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Tuesday 12 November 2019
Randolph County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Kayla S. Kempfer, 31, of Red Bud, Illinois, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison on a
methamphetamine violation. Kempfer previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging
conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. As part of her sentence, she was
also ordered to serve four years of supervised release and pay $200 in fines.Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Kempfer was involved with
co-defendants Scott A. Carnell, Jordan D. Vuichard, Jarrett C. Hood, and others in the distribution
of methamphetamine in Southern Illinois. At sentencing, the district judge found that Kempfer was
responsible for the distribution of 1.4 kilograms of ice. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity
level of at least 80%.The offense occurred between 2017 and August 2018, in Jackson, Randolph, and St. Clair counties.
Co-defendants Carnell, Vuichard, and Hood were previously sentenced to prison terms of 192 months,
219 months, and 108 months, respectively, for their roles in the methamphetamine conspiracy.The investigation was conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office, the Sparta Police Department, the New Athens Police Department, the Marissa
Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Brentwood (Missouri) Police
Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. The Randolph County
State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program and health care fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Julie Wilson, 48, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
During her plea hearing, Wilson admitted that, at various times between 2011 and 2017, she was an employee of Moriarty Consultants, Inc. (MCI) and Everyday People Staffing, Inc. (EPS), two related entities operating in the home health care industry. The other entities were Activity Daily Living Services, Inc. (ADL) and Coordination Care, Inc. (CCI). MCI, ADL, and CCI were approved under the Pennsylvania Medicaid program to offer certain services to qualifying Medicaid recipients ("consumers"), including personal assistance services (PAS), service coordination, and non-medical transportation, among other services. Wilson admitted that she was responsible for claims processing and billing matters related to Pennsylvania Medicaid. Between in and around January 2011 and in and around April 2017, MCI, ADL, and CCI, collectively, received more than $87,000,000 in Medicaid payments based on claims submitted for these services, with PAS payments accounting for more than $80,000,000 of the total amount.
During that time, Wilson admitted that she participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program for the purpose of obtaining millions of dollars in illegal Medicaid payments through the submission of fraudulent claims for services that were never provided to the consumers identified on the claims, or for which there was insufficient or fabricated documentation to support the claims. Among others, Wilson admitted that she conspired with Arlinda Moriarty, the owner of MCI, ADL, and EPS; Daynelle Dickens, the owner of CCI and Arlinda Moriarty’s sister; various office workers at the companies, including Tamika Adams, Tony Brown, Terra Dean, Larita Walls, Keith Scoggins, and Tia Collins; and attendants at MCI, including Tionne Street and Luis Columbie-Abrew.
As part of the conspiracy, Wilson admitted that she and various co-conspirators fabricated timesheets to reflect the provision of in-home PAS care they provided to consumers, when, in fact, no such care ever occurred. Wilson further admitted that, at Arlinda Moriarty’s direction, she collected information about consumers who had "unused" PAS care hours—that is, hours of authorized PAS care that had not been performed and, as a result, had not been billed to Pennsylvania Medicaid. In response, Wilson would provide lists of such consumers and their "unused" hours to Arlinda Moriarty and Daynelle Dickens. Moriarty, in turn, would direct Wilson to submit false claims, in bulk, for some or all of the "unused" hours—without the relevant consumers’ knowledge or consent. Wilson further admitted that she would then send Moriarty a list of the "unused" hours Wilson had billed and that required the creation of back-dated timesheets to document the purported care. Wilson further admitted that she caused Medicaid billings for purported in-home care of a consumer while the consumer was in the hospital, and that she obtained signature stamps for certain consumers that were used execute falsified timesheets in the consumers’ names.
The conspiracy and health care fraud charges each carry a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, 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, if any, of the defendant.
To date, a total of 16 defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation. Wilson is the sixth defendant to enter a guilty plea. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Edward Song are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation of the defendants.
Palm Beach County Tax Return Preparer Convicted of Filing False Tax Returns and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, convicted Paul Senat today of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and theft of government funds, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from at least 2012 to 2016, Paul Senat was the owner and operator of multiple tax return preparation businesses in Palm Beach and surrounding areas. Through the businesses, Senat falsified his clients’ returns by reporting fictitious business losses and false education credits in order to fraudulently inflate their refunds.
Following the jury verdict, Senat was taken into custody. United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz scheduled sentencing for Jan. 27, 2020.
Senat faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of government funds and three years for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false returns. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Lauren Archer of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Pain Management Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Prescribing DrugsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to unlawfully prescribing Oxycodone and Tramadol to patients at a Richmond-area pain management practice.
According to court documents, Zeljko Stjepanovic, 58, was a doctor working in a pain management practice, initially in Fredericksburg and later in Henrico County. As part of his plea, Stjepanovic admitted that he wrote prescriptions for numerous patients without assessing the individual needs of those patients, and that his prescribing practices were outside the usual course of his professional practice and were without any legitimate medical purpose.
In addition, on at least two occasions, Stjepanovic prescribed Tramadol for Patient 1, but put the prescription in the name of Patient 2. Before the first instance, Stjepanovic notified both Patient 1 and Patient 2 that he knew what he was doing was illegal, but he proposed doing it nonetheless. On one of these occasions, Patient 1 was not even present when Stjepanovic wrote the Tramadol prescription. At no point did Stjepanovic or anyone working on his behalf ever obtain a medical history for Patient 1, conduct any physical examination or range of motion test for the patient, discuss causes of pain or what might alleviate it, consider any non-medicine based alternative treatments, or obtain or analyze any urine samples. Stjepanovic maintained no records for his treatment of Patient 1 on these two occasions.
On both of the occasions when Stjepanovic wrote a prescription for Patient 1 in the name of Patient 2, Stjepanovic also wrote a prescription for Oxycodone for Patient 2. As was the case with Patient 1, at no point did Stjepanovic or anyone working on his behalf ever obtain a medical history for Patient 2, conduct any physical examination or range of motion test for the patient, discuss causes of pain or what might alleviate it, consider any non-medicine based alternative treatments, or obtain or analyze any urine samples. Nonetheless, Stjepanovic falsely reported in his records for Patient 2 that he had done these things.
In addition, because Stjepanovic was concerned that writing prescriptions for Tramadol and Oxycodone for the same person might alert others to his scheme, he instructed Patient 2 what to tell the pharmacy if questioned about the two prescriptions.
Stjepanovic pleaded guilty to the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, specifically, Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance. He faces a maximum 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 24, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Janet Jin Ah Lee are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-27.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Mobile Communications Company Retail StoreRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for robbing a mobile communications company retail store in Orange, New Jersey, at gunpoint in June 2016, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Frederick A. White, 47, previously pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the afternoon of June 11, 2016, White entered a mobile communications company retail store in Orange wearing a wig and brandishing a handgun. White stole cash from an employee of the store and fled. He was arrested a short while later after a foot pursuit by the Orange Police Department.
White previously was convicted of multiple counts of armed and attempted carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in federal court in Newark in 1993.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced White to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and the Orange Police Department, under the direction of Director Todd Warren and Chief Law Enforcement Officer Vincent Vitiello, for their assistance with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens 2nd, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou and Desiree Grace Latzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Michael N. Pedicini Esq., Chatham, New Jersey
Neche, ND, Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Multiple Offenses of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on November 12, 2019, Chief Judge U.S. District Court Peter D. Welte sentenced Brandon Lee Bjornstad, age 35, Neche, North Dakota, to serve 60 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the charges of Sexual Exploitation of Minors, Extortion, Receipt and Distribution of Materials Containing Child Pornography, and Possession of Materials Containing Child Pornography. Bjornstad was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,635.00 to the victims and $1,800.00 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Between May 2015 and May 2017, Bjornstad solicited thousands of self-produced child pornography from hundreds of children located across the United States and elsewhere. Using various aliases, Bjornstad coerced hundreds of children into producing and electronically sharing their self-produced sexually explicit images and videos. Bjornstad illegally enticed his victims with the use of multiple social media platforms such as Skype, Kik, Snapchat, and Musical.ly, among others. On hundreds of occasions, he directed the children to engage in very specific sexually explicit conduct after which he recorded the live presentations. In many cases, Bjornstad then shared this material with others, including other children, and other adult men who shared his sexual interest in children. To date, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation has identified 90 children residing in three different countries as part of this investigation.
“This defendant used social media and preyed on young girls whom he enticed into self-producing explicit photos and videos,” said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, adding, “these young girls were essentially coerced into on-line sexual servitude, through manipulation and intimidation. Brandon Lee Bjornstad’s 60 year sentence represents justice in this case, and the details of his heinous crimes send a somber warning about the very real and present dangers that lurk just a key stroke away on so many social media platforms.”
United States Attorney Wrigley praised the efforts of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl, all of whom Wrigley said, “tirelessly pursued this investigation and secured justice on behalf of hundreds of young victims.”
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
NDTX Round-Up November 12, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Demeron Jamal Brown
On November 7, Demeron Jamal Brown, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon. Brown and his coconspirators utilized a room within the Han Gil Hotel to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs to customers. He was arrested when officers responded to a 911 call regarding a man armed with an assault rifle. Officers seized 187 grams of cocaine, 900 grams of methamphetamine, and various other drugs. Brown faces up to 20 years in federal custody. To read more about the Han Gil case, click here or here. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the case was prosecuted by AUSA Rick Calvert and AUSA Phelesa Guy.
GUILTY PLEA – Pedro Perez-Velazquez
On November 7, Pedro Perez-Velazquez, 49, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Perez-Velazquez drove a vehicle with methamphetamine concealed in the tires from Mexico to Dallas on multiple occasions. He routinely dropped off the vehicle at a location where the tires would be dismantled, and would wait in a hotel until the drugs had been retrieved. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by AUSA Rachael Jones.
GUILTY PLEA – Constance Marie Kelly
On November 5, Constance Marie Kelly pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Between 2002 and 2007, Kelly had access to funds deposited in an escrow account at Compass Bank and used this access to move funds to the bank account controlled by her codefendant. Kelly moved a total of $1.4 million in furtherance of this crime. She faces up to 5 years in federal custody and a $250,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Office and is prosecuted by AUSA David Jarvis.
GUILTY PLEA – Roger Rojas Aventura
On November 5, Roger Rojas Aventura, 35, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography. The Ozark, Arkansas Police Department conducted an investigation into the eDonkey peer-to-peer file sharing network. Law enforcement officials found that Rojas Aventura’s IP address was linked to the website and had downloaded child pornography. He possessed over 130 images and 201 videos of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Ozark Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department and is prosecuted by SAUSA Danielle Jones.
SENTENCING - James Jeaphier Tobar Ramon
On November 4, James Jeaphier Tobar Ramon, 29, was sentenced to 4 years in federal custody and over $1 million in restitution for his racketeer influenced and corrupt organization conspiracy. Tobar and his coconspirators used rental vehicles, obtained by fraudulent identification documents, to stop a traveling jewelry salesman’s car. They broke the window of the defendant’s car and stole over $1 million in diamonds and personal property. This was one of many robberies that were committed by this group, who disguised their identities using long sleeved clothing, gloves, and masks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Violent Crime Squad and prosecuted by AUSA Keith Robinson.
Moshannon Valley Correctional Center Inmate Charged with Possessing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at the Moshannon Valley Correctional Center in Philipsburg, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The indictment named Javier Herrera-Hernandez, 36.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on April 26, 2019, Herrera-Hernandez possessed a quantity of Fentanyl, a Schedule II narcotic controlled substance, and a quantity of Buprenorphine, a Schedule III narcotic controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 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 Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Herrera-Hernandez.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for narcotics trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jeramie Harris, 34, of Asbury Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Harris was arrested as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation into a drug trafficking organization known to traffic heroin and fentanyl, as well as cocaine, in Monmouth and Ocean counties and elsewhere.
On May 1, 2019, law enforcement officers arrested Harris at his residence, which was an identified drug mill/stash house used to store and package narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin. Harris was found with a large kilogram press and narcotics packaging materials in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers found a bag containing a Röhm Gesellschaft .22 caliber six-shot revolver containing six rounds of ammunition, a metal spoon, and clear zip-lock baggies, as well as a second kilogram press, rubber bands, a digital scale, and a bundle of heroin. In a drawer in the kitchen area, law enforcement also found a clear bag containing approximately 25 grams of cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Harris to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program out of Monmouth and Ocean counties, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Repole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brandon D. Minde Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alexis Fernando Lopez, age 23, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on November 28, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “There are many different roles within a drug trafficking organization, including manufacturing, wholesale distributing, transporting, and street level distribution. Regardless of the role, the people who are involved in the distribution network are responsible for the tragedies that communities across this country have experienced as a result of drugs. I commend the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the DEA for their work in this case and their commitment to identifying and investigating those who profit from addiction.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.Mexican National Sentenced to 30 Months for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jose Sebastian-Bello, a/k/a Victor Antonio Martinez, a/k/a Anthony Casen, a/k/a Victor Martinez-Gonzalez, a/k/a Jose Antonio-Ignacio, a/k/a Lorenzo Castro Romero, a/k/a Mario Diago Diego, age 51, of Mexico, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Illegal Reentry Of Previously Removed Alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b). The charges arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”).
The Indictment alleged that on or about October 1, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, an alien, was found to be knowingly in the United States after having been removed from the United States on or about June 10, 2015, at or near Laredo, Texas, and not having obtained the express consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b).
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “The defendant reentered the United States numerous times after having been removed. Following his most recent reentry he committed crimes and was convicted in state court using an alias. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers determined his true identity and he was prosecuted in federal court. Enforcing immigration laws in these circumstances is one way ICE and this office can help state and local law enforcement agencies remove violent offenders from the communities they inhabit.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. First Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States.
Meridian Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Corey Douglas Burt, 28, of Meridian, pled guilty Thursday before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On April 18, 2019, the Meridian Police Department was called to a motel located on South Frontage Road in Meridian. An MPD officer responded to the scene and learned that motel staff were attempting to clean a room, but the door was locked and the person inside the room would not answer the door despite insistent knocking and verbal requests. The MPD officer was eventually able to get the occupant, Burt, to answer the door.
Burt was not the guest registered in the room and he was unable or unwilling to tell the officer how he had gained access to the room or who had rented the room. There was no one else in the room. The officer noticed a .380 caliber pistol on a bedside table as he was checking the room. Burt told the officer that he had gotten the gun from a friend. A check of the firearm revealed that it was reported stolen in 2017. Further investigation revealed that Burt had a prior conviction for burglary in Lauderdale County and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On July 24, 2019, Burt was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is currently in custody and will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on February 18, 2020. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
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). 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
McKean-FCI Inmate Indicted for Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named William Hunt, 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about June 11, 2019, Hunt was in possession of contraband, namely a quantity of synthetic cannabinoid NM2201 while an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, 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, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man indicted for coercing minors for sex; wife accused of trying to persuade victim to recantRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Bryan County man and his wife are charged in separate federal indictments with coercing minors for sex and tampering with a witness.
Michael Wilson, 37, is charged with one count each of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry possible sentences of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Lori Wilson, a/k/a “Loretta Lightningbolt,” 34, is charged in a separate federal indictment with Tampering with a Victim or Witness, a charge that carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with up to five years of supervised release.
“Exploitation of children is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office and law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue and bring to justice anyone who would victimize the most vulnerable among us.”
According to court documents and testimony, Michael Wilson is accused of attempting to coerce multiple minor victims to engage in sexual activity from 2017 through early 2019. After the minors reported the information to authorities, Lori Wilson “did knowingly intimidate, corruptly persuade, and engage in misleading conduct,” the indictment states, in an effort to persuade one of the victims to “withhold information regarding… reports of sexual assault.”
Lori Wilson, the indictment states, attempted to persuade the victim that the minor’s experiences were “psychic visions” or “dreams” in an effort “to prevent truthful communication of information relating to the possible commission of a federal offense to agents of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.”
“The allegations in this indictment are disturbing in many different ways,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Chris Hacker. “The FBI will make every effort to protect our most vulnerable members of society from adults who choose to prey on them.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the FBI and by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.
Man Involved in New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL MILLER, 38, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and New Haven Police Department revealed that Malbin Rubiera-Herrera, also known as “Chaca,” acquired heroin and cocaine from sources in Connecticut and New Jersey and distributed the drugs through a network of associates, including Miller, in the greater New Haven area. Between October and December 2018, investigators made controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine from Rubiera-Herrera. Subsequent court-authorized wiretaps revealed a widespread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that involved the trafficking of kilogram-quantities of heroin into Connecticut.
In January and February 2019, Miller was intercepted numerous times on recorded calls and text messages ordering distribution quantities of heroin and cocaine from Rubiera-Herrera. At the time, Miller was on escape status with the State of Connecticut. On September 10, 2018, Miller failed to return to a halfway house where he was serving a state sentence. He has been detained since April 5, 2019.
On June 5, 2019, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Miller, Rubiera-Herrera and 12 other individuals with heroin, cocaine and fentanyl trafficking offenses. On August 19, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with the intent, to distribute heroin and cocaine.
A search of Rubiera-Herrera’s residence at the time of arrest on April 30, 2019, revealed approximately 300 grams of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty on June 20.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, East Haven Police Department, Easton Police Department, Orange Police Department, and the Cape May County (N.J.) Prosecutor’s Office, Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and S. Dave Vatti.
MEDIA ADVISORY: United States Attorney Robert Duncan Jr. and ATF to Discuss Gun Violence in Eastern District of KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr., will be joined with federal partner, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), to discuss gun violence in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Who: Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF
Where: U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Kentucky
260 W. Vine Street, Suite 300
Lexington, Kentucky, 40507
When: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.
Luzerne County Man Was Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Mark Scott, age 60, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for possession of videos and images involving sexual exploitation of children.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, from June 2017 through September 2018, Scott received and possessed multiple videos and images depicting minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adult males and females.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Mannion ordered that Scott comply with the Sexual Offender and Registration Notification Act (SORNA), a national system for the registration of sex offenders.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc for more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Lexington Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Defrauding Dumpster CompanyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that William Tye Grisel, age 39, of Lexington, pleaded guilty in federal court to Wire Fraud after using his position and access to company networks and credit cards to embezzle approximately $1,050,000.00 from his employer, Big Red Box (BRB), a waste management call center located in Columbia.
Facts presented to the court showed BRB hired Grisel on December 23, 2013, to be a national dumpster salesperson. He later became an IT manager. As the IT manager, he was responsible for BRB’s computer hardware, phone systems and servers, computer systems and servers, proprietary software, and email systems. Most significantly, he was responsible for hiring, managing, tracking, and paying the search engine optimization companies (SEOs) that generated marketing calls for BRB.
SEOs initiate marketing phone calls that are routed to the BRB call center. This is a significant expense. Since 2011, BRB has hired and paid approximately ten SEOs.
Grisel started a company called Local List. Local List generated no calls on its own. Instead, Local List used the call lists of other SEOs, represented that these call lists were its own, and billed BRB for them. Over almost three years, Local List billed BRB around $1,049,996.97.
Grisel ceased his full-time employment with BRB on March 1, 2016. He then started his own company, G5 Marketing. As an independent contractor, Grisel, through G5, continued to receive $1,600 per month from BRB.
Senior United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted Grisel’s plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The United States Secret Service and Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Leeds, ND, Man Sentenced in a $11 Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on November 12, 2019, US District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Hunter Brian Hanson, age 22, Leeds, ND, on charges of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, to serve eight years imprisonment, serve a three year period of supervised release, and pay $11,103,309.19 in restitution. Additionally, Judge Hovland ordered that Hunter Hanson forfeit property, which constituted proceeds of the crime and ordered a $1,265,679.29 money judgment against him. Hanson previously pleaded guilty to these charges on July 30, 2019.
The charges and Hanson’s guilty plea stem from Hanson’s criminal acts committed from January 2018 to December 2018, during which time Hanson engaged in a scheme to defraud approximately sixty (60) farmers and elevators in North Dakota and Canada. As a result of Hanson’s fraud schemes, these approximately sixty (60) farmers and elevators suffered significant financial losses totaling approximately $11,103,309.19. Hunter Hanson fraudulently contracted with multiple farmers and grain elevators in an effort to deceitfully obtain grain or other agricultural commodities. Once Hanson fraudulently obtained these commodities, he either failed to pay the farmers and elevators, or in some instances, he sent farmers and elevators checks for which he did not have sufficient funds to cover.
Hunter Hanson, as part of this fraudulent scheme, maintained multiple bank accounts, engaged in check kiting to cover his deposits and withdrawals, illegally laundered money between his bank accounts and other businesses, and often did not have sufficient funds in his bank accounts when he remitted payments to farmers and elevators for money owed on the commodities purchasing contracts. When fraud victims became weary of Hanson’s business practices and non-payment, Hanson sent email communications to lull farmers, elevators, or brokers into a false sense of security, to postpone inquiries, or to make his transactions between the farmers, elevators, or brokers less suspect.
“Hunter Hanson’s criminal acts cost producers, elevators and brokers over 11 million dollars,” said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley. “These losses would be financially debilitating at any time, but they are back-breaking at such a challenging time for our critically important ag sector.”
Although the court ordered restitution of $11,103,309.19, investigators are still working to try to locate the proceeds that can be provided to the victims of Hanson’s crimes. “These devastating financial crimes harmed real people, and undermined generations of their family’s hard work, and the damages continue,” said United States Attorney Drew Wrigley, who added, “Hunter Hanson has displayed a heart of stone in committing these acts, and we will do everything possible to squeeze the proverbial blood from the stone and off-set the losses to the degree possible.”
The investigating agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota State and Local Intelligence Center, McLean County Sheriff’s Office and States Attorney’s Office, and Mountrail County Sheriff’s Office and States Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted the case.Last defendant in Stanford investment fraud scheme extradited to USRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - The former chief of Antigua’s Financial Services Regulatory Commission has been extradited from Antigua to face charges for his alleged role in connection with the Stanford International Bank (SIB) $7 billion investment fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Leroy King, 74, of Dickerson Bay, Antigua, is the last remaining defendant in the SIB Ponzi scheme. He has been a fugitive since 2009.
King appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo in Houston today. He is scheduled to appear again before Judge Palermo Thursday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. for a counsel determination hearing.
King was charged in June 2009 along with R. Allen Stanford, Houston, and others. The indictment charges King with one count of conspiracy to commit mail, wire and securities fraud; seven counts of wire fraud; 10 counts of mail fraud; one counts each of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment alleges King accepted more than $100,000 in bribes from Stanford in exchange for ignoring the actual value of SIB’s assets. He also allegedly assisted Stanford and others in obstructing the SEC’s investigation into the bank.
A federal jury found Stanford guilty in June 2012 for his role in orchestrating a 20-year investment fraud scheme in which he misappropriated $7 billion from SIB to finance his personal businesses. He is serving a 110-year prison sentence. Five others were also convicted for their roles in the scheme and received sentences ranging from three to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Houston Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pearson and Trial Attorney Brittain Shaw of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance with the preparation of the extradition request and in support of Antigua’s domestic litigation. The FBI Legal Attaché’s Office in Barbados and the U.S. Marshals Service in Houston coordinated King’s extradition.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Antigua for its cooperation and assistance.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Last Defendant in Stanford Investment Fraud Scheme Extradited to U.S.Read the Press Release
The former chief of Antigua’s Financial Services Regulatory Commission has been extradited from Antigua to face charges for his alleged role in connection with the Stanford International Bank (SIB) $7 billion investment fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
Leroy King, 74, of Dickerson Bay, Antigua, is the last remaining defendant in the SIB Ponzi scheme. He has been a fugitive since 2009.
King appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo in Houston, Texas, today.
King was charged in June 2009 along with R. Allen Stanford, of Houston, and others. The indictment charges King with one count of conspiracy to commit mail, wire and securities fraud; seven counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of mail fraud, one counts each of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment alleges King accepted more than $100,000 in bribes from Stanford in exchange for ignoring the actual value of SIB’s assets. He also allegedly assisted Stanford and others in obstructing the SEC’s investigation into the bank.
A federal jury found Stanford guilty in June 2012 for his role in orchestrating a 20-year investment fraud scheme in which he misappropriated $7 billion from SIB to finance his personal businesses. He is serving a 110-year prison sentence. Five others were also convicted for their roles in the scheme and received sentences ranging from three to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Houston Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Brittain Shaw of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney and John Pearson of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance with the preparation of the extradition request and in support of Antigua’s domestic litigation. The FBI Legal Attaché’s Office in Barbados and the U.S. Marshals Service in Houston coordinated King’s extradition.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Antigua for its cooperation and assistance.
Las Vegas, Nevada Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Carlos Francisco Lainez, age 34, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on February 3, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “The defendant was playing a key role in a drug trafficking organization – delivery. Fortunately the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s office stopped him before he reached his intended destination. As a result, thousands of dosage units of methamphetamine did not enter into the cities, towns, and communities they were intended for, and the defendant is being held accountable for participating in a business – drug dealing – that has taken many lives.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.KC Woman Sentenced for Embezzling $547,000 from Health Care FoundationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for embezzling almost $547,000 from the health care foundation that employed her as an accountant.
Kathleen Frederico, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to two years and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Frederico to pay $546,603 in restitution.
Frederico was employed as the accounting and special projects manager at Saint Luke’s Foundation, a non-profit organization established to support Saint Luke’s Hospitals and Health Systems with funding for medical and nursing education, research, charity care, and medical programs, from May 7, 1999, until she was terminated from employment on Feb. 23, 2018.
Frederico, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 4, 2019, admitted that she conducted two related fraudulent embezzlement schemes over a 14-year time period while employed at Saint Luke’s Foundation. According to court documents, an auditor hired by the foundation found that Frederico had embezzled nearly $1.2 million. However, because bank records were not available for the earliest years, the government’s evidence is that Frederico stole at least $546,603 from the foundation.
She began embezzling from the foundation in June 2003 and continued to embezzle until March 29, 2017. The investigation has revealed Frederico’s spending of the embezzled funds included more than $150,000 on shopping and retail; more than $67,000 in cash; more than $30,000 in travel; more than $21,000 in internet purchases to support her illegal drug habit; and mortgage payments, utility bills, and other living expenses.
In the primary fraud scheme, Frederico created unauthorized checks made payable to herself. To conceal the embezzlement, she entered a different payee into the general ledger and created or falsified corresponding invoices. Through this method, Frederico embezzled at least $441,268.
Frederico also created unauthorized checks in which the foundation paid her personal credit card bill, and on two occasions, a relative. The government’s evidence is that through Frederico’s second fraud scheme, she embezzled at least $105,333.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI.
KC Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who threatened another person at gunpoint and led police officers in a pursuit was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing firearms.
Ronald P. Harris, 26, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Harris on Nov. 1, 2019.
Today’s indictment alleges that Harris was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol on July 20, 2019. The indictment also alleges that Harris was in possession of a .38 Special .357 Magnum revolver on Nov. 9, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a witness told law enforcement officers that Harris approached him in his back yard on the morning of July 20, 2019. Harris allegedly pointed a gun at him and stated, “I know you called the cops on me. I'll kill you. I don't care about the police.” Alarmed, he went inside his home and called 911.
When police officers arrived, they saw Harris driving a Mercury Mountaineer in reverse at a high rate of speed, traveling southbound on Highland Avenue towards East 44th Street. As officers pursued the vehicle, Harris was involved in an accident with another vehicle at East 44th Street and The Paseo. Harris fled the scene of the accident, and officers continued the pursuit. Officers saw Harris throw a semi-automatic handgun from his vehicle before coming to an abrupt stop. The loaded pistol was later recovered on the lawn of a residence.
Harris refused to follow officers’ commands to exit the vehicle, forcing the officers to remove him and place him under arrest. Harris refused to sit up and laid down on the ground, stating that he needed an ambulance. Harris was still extremely belligerent, the affidavit says, shouting profanities at the police officers and making sudden movements. Harris was transported by ambulance to the hospital. While being loaded on the gurney, a spit-mask had to be placed on him and he continued to physically act in a hostile manner and threaten the officers. After arriving at the hospital, he was handcuffed to the hospital bed and his spit-mask was removed. While an officer was adjusting the handcuffs, Harris spit in the officer’s face and struck him on his left cheek. He was discharged from the hospital after a short time because the hospital staff was unable to find anything wrong with him.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harris has a prior felony conviction for burglary.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb J. Aponte, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
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.Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Florida-Based Tech Staffing FirmRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Perspective Talent LLC, a Pembroke Pines, Florida information technology recruiting and staffing firm. The settlement resolves the Department’s investigation into whether the firm discriminated against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens, including asylees, because of their citizenship status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
"Recruitment agencies canno post unlawful job adervitsemetns that operate as artificial barriers and narrow employment opportunities based on citizenship status or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to removing these discriminatory barriers to employment.”
The Department’s investigation arose from a complaint made by a work-authorized asylee alleging that Perspective Talent’s discriminatory job advertisement excluded him from consideration based on his citizenship status. After investigating the complaint, the Department concluded that Perspective Talent routinely posted job advertisements that unlawfully restricted applicants to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and TN-1 visa holders. Based on this practice, Perspective Talent initially failed to refer the complainant for a job because of his asylee status. After learning of the Department’s investigation, Perspective Talent took immediate corrective action by referring the complainant for the position and correcting its job advertisements. Federal law generally prohibits discrimination in recruiting based on a worker’s citizenship status or national origin.
Under the terms of the agreement, the firm will participate in training on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, change its policies and procedures, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that its job advertisements do not unlawfully exclude individuals who are authorized to work in the United States based on their citizenship or immigration status.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English or Spanish websites. You can also sign up to receive updates about IER’s work by subscribing to GovDelivery.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Jury Convicts Texas Man of Computer Fraud, Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury on Friday convicted Tyler C. King, age 30, of Dallas, Texas, of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of a New York-based technology company.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The evidence at the 5-day trial established that King – the founder of a defunct Texas computer repair company – conspired with Ashley St. Andria in 2015 to gain access to the computer network of a New York-based technology company that employed St. Andria.
While on the company’s network, King and St. Andria created unauthorized administrator accounts that gave them access to proprietary company information, including real-time access to the emails of senior company executives, personnel files, and financial records. In response to the company shutting down the fake administrator accounts, King regained access to the network with the assistance of St. Andria, stole proprietary business records, and – through a series of sophisticated steps, including the use of password-cracking programs – bypassed the company’s security measures. In doing so, King illegally used the credentials of two company employees based overseas.
The jury convicted King of conspiring to commit computer fraud, computer fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
King faces at least 2 years and up to 19 years in prison, a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000, when Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy sentences him on April 3, 2020. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
King’s co-conspirator, Ashley St. Andria, age 30, of Irving, Texas, pled guilty to computer fraud on August 15, 2018. St. Andria is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2020 in Albany by Judge McAvoy.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Joint Statement from DOJ, DOD, DHS, ODNI, FBI, NSA, and CISA on Ensuring Security of 2020 ElectionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, FBI Director Christopher Wray, U.S. Cyber Command Commander and NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, and CISA Director Christopher Krebs today released the following joint statement:
“Today, dozens of states and local jurisdictions are hosting their own elections across the country and, less than a year from now, Americans will go to the polls and cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election. Election security is a top priority for the United States Government. Building on our successful, whole-of-government approach to securing the 2018 elections, we have increased the level of support to state and local election officials in their efforts to protect elections. The federal government is prioritizing the sharing of threat intelligence and providing support and services that improve the security of election infrastructure across the nation.
In an unprecedented level of coordination, the U.S. government is working with all 50 states and U.S. territories, local officials, and private sector partners to identify threats, broadly share information, and protect the democratic process. We remain firm in our commitment to quickly share timely and actionable information, provide support and services, and to defend against any threats to our democracy.
Our adversaries want to undermine our democratic institutions, influence public sentiment and affect government policies. Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign malicious actors all will seek to interfere in the voting process or influence voter perceptions. Adversaries may try to accomplish their goals through a variety of means, including social media campaigns, directing disinformation operations or conducting disruptive or destructive cyber-attacks on state and local infrastructure.
While at this time we have no evidence of a compromise or disruption to election infrastructure that would enable adversaries to prevent voting, change vote counts or disrupt the ability to tally votes, we continue to vigilantly monitor any threats to U.S. elections.
The U.S. government will defend our democracy and maintain transparency with the American public about our efforts. An informed public is a resilient public. Americans should go to trusted sources for election information, such as their state and local election officials. We encourage every American to report any suspicious activity to their local officials, the FBI, or DHS. In past election cycles, reporting by Americans about suspicious activity provided valuable insight which has made our elections more secure. The greatest means to combat these threats is a whole-of-society effort.”
Jamaican National Sentenced to over Four Years’ Imprisonment for Sweepstakes Scam Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jennmariey Burchell, age 26, a Jamaican citizen who formerly resided in Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for mail fraud.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Burchell and identified and unidentified coconspirators perpetrated a scheme to defraud senior citizens, some of whom resided in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, that were falsely told they had won multi-million dollar international sweepstakes prizes. The purported winners were directed to send Western Union and MoneyGram money transfers, money orders and checks to persons known as “money mules,” ostensibly to pre-pay taxes and other fictitious expenses, in order to collect the non-existent cash prizes. Burchell enlisted the “money mules” to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds to him and other conspirators in Jamaica.
Judge Rambo also ordered Burchell to pay $549,495 in restitution to nine elderly victims in this Jamaican Sweepstakes fraud prosecution.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service remind all citizens that they should never make an advance payment of any kind on the promise of a sweepstakes prize, loan or grant.
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Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Travis Cortez Lewis, 30, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Carlton W. Reeves to being a convicted 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.
On May 13, 2018, officers with the Jackson Police Department arrested Travis Cortez Lewis on a pending warrant and found him in possession of a firearm. Upon questioning, Lewis admitted to purchasing the firearm and to being a convicted felon. Lewis has prior convictions in Hinds County for cocaine possession and robbery.
Lewis will be sentenced by Judge Reeves on February 10, 2020, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.
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). 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
Inland Empire Woman Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County woman has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging she produced child pornography of her boyfriend’s daughter, who is under the age of 12 years old.
Stefani Kasey Marie Stevens, 28, of Yucaipa, was arrested at her home on Friday afternoon. During her initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside, she was ordered detained.
Stevens has been charged with one count of production of child pornography. Her arraignment is scheduled for December 17.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on November 8, law enforcement officers executed two search warrants at Stevens’s home. Stevens agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and she admitted to using her iPhone to take sexually explicit photographs of a minor girl, the affidavit states. Stevens allegedly told law enforcement that she had taken between eight and 10 sexually explicit images of the victim and later sent them to someone on the online messaging service Kik.
Kik previously identified a user account as having uploaded child exploitation material to its platform, the affidavit states. That user account was identified as belonging to Stevens, the affidavit states.
During the search, law enforcement seized Stevens’s iPhone, two tablets, a desktop computer, and bedding that matched bedding depicted in the sexually explicit photographs, according to the affidavit.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of this charge, Stevens would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Trisotto of the Riverside Branch Office.
Henrico Man Sentenced for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to over twelve months in prison for making false statements when acquiring firearms and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in January 2018, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) and Virginia State Police (VSP) confronted Jawuan House, 22, on suspicion that one of his associates stole a firearm from a vendor table at a gun show in Richmond. When VSP and RPD made contact with House, they found him in the company of Yamin Maxey. Law enforcement ultimately followed House to his vehicle in the parking lot in order to gain information to find the person who stole the firearm.
In the course of speaking with House and Maxey, law enforcement learned from Maxey that he had straw purchased two firearms for House at the gun show. House also purchased a third firearm, an AK pistol, at the gun show. When law enforcement searched House’s vehicle for those firearms, they found, in total, five firearms. Three of the firearms were purchased from the gun show, including the straw-purchased firearms, and two were previously purchased and belonged to House and an associate, Brian Samuels. Law enforcement also found in the trunk of the vehicle 40 grams of marijuana in two mason jars and a digital scale. House stated that he and his friends were using the marijuana at a party.
House’s case was related to a larger investigation into Brian Samuels, 21, and other members of the Black Disciples Gang in Henrico. According to court documents, Samuels sold 39 firearms to an undercover agent over the course of approximately four months in 2018. These firearms included multiple AK pistols, AR pistols, extended magazines with 30–60 round capacities, and stolen firearms. In February 2019, ATF and other assisting law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at Samuels’s home and located an additional 14 firearms, bringing the total to 53. Samuels forfeited all 53 firearms to the United States and was sentenced to five years in prison on June 24.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee 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. 3:19-cr-46.
Heidelberg Man Pleads Guilty in Crack Distribution Scheme in Pittsburgh’s West EndRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Heidelburg, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Antoine Dean, Sr., age 54, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Antoine Dean, Sr. and his co-conspirators distributed 28 grams or more of crack cocaine in and around the area of the Greenway Projects.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $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 of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Antoine Dean, Sr.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Former U.S. Army range director pleads guilty to conspiracyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Victor Garo, 67, of Mililani, Hawaii, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of conspiracy to accept over $100,000 in bribes and one count of illegally transporting firearms across state lines. Garo admitted that he helped steer federal contracts worth more than $18 million to a contractor. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2020 before Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii, Special Agent in Charge Ray Park of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (Army CID), Special Agent in Charge Bryan Denny of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Special Agent in Charge Eli S. Miranda of FBI’s Honolulu Field Office made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Price stated that according to court documents and information presented in court, from 2011 to 2018, Garo, while employed as the range director at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, accepted over $100,000 worth of bribes from an employee of a federal contractor that sought and received business from the U.S. Army. The bribes included cash, automobiles, and firearms. In return, Garo used his position to benefit the contractor in securing U.S. Army contracts. Garo is the third public official to plead guilty as a result of an ongoing investigation into fraud and bribery at Schofield Barracks.
The case was investigated by Army CID, DCIS, FBI, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura Connelly and Assistant Chief Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Wallenstein for the District of Hawaii.
Former Secretary/Treasurer Indicted for Stealing from Plattsburg Road DistrictRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The former secretary/treasurer of the Plattsburg Special Road District was indicted by a federal grand jury today for stealing from the agency.
Ava Lea Langner, 58, of Lathrop, Missouri, was charged with theft from an agency receiving federal funds in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri.
According to a public report issued by the Missouri State Auditor, at least $286,615 was misappropriated from the district from 2011 to 2018.
Today’s indictment alleges that Langner stole more than $5,000 from the road district from May 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017. Langner allegedly made unauthorized payments to her personal business, Langner Enterprises, LLC, to her personal credit card, and to other vendors for personal expenses. Langner was able to write checks, electronically transfer funds, and otherwise make payments using funds from a checking account owned by the road district.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leigh Farmakidis and Thomas M. Larson. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Missouri State Auditor.
Former Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A former Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to embezzling more than $20,000 of unworked overtime payments from a federal DMV program over the course of three years and wire fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Criminal Justice Services, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.
Jeffrey Scott Spicer, 51, of Gate City, Va., pleaded guilty today to one count of embezzlement and one count of wire fraud. At sentencing, Spicer faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000.
“Corruption and self-dealing by public officials jeopardizes the public’s trust in vital government functions and the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We will continue to investigate credible allegations of criminal misconduct by public officials, including police officers, and, when appropriate, prosecute violations in federal court.”
According to court records, between 2014 and 2017, while working as a deputy with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Spicer submitted approximately 47 fraudulent requests to be paid for 765 hours of overtime and was, in fact, paid a total of $21,346 in overtime payments to which he was not entitled. These payments were made to Spicer by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office out of funds allotted to certain grants including an asset forfeiture grant and Selective Enforcement DMV grant.
In addition, Spicer owned and operated a company known as Spicewater Home Electronic Monitoring, or Spicewater. Through this company, the defendant was tasked with providing home electronic monitoring services to individuals as ordered by the Scott County Virginia Circuit Court. As the owner and operator of Spicewater, Spicer was responsible for ensuring that the individuals ordered to be on home electronic monitoring were in fact being electronically monitored and complying with the terms of electronic monitoring ordered by the Scott County Circuit Court.
Mr. Spicer’s company contracted with another business that actually provided the electronic monitoring services, but the individuals being monitored paid Spicer for the monitoring services. From approximately March 20, 2017, through July 2017, the other business contracted by Spicewater stopped providing home electronic monitoring services. Spicer, however, continued to receive $13,797 in payments from the individuals for the monitoring services even though no such monitoring services were actually being performed. Additionally, Spicer solicited nude photographs via text message and sex from some of the females placed on home electronic monitoring, in exchange for payment and for not notifying the court of their non-compliance with the conditions of home electronic monitoring imposed by the court.
Further, Spicer devised a scheme to defraud the Department of Criminal Justice Services. As part of his scheme, Spicer logged onto the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ website with individual law enforcement officer’s usernames and passwords, completed online courses, took online tests on the law enforcement officers’ behalves, and then certified that those individual law enforcement officers had completed the courses when, in fact, they had not. Spicer received monetary payments in exchange for completing the online training courses for some of the law enforcement officers.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Former Program Manager of Twin Cities Nonprofit Charged with Fraud, False StatementsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a felony information charging CLARISSA LYNN COMBS, 48, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false statements. COMBS will make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date. BRIDGIT YVETTE MICHAUD, 54, JALONDA LEEANN COMBS, 37, and AUDREY SEBILETTA HEATH, 34 were also charged via felony information with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in the conspiracy. [1] Five defendants previously pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in the conspiracy.
According to the allegations in the information, between April 2012 and February 2019, COMBS, a former program manager for a Twin Cities non-profit organization that provides housing and related services to the homeless, devised and participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain at least $684,081.90 in charitable funds from the organization. As part of the scheme, COMBS recruited other employees of the non-profit, as well as her family and friends, to pose as fictitious homeless clients. During the course of the investigation of the alleged conduct, COMBS made false statements to Special Agents of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a United States Postal Inspector, at the United States Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis, in the District of Minnesota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Assistant United States Attorney Miranda E. Dugi is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
CLARISSA LYNN COMBS, 48
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
- False statements, 1 count
BRIDGIT YVETTE MICHAUD, 54
Minneapolis, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
JALONDA LEEANN COMBS, 37
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
AUDREY SEBILETTA HEATH, 34
Woodbury, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the information are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Park Avenue Bank Director Mendel Zilberberg and Co-Conspirator Charged in $1.4 Million Bank FraudRead 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 Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging attorney MENDEL ZILBERBERG, a former director of Park Avenue Bank (the “Bank”), and ARON FRIED with bank fraud and related charges for perpetrating a fraudulent scheme to obtain a $1.4 million loan from the Bank. The defendants caused the Bank to issue the loan to a straw borrower on the basis of false statements and misrepresentations, when in fact the defendants received and used the loan proceeds, resulting in a loss of over $1 million to the Bank when the loan defaulted. ZILBERBERG was also separately charged with embezzlement and misappropriation of Bank funds while he was a director and insider of the Bank. ZILBERBERG and FRIED were arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Mendel Zilberberg and Aron Fried conspired with another to defraud the bank where Zilberberg served as a director. In a textbook case of self-dealing and breach of fiduciary duty, Zilberberg allegedly exploited his position at the bank to grease the skids for a loan given under blatantly false pretenses, a huge chunk of the proceeds of which he himself dipped into.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr said: “As alleged, when Fried and his co-conspirator realized they wouldn’t be able to secure a loan the traditional way – by legitimately obtaining the money from an authorized financial institution – they brought a straw borrower and bank director into their circle to effectively carry out the fraudulent activity. As alleged, Mendel Zilberberg, the bank’s director, played a key role in carrying out this scheme, driving the loan through the approval process while shrouding the details in secrecy. When the bank realized a loss of more than $1 million, the defendants allegedly walked away with the money from the defaulted loan. Making false statements and misrepresentations on a loan application is a federal crime, a lesson those charged today have learned the hard way. Furthermore, bank insiders, of all people, should model the legal and ethical obligations of the financial institutions they serve, instead of breaking the law.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
In or about 2009, ARON FRIED and a co-conspirator not named in the Indictment (“CC-1”) sought to obtain a fraudulent loan from the Bank in Manhattan in order to finance an investment in a home health care business. However, knowing that CC-1 would not be credit-worthy and had a criminal record, FRIED and CC-1 used a straw borrower (the “Straw Borrower”) for the loan application who was recruited by CC-1. To effectuate the scheme, FRIED and CC-1 partnered with MENDEL ZILBERBERG, then a director of the Bank, who had the power to personally shepherd the fraudulent loan through the Bank’s approval process and guard it from scrutiny. Together, the defendants concocted a false premise for the loan, supported the loan application with false representations, and set up pass-through bank accounts to funnel the proceeds of the fraudulent loan to themselves. Specifically, the defendants made or otherwise caused false statements to be made to the Bank regarding, among other things, (a) that the borrower on the loan was the Straw Borrower, when in fact the actual borrowers and beneficiaries of the loan were ZILBERBERG, FRIED, and CC-1; and (b) that the purpose of the loan was for business investments by the Straw Borrower, when in fact the actual purpose of the loan was to benefit ZILBERBERG, FRIED, and CC-1.
Based on the false representations made to the Bank and ZILBERBERG’s involvement in the loan approval process, the Bank issued a $1.4 million loan to the Straw Borrower, which was quickly disbursed to the defendants through multiple bank accounts and transfers. In total, ZILBERBERG received at least approximately $466,000 of the loan proceeds, FRIED received at least approximately $434,000 of the loan proceeds, and CC-1 received the remainder of the loan proceeds. The loan ultimately defaulted, resulting in a loss of over $1 million.
* * *
ZILBERBERG, 61 of Monsey, New York, and FRIED, 46 of Toms River, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements to a bank, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, as well as one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a bank, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. ZILBERBERG is also charged with one count of embezzlement and misappropriation of bank funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the FBI and the FDIC, Office of the Inspector General, and noted that the investigation remains ongoing. Mr. Berman also thanked the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“SIGTARP”) and the New York State Department of Financial Services for their assistance with the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Ravener and Sagar K. Ravi are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Clarence Center Soccer Trainer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Shelby Garigen, 41, of Clarence Center, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to access with intent to view child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between November 2018 and February 2019, the defendant communicated with two minors (Victim 1 and Victim 2), both of whom were 17-years-old at the time, using the Snapchat application. During Garigen’s communications with Victim 1, she received and viewed approximately three sexually explicit images of Victim 1. During the defendant’s communications with
Victim 2, she received and viewed approximately 10 sexually explicit images of Victim 2. Garigen knew that both victims were minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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District Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for 2016 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quincy Green aka Wayne Wright, 37, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced on Friday to 17 years in prison for killing a man in May 2016 as he walked down Southern Avenue in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Green pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed and one count of solicitation of murder in August 2019. He was sentenced by the Honorable Craig Iscoe. Following the prison term, Green will be placed on five years of supervised release. The sentence also included a period of incarceration for another charge that Green pled guilty to in which he solicited the murder of the fiancée of a potential witness for the trial of the May 2016 murder. The sentences will run concurrently
According to the government’s evidence, during the early evening hours of May 19, 2016, in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, S.E., Green followed behind the decedent, Dana Hamilton, as he walked down the street. As he approached Mr. Hamilton, Green retrieved a firearm and shot him multiple times. Green then fled the area.
Members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene, and Mr. Hamilton was taken to a local hospital, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead a short while later.
Following jury selection in the trial related to Green’s murder of Mr. Hamilton, on November 17, 2018, the Government disclosed the identity and plea and cooperation agreement of a witness expected to testify against Green. After learning this information. Green wrote a letter to another individual in which he solicited the murder of the cooperating witness’s fiancée.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Lashone Samuels; Victim Witness Specialist Jennifer Clark; M. Laverne Perry, Lesley Slade, Tanya Via and all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, and William Henderson.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles J. Willoughby, Jr. and Kevin Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Killing One Man and Injuring Another in Northeast ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Morris, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing one man and injuring another in a shooting in Northeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
On October 25, 2019, pursuant to Morris’ guilty plea, the Honorable Ronna L. Beck of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia sentenced Morris to 15 years in prison. Morris pled guilty to second degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill at a prior proceeding on June 21, 2019. Upon completion of his sentencing, Morris will also be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 26, 2018, at approximately 1:49 p.m. in the 1800 block of Benning Road, Northeast, Morris observed several people, including the decedent in a convenience store. Morris did not enter the store, instead, he went to an adjacent parking lot where he adjusted his pants and moved an object consistent with a firearm around his waistband. Shortly thereafter Morris ran past the convenience store and toward the decedent and another individual who were walking on Benning Road. Morris fired several shots in the direction of the decedent striking him and injuring another victim. After the shooting, Morris fled the scene. He was subsequently arrested in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania on December 6, 2018, before he was extradited back to the District of Columbia to face charges.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers who investigated the case. She also acknowledge the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcey Rinker.
Finally, she commend the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 104 Months on Federal Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darrin Chase, Jr., 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 104 months in prison on federal firearm and narcotics charges tied to the robbery of a pharmacy in which he stole Oxycodone, OxyContin, and other controlled substance medications while armed with afirearm.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The charges against Chase followed a law enforcement investigation that showed that he robbed a pharmacy of Oxycodone, OxyContin, and other controlled substance medications while armed with a firearm. On October 8, 2019, the Honorable John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Chase to 84 months in prison on the firearms charge to be followed by 20 months in prison on the narcotics charge. Chase, Jr. pled guilty to using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession with intent to distribute OxyCodone on June 5, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of December 4, 2018, at approximately 10:30 a.m., Chase, Jr. entered a pharmacy located in 5100 block of MacArthur Boulevard, N.W, Washington, D.C. Chase, Jr. pulled a firearm from a duffel bag that he had been carrying. He pointed the weapon at three pharmacy employees and demanded, “OxyContin! SubOxone! Oxycodone!” He walked behind the counter and continued to point the weapon at pharmacy employees while demanding the medications. The employees complied with Chase’s demands and gave him fourteen bottles of controlled substance medication.
Chase, Jr. left the pharmacy on foot. A pharmacy employee followed the defendant from a safe distance and saw the defendant get into the rear of a SUV. The employee called 911 and relayed this information to law enforcement. MPD officers with the Second District quickly located the SUV and learned that it was an Uber vehicle. The officers were then able to identify Chase as a suspect by speaking with the Uber account holder. Officers located Chase three days later in Washington, D.C. Within a few feet of where he was found, officers found pproximately $1, 160 in cash and five bottles of Oxycodone and OxyContin. FBI agents later determined that these bottles came from the pharmacy on MacArthur Blvd.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD officers and FBI agents from the Washington Field Office involved in the arrest and prosecution of Chase. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Vanore and Nihar Mohanty of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Two Men Sitting on Park Bench in Downtown Washington While Drunk DrivingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeoffrey R. Williams, 57, of Southeast Washington, DC, pled guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter stemming from a traffic collision last July where he struck and killed two men who were sitting on a bench in James Monroe Park on Pennsylvania Avenue NW while driving drunk, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Gregory Monahan, Acting Chief of the United States Park Police (USPP).
Williams pled guilty on November 8, 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea calls for a sentence of between three to five years in prison for causing each of the two deaths, for a total of between six and ten years. He will sentenced on February 14, 2020, by the Honorable Todd Edelman.
The fatal traffic collision occurred on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at approximately 11:45 p.m. The victims, Dwight Thomas Spriggs and Jesus Llanes-Datil, were sitting on a park bench in James Monroe Park, in the 2000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW. At the same time, Williams was driving a 2003 GMC Yukon SUV at a high rate of speed west bound on Pennsylvania Avenue on the wrong side of the street, and sped into the park, striking and killing Mr. Spriggs and Mr. Llanes-Datil. Officers arrived on the scene almost immediately and pulled Williams from the driver’s seat of the wrecked SUV. Both Mr. Spriggs and Mr. Llanes-Datil were killed instantly.
Williams was taken to George Washington University Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. While at the hospital, he admitted to police that he had been drinking alcohol earlier in the night, and he consented to have his blood drawn to determine if he was impaired. Hospital staff also drew Williams’ blood for diagnostic purposes and police obtained a search warrant for his blood drawn by hospital staff. Toxicology tests of both the blood drawn with the Williams’ consent and the blood drawn by hospital staff indicated that the he was intoxicated by alcohol when the fatal crash occurred.
Police also obtained a search warrant and recovered the crash data recorder from the GMC Yukon SUV that Williams was driving. Police downloaded the crash data recorder and the recovered data indicated that at 5 seconds before the crash, the defendant was driving the SUV at 63 miles per hour in the 25 mile per hour zone, without braking. Williams accelerated and at 1 second before the crash, he drove the SUV at 68 miles per hour without braking.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Chief Monahan commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case from both the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the case.
Director of Guatemalan Bank Arrested on Federal Money Laundering Charge and Money Laundering Charges Unsealed Against Former Guatemalan Presidential CandidateRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Miami Field Division, announced today the arrest of Alvaro Estuardo Cobar Bustamante, the director of a national Guatemalan bank, on a charge of money laundering, and the unsealing of a money laundering case against Manuel Antonio Baldizon Mendez, a former candidate for president of Guatemala.
The criminal complaint and indictment charging Cobar Bustamante with money laundering was unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida (Case Nos. 19mj03536, 18cr20706). According to allegations in the complaint, after multiple cooperating witnesses, who were prosecuted for narcotics trafficking, informed the FBI that Cobar Bustamante was involved in helping the traffickers to launder their drug proceeds, the FBI initiated a sting operation to gather evidence of Cobar Bustamante’s money laundering activity. In recorded conversations, Cobar Bustamante is alleged to have agreed to accept what was represented to be money earned from drug trafficking and to secretly move that money to the United States by using his position as the director of a national Guatemalan bank. Tomorrow, Cobar Bustamante is scheduled to have his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres in Miami.
Baldizon Mendez was prosecuted in a separate case that was unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida (Case No. 19cr20706). According to court documents, including a Stipulated Factual Proffer, as a campaign supporter and later as a presidential candidate, Baldizon Mendez solicited money to fund his political campaigns. Baldizon Mendez accepted campaign contributions knowing they were being made by narcotics traffickers and were the proceeds of narcotics trafficking. Thereafter, Baldizon Mendez engaged in financial transactions, including the purchase of property in Miami, to hide the fact that he had knowingly accepted campaign contributions (money) from narcotics traffickers.
Baldizon Mendez previously pled guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 50 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan stated, “Narcotics trafficking is a very serious crime that not only poisons our communities and the people who use drugs, but can also contaminate some of the highest levels of business and politics. Purportedly upstanding members of society who help narcotics traffickers wash their money are no better in the eyes of the law than the traffickers themselves. Money launderers and their conspirators will be treated with the same justice meted out to the traffickers.”
“These prosecutions are another example of the Department of Justice and our foreign partners working together to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal enterprises engaged in narcotics trafficking and related corruption," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham. "We will aggressively pursue and bring justice to the corrupt business and community leaders who help drug traffickers poison the communities with their criminal activity."
“The laundering of illicit funds derived from drug trafficking is a serious crime,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright. “Those responsible, whether domestic or foreign, will be subject to investigation by law enforcement authorities if they attempt to foster this criminal activity against the United States. The DEA will continue to work with our local, state, federal, and foreign partners to target and investigate illegal drug related activities which put our communities in harm’s way.”
The prosecution was part of Operation Black Mass, which is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking and money laundering enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan thanked the following entities and agencies for their collaboration, investigative work and assistance with these cases: the government of Guatemala, the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the Office of International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, FBI’s Miami Field Office, FBI’s Office in Guatemala, DEA’s Office in Guatemala, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Miami and San Diego, and Customs and Border Protection in Miami.
The prosecution of these cases is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Walter M. Norkin.
The charges contained in the complaint against Cobar Bustamante are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Department of Justice Awards more than $100 Million to Combat Human Trafficking and Assist VictimsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today it has awarded more than $100 million in funding, including grants to Mississippi recipients, to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.
“Human traffickers remain a dire threat to human rights across the globe and their actions pose a serious danger to public safety right here in our own country,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I’m proud that these resources will help our law enforcement officers and victim service providers hold perpetrators accountable and give victims of these abominable crimes a place to turn for refuge and support.”
“We have made the fight against human trafficking a priority in this office, and today’s DOJ grant awards to our fellow members of the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council will allow us all to do even more of this important work. It is only through proactive collaboration and diligent cooperation with our law enforcement, victim service providers, and other stakeholders that we will be able to continue to successfully protect victims, prevent trafficking, and prosecute these criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Southern District of Mississippi.
“Preventing and combatting human trafficking is a priority in this District and across our State,” said Chad Lamar, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, noting the importance of these grants in helping to combat human trafficking in Mississippi. “We are continuing to develop and expand strategic partnerships in efforts to curb human trafficking and raise awareness about this issue across our State and the entire Southeastern region. We are fortunate to have so many strong partners who are working together to prevent human trafficking in all forms, to hold accountable those individuals who choose to prey on others for their own financial gain, to raise awareness about this critical issue, and to assist and serve victims of these offenses. These grants will be of tremendous assistance to our recipient partners and will help further the important efforts of our entire state-wide anti-trafficking coalition.”
“The Mississippi State Department of Health is incredibly pleased to receive this $900,000 grant. We look forward to expanding and enhancing the accessibility and quality of services that will benefit victims of all forms of human trafficking in Mississippi. It is also a great opportunity to partner with the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council in its effort to prevent these crimes and protect its victims, and to also prosecute perpetrators of this type of crime,” said Heather Wagner, Director of the Office Against Interpersonal Violence for the Mississippi Department of Health.
“The Department of Public Safety is excited to bring these federal funds to Mississippi to aid the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation in formulating official law enforcement-led task forces to fight those who choose to traffic human beings in this state,” said Commissioner Marshall L. Fisher.
The Mississippi State Department of Health received a $900,000 Office of Victims of Crimes grant under the Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking program, which gives nearly $53 million to 77 organizations to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of all forms of trafficking.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety received an $800,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant for building capacity and operational effectiveness as a core member of collaborative, multidisciplinary human trafficking task forces. BJA awarded 13 total grants totaling nearly $11 million under the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking: Supporting Law Enforcement’s Role.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://ojp.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2019/ojp-news-10082019_a.pdf
On September 9, 2019, U.S. Attorneys Mike Hurst and Chad Lamar, along with their state partners and other stakeholders, launched the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council, the first-ever, state-wide effort with a mission to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute criminals using a victim-centered, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary model. The Council is led by three Co-Chairs: (1) Susan Bradley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Mississippi; (2) Kathlyn Van Buskirk, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Mississippi; and (3) Ashlee Lucas, Mississippi Human Trafficking Coordinator, Mississippi Department of Public Safety. The Council has a Steering Committee, five subcommittees (Outreach and Public Awareness; Strategic Planning and Trafficking Protocols; Policy and Legislation; Training; and Victim Services), and multiple small, regional law enforcement task forces that investigate and prosecute human trafficking.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Department of Justice Awards Nearly $153 Million to Reduce Crime and Improve Public Safety in GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Claire Murray and Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan today joined Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp in announcing awards of almost $153 million to fight crime and improve community safety in Georgia. Nearly $4.3 million will help law enforcement officials and victim service providers in the state investigate and prosecute human traffickers and aid human trafficking survivors. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung J. “BJay” Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Charlie Peeler and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also participated in the announcement.
“Human trafficking is a cruel and barbaric practice that calls to mind the darkest moments of our history, and sadly it has left its mark on the communities of Georgia,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Murray. “Under the direction of Attorney General Barr, the Department of Justice is putting the full weight of its resources behind the brave men and women of the state who are fighting trafficking perpetrators and bringing relief to victims. We commend these courageous and compassionate professionals and are proud to lend them our full support.”
“Human trafficking is an obscene violation of human rights and human dignity, affecting millions of people worldwide, countless victims in this country and hundreds if not thousands of men, women and children right here in Georgia,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. “We are so grateful to the law enforcement officers who pursue these vicious criminals and to the dedicated service providers who work around the clock to get survivors the help they so desperately need and deserve.”
Department officials and First Lady Kemp made the announcement at a press event alongside law enforcement officials, anti-trafficking advocates and members of the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Georgia’s leaders have concentrated the state’s resources on fighting human trafficking, establishing a Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in the Georgia Department of Law. First Lady Kemp co-chairs the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion and Education, or GRACE, Commission, a task force of public officials, law enforcement and health care professionals, for-profit and non-profit organizations and subject matter experts dedicated to combating human trafficking in Georgia.
Many trafficking victims in Georgia are teenagers who are sexually exploited. Of the 375 cases reported from the state to the National Human Trafficking Hotline last year, most involved sex trafficking and almost a quarter involved a minor. During an FBI-led, month-long, nationwide operation focused on recovering child victims of sex trafficking, known as Operation Independence Day, the FBI, in cooperation with 400 law enforcement agencies, identified and/or recovered more than 100 child victims of sex trafficking, including seven in Georgia. Law enforcement officials also arrested 67 suspected traffickers. Grantee organizations that received previous Justice Department funding served 140 human trafficking clients in 2018.
The awards today support a range of activities designed to bring sex and labor traffickers to justice and provide critical services to victims. A grant to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will fund a multidisciplinary task force composed of law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and several victim service organizations. Funds will also support direct victim services provided under the auspices of the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking. Other awards will help ensure that children and minors who are victimized receive counseling, case management and other critical services. Georgia Care Connection Office, Inc.; Wellspring Living, Inc.; Tapestri, Inc.; and the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy are among the grant recipients.
“Human and sex trafficking are not victimless crimes. These grants will go a long way in not just furthering our prosecutorial efforts for these terrible crimes, but also in providing much needed victim-centered services. Our office continues to be fully committed to eradicating human trafficking within the Northern District of Georgia,” said Byung J. “BJay” Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
“In Georgia, the fight against human trafficking is a coordinated effort of federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecuting agencies working together to identify, arrest and prosecute those who choose to engage in this horrific industry,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District Charlie Peeler. “In the Middle District, we aggressively investigate and prosecute cases where offenders prey on vulnerable citizens, taking advantage of their age, their desire for love and affection, their financial status and their addictions. I am confident that these federal dollars will provide critical support to those who are dedicated to protecting victims and arresting perpetrators, which will lead to the end of human trafficking in our state.”
“Human trafficking is a pervasive, growing threat plaguing communities across our state and country,” said First Lady Kemp. “I applaud the federal, state and local partners who are committed to healing victims, seeking justice and holding bad actors accountable. By working together, we will end this criminal enterprise – once and for all.”
“We thank the Department of Justice for making it possible for us to continue and expand on our anti-trafficking efforts in Georgia,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “The resources announced today, will help ensure more victims in Georgia get the support they need and help ensure that our law enforcement officials have every tool at their disposal to put buyers and traffickers behind bars where they belong.”
The remainder of the state’s awards cover a wide range of criminal justice, juvenile justice and victim service activities. Grants will support school safety initiatives, law enforcement hiring, services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, inmate reentry services, youth mentoring and efforts to combat online child exploitation and manage sex offenders. Awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice — OJP, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women.
A full list of OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, is available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For COPS awards, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OVW awards can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Department of Justice Awards More than $100 Million to Combat Human Trafficking and Assist VictimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today it has awarded more than $100 million in funding, through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.
“Human traffickers remain a dire threat to human rights across the globe and their actions pose a serious danger to public safety right here in our own country,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I’m proud that these resources will help our law enforcement officers and victim service providers hold perpetrators accountable and give victims of these abominable crimes a place to turn for refuge and support.”
“The fight against human trafficking is never ending, and it is our front-line law enforcement officers and an army of compassionate service providers who are leading the charge,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Attorney General has made it clear that the Department of Justice will use every means at its disposal to bring traffickers to justice and serve trafficking victims. We are proud to support his vision of a nation, and a world, free of the scourge of human trafficking.”
Approximately $80 million of the funds were awarded under five Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant programs. The remaining $20 million were awarded by OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country.
Grants awarded under FY 2019 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs being funded include:
- The Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking program gives nearly $53 million to 77 organizations to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of all forms of trafficking.
- The Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $15 million total to 32 programs to provide minor victims of trafficking with high-quality services that are developmentally appropriate and tailored for their individual needs.
- The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program gives over $6 million total to four organizations to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state level and to enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to serving trafficked youth.
- The Field-Generated Innovations in Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $4 million total to five programs to fill gaps and improve the victim services field’s response to human trafficking.
- The Specialized Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance and Resource Development program awarded $1 million to provide efficient and streamlined technical assistance and training to improve services offered to labor trafficking victims nationwide.
Grants awarded under FY 2019 OJJDP programs will support organizations in developing their capacity to respond to the needs of children and youth who are victims of domestic sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and the Preventing Sex Trafficking of Girls and Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System grant programs provide more than $4 million to nine organizations to support child and youth victims of sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking and girls involved in the juvenile justice system.
BJA awarded 13 grants totaling nearly $11 million under the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking: Supporting Law Enforcement’s Role. This initiative helps law enforcement organizations build capacity and operational effectiveness as core members of collaborative, multidisciplinary human trafficking task forces.
NIJ awarded over $2 million to five research organizations under the Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons Program, which funds research and evaluation projects that help federal, state, local and tribal criminal justice agencies and victim service providers respond to the challenges posed by human trafficking in their jurisdictions.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://ojp.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2019/ojp-news-10082019_a.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Department of Justice Awards Nearly $153 Million to Reduce Crime and Improve Public Safety in GeorgiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Claire Murray and Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan today joined Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp in announcing awards of almost $153 million to fight crime and improve community safety in Georgia. Nearly $4.3 million will help law enforcement officials and victim service providers in the state investigate and prosecute human traffickers and aid human trafficking survivors. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung J. "BJay" Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Charlie Peeler and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also participated in the announcement.
"Human trafficking is a cruel and barbaric practice that calls to mind the darkest moments of our history, and sadly it has left its mark on the communities of Georgia," said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Murray. "Under the direction of Attorney General Barr, the Department of Justice is putting the full weight of its resources behind the brave men and women of the state who are fighting trafficking perpetrators and bringing relief to victims. We commend these courageous and compassionate professionals and are proud to lend them our full support."
"Human trafficking is an obscene violation of human rights and human dignity, affecting millions of people worldwide, countless victims in this country and hundreds if not thousands of men, women and children right here in Georgia," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. "We are so grateful to the law enforcement officers who pursue these vicious criminals and to the dedicated service providers who work around the clock to get survivors the help they so desperately need and deserve."Department officials and First Lady Kemp made the announcement at a press event alongside law enforcement officials, anti-trafficking advocates and members of the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Georgia’s leaders have concentrated the state’s resources on fighting human trafficking, establishing a Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in the Georgia Department of Law. First Lady Kemp co-chairs the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion and Education, or GRACE, Commission, a task force of public officials, law enforcement and health care professionals, for-profit and non-profit organizations and subject matter experts dedicated to combating human trafficking in Georgia.
Many trafficking victims in Georgia are teenagers who are sexually exploited. Of the 375 cases reported from the state to the National Human Trafficking Hotline last year, most involved sex trafficking and almost a quarter involved a minor. During an FBI-led, month-long, nationwide operation focused on recovering child victims of sex trafficking, known as Operation Independence Day, the FBI, in cooperation with 400 law enforcement agencies, identified and/or recovered more than 100 child victims of sex trafficking, including seven in Georgia. Law enforcement officials also arrested 67 suspected traffickers. Grantee organizations that received previous Justice Department funding served 140 human trafficking clients in 2018.
The awards today support a range of activities designed to bring sex and labor traffickers to justice and provide critical services to victims. A grant to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will fund a multidisciplinary task force composed of law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and several victim service organizations. Funds will also support direct victim services provided under the auspices of the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking. Other awards will help ensure that children and minors who are victimized receive counseling, case management and other critical services. Georgia Care Connection Office, Inc.; Wellspring Living, Inc.; Tapestri, Inc.; and the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy are among the grant recipients.
"Human and sex trafficking are not victimless crimes. These grants will go a long way in not just furthering our prosecutorial efforts for these terrible crimes, but also in providing much needed victim-centered services. Our office continues to be fully committed to eradicating human trafficking within the Northern District of Georgia," said Byung J. "BJay" Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
"In Georgia, the fight against human trafficking is a coordinated effort of federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecuting agencies working together to identify, arrest and prosecute those who choose to engage in this horrific industry," said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District Charlie Peeler. "In the Middle District, we aggressively investigate and prosecute cases where offenders prey on vulnerable citizens, taking advantage of their age, their desire for love and affection, their financial status and their addictions. I am confident that these federal dollars will provide critical support to those who are dedicated to protecting victims and arresting perpetrators, which will lead to the end of human trafficking in our state.""Human trafficking is a pervasive, growing threat plaguing communities across our state and country," said First Lady Kemp. "I applaud the federal, state and local partners who are committed to healing victims, seeking justice and holding bad actors accountable. By working together, we will end this criminal enterprise - once and for all."
"We thank the Department of Justice for making it possible for us to continue and expand on our anti-trafficking efforts in Georgia," said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. "The resources announced today, will help ensure more victims in Georgia get the support they need and help ensure that our law enforcement officials have every tool at their disposal to put buyers and traffickers behind bars where they belong."
The remainder of the state’s awards cover a wide range of criminal justice, juvenile justice and victim service activities. Grants will support school safety initiatives, law enforcement hiring, services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, inmate reentry services, youth mentoring and efforts to combat online child exploitation and manage sex offenders. Awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice - OJP, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women.
A full list of OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, is available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For COPS awards, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OVW awards can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Dallas Man Charged with Carjacking After Brutal Assault Inside Parking GarageRead the Press Release
A Laredo man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury after brutally assaulting a woman in a downtown Dallas parking garage, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
David Cadena – who had twice bonded out of Dallas County Jail after being charged by the state with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery – made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon.
“Violent criminals should not be released when they pose a danger to the community. In this instance, a violent defendant was released not once, but twice, after posting minor bonds,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The citizens of Dallas deserve a better system – one that fairly detains individuals who pose significant danger to their victims and to the public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is determined to hold Mr. Cadena accountable for his brutal crime – and to keep him detained pending trial.”
“FBI Dallas’s Violent Crime Task Force is focused on apprehending individuals who routinely commit acts of violence and are a threat to the community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Matthew J. DeSarno. “The defendant brutally attacked the victim in this case. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate violent offenders and protect the communities we serve.”
According to the complaint, Mr. Candea, 25, allegedly savagely assaulted the victim with a fire extinguisher in the parking garage of the Statler Hotel around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.
He then allegedly carjacked her 2015 Toyota Corolla, drove it around the garage, and slammed it into a wall. A Statler security guard observed Mr. Candea behind the wheel of the wrecked vehicle and removed him from the car for his own safety.
Authorities discovered 27-year-old victim, identified in court documents as J.K., unconscious, with severe bruising and swelling to her face and head. She was transported to Baylor Hospital, where she lay in a coma for two days, and medical professionals documented nerve damage to her arms and legs as a result of the beating.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Candea is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez ordered the defendant detained pending trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay is prosecuting the case.
DOJ Awards More Than $100 Million to Combat Human Trafficking and Assist Victims – Awards Given to South Florida PartnersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today it has awarded more than $100 million in funding, through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.
“Human traffickers remain a dire threat to human rights across the globe and their actions pose a serious danger to public safety right here in our own country,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I’m proud that these resources will help our law enforcement officers and victim service providers hold perpetrators accountable and give victims of these abominable crimes a place to turn for refuge and support.”
“The fight against human trafficking is never ending, and it is our front-line law enforcement officers and an army of compassionate service providers who are leading the charge,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Attorney General has made it clear that the Department of Justice will use every means at its disposal to bring traffickers to justice and serve trafficking victims. We are proud to support his vision of a nation, and a world, free of the scourge of human trafficking.”
Approximately $80 million of the funds were awarded under five Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant programs. The remaining $20 million were awarded by OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country.
Grants awarded under FY 2019 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs being funded include:
- The Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking program gives nearly $53 million to 77 organizations to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of all forms of trafficking.
- The Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $15 million total to 32 programs to provide minor victims of trafficking with high-quality services that are developmentally appropriate and tailored for their individual needs.
- The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program gives over $6 million total to four organizations to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state level and to enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to serving trafficked youth.
- The Field-Generated Innovations in Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $4 million total to five programs to fill gaps and improve the victim services field’s response to human trafficking.
- The Specialized Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance and Resource Development program awarded $1 million to provide efficient and streamlined technical assistance and training to improve services offered to labor trafficking victims nationwide.
Grants awarded under FY 2019 OJJDP programs will support organizations in developing their capacity to respond to the needs of children and youth who are victims of domestic sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and the Preventing Sex Trafficking of Girls and Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System grant programs provide more than $4 million to nine organizations to support child and youth victims of sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking and girls involved in the juvenile justice system.
BJA awarded 13 grants totaling nearly $11 million under the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking: Supporting Law Enforcement’s Role. This initiative helps law enforcement organizations build capacity and operational effectiveness as core members of collaborative, multidisciplinary human trafficking task forces.
NIJ awarded over $2 million to five research organizations under the Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons Program, which funds research and evaluation projects that help federal, state, local and tribal criminal justice agencies and victim service providers respond to the challenges posed by human trafficking in their jurisdictions.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://ojp.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2019/ojp-news-10082019_a.pdf
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Crawford County Man Charged with Armed Robbery of Erie Gas StationRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Cochranton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of Hobbs Act robbery and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count indictment named Jack Elijah Turner, 21, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on August 11, 2019, Turner robbed a Kwik Fill gas station at 3360 West 38th Street in Erie at gunpoint.
Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reductions 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 prevent and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Millcreek Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.