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18 December 2019
Indictment: Items Thrown from Car Included Methamphetamine, HandgunRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Shaun Salazar, 59, Bonner Springs, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Dec. 15, 2018, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
According to documents filed in court, when Bonner Springs police attempted to stop the defendant’s car officers saw several objects being thrown from the car. Items recovered included a ziplock bag of methamphetamine, a .45-caliber handgun and a magazine containing ammunition. Inside the car, officers found a .380-caliber pistol and two baggies of methamphetamine.
If convicted, he could face not less than five years and not more than 40 years on the drug charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession by a felon. The Bonner Springs Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jesus Labrado, 27, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 16, 2019, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
Joshua A. Chase, 35, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Community Corrections Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 13, 2019.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
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Haverhill Woman Sentenced for Drug TamperingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill licensed practical nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for drug tampering.
Lauren Perrin, 47, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2019, Perrin pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance morphine, which is used for pain relief.
While working as a licensed practical nurse at Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center in Amesbury, Perrin took morphine sulfate from three bottles prescribed to a hospice patient for her own personal use. In an attempt to avoid detection, she replaced the extracted morphine with cough syrup. Perrin’s tampering lowered the potency of the three bottles of morphine sulfate to only 4-29% of the intended potency. The victim was given the diluted morphine and deprived of necessary pain relief in the weeks before her death.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Hartford Man Charged with Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ACOSTA-TORRES, 59, of Hartford, was arrested today and charged in a federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Acosta appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for December 23.
As alleged in the complaint, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Acosta’s Hartford residence earlier today and seized a Sony camcorder and two thumb drives. Preliminary analysis of the thumb drives revealed hundreds of videos of child pornography, including at least two videos of Acosta sexually abusing a minor victim.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Hartford and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Hartford Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY CARILLO, also known as “Boogie,” 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for a kidnapping and violent assault he committed with four other members of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation (“Latin Kings”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 26, 2018, Carillo and Josue Franco lured an individual (“the victim”) to a residence on Benton Street in Hartford. When the victim entered the residence, Jonathan Otero and Luis Pitt were waiting. Carillo, Franco, Otero and Pitt then threatened, assaulted and tortured the victim, prevented him from leaving the residence, and demanded a ransom. After the victim was restrained, Carillo’s brother, Pedro Carillo, arrived at the residence and participated in the ongoing assault and torture of the victim, which included burning him with cigarettes, pistol-whipping him and throwing a dart into his foot.
The defendants forced the victim to call someone to deliver money in exchange for his release. The victim then called his father. Franco grabbed the phone and told the victim’s father if he did not deliver $500 they were going to kill his son. After the call, Otero put a bullet in the victim’s hand and told him he would use that bullet to shoot him in the head if the victim could not get the ransom money.
Anthony Carillo and others then drove the victim to different locations in Hartford in an effort to collect ransom. Carillo eventually released the victim.
The victim was treated at a hospital for a fractured cheekbone, a facial laceration, a concussion and other injuries.
Anthony Carillo has been detained since his arrest on October 4, 2018. On September 24, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The other four defendants also pleaded guilty to related charges. On December 10, 2019, Otero was sentenced to 154 months of imprisonment, and on December 16, 2019, Franco was sentenced to 132 months of imprisonment. Pitt and Pedro Carillo are detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division has provided critical assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Hamden Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CLEMENTE HOLMES, also known as “Cavali” and “Vali,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2019, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of narcotics from Holmes at his Goodrich Street residence. On January 22, 2019, a court-authorized search of the residence revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine, as well as a loaded 9mm handgun. Holmes was arrested on state charges on that date.
In February 2019, investigators made a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Holmes, who had posted bond after his state arrest.
Holmes was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 26, 2019. At the time of his arrest, a search of his residence revealed more heroin packaged for distribution. He has been detained since his arrest.
In 2012, Holmes was convicted in state court of sale of narcotics and possession of a pistol without a permit.
On September 3, 2019, Holmes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, one count of possession of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”) with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the East Haven, Hamden and New Haven Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Georgia Inmate Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty for His Role in Grand Jury Scam That Targeted Local ResidentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that NICHOLAS ROTUNDA ALLEN, age 39, an inmate in Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be served consecutively to his state sentence in an unrelated matter, restitution to “Victim A” in the amount of $5,500, supervised release for 3 years, and payment of a $100 special assessment fee by United States District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 371, for his role in perpetrating a grand jury fraud scam and victimizing a resident of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, ALLEN was sentenced to a period of incarceration as part of a felony conviction on February 22, 2016 in the State of Georgia. He began serving his sentence at Jimmy Autry State Prison, a Georgia Department of Correction facility located in Pelham, Georgia, on about March 30, 2016. Jimmy Autry State Prison housed approximately 1,700 adult male inmates and had approximately 119 correctional officers employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections overseeing them. In about 2016, several inmates and correctional officers at Jimmy Autry State Prison were the subject of a series of federal prosecutions related to a scheme by which inmates bribed correctional officers to smuggle contraband, namely cellular phones, into the prison.
On November 6, 2017, and November 7, 2017, ALLEN used a contraband cellular telephone to contact Victim A, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, from inside the state prison. Although he was not permitted to have a phone inside the jail, ALLEN obtained the phone from a non-incarcerated co-conspirator. The cellular telephone ALLEN used was associated with two Georgia-based phone numbers, but he attempted to avoid detection and make it appear as though he was located within the New Orleans area by utilizing a “spoofing” application that made it appear to Victim A that someone with a local phone number, (504) XXX-5237, was contacting him.
ALLEN pretended to be a Deputy United States Marshal and informed Victim A that he had unlawfully failed to report for jury duty service for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. ALLEN further told Victim A that because he had failed to appear for jury duty, a warrant had been issued out of the Eastern District of Louisiana for Victim A’s arrest. ALLEN said that Victim A had the choice of either being arrested on the warrant or paying a $5,500 fine to have the arrest warrant dismissed. Victim A paid the fine by buying a series of pre-paid cash cards and giving the account numbers to ALLEN. Thereafter, Victim A paid ALLEN by buying a total of eleven (11) pre-paid cash cards and giving the cards’ account numbers to ALLEN.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Marshal Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Four Men Convicted of Firearms Offenses as Part of Federal Anti-Violence Initiative Are Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that four defendants were sentenced to prison for firearms violations. The defendants were prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce gun laws.
U.S. v. Elroy Marshall
Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced today Elroy Lee Marshall, 39, of Hamlet, N.C., to 105 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, on October 15, 2017, Marshall possessed a Ruger Model LC9, 9mm pistol, which he carried in his pocket. Marshall has a prior federal conviction for his involvement in an armed postal robbery, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Gleason and Anthony Enright, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
U.S. v. Zacharias Lee
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. sentenced Zacharias Lee, 27, of Charlotte, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. According to court documents, on March 26, 2018, Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers responded to a suspicious vehicle call. Upon locating the vehicle, the officers observed Lee, who was the driver of the vehicle, trying to hide a firearm under the vehicle while he was talking to the officers. A second firearm was recovered from the backseat of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, law enforcement determined that Lee had stolen a total of four firearms, by breaking into parked vehicles belonging to firefighters, at three fire departments in Mecklenburg County. Lee has two other prior state convictions for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Court records show that Lee was on probation for his second Possession of a Firearm by a Felon conviction when he broke into the vehicles and stole the firearms.
The case was investigated by ATF and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Cortney Randall, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
U.S. v. Santario Boyd
Judge Conrad also sentenced yesterday Santario Boyd, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. According to court documents in this case, on January 31, 2018, Boyd shot a victim in the leg in response to something the victim said to Boyd. On February 21, 2018, CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Boyd for the shooting, and a firearm was located in the bedroom where Boyd was found. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the recovered firearm was the same one Boyd used to shoot the victim. On January 31, 2019, Boyd pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
ATF and CMPD handled the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly was in charge of the prosecution for the United States.
U.S. v. Marcus Watkins
Yesterday, Judge Conrad sentenced Marcus Bernard Watkins, 29, of Charlotte, to 68 months in prison and three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on August 30, 2017, probation officers with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) and CMPD officers conducted a warrantless search and compliance check at Watkins’ residence, who at the time was under state supervision. Over the course of the search, law enforcement located a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Watkins’ bedroom. Due to his prior conviction, Watkins was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
ATF, NCDPS and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
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In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the aforementioned prosecutions, and noted that these cases are part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Initiated by Attorney General William P. Barr, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Four Men Appear in Federal Court for Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that four men appeared in federal court before Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to enter guilty pleas and then receive sentences.
“These four defendants have 11 prior removals between them,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “That is 11 times they’ve skipped line. No one likes a line skipper- not at Disney World and not at our border. They need to follow the necessary process to legally enter the United States.”
Felix Hernandez, Jose Avila-Salmeron, Jorge Lanche-Bustos, and Pastor Lara-Parez, each entered a plea of guilty to the felony offense of illegally reentering the United States. After entering guilty pleas, the Court proceeded directly to the sentencing phase of the proceedings. Felix Hernandez received a sentence of six months incarceration, Jose Avila-Salmaron and Lanche-Bustos received sentences of “credit for time served” and Pastor Lara-Perez received eight months federal incarceration. At the conclusion of their sentence of federal incarceration, they will be immediately remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings. They have all been in federal custody since September 5, 2019. The investigations were conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and assisted by the Montgomery Police Department.
On September 5, 2019, all four men were found in Montgomery, Kanawaha County, West Virginia. Federal agents with ICE had received information from the Montgomery Police Department that the men were working on a railroad project and were not United States citizens. ICE agents investigated the information, corroborated the details, and subsequently located the four men at the described location. ICE agents approached the four men and requested identification from them. All four men produced foreign identification documents and immediately admitted that they were not in the United States legally. They also had no identification documents permitting them legal status. ICE agents took the four men into federal custody. Fingerprinting matched all four men to prior removals from the United States and all four had prior removals from the United States to Mexico. None of the men had obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. All four further admitted to ICE agents that they were Mexican citizens.
Felix Hernandez, 39, had a prior New Jersey felony drug conviction from 2007 and was removed from the United States to Mexico after this felony conviction. Jose Avila-Salmaron, 44, had two prior removals from the United States to Mexico in 2010 and 2017. Jorge Lanche-Bustos had two prior removals from the United States to Mexico in 2015 and 2016. Pastor Lara-Perez, 38, had six prior removals from the United States to Mexico including three removals in 2010, and one in each of the years 2013, 2015, and 2016.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over all of the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecutions.
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Former Sacramento CEO Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Peter Wong, 61, founder and former CEO of Sunrise Shoes and Pedorthic Service Corporation, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to five years in prison for health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between March 2008 and Feb. 2015, Wong and Anthony Lazzarino, 69, former Chief of Podiatry for the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Northern California Health Care System, engaged in a scheme to defraud the VA by billing for custom work and services that were prescribed but not supplied in shoes delivered to veterans. In addition, they and Wong’s former employee Jai Aing Chen, who separately pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2016, agreed to make materially false statements to the VA regarding where the shoes were manufactured, in the course of applying for a national contract worth over $11 million per year. A federal jury found Wong and Lazzarino guilty of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on May 17, 2019.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Bickley is prosecuting the case.
Lazzarino is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mendez on Feb. 11, 2020. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each health care fraud count, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud conspiracy count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Mendez sentenced Chen to one year and one day in prison on Aug. 6, 2019.
Former Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Deliver Large Quantity of Heroin to Undercover FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has plead guilty to federal narcotics charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Mark Ridley, age 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute heroin and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin in front of United States District Court Judge Mark R. Hornak.
According to information presented to the court, on April 25, 2017, Ridley conspired with others to transport a large quantity of heroin to the Hazlewood section of Pittsburgh. Ridley believed that he was transporting the heroin to sell to a drug customer. However, Ridley was actually communicating with two FBI agents acting in an undercover capacity. FBI recovered a large quantity of heroin in a secret compartment of the passenger door after Ridley arrived to a location driven in a car by co-defendant Leonard Rushin-Felder, who has previously pleaded guilty in this case. After arresting Ridley, FBI agents recovered three cell phones from Ridley including the phone undercover agents were in contact with.
The law provides for a sentence of not more 30 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $2,000,000. 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, Stowe Rox Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Shaun Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Former New Bedford Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford police officer pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.
Paul Hodson, 43, of Acushnet, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2020. Hodson was indicted on June 20, 2019.
Following an investigation into the use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks for the trade of child pornography, a search was executed at Hodson’s home. Hodson was interviewed on scene and admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing software to trade child pornography. During the course of forensic analysis of Hodson’s computer, hundreds of child pornography files were recovered, including at least one file that was distributed to undercover law enforcement in the course of the investigation that led to the search warrant.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Acushnet Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Mail Carrier Admits Stealing Credit Cards from the MailRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier today admitted that he intercepted and removed envelopes containing credit cards from the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jaquan Miller, 30, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to steal mail. He remains released on a $50,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Miller was a USPS employee at the Hudson City Station Post Office in Jersey City, New Jersey. From the summer of 2017 through August 2018, Miller removed envelopes containing credit cards from the mail and delivered the stolen credit cards to Moussa Dagno and Olagoke Araromi and others, who then used the stolen credit cards at retail stores to purchase electronics and other items. Dagno and Araromi each pleaded guilty in April 2019 to paying bribes, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, and were sentenced on Oct. 15, 2019, to 57 months in prison and 61 months in prison, respectively. Miller is the seventh former USPS employee who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from Dagno’s and Araromi’s bribery scheme.
The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the USPS-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Donald Millman Esq., of West Orange, New Jersey
Former IT Administrator Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Conspiracy Relating to Palo Alto Networks, Inc.Read the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Janardhan Nellore pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, United States District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Janardhan Nellore admitted to participating in an insider trading scheme by trading on material, nonpublic, inside information that he learned through his employment at Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (“PANW”), where Nellore worked as an IT administrator. Nellore admitted that he obtained confidential information about PANW’s quarterly financial performance and traded on that information before PANW disclosed its financial results to the public. Nellore admitted that he placed illegal inside trades in the brokerage accounts of other people for his own benefit and for the benefit of the account holders around PANW’s quarterly earnings announcements.
Nellore also admitted that he tipped PANW’s nonpublic information to other people who then traded PANW securities around the company’s earnings announcements using this inside information. Nellore admitted that the members of the conspiracy made more than $7 million as a result of their illegal insider trading.
Nellore was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on December 12, 2019, and arraigned on December 17, 2019. Nellore was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, six counts of securities fraud and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1348 and 2, and three counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1). Under the plea agreement, Nellore pled guilty to Count One, conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Nellore is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal.
Nellore’s next appearance is scheduled for February 26, 2020, before Judge Koh for a status conference on sentencing. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 is 25 years and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution and forfeiture, if appropriate. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Kaleba and Patrick R. Delahunty are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with the assistance of the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Former IRS Employee Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Fallyn Mathis, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $12,628 by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, for collecting unemployment compensation while, at the same time, earning income from her seasonal employment with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The defendant pled guilty in this case to one count of theft of government money in August 2019. The charge stems from Mathis’ intermittent conduct between 2015 and 2017, during which time the defendant repeatedly certified her eligibility for federal unemployment compensation benefits through the Department of Labor's recertification process, while she was actually in active-work status with, and receiving a salary from, the IRS. Each false certification prompted the payment of unemployment compensation funds that were electronically deposited into her bank account. Mathis was not entitled to receive more than $12,600 in unemployment benefits that she collected during this time period.
“While serving as an employee of the IRS, a federal government agency working on behalf of taxpayers, the defendant abused the government’s unemployment compensation system for a substantial amount of time,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mathis was essentially double-dipping at taxpayers’ expense; taking funds to which she was not entitled and that should have gone to someone actually struggling with unemployment.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to identifying and prosecuting Internal Revenue Service employees who fraudulently abuse Federal benefits programs,” said J. Russell George. “We appreciate the assistance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and the commitment of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in prosecuting this defendant.”
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang.
Former Clovis Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Rocky Cottrell, 37, a former resident of Clovis, was sentenced on Dec. 6 by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between Jan. 2016 and Aug. 2016, Cottrell persuaded two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced visual depictions of that conduct. In addition, Cottrell transmitted some of the images via the internet.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Tierney and Laura Withers prosecuted the case.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Former Cape Cod Bookkeeper Indicted a Second Time on Embezzlement ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cape Cod woman was indicted on federal charges yesterday in connection with embezzling more than $390,000 from an employer.
Jessica L. Greenan, 42, of Centerville, formerly an employee of a Cape Cod construction company, was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Greenan was previously indicted in September 2019 for embezzling $1.1 million from a previous employer, and is pending trial in that case. Several of the charges in the new indictment are alleged to have occurred after Greenan was released on conditions in the earlier prosecution.
The most recent indictment alleges that Greenan embezzled funds from the construction company while she was employed as a bookkeeper between August 2018 and September 2018. Greenan allegedly made more than $5,300 in unauthorized charges to a company credit card, embezzled more than $287,000 from company bank accounts to pay her own credit cards, converted more than $11,000 of company funds to pay her auto loans, forged the company owner’s signature to transfer company funds to conceal her frauds, and fraudulently obtained more than $6,300 in unauthorized payroll after her employment had been terminated.
Each charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, forfeiture, and restitution. Each charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million, forfeiture, and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two year prison sentence, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Lelling’s Securities & Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Extensive Cyberstalking and Threats CampaignRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conducting an extensive cyberstalking campaign that targeted his former schoolmate, a 31-year-old woman who lived in Massachusetts at the time. The victim’s name is being withheld to protect her privacy.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling of the District of Massachusetts and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta of the FBI’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Byron A. Cardozo, 35, who previously resided in Jacksonville and Tamarac, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the District of Massachusetts. Cardozo pleaded guilty in August 2019 to one count of cyberstalking and one count of making interstate threats. Cardozo was arrested in August 2018 and has been held in custody since.
According to the indictment, to which Cardozo pleaded guilty, and evidence presented at sentencing, Cardozo engaged in an 18-month-long, multi-faceted cyberstalking and threats campaign targeting the victim. He launched his campaign in February 2017, shortly after the victim wrote, and had published in an online magazine, an essay describing a one-time, traumatic sexual encounter she had with Cardozo when she was approximately 13 and he was approximately 17 and they attended the same school in Florida. She used pseudonyms for Cardozo and others in the essay.
Cardozo then sent hundreds of online communications, many of which he made in the “comments” section to the essay and on the victim’s personal website. In those communications, Cardozo claimed that the victim had fabricated her claims about the coercive nature of the 2001 sexual encounter, he provided graphic descriptions of his purported consensual sexual encounter with the victim, and he described how he continued to masturbate to the victim’s photographs. Cardozo also made express and implicit threats to injure the victim. At other times, he also apologized to her for the traumatic sexual experience in 2001, asked for forgiveness, expressed his love for her and made veiled threats to commit suicide “because of you.” Cardozo continued to harass and threaten the victim despite the fact that she had obtained a state court order in April 2017, forbidding him from communication with her.
The FBI’s Boston Field Office conducted the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit in the District of Massachusetts, are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced for Extensive Cyberstalking and Threats CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for cyberstalking and threatening his former schoolmate, a 30-year-old Massachusetts woman.
Byron A. Cardozo, 35, who previously resided in Jacksonville and Tamarac, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2019, Cardozo pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and one count of making interstate threats. Cardozo was arrested in August 2018 and has been in custody since.
Cardozo engaged in an 18-month-long, multi-faceted cyberstalking and threats campaign targeting his former schoolmate. He launched his campaign in February 2017, shortly after the victim wrote an essay published in an online magazine describing a one-time, traumatic sexual encounter she had with Cardozo when she was approximately 13-years-old and he was approximately 17-years-old. The victim used pseudonyms for Cardozo and others in the essay. In response, Cardozo sent hundreds of online communications, many of which he made in the “comments” section to the essay and on the victim’s personal website, where he claimed that the victim fabricated her claims about the coercive nature of the sexual encounter. Cardozo provided graphic descriptions of his purported consensual sexual encounter with the victim and made express and implicit threats to injure the victim. At other times, he also apologized to her for the traumatic sexual experience, asked for forgiveness, expressed his love for her and made veiled threats to commit suicide. Cardozo continued to harass and threaten the victim despite the fact that she had obtained a state court order in April 2017, forbidding him from communicating with her.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling’s Cyber Crime Unit and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.
Five Defendants Arrested and Indicted for India-Based Telemarketing and Email Marketing Scheme Victimizing Seniors Throughout the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Five individuals were arrested this morning after being charged in a 22-count indictment relating to an India-based telemarketing and email marketing conspiracy, which victimized America’s seniors.
“As this indictment again demonstrates, our Office continues to investigate and prosecute national and transnational criminal organizations that victimize the elderly and vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
The indictment charges Gina Marcks, 69, Ladda Boonlert, 71, Charles Hill, 64, Wendi A. Maryniak, 44, and Roger Bond, 36, all of Las Vegas, Nevada, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing; 16 counts of wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing; five counts of aggravated identity theft; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about June 2015 through about April 2017, Marcks, Boonlert, Hill, Maryniak, Bond, and others conspired to commit a telemarketing and email marketing scheme that targeted seniors. Callers located primarily in India allegedly contacted victims in the United States and falsely represented that the callers were agents or employees of the IRS, state or local government agencies, law firms, or loan companies. The callers falsely represented that the victims had outstanding taxes due, open collection accounts, or other financial, civil, or criminal liabilities requiring immediate action. The callers threatened the victims with arrest, lawsuits, or other adverse action if the victims did not immediately send money, including via wire transfers. In other instances, the callers falsely stated that the victim had qualified for a loan, which would be disbursed once the victim sent initial payment via wire transfer or gift card.
The indictment further alleges that victims were also contacted via email. The emails falsely purported to be from law firms, lawyers, judges, and public officials, and claimed that the victims had outstanding taxes, personal debts, or other financial or legal obligations. The emails threatened imminent adverse action, such as arrest. Once a victim responded telephonically, the callers demanded that payments be sent to the defendants via wire transfer.
The defendants are alleged to have fraudulently obtained approximately $2,455,547 in payments from victims residing throughout the United States.
Marcks, Boonlert, Hill, Maryniak, and Bond made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe, who set a trial for February 25, 2020. If convicted on all counts, the defendants each face up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and telemarketing and email marketing; 30 years per count of wire fraud; telemarketing and email marketing; two years per count of aggravated identify theft; and 10 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The case was the product of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is prosecuting the case.
The charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If you believe you have been a victim of an IRS Impersonation Scam, please submit a report to TIGTA at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
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Federal Jury Convicts Boone, N.C. Man for Transporting and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Statesville has convicted Thomas Arthur Rittenhouse, 75, of Boone, N.C. of transporting and possessing child pornography, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell Sr. presided over the trial.
“Protecting the most vulnerable amongst us, our children, remains a top priority of my Office,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This defendant sought out, possessed, and transported images of the rape and abuse of children for his sordid personal use. Along with our law enforcement partners, my Office will ensure that this defendant, and anyone else engaged in similar horrific conduct, are brought to justice.”
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2014 and 2017, Rittenhouse used peer-to-peer computer networks to obtain dozens of videos depicting children being sexually abused. Rittenhouse then made child abuse videos available for download by other users of the peer-to-peer network. Evidence at trial showed that the computer Rittenhouse used to transport and possess child pornography reflected that Rittenhouse had used search terms associated with child abuse material to seek out such videos and images. A forensic analysis of video files seized from Rittenhouse’s computer showed adult men sexually abusing prepubescent children.
Rittenhouse was convicted of two counts of transporting child pornography, which carries a minimum term of five years and a maximum term of 20 years in prison per count, and a $250,000 fine. He was also convicted of one count of possessing child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor or a minor under the age of twelve, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Boone Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their investigation of this case, and Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alfredo DeLaRosa and Taylor J. Phillips prosecuted the case for the United States.
Federal Judge Orders Bradley Croft, Owner of Dog Training/Handler School in San Antonio, to Forfeit Proceeds from Government Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal judge ordered 48-year-old Bradley Lane Croft, owner of Universal K-9, Inc., to forfeit over one million dollars in assets derived from his scheme to defraud the federal government with respect to the use of GI Bill benefits to train service canines and their handlers, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; and, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) Criminal Investigations Division Special Agent in Charge James Ross, South Central Field Office.
Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra ordered that Croft forfeit to the government his assets including: his San Antonio business property (15000 block of Tradesman); $138,415.64 in U.S. Currency seized from his bank account; $4,300 in U.S. Currency seized on site at Universal K-9; a 2017 American Eagle 45T Motorhome (valued at over $450,000); a 2018 Ford F-150 King Ranch Lariat; a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie; a 2016 Yamaha Superjet Ski; a 2008 Yamaha Waverunner Jetski; and, a 2012 Rocket International Trailer. Judge Ezra also granted the government’s motion for a money judgment in the amount of $1.3 million.
On November 6, 2019, Judge Ezra convicted Croft of eight counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of money laundering and two counts of making a false tax return. Testimony provided at trial revealed that beginning in 2013, Croft provided false information in applications to the Texas Veterans Commission, including instructors’ names, certifications and training documents indicating that certain individuals would be instructors at the school, to receive GI Bill educational benefit payments. Croft and others solicited veterans as students indicating that they could use their GI Bill benefits to pay for a dog handler’s course that cost from $6,500.00 for the K-9 Handler dual-purpose detection program to $12,000.00 for the K-9 trainer/instructor program. Since 2016, Universal K-9 filed approximately 185 claims relating to the education of approximately 132 veterans and totaling over $1,260,000.00. Testimony also revealed that Croft submitted fraudulent income tax returns showing his 2016 reported income as $2,000 and his reported income as $2,000 for 2017. Evidence showed that Croft actually received substantially more income than what he reported to the IRS in 2016 and 2017.
Croft, who remains in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, up to 20 years in federal prison for money laundering and up to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30pm on February 24, 2020, in San Antonio before Judge Ezra.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and the VA-OIG investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory J. Surovic and Fidel Esparza, III, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Federal Grand Jury in Austin Indicts Nigerian Citizen for Victimizing Previous Fraud VictimsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Austin indicted a Nigerian citizen for masquerading as a representative of the Texas State Securities Board to steal money from victims of a previous fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Division, and Texas State Securities Board Commissioner Travis J. Iles.
The grand jury indictment, returned yesterday, charges 27–year-old Ekeoma Jerry Onyeukwu (aka “Jerry Ekeoma Onyeukwu”) with two counts of wire fraud.
The Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) is a state agency whose mission is to protect Texas investors, including by regulating securities and enforcing the Texas Securities Act. In early 2018, an England-based cryptocurrency exchange called BitConnect shut down following a cease and desist order from the TSSB. According to the indictment, from November 2018 through April 2019, fictitious websites similar to that of TSSB including “ssb-texas.us” and “ssb-tesax.us” were created to falsely claim that TSSB controlled BitConnect and that TSSB was going to return a portion of the losses incurred by BitConnect victims and encouraged them to sign up. Onyeukwu, subsequently, sent emails to Texas residents falsely presenting himself as a TSSB representative who could provide clients with refunds of 35% of money invested in BitConnect in exchange for a $300 “consent fee.” Onyeukwu led investors to believe that their $300 fee was going to TSSB, but in reality, Onyeukwu was pocketing the cash.
The FBI together with the TSSB are investigating this case. An arrest warrant has been issued for Onyeukwu. Upon conviction, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj Gupta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Trafficking Two Kilograms of HeroinRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced JAMES MELVIN, II, 34, of Fayetteville, NC, today. MELVIN was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.
On July 12, 2019, MELVIN pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
In June 2016, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration in Charleston, South Carolina were conducting a federal wiretap. During the wiretap, agents intercepted MELVIN and an individual known as “Ignacio” arranging the trafficking of a significant amount of heroin.
Specifically, agents intercepted four phone calls between MELVIN and “Ignacio” between June 6, 2016, and June 10, 2016. In these calls, MELVIN discussed purchasing two kilograms of heroin from “Ignacio” for $57,000 per kilogram. “Ignacio” also told MELVIN that he would send someone to MELVIN to ensure MELVIN had the money, and that the heroin could be provided in two days following confirmation.
On June 10, 2016, agents searched a trashcan at MELVIN’s residence and recovered a pair of latex gloves with heroin residue on them.
Agents soon learned MELVIN would be receiving the heroin shipment on July 3, 2016, from “Ignacio.” On July 3, 2016, agents conducted surveillance on MELVIN’S vehicle. MELVIN was later observed speeding from Cumberland County, North Carolina, into Hoke County, North Carolina, when agents conducted a traffic stop.
After a K-9 gave a positive alert on MELVIN’S vehicle, agents opened the driver’s side door and a red bag containing 2,003 grams of heroin fell to the ground. Additionally, officers found $18,000 in U.S. currency in the center console.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fayetteville Police Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted this case for the government.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced CLARENCE DONNELL GENERETTE, a/k/a “Murda,” 56, of Fayetteville, NC, today. GENERETTE was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release.
On July 12, 2019, GENERETTE pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and to distribution of a quantity of cocaine.
On January 24, 2018, the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) received information from a confidential informant (CI) that GENERETTE was using his residence on Reedy Creek Drive in Fayetteville to distribute cocaine. The FPD used a CI to conduct two purchases of cocaine from GENERETTE.
On February 7, 2018, while the FPD conducted surveillance on GENERETTE, officers observed a vehicle arrive at GENERETTE’S Fayetteville residence. An individual exited the vehicle and entered the garage for a short period before leaving in his vehicle. Subsequently, the FPD conducted a vehicle stop on the vehicle that had just departed GENERETTE’S residence. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer immediately detected the odor of marijuana. The FPD utilized a K-9 unit, which gave a positive alert for the presence of contraband inside the vehicle. The FPD seized two firearms, approximately 133 grams of marijuana, four Alprazolam tablets and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle. The driver admitted that he had just purchased the marijuana from GENERETTE.
On February 8, 2018, the FPD conducted surveillance on the Reedy Creek Drive residence and observed GENERETTE leave the residence. Subsequently, officers conducted a traffic stop and GENERETTE was taken into custody and transported back to his residence. During the search of the residence, officers seized the following items from GENERETTE’S room: 14.32 grams of cocaine; 2.89 grams of marijuana; a digital scale; 1,825 plastic bags with torn corners; and several empty bottles of Inositol, a common cutting agent. Additionally, $430 in United States currency was seized.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For additional information about this initiative, click here https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Lemmon prosecuted this case for the government.
Educational agency leader charged in financial conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned an 18-count indictment against the founding superintendent of Zoe Learning Academy on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, theft of government funds, money laundering and false bankruptcy declarations, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
Authorities took Richard S. Rose into custody this morning. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2:00 p.m. today. The Houston grand jury returned the indictment under seal Dec. 11, which was unsealed per his arrest.
The charges allege Rose was the founder of Zoe Learning Academy and served in various capacities to include superintendent, CEO and chief financial officer during its operations from 2001 until it closed in September 2019.
Rose allegedly embezzled funds intended for the charter school’s operation and used them for his personal expenses such as legal fees, a lawsuit settlement and for the purchase of a timeshare. The indictment also alleges that after Zoe ceased operations, Rose, as Zoe’s agent, filed for bankruptcy and made various false statements under penalty of perjury in documents regarding payments to insiders, creditors and other matters.
If convicted of mail fraud, Rose faces up to 20 years imprisonment. The money laundering and theft of government funds allegations carry a possible sentence of up to 10 years, while he faces additional five-year-terms for the conspiracy and false bankruptcy declarations, upon conviction. All charges could also result in a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, Secret Service, Department of Education-Office of Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.East Aurora Woman Sentenced for Attempting to Hire A Hit Man on the Dark Web to Cripple Her Ex-boyfriendRead 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 Yanyan Lesser, 48, of East Aurora, NY, who was convicted of transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce a communication containing a threat to injure another person, was sentenced to time served and one year supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. As part of her supervised release conditions, the defendant is prohibited from possessing a computer for telephone device with internet capabilities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the case, stated that the defendant, using a website on the dark web and the screen name “Tree1,” solicited someone whom she believed to be a hitman to commit a crippling assault against G.Z., a former boyfriend in Florida. In her solicitation, Lesser posted the following messages:
• On February 14, 2019, the defendant posted, “Because of a business dispute, I would like to give this guy a lesson. Give him a good beating and legs broken, waist broken and even cripple the mark of his legs.” The defendant also shared an image of a person’s lower back with the words “broken waist” written on it; • On February 16, 2019, the defendant posted, “Please give him a good beating and let he always walk in wheelchair;”
• On February 18, 2019, the defendant posted, “And also give him good beating of his body, and must be broken his legs to make him walk by wheelchair or crutches forever;”
• On February 19, 2019, the defendant posted, “Make the crippling be permanent, so that Chinese guy will always walk in wheelchair” and “must be broken his legs that he will never heal and never be back to normal, so that he always walk in wheelchair. Remember: crippling! Robbery!”An unknown subject on the dark web site initially responded to Lesser’s job request on February 14, 2019, urging the defendant to prepare funds for payment. The subject stated: “Sometimes kids or trolls do jokes and are not serious about their job.” On February 16, 2019, Lesser transferred 1.26 bitcoins (approximately $4,577) to a bitcoin address to pay for the beating. On February 19, 2019, the defendant transferred an additional .694 bitcoins (approximately $2,707) as further payment. Lesser made cash withdrawals in East Aurora relating to these transactions on February 15 and 18, 2019.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly. Additional assistance was provided by HSI St. Paul, Minnesota, and HSI Orlando, Florida.
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Durham Man Sentenced on Robbery, Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. B A resident of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Greensboro on December 17, 2109, for robbery and firearm offenses, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
KEVIN JAMIE JENAVOUS MALONE, age 25, was sentenced to a 235 month term of imprisonment by United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. In addition to prison time, MALONE was ordered to pay $33,200 in restitution and a $400 special assessment, and to serve five years of supervised release. MALONE pleaded guilty on September 3, 2019, to three counts of interfering with commerce by robbery (Hobbs robbery) and one count of brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence.
Court records show that MALONE was a member of the Nine Trey Gangstas (NTG), a group whose members committed acts of violence throughout North Carolina and along the east coast of the United States. MALONE pleaded guilty to his involvement in three such robberies:
- On January 15, 2016, T.P. and his wife, H.P., closed their nail salon, Pink Nails, in Hillsborough, NC, and went home. On the way home they noticed that they were being followed. When they arrived home at their home in Hillsborough, they were assaulted by three black males wearing ski masks and carrying guns in the driveway of their home. They were forced inside of the residence and they and their children were held at gun-point. The men assaulted T.P. by hitting him over the head with a pistol. When they were leaving the residence one of the males discharged his firearm into the floor.
- On January 17, 2016, Chapel Hill Police responded to North Estes Drive in reference to a robbery. When the officers arrived, they found a female victim, identified as G.K., lying on the sidewalk bleeding from her head. G.K. told the officers that she had been assaulted by four men wearing ski masks. The males had at least two pistols, which they pointed at her during the robbery, and they fled on foot. The second victim, identified as A.L., was not injured in the assault. The victims explained that they were in their driveway unloading their car when four males ran up to them, pointed guns at them, and demanded that they open the door to their house. G.K. refused to open the door to her residence, and she was struck in the head multiple times by one of the assailants. The men were not able to gain entry into the house, and the items stolen from the victims were reported as food items of little to no value. The victims informed the police that they own a jewelry kiosk, Lakhani Jewelers, in the Northgate Mall in Durham.
- On January 21, 2016, four black males kicked in the front door of a residence on Rondelay Drive in Durham. All four males carried handguns. The males pointed weapons at family members and demanded money and jewelry. The residence belonged to, and was occupied by, the B. family. The B. family is of Middle Eastern descent and are the owners of Biswas Tobacco in Durham.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Durham Police Department, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry M. Meinecke.
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Dover Man Who Stole Fourteen Firearms Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced that Brandon Williams, 26, of Dover, was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark. Williams previously pled guilty to stealing firearms from a Millsboro gun store and to the possession of a firearm by a person prohibited from possessing guns, due to Williams’ prior felony conviction in Delaware state court.
According to court documents, Williams, 26, broke into Baker’s Hardware, a federal firearm licensee, in Millsboro on May 5, 2017, and stole thirteen handguns and an AR-15-style rifle. Williams was arrested shortly after selling the stolen AR-15-style rifle in March 2019.
“The defendant’s arrest occurred almost two years after he robbed a Millsboro business and stole over a dozen firearms. Patience, perseverance and collaboration with our state and local partners made the prosecution of this gun store robbery possible. We will not stop until those who place our community at risk by trafficking in stolen firearms are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss.
“Offenders who steal from federally licensed gun dealers not only threaten the safety of our communities but they also victimize law-abiding businesses,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “A firearm in the hands of someone with criminal intentions is a dangerous situation and ATF is committed to stopping the flow of illegal firearms onto our streets.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Delaware State Police, and the Millsboro Police Department investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-62-LPS.
Domestic Altercation Involving Firearm Leads to Ten-Year SentenceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – WENDELL L. REEVES, 32, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to an indictment filed on March 19, 2019, Reeves possessed 86 rounds of .22 LR ammunition and five spent cartridge cases of .22 LR ammunition in Oklahoma City on June 28, 2018, after he had been convicted of a felony. He pleaded guilty on May 10, 2019.
According to court filings, Reeves possessed ammunition in connection with a physical altercation with an ex-girlfriend, whom he hit three times before he retrieved a firearm and fired at least six shots at her in an area where children were present. The shots did not injure the ex-girlfriend, who fled to a relative’s nearby residence and escaped further harm only when bystanders intervened to keep Reeves from forcing his way inside. Court filings also explain that Reeves spoke belligerently in jail telephone calls after his arrest, including remarking he should have killed the ex-girlfriend.
Today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Reeves to 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Hutzell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. For more information about Project Guardian, please see the Attorney General’s announcement here. The case is also part of "Operation 922," the district’s local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian. "Operation 922" prioritizes firearms prosecutions connected to domestic violence, including domestic violence abusers who possess a firearm and are subject to a victim protective order or have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Reference is made to court filings for further information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Doddridge County man sentenced for sex offender registry violationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyler Patrick Pietschmann, of Greenwood, West Virginia, was sentenced today to time served and five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Pietschmann, age 21, will serve the first three months of his supervised release on home detention. He pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration” in September 2019. Pietschmann, a person required to register as a sex offender, admitted to traveling from Pennsylvania to West Virginia without updating his sex offender registration from December 2018 to February 2019.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen Issues Update to Memo on the Applicability of the Wire Act to Non-Sports GamblingRead the Press Release
In the December 18, 2019 memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys, Assistant Attorneys General, and the FBI, the Deputy Attorney General extended the grace period until June 30, 2020, on implementing the Office of Legal Counsel's (OLC) 2018 opinion finding that all but one of the prohibitions of the Wire Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1084, apply to non-sports gambling. During the grace period, federal prosecutors should not apply the Wire Act to non-sports-related betting or wagering. The Deputy Attorney General also directed that, to ensure continuity across the country, any Wire Act charges must be reviewed and approved by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to Publish Joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Restrict Certain Criminal Aliens' Eligibility for AsylumRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (collectively, “the Departments”) today issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend their respective regulations in order to prevent certain categories of criminal aliens from obtaining asylum in the United States. Upon finalization of the rulemaking process, the Departments will be able to devote more resources to the adjudication of asylum cases filed by non-criminal aliens.
Asylum is a discretionary immigration benefit that generally can be sought by eligible aliens who are physically present or arriving in the United States, irrespective of their status, as provided in section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1158. However, in the INA, Congress barred certain categories of aliens from receiving asylum. In addition to the statutory bars, Congress delegated to the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to establish by regulation additional bars on asylum eligibility to the extent they are consistent with the asylum statute, as well as to establish “any other conditions or limitations on the consideration of an application for asylum” that are consistent with the INA. Today, the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security are proposing to exercise their regulatory authority to limit eligibility for asylum for aliens who have engaged in specified categories of criminal behavior. The proposed rule will also eliminate a regulation concerning the automatic reconsideration of discretionary denials of asylum applications in limited cases.
The proposed regulation would provide seven additional mandatory bars to eligibility for asylum. The proposed rule would add bars to eligibility for aliens who commit certain offenses in the United States. Those bars would apply to aliens who are convicted of:
(1) A felony under federal or state law;
(2) An offense under 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A) or § 1324(a)(1)(2) (Alien Smuggling or Harboring);
(3) An offense under 8 U.S.C. § 1326 (Illegal Reentry);
(4) A federal, state, tribal, or local crime involving criminal street gang activity;
(5) Certain federal, state, tribal, or local offenses concerning the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant;
(6) A federal, state, tribal, or local domestic violence offense, or who are found by an adjudicator to have engaged in acts of battery or extreme cruelty in a domestic context, even if no conviction resulted; and
(7) Certain misdemeanors under federal or state law for offenses related to false identification; the unlawful receipt of public benefits from a federal, state, tribal, or local entity; or the possession or trafficking of a controlled substance or controlled-substance paraphernalia.
The seven proposed bars would be in addition to the existing mandatory bars in the INA and its implementing regulations, such as those relating to the persecution of others, convictions for particularly serious crimes, commission of serious nonpolitical crimes, security threats, terrorist activity, and firm resettlement in another country.
Under the current statutory and regulatory framework, asylum officers and immigration judges consider the applicability of mandatory bars to asylum in every proceeding involving an alien who has submitted an application for asylum. Although the proposed regulation would expand the mandatory bars to asylum, the proposed regulation does not change the nature or scope of the role of an immigration judge or an asylum officer during proceedings for consideration of asylum applications.
The proposed rule would also remove the provisions at 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(e) and §1208.16(e) regarding reconsideration of discretionary denials of asylum. The removal of the requirement to reconsider a discretionary denial would increase immigration court efficiencies and reduce any cost from the increased adjudication time by no longer requiring a second review of the same application by the same immigration judge.
Danville Man Sentenced to 54 Years and 7 months for Spree of Armed Robberies throughout Virginia, North CarolinaRead the Press Release
Lynchburg, VIRGINIA – Justin Stallings, a Danville man who was convicted in March of committing seven armed robberies of businesses in Danville, Bedford, Rocky Mount, and Prospect Hill, N.C., was sentenced today to 54 years and 7 months incarceration in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today as part of the Western District of Virginia’s ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative to reduce violent crime.
A jury convicted Stallings, 34, in March, following a three-day trial of six counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, six counts of using a firearm in commission of a Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of being a convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm.
“This case illustrates our commitment to prosecuting violent offenders and serious firearms offenses in federal court,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “I am grateful for the hard work and continuing support of our many state and local partners in helping us to identify violent offenders in specific communities and hold them accountable under federal law.”
“The FBI is fully committed to identifying violent offenders who prey on our communities and removing them from our streets,” Special Agent in Charge Archey said today. “Mr. Stallings robbed multiple businesses and victimized employees during his crime spree, and the sentence handed down today is just. This investigation was conducted by the FBI Richmond Safe Streets Gang Task Force, who along with our state and local partners, will continue to utilize our manpower and resources to protect the communities we serve.”
A jury found that Stallings committed seven armed robberies between December 2016 and February 2017. At each location, Stallings entered a store near closing time and pointed his firearm at employees. Through fear and intimidation of the employees, he then proceeded to steal cash from the register and goods from the store. All told, Stallings used a firearm to commit robberies at each of the following businesses in Virginia and North Carolina:
- Dollar General located on South Main Street in Danville, Va., on December 8, 2016;
- Dollar General located on Westover Drive in Danville, Va. on January 8, 2017;
- KFC located on Memorial Drive in Danville, Va., on January 11, 2017;
- Charlie’s Stop N Shop located on Westover Drive in Danville, Va., on January 20, 2017;
- Dollar General located in Caswell County, North Carolina, on January 25, 2017;
- Dollar General located on Blue Ridge Avenue in Bedford, Va., on February 5, 2017;
- Dollar General located on Pell Avenue in Rocky Mount, Va., on February 6, 2017.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Danville Police Department, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Caswell County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office, the Bedford Police Department, the Rocky Mount Police Department and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Bedford County. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh and Rachel Swartz prosecuted the case for the United States.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Contract Postal Carrier Arrested on Theft of Mail ChargesRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas and Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division, announced today that Joshua Wayne Williams was arraigned yesterday on federal charges. A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted Williams on four counts of Theft of Mail last month.
According to the Indictment, in October 2019, the Paris, Arkansas, Postmaster contacted a U.S. Postal Inspector and explained that several customers had complained about their greeting cards being stolen.
It was later learned that Williams was the driver on the route and that he had been working for Moore US Mail Contractors Incorporated delivering mail for the US Postal Service.
On October 30, 2019, Postal Inspectors conducted an undercover operation and were able to identify Williams as being the individual responsible for the mail theft.
A vehicle stop was conducted and Williams was placed under arrest for mail theft.
Duane (DAK) Kees, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas stated, “I applaud the hard work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and their efforts to combat and prevent those in our society that would take advantage of this holiday season in order to prey upon the innocent.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division Inspector in Charge Thomas Noyes stated, “With the upcoming holidays, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our employees, customers, and the nation’s mail system from criminal attacks. We work to ensure America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail by enforcing over 200 federal laws in investigations of crimes that may adversely affect postal customers or the fraudulent use of the U.S. Mail. We will investigate any violation of the American public’s trust in the mail system and bring those responsible to justice. We encourage the public to visit our website, www.uspis.gov, to learn how best to protect themselves and how to report mail related crimes. We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Logan County Sheriff’s Office and our federal and local law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.”
United States Magistrate Judge Mark E. Ford presided over Williams’s arraignment yesterday.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Logan County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Claude Hawkins and Kyra Jenner are prosecuting the case for the United States.
An Indictment is merely an accusation. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Champlin Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for String of Twin Cities RobberiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of MARTAVIS SHAWN DEMAR JAMES, 38, to 180 months in prison for the robbery and attempted robbery of 10 Twin Cities businesses. JAMES, who was convicted on May 17, 2019, was sentenced on December 17, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald said, “The defendant committed a series of robberies at businesses across the Twin Cities, terrifying its employees and customers. The outstanding collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies to bring Mr. James to justice is another example of the work under our Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.”
As proven at trial, between March and June of 2018, JAMES robbed or attempted to rob at least 10 businesses located across the Twin Cities metro area, including locations in Anoka, Hennepin, and Ramsey Counties. The robberies mostly involved CVS Pharmacy stores across the Twin Cities metropolitan area, as well as a Dollar Tree Store in Coon Rapids and a Blaine BigLots store. In each successful robbery instance, JAMES wore a black hooded coat, a black mask and black gloves. He would point a perceived firearm at the store employee(s), demand access to the business safe, order the employee(s) to put the cash into a duffel bag, and order them to the ground before fleeing.
Law enforcement identified JAMES and began conducting surveillance on him. On June 1, 2018, law enforcement agents followed JAMES as he drove to a CVS store in Eden Prairie. Law enforcement agents and officers, as well as CVS security personnel, were able to lock the front doors of the CVS store prior to JAMES’ arrival, preventing him from gaining entry when he approached. When JAMES returned to his vehicle he was apprehended by law enforcement.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from multiple local agencies and departments that initially investigated the robberies that occurred in their jurisdictions.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
MARTAVIS SHAWN DEMAR JAMES, 38
Champlin, Minn.
Convicted:
- Hobbs Act Robbery, 8 counts
- Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, 2 counts
Sentenced:
- 180 months in prison
- 3 years supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Carmel Attorney Pleads Guilty in White Plains Federal Court to Tax Evasion and Failure to Pay over Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jonathan D. Larsen, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today FRANCIS J. O’REILLY, a Carmel attorney, pled guilty to failure to pay over payroll taxes and tax evasion for the calendar year 2015. O’REILLY pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Francis O’Reilly is an attorney who has been in practice for three decades. He certainly ought to know his obligations under the law at least as well as any non-lawyer. And yet, today he admitted that he failed to pay over payroll taxes for years, and failed to report personal income and pay taxes due on that for years as well. Now O’Reilly awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said: “Francis O’Reilly spent over two decades trying to evade his personal and business tax obligations using a multitude of schemes. Not only did Mr. O’Reilly evade his own personal tax obligations, but he also stole payroll taxes collected from his own employees. It is ironic that Mr. O’Reilly specialized in criminal defense, as his actions in this case are wholly criminal. As we enter the beginning of the tax filing season, it’s important to remember the consequences associated with tax fraud and tax evasion. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates to Mr. O’Reilly and all other criminals that these types of offenses will not be tolerated. IRS-CI appreciates the assistance of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in helping to bring Mr. O’Reilly to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information to which O’REILLY pled guilty and statements made in court:
In or about 1989, O’REILLY was admitted to practice law in New York State. At all relevant times, O’REILLY was a self-employed attorney who maintained a law practice in Putnam County, New York (the “O’Reilly Law Practice”). The O’Reilly Law Practice specialized in, among other things, bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and criminal defense.
O’REILLY operated the O’Reilly Law Practice as a sole proprietorship. In the calendar year 2015, O’REILLY had between approximately three and eight paid employees. As the owner and operator of the O’Reilly Law Practice, O’REILLY exercised control over the O’Reilly Law Practice’s financial affairs and was a responsible person under federal law for collecting, truthfully accounting for, and paying over payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
During the calendar year 2015, O’REILLY withheld payroll taxes from the salaries of some employees of the O’Reilly Law Practice and filed Forms 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns, reporting substantial amounts of payroll taxes due and owing to the IRS. However, O’REILLY failed to pay over the payroll taxes for employees of the O’Reilly Law Practice to the IRS as required by law. Instead, O’REILLY spent the withheld payroll taxes, which O’REILLY was required to hold in trust for the United States Government, on personal and business expenses.
O’REILLY’s failure to pay over payroll taxes for 2015 was part of a long-running course of conduct. Between 1997 and 2018, O’REILLY failed to pay over a total of approximately $155,771 in payroll taxes, resulting in a liability of approximately $232,283 after interest and penalties.
In addition to failing to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS, O’REILLY also committed personal tax evasion. During the calendar year 2015, O’REILLY withdrew approximately $119,427 from his attorney trust account at KeyBank (the “Attorney Trust Account”) for personal use. O’REILLY did not report the income he realized from the Attorney Trust Account on his 2015 Form 1040, United States Individual Income Tax Return, which O’REILLY prepared and filed with the IRS in or about April 2016. Instead, O’REILLY’s 2015 Form 1040 declared only approximately $58,223 in business income and a corresponding tax liability in the approximate amount of $14,403, which O’REILLY did not pay.
O’REILLY’s conduct with respect to his personal income taxes in 2015 was also part of a long-running tax evasion scheme. During the calendar years 2013 through 2017, O’REILLY withdrew a total of approximately $481,673 from his Attorney Trust Account for personal use. O’REILLY did not pay taxes on this income and did not report it on his federal individual tax returns. In addition, O’REILLY failed to pay most of the taxes that O’REILLY reported on his tax returns for the calendar years 2007 through 2015 and 2018. In total, in the calendar years 2007 through 2018, O’REILLY evaded the payment of approximately $566,027 in personal federal income taxes, including interest and penalties.
In or about late 2016, in an effort to settle his outstanding tax liabilities, including his personal tax liabilities for the calendar years 2002 through 2015 and payroll tax liabilities for the period 2006 through 2015, O’REILLY submitted an offer in compromise to the IRS proposing to settle at least approximately $691,561 in outstanding tax liabilities for merely $12,400. In the 2016 offer in compromise, which O’REILLY signed under penalty of perjury, O’REILLY made several material misstatements and omissions regarding his income and assets. Among other things, O’REILLY’s offer in compromise: (a) failed to disclose the existence of O’REILLY’s Attorney Trust Account, from which, as described above, O’REILLY drew substantial income; (b) failed to disclose real property and land that O’REILLY owned in Socorro County, New Mexico; and (c) failed to disclose a 2010 Lincoln vehicle that O’REILLY had recently purchased for approximately $16,000.
* * *
O’REILLY, 61, of Danbury, Connecticut, pled guilty to one count of failing to pay over payroll taxes and one count of tax evasion for the calendar year 2015, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, O’REILLY has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of at least $801,969. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2020, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of IRS Criminal Investigation in this case.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution.
Carbon County Man Sentenced to 100 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 16, 2019, United States District Court Judge James M. Munley sentenced Donald Fritz, Jr., age 48, of Palmerton, Pennsylvania to 100 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, for crystal methamphetamine trafficking and for possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Fritz sold crystal methamphetamine in the Palmerton area in June and July 2015. During a search warrant executed at Fritz’s residence, law enforcement recovered over one kilogram of high-purity crystal methamphetamine, six firearms and associated ammunition, an explosive device, $1,200 in counterfeit currency, and over $29,000 in cash, all of which was seized and forfeited. The forfeited firearms were:
- Taurus .357 magnum;
- Walther PPK .380 ACP;
- Hi Point Model JCP .40 caliber, bearing a defaced serial number;
- Heritage .17 caliber revolver;
- Marlin .22 caliber rifle; and
- Traditions .50 caliber inline muzzleloader.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Berkeley County couple admit to fraudRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jimmie and Thanikwa Thompson, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, have admitted to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jimmie, age 26, and Thanikwa, age 25, each pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.” The Thompsons secured a renter’s insurance policy from Allstate Insurance Company for $85,000 in February 2018. Later that month, the Thompsons purchased a space heater from a retailer and positioned it against an inflatable air mattress in their apartment on Winchester Avenue in Martinsburg. The couple then left the apartment with their dog to allow the space heater time to catch the apartment on fire. They then filed a fraudulent claim with Allstate to recover $50,000 of losses from the fire, and to secure a hotel room for several months of temporary housing.
Jimme and Thanikwa are each facing up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Jarod J. Douglas are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Fire Marshal and Allstate Insurance Company investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Bergen County Man Charged with Defrauding Victim of $780,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man has been charged in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain $780,000 to purchase an apartment in Fort Lee, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Arthur Schwartz, 78, of Fort Lee, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2018, Schwartz obtained $780,000 from Victim-1 to purchase an apartment in Fort Lee by falsely stating that he possessed the funds to repay a short-term loan, but that his bank had temporarily blocked access to his account. Victim-1 agreed to extend the loan to Schwartz due and payable in 30 days. Schwartz used the money to purchase the apartment.
From March 2018 to May 2018, Schwartz made numerous false statements intended to make Victim-1 believe that Schwartz would be sending him money to pay down the loan. On March 16, 2018, Schwartz sent a text message to Victim-1 falsely stating that he was liquidating investments in a trust account into cash for the benefit of Victim-1. Schwartz sent an email to Victim-1 on March 27, 2018, that was intended to deceive Victim-1 into believing that Schwartz had access to a Wells Fargo account with a balance of approximately $1.5 million, and that Schwartz could use that money to pay back Victim-1. Schwartz instead spent tens of thousands of dollars redecorating his Fort Lee apartment.
The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Catherine R. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that James Edwards Gamble, age 42, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison following his conviction of possessing firearms by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Gamble to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearms involved be forfeited.
In a previous hearing before U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles, Gamble pled guilty to possessing a Jimenez Arms, JA Nine, 9mm pistol, an Armscorp M14 7.62 caliber semiautomatic rifle, and a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun. Gamble had previously been convicted of possession of cocaine in 1999 and cruelty to juveniles in 2015 in East Baton Rouge Parish.
On July 14, 2018, Baton Rouge City Police responded to a burglary at a cell phone shop on North Foster Drive. An officer observed two men enter the shop. As the two men left the shop in a stolen pickup truck, the officer attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled and, after a short chase, wrecked the truck. Both men then fled on foot. A canine officer and his dog quickly apprehended the driver of the pickup truck and Gamble. The officers found the loaded 9mm pistol, next to Gamble after a short struggle.
Later, Gamble’s residence was searched pursuant to a warrant. Officers found and recovered two additional firearms.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This case highlights our efforts to work with our local law enforcement partners. As a result of the excellent work of the Baton Rouge Police, we have removed a violent offender from this community. I commend our prosecutor, and our federal and local partners for their outstanding work in obtaining this conviction and significant sentence.”
“The conviction of James Edwards Gamble reinforces the message that no one is above the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bryan Vorndran. “Justice has been served to an individual who has terrorized communities with senseless firearm violence and burglary. We thank our local and federal partners for their efforts and cooperation throughout this investigation.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Baton Rouge City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Austin Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
In Austin today, 21-year-old Candido Rodriguez, III, admitted to assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officer last month, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer. Rodriguez, who faces up to 20 years in federal prison, remains in federal custody pending sentencing. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
On November 5, 2019, the victim was driving to work at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport and stopped at a traffic light just before the airport entrance. According to the factual basis filed in this case, to which Rodriguez admitted in court, Rodriguez approached the victim, who was behind the wheel of the vehicle the driver’s side window open several inches. The victim was wearing an official TSA uniform with TSA insignia plainly visible. Rodriguez engaged in a brief verbal exchange with the victim, during which he referred to the victim being an “officer.” The victim responded by stating that the victim was employed as a security officer at the airport. Rodriguez then forcibly opened the driver’s side door of the vehicle and began striking, scratching and cutting the victim’s head, face and right hand with a piece of broken glass or other sharp object.
The victim ultimately escaped from Rodriguez by accelerating through the intersection and onto airport property. A number of stitches were necessary to close cuts on the victim’s face and right hand.
The FBI conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the contributions of the Austin Police Department and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson announce launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Attorney General William P. Barr and John C. Anderson, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including Albuquerque - through a stream of federal resources.
At a press conference in Detroit, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average. Attorney General Barr was joined at the press conference by Acting Director Regina Lombardo of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Director Christopher Wray of the FBI, and Director Donald W. Washington of the U.S. Marshals Service.
United States Attorney John C. Anderson and Albuquerque-based federal and local law enforcement leaders announced their participation in the initiative in a press conference in Albuquerque immediately following the Attorney General’s press conference.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“We sincerely appreciate the commitment of Attorney General Barr and the Department of Justice to addressing violent crime in Albuquerque,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Operation Relentless Pursuit comes at a time when sustained federal support is urgently needed to help all the brave men and women in law enforcement who are daily called upon to respond to acts of violent crime on the streets of Albuquerque. We stand by them, and we will continue to work to strengthen all of our existing partnerships to meet the challenges ahead.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to work jointly with our law enforcement partners here in New Mexico to bring new resources to our state and enhance our ability focus on high-crime areas,” said Sonya K. Chavez, United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico. “This initiative will also send a strong message to those who choose to repeatedly break the law. We are not going away and we will continue to work together as a community to provide safe streets and a safe environment for New Mexico families.”
“The men and women of the Albuquerque FBI Division are eager and ready to participate in this initiative not only because fighting crime is what we do, but also because we live here and care deeply about the safety of our communities,” said James C. Langenberg, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office. “We will use the extra resources that will come through Operation Relentless Pursuit to continue to go after the violent repeat offenders responsible for much of the crime in our neighborhoods.
“Reducing violent crime in our community is a challenge that must be tackled head-on with our long standing partnership with state and local law enforcement professionals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas of the Phoenix Field Division. “Through the use of innovative crime gun enforcement strategies, combined with the skill sets and capabilities of all four of DOJ’s federal law enforcement agencies allows us to focus on those communities that are victimized by gun violence.”
“The DEA is proud to participate in this important nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of DEA’s El Paso Division. “By working together with shared determination, law enforcement agencies can leverage their individual tools, resources and expertise to make a positive and lasting impact around the country and in our local communities like Albuquerque.”
Operation Relentless Pursuit will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation “Relentless Pursuit”Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities - including Memphis, through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and United States Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
"Americans deserve to live in safety," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe."
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, along with federal law enforcement heads from the Western District of Tennessee as well as the Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced participation in the initiative in a press conference in Memphis immediately following the Attorney General’s national press conference.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Reducing violent crime requires all four of DOJ’s federal law enforcement agencies to work together with our individual tools and collective determination, as well as with our state and local law enforcement partners. Operation Relentless Pursuit reflects that coordinated team approach, and this surge of law enforcement resources will have an immediate impact to reduce violent crime, gang activity, and drug trafficking in Memphis."
"The U.S. Marshals Service is proud of our long and continuing practice of being an effective partner with federal, state and local law enforcement. We look forward to continuing the tradition with Operation Relentless Pursuit," said U.S. Marshal Jeffrey Holt.
"The FBI is prepared to expand our efforts under this initiative and work with all of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies collaboratively to address the violent crime plaguing our communities," said Special Agent in Charge M.A. Myers of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "We will combat violent crime through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations, and combine short term, street level enforcement activity with sophisticated techniques aimed to help build successful prosecutions."
"The dedicated men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration stand ready to work closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to help rid the Memphis area of the drugs and violence plaguing our comment," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Pritts, of DEA’s Louisville Field Division. "The people of Memphis deserve to live in a safe community and DEA is committed to providing it to them."
ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson remarked "ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence partnerships as part of ‘Operation Relentless Pursuit’ focuses on the devastating impact of firearms violence and works with the entire community to deter poor choices and provide alternatives to resolve disputes."
The Operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in general funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
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Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Regina Lombardo, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“The men and women of ATF are deeply committed to and focused on reducing crime gun violence in our communities,” said ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “We are proud that our efforts have significantly contributed to the historic reductions in violence that our nation has realized in recent years. Operation Relentless Pursuit combines the resources of ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Marshals to support our state and local law enforcement partners in those cities that – regrettably – continue to be plagued by rates of violent crime that are simply too high. Through Relentless Pursuit, we pledge to hold accountable the trigger-pullers, firearm traffickers, violent criminals and those who supply them the guns to terrorize our communities. ATF will aggressively utilize every available tool, including our crime gun enforcement teams, National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and firearms tracing to identify, investigate and support the prosecution of the most violent firearm offenders.”
“Drug traffickers – including cartels and street gangs – will stop at nothing to turn a profit, often using violence and intimidation to expand their reach,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This targeted surge of resources will further strengthen our ability to work with our federal, state, and local partners to pursue the worst offenders and make our communities safer.”
“The FBI remains committed to providing our specialized expertise and resources to assist our federal, state and local partners fighting violent crime,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “We are here today to reaffirm our dedication to reducing violent crime in the cities selected for Operation Relentless Pursuit to combat the threats that arise from gangs and criminal enterprises that drive violence in the communities we are sworn to protect.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud of the integral role we play in supporting Attorney General Barr’s strong leadership and commitment to combating violent crime and enhancing public safety throughout our nation,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to make communities safer by addressing violent crime at its core and taking the worst of the worst fugitives and other felons off the streets.”
The operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities—including Baltimore—through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and United States Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Baltimore-based federal, state, and local law enforcement leaders announced their participation in the initiative in a press conference immediately following the Attorney General’s.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“In spite of our efforts and achievements this year, violent-crime rates in our city remain stubbornly high,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Law enforcement here in Baltimore is committed to working together every day to get guns out of the hands of criminals and off of our streets, to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. The additional law enforcement personnel and funding provided by Attorney General Barr and the Department of Justice will help us work our way toward a safer Baltimore.”
“ATF is wholly focused on violent crime, removing the most dangerous and prolific offenders from the streets of Baltimore City. Our collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutors is critical to ensuring we are successful,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “Under Operation Relentless Pursuit, we will focus additional personnel and resources on our mission of identifying, investigating, and incarcerating Baltimore’s violent criminals.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong stated, “The DEA is committed, along with our federal partners here today, to this great effort to stem the tide of violence and drug trafficking activities we have seen across Baltimore. This new synchronization of investigative efforts inherent to Operation Relentless Pursuit will better target, disrupt, and dismantle violent criminal organizations across the area to help keep our neighborhoods safer.”
“The FBI is committed to pursuing those who commit violent crimes and threaten the safety of our communities. Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we have and will continue to pursue operations to bring violent criminals to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone. “Under the auspices of Operation Relentless Pursuit, we will collectively devote additional resources and efforts to attack the most violent offenders plaguing the city of Baltimore.”
Maryland U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes stated, “We are looking forward to doing what we do best striking fear in the hearts of evil locating and arresting these violent felons who prey on the innocent and helpless.”
The Operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used by the seven selected cities to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
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Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including the combined metropolitan area of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas - through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources in Kansas City, Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison in the Western District of Missouri and U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister in Kansas, along with the federal law enforcement heads based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, announced their participation immediately following the Attorney General’s press conference.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“Kansas City, which has been wracked by too much violence for too long, is participating in this national initiative to focus more federal law enforcement resources where they are needed most,” Garrison said. “Operation Relentless Pursuit will deploy more agents and officers with additional resources to confront the epidemic of violent crime in our community. The very name of this operation – Relentless Pursuit – is a warning to violent criminals: We will not stop until you are behind bars.”
“I am excited about this opportunity for the Kansas City metro area to take part in a program that will provide us more manpower and more money to fight crime. Our goal is to make everyone in our community safer,” McAllister said.
“Driven by crime-gun intelligence, including the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, firearms tracing data and our experience and expertise in investigating violent gun crime, ATF, as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit, will continue to identify and hold accountable the trigger pullers and firearms traffickers that expose our neighborhoods to violence,” said Marino Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.
“This operation will allow the DEA to enhance our existing forces in an effort to disrupt and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations operating in the Kansas City metro area,” said Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. “These traffickers - including cartels and street gangs - will stop at nothing to turn a profit, often using violence and intimidation to expand their network.”
“The FBI remains committed to combatting violent crime throughout our city,” said Timothy R. Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Kansas City Division. “Through Operation Relentless Pursuit we will enhance existing forces to direct additional manpower and resources to target the hierarchy of criminal gangs and enterprises. Along with our federal, state and local partners we remain steadfast in our pursuit to dismantle and incapacitate the worst offenders responsible for violence in our community.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service will provide focused relentless pursuit of the most violent fugitives impacting the greater Kansas City area,” said U.S. Marshal Mark James of the Western District of Missouri. “We appreciate AttorneyGeneral Barr’s commitment of resources to help us in this fight.”
“Reducing violent crime in Kansas City will take a partnership involving law enforcement and the community,” said U.S. Marshal Ron Miller of the District of Kansas. “The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to work with our community every day, removing the most violent criminals from our streets.”
Operation Relentless Pursuit will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
The Operation will surge federal law enforcement resources into seven of America’s most violent cities – including Cleveland, Ohio
Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including Cleveland – through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, M.I., by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and United States Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.
United States Attorney Justin Herdman and the Cleveland-based federal law enforcement heads announced their participation in the initiative in a press conference immediately following the Attorney General’s remarks.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“Operation Relentless Pursuit is aptly named, as it is what we do every day in law enforcement through great partnerships on the federal, state, and local level,” said United States Attorney Herdman, “With these additional Department of Justice resources, we will tirelessly pursue the most violent criminals, fugitives, gang members and drug traffickers in our city. We will also relentlessly pursue a brighter, safer future for all of our friends and neighbors in Cleveland.”
“ATF’s Columbus Field Division is focused on reducing crime gun violence in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson. “We will work aggressively, using every tool in our toolbox, to identify, investigate and support the prosecution of the most violent firearm offenders. Our combined goal with our partners is a safer Cleveland for us all.”
“Drug traffickers are using a double edged sword to destroy communities. On one side are the poisons they peddle and the other edge is the violence that often accompanies their criminal enterprise," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. "Operation Relentless Pursuit will concentrate law enforcement action to combat violent crime in designated high impact areas. DEA will target the drug trafficking sources and distributors who comprise, finance, and otherwise sustain the operations of violent organizations."
“FBI Cleveland Division is proud to partner with numerous law enforcement agencies to enforce Operation Relentless Pursuit,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith. “We will continue to identify, investigate and hold accountable those choosing to engage in violent crime, but now we will have additional resources to utilize. Our strong, existing partnerships will benefit us greatly in our efforts to implement this DOJ initiative."
"The U.S. Marshals Service and the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force are prepared and committed to the Attorney General’s upcoming operation and surge into the community to reduce violence and increase safety,” stated U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott. “We will support this mission by working with our federal, state and local partners to take violent fugitives off the streets of Cleveland.”
The Operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
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Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation Relentless PursuitRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven American cities – including Milwaukee – through a surge in federal resources.
Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan., by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and United States Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels above the national average.
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger, supervisors of Milwaukee-based federal law enforcement agencies, and local law enforcement leaders announced their participation in the initiative at a press conference immediately following the Attorney General’s.
“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”
“Milwaukee is a great city whose residents deserve to live in safe, flourishing neighborhoods,” said United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement is committed working together to ensure the safety of every block in Milwaukee. Operation Relentless Pursuit represents an unprecedented pledge of new federal resources to enhance those efforts and hold accountable the small number of individuals who cause most of Milwaukee’s violence.”
“The men and women of ATF are deeply committed and focused on reducing crime gun violence in our communities and we are honored to participate in this important initiative in the city of Milwaukee,” commented Tim Jones, the Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division. “By fully exploiting National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) leads and other crime gun intelligence, we will focus on identifying and investigating criminals who are engaged in the commission of violent crime. These leads make connections to firearms that are used at various crime scenes. The Milwaukee Police Department does a fantastic job of using these leads to investigate and charge violent offenders. ATF will support the Milwaukee Police Department in this ongoing effort as well as follow up on the leads that have a federal nexus. We pledge to partner with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to hold accountable the trigger-pullers and other violent criminals, as well as the illegal firearms traffickers who supply the firearms used to terrorize our communities.”
DEA Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Robert Bell commented, “The DEA has a long history of working closely with our valued local, state, and federal partners to fight the drug trafficking and violence which plagues too many Milwaukee neighborhoods. The announcement of Operation Relentless Pursuit signals an increased focus by the U.S. Department of Justice, DEA, and our partners on saving lives that might otherwise be destroyed by drug trafficking and violence.”
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert E. Hughes said: "A key factor in combating violent gangs here in Milwaukee and across the country will always be strong partnership and collaboration. We share resources, information, and intelligence with our law enforcement partners, dedicated to disrupting and dismantling the most significant gangs."
The US Marshals Service is honored to participate in the Attorney General’s operation to bring the most dangerous criminals in the Milwaukee area into custody. With the infusion of resources and coordinated law enforcement effort, the US Marshals Service is confident the operation will have a significant impact in reducing the true source of violence in our community.
The Operation will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers within the selected cities, as well as enhancing federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Assault, strangulation of partner sends Hardin man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Hardin man who admitted punching and strangling his partner last year on the Crow Reservation was sentenced today to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
James Keith Bellrock, Jr., 44, pleaded guilty in August to assault resulting in serious bodily injury to a dating partner and to assault of a dating partner by strangulation.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said in court records that on Jan. 10, 2018, the victim told FBI agents during an interview at St. Vincent Healthcare’s emergency room in Billings that Bellrock had assaulted her at their St. Xavier residence, on the Crow Reservation.
Bellrock had become angry and then violent with the victim, punching her in the head and face several times and strangling her until she lost consciousness. Blood samples collected from the residence and from coveralls worn by Bellrock at the time of the assault showed strong support that the blood belonged to the victim.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek and Law Intern Ryan Warner prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Ansonia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ABDUL JALIL HUMPHREY, 26, of Ansonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Humphrey in 2017 after a report that Humphrey had stolen a firearm out of a car in Stratford. During the investigation, Humphrey s denied stealing this firearm. In May 2018, ATF special agents examined a video of Humphrey handling a firearm in the summer of 2017. Analysis of the video revealed that the firearm was a Taurus, PTIII Millennium G2, 9mm pistol, which had been purchased by Humphrey’s friend at a gun shop in North Carolina on June 21, 2017.
Humphrey’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance and assault in the second degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Humphrey was arrested on October 30, 2018. On August 19, 2019, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Humphrey, who is released on a $25,000 bond pending, is required to report to prison on February 18, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the ATF and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.