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7 January 2020
Connecticut Resident Admits Making Numerous Hoax ThreatsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GARY JOSEPH GRAVELLE, also known as Roland Prejean, 52, last residing in New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to seven charges related to his threatening to kill, injure and intimidate people and explode property in Connecticut and elsewhere. He also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release that followed his earlier federal convictions for sending threatening communications.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2018, Gravelle used the U.S. mail, e-mail and telephone to threaten to harm people and explode property in Connecticut, Vermont and Washington. Certain letters that Gravelle mailed contained a white powdery substance and statements that the substance was Anthrax, a biological agent and toxin. Gravelle made threats to various mental health providers and facilities in New Haven, U.S. Probation Officers, a U.S. District Court Judge, an international airport in Vermont, a federal prison in Washington, occupants of a building in Old Saybrook, a credit union in Bristol, and organizations and religious centers in Connecticut. He also sent a letter threatening to kill the President of the United States.
Gravelle pleaded guilty to five counts of maliciously conveying false information about an explosive, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; one count related to the sending of hoax Anthrax letters, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of making threats against the President, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
On July 19, 2013, Gravelle was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for mailing numerous threatening letters in 2010. Gravelle was released from prison in 2015 and, in September 2018, was still under federal supervision.
In pleading guilty, Gravelle also admitted that he failed to comply with conditions of his supervised release, namely not violating any federal or state law by engaging in the threatening conduct in September 2018.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2020.
Gravelle has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2018.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and many local police and fire departments, including departments from Bristol, Guilford, Groton, Hartford, Middletown, New Haven, Old Saybrook, Southington and Stamford, Yale University, and Burlington, Vermont. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl and CrackRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Waterbury, Connecticut man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base (crack), U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Luis “Flacco” Hernandez, 38, to 45 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Hernandez pleaded guilty on May 20, 2019.
According to court records, between January 2016 and July 2017, Hernandez conspired with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl and crack transported to Penobscot County from Waterbury, Connecticut. Hernandez sold the drugs and supervised other dealers, as well as “runners” who delivered drugs to others in Penobscot County.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Waterbury, Connecticut man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to possessing heroin with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, on March 26, 2018, officers with the Indian Township Police Department conducting a child welfare check at a residence in Indian Township discovered Carlos Pemberton, 42, in a bedroom. Pemberton was in possession of a backpack and duffle bag that contained, among other items, heroin and drug paraphernalia. He was also in possession of $7,266.00 in cash.
Pemberton faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine and a minimum three-year term of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Indian Township Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Colorado U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement with Walmart over Discrimination Claim by Naval ReservistRead the Press Release
DENVER – U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division announced today the resolution of a lawsuit in which Naval Petty Officer Third Class Lindsey Hunger alleged that Walmart violated her rights when it failed to offer her employment at the Walmart store located at 2545 Rimrock Avenue in Grand Junction, Colorado because of her upcoming Naval Reserve commitments. Ms. Hunger had alleged that Walmart’s actions violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (“USERRA”). The United States Attorney’s Office represented Petty Officer Hunger in the lawsuit.
As part of the settlement, which includes backpay for Petty Officer Hunger, Walmart has agreed to review its employment and internal hiring policies across the corporation. It has also agreed to revise the policies to include the following language: “Walmart prohibits discrimination against individuals, including applicants, based on their military service (including required military training obligations) or membership in the uniformed services.” Walmart will also ensure that “all supervisors, managers, and administrative staff” in the Grand Junction, Colorado store at issue receive training—developed in consultation with the United States—“on the requirements of USERRA and on employees’ and service members’ rights and obligations under the statute”.
“It is an honor to represent the men and women of our armed forces and ensure that their military training commitments do not deter employers from hiring them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “By obtaining Walmart’s agreement to amend its national hiring practices, this case will have a lasting impact.”
“Walmart is one of the nation’s largest employers and scores of dedicated servicemembers all across the United States will benefit from this settlement and Walmart’s agreement to update its employment and training practices,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “On behalf of a grateful nation, the Department of Justice will continue aggressively to enforce the federal civil rights laws on behalf of all servicemembers, including the citizen-soldiers of our National Guard and Reserve. Their sacrifice to serve should never jeopardize their ability to earn a living.”
This lawsuit stems from a complaint that Ms. Hunger filed with the United States Department of Labor, which, after an investigation by the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service all give high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and Andrew Braniff from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Clearfield County Felon Charged with Federal Firearms Law ViolationRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Curwensville, Pa., was indicted on January 7, 2020, by a federal grand jury on a charge of violating federal firearms and ammunition laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Chancellor M. Shaw, 25, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on September 16, 2019, Shaw was found in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On June 26, 2018, Shaw was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Clearfield County, of the crimes of flight to avoid apprehension and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, which are crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
City of Atlanta Director of the Office of Contract Compliance sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for wire and tax fraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Larry Scott has been sentenced to federal prison for failing to disclose to the City of Atlanta that while he served as the Director of Contract Compliance, he also secretly worked as the business manager for consulting firm that was hired by businesses who wanted construction contracts in the Atlanta-metropolitan area.
“Scott’s conviction and sentence close yet another chapter in the disappointing saga of corruption within the City of Atlanta government,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Based on his executive-level positions, Scott was trusted to serve the citizens of Atlanta. By failing to disclose his own business interests, however, Scott betrayed the program he was charged to protect – and, as a result, tarnished the integrity of Atlanta’s disadvantaged business program.”
“This sentencing is a warning to any public official who would contemplate abusing their power for personal gain,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Anyone who tries to take advantage of a trusted position by illegally profiting from it will be pursued. The FBI will continue its efforts to end public corruption in Atlanta and anywhere in the state of Georgia.”
“The law is clear on the issue of taxable income and who is required to file and pay taxes: there is no gray area on the subject and we hope today’s sentencing sends a message that intentionally filing a false tax return is a prosecutable crime regardless of your position,” said Thomas Holloman, IRS Criminal Investigations, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “We should not forget that the ultimate victims in this case are the people of Atlanta– those honest taxpayers who diligently file correct tax returns each year and pay their fair share of tax.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: the City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office of Contract Compliance, advertises that they strive “to mitigate the effects of past and present discrimination against women and minority businesses, [and] to promote full and equal business opportunity for all persons doing business with the City of Atlanta” by “linking small, minority, female and disadvantaged businesses with City of Atlanta, business opportunities.”
From 2002 to 2019, Scott held several positions with the City of Atlanta, including, serving as the: (a) Senior Contract Compliance Manager in the Office of Contract Compliance; (b) Director of Procurement in the Department of Watershed Management, and (c) the Director of the Office of Contract Compliance. In those positions, Scott earned between $57,000 and $98,000 per year. In total, from 2012 to 2017, Scott earned approximately $530,000 as an employee with the City of Atlanta.
On February 23, 2011, Scott incorporated Cornerstone U.S. Management Group, LLC (“Cornerstone”) with the Georgia Secretary of State as a for-profit corporation. Cornerstone is a consulting firm for businesses seeking construction contracts in the Atlanta-metropolitan area and elsewhere. In its Articles of Organization, Cornerstone listed Scott as its organizer and registered agent. From 2012 until November 2017, Scott served as Cornerstone’s business manager. In that role and during that six-year period, Cornerstone paid Scott between approximately $1,000 and $5,000 per month. In total, from 2012 to 2017, Scott earned approximately $220,000 as Cornerstone’s business manager.
According to the City of Atlanta’s Code of Ethics, certain City of Atlanta officials and employees must disclose all “positions of employment held by the official or employee in any business … for all or any portion of the year, including a description of the type of business and the existence and nature of any business done by the employer entity with the city.” The City of Atlanta’s Code of Ethics further requires that these officials and employees disclose, “[e]ach and every source of income from any business received by such official or employee in excess of $5,000 derived from any single source in the preceding calendar year.”
As the City of Atlanta’s Senior Contract Compliance Manager, Director of Procurement, and Director of Contract Compliance, the City of Atlanta required Scott to complete annually a Financial Disclosure Statement listing any outside employment and sources of income of more than $5,000 per year for calendar years 2012 to 2017.
From 2012 to 2017, Scott electronically filed six false Financial Disclosure Statements, each executed under penalty of perjury. On each Financial Disclosure Statement, Scott knowingly failed to disclose that he had been employed by Cornerstone and that he had received more than $5,000 in annual income from Cornerstone.
From 2012 to 2017, Scott earned approximately $220,000 from Cornerstone while serving as a full-time management or executive level employee with the City of Atlanta. Scott never disclosed to the City of Atlanta his employment with and income from Cornerstone. Scott knew that if he had disclosed his income from Cornerstone on his annual Financial Disclosure Statements, the City of Atlanta could have terminated Scott.
From 2012 to 2017, Scott also filed six false and fraudulent federal income tax returns – in that Scott failed to report the majority of the income that he earned from Cornerstone on his tax returns. For example, in 2015, Scott earned approximately $156,036 in income – (a) $99,136 as the City of Atlanta’s Director of Contract Compliance; and (b) $56,900 as Cornerstone’s business manager. Yet, on his 2015 federal income tax return, Scott falsely listed his “total income” as only $101,630.
On September 4, 2019, Larry Scott, 55, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count each of wire and tax fraud. Based on those convictions, Scott was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay approximately $125,000 in restitution.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis, Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, Stephen H. McClain, Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, and Sekret Sneed prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Career Offender Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Keyon Shaqual Miller, 29, of Statesville, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on drug charges. In addition to the prison term imposed, Miller was ordered to serve three years under court supervision upon completion of his prison term.
Court records show that, from at least November 2018 to December 2018, Miller was trafficking narcotics in Statesville and surrounding areas. According to statements made in court and in filed court documents, over the course of the investigation, Miller sold crack cocaine and firearms – including two SKS type rifles – to an individual working with law enforcement. On October 7, 2019, Miller pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. At today’s hearing, Miller’s sentence was enhanced because of his prior felony convictions, which include Common Law Robbery and Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, which classified Miller as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Miller is currently in custody. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence, upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Statesville Police Department, and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case.
U.S. Attorney Murray also thanked Sarah M. Kirkman, District Attorney for Iredell County, for her office’s assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Camdenton Man Pleads Guilty to Romance Fraud Scheme on the Day of TrialRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Camdenton, Missouri, man who was scheduled to go to trial yesterday, instead pleaded guilty to a $78,000 fraud scheme in which he used his victim’s credit cards without authorization.
Ivan Joseph Stark, Jr., 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, Jan. 6, to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Stark became romantically involved with his victim, identified in court documents as “C.H.,” after they met on a dating website. Stark, who used an alias and omitted details regarding his past prison sentence, obtained C.H.’s credit cards on March 1, 2018. Stark obtained the credit cards by falsely telling C.H. he intended to repair an electronic sign and sell the sign for a profit. Stark falsely claimed he already had a buyer for the sign. Stark promised to repay C.H. for purchases he made with C.H.’s credit cards using the proceeds from the sale of the sign. Stark also promised to split a portion of the proceeds of the sale with C.H. In reality, there was no electric sign or project to repair any sign.
Stark obtained a total of $78,280 through this scheme. One of the credit cards, for example, was used to make a $10,180 down payment on a 30-foot trailer from Flying A. Motorsports. Another credit card was used to make a $1,500 down payment on a Dodge Ram truck, which was made over the phone with another woman who purported to be the victim.
Stark opened a Square account under the name AVR Industries. Stark falsely represented to Square that AVR was a taxicab and limousine business, when in fact, no such business was in operation. Stark conducted approximately $43,000 in transactions through Square, using C.H.’s credit cards, to make payments to AVR. As a result of these transactions, $41,817 was deposited into Stark’s personal bank account.
Stark, without C.H.’s knowledge or consent, requested a credit limit increase on two of C.H.’s credit cards.
Stark ultimately charged one of C.H.’s credit cards to a balance above $43,000. Stark made an electronic payment from his personal account in the amount of $21,947, payable to C.H.’s credit card, knowing that his account contained insufficient funds to cover the payment. Before his unfunded payment was reversed, however, Stark made approximately $21,154 in charges to C.H.’s credit card. This resulted in a statement balance of $43,607, which was $21,607 over the card’s credit limit.
Under federal statutes, Stark is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison without parole for aggravated identity theft, which must be served consecutively. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley S. Turner and Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Browning man admits assaulting, injuring womanRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man today admitted assaulting a woman by throwing her to the ground, breaking her arm and injuring her shoulder, on the Blackfeet Reservation last year, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Dylan Jace Arrow Top Knot, 20, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for May 7. Arrow Top Knot was released pending further proceedings.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said that Arrow Top Knot was intoxicated when he went to the victim’s house in Browning on April 12, 2019. Arrow Top Knot began hitting the victim’s vehicle. When the victim went outside to see what was going on, Arrow Top Knot began assaulting her and threw her to the ground. The victim landed on her left side, seriously injuring her shoulder and breaking her upper arm. The victim required medical treatment in Montana and Washington.
Arrow Top Knot told investigators he did not remember what happened that night because he had been drinking and blacked out. He expressed remorse for hurting the victim and gave the investigator an apology letter for the victim.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Bronx Man Arrested for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of DAVID WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Pap,” a/k/a “Pap Avilii,” a/k/a “Daddy,” for operating a sex trafficking enterprise, in connection with which WILLIAMS kidnapped, raped, and trafficked an adult victim (“Victim-1”) and also trafficked a minor victim (“Victim-2”). WILLIAMS will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman later today.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “David Williams allegedly kidnapped, raped, and forced women into prostitution – one of whom was just 14 years old – in operating his human sex trafficking enterprise. It is reprehensible that a person would forcibly coerce another human being into sex and seek to profit from it, and for allegedly doing so, Williams now faces life in prison. Human trafficking continues to be a priority for this Office, and I commend the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for aggressively pursuing cases to bring sexual predators to justice.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The victims in this investigation are living, breathing humans; not property or goods to be sold for sex. As law enforcement, we will do everything we can to stop criminals from preying on children and vulnerable women, but shockingly these cases don’t go away. As a community, we must do more to stop the cycle of demand for this despicable criminal activity, and do more to protect these victims.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said: "The NYPD, along with our partners at the Southern District and the FBI, share an unwavering commitment to ensuring that anyone who would seek to profit through the abuse and exploitation of another person – especially at-risk youth – is brought to justice swiftly and successfully. "
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in federal court[1]:
From at least in or about December 2018 up to and including at least in or about February 2019, WILLIAMS ran a sex trafficking enterprise (the “Business”), along with another person (“CC-1”), who also worked as a prostitute for WILLIAMS.
In February 2019, WILLIAMS and CC-1 kidnapped Victim-1, who was an adult, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and transported her to the Bronx, New York, to work as a prostitute for the Business. During the time that Victim-1 was held by WILLIAMS and CC-1, WILLIAMS and CC-1 advertised Victim-1 for sex and also forced Victim-1 to engage in sex acts with clients in exchange for money. When Victim-1 expressed resistance to being trafficked for sex, WILLIAMS brandished a gun and threatened to hurt Victim-1 unless she complied. On at least one occasion, WILLIAMS raped Victim-1 after threatening her with a gun.
In or about December 2018, WILLIAMS and CC-1 recruited Victim-2, who was 14 years old at the time, to work as a prostitute for the Business. During the ensuing months, until in or about February 2019, WILLIAMS and CC-1 advertised Victim-2 for sex and directed Victim-2 to engage in sex acts with clients in exchange for money. WILLIAMS and CC-1 forced Victim-2 to turn over the money Victim-2 earned from prostitution.
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WILLIAMS is charged with: (1) conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion and sex trafficking of a minor, (2) sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, (3) sex trafficking of a minor, (4) coercion and enticement under the Mann Act, (5) coercion and enticement of a minor under the Mann Act, and (6) kidnapping. Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion and sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c), carries a maximum term of life in prison. Sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud or coercion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a) and (b)(1), carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of life. Sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a) and (b)(2), carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life. Coercion and enticement under the Mann Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(a), carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Coercion and enticement of a minor under the Mann Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life. Kidnapping, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201, carries a maximum term of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences and the mandatory minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and, in particular, the New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jun Xiang and Danielle M. Kudla are 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 herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bangor Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl and CrackRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Bangor woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base (crack), U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Sammantha Johnson, 30, to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty on February 26, 2019.
According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Johnson conspired with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl and crack transported to Penobscot County from Waterbury, Connecticut. Johnson distributed the drugs in the Bangor area and facilitated the drug-dealing activities of other members of the conspiracy.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Arizona Man Charged with 10 Kilos of FentanylRead the Press Release
St. Louis – Daniel Cervantes Felix, 18, of Maricopa, Arizona, was charged in a criminal complaint for his involvement in the possession with the intent to distribute 10 kilograms of fentanyl.
According to the complaint, on January 6, 2020, St. Louis County police officers pulled over a GMC Sierra vehicle being driven by Felix after he violated various traffic laws. Felix granted consent to search his vehicle. Officers discovered multiple kilo size bricks totaling 10 kilograms of fentanyl.
Felix has been charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. He faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. He is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“This is a fine example of the productive, collaborative relationships we enjoy with our Federal partners,” Colonel Jon M. Belmar, Chief of Police, stated. “I am incredibly proud of the work by the officers and agents. They stopped the distribution of this deadly substance before it could reach our communities and poison our families, friends, and neighbors.”
“The allegations in this case involves the second largest seizure of fentanyl in this district. This amounts to millions of doses of fentanyl – enough to destroy or end the lives of hundreds of thousands of Missourians. This conduct simply will not be tolerated by law enforcement. We are grateful to the St. Louis County police and DEA agents involved in this on-going investigation. Their seizure of this poison has saved many, many lives,” stated U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen.
The charge is the result of a joint investigation between the St. Louis County Police Department’s Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
6 January 2020
Yukon Man Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes as a Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JUSTUS REX ELLIOTT, 26, of Yukon, has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to a one-count information filed on December 4, 2019, Elliott accepted bribes while acting as a U.S. Mail Carrier. In particular, he diverted packages he knew to contain controlled substances from the address specified on the packages to other individuals in exchange for money and controlled substances.
Elliott pleaded guilty on January 6, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick. He admitted that he worked as a mail carrier in Moore, Oklahoma, and he diverted packages primarily containing marijuana and marijuana vape pens sent from California. According to a plea agreement, the amount involved in the bribes does not exceed $15,000.
At sentencing, Elliott faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days.
This case is a result of an investigation by the United States’ Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Moore Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Police Department.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Winter Garden Man with Numerous Felony Convictions Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Kenneth Bernard Smith (55, Winter Garden) to 12 years in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and for possessing with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Smith had previously pleaded guilty to the offenses.
According to court documents, on February 8, 2019, deputies from the Orange County Sherriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a fatal drug overdose that had occurred in an apartment in Winter Garden, where Smith was the sole resident. The deputies found materials used in drug distribution, as well as more than 550 rounds of ammunition in the apartment. At the time, Smith had multiple prior felony convictions for drug distribution.
On February 20, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted an undercover purchase of cocaine from Smith. On March 6, 2019, officers executed a warrant at Smith’s home and seized cocaine and heroin, packaged for distribution, along with a loaded 10 mm firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winter Garden Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Victim Assistance Advisory for Patients of Jessica Joyce Spayd’s Eagle River Wellness CenterRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – In October 2019, U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 48-year-old Jessica Joyce Spayd, a former licensed Advanced Nurse Practitioner and owner of Eagle River Wellness, alleging illegal distribution of opioids such as oxycodone, methadone, and hydromorphone.
On Dec. 30, 2019, Senior U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline issued an order directing the government to employ alternative victim notification procedures so that any member of the community at large who believes they may be a crime victim is made aware of their potential rights.
The government is asking that members of the community who believe they may be a victim of overprescribed opioids by ANP Jessica Spayd, Eagle River Wellness, to please contact (907) 271-3041 to reach the Victim-Witness Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.
Former patients of Spayd’s or their families may still be facing the aftermath of overprescribed opioid narcotics. The victim-witness program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska, provides information, services, and support to individuals during federal prosecutions.
Case updates will be provided on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/united-states-v-spayd. Please also be aware of these free, confidential resources that may be of assistance:
- Always call 911 if it’s a life-threatening emergency.
- To find supportive services, dial 2-1-1 to call United Way. Operational hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. If you call after-hours, please leave a message. Phone calls will be returned the next business day. 2-1-1 provides information and referral service that connect people to vital community, health and social services provided by a range of nonprofit, government and tribal agencies.
- SAMHSA has a national helpline to assist with finding behavioral health support or substance use management at 800-662-HELP (4357), TTY: 800-487-4889, or online at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/. Calls are manned 24/7 and are routed to the DHSS Division of Behavioral Health during DHSS operational hours.
- Help is available 24/7 through Alaska's crisis hotline, Careline, which provides help for people who are either in crisis or who are dealing with isolation or depression. Call 1-877-266-HELP (4357).
- For Patient Information and Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Discontinued Prescriptions: http://www.dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Director/Pages/opioids/news.aspx
The charges in the complaint and indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
- Always call 911 if it’s a life-threatening emergency.
United States Obtains $1.65 Million Resolution for Fraudulent Medicaid Billing Against Behavioral Health Clinic in Northeast PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Tree of Life, Inc., and its owners and operators, Ada and Victor Vidal, agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute that they submitted thousands of fraudulent Medicaid claims for outpatient mental health services that were never rendered to their patients, including forgery of psychiatrists’ and therapists’ signatures on patient progress notes and treatment plans. As part of the settlement with the United States, Tree of Life and the Vidals agreed to pay $1.65 million and will be excluded from participating in federal healthcare programs. As a result, Tree of Life has closed its operations effective December 31, 2019.
Tree of Life was a for-profit, behavioral health clinic in Northeast Philadelphia that provided outpatient psychiatric and psychotherapy mental health services to individuals, including to low income patients. Between 2008 and 2013, Tree of Life allegedly submitted thousands of fraudulent Medicaid claims for outpatient mental health services. Specifically, Tree of Life billed Medicaid for services never rendered, billed Medicaid for falsely inflated services, created false patient progress notes and billing sheets, and forged psychiatrists’ and therapists’ signatures on patient progress notes and treatment plans. Tree of Life also allegedly submitted billing for therapy provided by unqualified individuals and the clinic paid kickbacks to a social worker for referrals of patients.
The government further contends that Tree of Life’s fraudulent scheme included the submission of bogus claims for therapy sessions provided to clients who were hospitalized at the time of the alleged therapy session, submission of claims for therapy sessions provided by therapists who no longer worked for Tree of Life at the time of the alleged therapy session, and submission of claims for therapy sessions allegedly provided on days when the office was closed. Tree of Life even submitted claims for clients who were deceased at the time of the alleged therapy. As a consequence, federal healthcare payers, including Medicaid, overpaid Tree of Life by millions of dollars.
“The fraud in this case is particularly egregious as it affects the treatment and care of low-income Philadelphians seeking mental health services,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Receiving payments from Medicaid and not providing the billed services to those individuals who deserve appropriate treatment cheats those patients who need care, in addition to defrauding the federal government and therefore, American taxpayers. This resolution represents our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in fraud that affects the residents of Philadelphia and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
“Exclusion is an important tool in our ongoing battle against health care fraud,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of taxpayer funds and to protect beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs, while excluding from federal programs those providers who engage in fraud.” Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Tree of Life agreed to be excluded for 25 years, Ada Vidal agreed to be excluded for 20 years, and Victor Vidal agreed to be excluded for 15 years.
This settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by the former Clinical Director of Tree of Life, Erika Desjardins. Under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, private citizens are permitted to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and obtain a portion of the government’s recovery. The False Claims Act also permits the government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, which occurred in this case. The qui tam complaint was filed by Robert A. Davitch, Esquire of Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C. and Sidney L. Gold, Esquire of Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. “We thank the relator and the relator’s counsel for their invaluable contribution in this case. Without this type of information from citizens, detecting fraud and conserving government program funds would be much more difficult,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. The whistleblower in this case, Ms. Desjardins, will receive $330,000 as her share of the recovery. She allegedly confronted Ada Vidal about the fraud and was allegedly fired for refusing to participate in the scheme.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica J. Finkelstein and health care fraud auditor George Niedzwicki. Additional assistance was provided by health care fraud auditors Denis Cooke and Dawn Wiggins.
The case is captioned Erika Desjardins v. Tree of Life Behavioral Services, Inc.; Tree of Life Professional Behavioral Health Services, Inc.; and Tree of Life Professional Behavioral Health Systems, Civil Action No. 14-2039 (E.D. Pa.). The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Statesville Area Men Are Sentenced to Prison for Theft of FirearmsRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell handed down prison terms today to two Statesville-area men for the theft of four firearms, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western district of North Carolina.
Niseem Booquan Clay, 19, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Clay pleaded guilty on September 26, 2019, to conspiracy to steal or carry away any firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee and steal or carry away any firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee. Devin Quamaine Templeton, 23, was ordered to serve 48 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Templeton pleaded guilty on September 17, 2019, to possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to admissions made in court in connection with their guilty pleas and information introduced today at their sentencing hearing, on September 19, 2018, in the early morning hours, Clay and Templeton broke into Mr. G’s Pawn & Trade, a business located in Taylorsville, N.C. The defendants stole four firearms from the pawn shop, and drove away in a stolen SUV vehicle. Five days later, on September 24, 2018, witnesses called 911 to report that an attempted armed robbery was taking place at a closed gas station in Haywood County. A short time later, law enforcement in Buncombe County initiated a traffic stop of the same stolen SUV vehicle. Templeton was the driver of the vehicle, and Clay was a passenger in the back seat. Over the course of the traffic stop, law enforcement recovered three of the four stolen firearms, and 52 rounds of ammunition.
Clay and Templeton are currently in custody. They will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving their sentence, upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Taylorsville Police Department, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Two People Plead Guilty in Camden Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two members of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted their roles in distributing significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jameel Byng, 26, and Kaliel Johnson, 27, both of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to their roles in a conspiracy based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden and responsible for selling heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine. Byng pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and powder cocaine. Johnson pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.
Nine other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, Naeem Sadler, and Jasmin Velez – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against eight other defendants in this case remain pending.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the drug-trafficking organization in which Byng and Johnson participated.
The count to which Byng pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. The count to which Johnson pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations against the other defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Byng: Tamika McKoy Esq., Camden
Johnson: Edward F. Borden Esq., Cherry Hill, New JerseyTwo Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm PurchasesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – An Alexandria man and a Virginia Beach man were sentenced to prison today for illegally buying and possessing firearms, and for possessing firearms while involved in drug-trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Ernest Dwayne Riley, 32, and Kaleb Raine Reiter, 22, were prohibited persons who purchased guns at different times from Julio Pino, a former U.S. Navy sailor who was sentenced in March 2019 for trafficking at least 60 firearms.
Riley was sentenced to more than four years in prison, while Reiter was sentenced to 10 years.
At the time Riley bought a gun from Pino, he had been convicted in Maryland of a misdemeanor punishable by 10 years in prison. He also purchased multiple hollow-point rounds of ammunition from Pino. Several months later, Riley attempted to purchase a gun at a federally licensed gun store and lied on the form about his prohibited status. While processing Riley’s gun application, the gun store clerk discovered Riley’s conviction and turned him down.
Riley was arrested in July 2019 during a traffic stop. His $60,000 Range Rover had a “Ghost Tag”—a license plate that does not come back on file when it is entered into DMV and police databases. Riley also provided the arresting officer with a fraudulent vehicle registration. The officer recovered from Riley’s SUV yet another handgun—this one loaded with an extended magazine—THC oil, and prescription pills inside a pill bottle with the label torn off.
Evidence recovered from Riley’s phone and subpoenaed from his financial accounts showed that for the last few years, he was making hundreds of thousands of dollars trafficking marijuana and THC oil from California into Hampton Roads—the same brand of THC oil recovered from his vehicle.
And at the time Reiter purchased a gun from Pino, he was drug user, including heroin, Xanax, and marijuana. Police later recovered that gun lying next to several MDA baggies while searching Reiter’s van during his arrest—he was wanted for assaulting and attempting to abduct someone driving next to him while both were stopped at a major Virginia Beach intersection in the middle of the day and, hours later, pointing that gun at his ex-girlfriend and her mother.
A year later, Reiter directed a teenage girl to steal a handgun from her stepfather. He then traded cocaine to the girl in exchange for the stolen gun.
Two months after that, Reiter brandished a third gun, pointing it at the victim of a vehicle accident he was involved in. A police officer later arrested him while in possession of that gun, Xanax, and a digital scale after receiving complaints that he had passed out in a booth at a local restaurant.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted 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-124.
Two Indiana Men Sentenced to 10 years for Armed Robbery of Swan Serv-U PharmacyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced on January 6, 2020, that Antonio Jamerson (age: 21) was sentenced to 124 months’ imprisonment and Elix Powell (age: 21) was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for their involvement in the armed robbery of the Swan Serv-U Pharmacy.
The investigation revealed that Jamerson and Powell traveled from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arriving during the early morning hours of December 28, 2016. At approximately 9:15 a.m., the defendants, armed with a firearm, robbed the Swan Serv-U Pharmacy, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. At the sentencing, Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the extremely violent nature of the robbery, including the fact that the defendants physically restrained multiple victims.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute and seek substantial prison sentences for anyone who uses a firearm to terrorize our communities,” said United States Attorney Krueger. “The lengthy sentences imposed here resulted from an outstanding collaborative law enforcement effort by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force, the Wauwatosa Police Department, and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.”
The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, provides federal jurisdiction for cases involving violent criminals who commit armed robbery of businesses involved in interstate commerce. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office collaborate together to ensure that violent offenders are effectively prosecuted, making our communities safer for all.
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura S. Kwaterski.
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Three Visalia Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Production of False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Elfego Alcala, 47, Tamilene Cisneros, 49, and Aida Corona, 38, of Visalia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and production of false identification documents, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between Feb. 2018 and Aug. 8, 2018, the defendants conspired to produce and sell false identification documents. On March 12, 2018, they engaged in a transaction in which they manufactured and sold three false Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR or “green card”) and three false Social Security cards that appeared to be issued by and under the authority of the United States.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
Co-conspirator Maria Elena Soriano Salinas, 58, previously pleaded guilty to the same offenses and to being a deported alien found in the United States. On Nov. 4, 2019, she was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
Alcala, Cisneros, and Corona are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 27. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Three Fort Dodge Men Plead Guilty to Gun and Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
Three Fort Dodge men who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessed stolen guns pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City.
Marcus Swan, 29, pled guilty December 31, 2019, Lucas Osborne, 30, pled guilty August 20, 2019, and Kenneth Petersen, 41, pled guilty on September 10, 2019. Each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of stolen firearms.
At their respective plea hearings, each admitted to distributing at least 100 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, area from October 2018 through February 2019. Evidence also showed that together they possessed five guns that had been stolen during a burglary in Kossuth County, Iowa. Swan and Petersen were also prohibited from possessing guns based on their prior felony convictions. Osborne was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and prohibited from possessing guns.
Sentencings before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand for Osborne and Petersen have been set for January 28, 2020. Sentencing for Swan will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Each remain in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Steenholdt and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-3017. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Fraudulently Sell Imported Jewelry from the Philippines as Native American-MadeRead the Press Release
Three members of an international conspiracy to import knock-off jewelry from the Philippines and misrepresent it as Native-American have pleaded guilty for their roles in the fraudulent scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey of the District of Arizona.
On Jan. 6, all three defendants pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle of the District of Arizona. Laura Marye Wesley, a.k.a. Laura Lott, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit misrepresentation of Indian-produced goods, wire fraud, mail fraud, and entry of goods by means of false statements and smuggling goods, for her role in the manufacture, importation, and sale of knock-off jewelry as Native American-made. Wesley is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2020.
Christian Coxon, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misrepresent Indian-produced goods and to commit wire fraud, for his role in ordering and misrepresenting imported, knock-off jewelry as Native American-made at his retail store Turquoise River Trading Company, located in San Antonio, Texas. Coxon is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2020.
Waleed Sarrar, a.k.a. Willie Sarrar, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misrepresent Indian-produced goods and to commit wire fraud, for his role in ordering and misrepresenting imported, knock-off jewelry as Native American-made at his retail store Scottsdale Jewels, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sarrar is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2020.
According to information that the defendants admitted to as part of their pleas, from January 2016 through February 2019, they conspired with each other, and others, to design jewelry in the Native-American Indian-style and manufacture the jewelry in the Philippines with Filipino labor. The defendants also conspired to import the jewelry from the Philippines to Arizona without indelible markings as required by law, and display, advertise, and sell the jewelry to customers based on false representations that the jewelry items were made by Indians in the United States. To perpetrate the fraud scheme, the defendants and their conspirators communicated by phone, text, and email, including across state and country borders; used private commercial shipping services such as FedEx to import jewelry from the Philippines to the United States; paid for the jewelry inventory through credit cards, including via web-based credit card processors, and by check; and charged the credit cards of customers who purchased the imported Indian-style jewelry.
As part of her plea, Wesley agreed that she owned and operated LMN Jewelers, a jewelry business that specialized in the sale of Native-American-style jewelry, and co-owned and co-operated Last Chance Jewelers, a similar jewelry business. She also admitted to removing “Made in the Philippines” stickers from bags of imported jewelry, smuggling jewelry into the U.S. from the Philippines through the U.S. Postal Service to avoid inspection by federal authorities at the port of entry, wiring money to the Philippines to cover the costs of the jewelry-making business there, working with Filipino factory workers who were manufacturing the knock-offs, and delivering the knock-off Native-American-style jewelry to retail jewelry stores in Arizona, Colorado, California, Texas, Minnesota, Utah, and elsewhere.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000. Their sentencing dates have not yet been set.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) prohibits the offer or display for sale, or the sale of any good in a manner that falsely suggests that it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian and Indian tribe. The law is designed to prevent products from being marketed as “Indian made,” when the products are not, in fact, made by Indians. It covers all Indian and Indian-style traditional and contemporary arts and crafts produced after 1935, and broadly applies to the marketing of arts and crafts by any person in the United States. The IACA provides critical economic benefits for Native American cultural development by recognizing that forgery and fraudulent arts and crafts diminish the livelihood of Native American artists and craftspeople by lowering both market prices and standards.
This case was investigated by the Office of Law Enforcement for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Phoenix Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board and Office of Law Enforcement and Security, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations, and the Texas Game Wardens. Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Sexton and Mark Wenker are prosecuting the case.
Ten Drug Dealers from Mill Creek Section of West Philadelphia Sentenced for Years’ Long Distribution Conspiracy and Violent Turf WarRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that several defendants were sentenced by the Honorable Juan R. Sanchez for their involvement in a years’ long drug distribution conspiracy and related crimes, the last of whom, Bryant Calloway, was sentenced today to lifetime imprisonment.
From about 2010 until about May 7, 2015, a group of individuals sold crack cocaine at all times of day and night on a public playground located at the intersection of 52nd and Westminster Streets, in West Philadelphia, and on its surrounding streets known collectively as “the Grounds.” “The Grounds” drug distribution group relied on a number of street level sellers who were supplied by Frederick Porter. Porter, in turn, purchased cocaine and crack cocaine from Robert Mack, the ultimate supplier for “the Grounds” group. Meanwhile, mere blocks away, a rival drug distribution group also sold crack cocaine, at all times of day and night, out of another neighborhood public playground, called “the Pit,” located near to the intersection of 51st and Funston Streets, also in West Philadelphia. “The Pit” group was led by Sean Gilliam, who supplied the street level drug dealers.
Both groups were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) after a series of shootings, over drug turf, that occurred between the rival groups in 2013. The shootings began on August 5, 2013, when Bryant Calloway, a member of “the Pit” drug group, shot and killed Brian Littles, a seller for “the Grounds” group, in an effort to expand “the Pit’s” drug territory. In retaliation for Littles’ murder, Calloway was shot several times by James Wilson, a member of “the Grounds.” Then, in response to Calloway being shot, Sean Wilson, a member of “the Pit,” went to “the Grounds” area and shot an innocent bystander that he believed, wrongly, was responsible for Calloway’s shooting. The ATF investigation resulted in the defendants being charged for their involvement in drug distribution, firearms offenses, shootings, and murder. All charged defendants, from each group, were convicted by either guilty plea or jury verdict and have now been sentenced.
The defendants associated with “the Grounds” are:
- Robert Mack, a/k/a “Tweet,” age 53, sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment;
- Kenneth Riley, a/k/a “Kenny,” age 26, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment;
- James Wilson, a/k/a “J.T.,” age 28, sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment;
- Mark Samuel, age 28, sentenced to 6 ½ years’ imprisonment; and
- Xavier Towel, a/k/a “Zay,” age 26, sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment.
The defendants associated with “the Pit” are:
- Bryant Calloway, a/k/a “Bigs,” age 32, sentenced to lifetime imprisonment;
- Sean Gilliam, a/k/a “Shizzy Ones,” age 42, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment;
- Sean Wilson, a/k/a “Lil Shizz,” age 26, sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment;
- Tonie Henderson, a/k/a “Tone,” age 29, sentenced to 12 ½ years’ imprisonment; and
- Tyree Johnson, a/k/a “Riq,” age 43, sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment.
“These two violent drug gangs wreaked havoc in this West Philadelphia neighborhood, terrorizing the people living there,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “When we see concentrated violence like this, it is often the case that a small group of people is causing the destruction. These perpetrators need to be arrested, charged and aggressively prosecuted in order to protect those who are trying to live peacefully and to deter others from similar lawlessness. All of these criminals will now be serving lengthy sentences in federal prison – which is where they belong.”
“A key component of ATF’s mission is to combat and reduce violent crime. The sentence that was handed down today is another victory in the battle against violent crime for ATF, our law enforcement partners, and more importantly, the citizens of Philadelphia,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Donald Robinson. “This sentence is a perfect example of the collaborative effort between the ATF, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Philadelphia Police Department to target violent offenders that are responsible for drug trafficking and related gun violence in our communities.”
“The investigation, arrests, and successful prosecution of the members of these two dangerous rival groups serve as evidence of the merits of sustained collaboration between law enforcement agencies. We expect the attendant sentencings to have an appreciable impact on the safety and quality of life for the residents of the Mill Creek community,” said Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan B. Ortiz and Seth Schlessinger.
Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Sex Trafficking and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sirvonn Taylor, age 37, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on January 3, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for heading-up a conspiracy that forced or coerced women to engage in prostitution in northeastern Pennsylvania, and that distributed more than a kilogram of heroin in Pennsylvania and Maine.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Taylor, who used the gang name “Black,” previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin (which is approximately equivalent to more than 40,000 retail bags) between 2010 and 2015.
Taylor’s conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation into the activities of a street gang known as the Black P-Stones. Male gang members were “beaten-in” to the gang and female members were “sexed-in” to the gang. Members of the Black P-Stones obtained heroin and other drugs, including “molly,” in New York and distributed the drugs in Stroudsburg and locations in the state of Maine. Couriers were used to transport heroin from New York to Maine.
Females were “sexed-in” to the gang by being forced to engage in sex with male gang members; recruited and coerced to engage in prostitution; advertised as adult escorts on a website; provided with heroin and other drugs; and placed in various are hotels/motels to work as prostitutes. Gang members, including Taylor, used threats, force, drugs, and intimidation to coerce females to engage in prostitution.
Judge Mannion also ordered the defendant to serve eight years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Taylor must also comply with sex offender registration and notification requirements.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, state and local police in Maine, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
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.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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 law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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St. Joseph Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A St. Joseph, Ill., man, William M. Bell, 40, who was previously an information technology employee of Monticello, Ill., community unit school district 25, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for child pornography crimes. Bell has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on Feb. 8, 2019.
On April 18, 2019, Bell entered pleas of guilty to using a computer or device in July and August 2018, to send visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and in November 2018, possession of images of child pornography.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Champaign County Sheriff’s office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative, to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced January 2, 2020, to 15 years in federal prison.
Julio Cesar Salais, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 6, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a protected location. Salais had already been convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Northern District of Iowa District Court, in 1996 and 2002, respectively.
At the guilty plea, Salais admitted that from May 2018 through March 2019, he and others conspired to distribute more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. Salais further admitted that on two occasions he distributed more than 300 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. These distributions occurred within the protected locations of Irving Elementary School, Sioux City Alternative School and Opportunities School at the Boys and Girls home in Sioux City.
Salais was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Salais was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Salais is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4024.
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Raytown Man Convicted of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Missouri, man was convicted in a bench trial today of illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun that he sold to an undercover federal agent.
James E. Hawkins, 36, was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of possessing an unregistered firearm.
According to evidence introduced during the bench trial, Hawkins was in possession of a Remington 12-gauge shotgun on Jan. 12, 2018. The sawed-off shotgun had a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, which Hawkins was not registered to possess. Hawkins sold the shotgun to an undercover special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for $260. Hawkins told the undercover agent that he used a hacksaw to shorten the barrel himself.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Hawkins was on probation at the time of the offense following his state felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Hawkins is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two counts. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Timothy Bonner, age 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bonner conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance and a quantity of marijuana from April 2017 through April 2019.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2020 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and not more than forty years in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bonner. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. 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. In this case, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force and the New Castle Police Department also participated in the investigation.
Owner of Used Car Dealership Admits Conspiracy to Steal Payments from U.S. Department of Defense, Bank Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Hurriyet Arslan, 49, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Corporation 1 had a contract with the DoD to supply jet fuel to troops operating in southeast Asia. Corporation 1 employed an individual in Fort Lee, New Jersey – identified as “Victim 1” – who was responsible for communicating with the federal government through a government computer system.
Conspirators located overseas designed and deployed on the Internet fraudulent web pages (phishing pages) that resembled the public-facing website of the General Service Administration. From June 2018 through September 2018, the conspirators caused phishing e-mails to be sent to various DoD vendors, including Victim 1, in an attempt to trick the vendors into visiting the phishing pages. These e-mails appeared to be legitimate but were actually fraudulent e-mails that contained electronic links to the phishing pages. Those customers who clicked on the electronic links were directed automatically to the phishing pages, where they saw what appeared to be the GSA’s System for Award Management (SAM) website and were prompted for, and entered, their log-in credentials and personal key.
The conspirators caused Victim 1’s log-in credentials and personal key to be intercepted and transmitted, not to the GSA, but to computers and e-mail accounts that the conspirators controlled.
Arslan was the owner of Deal Automotive Sales in Florence, New Jersey. At the request of an individual in Germany, he opened a shell company based in New Jersey, with a mobile phone number and bank account. Arslan sent the mobile phone SIM card and bank account information to a conspirator in California. For doing this, Arslan received two wire transfers from someone in Turkey. Due to suspicious activity, the bank shut down the bank account, and the conspirator in California asked Arslan for his account information for Deal Automotive, which he provided.
On July 27, 2018, DoD awarded Corporation 1 a $23.5 million contract to provide Aviation JA1 Turbine fuel to troops operating in southeast Asia. The conspirators used Victim 1’s log-in credentials to access Corporation 1’s government account and changed the bank account information to reflect a bank account controlled by Arslan. The conspirator in California contacted the DoD, identifying himself as Victim 1, and confirmed that Corporation 1’s payment method had been changed to the Deal Automotive Sales bank account.
DoD transferred $23.5 into Arslan’s Deal Automotive Sales bank account, which Arslan accessed at a branch in Burlington County and transferred a portion of the money to other accounts he controlled.
The counts of conspiracy and bank fraud to which Arslan pleaded guilty carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine equal to the greatest of $1 million or twice the gross profits received or gross loss from the offense. The count of money laundering to carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or two times the gross profits received from the offense or two times the gross loss sustained by the victims. Sentencing is scheduled for April 13, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited criminal investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office, special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; special agents of the General Service Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Lobaugh, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Richardson and Sara Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Orange County Woman Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Stealing Social Security Benefits Intended for the Disabled and ElderlyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee who stole more than $176,000 in Social Security benefits designated for elderly and disabled people was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison.
Rowena Isabel Lokeni, 36, of Garden Grove, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered her to pay $176,015 in restitution to the SSA. Lokeni pleaded guilty last October to one count of wire fraud. She resigned from the SSA shortly after her arrest in this case last September.
The SSA hired Lokeni in 2007, and she worked as a lead customer service representative in the administration’s field office in Fountain Valley. She was responsible for providing direct services to the public, including determining the nature of a visit or call, resolving problems, screening for eligibility, and explaining benefit inquiries. In that capacity, Lokeni had computer access to electronic records of SSA beneficiaries.
From her work cubicle, between April 2017 and August 2019, Lokeni accessed the SSA computer databases and queried the records of 10 Social Security beneficiaries. Once she accessed the victims’ records, Lokeni fraudulently changed each victim’s direct deposit bank account and routing numbers to instead reflect her personal bank account’s routing and account numbers.
Of the 10 victims whose Social Security benefits were affected by Lokeni’s fraud, eight victims were supposed to be receiving disabled adult children benefits because they were unmarried adults who had a disability that began prior to their 22nd birthday. Many of these victims have severe intellectual disabilities and were staying at adult care facilities. The ninth victim was supposed to be receiving disability insurance benefits, while the 10th victim was supposed to be receiving retirement insurance benefits.
Lokeni has admitted to fraudulently obtaining a total of approximately $176,015 in Social Security payments.
“[Lokeni’s] actions evinced an utter disregard for the responsibility of her position, for the hardworking Americans who pay their fair share to sustain the SSA program benefits, and for the most vulnerable members of society,” the prosecution wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David H. Chao of the Major Frauds Section.
Operation Shutdown Corner Update: Two Defendants Enter Guilty Pleas to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley woman and a Columbus, Ohio man pled guilty today for their participation in a drug trafficking operation in Raleigh County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stephanie McClung, 48, and Jason Johnson, 31, both entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine. McClung and Johnson were charged as a result of a long-term investigation known as Operation Shutdown Corner.
“Operation Shutdown Corner dismantled a multi-state meth pipeline from California to West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “McClung and Johnson were two of the 17 individuals charged as a result of the investigation.”
McClung admitted that between June 2018, and September 17, 2019, she worked with other members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Raleigh County, West Virginia to distribute methamphetamine. McClung admitted that during this time period she was supplied with distribution amounts of controlled substances from various members of the DTO. She also admitted to selling the controlled substances, which included methamphetamine and heroin, to individuals that she now understands were working with law enforcement as confidential informants. She further admitted to allowing another member of the DTO to have controlled substances delivered to her address. She admitted to allowing this on at least two separate occasions. On one occasion approximately one pound of methamphetamine was delivered and on a second occasion a quantity of heroin was delivered to her address.
Jason Johnson admitted that between June 2018, and September 17, 2019, he participated in the drug trafficking organization by supplying Stephanie McClung and others with distribution amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. During this time period, Johnson admitted to selling more than 50 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine to McClung knowing it was her plan and purpose to re-distribute those drugs in and around Raleigh County and the Southern District of West Virginia. Johnson admitted to meeting with McClung several times a week to supply her with drugs.
Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Beckley Police Department, and the West Virginia State Police.
Both McClung and Johnson face a mandatory minimum period of five years and up to forty years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine when they are sentenced on April 20, 2020.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman are in charge of the prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Frank W. Volk.
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Operation Free Market Update: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy and Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pled guilty to a federal drug conspiracy and a gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. George Lockhart, 44, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Lockhart was a felon conspiring with others to distribute deadly heroin and fentanyl in Huntington,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “This is yet another successful law enforcement operation that dismantled a drug trafficking network.”
Lockhart admitted that between December 2018 and May 2019 he conspired with other individuals to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Huntington, West Virginia. Lockhart admitted other individuals sold drugs for him at his direction. He also admitted to possessing a firearm during a search warrant in May 2019. He was prohibited by federal law to possess a firearm because he had been convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter in January 2011.
Lockhart faces up to thirty years in prison when he is sentenced on April 6, 2020.
Operation Free Market was a long-term drug investigation in the Huntington area. The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.
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Ohio man admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA –David Frankenhoff, of Newark, Ohio, has admitted to a drug distribution charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Frankenhoff, age 51, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 3,4-Dichloro-N-[2-(dimethylamino) cyclohexyl]-Nmethylbenzamide (“U47700”).” Frankenhoff admitted to working with another to distribute “U47700,” a synthetic opioid, from June 2016 to December 2016 in Ohio County and elsewhere.
Frankenhoff faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
NASA Contractor Agrees to Pay $375,000 to Settle False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces today that United Paradyne Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $375,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to NASA for assembling and cleaning rocket launch systems that it had failed to perform.
The settlement relates to United Paradyne’s agreement to provide NASA with certain ground support equipment designed to support NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion space capsule for NASA’s Artemis program. Specifically, United Paradyne agreed to fabricate five Hydraulic Accumulator Rack Assembly Swing Arm Systems for the mobile launcher. The hydraulic accumulator racks actuate swing arms, also called umbilicals, on the mobile launcher and are responsible for providing the SLS rocket and Orion space capsule with power, communications, coolant, fuel, and stabilization prior to launch. The Crew Access Arm umbilical was designed for astronauts to access the Orion capsule and will be used on NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first SLS and Orion flight with astronauts in 2022.
According to the settlement agreement, United Paradyne submitted claims under NASA-KSC Contract No. NNK14EA09D for payment for delivery of the accumulator racks that failed to conform to the requirements of the contract approved by NASA. More specifically, the United States alleged that United Paradyne delivered five accumulator racks between August 11 and October 19, 2015, and that United Paradyne failed to clean the racks, failed to verify cleanliness, and failed to maintain cleanliness throughout functional testing and final inspection, and falsely certified that it conformed to NASA’s requirements.
“Violating NASA’s contractual requirements raises danger and risks to our space program and its personnel as well as harms the integrity of the federal contracting process,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to enforcing federal law and ensuring a system of fair play for all government contractors.”
“The NASA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate all Whistleblower Qui Tam fraud allegations related to NASA operations and the building of the next generation space launch vehicle and related ground support equipment. I congratulate the Department of Justice and the Whistleblower Qui Tam relator in coming to an acceptable resolution in this civil matter with United Paradyne Corporation,” said Special Agent in Charge John Corbett, Central Field Office, NASA OIG.
The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by a former employee of United Paradyne, Steven Walker. Mr. Walker sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. Mr. Walker will receive $75,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with United Paradyne.
This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the NASA Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor led the investigation.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Steven James Walker v. United Paradyne Corporation, Case No. 6:17-cv-01507-ORL-18-TBS. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Modesto Man Sentenced to over 26 Years in Prison for Multistate Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Joseph Vasquez Jr., 32, of Modesto, was sentenced today to 26 years and eight months in prison for an operation that distributed methamphetamine from Modesto to Juneau, Alaska, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Vasquez was part of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Central Valley, Alaska, and Tacoma, Washington between Jan. 1, 2015, and April 11, 2018. As a result of the year-long investigation, 45 pounds of methamphetamine, 4 pounds of heroin and 3 pounds of cocaine were seized. On Oct. 3, 2019, after a three-day trial, a federal jury in Fresno found Vasquez guilty of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
Five co-defendants charged on April 5, 2018, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. Alecia Trapps, 56, of Manteca, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2020. Jimmy Brantley, 42, of Manteca, was sentenced on Oct. 28, 2019, to 10 years in prison. On Oct. 21, 2019, Carmen Conejo, 53, of Long Beach, was sentenced to five years of probation; Ernest Westley, 62, of Modesto, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison; and Sheena Taylor, 41, of Modesto, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, Modesto Police Department, Manteca Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department (Washington), Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (Washington), and Juneau Police Department (Alaska). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth and Laurel J. Montoya are prosecuting the case.
Milford Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge Stemming from Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on January 3, 2020, ANTHONY AMATO, 31, of Milford, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 26, 2019, the Milford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Milford rooming house on a report of a drug overdose at the location. Inside the residence, a 28-year-old male was pronounced deceased. At the scene, investigators interviewed witnesses and collected evidence related to narcotics use, including needles and wax folds, some of which contained suspected heroin.
The investigation revealed that the overdose victim and Amato, who resided in another room in the rooming house, were together in the afternoon of August 24, 2019. On August 29, 2019, a court-authorized search of Amato’s room revealed multiple ripped wax folds and other narcotics-related evidence. Some of the wax folds were marked with the same stamp as the wax folds found in the victim’s room. Laboratory analysis of the wax folds revealed fentanyl and heroin residue.
Subsequent review of text communications between Amato and the victim revealed that Amato provided the victim with heroin in August 24, 2019.
Amato’s criminal history includes multiple convictions for narcotics-related charges in Connecticut, including a conviction for sale of narcotics for which he is currently on state probation.
Amato has been detained since his federal arrest on September 10, 2019. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for March 30, 2020, at which time Amato faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Milford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
Middletown Man Charged in Federal Court in Connection with Use of Incendiary Device at Newark Planned ParenthoodRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Samuel James Gulick, 18, of Middletown, Delaware was charged today in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in connection with utilizing an incendiary device to damage the Planned Parenthood facility in Newark, Delaware on January 3, 2020.
Gulick is charged in a three-count complaint with: (1) maliciously damaging a building used in interstate commerce through the use of fire or destructive device; (2) intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services; and (3) possession of an unregistered destructive device under the National Firearms Act.
According to court documents, at approximately 2:16 a.m. on January 3, 2020, an individual later identified as Gulick drove to the Planned Parenthood facility in Newark, Delaware. Video surveillance captured Gulick standing on the front porch of the building and spray-painting the phrase “Deus Vult” in red letters. Gulick then stepped off the front porch, lit an object and threw it at the front window of the Planned Parenthood facility. The object exploded and Gulick ran away. The fire burned for approximately one minute before self-extinguishing. The explosion damaged the front window and porch of the building. Through video surveillance, law enforcement identified a car operated by Gulick fleeing the scene. Law enforcement also identified Gulick through social media postings attributed to him, including posts containing the phrase “Deus Vult” and several anti-abortion posts. Gulick was arrested by the FBI without incident on January 4, 2020.
If convicted of the most serious offense - maliciously damaging the Planned Parenthood facility - Gulick faces a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Agency with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Police Department, University of Delaware Police, Delaware State Police, , Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne C. Dedjinou is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 20-60M.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Michigan man sentenced for role in cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jerel Seahorn, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 30 months incarceration for drug distribution, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Seahorn, also known as “L,” age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” in August 2019. Seahorn admitted to selling heroin in March 2018 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Manhattan Man Arrested for Mailing Hoax Anthrax ThreatRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Phillip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the arrest of AMEEN KESHAVJEE for allegedly mailing a white powdery substance, along with a note indicating the substance was anthrax, to an employee at a Manhattan bar. KESHAVJEE is charged in a criminal Complaint, unsealed today, with one count of mailing a threatening communication and one count of conveying an anthrax hoax threat. KESHAVJEE was presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today’s arrest makes clear that we will not tolerate anthrax threats. Thanks to the work of the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service, the defendant will have to answer for his alleged threatening actions.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Even though there was no actual anthrax in the note allegedly mailed by Keshavjee, that doesn’t minimize the consequences of the crime. Hoax threats not only intimidate the victims they are intended for, they require extensive law enforcement resources that could be better used elsewhere. For anyone out there who might be contemplating a hoax of this nature, just remember Keshavjee now faces up to 10 years in prison for his alleged actions.”
USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Phillip R. Bartlett said: “As alleged, Mr. Keshavjee used scare tactics to show his displeasure with employees at the bar. Postal Inspectors remind the public that sending threats through the U.S. mail is illegal. These types of cases are aggressively investigated by Postal Inspectors and those allegedly involved will be arrested and brought to justice for their crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
KESHAVJEE was a patron at a bar in the East Village neighborhood in Manhattan, and sent a series of communications via e-mail to an employee at the bar (“Employee-1”). In approximately February 2019, Employee-1 told KESHAVJEE that if KESHAVJEE continued sending him messages, he would no longer be welcome at the bar. KESHAVJEE stopped coming to the bar, but began sending threatening e-mails in which KESHAVJEE, among other things, indicated that he hoped for Employee-1’s death.
On December 9, 2019, KESHAVJEE mailed an envelope to Employee-1 at the bar. The envelope included a white powdery substance and a note indicating that the substance was anthrax. Upon opening the envelope, Empoyee-1 called 911. Law enforcement responded to the scene, secured the area, and seized the materials mailed by KESHAVJEE. The City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Public Health Laboratory later concluded that the materials did not contain anthrax.
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KESHAVJEE is charged with one count of mailing a threatening communication and one count of conveying an anthrax hoax threat, each of which carries a maximum sentence 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 work of the FBI, the USPIS, and the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sam Adelsberg 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 herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man sentenced for role in fentanyl trafficking operationRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute nearly eight kilograms of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jesus Homero Ortiz pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Ortiz to prison for 72 months to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard testimony that Ortiz transported the fentanyl hidden inside a speaker box he later delivered to the Mall Del Norte in Laredo.
On March 2, 2018, authorities intercepted a delivery Ortiz transported. The delivery consisted of approximately eight kilograms of a highly dangerous synthetic painkiller called fentanyl. It has morphine-like effects, but works at a mere 100th of the dosage. Inadvertent exposure can result in overdose, respiratory failure and even death.
Authorities ultimately learned the fentanyl was on the way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ortiz was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to more than 11 Years for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on January 6, 2020, Roman Ceballo Gaspar, age 25, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Possess and Distribute Methamphetamine. Senior United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Avalos to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Ceballo Gaspar also relinquished any right or claim he had to money seized during the investigation. After completing his term of imprisonment, Ceballo Gaspar will be deported to Mexico as he is not a U.S. citizen.
On April 26, 2018, agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations and the Omaha Police Department executed a search warrant on Ceballo Gaspar’s Omaha residence. The search revealed approximately one pound of methamphetamine, $18,953 U.S. currency, and other evidentiary items.
Earlier that day, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by a co-defendant where twelve pounds of methamphetamine were found hidden inside the vehicle. Ceballo Gaspar admitted to his involvement in distributing methamphetamine in the Omaha metro area, and that he was expecting the delivery of the twelve pounds of methamphetamine from the co-defendant.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Machesney Park Man Pleads Guilty to Robberies of Bank and Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Machesney Park man pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., to one count of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
DAVID M. BANEY, 34, admitted in a written plea agreement that on Jan. 11, 2018, he walked into Chase Bank, 7997 N. Alpine Rd. in Loves Park, wearing a mask. Baney approached a teller who was behind the teller stations and demanded money from two tellers. During the robbery, Baney carried a gun and pointed it at a bank employee and a bank customer. Baney obtained $24,402 from Chase Bank during the robbery.
Baney also admitted that on the same day he possessed an object that appeared to be a firearm when he entered Kelley’s Market/Mobil gas station, 8200 N. Second St. in Machesney Park, and ordered an employee to give him cash from the registers and safe. The employee handed Baney $170 in cash but could not access the safe, and Baney left the store with the money.
Sentencing is set for April 6, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Baney faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the robbery charges, and a maximum of life in prison - with a statutory minimum of seven years - for the firearm charge, which must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Each charge also carries a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution. The actual sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff; Dan O’Shea, Chief of the Rockford Police Department; and Chuck Lynde, Chief of the Loves Park Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, consisting of law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, Rockford Police Department, Loves Park Police Department, and Freeport Police Department. Officers from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department participated in the investigation.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 75 Months’ Imprisonment for Heroin Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Aaron Bangaroo, age 37, formerly of Kingston, Luzerne County, was sentenced on January 3, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to serve seventy-five months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Bangaroo was indicted by a grand jury after police made several purchases of heroin from Bangaroo and then obtained a search warrant for Bangaroo’s residence in Kingston, where police seized approximately 20 grams of heroin, two firearms, and ammunition. Twenty grams of heroin is equivalent to approximately 800 individual doses of heroin.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NCIS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
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Longtime gang member sentenced for drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old veteran member of the Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Larry Torres, 42, of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty Sept. 27, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced Torres to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence including that Torres sold multiple ounces of meth to undercover agent and was a member of the Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang.
In June 2019, authorities were conducting investigations into drug trafficking organizations that distributed meth throughout the area. This led them to Torres’ residence on Old Brownsville Road in Corpus Christi where he was believed to be involved in the distribution of drugs.
The investigation involved the controlled purchases of more than 160 grams of high potency meth known as “ice.”
A search warrant at the residence resulted in the discovery of a firearm, ammunition, large capacity magazines, cocaine, narcotics packaging materials and other indicia of drug sales. Law enforcement also discovered Homietos gang paraphernalia and clothing.
Per federal law, Torres is prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance and for being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2009.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; Corpus Christi Police Department Gang Unit and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative that brings together federal and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors and community leaders to stop violent crime.
Local man guilty of tax evasionRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A Texas man has admitted he knew he had received significantly more income what he claimed on his 2015 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Corey Campbell Boucher pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
As part of his plea, he admitted receiving significant income from illegal sports gambling in addition to his employment income. Boucher received his gambling winnings in cash which he deposited into his Wells Fargo bank accounts. Between 2012 and 2016, Boucher made cash deposits totaling $1,743,346. In 2015 alone, he deposited $493,935 in cash into his bank accounts but admitted he reported total income of only $128,066 on his Form 1040 United States Individual Income Tax Return for that year. His unreported income in 2015 resulted in $165,735 in unpaid taxes.
Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey accepted the plea and set sentencing for April 6, 2020. At that time, Boucher faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Boucher was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Legislators Must Not Allow “Warrant-Proof Encryption” to Make America A More Dangerous PlaceRead the Press Release
William Craig Whisman came to a parking lot in Plano with a stuffed toy, intending to have sex with a young girl whose father had offered her up in a website chatroom. Earlier, Whisman had sent two videos to the father in which Whisman simulated the acts he wanted to commit on the young girl. Now, he was there to make his fantasy a reality.
Fortunately, the girl was not real. But after law enforcement discovered that Whisman had sent pictures of other children – this time real children he had secretly photographed while standing in line at a local Home Depot – officers ended their ruse and swept in to arrest him
When Whisman saw agents closing in, he turned off his phone. Security measures on the phone prevented officers from accessing its contents. Search warrants and subpoenaes were powerless to provide access because advanced encryption techniques protected Whisman’s secrets. Had real children been abused? Could abused children be hidden somewhere? Were there other child exploiters communicating with him that law enforcement could pursue and prevent from offending? Time was ticking, and officers needed to know the answers quickly to potentially prevent a tragedy.
The answers would not come for months.
Technology companies continue to advance security measures and implement “warrant-proof” encryption of data on communication devices. To be sure, encryption protects important privacy interests of law-abiding citizens. But encryption also provides a safe space for criminals to operate, shielding evidence of illegal activities from authorities. Terrorists, child predators, and other criminals should not be able to hide what they do from law enforcement, especially when investigators have been authorized by a court to search for evidence.
Common sense solutions are needed to protect the privacy of citizens while ensuring that criminals cannot hide their activities. The Fourth Amendment protects us all from unwarranted government intrusion, but the Constitution has always struck a balance between privacy and security by allowing law enforcement, upon a showing of probable cause, to access an individual’s zone of privacy. We ask for no more access to digital devices than what the Constitution already provides.
Today, more and more evidence of crime is digital. Evidence stored in a phone or on a laptop should not be protected more than evidence in a person’s home, which has always been considered the most private of places. By allowing dangerous criminals to cloak their communication behind an impenetrable digital shield, the deployment of warrant-proof technologies is already imposing a great cost on society.
Over a year after William Whisman was arrested, law enforcement finally was able to access his phone when new forensic techniques were implemented. On the phone were thousands of images of child pornography. Even more troubling, investigators found chat logs of conversations Whisman had been having with other men and women about the sexual abuse of children. As prosecutors secured a prison sentence of more than 24 years for Whisman, officers began the job they should have been able to do months before – investigating those individuals, rescuing children, and trying to prevent the evil that happens too often.
The United States must enact legislation to ensure lawful access for law enforcement, consistent with the traditional protections of privacy, to digital evidence of crime.
By Joseph D. Brown
United States Attorney, Eastern District of TexasKern County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Armed Bank Robberies in Long Beach, SLO CountyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Kern County man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for robbing banks in Long Beach and San Luis Obispo County while he brandished what appeared to be a handgun at the victim tellers.
Dino Tabar Trias, 45, of Bakersfield, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner. Judge Klausner also ordered Trias to pay $4,001 in restitution to the victim banks. Trias pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count of armed bank robbery.
Trias admitted in his plea agreement that he robbed a Comerica bank branch in downtown Long Beach on January 22, 2019. During that robbery, he displayed and brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded that the teller hand over the bank’s money. The teller, fearing for her life, handed $1,156 in cash to Trias.
On December 7, 2018, Trias robbed a Rabobank in Grover Beach. During the robbery, he showed a teller what appeared to be a gun in his waistband while he demanded the teller give him all of her money. The teller gave Trias $2,350 in cash.
Trias has been in federal custody since February 2019.
This matter was investigated by the FBI, the Long Beach Police Department, the Grover Beach Police Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Rosenbaum of the General Crimes Section.
Huntington Felon Sentenced to 114 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington felon caught with multiple firearms last year was sentenced today to 114 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Randall Allen Eplion, Jr., 30, previously pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
“Prosecutions like this are vital to public safety,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Eplion, a felon, was in possession of 21 firearms, including a machine gun. He traded meth for several of them. We continue to work closely with ATF and other law enforcement partners to enforce guns laws aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of felons and other prohibited persons.”
“ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect communities from the illegal use of firearms and the often resulting violent crime,” stated ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Tommy Estevan of the Louisville Field Division. “Taking stolen guns, including a machine gun, out of the hands of a convicted felon will go a long way toward making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”
Eplion admitted that, on April 5, 2019, officers with the Huntington Police Department executed a search warrant at his residence located at 427 Rear 6th Avenue, Apartment E, in Huntington. During the search, officers found Eplion in possession of a number of firearms including a .45 caliber pistol, a 5.56 mm rifle, and a 12 gauge shotgun. Eplion was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior conviction for first degree robbery in Cabell County.
Eplion admitted as part of his plea that he possessed a total of 21 firearms that officers located during the search. Some of the firearms were stolen, including a weapon stolen from a police cruiser. Eplion admitted that he traded methamphetamine for a number of the firearms. Eplion also admitted that the 5.56 mm rifle qualified as a machinegun, the 12 gauge shotgun qualified as a short-barrel shotgun, and that neither of the firearms were registered as required by federal law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Hinds County Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to over Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Herbert Thomas, 41, of Jackson, was sentenced today before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan to 30 months confinement, three years of supervised release, and a $1500 fine, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Thomas was previously convicted of felonious motor vehicle theft and felony fleeing from a law enforcement officer in Hinds County in 2009. On January 23, 2018, Thomas fled from Jackson Police Department officers, first in his vehicle and then on foot, before ultimately being subdued by law enforcement. Upon a subsequent inventory of his vehicle, a firearm was located. When interviewed, Thomas admitted to both knowingly possessing the firearm as well as to his prior felony conviction.
Thomas pled guilty before Chief Judge Jordan on September 4, 2019.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jackson Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Murray and Andrew W. Eichner.