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Tuesday 19 November 2019
Springfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Shooting at a Federal Probation OfficerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for shooting at a federal probation officer.
Enrique Castaneda, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 20, 2019, Castaneda pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee with a firearm. Castaneda admitted that he fired a pistol at a federal probation officer, striking her vehicle.
The officer was driving to her office at the federal courthouse in Springfield on March 13, 2018. As she passed his vehicle parked on Walnut Street, Castaneda rolled down the driver’s side window and yelled at her. Castaneda then fired a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol at the officer, striking the rear quarter panel of her vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to a bank fraud conspiracy in which he and others used stolen mail to create dozens of counterfeit checks that they attempted to cash at area banks.
Shannon Western Fields, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from February to May 7, 2018, in Greene, Christian, Jasper, and Newton counties.
By pleading guilty today, Fields admitted that he and others stole mail from individuals and businesses in order to obtain checks and personal identity information. Conspirators purchased blank check stock and magnetic ink from office supply stores to create counterfeit checks by using the stolen checks (typically business checks) as templates. They created checks payable to the conspirators, or used stolen identity information to create counterfeit identification such as Social Security cards and Missouri driver’s licenses, to cash the checks.
In addition to Fields, 11 unidentified co-conspirators were listed as the payees on the forged and counterfeit checks. Along with Fields, they attempted to cash dozens of checks at various financial institutions in Springfield and Branson, Missouri. Many of those attempts were unsuccessful.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Fields must pay $21,279 in restitution to four banks that were victimized by the conspiracy.
Under federal statutes, Fields is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Second Mesa Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Louie Josytewa, of Second Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 27 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Josytewa was convicted of two crimes at a jury trial earlier this year: (1) Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child, and (2) Offense by a Registered Sex Offender.
In October 2016, Josytewa sexually abused the seven-year-old victim at a home on the Hopi Indian Reservation. Josytewa – an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe – had been previously convicted of a sexual offense against a nine-year-old child in 1992.
“This wasn’t Josytewa’s first time abusing a vulnerable victim, and he deserved every day of this sentence,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “Prosecuting and preventing child sexual abuse in Indian Country continues to be a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services (Hopi Agency). The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Powell and Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Rochester Man Sentenced for McDonalds and Liquor Store RobberiesRead 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 Malik Lott, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who handled the case, stated that in the early morning hours of December 28, 2018, Lott went to the McDonald’s restaurant on East Avenue in Rochester with co-defendants Lavon Wims and Juwan Baldwin. Lott and Wims entered the restaurant, and Wims held a knife to the throat of an employee. Wims then dragged the employee to the cash register—and then to the safe—and demanded money. At the same time, Lott displayed what appeared to be a handgun to another McDonald’s employee. Wims and Lott then fled the McDonald’s with the stolen cash.
On January 23, 2019, Lott went to Jordy’s Spirits on Dewey Avenue in Rochester with co-defendants Lavon Wims and Kayla Dade. Lott and Wims entered the store, and Wims pointed what appeared to be a gun at the store employee, and demanded money. Lott waited by the front door of the store, and after Wims told the employee to give them money, Lott then assisted Wims in removing cash from the register drawer. Wims and Lott then fled the store with the stolen cash.
Co-defendants Baldwin, Wims, and Dade were all previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary.
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Philadelphia Rappers and Associates of “Original Block Hustlaz” Gang Convicted for Large-Scale Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that defendants Abdul Ibrahim West, a/k/a “AR-Ab,” 37, of Brookhaven, Jamaal Blanding, a/k/a “Bionickhaz,” 38, of Philadelphia, Jameel Hickson, a/k/a “Meliano,” 41, of Philadelphia, and Hans Gadson, a/k/a “NoBrakes Bras,” 34, of Philadelphia, were convicted today at trial for conspiracy to distribute drugs and other drug trafficking crimes.
Separately but in a related case, Charles Salley, a/k/a “Dark Lo,” a/k/a “Ron Harvey,” 37, of Clayton, Delaware, was arrested last week and charged by complaint with witness tampering during the trial.
Conviction at Trial
The evidence at trial showed that defendants West, Blanding, Hickson and Gadson ran a violent drug trafficking organization from at least March 2017 until June 2018. Although they purported to be rap music artists and associates of a local music label and group known as the “Original Block Hustlaz,” or “O.B.H.”, these defendants made money distributing cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin in and around Philadelphia. The organization was led by West, who purchased bulk drugs, distributed the drugs, and ordered acts of murder and violence in furtherance of the organization’s drug trafficking. Additionally, Blanding and Hickson imported drugs from California, while Gadson and Blanding distributed the drugs throughout Philadelphia.
Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. The defendants maintained four separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization. In May 2018, agents executed a search warrant on one of the properties and seized ten kilograms of cocaine and five pounds of methamphetamine.
Each of the defendants now faces a maximum of life in prison under federal law.
New Charge of Witness Tampering
The complaint against defendant Salley alleges that on November 6, 2019, a cooperating witness in the above-referenced trial received a threatening letter from Salley under the pen name “Ron Harvey,” a pseudonym Salley has used in various rap songs. The complaint further alleges that Salley, who also goes by the stage name “Dark Lo,” threatened physical violence against the cooperating witness and others if the witness testified at trial against Salley’s O.B.H. associates.
On November 13, 2019, United States Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski detained Salley pending trial in this matter.
If convicted, Salley faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
“West and his co-defendants, members of the O.B.H. drug organization, pumped huge quantities of deadly drugs into our community while pretending to be legitimate artists and businessmen,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Drug trafficking is an inherently dangerous business, and drug traffickers ultimately deliver violence and destruction to our communities without any regard for the people living there. Our Office is determined to do exactly what we did in this case: investigate and convict these dangerous criminals and put them in prison.”
“Furthermore, witness intimidation has no place in the criminal justice system and will be dealt with swiftly and harshly,” continued U.S. Attorney McSwain. “As alleged in a criminal complaint, an associate of O.B.H. attempted to intimidate a witness during the trial and is now behind bars, where he will remain pending trial.”
“West and his crew transported illegal narcotics across the country to push here on our streets,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “They used violence to maintain their hold on their drug territory, in order to keep the cash rolling in. The FBI and our partners on the Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force are determined to dismantle dangerous trafficking operations like this and bring those involved to justice, as we push every day to make this city safer.”
The “O.B.H.” case is part of the FBI’s Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, a program through which all of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies collaboratively address the violent crime plaguing communities. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Timothy Stengel.
The Salley case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio man admits to his role in cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Diego L. Hansard, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a cocaine and heroin distribution operation that spanned two states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hansard, also known as “Rico,” age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Maintaining a Drug-involved Premises.” Hansard admitted to maintain a place at 4335 Jacob Street, Wheeling, West Virginia, to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin from April 2018 to September 2018 in Ohio County.
Hansard 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. Attorneys Stephen L. Vogrin and Danae DeMasi-Lemon are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The investigation was led by the Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department. Those assisting in the arrests are the United States Marshal Service; Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department; and the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
NDTX Round-Up November 19Read the Press Release
SENTENCING - Michael Webb
On November 14, Michael Webb, 51, was sentenced to life in federal prison for the kidnapping of an 8 year old girl in Fort Worth. Webb took the child from her mother’s arms in May of 2018 and held her captive for hours in a hotel room. To read more about this case, please click here. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit Taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The case was prosecuted by US Attorney Erin Nealy Cox and AUSA Aisha Saleem.
SENTENCING - Marco Antonio Duran Gaona
On Novmeber 14, Marco Antonio Duran Gaona, 32, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal custody for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Duran Gaona was also ordered to forfeit $21,980 that was determined to be proceeds of drug trafficking. Duran Gaona was the passenger in a vehicle that contained approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine. Agents subsequently searched Duran Gaona’s residence, and located an additional 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 kilograms of heroin, packing materials and a scale. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Dallas Police Department and was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
SENTENCING - Edgard Jose Sanabria-Carballo
On November 14, Edgard Jose Sanabria-Carballo, 30, was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in federal custody for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Sanabria-Carballo was observed at the Tornado Bus Station in Dallas, Texas. Officers received permission to search his luggage inside the terminal. During the search officers found approximately 8.038 kilograms of a substance that tested positive for cocaine. Sanabria-Carballo was then arrested. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dallas Police Department and was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
GUILTY PLEA – Kyle Daniel Pearcy
On November 12, Kyle Daniel Pearcy, 26, pled guilty to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. Pearcy knowingly aimed a laser pointer at a helicopter operated by the Dallas Police Department after midnight in August 2019. He aimed the laser pointer five times for short bursts totaling 13 seconds, causing crew members to squint their eyes to protect their vision. The case record labeled this case as a “knuckleheaded act of stupidity.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and is prosecuted by AUSA John de la Garza.
SENTENCING – Jordan Rotenberry
On November 14, Jordan Rotenberry was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in federal custody for conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Rotenberry obtained devices such as stolen debit and credit cards with which he purchased goods and services at hotels across the Dallas, TX area. Rotenberry and his coconspirators possessed approximately 695 unauthorized and counterfeit access devices during a 5 month period, which they obtained through chat rooms, the dark web, and Facebook messages. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Colleyville Police Department and was prosecuted by AUSA Ryan Raybould.
Montgomery Woman Receives 77-Month Sentence for Wire Fraud Scheme Involving Alabama Power BillsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Monday, November 18, 2019, a Montgomery, Alabama resident, Marie Antoinette Bozeman, 40, received a 77-month sentence following her conviction for orchestrating a wire fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Bozeman’s scheme involved the use of fraudulent debit card numbers to pay utility bills.
According to court records, Bozeman would falsely hold herself out as an Alabama Power employee or a close associate of an employee, and offer to pay the utility bills of individuals in exchange for an amount of cash that was less than they actually owed. Once she received the utility bill information and the money, Bozeman would pay using Alabama Power’s pay-by-telephone bill payment system. The investigation revealed that Bozeman discovered a way to exploit the bill payment system by using random debit card information. Records show that Bozeman attempted to fraudulently pay more than $300,000 in other persons’ utility bills. Alabama Power discovered the fraud before all of the transactions were applied and has taken measures to prevent this type of exploitation in the future.
A hearing is scheduled in January 2020 to determine the amount of restitution Bozeman will be ordered to pay.
The United States Secret Service and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross.
Montgomery County Man Charged with String of Gunpoint Robberies of Local BusinessesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Tyson Blount, 35, of Abington, PA was arrested and charged by Indictment with four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The Indictment alleges that the defendant, along with a still un-identified accomplice, robbed four Montgomery County businesses at gunpoint between October 27 and December 20, 2018. The victim businesses included two tobacco shops, a Metro PCS cell phone store, and a Dairy Queen.
“As alleged, Blount’s complete disregard for others’ safety is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The employees of these stores were simply doing their jobs, while the defendant is accused of terrorizing them so that he could steal the relatively small amounts of cash they had on hand. My Office is committed to punishing and deterring this type of senseless violence.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, and Abington Police Departments, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mille Lacs Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison for Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of TYRONE JAMES NELSON, 39, to 77 months in prison for his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy that targeted the Mille Lakes Indian Reservation and the surrounding communities. NELSON and his seven co-defendants were charged in a 10-count indictment on February 13, 2019. NELSON pleaded guilty on July 19, 2019, and was sentenced today before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to his guilty plea and documents filed in court, between December 2017 and May 2018, NELSON obtained heroin from individuals in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then transported it to communities in and surrounding the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. NELSON, who was the main source and distributor of heroin in the Mille Lacs area, befriended enrolled Mille Lacs members and utilized their homes to operate his business.
This case is the result of an investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
TYRONE JAMES NELSON, 39
City of residence unknown
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 77 months in prison
- Four years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Marijuana User Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
An illegal user of controlled substances who unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced today to nearly two years in federal prison.
Torey Dunn, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2019, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm.
Information at sentencing showed that on August 2, 2018, Dunn was a passenger in a car that was stopped shortly after midnight by the Waterloo Police Department. As the car stopped, Dunn and another man got out of the car and ran in separate directions. Officers chased Dunn and caught him. Officers also found a loaded 9mm handgun in the bushes along the path Dunn ran. Dunn told officers he had the gun for protection. Dunn admitted he smoked marijuana and he tested positive for marijuana.
Dunn was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Dunn was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Dunn 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cr-2009.
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Man Found Guilty of Mailing Threatening Letters to New Hampshire Residents from PrisonRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Matthew Oliver, 38, formerly of Everett, Massachusetts, was found guilty of two counts of mailing threatening communications, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made during a jury trial yesterday, Oliver mailed the threatening communications while incarcerated at the Onondaga County Justice Center in Syracuse, New York in 2017. In January of 2017, Oliver mailed a letter to a home in New Hampshire that contained a threat to injure the woman who lived in the home. While still incarcerated at the facility in April of 2017, the defendant mailed another letter to the home that contained a threat to assault the woman’s daughter.
Oliver is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2020.
“The verdicts in this case are supported by evidence of horrible threats of violence the defendant directed to two innocent women,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This type of activity must be deterred and I am grateful to the law enforcement agencies who investigated this case for their diligent efforts to bring the defendant to justice. We take threats of violence very seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute those who use threats of violence to frighten citizens of the Granite State.”
"There are healthy, lawful avenues for coping with grudges, bitterness and misplaced blame. Terrorizing an innocent family with unsolicited mail espousing the occult, while threatening unspeakable acts of violent retribution, is not one of them," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "Threatening letters, whether mailed from prison or a neighborhood post office, will be met with a coordinated response that will ensure people like Matthew Oliver are held accountable for their hateful words."
The Seabrook New Hampshire Police Department, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
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Lexington Laboratory Agrees to Pay $2.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Urine Drug Testing ServicesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – LabTox, LLC, a clinical laboratory in Lexington, has agreed to pay $2,101,335 to resolve civil allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, a federal law that prohibits submitting false or fraudulent claims to the federal government.
The allegations relate to urine drug testing services LabTox provided to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries. According to the settlement agreement, from January 2014 to March 2015, LabTox billed Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid for qualitative urine drug screens completed by a high complexity method. The United States alleged that these claims were false because LabTox misrepresented the complexity of its testing method: the method was actually low complexity, not high complexity, as LabTox claimed. By billing the screens as high complexity, LabTox secured higher reimbursements to which it was not entitled.
The United States further alleged that LabTox billed Medicare for specimen validity testing, a quality control process used to analyze a urine specimen to ensure that it has not been diluted or adulterated. Since January 2014, Medicare’s guidance has been explicit that specimen validity testing should not be separately billed to Medicare. The United States alleged that LabTox nonetheless submitted claims to Medicare for specimen validity testing during the period January 2014 to February 2016.
“Millions of Americans count on the medical benefits they receive from the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” said Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Ensuring that improper billing practices and payments do not deplete the limited resources available to these health care programs is absolutely critical. We will continue to combat inappropriate billing of claims and endeavor to protect the critical resources of these taxpayer-funded programs. That truly benefits us all.”
In addition to agreeing to pay the $2,101,335 settlement amount, LabTox also entered into an Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Integrity Agreement requires, among other things, that LabTox appoint a Chief Clinical Officer to oversee issues related to clinical decision-making, ensure that requisition forms provide clarity about medical reasonableness and necessity and programmatic payment amounts, and retain an Independent Review Organization to conduct quarterly claims reviews.
“LabTox allegedly sent false and fraudulent bills to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid. Such actions could drain critically-needed resources from these taxpayer-funded health plans,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The OIG’s settlement in the LabTox case is designed to ensure such alleged behavior will not be repeated.”
The matter arose from an affirmative investigation following a tip reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hotline. The United States encourages anyone with information about potential fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of Medicare or Medicaid funds to contact the hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). False Claims Act allegations can also be brought under the qui tam provisions of the Act, which encourage whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any financial recovery.
The investigation was conducted by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Corndorf.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Leesburg Resident Sentenced to More than 12 ½ Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor Online to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida and Chief John Bolduc of the Port St. Lucie Police Department announced that Jonathan Anthony Mahowald, 39, of Leesburg, Florida was sentenced to more than twelve and a half years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor, online, to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Mahowald was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra to a total of 152 months in prison, followed by 30 years supervised release for Attempted Use of a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade, Induce, Entice, or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity (Case No. 18-CR-14072-KAM). Upon his release from prison, Mahowald will also have to register as a sex offender.
According to the court record, on July 6, 2018, a Port St. Lucie Police Department Detective was investigating undercover computer crimes against children. Between July 6, 2018 and July 17, 2018, the detective, posing as a 14-year-old girl, responded to an internet advertisement Mahowald had posted. During the course of text and online communications Mahowald, discussed sexually explicit activity he wished to engage in with the “14-year old.” In addition, Mahowald sent sexually explicit images to the person he believed was a minor. On the morning of July 17, 2019, Mahowald set up a meeting with the “14 year old” to meet at a restaurant in Port. St Lucie. Upon his arrival, Mahowald was arrested by members of the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the Port St. Lucie Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Laurel Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Committing Five Armed Robberies of Pharmacies in Howard, Anne Arundel, and Prince George’s CountiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Jawanza Kevin Carter, age 22, of Laurel, Maryland, to 272 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for robbery involving controlled substances, and for carrying and brandishing of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with the armed robbery or attempted armed robbery of five pharmacies and the theft of tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of opioids. The sentence was imposed late on November 15, 2019.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
“Criminals who are not deterred from carrying guns by the threat of prison time can be deterred by the reality of years spent in a federal prison far from home,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Police and prosecutors are working to remove armed criminals from our communities. Jawanza Carter, who is 22 years old, used a gun to rob pharmacies. Carter will now serve the next 22 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns. You may save a life, including your own.”
According to Carter’s plea agreement, between May 5 and November 29, 2017, Carter and his co-conspirator Arthur Prince participated in five armed robberies of pharmacies. In each robbery, Carter pointed a gun at the clerk, and Carter and Prince demanded opioid narcotics such as Oxycodone, OxyContin, Percocet, and Codeine. In most of the robberies, Carter and Prince also stole money from the cash register and/or robbed the clerk.
Specifically, Carter admitted that he robbed: the Howard Pharmacy in Columbia, Maryland on May 5, 2017; the Lorven Pharmacy in Laurel on June 19, 2017; the Pasadena Pharmacy in Pasadena, Maryland on August 25, 2017; and the Annapolis Professional Pharmacy in Annapolis, Maryland on November 29, 2017. Carter and Prince also attempted to rob the Pace Wellness Pharmacy in Pasadena on August 25, 2017, but were not able to steal narcotics when the clerk didn’t know where the drugs were located. Instead, Carter and Prince stole $180 from the cash register and robbed the clerk of her purse, which contained $50 in cash and credit cards, among other things.
In each robbery, cell-site records showed that Carter’s phone was in the immediate area of the pharmacy at the time of the robbery, and his DNA was found on a reusable shopping bag left by the robbers at the Howard Pharmacy and on a mask Carter wore during the Annapolis Professional Pharmacy robbery that law enforcement later recovered. In addition, law enforcement recovered Carter’s fingerprints on one of the getaway vehicles used by the robbers, and text messages between Carter and Prince concerning one of the robberies. Photos from Carter’s Snapchat account also appear to reflect large purchases in the days and weeks after some of the robberies, including luxury items from Gucci, a gold watch, and designer tennis shoes.
Prince was arrested after the robbery on November 29, 2017, in Odenton, Maryland, not far from where law enforcement located the stolen narcotics. Carter was arrested at the home of his girlfriend in Laurel. Searches executed at locations associated with Carter recovered three boxes of .40-caliber ammunition, a gun cleaning kit and related items, and an empty handgun carrying case with a clip in it.
After his arrest and while he was detained, Carter attempted to obstruct justice. In recorded jail calls, Carter instructed his girlfriend to get rid of a bag used in connection with one of the robberies, which she did. On December 4, 2017, Carter coached his girlfriend on what to say to law enforcement about two vehicles used in the robberies that were titled and registered to her. Carter told his girlfriend to tell law enforcement that one of the cars is a “family and friends car,” and that she drove the other vehicle.
Co-conspirator Arthur Raymond Prince, age 20, of Laurel Maryland, was previously sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting robbery involving controlled substances, and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with the armed robberies of five pharmacies.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Brandon K. Moore, who prosecuted the case.
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Lady Lake Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Pornography of 6-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced Brian Alan Jones (37, Lady Lake) today to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Jones had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2019.
According to court records, Jones produced sexually explicit images of a 6-year-old girl who was under his supervision. He took explicit photographs of the victim on his cellphone and sent them to an undercover officer posing as a pedophile.
Jones also admitted to sending another undercover officer sexually explicit videos depicting young children having sexual intercourse with adult men. Jones’s cellphone was later found to contain more than 100 images of the child victim and over 70 images of other child pornography or child erotica.
“The crimes committed by this child predator are beyond comprehension,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “HSI special agents, with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have ensured this criminal will no longer be able to sexually abuse children and we hope this brings a small measure of closure to his victim.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kokomo members of drug trafficking organization convicted by juryRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that Michael O’Bannon, 35, Michael Jones, 37, Jason Reed, 50, and Shaun Myers, 37, all from Kokomo, Indiana, were convicted on drug trafficking, firearms charges and money laundering, following a three-week jury trial, in the federal court in Indianapolis, before U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
Defendant Michael O’Bannon was also convicted of conspiring to commit a murder for hire, as charged in the indictment. The drug trafficking organization believed that the intended victim posed a risk to the organization as a suspected informant.
“Kokomo is a much safer community today following the rendering of a guilty verdict in this jury trial,” said Minkler. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to dismantle drug trafficking organizations responsible for bringing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other dangerous drugs into our communities and we will hold those individuals involved accountable.”
Reggie Balentine was the leader of the distribution conspiracy, with Pierre Riley being his source of supply operating from Macon, Georgia, and bringing controlled substances into Kokomo. Balentine worked with Perry Jones and others to distribute controlled substances, while Kristin Kinney stored the controlled substances and helped count the proceeds. Balentine sold the controlled substances to Michael Jones, Jason Reed, Deshoun Everhart, Michael O’Bannon and Derrick Owens for redistribution.
Over 17 pounds of methamphetamine, over two pounds of cocaine, two ounces of heroin, 122 grams of fentanyl, six ounces of marijuana, two money counters, 12 vehicles, $37,000 and 24 firearms were confiscated during the execution of several search warrants, served at 13 difference locations in Kokomo and in the Macon, Georgia area on May 1, 2018.
The following defendants previously pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and are awaiting sentencing:
Pierre Riley, 51, Macon, Ga.
Reggie Balentine, 42, Kokomo, Ind.
Kristin Kinney, 40, Kokomo, Ind.
Deshoun Everhart, 41, Warsaw, Ind.
Perry Jones, 44, Kokomo, Ind.
Melissa Baird, 40, Kokomo, Ind.
Bradley Clark, 36, Kokomo, IN
Derrick Owens, 38, Terre Haute, Ind.
Thomas Jones, 24, Kokomo, Ind.
Patricia Acord, 60, Kokomo, Ind., pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced in a related case on December 13, 2018 to 46 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release.
Diondre Jones, 26, Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and being a felon in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. Jones was sentenced by separate proceeding on January 10, 2019 to 117 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Antwon Abbott, 40, Kokomo, Ind., charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is set for a November 25, 2019 bench trial.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Kokomo Police Department, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Howard County Prosecutor’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshal Service, Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department, Vigo County Drug Task Force, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Miami County Prosecutor’s Office, Terre Haute Police Department, Warsaw Police Department, Indiana National Guard Counter Drug, and the Howard County Sheriff’s Department.
“The guilty verdict for members of the Reggie Balentine, drug trafficking organization was justice for the fine citizens of Kokomo,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “This organization was one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations ever to operate in Kokomo. They used violence, fear and intimidation as a platform to feed their illegal activities. The dismantlement of this organization allows the citizens of Kokomo to sleep better and puts all drug dealers on notice that DEA and their state, local and federal counterparts will utilize all resources available to hold violent offenders accountable. DEA thanks the Kokomo Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work.”
“On behalf of the Kokomo Police Department, we would like to thank our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, AUSA Michelle Brady, and all of the law enforcement agencies who participated in the investigation of Operation Law and Order,” said Captain Tonda Cockrell of the Kokomo Police Department. “This extensive investigation was invaluable to disrupting the Domestic Drug Trafficking Organization of Reggie Balentine, and his associates, here in Kokomo, Indiana.”
“These guilty verdicts demonstrate IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to working with the United States Attorney’s Office and our partner agencies to dismantle drug trafficking organizations”, said Kathy A. Enstrom, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI is proud to contribute our financial expertise to this investigation which has had a direct impact on the safety of the Kokomo community.”
“The successful outcome of this investigation highlights the diligent efforts of Postal Inspectors and their various law enforcement partners as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service continues to pursue traffickers of all narcotics,” said Ed Gallashaw, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Detroit Division. “The Inspection Service’s goal is to inhibit the spread of illegal substances and protect postal employees and customers from violence related to drug trafficking. The excellent teamwork demonstrated throughout the investigation to identify and dismantle this particular drug trafficking organization has brought us closer to that goal and consequently made Kokomo a safer place to live, work, and play. ”
“The Kokomo community deserves to be able to go about their lives without fear of violence,” said Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our partners at all levels of government to work together to make Kokomo safer for all of us.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle P. Brady and Jeremy A. Morris, who prosecuted this case for the government, Michael O’Bannon, Michael Jones, Jason Reed and Shaun Myers all face up to life imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals bringing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin into our communities. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 3.3.
KC Man Involved in Fatal Shooting Sentenced for Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was involved in a fatal shooting during a drug deal was sentenced in federal court today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.
Orval L. Johnson, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 in federal prison without parole.
On April 30, 2019, Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing cocaine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
Johnson admitted that he sold cocaine to an undercover detective with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department on three separate occasions in 2017. During the third drug transaction, Johnson was armed with a loaded Glock .357-caliber pistol with an extended magazine. Johnson told the undercover detective that someone recently tried to rob him and threatened to kill him and his girlfriend. “I had to kill (him),” Johnson said, “I blew half his … face off.” Johnson repeatedly bragged to the undercover detective about the killing that occurred four days earlier.
According to court documents, Johnson was referring to a homicide investigation in the Knob Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. Co-defendant Latasha M. Alexander, 27, falsely claimed that a man, identified in court documents as “R.B.,” came to her residence on March 9, 2017, to smoke marijuana and tried to rape her. She told law enforcement officers that R.B. fired a shot at her, then she shot and killed him in self-defense. Investigators believed her lie, according to court documents, until Johnson bragged about the killing to the undercover detective.
Alexander later admitted that she falsely reported the attempted rape in order to conceal Johnson’s drug-trafficking offense. Alexander pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison without parole.
Johnson and Alexander admitted that R.B. came to their apartment to purchase cocaine. He attempted to rob Johnson, and a struggle ensued. Johnson yelled at Alexander to grab the gun; she retrieved a firearm and shot R.B., who then attacked her. Johnson grabbed the gun and shot R.B. several times, killing him. According to court documents, both Johnson and Alexander consistently claimed self-defense, which is not refuted by the physical evidence at the scene.
Johnson was arrested on March 14, 2017. The day after his admission to the undercover detective, the undercover detective contacted Johnson to arrange for the purchase of 3.5 grams of cocaine for $170. Johnson was arrested when he left a nearby residence on his way to conduct the drug transaction. He had a Glock .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported as stolen, in his right front pants pocket and 3.39 grams of cocaine in his left coat pocket.
Johnson admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been making deliveries of cocaine five to 10 times a day, every day since November 2016. Johnson said he had been using about a gram of cocaine a day since November of 2016.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Caine. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Joplin Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.
Kevin Wilson, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wilson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On May 30, 2019, Wilson pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Wilson uploaded multiple images of child pornography to his Instagram account, which triggered a CyberTipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence on April 2, 2018, and seized a computer and compact discs that contained child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Jefferson County man sentenced for cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joroy Nigel Twyman, of Ranson, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for distributing cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Twyman, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base” in August 2019. Twyman admitted to distributing cocaine base in April 2017 in Jefferson County.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jamaican Citizen Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud United States CitizensRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Darryl Cleon Forbes (26), a Jamaican citizen, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, between 2015 and 2017, Forbes participated in a fraudulent sweepstakes scheme, originating in Jamaica, which targeted victims throughout the United States, many of whom were elderly, and falsely informed them that they had won a significant cash prize in a sweepstakes contest. In order to carry out the scheme, Forbes and his co-conspirators called victims and posed as federal law enforcement agents. The conspirators advised the victims that in order to collect their prize, they first had to pay taxes and fees amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Over the course of this conspiracy, Forbes and others collected between $2.5 and $3.5 million from their victims.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.
Individual Indicted and Arrested for Illegally Producing and Shipping Adulterated and Misbranded Animal Drugs Without A LicenseRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 14, 2019, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against Rubén Vázquez-Díaz, charging him with three counts each of introducing misbranded animal drugs; introducing adulterated animal drugs; mail fraud; and wire fraud; and one count of being a drug user in possession of a weapon and ammunition, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations is in charge of the investigation.
Defendant Vázquez-Díaz, with intent to defraud and mislead, did introduce or deliver, or caused to be introduced or delivered, into interstate commerce, an animal drug, namely Blue Magic Formula (BMF), that was misbranded and adulterated, in that the animal drug’s labeling was false and misleading in stating that “BMF contains FDA approved ingredients,”and was unsafe. According to the indictment, the defendant sent shipments of the adulterated animal drugs to Mandeville, Louisiana on December 23, 2016; and to Plantation, Florida on July 19, 2017 and October 10, 2019.
Vázquez-Díaz was charged with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341 (mail fraud) for using the United States Postal Service to ship the Blue Magic Formula and Title 18, United States Code, § 1343 (wire fraud) for receiving payments for the shipments of the Blue Magic Formula. On or about May 8, 2019 the defendant, knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance did knowingly possess a firearm and ammunition, that is, one Beretta Model 84 .380 caliber pistol, two 13-round capacity magazines, and 91 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, said firearm and ammunition having been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
“The law requires that drugs, for people as well as for animals, be produced and branded under the most rigorous of quality standards. When individuals fail to exercise the vigilance that the law demands, they will held be accountable,” said United States Attorney, W. Stephen Muldrow.
“American pet owners rely on FDA oversight to ensure that the drugs their pets receive are safe, effective, and labeled truthfully and accurately,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin D. Green, FDA-Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of FDA’s commitment to pursuing and bringing to justice those who ignore the law by manufacturing and distributing misbranded and adulterated animal drugs.”
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendant faces a minimum sentence of one (1) year, and up to twenty (20) years in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Imperial Gangsters Gang Member Sentenced to 300 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Luis Allen Perez, 29, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip Simon to 300 months in prison and three years of supervised release following his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit racketeering activity as a member of the Imperial Gangsters, providing firearms to a felon, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Perez conspired to participate in racketeering activity as a member of the Imperial Gangsters street gang in East Chicago, Indiana. At a contested sentencing hearing, Judge Simon found Perez responsible for the June 17, 2016, East Chicago murder of Manuel Martinez and the attempted murder of another individual in furtherance of racketeering activity in East Chicago. In addition, in February 2016, Perez provided three firearms to a previously convicted felon in Hammond, Indiana. In March 2016, in Hammond, Perez was arrested in possession of marijuana, which he intended to distribute, and another firearm.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents. This case is being prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Caitlin M. Padula.
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House Painting Company Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Illegal Removal of Lead PaintRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Tyler C. Amon, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in New England, announced that COLLEGIATE ENTREPRENEURS, INC., a Massachusetts-based house painting company, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to violating the Toxic Substances Control Act and subsequently falsifying records.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Collegiate Entrepreneurs, Inc., LLC, of Braintree, Massachusetts, provides house-painting services in Connecticut and other New England states. Some of the houses painted by Collegiate Entrepreneurs in 2015 contained lead-based paint. For those jobs, the company was subject to the lead-based paint requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule.
Under the RRP Rule, Collegiate Entrepreneurs was required to ensure that its certified renovators complied with provisions governing training and supervision of painters, post-renovation cleaning, physical presence on-site, and preparation of required records. The company was also responsible for ensuring that all renovation activities were performed in compliance with RRP Rule work practice standards governing occupant protection, containment of the work area, prohibited and restricted practices, waste from renovations, cleanup of the work area, and post-renovation cleaning verification. Collegiate Entrepreneurs knowingly failed to ensure such compliance by its renovators during the 2015 painting season.
On October 13, 2015, in response to a federal grand jury subpoena, an employee of Collegiate Entrepreneurs produced records for 12 painting jobs in Connecticut that involved lead-based paint. Included in the production were records that appeared to have been prepared and signed by certified renovators to document that RRP Rule work practice standards and training requirements had been met at each lead paint job. Records for at least 10 of the 12 jobs were false. The signatures of the certified renovators were forged and the records falsely represented that the jobs were performed in compliance with the RRP Rule.
Collegiate Entrepreneurs pleaded guilty to one count of falsification of records, which carries a maximum penalty of a $500,000 fine and five years of probation, and one count of violating the Toxic Substances Control Act, which carries a maximum penalty of a $200,000 fine and five years of probation.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny.
As part of the plea agreement, Collegiate Entrepreneurs and the government have agreed that a fine of $50,000 and a term of probation of five years is reasonable in this case.
Collegiate Entrepreneurs also will pay $30,000 in restitution to a victim homeowner in West Hartford, Connecticut, and will pay restitution to any other Connecticut victims with legally sufficient claims related to the improper removal of lead paint from their homes.
Collegiate Entrepreneurs has represented to the government that it is no longer engaged, and will not engage, in projects that involve the remediation of lead paint and are subject to the RRP Rule.
“Collegiate Entrepreneurs purposely violated the requirements of safely removing lead from homes and in doing risked the health of families whose houses were being renovated,” said EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge Amon. “EPA remains focused on holding accountable companies and individuals that cut corners and fail to put public health and safety first.”
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Hollywood Resident Sentenced to 55 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Colin McLean, 29, of Hollywood, Florida was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to fifty-five years in federal prison for producing child pornography of an infant and 7 year old child, and possessing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Chief Chris O’Brien of the Hollywood Police Department made the announcement.
McLean previously pled guilty to an indictment which charged him with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court records, in January of 2018 and continuing through January 2019, McLean sexually abused an infant and 7 year old child. McLean recorded the abuse by taking photos and videos, which he saved on his cell phone. In addition to those images and videos, law enforcement recovered images and videos of other child pornography on McLean’s cell phone.
The FBI Miami’s Child Exploitation Task Force investigated this case in partnership with the Hollywood Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi L. Anton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 69 Months in Prison for Gang-Related Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that HECTOR SANTIAGO, also known as “Bebo,” 25, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 69 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division into the trafficking of narcotics and associated violence in Hartford’s South End by members and associates of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation (“Latin Kings”). The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that two alleged members of the Latin Kings operated separate drug trafficking organizations that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. The organizations used multiple locations to process, package, store and distribute narcotics, and possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. Santiago, who used an apartment at 876 Broad Street to store narcotics, distributed fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine in the area of Broad Street and Park Street in Hartford.
The investigation also revealed that Santiago possessed firearms and was involved in acts of violence. On June 10, 2018, City of Hartford surveillance cameras captured Santiago pistol-whipping a victim.
Santiago was arrested on July 6, 2018. At the time of his arrest, a search of an apartment on Marshall Street where Santiago was residing revealed a loaded .40 caliber handgun.
Santiago has been detained since his arrest. On April 18, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and Shooting Task Force have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Harrison County Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Darrell Lee Bradshaw, 51, of Harrison County, pled guilty yesterday before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to failure to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and U.S. Marshal Mark Shepherd.
On November 13, 2015, Bradshaw was released from prison in Oregon as a Tier III Sex Offender who has a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender. He has acknowledged his continuing requirement to register as a sex offender, and to keep his registration current wherever he resides. Bradshaw moved from Oregon to Mississippi in 2016, and was essentially living as a homeless person in or near Harrison County. He did not notify state officials, as was required of him, when he left the State of Oregon and had not registered as a sex offender in the State of Mississippi. On November 9, 2016, a no bail/limited extradition warrant for Bradshaw's arrest was issued in the State of Oregon, for Parole Violation on his earlier sex abuse conviction.
Bradshaw’s continuing residence in Mississippi was documented by other records including an arrest on unrelated charges by the Ocean Springs Police Department in Jackson County in 2017, and arrests on unrelated charges by the Biloxi Police Department in 2017 and 2018. Following his arrest in October 2018, Bradshaw was incarcerated in the Harrison County Adult Detention Facility, and a Harrison County Sheriff’s Office sex offender registration coordinator, together with the US Marshal’s Service, investigated Bradshaw’s failure to register as a sex offender.
Bradshaw is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guirola on February 12, 2020, in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. Law enforcement records document that Bradshaw also has been known by the following names or name variations: Darrell Lee Sawyer and Albert Duncan Sawyer.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, law enforcement officials in the State of Oregon, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Biloxi Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.
Hardy County man sentenced to nine years for fentanyl and methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dennis James Miller, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 108 months incarceration for his involvement in a fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Miller, age 50, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl” in August 2019. Miller admitted to distributing more than 64 grams of fentanyl and more than 69 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine from January to June 2019 in Grant County and elsewhere.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, West Virginia State Police, and the Charles Town Police Department investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Grant County man sentenced for methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jared Judy, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 48 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Judy, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in August 2019. Judy admitted to distributing more than 69 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine in May 2019 in Berkeley County.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, West Virginia State Police, and the Charles Town Police Department investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
General Manager of Columbus Home Health Care Agency Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Columbus businessman pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers of the Southern District of Ohio.
According to information provided in court, Abdikarim Abdirahman, 57, was the general manager of Diversity Home Health Care (Diversity), a home health care agency operating in Columbus and Springfield, Ohio. After obtaining personal identifying information of several individuals, Abdirahman created and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documentation fraudulently indicating that Diversity had hired and paid those individuals. From 2009 through 2012, Abdirahman provided this false information to Diversity’s tax return preparer, representing that Diversity paid those individuals hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation and that these payments were deductible to Diversity as business expenses. In addition, Abdirahman caused these sham employees to falsely report on their individual tax returns that they had received income from Diversity, to claim credits, and to request refunds from the IRS. In total, Abdirahman’s conduct caused a tax loss of more than $540,000.
U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus will set sentencing at a later date. Abdirahman faces up to three years in prison and one year of supervised release, as well as monetary penalties and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney DeVillers thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Thomas Voracek and William Guappone of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the Division’s website.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Shawn Norman, age 60, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin, a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Norman was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in November 2013, Norman sold 125 grams of heroin to a confidential informant. Norman was found by the Court to be a career offender, as he had two prior drug trafficking convictions in federal court out of Michigan and Indiana.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Safe Streets and Gang Task Force, whose members include the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 262 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Jose Razo, age 46, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of methamphetamine and a 1 kilogram of heroin, and distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Razo was sentenced to 262 months in prison with no supervision to follow, as he will be deported upon completion of his term of incarceration.
According to documents in this case, from January 2015 through July 2016, Razo was part of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Razo led this drug trafficking conspiracy which involved co-defendants, Carlos Silva-Ponce, Alan Chiprez-Garcia, Marco Garcia, Samuel Gemple and Patricia Quinones who have already been sentenced.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Safe Streets and Gang Task Force, whose members include the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Allen County Drug Task Force. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Geller and Stacy Speith.
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Former Warren County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Receiving and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Warren County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 168 months of prison for receiving and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Derrick Baer, 36, formerly of Pohatcong, New Jersey, was convicted April 9, 2019, of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In May 2010, in connection with an investigation into a suspicious death at Baer’s residence, law enforcement obtained Baer’s consent to seize computer equipment from the residence. That equipment contained at least 348 images and 33 video files of child sexual abuse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Baer to lifetime supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the Pohatcong Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Robb; the N.J. Regional Computer Forensics Lab; and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Richard T. Burke, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Feder, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit in Newark.
Former Premium Point Investments Trader Jeremy Shor Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison Following Conviction at Trial for Securities Mismarking SchemeRead the Press Release
Audrey Strauss, the Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced that JEREMY SHOR, a former trader at Premium Point Investments L.P. (“PPI”), was sentenced to 40 months in prison in connection with his conviction following a jury trial for engaging in a securities mismarking scheme from 2014 to 2016. The jury convicted SHOR and Anilesh Ahuja, a/k/a “Neil,” the founder, chief executive officer, and chief investment officer of PPI, on securities fraud-related offenses relating to their participation in a scheme to inflate the net asset value (“NAV”) reported to investors for hedge funds managed by PPI by more than $100 million. SHOR was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who presided over the six-week jury trial. Ahuja is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on November 25, 2019.
Ms. Strauss said: “Jeremy Shor, a former trader at Premium Point Investments L.P., was convicted by a federal jury for inflating the net asset value – a critical metric for investors – of funds under his management by more than $100 million. By doing so, Premium Point was able to charge higher management and performance fees, and hide its true financial health from investors. Had investors known the truth, they likely would have redeemed their investments. Shor’s prison sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes and the need for honest, accurate reporting by financial institutions to their investors.”
According to the Indictment, evidence presented at trial, and court filings:
Premium Point Investments
In or about 2008, Ahuja co-founded PPI, where he was the chief executive officer and chief investment officer. PPI managed hedge funds focused primarily on structured credit products, including residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”). PPI’s flagship mortgage credit fund (the “Hedge Fund”) was launched in or about October 2009. A segregated ERISA fund held the same positions as the Mortgage Credit Fund. In 2013, PPI launched a new fund (the “New Issue Fund”) that purchased and securitized pools of mortgages that were not issued or guaranteed by a government agency. At various relevant times between 2008 and 2016, PPI managed billions in assets. SHOR was employed by PPI as a trader, where he focused on non-agency RMBS – i.e., RMBS securities that were not issued by a government agency.
The Scheme to Mismark Securities
From at least in or about 2014 through at least in or about 2016, Ahuja and SHOR participated in a scheme to defraud PPI’s investors and potential investors in the Hedge Fund and the New Issue Fund by deceptively mismarking each month the value of certain securities held in these funds, and thus fraudulently inflating the NAV of those funds as reported to investors and potential investors.
PPI fraudulently obtained inflated quotes, including from corrupt brokers, and manipulated its valuation process to inflate the purported value of securities held by the funds. The effect of the mismarking scheme was to materially overstate the reported NAV – at times by more than $100 million across the funds managed by PPI. This benefited PPI in at least two ways. First, PPI was able to charge its investors higher management and performance fees. Second, PPI was able to forestall redemptions by investors who would have requested a return of their funds had they known PPI’s true performance and operating health.
The mismarking scheme evolved as a result of demands by Ahuja that PPI maintain its track record of success and keep pace with the performance of peer funds, regardless of market conditions or the actual performance of the funds. To achieve the goal of posting competitive returns, Ahuja, along with another partner, set an inflated “target” return for the Hedge Fund and New Issue Fund at the end of each month, which was at times based in part on the performance of peer funds. The traders at PPI were then tasked with “reverse engineering” marks to meet the “targets.”
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As part of the sentence imposed by Judge Failla, SHOR, 48, of New York, New York, was further sentenced to 3 years of supervised release.
Ms. Strauss praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea M. Griswold, Joshua A. Naftalis, and Max Nicholas are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Lake Charles Police Officer Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – A former Lake Charles Police Department officer was sentenced today in federal court for using unreasonable excessive force during an arrest, announced David C. Joseph, United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI’s New Orleans Field Office Special Agent in Charge Bryan A. Vorndran.
Robert Hammac, 44, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. to 18 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Hammac pleaded guilty on August 15, 2019 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to court documents, Hammac was involved in a vehicle pursuit on May 8, 2017, for several miles. The car was brought to a stop, and the victim, identified in court documents as G.T., raised his hands in the air in a manner indicating surrender. Other officers then ordered G.T. out of the car and began pulling him out of the car. Hammac ran to the front passenger side door, opened it, grabbed G.T. before he could exit, pulled him back into the car, and repeatedly punched G.T.’s head with a closed fist. The victim was not resisting in any way or posing a threat.
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and we at the Department of Justice have their backs,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “However, those officers who betray the badge and the public’s trust, as the defendant did here, dishonor their profession and endanger the safety of their fellow officers. We will not tolerate police brutality in the Western District of Louisiana.”
“Officers who deprive individuals of their civil rights will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to upholding and defending the constitutional rights of victims, as shown by today’s sentencing.”
“The judge's decision today reinforces the FBI's commitment that civil rights and color of law violations will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan A. Vorndran of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Former Lake Charles Officer Robert Hammac abused his position of trust and the authority handed-down to him to protect the members of the public. Law enforcement officers and correctional officers acting under the color of law must ensure a person's civil rights are not violated. The FBI New Orleans Field Office, along the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to uphold the constitution and protect the rights of all persons within U.S. territories.”
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla Bynog of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
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Former Lake Charles Police Officer Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A former Lake Charles Police Department officer was sentenced today in federal court for using unreasonable excessive force during an arrest.
Robert Hammac, 44, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. to 18 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Hammac pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2019 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
“Officers who deprive individuals of their civil rights will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to upholding and defending the constitutional rights of victims, as shown by today’s sentencing.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe and we at the Department of Justice have their backs,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana. “However, those officers who betray the badge and the public’s trust, as the defendant did here, dishonor their profession and endanger the safety of their fellow officers. We will not tolerate police brutality in the Western District of Louisiana.”
“The judge's decision today reinforces the FBI's commitment that civil rights and color of law violations will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan A. Vorndran of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Former Lake Charles Officer Robert Hammac abused his position of trust and the authority handed-down to him to protect the members of the public. Law enforcement officers and correctional officers acting under the color of law must ensure a person's civil rights are not violated. The FBI New Orleans Field Office, along the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to uphold the constitution and protect the rights of all persons within U.S. territories.”
According to court documents, Hammac was involved in a vehicle pursuit on May 8, 2017, for several miles. The car was brought to a stop, and the victim, identified in court documents as G.T., raised his hands in the air in a manner indicating surrender. Other officers then ordered G.T. out of the car and began pulling him out of the car. Hammac ran to the front passenger side door, opened it, grabbed G.T. before he could exit, pulled him back into the car, and repeatedly punched G.T.’s head with a closed fist. The victim was not resisting in any way or posing a threat.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla Bynog of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Jacksonville, Oregon Residents Sentenced for Interstate Distribution of Marijuana, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Two former Jacksonville, Oregon residents were sentenced today in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic marijuana grown in Southern Oregon to Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina, and launder the proceeds.
Alex David Koplin, 34, was sentenced to 31 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release and Tina Marie Waterfield, 38, was sentenced to 5 years of probation.
According to court documents, in approximately 2011, Koplin moved from Georgia to Oregon to work in the marijuana industry. Within a few years, he purchased property in Jackson County, Oregon and started a marijuana farm. Koplin worked with other marijuana growers to combine harvests, broker sales, and transport marijuana from Oregon to other states. Between November 2014 and June 2016, Koplin coordinated the sale and interstate transport of approximately 260 kilograms of marijuana.
While investigating the interstate trafficking conspiracy, authorities discovered Waterfield, Koplin’s then-girlfriend, was receiving thousands of dollars in out-of-state payments to her PayPal account. Investigators later learned that Waterfield unlawfully manufactured, sold, and shipped marijuana edibles to East Coast customers and laundered the proceeds in an attempt to conceal their source. Between 2013 and 2016, Waterfield’s bank accounts showed approximately $494,000 in unexplained deposits.
In April 2017, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Koplin and Waterfield’s residence and seized marijuana plants; unprocessed cut marijuana; butane honey oil, a cannabis extract; and $44,226 in U.S. currency.
On August 19, 2019, both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Koplin also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
As part of his plea agreement, Koplin agreed to pay $150,000 to satisfy a forfeiture money judgment. Waterfield agreed to forfeit the $44,226 in U.S. currency seized from the residence she shared with Koplin.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Steven T. Mygrant and Julia E. Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the department’s strategy for reducing the availability of drugs in the U.S. OCDETF was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack on drug trafficking by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Former Georgia Youth Softball Umpire Pleads Guilty in Child Sexual Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga.— A former youth softball umpire arrested during “Operation End Game,” a multi-agency effort targeting and arresting adult perpetrators seeking sex with children, entered a guilty plea in federal court this morning, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. James Hughes Morriss, 50, of Dacula, Georgia entered a guilty plea before Judge C. Ashley Royal in U.S. District Court to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor. Defendant Morriss is currently in federal custody and faces a maximum five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and at least three years supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2020. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Law enforcement’s effort to end child sexual exploitation in Georgia is unceasing, and is happening at every level. We are working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and arrest adults seeking to sexually abuse children, and we will prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent allowed by law,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I want to commend the leadership of the GBI in this coordinated effort to end crimes against children, as well as the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, both of which are invaluable partners in Operation End Game. This operation is a perfect example of what federal, state and local law enforcement can accomplish when we all come together.”
“Operation End Game did exactly what it was tasked to do: Put an end to criminal attempts of predators to irreversibly harm young children,” said Debbie Garner, GBI Special Agent in Charge and Commander of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. “The GBI and the Georgia ICAC Task Force will work tirelessly with our partners to protect our children against those who seek to harm them.”
“The ACCPD is proud to partner with the FBI, GBI and other federal, state and local area law enforcement agencies in these continuing efforts to identify and apprehend those who prey on our most vulnerable victims,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) Chief Cleveland Spruill. “Thanks to this coordinated three-day effort, multiple predators have been removed from our streets and are no longer free to victimize our children.”
“This case is an example of the importance of our law enforcement partnerships in our efforts to rid our communities of those who would choose to do harm to the most vulnerable in our society,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Chris Hacker. “Those who prey on our children must be held accountable to send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”
“Operation End Game” was a three-day proactive effort centered in Athens, Georgia beginning July 25, 2019 to arrest adults communicating with children on-line and then traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex. On July 26, 2019, an undercover officer communicating with perpetrators online under a profile named “Lizzie” with a photo of a young girl, received notification in the mobile application Skout from an individual later identified as Defendant Morriss. Within the first few exchanges, Defendant Morriss, who was 49 at the time, asked “Lizzie” her age and was told she was only 14-years-old and attended a school in Georgia. Defendant Morriss, familiar with many schools in Georgia due to his work around the state as a youth softball umpire, recognized the named school. Defendant Morris initiated a sexually explicit discussion and suggested an in-person meeting with the child; he also requested and received photos of the purported 14-year-old. Morriss then traveled to meet the 14-year-old child in Athens for sexual purposes, and was arrested at the designated meeting place shortly after midnight on July 27, 2019.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie Freeman 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.
Former CEO of New Haven County Credit Union Sentenced for Bank Fraud OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES FARRELL, 55, of, East Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to approximately one day of imprisonment, time already served, and two years of supervised release, for defrauding the New Haven County Credit Union. Judge Underhill also ordered Farrell to perform 50 hours of community service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Farrell was the Chief Executive Officer of the New Haven County Credit Union (“NHCCU”) from approximately 1992 to June 2015. He was then retained by NHCCU’s Board of Directors to provide assistance to the new CEO of NHCCU until March 2016. From 2010 until 2016, Farrell also provided financial and bookkeeping services to The Rib House, a restaurant located in East Haven. The Rib House maintained a business account at NHCCU, and Farrell was primarily responsible for depositing cash sales and paying invoices for the restaurant. In pleading guilty, Farrell admitted that he defrauded NHCCU by transferring funds from NHCCU’s general ledger account to the account held by The Rib House.
As part of the scheme, when Farrell knew that The Rib House had a financial obligation it could not meet, he transferred funds from the NHCCU general ledger account into The Rib House account. This allowed The Rib House to pay its operating costs, including paying for taxes, food, liquor and other operating expenses. Between July 2011 and March 2016, Farrell fraudulently transferred $602,908.96 from the NHCCU general ledger account primarily to The Rib House account and, to a lesser extent, for his personal benefit. Over time, Farrell replenished $370,278.18 to the NHCCU general ledger account, leaving a shortfall of $232,630.78.
Farrell has paid full restitution to NHCCU.
On August 28, 2019, Farrell pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Drug Trafficker with Ties to Sinaloa Cartel Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jaime Montalvo-Mariscal, age 27, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced November 18, 2019 after having pleaded guilty on July 22, 2019, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Actual Methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of Fentanyl and 1 Kilogram or more of Heroin. Senior United States District Judge Nielsen sentenced Montalvo-Mariscal to a 210-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision should Montalvo be allowed to return to the United States.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Montalvo-Mariscal was a member of a substantial drug trafficking organization (DTO) with direct ties to the Sinaloa cartel. During the investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 40 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, approximately 40,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl (known on the street as “fake oxys” because they are designed to look like brand-name oxycodone pills), a cache of firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition. The investigation revealed that the DTO shipped this quantity of drugs to Eastern Washington on a bi-weekly basis. Montalvo-Mariscal’s role in the DTO included collecting cash proceeds from drug trafficking. During one two-month period, Montalvo collected drug proceeds exceeding $700,000, which he then sent the DTO’s leadership in Sinaloa, Mexico.
The quantity of Fentanyl-laced pills seized during this investigation represented one of the largest seizures of its kind in the Eastern District of Washington. Fentanyl is largely responsible for the increase in drug overdoses and deaths in the community. Based upon targeted investigations by the DEA, Tri-Cities FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, law enforcement was able to identify, arrest and prosecute multiple Fentanyl distributors like Montalvo who were supplying distributors between 2500 and 5000 pills per week in this area.
During sentencing proceedings, Senior Judge Nielsen described fentanyl as the most dangerous and insidious drug in the community. While recognizing that Mr. Montalvo-Mariscal had no previous criminal history, Senior Judge Nielsen emphasized the importance of deterrence in imposing sentence, given the staggering quantity of drugs involved and the horrific impact those drugs have on the community.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl that are intentionally made by drug trafficking organizations to look like oxycodone create a very serious risk to the health and safety of the community. Targeting those who manufacture and distribute fentanyl-laced pills is a high priority and an essential part of attacking the opioid addiction crisis in our community. This is an incredibly dangerous drug; taking one pill can kill a person. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington intends on prosecuting every fentanyl distribution case that can be proved. I commend the outstanding efforts of the DEA, FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners who investigated this case.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis was pleased with the sentencing further adding that “Opioid abuse is spreading like wildfire devastating our communities and we will aggressively pursue those most responsible for fueling the flames.”
Today’s enforcement action is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The OCDETF program provides supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the investigation of drug-related crimes. This OCDETF investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tri Cities Task Force in partnership with the Kennewick, Pasco and Richland Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Van Marter, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Disgraced drug doctor's street-level dealer sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Ga: A man who admitted providing phony patients to a disgraced physician in a scheme to obtain opioids for illicit street sales has been sentenced to federal prison.
Zachary Lusk, 40, of Plainville, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Schedule IV), said Bobby L. Christine, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
After completion of his sentence, Lusk will spend three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, Lusk admitted providing lists of individuals to Dr. Johnny Di Blasi, a physician who operated clinics in Pooler, Ga., and Braselton, Ga. Di Blasi wrote prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, including Oxycodone and Alprazolam, which Lusk would have filled at pharmacies. Lusk sold the pills for cash and shared the proceeds with Di Blasi.
Some of these prescriptions were written to several individuals Lusk brought to meet with Di Blasi at a restaurant where, during an “oxycodone breakfast,” Di Blasi provided illegitimate prescriptions to the group.
Di Blasi is serving a 33-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Dispense Controlled Substances (Oxycodone).
“With ‘Dr. Johnny’ providing access to addictive opioids, Zachary Lusk operated a lucrative business as a street-level drug dealer,” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “They’ve both exchanged that ‘easy money’ for their freedom as they are held accountable for fueling the deadly opioid crisis.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “This case was made possible because of spirited cooperation between DEA, its law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Zachary Lusk lined his pockets off the backs of addicts strung out on prescription medication. Consequently, he can no longer fuel the opioid crisis by feeding prescription pill seekers, but instead, will join his disgraced co-conspirator Dr. Johnny Di Blasi by spending well-deserved time in prison.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Josephson, J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan Porter prosecuted the case for the United States.
Correctional Officers Charged with Falsifying Records on August 9th and 10th at the Metropolitan Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Guido Modano, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office (“DOJ OIG”), and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging federal correctional officers TOVA NOEL and MICHAEL THOMAS with making false records and conspiring to make false records and to defraud the United States by impairing the lawful functions of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a Manhattan detention facility that houses federal inmates. NOEL and THOMAS surrendered this morning. The case is assigned to Southern District of New York U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, the defendants had a duty to ensure the safety and security of federal inmates in their care at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Instead, they repeatedly failed to conduct mandated checks on inmates, and lied on official forms to hide their dereliction.”
DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Guido Modano said: “Correctional Officers swear an oath to carry out their duties. Completing rounds to verify inmate counts and certifying the accuracy of logs are important tasks to ensure the safety and security of institutions and the wellbeing of inmates. Those who shirk their duties but falsely state they have completed them place the institution, fellow employees, inmates, and the public at risk.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Security protocols are in place to protect the public, fellow officers and inmates being held in the MCC. We allege these officers falsified records to create the appearance they were following those protocols. The security risks created by this type of behavior are immense. The message here is simple - citizens place their trust in those who have taken an oath to serve and protect the public, and when that trust is deliberately violated by public servants, who instead choose to break those regulations, then they will be held accountable.”
According to the Indictment[1] filed today in Manhattan federal court:
On August 10, 2019, NOEL and THOMAS repeatedly failed to complete mandated counts of prisoners under their watch in the MCC’s Special Housing Unit (“SHU”). Instead, for substantial portions of their shifts, NOEL and THOMAS sat at their desk, browsed the internet, and moved around the common area of the SHU. To conceal their failure to perform their duties, NOEL and THOMAS repeatedly signed false certifications attesting to having conducted multiple counts of inmates that they did not do. As a result of those false statements, the MCC believed prisoners in the SHU were being regularly monitored when, in fact, as a result of the defendants’ conduct, no correctional officer conducted any count or round of the SHU from approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 9 until approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 10, at which time, NOEL and THOMAS discovered the body of MCC inmate Jeffrey Epstein, who had committed suicide overnight while unobserved.
Background on Relevant Individuals & Entities
The MCC is a federal administrative detention facility located in Manhattan that is run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The MCC employs correctional officers, whose primary duty is to ensure the care, custody, and control of the inmate population of the MCC. NOEL has been employed as a correctional officer at the MCC since approximately 2016, and THOMAS has been employed as a correctional officer at the MCC since approximately 2007. Both NOEL and THOMAS were regularly assigned to work shifts in the SHU at the MCC.
Correctional officers assigned to guard inmates in the SHU – and throughout the MCC – are required to conduct institution-wide counts of inmates at regular, scheduled intervals to ensure that each inmate is alive and accounted for within the MCC. Two officers are required to complete the institutional count for each housing unit, including the SHU, and are further required to document their performance of the count on an official MCC form called a count slip. In addition to the institutional count, MCC correctional officers assigned to the SHU are required to complete rounds every thirty minutes to ensure that each inmate is alive and accounted for within his cell. Correctional officers working in the SHU are required to complete a form documenting the date and time of each 30-minute round in each area of the SHU.
On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested and detained at the MCC on sex trafficking charges, and was subsequently assigned to the SHU due to risk factors for suicidality and safety concerns. After an apparent suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, Epstein was transferred to suicide watch and then psychological observation. Upon being moved back to the SHU on July 30, 2019, the MCC took steps to guard against future suicide attempts by Epstein, including by assigning Epstein to the cell closest to the correctional officers’ desk. Conducting the required institutional counts and thirty-minute rounds in the SHU were also part of the MCC’s procedures for ensuring the safety of inmates, including Epstein.
The Events of August 9-10, 2019
On August 9, 2019, NOEL was assigned to work in the SHU from 4:00 p.m. on August 9, 2019, to 8:00 a.m. on August 10, 2019. THOMAS was assigned to work with NOEL in the SHU from 12:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. on August 10, 2019. From 4:00 p.m. on August 9 to 8:00 a.m. on August 10, the officers on duty in the SHU, including NOEL and THOMAS, were responsible for conducting five institutional counts at 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on August 9, and at 12:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m. on August 10. NOEL and THOMAS were also responsible for completing forms attesting to the completion of each of those counts. In fact, NOEL, and then NOEL and THOMAS, repeatedly failed to complete mandated counts in the SHU. Instead for substantial portions of their 12:00-8:00 a.m. shifts, NOEL and THOMAS sat at their desk, browsed the internet, and moved around the common area of the SHU. During that time period, NOEL and THOMAS were the only correctional officers assigned to the SHU. Aside from two other officers who briefly visited the common area of the SHU, as confirmed by video surveillance, no one else entered the SHU, no one conducted any counts or rounds throughout the night, and no one entered the area in which Epstein was housed.
To conceal their failure to complete their duties, NOEL signed false certifications attesting to having conducted counts of inmates at 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and NOEL and THOMAS signed false certifications attesting to having conducted counts of inmates at 12:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m. when, in truth and in fact, they never conducted such counts. As a result of those false reports, the MCC believed prisoners in the SHU were being regularly monitored and accounted for when, in fact, no correctional officer conducted any count or round of the SHU from approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 9 until approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 10, at which time, NOEL and THOMAS discovered the body of Epstein, who had committed suicide by hanging himself earlier that morning while unobserved.
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NOEL, 31, and THOMAS, 41, are each charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States by impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the MCC, and to make false records, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. NOEL is also charged with five counts of making false records, and THOMAS is also charged with three counts of making false records, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the Inspector General, the FBI, and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski and Nicolas Roos are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Convicted Felon Gets 20 Years for Drug, Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A convicted felon who was arrested with firearms and drugs after fleeing from Salina police was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Jason Briscoe, 42, Minneapolis, Kan., was convicted during a jury trial in May on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count one), one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count three), two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (counts four and five), and four counts of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon (counts six, seven, eight and nine).
According to court records, officers of the Salina Police Department encountered Briscoe while they were conducting surveillance of the Red Coach hotel. When police stopped Briscoe’s car, Briscoe ran from the car carrying a handgun in his right hand. During the chase, Briscoe dropped the gun and a bag that contained methamphetamine and a second firearm.
McAllister commended the Salina Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department initiative aimed at reducing gun violence.
Columbus man admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Anthony Hill, Jr., of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hill, also known as “Big Mike,” age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Hill admitted to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in November 2018 in Gilmer County.
Hill faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000. 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 Lakes Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Cohoes Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal Political Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Ralph V. Signoracci, IV, age 44, of Cohoes, New York, was sentenced today to serve a one-year term of probation and 100 hours of community service after previously pleading guilty to conspiring with Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse to defraud Morse’s supporters by stealing campaign contributions for Morse’s personal benefit.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Signoracci, while a member of the City of Cohoes Common Council and then an Albany County Legislator, served as treasurer of a political committee called “Friends of Shawn Morse,” from approximately November 2013 through January 2019. He also served as treasurer of the political action committee “The Chairman’s PAC.”
In pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, Signoracci admitted that he and Morse solicited and received contributions to the committees. Signoracci, at Morse’s direction, withdrew funds from the committees’ bank accounts so that Morse could use the funds to pay for his personal expenses, including vacations, entertaining, dining, and home repairs. Signoracci also admitted to illegally using contributions made to The Chairman’s PAC to directly benefit Morse’s 2015 mayoral campaign.
Signoracci admitted that on behalf of Morse, he concealed the nature of these expenditures by falsely reporting the purpose of the expenditures or by not reporting or disclosing them on campaign disclosure reports, as was required of local candidates for public office.
Morse pled guilty to wire fraud in August; his sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2020 in Albany.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Kinsella Kistler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Hanlon.
Clairton Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for January 2019 RobberiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 5 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release, and was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution, on his conviction of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Bank Robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Richard D. Parrish, age 41, formerly of Clairton, Pennsylvania.
According to the information present to the court, Parrish robbed the Dollar General store on Route 51 in Jefferson Hills on January 5, 2019, and then robbed the Dollar Bank on Route 51 in Pleasant Hills on January 7, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Attorney commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pleasant Hills Police and the Jefferson Hills Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Richard D. Parrish.
Chicago Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A Chicago, Illinois, man has been arrested on a federal complaint charging him with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The complaint and arrest were announced by John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice John R. Lausch Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI.
Thomas Osadzinski, 20, was arrested Monday, November 18, in Chicago. A criminal complaint charges him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Osadzinski appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole in Chicago and was ordered held without bond. A detention hearing was scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.
Osadzinski is a U.S. citizen who resides in Chicago. The complaint alleges that Osadzinski designed a process that uses a computer script to make ISIS propaganda more conveniently accessed and disseminated by users on a social media platform. Osadzinski earlier this year shared his script – and instructions for how to use it – with individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters and members of pro-ISIS media organizations, the complaint states. Unbeknownst to Osadzinski, the individuals were actually covert FBI employees and a person confidentially working with law enforcement, according to the complaint.
ISIS and its supporters disseminate the terror group’s propaganda materials online to as wide an audience as possible in order to recruit fighters and inspire violence against the United States and other countries. Social media platforms routinely remove ISIS media content due to the violent nature of the materials. According to the complaint, Osadzinski’s computer process would automatically copy and preserve ISIS media postings in an organized format, allowing social media users to continue to conveniently access and disseminate the content.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The material support charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas, Melody Wells and Tiffany Ardam of the Northern District of Illinois, and Alexandra Hughes, Trial Attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Chicago Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been arrested on a federal complaint charging him with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
THOMAS OSADZINSKI, 20, was arrested Monday in Chicago. A criminal complaint charges him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Osadzinski appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole in Chicago and was ordered held without bond. Judge Cole scheduled a detention hearing for Friday at 9:30 a.m.
The complaint and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas, Melody Wells and Tiffany Ardam of the Northern District of Illinois, and Alexandra Hughes, Trial Attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Osadzinski is a U.S. citizen who resides in Chicago. The complaint alleges that Osadzinski designed a process that uses a computer script to make ISIS propaganda more conveniently accessed and disseminated by users on a social media platform. Osadzinski earlier this year shared his script – and instructions for how to use it – with individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters and members of pro-ISIS media organizations, the complaint states. Unbeknownst to Osadzinski, the individuals were actually covert FBI employees and a person confidentially working with law enforcement, according to the complaint.
ISIS and its supporters disseminate the terror group’s propaganda materials online to as wide an audience as possible in order to recruit fighters and inspire violence against the United States and other countries. Social media platforms routinely remove ISIS media content due to the violent nature of the materials. According to the complaint, Osadzinski’s computer process would automatically copy and preserve ISIS media postings in an organized format, allowing social media users to continue to conveniently access and disseminate the content.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The material support charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Eric Vanderslice, age 40, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In April of 2019, investigators obtained authorization for the interception of wire and electronic communications over a telephone operated by another member of the conspiracy, which continued through May of 2019.
Based in part upon intercepted communications, on May 24, 2019, law enforcement established surveillance in the vicinity of an apartment on Covode Street in Pittsburgh, which had been identified by investigators as a large-scale marijuana stash house. While conducting surveillance, law enforcement officials observed a Dodge Ram operated by Vanderslice pull into the driveway of the apartment, several individuals unload boxes into the apartment and then load additional boxes into the Dodge Ram. Investigators executed federal search warrants on the vehicle and the apartment, and seized $469,475 from the Dodge Ram, over 400 pounds of marijuana and an additional $5,012 from the apartment.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2020 at 9:00 AM. The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than five and not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pursuant to the court’s previous order, Vanderslice remains under home detention pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies include the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Central Valley Woman Arrested on Federal Charges of Illegally Importing and Distributing Mercury-Laden Skin Care CreamsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A resident of the Central Valley town of Orosi was arrested this morning on federal charges related to skin care creams containing dangerous levels of mercury that she sold through advertisements on Facebook with promises that the illegal products could lighten skin color, remove age spots and treat acne.
Maria Estela Esparza Magallanes, 30, who allegedly smuggled the creams into the United States from Mexico and marketed the products under the names Crema Esparza and Crema Jimena, was arrested pursuant to a three-count criminal complaint filed on November 13 in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Magallanes is expected to make her first court appearance this afternoon in federal court in Fresno.
The complaint, which is the result of an investigation by special agents with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), charges Magallanes with selling adulterated and misbranded skin care products and smuggling the unapproved creams into the United States.
The affidavit in support of the complaint details how Magallanes sold the smuggled products to two specific victims and an undercover FDA-OCI agent with promises that the creams would treat various skin conditions and would lighten skin color. The Facebook page she used to market the products contained purported testimonials from customers and included before-and-after photos. According to the affidavit, Magallanes sold the creams to the two victims in hand-to-hand transactions in parking lots in Tulare County, and she used the United States Postal Service to ship products on several occasions to the undercover agent.
During online communications with one of the victims and the undercover agent, Magallanes said she guaranteed her “natural” products – one of which she claimed contained standard cosmetics ingredients, including lanolin, rose water and bee pollen, and one of which purportedly was made of “stem cells,” the affidavit states. Magallanes allegedly told one victim that the products did not contain mercury and were sold pursuant to a license issued by California.
However, the creams allegedly sold by Magallanes to one of the victims and the undercover agent contained dangerous levels of mercury. The second victim was tested, which revealed mercury in her system.
In fact, according to the affidavit, a doctor with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who tested the products sent to the undercover agent, concluded: “The amounts of mercury in these products are very high. There is risk to the user, especially with chronic use, and there is risk to those around/in the user, especially infants and children and unborn babies. It is important to note that infants and children who are held by or rub up against a mother using these products can get it on their skin. The mercury will also evaporate from the product and be inhaled by the user and those around her.”
“This defendant allegedly marketed her illegal products on Facebook, intentionally misleading customers with false claims that the products were legal and safe to use,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “These dangerous creams, which were marketed to women in immigrant communities, jeopardized the safety of women and children across California and in several other states.”
“Selling products with toxic levels of ingredients with unproven claims to treat medical conditions can put users’ health at serious risk,” said Lisa L. Malinowski, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “The FDA will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above the public’s health and safety.”
The FDA has issued cautionary statements about skin lightener and anti-aging treatments being contaminated with mercury.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If she were to be convicted of all three counts in the complaint, Magallanes would face a statutory maximum penalty of 26 years in federal prison.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by FDA-OCI.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has published a wide array of information about mercury-tainted face creams. In the wake of at least one serious injury resulting from mercury poisoning, the CDPH is actively involved in outreach effort to provide educational materials, health information, and community-based resources to support women who may have used mercury face creams and their children who may have been exposed via skin-to-skin contact.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda M. Bettinelli of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.