Attorney Timothy D. Helman, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department investigated.
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.—A Huntington woman was sentenced to federal prison for embezzlement, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Frances McComas, 57, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling money from a federal credit union. She also was ordered to pay $1,000 a month in restitution.
“McComas was a credit union employee that stole from her employer for almost five years,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “As a result of the FBI’s investigation and the subsequent prosecution of McComas by my office, she is headed to federal prison, and just as importantly, she will be paying restitution to the credit union.”
McComas previously admitted that starting in 2015 and continuing until April 2019 she stole $165,500 from the federal credit union’s vault and falsified the financial records to hide the embezzlement. McComas started in 2015 by stealing a few thousand dollars, but she became even greedier as she started taking larger amounts every month, until being caught for the embezzlement almost five years later.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur handled the prosecution.
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Holiday Woman Indicted on Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Lori Owen (48, Holiday) with 14 counts of fraud, 4 counts of money laundering, and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Owens faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each fraud count, 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, and 2 years’ consecutive imprisonment for the identity theft counts. The indictment also notifies Owen that the United States is seeking a money judgment of at least $264,260, the proceeds of the alleged offenses.
According to the indictment, Owen, and others, recruited individual “straw account owners” to open bank accounts for the purpose of depositing money that had been extorted from victims of tax impersonation calls.
The victims in the scheme were contacted by callers who falsely represented themselves as officials with the Internal Revenue Service, the Canadian tax authorities, or local law enforcement officers demanding payment for federal income taxes, or other financial obligations. The fraudulent callers told the victims that, if they failed to pay these purported obligations, they, or their family members, would face arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences. Owen, and others, monitored the straw bank accounts in order to verify the victims’ deposits and ensure timely withdrawals by the straw account owners. The straw account owners withdrew the funds in cash and turned them over to Owen (and others), often less a payment to the straw account owner for opening the account or conducting the transaction.
As to the telemarketing fraud scheme, Owen and others recruited an individual to be the owner of a Florida business and open bank accounts in the business name, for the purpose of depositing the proceeds of a sweepstakes fraud. Owen’s conspirators called elderly victims and falsely represented that they were with the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery and that the victim had won millions of dollars. The callers induced the victims to provide financial information and to send large cashier’s checks to this company in Florida, by falsely claiming that advance taxes had to be paid in order to collect the full amount of the alleged lottery winnings. Owen, and others, then laundered the proceeds of this fraud scheme.
In 2018, Owen’s former husband, David Owen, and son, Andrew Corrigan, were convicted and sentenced to 130 and 120 months’ imprisonment, respectively, for the same criminal conduct.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Rachel Jones.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Prison for Labor Trafficking a 12 Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
On January 10, 2020, a Guatemalan national was sentenced in the Southern District of Florida to eight years in prison for labor trafficking a minor.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Walfre Eliseo Camposeco-Montejo, 35, of Guatemala, previously pled guilty to providing and obtaining forced labor, alien smuggling, and unlawfully transporting aliens. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Camposeco-Montejo to a total of 96 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Altman also ordered Camposeco-Montejo to pay $34,000 in restitution to the minor-victim.
According to court records, Camposeco-Montejo obtained false Guatemalan documents to claim a 12-year-old Guatemalan boy as his son. Camposeco-Montejo promised the boy’s mother he would provide the minor with an education upon their arrival into the United States. Camposeco-Montego and the minor illegally entered the United States, crossing the Rio Grande in November 2016. Upon their arrest by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, when crossing the border, Camposeco-Montejo lied about being the boy’s father. Based upon Camposeco-Montejo’s false representations, he and the boy were released as a family unit and subsequently made their way to Florida. Beginning in December 2016, Camposeco-Montejo obtained false identification for the 12 year-old boy and forced him to work at agricultural farms throughout Palm Beach County for more than 6 months to repay a debt from the human smuggling venture. The boy was eventually able to escape and reported his victimization during the course of the labor trafficking scheme.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan commended the investigation efforts of ICE-HSI and the partnership with the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller.
If you believe you are a victim of labor trafficking or know someone who is, you are encouraged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ for help and victim resources. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Garrard County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lancaster, Kentucky, man, Arthur Eugene Butler, 41, admitted in federal court Friday, before U.S. District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves, to possessing and distributing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Butler had previously plead guilty to receiving child pornography in United States District Court, in 2010. After finishing his five-year prison sentence, Butler was serving a five-year period of supervised release. According to his plea agreement, prior to his final release, law enforcement received information that, in April 2019, he was sending sexually explicit images of children to his Google photos account. A search of his house found a Google Pixel phone that contained hundreds of images and videos of children engaged in various forms of sexually explicit conduct, including the rape of prepubescent children.
Butler appeared for revocation of his supervised release in November 2019. Friday, he entered a guilty plea to new charge.
“The defendant acknowledged to possessing over 600 images of child pornography, including images that portrayed acts of violence and abuse. Even more troubling, the defendant committed his crimes while serving a period of supervised release for a conviction for another child pornography offense,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Because of his recent actions, the defendant is deservedly facing a lengthy sentence of imprisonment for being a recidivist offender. I commend the law enforcement officers involved, including investigators from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, for their work on this investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Duncan; Steve Igyarto, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI); and Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky, jointly announced the guilty plea.
“A strong partnership with federal officials is essential as we work to protect Kentucky’s children from sexual exploitation,” said General Cameron. “Our Cyber Crimes Unit within the Department of Criminal Investigations works closely with federal law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of complex cases to ensure that the voiceless are not forgotten.”
The investigation was conducted by DHS-HIS and the Cyber Crimes Branch of the Office of the Attorney General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
Butler is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2020. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, and a maximum of up to 60 years, as well as a maximum fine of $500,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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.
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Founder of Swiss Brokerage Firm Pleads Guilty in Connection with Global Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and operator of a Swiss asset management firm pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges that he engaged with others in a massive global securities fraud scheme that netted proceeds of approximately $164 million.
Roger Knox, 49, pleaded guilty to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who scheduled sentencing for April 23, 2020.
Knox, with others, operated a purported asset management firm based in Switzerland called Silverton, and later renamed Wintercap. Through this business, Knox helped facilitate pump-and-dump, and other market manipulation schemes, by selling massive quantities of microcap securities on behalf of “control groups” who secretly owned the stock through nominee shareholders, and who simultaneously orchestrated promotional campaigns and other efforts to artificially inflate the price and trading volume of those shares. Knox then funneled the proceeds of the securities fraud—totaling an estimated $164 million over the last three years—to co-conspirators in the United States, and elsewhere, through a complex money transfer system that disguised the source and nature of the funds.
One security that was traded through Knox’s Silverton firm was a stock called Environmental Packaging Technologies, Inc. (“EPTI”). In June 2017, EPTI was subject to a pump-and-dump scheme using Knox’s Silverton platform. Co-defendants Matthew Ledvina and Milan Patel, knowing that EPTI stock was controlled by another co-defendant, Morrie Tobin, helped create nominee entities to hold Tobin’s stock so that it could be sold in a pump-and-dump in violation of United States securities laws. During the pump-and-dump, Knox’s Silverton platform managed to sell approximately $1.5 million worth of EPTI stock before trading was halted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Ledvina, Patel and Tobin have all pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or gross loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Boston regional office of the SEC provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen and James Drabick of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Vice President of Insys Therapeutics Sentenced for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Vice President of Managed Markets for Insys Therapeutics was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in conspiring to bribe practitioners to prescribe fentanyl-based pain medication, often when medically unnecessary.
Michael J. Gurry, 56, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 33 months in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution to be determined at a later date, and ordered to pay approximately $3.6 million in forfeiture. The government recommended a sentence of 132 months in prison. In May 2019, Gurry was convicted by a federal jury of racketeering conspiracy along with four other Insys executives.
Subsys, a drug owned and manufactured by a company called Insys Therapeutics, Inc., is a powerful, rapid-onset opioid approved to treat cancer patients suffering intense breakthrough pain. From May 2012 to December 2015, Gurry and his co-defendants conspired to bribe practitioners, many of whom operated pain clinics, in order to induce them to prescribe Insys’ fentanyl-based pain medication, Subsys, to patients, often when medically unnecessary. The drug was expensive, and while bribes paid to prescribers succeeded in generating new prescriptions, insurers were reluctant to approve payment when Subsys was prescribed for patients without cancer.
Within the criminal scheme, Gurry was responsible for creating and overseeing the Insys Reimbursement Center (IRC), which was dedicated to obtaining prior authorization for payment of Subsys prescriptions directly from insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. Beginning in October 2012, Gurry authorized employees of the IRC to lead insurers to believe that they were calling from the office of the prescriber. He also authorized the IRC employees to use a misleading script, known as “the spiel,” to trick insurers into believing that Subsys had been prescribed to the patient to treat breakthrough cancer pain, for which insurers were more likely to authorize payment. Gurry also authorized other tactics that had been found to be more successful in securing payment from insurers. This included citing a diagnosis of “dysphagia” – difficulty swallowing – even when patients were not suffering from the disorder and referencing a history of cancer to mislead insurers.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D. Acting Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs of the U.S. Food and Drug; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office; Jeffrey K. Stachowiak, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; and Thomas W. South, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the Office of Personnel Management made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Fred M. Wyshak, and David Lazarus prosecuted the case for Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
Former United States Postal Employee Sentenced to 25 Months in Federal Prison for Theft of United States Mail, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Former U.S. Postal Service employee Elizabeth Shante Brown, 29, of Panama
City, Florida, was sentenced last week to serve 25 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing and using debit cards and checks from postal customers, as well as cash from Post
Offices. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence following Brown’s guilty plea to charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of United States mail.While working for the Postal Service at locations in Okaloosa, Walton, and Holmes counties in
Florida, Brown stole postal customers’ individual and business bank checks and debit cards from the mail between March 1 and May 31, 2017. She used the stolen debit cards to purchase or attempt to purchase items of value and used the stolen checks to obtain or attempt to obtain cash. Brown was arrested after she attempted to cash one of the stolen checks at a bank in Panama City. As part of her sentence, Brown was ordered to pay restitution to the victims.“Public servants have an obligation to treat the public with respect and integrity, but this defendant tried to use her position of public trust for personal enrichment without regard to how it would hurt her innocent victims,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “This kind of flagrant violation of that trust will not be tolerated, and the result will be prison time for someone who thought she could get away with it.”
The case resulted from an investigation by the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector
General and the Panama City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney J. Ryan Love.“The sentencing serves as a strong deterrent to those attempting to abuse the Postal Service and a clear reminder that the government is vigilant, and these crimes will not be tolerated," said
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Cave, of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General
Southern Area Field Office. “The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously investigate these types of cases in order to continue to protect the sanctity of the
Postal Service.”The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attor ey’s Office, Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Former Supervisory Corrections Officer Convicted of Unlawful Force for Repeatedly Tasing Restrained DetaineeRead the Press Release
After a four-day trial on civil rights and obstruction charges, a federal jury returned a verdict for Mark Bryant, formerly a Corporal at the Cheatham County Jail in Ashland City, Tennessee. Bryant was convicted of two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, for repeatedly tasing a restrained pretrial detainee. The jury acquitted Bryant of two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of lying to the FBI.
“Correctional officers who use unlawful force and cause bodily injury to detainees will be held accountable for their illegal actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute matters that violate civil rights laws.”
“The defendant’s conduct in this case was detestable and offensive to every law enforcement officer who honors the badge,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “I want to thank the trial team and our law enforcement partners at the FBI for their outstanding efforts to ensure that this individual was brought to justice.”
“Citizens have a constitutional right to ethical treatment by employees of federal, state, and local government," said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the FBI. "This conviction should be a reminder that wearing a badge does not make one above the law. The FBI will always work to bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others."
Evidence presented at trial established that, on Nov. 5, 2016, then-Corporal Bryant repeatedly tased – for a total of 50 seconds – an eighteen-year-old pretrial detainee in a restraint chair, and then returned more than an hour later to again tase the detainee, while the detainee was compliant and fully restrained. As a result of Corporal Bryant’s unjustified uses of force, the detainee suffered bodily injury.
Sentencing will take place at a later date before U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw at which time Bryant will face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge as well as three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers of the Middle District of Tennessee’s Nashville Office and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.
Former Senior Fincen Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Unlawfully Disclose Suspicious Activity ReportsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NATALIE MAYFLOWER SOURS EDWARDS, a/k/a “Natalie Sours,” a/k/a “Natalie May Edwards,” a/k/a “May Edwards,” a former senior adviser at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), pled guilty today to conspiring to unlawfully disclose Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”). EDWARDS pled guilty before United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As she has now admitted, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a former senior-level FinCEN employee, abused her position of trust by agreeing to repeatedly disclose highly sensitive information contained in Suspicious Activity Reports. Maintaining the confidentiality of SARs, which are filed by banks and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions, is essential to permit them to serve their statutory function, and the defendant’s conduct violated the integrity of that critical system and the law.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Information, publicly available information, court filings, and statements made during the plea proceeding:
The mission of FinCEN is to “safeguard the financial system from illicit use and combat money laundering and promote national security through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities.”[1] Among other things, FinCEN manages the collection and maintenance of SARs regarding potentially suspicious financial transactions, which, under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), U.S. financial institutions and other parties are required by law to generate and deliver to FinCEN. Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, willful disclosure of a SAR or its contents by government employees or agents is a felony unless necessary to fulfill official duties.
Beginning in approximately October 2017, and lasting until her arrest in October 2018, EDWARDS agreed to and did unlawfully disclose numerous SARs to a reporter (“Reporter-1”), the substance of which were published over the course of approximately 12 articles by a news organization for which Reporter-1 worked (“News Organization-1”). The illegally disclosed SARs pertained to, among other things, Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, the Russian Embassy, Mariia Butina, and Prevezon Alexander. EDWARDS had access to each of the pertinent SARs and saved them – along with thousands of other files containing sensitive government information – to a flash drive provided to her by FinCEN. She transmitted the SARs to Reporter-1 by means that included taking photographs or images of them and texting the photographs or images to Reporter-1 over an encrypted application. In addition to disseminating SARs to Reporter-1, EDWARDS sent or described to Reporter-1 internal FinCEN emails or correspondence appearing to relate to SARs or other information protected by the BSA, and FinCEN nonpublic memoranda, including Investigative Memos and Intelligence Assessments published by the FinCEN Intelligence Division, which contained confidential personal information, business information, and/or security threat assessments.
At the time of EDWARDS’s arrest, she was in possession of a flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed SARs, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to Reporter-1.
* * *
EDWARDS, 41, of Quinton, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARs, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. EDWARDS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Woods on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Maurene R. Comey are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] www.fincen.gov/about/mission
Former Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority Commissioner Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Schemes with Vendors to Steal Funds and Accept KickbacksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former commissioner with the now-defunct Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority was sentenced today to 35 months in prison for engaging in two separate schemes to steal funds from the Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA), U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Erik Lowe, 51, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before former U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging him with one count of conspiring with Carnell Baskerville, a contractor who plead guilty in February 2018 to his role in the scheme, to commit extortion under color of official right during the period from approximately December 2014 through approximately May of 2015. He also pleaded to one count of engaging in a second scheme with another contractor to commit extortion under color of official right from approximately August of 2012 through November of 2014. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Lowe was a commissioner of the MUA from February 2009 through May 2015, during which time he exercised control over the MUA’s finances. The MUA had been created to manage the hydroelectric plant on the Passaic River in Paterson as well as to care for and manage certain surrounding properties. Lowe and Baskerville entered into an agreement whereby Lowe would approve payments from the MUA to Baskerville’s company for services purportedly rendered when both Lowe and Baskerville knew that Baskerville had not performed and would not perform any such services. Between December 2014 and May 2015, Lowe wrote a series of MUA checks totaling $146,500 to Baskerville’s company. Lowe directed Baskerville to deposit these checks into Baskerville’s bank account and to kick back to Lowe a significant percentage of this amount in cash to reward Lowe and a fellow MUA commissioner for their official assistance in carrying out the scheme.
Lowe admitted to engaging in a similar scheme between approximately August of 2012 through approximately November of 2014 with a second contractor whose company installed and repaired fences for residential homes and commercial business. Lowe admitted that initially he inflated the checks provided to this contractor substantially above the value of the jobs the contractor performed on behalf of the MUA so that the contractor could kick back thousands of dollars in cash in kickbacks to Lowe for Lowe’s official assistance in carrying out the scheme. Lowe admitted that near the end of the scheme, he was issuing checks worth thousands of dollars to the contractor knowing that no job had been or would be performed by the contractor in exchange for the checks. Lowe, in turn, accepted kickbacks totaling thousands of dollars from the contractor in exchange for these checks. Between August 2012 and November 2014, Lowe issued checks totaling $141,700 to the contractor, for which Lowe accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Lowe to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $236,400.
Baskerville pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2018 before Judge Linares to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right and to one count of conspiracy to embezzle from an organization receiving federal benefits in excess of $10,000 and was sentenced Oct. 23, 2018, to 21 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Linda Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender
Former Green Beret Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Receiving Stolen Federal FundsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, WILLIAM TODD CHAMBERLAIN , 46, of Raleigh pled guilty to Conspiracy and Receiving Stolen Government Property before United States Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank. At sentencing before Senior United States District Court Judge Malcolm J. Howard, CHAMBERLAIN faces a combined maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, mandatory restitution and forfeiture of $40,000.
Chamberlain was initially charged in an Indictment filed on June 25, 2014. CHAMBERLAIN along with four other members from the 3rd Special Forces Group based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina were indicted. According to the charging documents, CHAMBERLAIN, Cleo Autry, Jeffrey Cook, Deric Harper, and Barry Walls stole approximately $200,000 between July 2009 and January 2010 while deployed together in Afghanistan. The five soldiers’ split-team had access to various government funds. Operational funds were provided to purchase mission critical items that could not be obtained through military supply systems. Commander’s Emergency Response Funds were earmarked for humanitarian projects intended to benefit the local Afghan populace, such as public roads, schools and medical clinics. In addition, there were classified funds for Special Forces to support counterterrorism operations.
The Indictment alleged that these soldiers stole a portion of the funds and falsified receipts to conceal the amount of monies stolen. According to the investigation, all five soldiers converted stolen funds into postal money orders, which were purchased from military post offices in Afghanistan. They also sent cash to family members in the mail or carried cash back into the United States at the end of the deployment. When first approached by law enforcement, CHAMBERLAIN and the others lied. They either claimed falsely winning the cash gambling or bringing the cash with them from the United States when deployed.
The other four soldiers, Cleo Autry, Jeffrey Cook, Deric Harper, and Barry Walls, entered guilty pleas in 2014. CHAMBERLAIN, however, filed numerous pre-trial motions, claiming, among other things, that he needed access to classified information to defend himself. Judge Howard ultimately ruled against CHAMBERLAIN, concluding the classified information was not helpful to his defense.
According to the Government’s proffer, CHAMBERLAIN was the non-commissioned officer-in-charge and the team’s engineer. Since a large portion of these funds were used on building and maintaining the infrastructure of the forward operating base, CHAMBERLAIN had to know the amounts reflected on the receipts were inflated. In addition, three of his teammates would have testified that they handed him large sums of U.S. currency and saw him at the post office purchasing postal money orders.
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Our Office stands committed to routing out public corruption. Chamberlain and his teammates abused the unique trust bestowed upon them by the military as members of the Special Forces.”
John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), stated, “Theft of U.S. government funds in a war zone is a serious crime that weakens our national objectives in Afghanistan. The message of this case is loud and clear: SIGAR and our law enforcement partners will pursue justice — no matter how long it takes.”
Robert E. Craig, Jr., Special-Agent-in-Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) stated, “DCIS also stands committed to aggressively investigating corruption and theft that undermines the integrity of the Department of Defense. We hope this case demonstrates the resolve of DCIS and our law enforcement partners to protect valuable Department of Defense resources and ensure the combat readiness of our Warfighters."
SIGAR, DCIS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Army’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit conducted this multi-year investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Susan B. Menzer and Department of Justice National Security Division Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie represented the government.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Former ER Nurse Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining, Tampering with Patient DrugsRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Elet Neilson, age 53, of Layton, a former emergency room nurse who admitted to tampering with controlled substances intended for patients and diverting the drugs for her own use, will serve 60 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson imposed the sentence Monday afternoon in Salt Lake City.
As a result of the tampering and diversion, Neilson admitted infecting seven (known) patients with Hepatitis-C 2B. Hepatitis C, which is a viral disease, is primarily transmitted through blood exposure. There are different genotpyes. One variant, Hepatitis-C 2B, makes up only 8 to 10 percent of all Hepatitis C found in humans in Utah, according to the indictment filed in the case.
Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Benson to impose a sentence of 90 months. “This is more than a mistake. Punishment and general deterrence should be the driving force in fashioning a sentence today,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Pead said. Judge Benson’s sentence of 60 months was three months below the sentencing guideline range in the case of 63-78 months. The court found she abused a position of trust in imposing the sentence.
“As sad as addiction may be, it is not without victims. This case illustrates addiction’s wake of tragedy like few others,” U.S. Attorney for Utah John W. Huber said today. “At least seven unwitting and innocent victims were in vulnerable positions when the nurse defendant recklessly exposed them to, and infected them with a serious and stigmatizing disease. These convictions represent knowing and intentional conduct that went well beyond an unwise decision made amidst addiction.”
“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are not only receiving the proper treatment from those entrusted with providing their medical care, but also that they are not being placed at an increased risk of harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”
Between July 2013 and November 2014, Neilson was employed at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah. As a nurse, Neilson had access to controlled substances, including medication intended for patients in the emergency room. As a part of a plea agreement reached in September 2019, Neilson admitted that on multiple occasions, she tampered with hydromorphone and morphine, diverting the drugs for her own use.
According to the plea agreement, Neilson admitted that by tampering, diverting, and using the drugs, she acted with reckless disregard for the risk to other people, including placing people in danger of death or bodily injury, and did so under circumstances that manifested extreme indifference to that risk.
In late 2014, according to charges filed in the case, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Utah Department of Health began an investigation into a cluster of Hepatitis C 2B diagnoses in the Ogden region, which eventually focused on patients seen in the emergency room at McKay-Dee Hospital while Neilson was working there. The investigation ultimately determined that seven patients, each of whom were given intravenous opioid pain management drugs handled by Neilson before or during their administration, were infected with not only the same genotype of Hepatitis-C 2B as Neilson, but the same sub-genotype.
“Neilson, a medical professional, diverted drugs for her own use, and as a result infected her patients. For that she will rightly be punished,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas City Region. “Along with our law enforcement partners, protecting patients is our top priority.”
“When professionals in positions of trust, abuse that trust by engaging in the diversion of controlled substances, it is extremely disappointing. Anyone who deliberately diverts and tampers with controlled substances causing harm to patients, has violated their duties as a professional and will be held accountable,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Salt Lake City District Office Miguel Chino. “The charge and plea agreement in this case are the result of DEA’s continued commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and hold accountable those who participate in illegally diverting controlled substances in our communities. It also is a testament to law enforcement’s commitment to fight the illegal diversion of these drugs.”
"Medical professionals are entrusted with the care of others. Elet Neilson betrayed that trust and in turn, put her patients' health and lives at risk," said Special Agent in Charge Paul Haertel of the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office. "The FBI would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedication and persistence in a case that should serve as an example that such reckless behavior within our nation's health care system will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted."
“The mission of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) in the Utah Attorney General’s Office is to protect vulnerable individuals from harm. The victims in this case went to the hospital for treatment, trusting that they would be safe and cared for. Instead, because of the defendant’s actions, the victims came out of the hospital with life-changing diseases. The MFCU is proud to have been part of a team that brought this nurse to justice and gave a voice to each victim,” Kaye Lynn Wootton, MFCU Director, said today.
Neilson will be on supervised release for two years when she finishes her federal prison sentence. Special conditions of the supervised release include drug/alcohol and mental health treatment. She must pay a $400 special assessment fee. The court ordered Neilson to self-surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin serving the sentence no later than March 2 at noon. BOP will designate a prison in the coming weeks.
Former Cheatham County Supervisory Corrections Officer Convicted of Using Unlawful ForceRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – January 13, 2020 - After a four-day trial on civil rights and obstruction charges, a federal jury on Friday evening returned a verdict for Mark Bryant, formerly a Corporal at the Cheatham County Jail in Ashland City, Tennessee. Bryant was convicted of two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law for repeatedly using a Taser on a restrained pretrial detainee. The jury acquitted Bryant of two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of lying to the FBI.
“The defendant’s conduct in this case was detestable and offensive to every law enforcement officer who honors the badge,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “I want to thank the trial team and our law enforcement partners at the FBI for their outstanding efforts to ensure that this individual was brought to justice.”
“Correctional officers who use unlawful force and cause bodily injury to detainees will be held accountable by the Civil Rights Division,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute matters that involve the violation of our civil rights laws.”
“Citizens have a constitutional right to ethical treatment by employees of federal, state, and local government," said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "This conviction should be a reminder that wearing a badge does not make one above the law. The FBI will always work to bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others."
Evidence presented at trial established that, on Nov. 5, 2016, then-Corporal Bryant repeatedly tased – for a total of 50 seconds – an 18-year-old pretrial detainee in a restraint chair, and then returned more than an hour later to again tase the detainee, even though he was compliant and fully restrained. As a result of Bryant’s unjustified uses of force, the detainee suffered bodily injury.
Bryant will be sentenced later this year before U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each count and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers of the Middle District of Tennessee and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.
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Former Air Cargo Executive Extradited from Italy for Price-FixingRead the Press Release
Maria Christina “Meta” Ullings, the former senior vice president of cargo sales and marketing for Martinair N.V. (Martinair Cargo) and a Dutch national, was extradited from Italy, the Department of Justice announced today.
On Sept. 21, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta, Ullings was indicted for participating in a long-running worldwide conspiracy to fix prices of air cargo. A fugitive for almost 10 years, Ullings was apprehended by Italian authorities in July 2019 while visiting Sicily. Ullings initially contested extradition in the Italian courts, but after the Court of Appeals of Palermo ruled that she be extradited, she waived her appeal. She arrived in Atlanta on Jan. 10 and made her initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
“This extradition ruling by the Italian courts – the seventh country to extradite a defendant in an Antitrust Division case in recent years, and the second to do so based solely on an antitrust charge – demonstrates that those who violate U.S. antitrust laws and seek to evade justice will find no place to hide,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “The Division appreciates the cooperation of the Italian authorities in this matter. With the assistance of our law enforcement colleagues at home and around the world, the Division will aggressively pursue every avenue available in bringing price fixers to justice.”
According to the indictment, Ullings conspired with others to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing and coordinating certain surcharges, including fuel surcharges, charged to customers located in the United States and elsewhere for air cargo shipments. These air cargo shipments included heavy equipment, perishable commodities, and consumer goods destined for American consumers and shipped by American producers. Ullings is alleged to have participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as January 2001 until at least February 2006.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Including Ullings, a total of 22 airlines and 21 executives have been charged in the Justice Department’s investigation into price fixing in the air transportation industry. To date, more than $1.8 billion in criminal fines have been imposed and seven executives have been sentenced to serve prison time.
Ullings is charged with violating the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The Antitrust Division and the FBI led the United States’ extradition effort. Assistance with the extradition was provided by the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service. The investigation into the air transportation industry has been conducted by the Antitrust Division, the FBI, the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General.
Anyone with information concerning price fixing or other anticompetitive conduct is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section at 202-307-6694 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
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.
Florida man sentenced for accessing IRS system and obtaining taxpayer informationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Clinton Jean-Pierre, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 70 months incarceration for identity theft through use of a computer, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jean-Pierre, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Accessing a Computer and Obtaining Information” and one count of “Aggravated Identity Theft.” Jean-Pierre admitted to fraudulently accessing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eAuthentication online taxpayer system, which has servers located in Berkeley County, in December 2017. In order to pass IRS security protocols, Jean-Pierre admitted that he fraudulently “ported” an unknowing person’s cellular telephone number to his own phone in order to obtain the security code necessary to create an unauthorized taxpayer account. Once in the IRS eAuthentication system, Jean-Pierre admitted he gained access to a taxpayer’s tax return information which included the taxpayer’s personal identifying information.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Firearms Thief Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Dorian Trayvon Richardson, 19, of Loxley, Alabama, was sentenced on January 9, 2020 in federal court for his involvement in the burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer in Foley, Alabama. Court documents reveal that Richardson and others broke into the store and stole numerous guns. The investigation that followed resulted in his identification, and Richardson assisted federal investigators in recovering the stolen guns. Richardson entered a guilty plea to federal charges of stealing firearms from the inventory of a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of stolen firearms in July of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 11 months on each count, and ordered that the sentences run concurrently. Judge Moorer ordered that Richardson will serve a term of three years under supervised release when he is discharged from prison. The judge ordered that Richardson will pay a special assessment of $200, but the judge did not impose a fine. Richardson was ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution to the business owner.
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.