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Tuesday 19 November 2019
Buffalo Man Charged with Lying on Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Lonnie Etienne Green, a/k/a Lonnie Coleman, 49, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement in an application for a United States Passport. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 23, 2019, a person purporting to be the defendant submitted an application for a U.S. Passport. Green claimed that he was born in Buffalo, NY, on June 30, 1970. When asked on the application to “list all other names you have used,” Green falsely wrote “None” in the field, indicating that he had not used any other names. During the adjudication process, two social security numbers were linked to Green. One of the number was linked to a case involving child support arrears. Additionally, a check of a law enforcement database also revealed a Tennessee Driver's License for the defendant in the name of Lonnie E. Coleman. When questioned at the Buffalo Passport Agency, Green falsely stated that he had never been issued any other social security numbers, and that his birth certificate had never been amended.
Green made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Resident Agent-in-Charge Kenneth M. Haynes, and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John F. Grasso.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Committing Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALVIN ROBERTSON, 56, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing three bank robberies and two Subway store robberies in Connecticut last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 20, 2018, Robertson robbed a Subway store located at 9 Ethan Allen Highway in Ridgefield. During the robbery Robertson brandished a knife, pointed it at the store clerk and stated, “Give me all your money or I will kill you.”
On July 22, 2018, Robertson robbed a Subway store located at 447 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe. During the robbery, Robertson indicated that he had a gun.
Robertson also robbed a People’s United Bank branch at 470 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe on August 29, 2018; a People’s United Bank branch at 763 Straits Turnpike in Watertown on September 21, 2018, and a People’s United Bank branch at 1135 Farmington Avenue in Berlin on September 25, 2018.
Robertson has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on September 27, 2018. On May 21, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
Robertson has prior federal and state bank robbery convictions.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Watertown, Ridgefield, Monroe and Berlin Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Berkeley County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Wayne Wilson, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to two years’ probation for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wilson, age 62, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in August 2019. Wilson, having been previously convicted of a felony, had a .357 caliber revolver in September 2018 in Berkeley County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Attorney Charged with Filing Fraudulent Lawsuits Under the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced the arrest today of STUART FINKELSTEIN on charges of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, false declarations to a court, and obstruction of justice. Specifically, FINKELSTEIN has been charged with stealing the identities of two individuals in order to file hundreds of fraudulent lawsuits pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) that those individuals never authorized. In addition, FINKELSTEIN has been charged with making false declarations and obstructing justice in proceedings in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. FINKELSTEIN was presented today in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before Magistrate Judge Patrick Hunt.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Stuart Finkelstein, a practicing attorney, appeared to be advocating on his clients’ behalf by allegedly filing lawsuits claiming they were unable to access public establishments due to ADA noncompliance. This was false. Not only did he allegedly fabricate the underlying facts of the lawsuits – the victims never actually tried to access the establishments – Finkelstein stole their identities and didn’t even represent them as an attorney. Finkelstein’s galling scheme, which was as profitable as it was brazen, allegedly netting him $930,000 in attorney’s fees, has come to an end. If you feel you may be a victim of Stuart Finkelstein, please avail yourself to the information provided below.”
According to the allegations in the COMPLAINT unsealed today[1]:
FINKELSTEIN is a lawyer who has filed, or has caused to be filed, over 300 lawsuits pursuant to the ADA on behalf of two purported plaintiffs, Victim-1 and Victim-2. These lawsuits were filed in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Southern District of New York against various public establishments (the “Victim Public Establishments”). Each of these lawsuits made representations that Victim-1 and Victim-2 were represented by FINKELSTEIN or an associate. Furthermore, each of these lawsuits alleged that Victim-1 and Victim-2 attempted to visit the Victim Public Establishments, but were unable to do so because of those establishments’ alleged noncompliance with the ADA. The lawsuits sought attorney’s fees and injunctive relief to address the alleged noncompliance with the ADA.
FINKELSTEIN’s lawsuits on behalf of Victim-1 and Victim-2, however, were fraudulent. Victim-1 and Victim-2 neither retained nor authorized FINKELSTEIN to file ADA lawsuits on their behalf. Contrary to FINKELSTEIN’s representations, Victim-1 and Victim-2 never attempted to visit the Victim Public Establishments. Instead, FINKELSTEIN stole the identities of Victim-1 and Victim-2, made numerous false representations to the Victim Public Establishments and the courts in the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Florida, obstructed official judicial proceedings, and then settled these fake lawsuits in order to collect approximately $930,000 in attorney’s fees.
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FINKELSTEIN, 65, of Davie, Florida, is charged with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years in addition to the sentence imposed for the mail fraud charge; two counts of obstruction of justice, each of which carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison; and two counts of false declarations to a court, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or [email protected]. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Rushmi Bhaskaran is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Atlantic County Man Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted to receiving and possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jack Underwood, 31, of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Underwood used a social networking site that allows users to interact and engage in both conversations and the exchanging of images and videos. From September 2017 through March 2018, the site reported several caches of child pornography found within accounts linked to Underwood. After executing a search warrant at Underwood’s home in December 2018, agents located more images of child sexual abuse on Underwood’s mobile telephone. Underwood has a previous conviction for the same charge, where he served 54 months of incarceration and was placed on a lifetime of supervised release. This new conviction constitutes a violation of his supervised release.
The possession of child pornography charge to which Underwood pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. He also faces an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for violating his supervised release by committing another child pornography offense. Underwood will be required to continue registering as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Shver of the Camden office.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing Ammunition Without A LicenseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Douglas Haig, 57, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to engaging in the business of manufacturing ammunition without a license, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division, and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced.
According to court documents, from about July 2016 to about October 19, 2017, Haig operated an unlicensed ammunition manufacturing business known as Specialized Military Ammunition (SMA). SMA’s manufacturing was conducted in a workshop located in Haig’s Arizona residence. Haig maintained a website for SMA through which he advertised and sold ammunition that he manufactured. He promoted and sold ammunition he manufactured at gun shows in Arizona and other states. He traveled to at least one gun show in Nevada where he sold ammunition he manufactured, and, on multiple occasions, he shipped ammunition that he manufactured to customers in Nevada. Haig operated the ammunition manufacturing business despite knowing that federal firearms law required a license for such activity.
The case arose out of the joint investigation by the FBI and ATF with assistance from the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas. The Cybercrime Lab within the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section also provided important assistance to the investigation and prosecution of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Burns and Tony Lopez are prosecuting the case.
Haig is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan on February 19, 2020. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Haig on August 22, 2018.
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Alaska Doctor Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DR. ANDREW J. VAN ATTA, age 37, from Wasilla, Alaska, pled guilty to wire fraud.
VAN ATTA pled guilty to the one-count indictment that charged him with committing wire fraud from January of 2017 through May of 2018. According to court documents, starting in January of 2017, when VAN ATTA was a medical student, and continuing after he graduated, VAN ATTA used multiple email accounts and PayPal accounts to impersonate numerous other physicians while filling out surveys with a survey company that paid VAN ATTA for surveys that the victim company believed were completed by various other physicians. The company paid VAN ATTA a total of over $114,000 for the surveys completed under the fake names.
Judge Susie Morgan set the sentencing for Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 10am. VAN ATTA faces up to twenty years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to VAN ATTA or the gross loss to any victims.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Akron man sentenced to 70 months prison for eight robberiesRead the Press Release
Darrion Powers, 23, was sentenced for a series of eight robberies committed between December 2018 and February 2019. Judge Sara Lioi sentenced Powers to 70 months in prison and ordered him to pay $4,279 in restitution. After his release from prison, Powers will serve three years of supervised release. Powers had previously pled guilty to each of the robberies.
As discussed during the sentencing hearing, Powers targeted six restaurants and two banks in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls over a period of approximately two months. In each case, Powers entered the business wearing a mask, brandished a knife, and demanded cash from the register or bank tellers’ drawer. In total, Powers stole $13,591.
Akron Police apprehended Powers as he returned to his home following the robbery of a PNC Bank on February 12, 2019. During a search of his vehicle, officers recovered over $9,000 cash stolen from PNC Bank, a knife, and clothing worn during several of the robberies. Powers admitted to investigators that he committed each of the crimes.
This case was investigated by the Akron Police, Cuyahoga Falls Police, and the FBI, and then prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Daly.
Akron Man Sentenced for Stealing FEMA Grant Funding Intended for Education ExpensesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Richard A. Lobur, 55, of Akron, NY, who was convicted of theft of government money, was sentenced to 18 months’ probation by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The defendant will also pay $39,182.92 in restitution to FEMA.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who handled the case, stated that on January 12, 2015, the defendant deposited into his account at the Bank of Akron, $18,000 of grant funds intended to be used for educational expenses for his children. The funds were administered as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.
Between January 12 and June 9, 2015, Lobur provided $15,000 of the grant funds to his children, but also converted more than $1,000 of the remaining $3,000 to his personal use. The defendant knew that he was not entitled to convert the grant funds to his own personal use and he knew that the intended and lawful use of the funds was for educational expenses for his children.
The money was used for, among other things: payments on a Yard Card, Discover Card, and FIA Card, which were used to buy a truck, lawnmower and camper, and a payment to Akron Mobile Home Park.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John Tiano, Detroit Field Office; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Geoff Wood; and the New York State Comptroller’s Office, under the direction of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
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37 arrested in fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 37 individuals with crimes related to narcotics and money laundering conspiracies in an indictment that was unsealed here today.
Those charged include 22 local individuals. Law enforcement agents arrested all 37 defendants late last week and over the weekend.
According to the indictment, beginning in March 2016 and continuing through October 2019, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The indictment alleges two Cincinnati businesses were used to launder proceeds from the narcotics conspiracy: Tri-State Jeweler on Race Street and Nationwide Automotive on Vine Street. It is alleged that cash was kept stored at both locations. The cash was then allegedly concealed and packaged to be transported to and from the Cincinnati region.
According to the 15-count indictment, between December 2018 and April 2019, defendants stored, at least temporarily, approximately $2.5 million at Tri-State Jeweler.
For example, Tri-State Jeweler accepted $1,400 in cash for the purchase of a diamond pendant necklace in May 2019, $15,000 for the purchase of a diamond ring in June 2019 and $4,000 for the purchase of a diamond ring in July 2019.
Also in July 2019, Nationwide Automotive accepted $38,800 in alleged narcotics proceeds for the purchase of a vehicle.
It is alleged at least $800,000 was laundered at Nationwide Automotive between November 2018 and April 2019.
Co-conspirators are also charged with maintaining drug premises on Prosser and Glenmore avenues in Cincinnati.
The government has seized more than half a million dollars in cash, 19 pounds of fentanyl, three pounds of heroin, 100 pounds of cocaine, 42 pounds of methamphetamine, 47 weapons, 12 vehicles, the jewelry store inventory, assorted jewelry belonging to defendants and residences valued at approximately $1.1 million total thus far in this case.
Those charged include:
Name
Age
City
Jose Daniel Zazueta-Hernandez, aka Jesus Bojorquez, aka Dany
40
Wisconsin
Derrick Bryant
39
Cincinnati
Daniel Simons
45
Hamilton
William F. Graham, III
52
Cincinnati
Carlos Flores-Inzunza
31
Sinaloa, Mexico
Jose Toquillas-Felix
32
Cincinnati
Lashone Isom
42
Cincinnati
Maurice Jackson
50
Hamilton
Daniel Montez Blaine
50
Cincinnati
Francisco Casique
24
California
Raymond James Edwards, Jr.
53
Cincinnati
Christopher Engle
48
Cincinnati
Radee Garrett
39
Cincinnati
Carl Rena Gilbert
60
Cincinnati
Cardale A. Goens
32
Cincinnati
Ayman Anis Al Hajjeh
27
Wisconsin
Xingui Lin
39
Chicago
Frances Alexia Mercado
24
Atlanta
Kymyatta Oatis
50
Cincinnati
Ernesto Rincon
24
Wisconsin
Andre Robinson
37
Cincinnati
Joel Salcedo
23
Las Vegas
Robert Smith
60
Cincinnati
Christopher William Talley
36
Cincinnati
Donald Thompson
41
Cincinnati
Vilma Vidal-Flores
47
Las Vegas
Harold Lamar Walker
41
Cincinnati
Stefan Walker
42
Cincinnati
Min Wang
32
Chicago
Nicholas White
41
Cincinnati
Brandon Terrell Willis
43
Cincinnati
Maurice Ringwood
45
Cincinnati
Ivan Courtney Johnson
39
Cincinnati
Vyacheslav Minyalo, aka Slavik
46
Cincinnati
Dewayne Lamont Walker
47
Cincinnati
Yosi Ilouz
42
Mason
Brady Cunningham
53
Cincinnati
The narcotics conspiracy in this case is punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years up to life in prison. The money laundering conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigations, announced the charges. Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon and OCDETF Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted in arrests.
Members of the DEA’s Task Force include: Cincinnati, Golf Manor, West Chester, Norwood, Montgomery, Colerain, Springfield Township, Delhi Township, Harrison, Kenton County, Covington, Florence and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport police departments, Hamilton County and Boone County sheriff’s offices, the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Ohio National Guard, Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics Task Force, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Kentucky State Police.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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3 Plead Guilty in “SCO” Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Three former residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Kreg Williams, 29, formerly of Duquesne, pleaded guilty to one count related to drug trafficking, before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
Dorian Boyd, 25, formerly of Braddock, pleaded guilty to two counts related to drug trafficking, also before Judge Schwab.
Philip Matey, 54, formerly of North Braddock, pleaded guilty to three counts related to drug trafficking, also before Judge Schwab.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the court was advised that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock section of Pittsburgh. Kreg Williams, Dorian Boyd, Philip Matey, and other individuals, were identified as members or associates of a neighborhood based street gang, self-titled “SCO”, which illegally distributed controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh region. In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through May of 2019.
As to Kreg Williams, the Court was informed that intercepted communications confirmed that Williams was conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances. Williams admitted, in conjunction with his guilty plea, that he is a member of “SCO.” The court was further advised that on June 12, 2019, Williams possessed three firearms, all of which Williams agreed to forfeit. The court accepted Williams’ guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack, a Schedule II controlled substance, between August 2018 and May 2019.
As to Dorian Boyd, the Court was informed that intercepted communications confirmed that Boyd was conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances. Boyd admitted, in conjunction with his guilty plea, that he initially served as a drug runner for other members of the conspiracy but, in March of 2019, operated one of the telephones that law enforcement was interception. The court was further informed that through intercepted communications as well as surveillance, law enforcement confirmed that Boyd conducted his drug-trafficking activity primarily at the Library Street Basketball Courts’ parking lot as well as at a residence on 13th Street in Braddock. On June 12, 2019, the court was further advised that law enforcement seized from Boyd’s residence $1,787.00, drug packaging material, suspected controlled substances as well as two firearms. The court accepted Boyd’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 19.3 grams of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and 21.7 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack, a Schedule II controlled substance, between August 2018 and May 2019.
As to Philip Matey, the Court was informed that intercepted communications confirmed that Matey worked as a handyman for one of the other members of the conspiracy and was often paid in controlled substances. Matey admitted, in conjunction with his guilty plea, that he oversaw renovations at homes located on Seddon Avenue in Braddock, which were owned by another member of the conspiracy and used as stash houses, drug distribution locations, and meeting sites for members of the conspiracy. Additionally, Matey allowed other members of the conspiracy to use his residence on Taylor Avenue as a place to meet drug customers. The court accepted Matey’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 15 grams of heroin and 10.6 grams of cocaine base.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 23, 2020, at 10:00 AM for Williams, April 23, 2020 at 11:00 AM for Boyd, and April 28, 2020, at 10:00 AM for Matey. For Williams, the law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, with a maximum fine of $5,000,000. For Boyd and Matey, the law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000 at each count. 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 defendants. Both Williams and Boyd were previously ordered detained by the court and will remain incarcerated pending sentencing. Matey was released on bond pursuant to the court’s prior order and will remain out on bond 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.
Monday 18 November 2019
York Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Juan Rivera Marrero a/k/a “Viejo” a/k/a “Charlie,”, age 57, currently residing in Dauphin County Prison, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 13, 2019, to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Marrero previously pleaded guilty to money laundering and to conspiring with others to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in the York County, Pennsylvania area between May 2015 and May 2017. Marrero admitted to purchasing bulk quantities of cocaine from Luis D. Baez-Sierra, who was obtaining narcotics through the United States mail sent from Puerto Rico to York, Pennsylvania.
Marrero was originally charged in May 2017, with seven codefendants. The following codefendants were sentenced:
- Henry Delgado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine hydrochloride and was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment;
- Jean Carlos Torres-Santiago pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and heroin and sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
- Charlie Abdiel Cruz-Velez, pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment;
- Chayann Torres-Santiago pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment; and
- Angel Santiago-Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
The following codefendants are awaiting sentencing:
- Ramon Puig Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; and
- Luis D. Baez-Sierra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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Woman Pleads Guilty to Being a Drug User in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth woman pleaded guilty today to being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Jaclyn Amanda Inge, 40, purchased two handguns from federally licensed gun dealers at gun shows. Before buying the guns, Inge completed a form 4473, and checked the box indicating that she was not addicted to drugs or a drug user, when in fact, as several witnesses would testify, she has used marijuana daily for more than a decade. And she illegally possessed those guns while being a drug user.
Based on evidence presented at trial, Inge was implicated in an armed robbery of Mac’s Reloads, a Federal Firearm Licensee and ammunition-reloading business located in Virginia Beach. At the time of the robbery, Inge worked at Mac’s Reloads, although she stopped showing up for work afterward. The robbery took place a few weeks after Inge purchased the guns, and the two robbers moonlighted as a hip-hop duo managed by Inge. The evidence also showed that Inge provided the robbers with inside information about Mac’s Reloads to help them rob the business. And the guns Inge purchased are believed to be the ones that the robbers used.
Inge faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 18, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and William B. Jackson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-90.
Western Upper Peninsula Methamphetamine Suppliers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN - United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that eight defendants have been sentenced to prison for their respective roles in dealing crystal methamphetamine in the Western Upper Peninsula:
Keith Lee Raymond, 31, formerly of Ewen, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 90 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and 90 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm to run concurrently. Raymond was also sentenced to three years of court supervision upon his release from prison and a $500 fine.
Darian Frances Belongie, 30, formerly of Ewen, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Belongie was also sentenced to serve a period of five years of court supervision upon her release from prison.
Pedro Francisco Gonzalez, 37, formerly of L’Anse, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to 60 months for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, to run consecutively for a total of 120 months in prison. Gonzalez was also sentenced to serve a period of five years of court supervision release upon his release from prison.
Alan Michal Hollon, 29, formerly of L’Anse, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 188 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and 120 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, to run concurrently. Hollon was also sentenced to serve a period of five years of court supervision upon his release from prison and a $2,000 fine.
Anthony Richard Duran, 28, formerly of Santa Monica, California, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 68 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Duran was also sentenced to serve a period of four years of court supervision upon his release from prison and a $750 fine.
Elizabeth Silvia Minnick, 24, formerly of Watersmeet, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Minnick was also sentenced to serve a period of four years of court supervision release upon her release from prison.
Kathy Jo Harry, 41, formerly of Houghton, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 27 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Harry was also sentenced to serve a period of three years of court supervision upon her release from prison.
Justin Henry Hartzog, 26, formerly of Watersmeet, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Hartzog was also sentenced to serve a period of four years of court supervision upon his release from prison.
These sentences were the culmination of a long-term investigation by the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) into methamphetamine distribution and illicit firearms possession on the west end of the Upper Peninsula.
“The interdiction of crystal methamphetamine is a high priority for the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET),” said D/Lt. Timothy Sholander, Michigan State Police – UPSET Commander. “Crystal methamphetamine has become a scourge to Upper Peninsula communities, including tribal communities, and we worked with our federal law enforcement partners to target the suppliers who were plaguing these communities with their drug trafficking. These sentences should serve as a stark reminder to those who poison our communities that neither the use of the dark web nor interstate travel to procure drugs will provide a safe haven to them.”
“ATF is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the State of Michigan working in conjunction with our state, local, tribal and federal partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Gonzalez, Hollon, and Raymond were peddling poison throughout the Upper Peninsula as well as illegally possessing firearms without any regard to the lives they ruined along the way. The citizens in these communities can sleep a little better knowing that these individuals are being held accountable for their actions and will no longer be available to sell drugs to anyone for some time to come.”
“HSI specializes in investigating transnational criminal organizations that operate across the U.S. and around the globe,” said Vance Callender, HSI special agent in charge for Michigan and Ohio. “These individuals conspired with multiple criminal organizations from Mexico to California and then to the Upper Peninsula to profit from the suffering of those in their community. HSI and its law enforcement partners are proud to have dismantled this illicit network.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah Bobee, Paul D. Lochner, and Ted Greeley prosecuted these cases, along with then Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat.
END
West Tennessee Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Amanda Ivey, 45, of Lexington, TN has been sentenced to 185 months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2015 through March 2016, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating multiple individuals transporting actual methamphetamine from Arizona to the Western District of Tennessee for distribution.
Ivey distributed actual methamphetamine on multiple occasions to undercover confidential informants. Ivey and co-defendant Shane Rushing, were traveling on Highway 412 East near Darden Park in Henderson County when they were stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation. Ivey was the driver and Rushing was the passenger. A loaded Tanfoglio, .40 caliber pistol was located between the seats.
Recovered from the vehicle was $9,086 in United States currency from Rushing and $500 in United States currency from Ivey. Rushing stated to investigators that he was on his way to purchase one ounce (28.35 grams) of methamphetamine/ice and pay for previous amounts of methamphetamine that he had been fronted. Ivey stated she purchased methamphetamine from Rushing for two years. Ivey was held responsible for 6.35 kilograms of actual methamphetamine with purity levels from 99.6% to 98.6%.
On November 14, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Ivey to 185 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine that is trafficked in and through West Tennessee is increasing in dangerous purity, and continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities. Drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment, and this sentence does just that."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Residence Agency Safe Streets Task Force, and the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Vegas Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On November 14, 2019, United States Chief District Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Oliver Sonny Maupin, 62, of Las Vegas, Nevada, to 60 months in prison on the charge of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute at least 100 kilograms of a mixture and substance containing marijuana and at least 100 marijuana plants, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Maupin was also ordered to serve 4 years of supervised release following his imprisonment, pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and pay a fine of $10,000.
Maupin was instrumental in creating two separate marijuana grow operations in Oregon that contributed large quantities of marijuana to Iowa for illegal distribution. Maupin educated himself thoroughly on the Oregon medical marijuana laws during the process, and learned how to exploit them in such a fashion so that his illegal operations could avoid detection by local law enforcement. The evidence introduced at trial demonstrated that this conspiracy lasted for years, involved well over a hundred pounds of marijuana, and several hundred thousand dollars. On June 28, 2019, Maupin was found guilty by a jury of the sole count pending against him, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
This matter was investigated by the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG), and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico Announces Successful Recovery of Acoma Shield for People of Acoma PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division announced the successful return of an item of cultural patrimony, a ceremonial war shield (“Shield”) sacred to the Pueblo of Acoma. Acoma Pueblo is one of 22 federally recognized Native American tribes in New Mexico.
On July 20, 2016, the United States filed a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of the Acoma Shield from the Eve Auction House (“Eve”) in Paris, France. The complaint alleged that on May 27, 2016, the FBI in Albuquerque, N.M., learned that Eve had scheduled an auction for May 30, 2016 in Paris. Eve identified the Shield as one of the items for auction. The auction house numbered this item as Lot #68, describing it as: “BOUCLIER DE GUERRE PUEBLO PROBABLEMENT ACOMA OU JEMEZ XIX SIÈCLE OU PLUS ANCIEN CUIR.” (Shield of war pueblo probably Acoma or Jemez XIX century or more old leather). The lawsuit marks the first time the United States filed an action to forfeit an item of cultural patrimony from any European auction house.
On July 16, 2019, the United States, the Pueblo of Acoma, and the consignor of the Shield, Jerold Collings, entered into a settlement agreement to facilitate the Shield’s return to its home at the Pueblo of Acoma. In the agreement, the parties stipulated to the delivery of the Shield to the custody of a federal law enforcement agent at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France. Following the delivery of the Shield, an agent will transport the Shield to the evidence room at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Albuquerque. After the Shield arrives in Albuquerque, the United States will move for dismissal of the forfeiture case and release the Shield to the Pueblo of Acoma.
The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Department of Justice’s Attaché at the Embassy worked diligently with the French officials to ensure that Eve released the Shield to the custody of the United States. On Nov. 12, 2019, Eve surrendered the Shield to a Special Agent of the FBI’s Art Crime Team.
“The pursuit of this case demonstrates the United States’ commitment to protect and preserve sacred Native American items for the benefit of their rightful Native American owners,” said John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “This case also serves to put merchants, traders, and collectors on notice that they have a duty to know the nature and origin of the items in which they deal so that they are not unwittingly trafficking or possessing precious items of Native American cultural patrimony.”
In the course of the FBI’s investigation, tribal leaders showed pictures of the Ceremonial Shield that was being offered for sale by the EVE Auction House to an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma. The tribal member identified the photographs as depicting the exact Shield her grandfather had used in cultural and religious ceremonies for the Pueblo. Her grandfather had held the position of traditional kiva leader and cultural practitioner with the Pueblo. As such, he was the caretaker of this Ceremonial Shield, which was kept in the family home atop the mesa known as Sky City within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Acoma.
The Shield is more than 100 years old and is a sacred item with historical, traditional, cultural and ongoing religious importance to the people of the Pueblo of Acoma. As such, it properly is entrusted solely to the care of the traditional leaders of the Pueblo of Acoma.
In the Eve Auction House catalog for Lot #68, an expert in American Indian artifacts wrote that this “very rare war shield” was either of the Acoma or Jemez Pueblos and estimated to be from the 19th century or older. The description also states that these shields were used by the pueblo people from 1700 to 1850, and “with a few exceptions they were no longer manufactured after that date.”
Under Pueblo of Acoma law, the Shield cannot be destroyed, alienated outside of the Pueblo, appropriated by someone outside of the Pueblo, or conveyed by any individual outside of the Pueblo.
The Department of Justice thanks its French partners for their assistance in this matter.
“The sale of Native American cultural and religious items in Europe and around the world have generated millions of dollars,” said James C. Langenberg, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “We will continue to work to prevent these sales and seek repatriation of invaluable cultural items to their Native American homes.”
Two Trenton Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Two Trenton men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy that allegedly distributed more than one kilogram of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Kahlil Hampton, a/k/a “Ruger,” 29, was sentenced today to 176 months in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
Donte Ellis, a/k/a “Shalant,” 42, was sentenced Nov. 15, 2019, to 181 months in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty before Judge Wolfson to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Ellis also admitted to possessing a firearm during the offense.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:In October 2018, Ellis, Hampton, and 24 other members of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Trenton were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. On Aug. 8, 2019, a grand jury returned a 15-count second superseding indictment charging nine of those defendants – Omar Council, a/k/a “Stacks,” a/k/a “O,” a/k/a “Y-O,” a/k/a “Snow,” Jerome Roberts, a/k/a “Righteous,” a/k/a “Lee;” David Antonio, a/k/a “Papi,” a/k/a “Pop,” a/k/a “Victor Arias,” a/k/a “Santiago Ramirez;” Brian Phelps, a/k/a “B-Money,” a/k/a “B;” Timothy Wimbush, a/k/a “Young Money;” Taquan Williams, a/k/a “Trip;” Jubri West; Dennis Cheston Jr., a/k/a “Beans;” and Wayne K. Bush – with various crimes relating to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including firearms charges against Phelps, Wimbush, Williams, West, and Cheston. To date, 20 defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with their participation in the conspiracy.
From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, the defendants and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that in September and October 2018, Ellis—who had been released from state prison in August 2018 for two prior convictions for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder—obtained large quantities of heroin on multiple occasions from codefendant Jakir Taylor, which he redistributed to others in and around Trenton. The investigation also revealed that, on several occasions when Ellis obtained supplies of heroin from Taylor, he also obtained a firearm from Taylor for protection in redistributing the narcotics. Hampton was a close associate of Taylor, and he regularly obtained and redistributed large quantities of heroin in furtherance of the conspiracy. The investigation also revealed that Hampton had access to one or more firearms.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, ATF Trenton Field Office; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Brendan Day and Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel:
Hampton: Stanley O. King Esq., Woodbury, New Jersey
Ellis: Jose Luis Ongay Esq., Camden, New JerseyTwo Plead Guilty in Safe Streets Task Force Investigation into Drug Trafficking by the “SCO” GangRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Two former residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Michael Rose, 28, formerly of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to three counts related to drug trafficking and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
Lisamarie Ross, 35, formerly of New Alexandria, pleaded guilty to two counts related to drug trafficking, also before Judge Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock section of Pittsburgh. Michael Rose, Lisamarie Ross, and other individuals, were identified as members or associates of a neighborhood based street gang, self-titled "SCO", which illegally distributed controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh region. In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through May of 2019.
During that time period, the Court was informed, that intercepted communications confirmed that Rose was conspiring with others to distribute controlled substances in Western Pennsylvania. On April 15, 2019, Rose was apprehended by law enforcement while conducting a drug transaction in the parking lot of the Monroeville Mall. After arresting MRose and seizing a firearm, which Rose was not permitted to possess, as well as heroin, cocaine and cocaine base packaged for resale from the vehicle, Rose broke free from law enforcement and ran into the Monroeville Mall while in handcuffs. After he was apprehended, law enforcement found $829.00 on his person. The Court accepted Rose’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 198.4 grams of heroin, 28 grams of cocaine, and 154 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack.
As to Ms. Ross, the Court was informed that intercepted communications confirmed that she was conspiring with others to distribute controlled substances in Western Pennsylvania. The Court was informed that Ross was intercepted brokering drug transactions between members of the conspiracy and her drug customers. The Court accepted Ross’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 32 grams of heroin and 120 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 22, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. for Rose and April 20, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. for Ross. For both defendants, the law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, with a maximum fine of $7,250,000 for Rose and a maximum fine of $6,000,000 for Ross. 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 defendants. Both Mr. Rose and Ms. Ross remain incarcerated pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies include the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Two Mexican Mafia ‘Secretaries’ Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms for Being Intermediaries for Imprisoned Street Gang MemberRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man and his long-time girlfriend were sentenced today to federal prison terms for collecting and storing extortionate “taxes” for the man’s brother, an imprisoned Mexican Mafia member, and for acting as the brother’s eyes and ears on the street, delivering coded messages to him, including one message that resulted in an individual being marked for death.
Thomas Gonzales, 61, and Gloria Valerio, 66, both of the Elysian Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. Gonzales was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison. Valerio was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Both defendants were immediately remanded into custody.
After a two-week trial, Gonzales and Valerio were found guilty by a jury on March 4 of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Gonzales also was found guilty of making a false statement to a law enforcement officer.
Gonzales and Valerio were named in a 2015 federal RICO indictment that charged 22 defendants and outlined how Gonzales’s brother, Mexican Mafia member and senior Frogtown gang member Arnold “Arnie” Gonzales, 59, had ordered the unification of the traditional rival Los Angeles street gangs of Frogtown, Toonerville, and Rascals.
The inter-gang alliance began in 2010 and resulted in the three gangs controlling the narcotics trade and other illegal activities in an area along the Los Angeles River that ran from Elysian Park nearly to Burbank. Through violence and threats of violence, senior members collected money, or “taxes,” from legitimate and illegal businesses in the area for Arnie Gonzales’s benefit.
Gonzales and Valerio acted as “secretaries,” or people who act as the bridge between imprisoned members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang and the gang members on the street. “Secretaries” often are not gang members themselves and have normal jobs and minimal criminal histories, which is why the Mexican Mafia targets them to be used as intermediaries, as they are able to make prison visits to Mexican Mafia members without arousing suspicion. In this case, Valerio worked as an insurance analyst and Thomas Gonzales was an HVAC technician.
Valerio and Thomas Gonzales visited Arnie Gonzales, who was serving a life sentence at Pelican Bay State Prison for a murder conviction. As Arnie Gonzales’s eyes and ears on the streets, Thomas Gonzales and Valerio stored the extortionate “tax” money gang leaders had collected from street gangs in Arnie Gonzales’s name within the territories controlled by him. Valerio deposited some of that money into Arnie Gonzales’s prison account. A search warrant executed at the defendants’ residence in June 2015 resulted in the seizure of more than $22,000 in cash.
Gonzales and Valerio used coded language to inform Arnie Gonzales about an individual who was falsely claiming to have the authority to collect “taxes” on Arnie Gonzales’s behalf. That individual later was marked for death.
A total of 21 people have been convicted in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Special Service Unit; the Glendale Police Department; and the Los Angeles Police Department. This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Alexis Chen, chief of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section.
Two Huntington Men Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Huntington men were sentenced by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to federal prison for drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
“We continue to prosecute dealers peddling opioids, including pills, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “As long as we have drug dealers distributing their poisons in our communities, my office will be prosecuting them with a sense of urgency. Last year, more than 900 lives were lost due to drug overdoses in West Virginia and every one of them matter to me. We must hold drug dealers accountable for the chaos and despair they peddle.”
James Daniel, also known as “Mike D,” 41, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Daniel previously admitted that on May 23, 2017, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant on a residence he was staying in. Members of West Virginia Parole Services and officers of the Huntington Police Department located approximately 6 grams of heroin. Daniel admitted to officers that he intended to sell the heroin. The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
In a separate case, Billy Dean Vance, 43, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for distributing oxycodone. Vance also must serve 3 years of supervised release following his sentence. He will be on home confinement for the first six months of his supervised release. On June 20, 2018, Vance sold 20, 30-milligram oxycodone pills for $700 to a person working as a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. The sale occurred in the driveway of Vance’s Crestmont Drive home. Vance made two additional sales on prior occasions, both involving 10 30-milligram oxycodone pills. Those sales occurred on May 31 and June 12, 2018. On July 2, 2018, law enforcement served a search warrant at Vance’s residence and found more oxycodone pills, hydrocodone pills and marijuana. They also recovered approximately $3,500 in cash. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey handled the prosecution.
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Twenty Defendants Charged with Distributing Heroin/Fentanyl in Springfield AreaRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Twenty defendants have been charged in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Springfield, Missouri, area.
Many of the defendants were arrested in a coordinated law enforcement sweep that began Thursday, Nov. 14, and continued into the weekend, after five criminal complaints were filed under seal on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Those complaints have now been unsealed and made public.
“These criminal complaints reflect a tremendous commitment in time and resources on the parts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, and the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office in addressing the serious problem of heroin/fentanyl distribution in Springfield and Greene County,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “They are a significant step in working to make this area safer and to protect citizens from the danger this type of criminal activity poses.”
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. Heroin and fentanyl, the affidavits say, was sold to Springfield residents by suppliers in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri.
“I’m grateful for the law enforcement partnerships we have that enable us to bring together the resources needed to effectively address significant crime, health, and safety issues such as this,” said Chief Paul Williams of the Springfield Police Department. “The recent spike in drug overdoses raised public awareness of the extent of the problem we face in our community, and this investigation highlights our efforts to combat it-at the source.”
“I appreciate all of our partners joining together to go after these drug dealers and bring justice to these individuals plaguing our streets with these lethal drugs,” said Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott.
“I am proud to be in partnership with the law enforcement agencies of southwest Missouri,” said Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson, “and I want to thank U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison and his office for pursuing these federal charges. As we have done in the past, our agencies have come together to combat a serious criminal problem. These complaints are a reflection of the outstanding law enforcement collaboration that goes on behind the scenes every day protecting our community.”
“The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to fight the misuse of opioids,” said Col. Eric T. Olson, superintendent. “Troopers are dedicated to a multifaceted approach of prevention, education, enforcement, and treatment. The Patrol is hopeful operations and arrests such as these, will not only have an impact on illegal activity, but raise further awareness about the risks of opioid misuse. Joint investigations with local, state, and federal authorities can play a critical role in empowering others to make safer choices and, in turn, prevent future deaths due to overdose.”
Wheeler, et al.
Jerry Bedell, 29, his father, Jerry Wheeler, 44, his significant other, Bethany Rice, 28, all of Springfield, Missouri, and his mother, Nichole Bedell, 48, of Nixa, Missouri; Sheron Loggins, 46, of Florissant, Missouri; Delante Worsham, 34, Crystal J. Hill, 23, William Leath, 44, Marquise Martin, 29, and Robin Roberts, 50, all of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Loggins was the source for Wheeler and Jerry Bedell to obtain heroin or fentanyl. Nichole Bedell, Rice, Worsham, Leath, Martin, and Roberts allegedly obtained heroin or fentanyl from Jerry Bedell or Wheeler for further distribution. Hill received heroin or fentanyl from Worsham for further distribution.
A Phelps County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy stopped Loggins on Interstate 44 on Sept. 8, 2019, while he was traveling toward Springfield. The deputy seized approximately 496 grams of heroin from Loggins’ vehicle. In another incident, Worsham was stopped by a Springfield police officer, who searched his vehicle and seized 21.5 grams of fentanyl.
Burkes, et al.
Myron C. Burkes, 32, of Springfield, and Devonte A. Smith, 23, and Danjouna A. Wiggins, 24, both of Chicago, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl from Sept. 23 to Oct. 24, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Smith provided heroin and/or fentanyl to Burkes, who distributed in the Springfield area. Smith allegedly coordinated the delivery of the illegal drugs to Burkes by couriers, including Wiggins, who was Smith’s significant other. Wiggins was intercepted at a St. Louis bus station, the affidavit says, while carrying illegal drugs from Chicago en route to Springfield to deliver to Burkes.
Morales
Brittany N. Morales, 27, of Springfield, was charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl from Sept. 23 to Nov. 12, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, after Danjouna Wiggins was intercepted at a St. Louis bus station, Myron Burkes drove to Chicago with Morales and another person to purchase heroin/fentanyl. (Burkes and Wiggins are charged in a separate complaint.) Burkes’ vehicle was stopped on Nov. 11, 2019, during the return trip from Chicago to Springfield. Law enforcement officers found approximately 237 grams of heroin/fentanyl hidden in Morales’ boots.
Dailey, et al.
Derrick E. Dailey, 33, William C. Farisse, 33, Roderick L. Stewart, 34, and Robert D. Everette, 40, all of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Dailey was the source who supplied Farisse and Stewart with heroin/fentanyl for further distribution in the Springfield area. Farisse allegedly supplied Everette with heroin/fentanyl to further distribute. A
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Farisse’s residence on June 8, 2018, and he was arrested. Officers seized 16 plastic bags that contained a total of 205.58 grams of fentanyl. Farisse told officers he purchased the six ounces of heroin/fentanyl for $10,000, the affidavit says, and expected to make $10,000 in profit after selling it. Farisse explained that he would sell one tenth of one gram for $20. Farisse also told officers he had been selling approximately six ounces per week for the past month.
According to the affidavit, Farisse fled from law enforcement officers during a traffic stop on March 27, 2018. Farisse told officers he threw approximately six ounces of heroin/fentanyl from the vehicle during the pursuit. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers recovered a sock containing the heroin/fentanyl following the pursuit.
Everette told officers he purchased heroin for $100 per gram, and sold between two and four grams of heroin per day. Farisse allegedly had been cutting his heroin with fentanyl to make the drug more potent.
McDonald, et al.
Crystal D. McDonald, 28, and Latoya W. O’Connor, 28, both of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin from July 15 to Sept. 18, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, O’Connor sold a confidential source four grams of heroin for $520 on July 19, 2019. McDonald sold an undercover officer 12 grams of heroin for $1,500 on Sept. 18, 2019, after meeting with O’Connor.
The charges contained in these complaints are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Josephine L. Stockard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department, the Greene County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, the Phelps County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Illinois State Police.
Topeka Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Robbery at Liquor StoreRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man pleaded guilty today to an attempted robbery at a liquor store, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Joseph Bryant Toole, III, 36, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery of a commercial business. In his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 2, 2018, he and a juvenile male attempted a robbery at Lynn’s Liquor, 3335 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka. However, the door was locked and they were unable to enter the business. They were wearing blue bandanas over their faces and carrying what appeared to be a handgun.
Investigators were able to identify a vehicle that led them to the defendant.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 24. He could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the FBI, the Topeka Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Steuben County Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill A U.S. Congresswoman and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead 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 Patrick W. Carlineo, Jr., 55, of Addison, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to threatening to assault and murder a United States official, and being a felon in possession of firearms. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that on March 21, 2019, at approximately 12:20 p.m., the defendant placed a telephone call to the offices of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Member of the United States Congress from the 5th Congressional District in Minnesota, in Washington, D.C. A member of Congresswoman Omar’s staff answered the call. During the call, the defendant stated, “Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she’s a (expletive) terrorist. Somebody ought to put a bullet in her skull. Back in the day, our forefathers would have put a bullet in her (expletive).” The staff member recalled that the defendant stated, “I’ll put a bullet in her (expletive) skull.”
Carlineo made the threatening call to retaliate against Congresswoman Omar based on her performance of her official duties. Because he hates individuals he views as radical Muslims being in the United States government, he believed that Congresswoman Omar supports Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and that Congresswoman Omar’s election to the United States Congress was illegitimate.
After receiving the call, the threat was referred to the United States Capitol Police, Threat Assessment Section, who began an investigation in coordination with the FBI.
In addition, on April 5, 2019, the defendant – a previously convicted felon – possessed a load .45 caliber handgun, three rifles, two shotguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at his residence in Addison, NY. In 1998, the defendant was convicted of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree in Steuben County Court. In view of that conviction defendant was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“This prosecution highlights the fact that the rights secured in our Constitution carry with them certain responsibilities,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “The First Amendment right to freedom of speech carries with it the responsibility that individuals not make threats to harm lawmakers simply because they may disagree with them. The Second Amendment right to bear arms carries with it the responsibility that individuals who desire to possess firearms not commit felony crimes. This Office remains vigilant in upholding the rule of law and reinforcing the notion that—above all else—our Nation’s founders viewed self-governance as the responsibility that each citizen has to control and govern their own behavior.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the United States Capitol Police, under the direction of Matthew R. Verderosa.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. before Chief Judge Geraci.# # # #
South L.A. Gang Member Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Federal Prison for Ambush Murder of Man in Front of His Toddler SonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the Pueblo Bishop Bloods street gang was sentenced today to life -- plus an additional 10 years -- in federal prison for racketeering offenses that included the murder of a man in front of the victim’s 2-year-old son.
Rondale Young, a.k.a. “Pueblo Grump,” 37, of South Los Angeles, was sentenced today by United States District Judge S. James Otero.
In May, after a 10-day trial, a federal jury found Young guilty of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in relation to the August 2, 2009 murder of Francisco Cornelio. Mr. Cornelio was a 23-year-old man with no gang affiliation and was shot to death at point-blank range while vacuuming his car in front of his toddler son.
The jury also found Young guilty of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR); VICAR murder; and possessing, using and discharging a firearm resulting in death in relation to a crime of violence.
On the day of Mr. Cornelio’s murder, Young, accompanied by other armed gang members, drove his mother’s black Chrysler 300 car into rival gang territory, seeking retaliation for a fatal drive-by shooting of a Pueblo Bishop Bloods gang member. Mr. Cornelio was targeted simply because he was Latino and was in rival gang territory.
“The seriousness of (Young’s) offense is among the most egregious in the federal code, among the few punishable by death,” prosecutors wrote in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The ultimate consequences of the murder...included to: rob a young wife of her husband; rob a young son of his father and of his childhood; and to further inflame racial and gang tensions in combustible South Los Angeles, thereby putting the entire community at risk.”
Local authorities originally charged Young in 2009 with killing Mr. Cornelio, but he was acquitted by a state jury.
An August 2010 indictment charged Young and 44 other members and associates of the gang with being members of a criminal enterprise that engaged in drug dealing, firearms trafficking, murder, witness intimidation and armed robbery as part of the gang’s efforts to control and terrorize the Pueblo del Rio Housing Projects in South Los Angeles.
In 2013, Young was convicted of racketeering charges in connection to the indictment and Mr. Cornelio’s murder and was sentenced to life in federal prison. That conviction was vacated in 2017 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which cited evidentiary errors during the first trial. The case was sent back to the district court for a retrial. Young has been in federal custody since the 2010 indictment.
With Young’s conviction, all 45 defendants charged in this matter have been convicted of federal RICO and related charges, and have been held responsible for multiple murders.
This matter was investigated by the FBI; the Los Angeles Police Department; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; Assistant United States Attorney Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; and Assistant United States Attorney Julia S. Choe of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Sixth and Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Participating in Sophisticated International Cellphone Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A citizen and resident of the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty today in Miami, Florida, to multiple criminal charges in connection with a sophisticated global cellphone fraud scheme that involved compromising cellphone customers’ accounts in the United States and “cloning” their phones to make fraudulent international calls.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Edgar Estarlin Peralta Lopez, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, the use, production or possession of modified telecommunications instruments and the use or possession of hardware or software configured to obtain telecommunications services; one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida.
According to the plea agreement, Peralta and his co-conspirators participated in a scheme to steal access to existing cellphone accounts, and fraudulently open new cellphone accounts, using the personal information of individuals around the United States.
In the plea agreement, Peralta admitted that he played at least two roles in the conspiracy. First, he was a telecommunications trafficker. Specifically, Peralta would contract with telecommunication companies to transmit international calls for them for payment and then route those calls through cellphones reprogrammed with stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information located at “call sites” in the United States. Peralta and other co-conspirators transmitted thousands of calls to Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and other countries with high calling rates. The calls were later billed to United States customers’ compromised accounts. Second, Peralta was a “line” supplier, providing his co-conspirators with stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information that they then used to reprogram the cellphones they controlled at call sites.
In addition, in the plea agreement, Peralta admitted to trafficking in approximately 3,158 combinations of stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information, which were found in around over 1,390 emails he exchanged with co-conspirators. Verizon Wireless reported that fraudulent use of just three of these combinations resulted in a loss of over $33,000. Peralta admitted to a loss amount of at least $315,800.
Peralta is a citizen of the Dominican Republic. He was arrested in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States, extradited to Miami in August where he is currently in custody.
Peralta is the sixth and last defendant to plead guilty in the case. Previously, defendants Edwin Fana, Farintong Calderon, Jose Santana, Ramon Batista and Braulio de la Cruz pleaded guilty to similar charges and have already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 36 months to 75 months.
The FBI Miami’s Cyber Task Force investigated the case, dubbed Operation Toll Free, which is part of the FBI’s ongoing effort to combat large-scale telecommunications fraud. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition in this matter, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Shawnee Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm, CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Shawnee, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and possessing cocaine.
Anthony Whitehead, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Whitehead to pay a $5,000 fine.
Whitehead was found guilty at trial on June 19, 2019, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a controlled substance.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Whitehead in the District of Kansas on Dec. 29, 2016, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in regards to a Johnson County, Kansas, warrant for attempted kidnapping. Agents with the U.S. Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force received information that Whitehead was staying at the Relax Inn, 6300 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri.
On Jan. 20, 2017, federal agents contacted Whitehead and his girlfriend in their room at the Relax Inn, where they found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun hidden underneath the mattress of the bed. Agents also found a cellophane bag that contained approximately 1.5 grams of cocaine in one of Whitehead’s pants pockets.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Whitehead has two prior felony convictions for fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to sell marijuana, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Crime Lab and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Sacramento Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Access Device Fraud, Identity Theft, and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ahmad Nassar, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to four years in prison for aggravated identity theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and access device fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from August 2015 through June 2017, Nassar was engaged in identity theft, unauthorized bank account takeovers, and obtaining and using unauthorized and counterfeit access devices in the form of credit cards, debit cards, account numbers, and other financial account information. On May 10, 2017, agents executing search warrants at two properties in Sacramento associated with Nassar led to the seizure of a loaded .22‑caliber handgun from underneath a pillow in a bedroom of one of the properties in which Nassar himself was found. In addition, agents seized numerous boxes containing credit cards, debit cards, mail (some with “forwarding” address labels), and federal and state government-issued identification cards, bearing names of people other than Nassar, and at least 55 electronic devices, including computers, cellphones, media storage drives, and other electronic devices including a “CelleBrite” device commonly used by law enforcement to conduct forensic examinations of cellphones. Nassar used intricate techniques to obtain victims’ personal identifying and financial information, including online account takeovers that continued even after search warrants were executed on his properties. Nassar’s conduct caused at least $558,276 in losses.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Yelovich is prosecuting the case.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Dante Emmanuel Hall, 32, of Portland, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Hall was involved in an early-morning fight in a downtown Portland parking lot on September 30, 2018 that resulted in two shootings. Surveillance video obtained from an adjacent business recorded Hall arriving with a large group of people and stashing an item near the tire of a parked vehicle. This item was later determined to be a loaded Walther 9mm handgun.
The fight began when an individual attempted to punch Hall in the face. In response, Portland resident Patrick Kimmons brandished a firearm and fired three shots into the chest of Hall’s assailant. One of the rounds struck Hall in the hip. Kimmons was then shot and killed by police after running at officers with a firearm and failing to comply with their commands. Within minutes of the shooting, Hall and another subject arrived at Legacy Emanuel Hospital with gunshot wounds and police were notified.
After attempting to get a statement from a belligerent and uncooperative Hall, the responding officer applied for, obtained and executed a federal search warrant on Hall’s hospital room. The officer located and seized Hall’s cell phone hidden beneath the hospital bed mattress. A search of the phone revealed numerous photos and videos of Hall in possession of three different firearms including what appeared to be the same Walther 9mm handgun found in the parking lot where the fight and shootings occurred.
Hall has a long history of firearm-related offenses and convictions.
On September 6, 2012, he pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Four days after his release from prison after serving just eight months, Hall was involved in a gang-related shooting during which he fired a handgun outside a Portland strip club. He was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in Multnomah County Circuit Court and sentenced to 40 months in prison.
Within months of his release from state prison and recommencing federal supervised release, Hall once again violated his supervision terms. On August 9, 2017, he was arrested riding in a car with a known Rollin’ 60s gang member who was driving and eluded police. As a result, on October 19, 2017, he was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for the violation with no re-imposition of supervised release.
Within 48 hours of his final release from federal prison, Hall possessed a firearm and was involved in a June 24, 2018 shooting outside a bar in Vancouver, Washington. The shooting injured an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. This shooting occurred approximately three months prior to the September 2018 shooting in downtown Portland.
On April 25, 2018, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Leah K. Bolstad and Thomas H. Edmonds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
The 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.
Professor of International Studies Charged in International Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) announced the arrest today of BRUCE BAGLEY on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. BAGLEY allegedly participated in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a Venezuelan bribery and corruption scheme into the United States. BAGLEY will be presented today in federal court in Miami, Florida. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff in the Southern District of New York.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Bruce Bagley, a college professor and author of the book Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, and Violence in the Americas Today, allegedly opened bank accounts for the express purpose of laundering money for corrupt foreign nationals. Moreover, the funds Bagley was allegedly laundering were the proceeds of bribery and corruption, stolen from the citizens of Venezuela. Today’s charges of money laundering and conspiracy should serve as an object lesson for Bruce Bagley, who now faces a potential tenure in federal prison.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Criminals employ a host of methods to launder the proceeds of their crimes, but in order to be successful, they need a way to hide and move their money. As we allege, Bagley, an American professor, contributed to the success of illegal activity overseas, carried out against the Venezuelan people, by facilitating access to illicitly obtained funds, and profiting from his role in the crime. About the only lesson to be learned from Professor Bagley today is that involving oneself in public corruption, bribery, and embezzlement schemes is going to lead to an indictment.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today[1]:
In or about November 2016, BRUCE BAGLEY, a professor of international studies with publication credits including the book Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, and Violence in the Americas Today, opened a bank account (“Account-1”) on behalf of a company (“Company-1”) that BAGLEY owned and controlled. Between in or about November 2016 and in or about November 2017, Account-1 had minimal activity. In or about November 2017, Account-1 began receiving monthly deposits of hundreds of thousands of dollars from bank accounts located in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates (the “Overseas Accounts”). Each month, BAGLEY would receive a deposit of approximately $200,000 from one of the Overseas Accounts into Account-1. Thereafter, he would withdraw approximately 90 percent of the funds in the form of a cashier’s check, payable to an account held by another individual (“Individual-1”). BAGLEY would send the remainder of the funds to his personal account. BAGLEY and Individual-1 would visit the bank together to complete these transactions. Between in or about November 2017 and in or about October 2018, Account-1 received approximately $2.5 million from the Overseas Accounts.
The Overseas Accounts belonged to a Colombian individual (“Individual-2”). BAGLEY and Individual-1 discussed the fact that they were moving Individual-2’s funds and that the funds represented the proceeds of foreign bribery and embezzlement stolen from the Venezuelan people. Despite this fact, BAGLEY continued to receive money from accounts belonging to Individual-2, and continued to pass the majority of those funds to Individual-1. Moreover, BAGLEY entered into sham contracts that purported to justify the transfer of Individual-2’s funds into Account-1.
In or about October 2018, Account-1 was shut down for suspicious activity. Nevertheless, in or about December 2018, BAGLEY provided Individual-1 with information for a new bank account (“Account-2”) in order to transfer additional money belonging to Individual-2. On two occasions, BAGLEY received funds into Account-2 after Individual-1 had told BAGLEY that the funds represented the proceeds of bribery and public corruption. BAGLEY transferred the majority of these funds to Individual-1 but retained approximately 10 percent as a commission for his services.
* * *
BAGLEY, 73, of Coral Gables, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the FBI’s New York Money Laundering Investigation Squad.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Thane Rehn and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is 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 below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Portland Couple Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly CoupleRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland couple pleaded guilty today in federal court to defrauding a local elderly couple of approximately $1.8 million in a scheme lasting more than two years.
Ronnie Stevens aka Tim Ephrem, 50, and Tina Ephrem aka Lisa Ann Peterson, 43, each pleaded guilty today to a one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, between September 2016 and December 2018, Stevens and Ephrem conspired with one another to defraud an elderly couple, Adult Victim 1 (AV1) and Adult Victim 2 (AV2).
The scheme began in September 2016 when AV1, who was 76 years old at the time, offered a commercial trailer for sale at his business. Stevens claimed he brokered vehicle sales and could sell the trailer in exchange for a cut of the profit. Stevens did not ultimately sell the trailer, but quickly ingratiated himself with the victim.
Stevens later approached AV1 with an alleged lucrative investment opportunity. Stevens claimed that a friend named Tammy Ward was set to inherit an estate valued in excess of $100 million from her recently deceased father, but could not come up with the fees and legal costs necessary to release the estate. Stevens told AV1 that if he could advance the funds to release the estate, AV1 would receive a substantial return when the estate closed.
AV1 made multiple payments to Stevens over a period of time as Stevens told him various stories about delays and increased costs associated with the release of the estate. As part of the conspiracy, AV1 and AV2 both spoke to a woman on the phone who claimed to be Tammy Ward. Investigators revealed that Tammy Ward was a fictitious identity used by Stevens and Ephrem as part of the fraud scheme.
Between 2016 and 2018, Stevens placed more than 5,000 outgoing calls to AV1 and AV2 and, along with Ephrem, stole more than $1.8 million from their two victims. Stevens and Ephrem spent the stolen money on rent, utility bills, restaurants, cigars, luxury retail purchases and repeated travel to Las Vegas, Nevada and other locations including Hawaii, Anaheim, California, and Spirit Mountain Lodge in Grand Ronde, Oregon.
Stevens and Ephrem were arrested on January 11, 2019. They made their initial appearances in federal court the same day and were ordered detained.
Stevens and Ephrem each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. They will be sentenced on February 13, 2020 before U.S. Chief District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
As part of the plea agreement, Stevens and Ephrem have agreed to pay full restitution to their victims as determined and ordered by the court.
This case was investigated by the Tigard Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Donna Maddux and Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting nearly 10% of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know needs help, abuse complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder abuse victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Owners of Charlotte-Based Fraudulent Debt Collection Company Are Sentenced to Prison for Collecting More Than $5.7 Million from Unsuspecting Victims - Including Older Adults - Using Abusive and Intimidating TacticsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Laurence A. Sessum, 46, of Matthews, N.C., and Jacqueline Dianne Okomba, 51, of Salisbury, N.C., were sentenced to 135 months and 72 months in prison, respectively, for defrauding victims throughout the United States of at least $5.7 million through their fraudulent Charlotte-based debt collection company, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. also ordered the defendants to serve two years under court supervision after they are released from prison.
In April 2019, a federal jury convicted Sessum and Okomba of wire fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Sessum was also convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and wire fraud.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Division, joins the U.S. Attorney’s Office in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, trial evidence and witness testimony, and today’s sentencing hearing, from October 2013 to January 2017, Sessum was the owner and operator of Direct Processing LLC (Direct Processing) a fraudulent debt collection company with offices in Mecklenburg County. Sessum was also the leader and organizer of the debt scheme. Okomba, was the registered agent and member-owner of Direct Processing, who also worked as a manager in charge of overseeing other company collectors and managed the finances and bank accounts of Direct Processing.
As part of the scheme, Sessum purchased lists of purportedly outstanding accounts, which the codefendants used to make fraudulent debt collections. Sessum intentionally sought out lists of old and unenforceable debts. Direct Processing used a dialer service to leave automated messages for victims, many of whom were elderly, directing them to contact the company to resolve the purported debts. To induce victims to call back, the automated messages often contained fraudulent and misleading information, including that there was “possible pending litigation” against the victims, or that there was a “process server” attempting to locate them.
When the victims returned the calls, they were connected with collectors working for Direct Processing. The collectors made similar threats and fraudulent statements about the purported debts and regularly used prepared scripts, including scripts handed out by Direct Processing management, that were designed to scare and intimidate victims to pay the purported debts. The defendants’ scheme harmed many elderly and retired victims, several of whom testified at trial about the lies and threats they were told to induce them to make payments.
Direct Processing also sent victims fraudulent documents, prepared to look like legal documents that had been filed in court, demanding restitution. Using threats and other intimidating tactics, company collectors regularly collected amounts that were not owed or they were not authorized to collect. One victim testified during trial that Direct Processing’s aggressive and fraudulent collections tactics made her feel “devastated” out of concern that she would be sent to jail if she failed to pay. That victim lost $1,250 in the scheme.
To disguise the fraudulent nature of the business, collectors often used fake company names when communicating with victims. In addition, Sessum directed others to establish nominee bank accounts, which were used to pay operational and other expenses associated with the fraudulent debt collection company.
When Sessum learned the FBI had seized funds held in an account associated with Direct Processing, Sessum, Okomba, and others removed Direct Processing computers, documents, and records from a location associated with the company in order to impede the federal investigation. When FBI agents arrived at the location to execute a search warrant, they found computer accessories, such as monitors, at collectors’ cubicles but no desktop units. When FBI agents questioned Okomba about the computers that had been removed, Okomba falsely told the agents that Direct Processing did not own any computers.
At today’s sentencing hearings, Judge Conrad said that the conduct was “heinous,” and the collection calls were “wicked.” He also stated that this was “a criminal spree that involved great deception.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys William M. Miller and Maria Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
In March 2019, Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the Office’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit: /usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative.
News Release: Sixth and Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Participating in Sophisticated International Cellphone Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A citizen and resident of the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty today in Miami, Florida, to multiple criminal charges in connection with a sophisticated global cellphone fraud scheme that involved compromising cellphone customers’ accounts in the United States and “cloning” their phones to make fraudulent international calls.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Edgar Estarlin Peralta Lopez, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, the use, production or possession of modified telecommunications instruments and the use or possession of hardware or software configured to obtain telecommunications services; one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida.
According to the plea agreement, Peralta and his co-conspirators participated in a scheme to steal access to existing cellphone accounts, and fraudulently open new cellphone accounts, using the personal information of individuals around the United States.
In the plea agreement, Peralta admitted that he played at least two roles in the conspiracy. First, he was a telecommunications trafficker. Specifically, Peralta would contract with telecommunication companies to transmit international calls for them for payment and then route those calls through cellphones reprogrammed with stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information located at “call sites” in the United States. Peralta and other co-conspirators transmitted thousands of calls to Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and other countries with high calling rates. The calls were later billed to United States customers’ compromised accounts. Second, Peralta was a “line” supplier, providing his co-conspirators with stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information that they then used to reprogram the cellphones they controlled at call sites.
In addition, in the plea agreement, Peralta admitted to trafficking in approximately 3,158 combinations of stolen or compromised telecommunications identifying information, which were found in around over 1,390 emails he exchanged with co-conspirators. Verizon Wireless reported that fraudulent use of just three of these combinations resulted in a loss of over $33,000. Peralta admitted to a loss amount of at least $315,800.
Peralta is a citizen of the Dominican Republic. He was arrested in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States, extradited to Miami in August where he is currently in custody.
Peralta is the sixth and last defendant to plead guilty in the case. Previously, defendants Edwin Fana, Farintong Calderon, Jose Santana, Ramon Batista and Braulio de la Cruz pleaded guilty to similar charges and have already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 36 months to 75 months.
The FBI Miami’s Cyber Task Force investigated the case, dubbed Operation Toll Free, which is part of the FBI’s ongoing effort to combat large-scale telecommunications fraud. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition in this matter, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Newberg Man Sentenced to 9 Months in Federal Prison for Threatening School Shooting at California CollegeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Vasiliy V. Barbiyeru, Jr., 25, of Newberg, Oregon, was sentenced today to nine months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for transmitting threatening interstate communications.
According to court documents, on October 7, 2017, Barbiyeru sent a threatening email to several individuals and groups at Deep Springs College in Big Pine, California where he had been denied admission. Barbiyeru had previously posted a threat directed at the college on the 4chan message board and had sent similar threatening emails to the college’s president and other associated persons.
On March 1, 2019, Barbiyeru was charged with first degree disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in Clackamas County Circuit Court after making similar threats of violence to Lake Oswego High School. Barbiyeru was arrested a short time later by the Lake Oswego Police Department. His state charges are still pending.
On August 22, 2019, Barbiyeru pleaded guilty to one count of threatening interstate communications.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Newberg and McMinnville Police Departments and was being prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
New York Man Who Victimized Immigrants in Kidnapping and Extortion Scheme Sentenced to 8 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS ANTONIO HERNANDEZ, 57, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a kidnapping and extortion scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on several occasions, Hernandez and his co-conspirators targeted individuals after they exited buses at the Port Authority in New York. The victims included women, men and children from Central American countries who did not speak English and were seeking asylum in the U.S. Some of the victims planned to travel from New York to Connecticut. After the victims were told that their connecting bus was not available and that they would provide transportation, Hernandez and others coerced the victims into vehicles. Hernandez and others would then drive the victims around, sometimes for hours, and refused to release them until they or their families agreed to pay the co-conspirators an exorbitant amount of money, on average more than a $1000.
At times, co-conspirators posed as an immigration officer to intimidate the victims further.
Hernandez has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2016. On March 9, 2018, a federal jury in Bridgeport found Hernandez and two co-conspirators, Francisco Betancourt and Lucilo Cabrera, guilty of kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy offenses. On November 14, 2019, Betancourt was sentenced to 168 months of imprisonment. Cabrera awaits sentencing.
On October 12, 2018, a fourth defendant, Pascual Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. On July 2, 2019, he was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.
New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years for Illegal Gun Possession, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAQUILLE PEARSON, 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal firearm conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 23, 2017, Pearson was sentenced in federal court to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was released from federal prison in May 2018.
On March 21, 2019, Pearson led New Haven police officers in a foot chase. Officers apprehended Pearson and then retrieved a loaded Taurus PT25, .25 caliber handgun that Pearson had discarded on Wilson Street during the chase.
In addition to his prior federal conviction, Pearson’s criminal history includes state convictions for burglary and for carrying a dangerous weapon.
On June 17, 2019, Pearson pleaded guilty to one count of possession for a firearm by a convicted felon.
Judge Thompson sentenced Pearson to 27 months of imprisonment for the firearm offense, and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
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 neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler Indicted on Corruption-Related ChargeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that the Mayor for the City of Muncie, Indiana has been indicted on a charge of accepting a $5,000 illegal cash payment after he steered lucrative excavation work to a local contractor. The arrest is part of an on-going investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into illegal payments associated with public works projects in Muncie.
"Public officials are entrusted to perform a public service and to legitimately conduct business in the best interest of the community that they represent," said Minkler. "Tyler not only betrayed the trust of his community, but violated federal law, and all in an effort to serve his own personal interests. My office intends to prosecute Tyler to the full extent of the law."
Mayor Dennis Tyler, 76, of Muncie, Indiana, was arrested at his home Monday morning, November 18, 2019, and had his initial appearance that same afternoon in the federal courthouse in Indianapolis. He has served as Muncie’s Mayor since he was elected to that position in 2012. As Mayor, Tyler has authority over supervising subordinate officers, signing bonds, deeds, and contracts of the city, approving licenses issued by the city, and overseeing Muncie’s departments and agencies.
"Public corruption is the top criminal investigative priority for the FBI. It erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy," said Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall, FBI Indianapolis. "There is a growing intolerance by the American people of public corruption, an intolerance reflected in the willingness to come forward and report abuse of public office. We are always grateful for those who report corruption. That information is critical to our work."
The arrest is part of a multi-year and on-going investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service into the payment of kickbacks in exchange for public works projects and other corruption-related matters in Muncie that have resulted in the following federal cases:
United States v. Craig Nichols, Former Building Commissioner, 17-CR-0021-TWP- DML, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, sentenced to 24 months in prison.
United States v. Tracy Barton, Former Superintendent of Sewer Maintenance, 18-CR- 284-JMS-DLP, set for jury trial on April 3, 2020.
United States v. Jeff Burke, Local Business Man, 18-CR-285-SEB-DLP, set for jury trial on Oct. 28, 2020.
United States v. Rodney Barber, Local Contractor, 19-CR-190-JMS-DML, set for jury trial on March 13, 2020.
United States v. Debra Nicole Grigsby and Tony Franklin, District Administrator of Muncie Sanitary District and Local Contractor, 19-CR-231-JRS-DLP, set for jury trial Feb. 10, 2020.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case for the government, Tyler faces up to 10 years’ in federal prison if convicted of the charge.
An Indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 prosecuting large-scale fraud schemes that warrant federal resources and arrest those who abuse their positions of trust. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 5.3.
Montgomery Man Convicted of Casino TheftRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, November 14, 2019, a federal jury convicted twenty-eight year old Jory D’Michael Trayvunn Dumas, from Montgomery, Alabama, of theft from a gaming establishment on tribal lands and conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. The jury found that Dumas conspired with others to steal nearly $200,000.00 from the Wind Creek Casino in Montgomery.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on August 10, 2018, Dumas was at the casino with two relatives, Timothy Dean Pettiway and Tameka Thomas. Dumas had previously recruited an employee, Courtney Deandra Stanton, to give him access to keys to the cash kiosks at the casino. Dumas instructed Stanton to leave the keys on top of a cash kiosk for Pettiway to retrieve and open the machines. Pettiway then took cash cassettes from two separate kiosks to Dumas who was waiting in a nearby bathroom. Dumas forced entry into the boxes, hid the money on his person, and exited the casino with a total of $192,800.00. During the theft, Thomas relayed messages to Dumas via cell phone as to Pettiway’s progress in obtaining the keys and cash cassettes.
Pettiway was previously sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the crime. Thomas and Stanton have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Following the trial, Dumas was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals to await sentencing where he faces up to 20 years prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Poarch Creek Tribal Police, the Poarch Creek Indian Gaming Commission, and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ben Baxley and Stephanie Billingslea prosecuted the case.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Dameion D. Wyatt (age 41), of Milwaukee was sentenced on Friday, November 15, 2019 to 10 years in prison followed by three years on supervised release for engaging in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Wyatt pled guilty on July 2, 2019.
According to the plea agreement, Wyatt trafficked multiple women around the state of Wisconsin, as well as in other states including Illinois and Indiana. These victims earned money at Wyatt’s direction, all of which they were forced to turn over to him, by engaging in commercial sex and stealing valuables from their prostitution customers. Wyatt controlled these women through a combination of violence, threats, and manipulation. He also instructed his victims to lie to law enforcement about his identity in order to avoid arrest. Wyatt might have continued to avoid detection but for the courage of one of his victims, who decided to make disclosures about Wyatt to law enforcement in 2016, several years after her victimization. After she paved the way, several others also shared their stories, leading to Wyatt’s arrest in April 2018.
“Sex traffickers like Dameion Wyatt inflict horrific trauma on their victims, making it difficult for them to step forward and ultimately find healing,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “We commend the victims who had the courage to work with law enforcement. The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners stand ready to listen to survivors, help them find needed services, and bring justice to traffickers.”
The case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura S. Kwaterski and Erica J. Lounsberry.
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Michigan City Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Jason Cheek, 42, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after his plea of guilty to three counts of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Mr. Cheek was sentenced to 63 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,694 in restitution to the banks involved and $8,584.66 in restitution to a particular bank teller.
According to documents in this case, between June 5, 2018, and July 31, 2018, Mr. Cheek robbed three banks: two in Michigan City, Indiana, and one in Portage, Indiana.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Portage Police Department and the Michigan City Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Mental Health Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty to Making a False Claim to MedicaidRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Naim Muhammad, 56, of St. Charles, MO, pled guilty to one count of making a false claim to Medicaid. Mr. Muhammad appeared today before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig who accepted his plea and set sentencing for February 28, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, Mr. Muhammad was the President of Community Behavioral Health (“CBH”). CBH maintained an office in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Muhammed had no psychiatric training or license.
Mr. Muhammed billed the Missouri Medicaid program for mental health therapy services to a patient identified by initials W.W. Mr. Muhammad told Medicaid that a licensed provider with the initials D.P. had provided the therapy to W.W. on June 21, 2017. However, Mr. Muhammad’s statements were false and fraudulent in that patient W.W. was not treated by the licensed provider D.P. on June 21, 2017, the date of service shown in defendant’s therapy records for W.W. Mr. Muhammad’s statements were material to the Missouri Medicaid program because the program does not pay for services not actually provided to the patient and does not pay for mental health services provided by unlicensed individuals.
The Indictment in this case further alleges that Mr. Muhammad repeatedly billed the Missouri Medicaid program for therapy services allegedly provided on dates when the patient was actually deceased, and, therefore, unable to receive any services. For example, W.W. died on June 8, 2017, before the alleged June 21, 2017 session.
This charge carry a maximum possible penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 or both imprisonment and a fine. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The Office of Inspector General investigated this case for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Division of Professional Registration of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Machete Attack CaseRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a brutal machete attack at a park just outside Dallas, Texas, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas.
Manuel Amaya-Alvarez, 22, pleaded guilty in May to four counts of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR). U.S. District Judge Jayne Boyle for the Northern District of Texas sentenced Amaya-Alvarez Nov. 14.
According to court documents, Amaya-Alvarez – an El Salvadorian national in the United States illegally – admitted he belonged to MS-13, a notorious and violent transnational street gang.
In Sept. 25, 2017, he admitted he and fellow MS-13 gang members attempted to “take out,” or kill, four individuals at Running Bear Park in Irving, Texas.
That night, the gang lured an individual – a man they perceived to be a rival gang member – to the park under the guise that they wanted to buy his tattoo machine. The man came with two other men and a female acquaintance. When they arrived, gang members lured them to wooded area in the back of the park, where additional gang members – armed with a shotgun, machetes, and clubs – lay in wait.
After Amaya-Alvarez and another gang member, both seated on a park bench, greeted the victims, the other gang members appeared and surrounded the victims, forcing them to kneel on the ground before robbing them and attacking them with machetes and clubs, according to court documents. The three men fled, but the female could not escape and was savagely maimed and left for dead.
Two of the men also suffered serious physical injuries, including blunt trauma from blows and severe cuts from a machete.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Irving Police Department conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Julie Finocchiaro with the Department of Justice's Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Sid Moody are prosecuting the case.
Kenyan Woman Sentenced for Flight from ArrestRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Lydia Moraa Matunda, 33, was sentenced today by the United States Magistrate Judge Susan M. Bazis for one count of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees and one count of Willful Injury or Depredation of Property of the United States. Both counts are misdemeanors. Matunda was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for Count I and one month imprisonment for Count II to be served consecutively. Matunda also received a one-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison. The Kenyan national’s immigration removal proceeding is still active.
On July 11, 2019, Deportation Officers with the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, were investigating the whereabouts of Matunda. Matunda, who was in the course of immigration removal proceedings, had her bond rejected by the Board of Immigration Appeals and was ordered to be returned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
When Deportation Officers located Matunda at an apartment in Bellevue, Nebraska, she fled from Deportation Officers in her car at a high rate of speed. At the time she fled, Matunda was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet as a condition of her immigration bond. The GPS ankle bracelet allowed Deportation Officers to quickly locate Matunda at a nearby gas station. When the Deportation Officers arrived at the gas station, Matunda had cut off the GPS ankle bracelet, however, she was still at that location. Matunda was taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Indian National Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse while Working as a U.S. Military Contractor in AfghanistanRead the Press Release
An Indian national arrived in the U.S. yesterday after being ordered detained and removed to the U.S. for the alleged sexual assault of a U.S. national on a military base in Afghanistan.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Special Agent in Charge Ansuman Baral of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Bagram, Afghanistan Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Lokesh Naik, 35, of India, was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on Nov. 6, 2019, with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. U.S. military authorities in Afghanistan arrested Naik on Nov. 8, 2019, and his initial appearance was held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Harvey via video teleconference, at which time Naik was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA). Naik arrived at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurston by a military transport aircraft in the custody of Deputy U.S. Marshals.
According to the indictment, on Aug. 7, while working as an employee of a U.S. military contractor on Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, Naik allegedly entered the room of a 24-year-old U.S. national and sexually assaulted her by force.
Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Hertzfeld of the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI’s Washington Field Office are investigating the case. Invaluable assistance with the defendant’s transfer to civilian custody and removal to the United States was provided by the Department of Defense, United States Central Command, U.S. Forces – Afghanistan, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Husband and Wife Sentenced in Connection with Pain Clinic Pill Mill SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Springville couple involved in a St. Clair County pill mill scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley and IRS-Criminal Investigations Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman.
United States District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Cindy Louise Hyche Dunn, 54, to 10 years in prison on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for purposes of promoting the pill conspiracy. Her husband, Thomas Mason Dunn, 57, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the same money laundering conspiracy. The couple pled guilty in March.
From January 2012 through December 2015, Cindy Dunn ran a pain management clinic in Moody, Alabama operating under the name Cindy Dunn & Dr. Buckingham, M.D., Weight Loss Clinic and Pain Management (CDPM). CDPM was not a legitimate pain clinic. It was a pill mill churning out thousands of prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Thomas Dunn performed financial transactions on behalf of CDPM to further the pill mill scheme. He also received prescriptions for opioid painkillers from CDPM.
“The opioid crisis remains a significant problem in the country and in the Northern District of Alabama,” Town said. “The Department of Justice is determined to stamp out the operation of illegal pain clinics by all means as a part of the fight against opioid abuse, and the Northern District of Alabama is fully committed to the fight. The defendants will now serve time in a federal prison for their crime, and they will be joined shortly by those like them.”
“The drug-addiction epidemic is growing and is a significant problem across the country, including here in Alabama,” Byerley said. “DEA is committed to bringing to justice those who engage in the dispensing of prescription drugs outside the course of a legitimate medical purpose. The defendants in this case preyed upon those addicted to prescription drugs in order to line their own pockets. The sentences handed down are a direct result of the hard work put forth by all law enforcement agencies involved. Today justice has been served.
“Today's sentencings are just another step by law enforcement to stand up to the threat of pill mill operations who flood our streets with dangerous substances. This investigation is just a small piece of the puzzle in the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis," Holloman said. "Our communities have been ravaged by the steady influx of illegal prescribed controlled substances. IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in an effort to dismantle pill mill operations, by following the money and leveraging our resources."
The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Robin Beardsley Mark prosecuted.
Husband and Wife Admit Ponzi Scheme Relating to Hedge Fund Investments in Foreign CurrenciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, couple have admitted to operating a Ponzi scheme in which they defrauded approximately two dozen investors by making extraordinary guarantees about investment returns and then used the money for extravagant purchases and to pay off other victims, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Alcibiades Cifuentes, 36, and his wife, Jennifer Wee Cifuentes, 38, formerly of West New York, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty to all six counts with which they were charged by indictment in May 2017: four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, and one count of theft by a commodity pool operator. Jennifer Wee Cifuentes pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. Alcibiades Cifuentes pleaded guilty on Nov. 8, 2019.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Alcibiades and Jennifer Wee Cifuentes engaged in an investment fraud scheme from 2012 through March 2015. They fraudulently induced victims to invest in the foreign currency and commodity markets through Cifuentes Fund Management (CFM), their hedge fund that purportedly invested in foreign currencies. Instead, they almost immediately spent those investment funds on personal items, such as an Audi R8 and jewelry. The couple would then pay back a portion of the victims’ money with money received from newly duped victims. The couple defrauded approximately 25 victims of more than $500,000.
Each count of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy to which the defendants pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the scheme. The count of commodities theft to which the defendants pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentencing for Alcibiades Cifuentes is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020, and for Jennifer Wee Cifuentes, Feb. 28, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn in Newark, and Special Agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. He also thanked the N.J. Bureau of Securities in the State Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Bureau Chief Christopher Gerold, as well as the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement, under the direction of Director James M. McDonald, for their respective roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony P. Torntore and Courtney A. Howard.
Defense counsel:
Alcibiades Cifuentes: Patrick McMahon Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Jennifer Wee Cifuentes: Aidan P. O’Connor Esq., Hackensack, New JerseyHawaii Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with Scheme to Defraud East Bay BusinessesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Rodney Ticanis Sparrow pleaded guilty today to committing wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud business owners of fees for promised business loans announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
According to the plea agreement, Sparrow, 38, of Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, admitted that between 2012 and 2015, he implemented an “Advanced Fee” scheme in which he used fake identities of supposed New York-based Goldman Sachs bankers to convince his victims to pay fees in exchange for business improvement loans. Sparrow admitted he never had the means nor intent to provide the loans.
While living in Hawaii, Sparrow pretended to be a New York banker, using Goldman Sachs and “GS Financial Co.” in email correspondence with victims. He never used his own name and instead used the names of “Brad Schuller” and “Chad Edwardson,” two persons that did not exist. Sparrow promised to process and provide business loans in exchange for substantial fees. In emails and telephone calls with his victims, Sparrow directed his victims to pay the fees by wire and other electronic means into a Bank of America account he represented was a business account affiliated with Goldman Sachs. In truth, Sparrow controlled the Bank of America account, he never worked for Goldman Sachs, and he never worked in the financial industry in any capacity. Pursuant to the scheme, Sparrow defrauded at least ten victims into paying him approximately $298,350 in bogus advanced fees.
On March 26, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Sparrow, charging him with ten counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Sparrow pleaded guilty to one count. If Sparrow complies with his plea agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.
Judge Gilliam has scheduled Sparrow’s sentencing for March 9, 2020. The maximum statutory penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Additional fines, forfeitures, and special assessments also may be imposed, however, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas R. Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Katie Turner. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Government Contractor Eagle Alliance Pays the United States $110,000 to Resolve Allegations of Improper Billing and Overbilling the Federal Government for Computer HardwareRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Eagle Alliance, a Northrop Grumman partnership, has paid the United States $110,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it improperly billed the government for computer hardware.
The settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office (DCIS); and Inspector General Robert P. Storch of the National Security Agency (NSA).
“We rely on government contractors to bill the government fairly,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “When the government is overbilled or billed improperly under its contracts, taxpayers suffer. We will pursue government contractors to recover the fraudulently obtained funds.”
According to the settlement agreement, Eagle Alliance contracted with a government agency to provide new computer hardware. However, during several periods of time between 2012 and 2013, Eagle Alliance billed the government twice for the same equipment. Moreover, the government contends that Eagle Alliance also improperly billed certain used computer equipment to the government as if it were new.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Eagle Alliance or Northrop Grumman, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
Jeffrey Brenner, a former Eagle Alliance employee, originally filed this lawsuit under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions permit private individuals with knowledge of fraud to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery, even where the government intervenes to take over the action, as it did here. Brenner will receive $18,700 of the settlement.
The settlement reminds contractors of their obligations to carefully account for their billings under government contracts, as improper billings and overages will subject them to liability under the False Claims Act.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DCIS and the NSA Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Molissa H. Farber, who handled the case.
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Gibson County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for being a Convicted Felon Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jonathan Lynn Luten, 40, has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney, D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on January 14, 2015, officers with the Trenton Police Department were advised that Luten had committed an armed robbery and fled in a vehicle. The investigating officers were given a description of the vehicle, which was located a short time later. Luten fled from the vehicle and after a foot pursuit was apprehended. During the chase Luten abandoned a .22 caliber revolver which officers later recovered and Luten admitted to possessing.
Because of his previous violent felony convictions, Luten was determined to be an armed career criminal and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months. On November 7, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Luten to 180 months in federal prison followed by 2 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, Luten was an armed career criminal who continued to commit senseless gun violence despite his prior felony conviction history. There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this sentence is just punishment for such violent victimization of an innocent citizen."
This case was investigated by the Trenton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was prosecuted by the Eastern Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Getting Tough on Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
As U.S. Attorney, I am charged with leading the federal response to our most pressing criminal problems. We have spent considerable resources in the fights against the opioid epidemic and violent crime in western Pennsylvania. Together with our state and local law enforcement partners, we prosecuted a record number of drug dealers and violent criminals last year, and we have witnessed significant decreases in overdose deaths and in violent crime rates. But as we in law enforcement know, no strategy to combat violent crime is complete without addressing domestic violence.
Domestic violence touches every community in Pennsylvania. Every day, domestic violence hotlines receive over 21,000 calls, or 15 calls per minute. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates that 1 in 3 women in the United States has experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. In Pennsylvania, over 1,170 domestic violence victims were killed from 2009 to 2018. Each of those numbers is another tragedy for an individual, a family, and a community.
We all know a person whose life has been touched by this tragedy. I am no different. On November 18, 2010, Rebecca “Becky” Patterson Bibart - mother of two beautiful children, a brilliant and charismatic educator, and one of my oldest and dearest friends - was killed by her husband in their home.
Becky and I grew up together in Greenville, Pennsylvania, a small blue collar town in Mercer County. We took virtually every class, and attended every school and community event together from kindergarten on. She was smart and kind and lit up every room she was in. Becky was among the top students of our high school class, studied English and education at Wittenberg University, and became an English teacher in public schools in California and Pennsylvania. She was a dynamic educator whose students adored her.
In 2010, Becky had been going through a difficult separation from her husband. While Becky had not been subjected to physical abuse until that last, fateful day, what we friends didn’t know was that she had suffered extensive emotional and psychological abuse from her husband. At the end of September, Becky filed for divorce; she wanted a new life for her and her children. But on November 18, 2010, her husband stole that opportunity from Becky and her children forever.
During my time as U.S. Attorney, I have been deeply touched by the stories domestic violence survivors have shared with me. I have spoken at domestic violence awareness events, together with domestic violence advocates throughout western Pennsylvania. I have spoken with federal, state and local law enforcement leaders about our collective law enforcement response. And through these conversations, one thing became clear: the Department of Justice needs to do more.
In June of this year, Attorney General William Barr formed the Department of Justice’s first-ever Domestic Violence Working Group. Our goal is to lead a national conversation about domestic violence, to share best practices among federal, state and local partners, and to bring a renewed focus on prosecuting domestic violence abusers federally. While most domestic violence cases are handled by state and local authorities, there are certain federal laws that we believe can be impactful, as we seek to find the inflection point at which federal action can prevent domestic violence-related fatalities.
One of our most powerful tools in fighting violent crime are federal firearms laws. Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence crime or against whom a final protection from abuse (PFA) order has been entered from possessing a firearm. Knowing that the presence of a firearm during a domestic violence incident increases the risk of homicide by over 500%, we are committed to assisting state and local officials in identifying and prosecuting those abusers who should not have guns in the first place.
Additionally, we know that abusers increasingly use technology and social media to maintain control through identity theft, hacking, cyberstalking, sextortion, and other forms of cybercrime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office have some of the most experienced and sophisticated cyber investigators and prosecutors in the country. We will leverage our extensive expertise in cybercrime to domestic violence threats and will seek to prosecute this type of domestic violence-related cybercrime federally.
Today marks the 9th anniversary of Becky’s death. When friends from Greenville High School’s Class of 1987 get together, as we did several weeks ago, we invariably talk about Becky - both the remarkable woman and friend that she was, and that day in 2010 that changed our lives forever. While October was a critical month for raising awareness, know that the Department of Justice is engaged on this issue every month of the year. As U.S. Attorney, my goal is to protect every person in western Pennsylvania from domestic violence, because every man, woman and child deserves to be safe in our homes.