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Wednesday 6 November 2019
Miami Super Bowl Host Committee and Partners Launch Outdoor Stop Sex Trafficking CampaignRead the Press Release
“Station Domination” takes place at Knight Center Metromover Station
The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, in conjunction with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade, and other partners has launched a comprehensive outdoor campaign to stop sex trafficking in Miami-Dade County leading up to and beyond the February 2020 Super Bowl in Miami.
The campaign includes a rapid response local text or call trafficking hotline, 305-FIX-STOP, introduced to complement national and other hotlines. This means victims or community members who report trafficking crimes to the local hotline will be connected directly with local “305” Miami rapid response resources.
The launch event featured a complete “Station Domination” take over at the Knight Center Metromover Station. The campaign encompasses billboards, Metromover car wrap, transit stations, bus shelters, Metrorail interior posters, Metrorail station posters and Miami Beach local buses, as well as significant social media efforts. The campaign will be expanded to include additional messaging, languages, media, and locations.
“Earlier this year we launched our Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign – an unprecedented effort involving local, state and federal agencies, as well as a significant number of other partners who have come together to combat sex trafficking with new tools and zero tolerance,” said Miami Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Since, we’ve worked together and tirelessly to ensure we do our very best to address this critical issue and create a model that will make a difference in our community, future Super Bowl host cities and beyond.
According to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, “This is a highly coordinated rapid response capability to recover victims and arrest offenders, including buyers and traffickers, and engage the local community to help victims escape and report trafficking.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is also a committed partner of the anti-trafficking campaign. The Chief Federal Prosecutor for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan stated, “Sex traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society. They do so without regard to the devastation caused by their criminal acts, as they force and compel victims into prostitution, deprive them of their dignity and profit from their victimization. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to seek justice for the victims and just punishment for the traffickers. We implore the public to help us protect and serve our community by reporting suspected sex trafficking and/or human trafficking.”
Other key partners include:
- Ashley Moody, Attorney General for the State of Florida
- George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami, FL
- Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Miami, FL
- The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force
- The South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force
- Over 300 local participating local community organizations
- Stakeholders from throughout local, state, and federal agencies, and throughout the national anti-trafficking community.
“In our convening activity, our collective theme has been “One Team” to represent the determined work of all of the law enforcement agencies and community partners working together,” said The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade Executive Director Kathy Andersen. “We are united to build the strongest force in the country to combat trafficking. Our community is the eyes and voices of those enslaved against their will in trafficking. It is most significant that the campaign is informed directly by trafficking survivor-leaders and community partner working groups. Beware buyers and traffickers. You will be exposed and prosecuted.”
The campaign focuses on three messages:
- “See It. Snap It. Send It,” which alerts the community to use the Miami local hotline 305-FIX-STOP to activate the local Miami rapid response capabilities by texting or calling.
- “Not What You Think,” which features a middle-aged woman with a preteen girl, informing the community that sex trafficking may be facilitated by women as well as men, and breaking the myths of trafficking “stereotypes.”
- “Buy Sex. Be Exposed,” representing a man having been arrested for buying sex, reminding people that buying sex is illegal in Florida. The sex buyer online database in Florida took effect on July 1, 2019, ensuring buyers will be publicly exposed.
The campaign also includes the 24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline: Call 1-888-3737-888, text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages.
The highly collaborative campaign represents a united fight to combat human trafficking because:
- Tragically, Miami-Dade ranks #1 in the State of Florida, which ranks third in the nation, for human trafficking;
- Sex traffickers target our most vulnerable children, particularly those who have been sexually exploited, runaways and children in our child welfare system;
- In Miami-Dade approximately 40% of victims are minors, and 60% are adults with an average age of 18-23 years old;
- In Miami-Dade, there are documented cases of children as young as 12 being sold for sex;
- Children have reported being sold up to 20 times in a day;
- Sex traffickers consider trafficking in children to be a high-profit, low-risk enterprise. Some estimates project that a trafficker can make $150,000-$200,000 per child per year;
- Sex traffickers can be lone individuals, family members or extensive crime networks; and
- Sex trafficking exists within many venues, including homes, fake massage businesses, online escort services, residential brothels, in public on streets, truck stops, strip clubs, hotels and motels and elsewhere.
Mexican Man Indicted on Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A man from Mexico was indicted today on federal charges of identity theft, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Juan Tapia, 33, a citizen of Mexico, who has been living in Wichita, is charged with one count of using another person’s Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States.
Tapia also is connected to the case involving Andrew J. Pleviak, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, who is charged with impersonating a federal officer. Pleviak allegedly pretended to be an ICE supervisor in September 2019 when he tried to get Tapia out of the Kingman County Jail. Pleviak was indicted Oct. 9 and is awaiting trial.
If convicted, Tapia could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the Social Security charge, a mandatory two years (consecutive) on the identity theft charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The Kansas Department of Revenue investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jacob J. Gray, 20, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 1, 2019, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Cory L. Washington, 35, Wichita, Kan., is charged with four counts of theft by a postal employee. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in April, May, June and July 2019 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Menominee Woman Charged with Retaliating against a WitnessRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 5, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Elmira J. Corn (Age: 29), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and a resident of Neopit, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The indictment charged Corn with Obstructing Justice by Retaliating against a Witness, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1513(b) and 2. If convicted, Corn faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to the indictment, on or about October 7, 2019, Corn engaged in conduct that caused bodily harm in retaliation for the victim giving information to law enforcement about a federal offense.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation’s Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Menominee Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 5, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Robert J. Kapishkowit (Age: 26), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and a resident of Neopit, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The indictment charged Kapishkowit with Sexual Abuse of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2243(a) and 1153(a). If convicted, Kapishkowit faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, from 5 years to life on supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to the indictment, on or about June 11, 2018, Kapishkowit engaged in a sex act with a person who had reached the age of 12 years, but had not reached the age of 16 years, and who was at least 4 years younger than him. The assault allegedly occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Member of Southeastern Connecticut Drug Ring Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BENJAMIN GREGOR, 34, of Uncasville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a southeastern Connecticut drug trafficking ring.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, and firearms.
Gregor and 10 co-conspirators were arrested on February 21, 2019. On that date, a search of Gregor’s residence revealed approximately 470 grams of cocaine.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Gregor and 23 other individuals with various offenses.
Gregor has been detained since his arrest. On July 10, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Gregor’s criminal history includes a prior federal narcotics conviction, and state convictions for domestic violence-related offenses.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook and UConn Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Member of Armed Robbery Crew Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Tiffany Edmundson, age 31, of Greenbelt, Maryland, today to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit two armed robberies. Judge Grimm also ordered Edmundson to pay restitution of $1,740.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Peter Newsham of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief Anthony Morgan of the Mount Rainier Police Department.
According to her plea agreement and other court documents, Edmundson committed two robberies on May 31, 2012. Edmundson’s role in the robberies included conducting surveillance of the target businesses before the robberies, planning the robberies with her co-conspirators—including knowing that at least one co-conspirator would be armed with a gun, participating in the robberies, and dividing and receiving a portion of robbery proceeds. During the robberies, Edmundson and her co-conspirators partially hid their faces with cloths or a mask.
Specifically, Edmundson and two co-conspirators, Anthony Akrah Morris and Chavez Tyrone Smith, robbed a 7-Eleven store at 1:05 a.m. on May 31, 2012, located in the 12000 block of Laurel Bowie Road in Laurel, Maryland. Smith stood at the entrance of the store to watch for other customers or law enforcement. Smith was armed with a gun, which he brandished at people inside the store. The robbers ordered customers to the floor. Morris took approximately $340 from the store cash register. Edmundson and Morris also took $475 worth of cigarettes from the store. Edmundson also took money and items from customers, including an Apple iPhone from a female customer. The co-conspirators fled from the store in a vehicle driven by co-conspirator Cornelius Jennings.
Shortly thereafter, at 2:59 a.m., Edmundson, Morris, and Jennings entered a McDonald’s restaurant located in the 15000 block of Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. Jennings brandished a firearm at persons inside the restaurant. Edmundson and her co-conspirators forced employees to open the restaurant’s safe from which they stole $1,400 in cash. They fled in a getaway vehicle driven by Smith.
Edmundson pleaded guilty on February 13, 2013, but her sentencing was delayed as a result of intervening litigation related to a Supreme Court decision which vacated her conviction on the gun charge to which she had pleaded guilty.
After several reported violations of her pre-sentence release conditions, on January 10, 2019, a detention hearing was held before Judge Grimm, in which Edmundson sought to avoid detention pending sentencing. In anticipation of the hearing, Edmundson created a letter from her supervisor at her place of employment extolling her work performance. She provided the letter to her counsel with the hope that it would be shared with the Court. The letter was subsequently relied on by counsel and provided to the Court. The letter, however, was discovered to be false and was created by Edmundson without her supervisor’s knowledge or consent.
Anthony Akrah Morris, age 30, of Burtonsville, Maryland, was convicted after trial and sentenced to 505 months in prison for conspiring to commit robbery, two counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. Chavez Tyrone Smith, age 40, and Cornelius Jennings, age 32, both of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies and were sentenced to 16 years and 111 months in federal prison, respectively.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Mount Rainier Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur praised the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance and coordination. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Medinger for his work on the appeals.
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Marty Man and Yankton Man Sentenced for Kidnapping and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Marty, South Dakota, man convicted of Kidnapping was sentenced on November 4, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Gavin Little, age 23, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons also announced that a Yankton, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on November 4, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Christian Garcia, age 25, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100
Little and Garcia were indicted by a federal grand jury on January 8, 2019. Both defendants pled guilty on August 15, 2019.
On November 25, 2018, Little and Garcia, along with two juveniles, assaulted an adult male, Keith Cournoyer, at a home in east housing of Marty, on the Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation. After the man was severely beaten and unconscious, Little loaded him into a vehicle and left the scene. A high-speed chase ensued near Greenwood before Little abandoned the vehicle and fled away on foot. Tribal officers found Cournoyer in the back of the vehicle, unconscious. He was flown to Sioux Falls for emergency medical treatment.
The investigation was conducted by the Yankton Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper.
Little and Garcia were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lodge Pole man convicted of domestic abuse by habitual offenderRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – After a three-day trial, a jury today convicted a Lodge Pole man accused of assaulting his girlfriend on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The jury found Jeremy Davis Wing, 40, guilty of domestic abuse by habitual offender. Wing faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Feb. 27, 2020. Wing was detained pending further proceedings. The trial began on Monday.
"Volence against Native American women by a domestic partner occurs far too often. Repeat abusers like Mr. Wing will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Cobell and Kalah Paisley and the prosecution team, along with the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services for their work on the case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
At trial, the parties stipulated that Wing had at least two prior separate domestic assault convictions.
On May 19, 2018 and into the next day, Wing physically assaulted the victim, his girlfriend. Wing and the victim were living together at the time of assault. Wing and victim were drinking alcohol with a man and a woman when the couple argued. Wing became violent with the victim and also told the woman to beat up on the victim. Both Wing and the woman assaulted the victim.
Later, the woman again assaulted the victim at a nearby residence and walked across a yard to get Wing, telling him to “come get your woman.” The woman and Wing continued to assault and kick the victim, before Wing eventually dragged her from a bedroom and pushed her back to their residence. Wing continued beating the victim inside his home. A neighbor called tribal police to report the incident. Tribal officers arrived and arrested Wing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Cobell and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.
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L.A.-Based U.S. Attorney’s Office to Participate in Procurement Collusion Strike Force that Will Combat Antitrust Crimes and Related Schemes in Government Procurement, Grant and Program FundingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department has announced the formation of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) that will focus on deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes – such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes – which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California will be among participants on the PCSF.
In making the announcement on Tuesday, Justice Department officials said the PCSF will be an interagency partnership consisting of prosecutors from the Antitrust Division, prosecutors from 13 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and investigators from the FBI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and other partner federal Offices of Inspector General.
“I am proud that my office will participate in the new Strike Force and will play a role in ensuring that taxpayer money being paid to contractors will be protected from bid-rigging and other anti-competitive schemes,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna.
The PCSF will lead a national effort to protect taxpayer-funded projects at the federal, state and local level from antitrust violations and related crimes, starting with a focus on 13 districts throughout the country. Prosecutors from the Antitrust Division and the participating U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with agents from the FBI and partner Offices of Inspector General, will work together to conduct outreach and training for procurement officials and government contractors on antitrust risks in the procurement process. In addition, prosecutors and investigators will jointly investigate and prosecute cases that result from their targeted outreach efforts.
“To protect taxpayer dollars, the Justice Department is doing its part to eliminate anticompetitive collusion, waste and abuse from government procurement,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “To ensure taxpayers the full benefits of competitive bidding, experienced investigators and prosecutors with the necessary expertise will partner in this Strike Force to deter, detect and prosecute antitrust crimes and related schemes in government procurements.”
“The investigation and prosecution of individuals and organizations that cheat, collude and seek to undermine the integrity of government procurement are priorities for this administration,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The PCSF will train and educate procurement officials nationwide to recognize and report suspicious conduct in procurement, grant and program funding processes. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate our antitrust laws to cheat the American taxpayer.”
The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners have a history of prosecuting criminal antitrust conspiracies that take advantage of government contracts. In late 2018 and early 2019, for instance, five South Korean oil companies agreed to plead guilty for their involvement in a decade-long bid-rigging conspiracy that targeted contracts to supply fuel to U.S. military bases in South Korea. The Antitrust Division also indicted seven individuals for conspiring to rig bids and to defraud the government, and one executive was also charged with obstruction of justice. In total, the companies have agreed to pay $156 million in criminal fines and over $205 million in separate civil settlements. This year, the Justice Department, in partnership with the GSA Office of Inspector General, also indicted individuals for involvement in rigging bids submitted to the GSA.
The PCSF’s investigative partners include the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
The PCSF has launched a publicly available website at https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force, where government procurement officials and members of the public can review information about the federal antitrust laws and training programs, and report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement.
Individuals and companies are encouraged to contact the PCSF if they have information concerning anticompetitive conduct involving federal taxpayer dollars by emailing [email protected].
Justice Department Settles with Public Accommodations to Protect the Rights of Veterans Who Use Service DogsRead the Press Release
As we mark Veterans Day 2019, the Justice Department announced two settlement agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to protect and advance equal access for veterans with disabilities who use service dogs. One agreement is with Deerfield Inn & Suites, in Gadsden, Alabama. The second agreement is with the Landmark Hotel Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which manages the Holiday Inn Express in Hampton, Virginia. These matters were investigated and resolved in furtherance of the Department’s commitment to ensuring that our veterans enjoy equal access to public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels, and shops.
The ADA generally requires public accommodations to provide access to individuals with disabilities who use service animals, including those who use service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety. Yet, in public accommodations across the country, individuals with disabilities are frequently barred from entering with a service animal.
“Individuals with disabilities, including veterans who have sacrificed for our country, have a right under federal law to the equal enjoyment of the services that a public accommodation provides to the public,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring equal access for our veterans, and we commend these businesses – the Deerfield Inn & Suites and the Landmark Hotel Group – for acknowledging their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and agreeing to implement policies and practices to ensure equal access for individuals who use service dogs.”
The Deerfield Inn & Suites agreement resolves allegations that, after driving many hours, a veteran arrived at the Deerfield Inn & Suites at 4:00 in the morning. When the desk clerk learned that the veteran was accompanied by her service dog, the desk clerk refused to honor the reservation, insisting that no dogs were permitted in the hotel. Despite numerous attempts by the veteran to explain that the dog was not a pet, but a highly trained animal required for disabilities she acquired in the service of our country, the clerk would not allow the veteran to stay at the hotel. As a result, and given the late hour, the veteran ended up sleeping in her car in the parking lot of a church.
Similarly, the complaint underlying the Landmark Hotel agreement alleged that, at the Holiday Inn Express managed by the Landmark Hotel Group, the desk clerk refused to honor a reservation by a veteran because he would not provide documentation that the dog with him was a service dog. The veteran informed the clerk that it was unlawful to ask for documents to establish that a dog is a service animal, but the desk clerk informed him that such documentation was corporate policy. The veteran then requested to speak to the hotel manager, who confirmed that it was the hotel’s policy to require such documentary proof. The veteran was forced to find another hotel.
Under the ADA, public accommodations generally must make modifications to their policies, practices or procedures – such as a no-pet policy – to permit the use of a service animal by a person with a disability. A service dog generally may go wherever the public is allowed to go, and a public accommodation may not require documentation about the service dog.
Under these agreements, both entities will adopt and implement a service dog policy; provide training on the service dog policy to employees and managers; post the service dog policy at their facilities and in their advertising; and pay money damages to the two veterans. All entities cooperated with the Department throughout the investigations.
People interested in finding out more about the ADA or this settlement agreement can call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov.
Jury convicts Nevada man in methamphetamine trafficking caseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A jury on Tuesday convicted a Nevada man of methamphetamine trafficking charges after an investigation in which he distributed the drug during an undercover purchase, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The jury found Ryan McGuire, 38, of Mound House, Nevada, guilty of conspiracy to distribute meth and distribution of meth. McGuire faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. The two-day trial began on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and set sentencing for March 12, 2020. Judge Watters continued McGuire’s release pending sentencing.
“Mr. McGuire’s conviction sends the message that we will charge and prosecute to the full extent of the law persons who try to push this poison to our community. I want to thank Assistant U. S. Attorney Cassady Adams and the prosecution team, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on the case,” Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution presented evidence at trial that DEA agents learned in May 2016 that a Billings woman, Angela Killen, was selling pills. In September 2016, an undercover agent met with Killen, who indicated she could introduce him to a source for meth. The agent purchased hydromorphone pills from Killen and paid a referral fee for Killen to introduce him to her meth source.
Later in September 2016, undercover agents returned to Killen’s residence and bought about 26 grams of meth from Killen and McGuire. McGuire pulled a package of meth from his jacket and passed it to Killen, who then gave it to one of the agents. The other agent paid Killen $2,200 for the meth. The investigation also showed that McGuire’s phone was in contact with Killen’s phone on the dates leading up to the meth deal as well as on the day of the transaction.
Killen was convicted in the investigation and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Jury convicts Cleveland man of attempting to possess and distribute blue fentanyl pills marked as oxycodoneRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Cleveland man for attempting to possess and distribute over 600 grams of blue fentanyl pills marked as oxycodone.
Rayshawn D. Ligon, 39, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of attempt to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and escape, following a one-week trial. The jury found that Ligon intended to distribute blue pills marked to look like 30 milligram oxycodone hydrochloride pills, but were in fact pills laced with fentanyl. Ligon attempted to receive packages containing the blue fentanyl-laced pills through the U.S. mail. While Ligon was attempting to receive and distribute the blue fentanyl-laced pills, he was residing in a halfway house as he served the remainder of a 100-month federal sentence for trafficking heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base. When agents and investigators attempted to apprehend Ligon, he fled and was later apprehended in a neighboring state.
Ligon will be sentenced early next year. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Burke and Danielle Angeli following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal Firearms After Fatal CollisionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing firearms following a three-vehicle collision in which he struck and killed another motorist.
Keith L. Carnes, 30, was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.
Kansas City police officers responded to an accident at the intersection of 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue on Aug. 30, 2016. Three vehicles were involved in the accident, including a 2008 Pontiac G6 driven by Carnes. Witnesses told police officers that the Pontiac, which had multiple bullet holes in the driver’s side doors, was traveling southbound on Prospect Avenue at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for the red traffic signal. The Pontiac struck a Dodge Ram, which was westbound on 63rd Street, killing the driver and causing it to strike a Nissan Quest and a pole on the southwest corner of the intersection.
Carnes, who had blood on his t-shirt, told officers, “I have been shot, I know I have been shot.” Police officers broke a window in the Pontiac so they could reach Carnes and provide medical assistance. Officers saw a bag of marijuana and a Bersa Thunder .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun on the driver’s side floorboard. The handgun had blood on it. Carnes was transported by emergency medical service to an area hospital for treatment. The driver of the Dodge Ram was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated Carnes had used the same Bersa Thunder .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun in a shooting on Aug. 16, 2016, in the 3600 block of Wabash Avenue. The victim of that shooting positively identified Carnes in a photographic lineup as the person who fired four shots at him. Officers recovered shell casings from the scene of the shooting and a forensics expert later confirmed they were fired by the same firearm found in Carnes’ vehicle on Aug. 30, 2016.
Carnes had also been arrested for driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on Feb. 10, 2013. Kansas City police officers stopped Carnes, who was driving a Jeep Liberty, when radar indicated Carnes was driving 54 miles per hour in a 35-miles-per-hour zone. Officers, who smelled a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, found a loaded Glock .45-caliber pistol in Carnes’ waistband.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony, or who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance, to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carnes has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and assault.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately 50 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.
Under federal statutes, Carnes is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the three counts. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Jury Convicts Joplin Man of Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man has been convicted by a federal jury of illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.
Ty Cole Kitchingham, 24, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On July 19, 2018, a postal inspector alerted other law enforcement authorities to a suspicious package that had been shipped from Long Beach, California, to a Joplin residence. The parcel included a shipping address that did not exist and a recipient’s address in Joplin that appeared to be an abandoned home. The package had been checked through the U.S. Postal Service mail tracking system four times during the day. A police support canine indicated the package contained illegal drugs.
The next day, officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the vacant Joplin residence. Within 15 to 20 minutes of the package being checked again through the mail tracking system, Kitchingham arrived in a Ford Ranger pickup and parked near the residence. Kitchingham walked up to the porch and picked up the package, which he carried back to his vehicle. As Kitchingham got to the driver’s side door, he saw the officers approaching. Kitchingham ran with the box down an alleyway between two houses. As officers chased him, Kitchingham dropped the box and continued running.
Officers lost sight of Kitchingham and requested a manhunt. A county sheriff support canine was called to help track. Officers found Kitchingham inside a small shed in the back yard of a nearby residence and he was taken into custody.
Officers opened the package Kitchingham had dropped, which contained a toy lawnmower. Inside the toy lawn mower was 336.9 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm pistol and a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol inside Kitchingham’s pickup.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Nov. 5, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.
Under federal statutes, Kitchingham is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II and Special U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, Jasper County Sheriff Office, Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Iowa Man Charged with Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Iowa man is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of producing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Donavon Oliphant, 37, of Independence, Iowa, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of producing visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distribution of child pornography. Oliphant is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case:
In August 2019, Oliphant produced 11 images and four videos of child pornography. The videos depicted sexual acts involving a pre-pubescent child and an adult male. Oliphant then used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to share these images and videos with an individual located in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
Oliphant was arrested on Oct. 15, 2019, in Iowa and was detained without bail following an appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Cedar Rapids.
The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The distribution of child pornography offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman and Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Indiana Woman Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Bloomington, Indiana, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana was sentenced on November 4, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Sarah Worthman, age 26, was sentenced to time served as of December 2, 2019, (125 days), followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Worthman was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2019. She pled guilty on August 19, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on February 21, 2019, where Worthman, and co-defendant Branden Lee, were stopped by law enforcement for speeding on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation while driving a U-Haul truck. The traffic stop uncovered approximately 150 pounds of marijuana hidden in couches in the cargo hold. Lee had purchased the marijuana in California and was planning to distribute it in and around Chicago, Illinois.
Lee previously pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Hebbronville man guilty of smuggling nearly 130 pounds of marijuanaRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old resident of Hebbronville has entered a guilty plea to conspiring to possess with intent to deliver 58.5 kilograms of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jaime Saul Benavides admitted he knowingly attempted to smuggle the narcotics through the a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint.
On Aug. 11, Benavides attempted to drive a tan Chevrolet pick-up truck through the Border Patrol Checkpoint near Hebbronville. Upon arrival, a K-9 alerted to the possible presence of concealed narcotics in the truck. Authorities conducted an X-ray examination which revealed anomalies in the truck’s diesel tank. They found a hidden trap door connecting the toolbox to the diesel tank which resulted in the discovery of nine bundles of marijuana.
The drugs had a total weight of weighing 58.5 kilograms with an estimated street value of $48,000.
Sentencing will be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has At that time, Benavides faces up to 30 years in prison as well as a possible $2 million maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting the case.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Mitchell Dewayne May, Jr., 28, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $3000 fine, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
May was previously convicted of armed robbery in Forrest County in 2006 and was sentenced to serve 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with fourteen of those years suspended. On October 2, 2018, May was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop. On July 23, 2019, he pled guilty before Judge Starrett to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
In the time between his change of plea and this sentencing, May also pled guilty to a different felon in possession charge and an aggravated assault charge in Forrest County, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in state custody, with 15 of those years to serve, all to run consecutive to his federal charges. May’s 60-month sentence for his federal case also represented an upward variance from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Hattiesburg Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYLON CEASAR, 19, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of distribution of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on five occasions in November and December 2018, law enforcement made five controlled purchases of heroin and crack cocaine from Ceasar in the vicinity of his Putnam Street residence. Some of the purchased heroin contained fentanyl. In pleading guilty, Ceasar also admitted that he sold a firearm to a government witness in January 2019.
Ceasar was arrested on criminal complaint on January 17, 2019. He has been detained since August 13, 2019.
Ceasar is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on March 11, 2020, at which time Ceasar faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
Grant County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Elliot Wheeler, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms violation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wheeler, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime.” Wheeler admitted to having a 9mm pistol during a drug trafficking crime in March 2019 in Grant County.
Wheeler faces at least five years and up to life 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. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Douglas County Man Charged with Robbery & Gun Crimes
Patrick Staton, 29, Maple, Wisconsin, is charged with robbing a Brule, Wisconsin business and with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The indictment alleges that he robbed a Cenex gas station, a business in Brule engaged in interstate commerce, on August 30, 2019. The indictment further alleges that on September 2, 2019, Staton possessed a .45 caliber revolver and ammunition, a rifle, and a 9mm handgun and ammunition.
If convicted, Staton faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the robbery charge, and a maximum of 10 years on the felon in possession of firearms and ammunition charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Superior Police Department; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; St. Louis County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus is handling the prosecution.
Minnesota Man Charged with Robbery of River Falls Business
Larry Darnell Armstrong, 49, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with robbing North Town Cleaners, a business engaged in interstate commerce in River Falls, Wisconsin, on June 13, 2019. The indictment alleges that Armstrong’s accomplice brandished a firearm during the robbery.
If convicted, Armstrong faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the River Falls Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita Rumbelow is handling the prosecution.
Rock County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms
Austin L. Hedges, 24, Clinton, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing firearms after previously being committed to a mental institution. The indictment alleges that on October 9, 2019, he possessed three handguns, three rifles, and a shotgun.
Hedges was charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison on October 9, 2019, with illegally possessing one firearm knowing he had previously been committed to a mental institution. He was arrested and made an initial appearance in federal court that day. He was released from custody following a detention hearing on October 11.
If convicted, Hedges faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Clinton and St. Francis Police Departments; and Rock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Drug & Gun Crimes
Donte Moore, 32, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing heroin and fentanyl, possessing heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute, possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that Moore distributed a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl on four occasions in August and September 2019. The indictment also alleges that on October 9, 2019, he possessed 40 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. The indictment also alleges that on October 9, 2019, Moore possessed a .40 caliber handgun and ammunition.
If convicted, Moore faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the four distribution charges. The charge alleging 40 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, and the charge alleging 28 grams or more of crack cocaine each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years. The felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years. The charges against Moore are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Corey is handling the prosecution.
These indictments against these individuals have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Gilmer County man admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Waitman Larry Frederick, of Glenville, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Frederick, also known as “Cornbread,” age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine ,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises ,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.”
Frederick admitted to working with others to distribute large quantities of crystal methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” from July 2018 to November 2018 in Gilmer County and elsewhere. Frederick also admitted to operating a residence located at 18 East Main Street, Apartment C in Glenville for the purpose of distributing the drug. He also was illegally in possession of 10 different firearms.
Frederick faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy count, faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration for the aiding and abetting count, faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000 for the drug premises count, and faces at least five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Fugitive and Tax Fraud Promoter Captured and Set to Serve His 10 Year Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A fugitive and former Hillsboro, Oregon, tax fraud promoter, who had been on the run since he was supposed to start serving a 10 year prison sentence, was caught in Arizona and apprehended on Nov. 1, 2019, by the U.S. Marshals Service, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
Winston Shrout, 70, was convicted by a jury in April 2017 of submitting fraudulent financial instruments to banks and the U.S. Treasury, and failing to file income tax returns. According to the evidence presented at his trial and sentencing, from approximately 2008 through 2015, Shrout created and submitted more than 300 such fraudulent instruments. He also held seminars and private meetings to promote and market the use of these instruments to pay off debts, including federal taxes. Shrout sold recordings of his seminars, templates for fraudulent financial instruments and other materials through his website.
In addition, Shrout did not file his 2009 through 2014 tax returns despite earning substantial income from seminars, licensing fees associated with the sale of his products, and annual pension payments. Shrout admitted during trial that he had not paid income tax for at least 20 years.
On Oct. 22, 2018, Judge Robert E. Jones sentenced Shrout to 10 years in prison, to serve five years of supervised release, and to pay restitution to the IRS. Shrout failed to report to prison as ordered in March 2019, and was a fugitive until his arrest late last week. Shrout appeared in district court and will be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison term.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended the diligent investigation of the U.S. Marshals Service in Portland, Oregon, and Phoenix, Arizona, for bringing Shrout to justice. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman also commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, Trial Attorneys Stuart Wexler and Lee Langston of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bounds, for their support during the investigation, prosecution, and apprehension of the defendant in this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Four Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging ANDRES CANDELA-CRUZ, age 39, of Mexico, DARWIN MIGUEL GODOY-CARCAMO, age 30, of Honduras, MELQUIADES HERNANDEZCASTRO, age 38, of Mexico and EDWIN LOPEZ-MEDRANO, age 46, of Honduras with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, CANDELA-CRUZ, previously deported four times and found in Wake County, GODOY-CARCAMO, previously deported two times and found in Wake County, and HERNANDEZCASTRO, previously deported and found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
LOPEZ-MEDRANO, previously deported twice and found in New Hanover County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (aggravated assault). Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
Former Texas mayor and two others found guilty in $150 million money laundering and health care fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A federal jury found three men associated with a Texas health care company guilty today for their roles in a $150 million health care fraud scheme, one of which was a mayor in Texas at the time.
After a three-week trial, the jury found Rodney Mesquias, 47, San Antonio, Henry McInnis, 47, Harlingen, and Francisco Pena, 82, Laredo, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Mesquias and McInnis were found guilty of six counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Pena was also convicted of one count of health care fraud, obstruction of health care investigations and one count of false statements, while Mesquias and Pena were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera presided over the trial and set sentencing for June 17.
“Rodney Mesquias and his co-conspirators preyed on the most vulnerable population – those in need of hospice and home health care – to line their pockets with millions of dollars and engage in lavish spending,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication to bringing these health care fraudsters to justice. We look forward to continuing our partnership as we expand the Strike Force into the Rio Grande Valley.”
“It’s disgusting how these three made millions by lying about and manipulating people’s end of life care,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “These men won’t have season tickets or nice cars where they are headed.”
“Hospices should provide meaningful quality of life care for patients in the final stage of their disease. Rather than help these vulnerable patients, Mesquias and McInnis operating as the Merida Health Care Group along with Dr. Francisco Pena, exploited them and their families to steal millions of dollars from the American taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and bringing to justice those who undermine our health care system.”
“The decision to provide hospice services should be based on a patient’s medical condition and desire for palliative care, not the selfish motives of hospice executives intending to line their own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region. “Our agency will continue to protect Medicare patients and Medicare itself from such unscrupulous individuals.”
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2009 to 2018, Mesquias, McInnis and Pena engaged in a scheme that involved over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice and other health care services. Mesquias owned and controlled the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. McInnis was CEO. Pena, a licensed physician, was a medical director for the Merida Group and was at the time also the mayor of Rio Bravo. According to evidence presented at trial, the Merida Group enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimers and dementia, at group homes, nursing homes and in housing projects by falsely telling them they had less than six months to live and sent chaplains to lie to the patients and discuss last rites and preparation for their imminent death. In fact, the patients were not suffering from a terminal illness that was expected to result in their death within six months, as is required to qualify for hospice services, and were in some instances walking, driving, working and even coaching athletic sporting events. However, the defendants kept the patients on services for multiple years in order to increase revenue. Mesquias also fired employees who refused to go along with the fraud and directed them not to “[expletive] with his patients, or [expletive] with his money” by discharging patients from services. Pena told a cooperating witness that, with respect to hospice patients, “the way you make money is by keeping them alive as long as possible,” according to trial testimony.
The evidence further established Pena gave a false statement to the FBI and directed others to obstruct the FBI’s investigation by covering up Pena’s involvement in accepting kickbacks for hospice patients from his mayoral office at Rio Bravo City Hall and elsewhere. The evidence also established that Mesquias and McInnis obstructed justice by causing the creation of false and fictitious medical records and produced them to a federal grand jury in order to avoid indictment. The records added false diagnostic information making it appear that patients were dying when, in fact, they were not.
According to evidence presented at trial, the scheme involved laundering the proceeds of the fraud. For example, they placed a company in the name of the girlfriend of a co-conspirator physician to conceal the distribution of hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks that were provided to the physician in exchange for home health and hospice referrals. Mesquias and McInnis used proceeds derived from the scheme to purchase expensive vehicles such as a Porsche, expensive jewelry, luxury clothing from high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton, exclusive real estate, season tickets for premium seating to see the San Antonio Spurs, and a security detail and bottle service at high end Las Vegas nightclubs such as Hakkasan and Omnia. Mesquias and McInnis treated physicians to lavish parties at these elite nightclubs, plying them with tens of thousands of dollars in alcohol and other perks in exchange for medically unnecessary patient referrals.
Mesquias caused kickbacks and bribes to be paid to medical directors, including Pena, for the Merida Group’s affiliated entities in exchange for certifying that patients qualified for services when, in fact, they did not, and for referring patients for such services.
HHS-OIG’s McAllen Field Office; the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, including the Laredo and McAllen Resident Agency Offices; and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission investigated the case with the assistance of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell and Assistant Chief Jacob Foster of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Former Station Square Club Owner and Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Prison Time for Repeat Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment and six years of supervised released on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Honorable Joy Flowers Conti sentenced Vernon Jackson, 50, after his guilty plea in May of this year. Jackson’s supervised release violation for committing this offense while on federal supervised release is still pending and will be determined at a later date.
According to information provided to the court, on or about March 8, 2018, detectives from the City of Pittsburgh Police Narcotics and Vice Unit executed a search warrant at Vernon Jackson’s residence in Brookline. Jackson was the only occupant at the home at the time of the search. Detectives recovered multiple bags of cocaine, two digital scales, and drug packaging material from the kitchen of the home. Jackson, the former owner of Chauncy’s in Station Square, was on federal supervised release at the time of the execution of the search warrant for a prior federal conviction. Jackson was originally sentenced to 151 months on that offense but his sentence was reduced resulting in his early release.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jackson. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Former Ridgway Resident Receives 23 years in Jail for Producing Child Pornography Involving Two Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 23 years in jail, lifetime supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,396 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Jesse Porter, 42.
According to information presented to the court, Porter took sexually explicit photos and video of two minor victims. One victim was three years of age when Porter recorded himself sexually abusing her. The other victim was 15 when Porter took sexually explicit surreptitious video of her.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Baxter stated that the defendant’s acts were horrific.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Ridgway Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Porter.
Former East Glacier teacher sentenced for sex abuse of minorRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—An East Glacier woman who taught elementary school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for sexually abusing two students, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Sierra Shawnee Taylor, also known as Sierra Schildt, 36, pleaded guilty in July to sexual abuse of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“Our children need to be protected from abusers like Ms. Taylor, particularly those who hold a position of trust. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley, the FBI, the Blackfeet Multidisciplinary Team and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services for their good work in bringing this case to justice,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution said in court records that Taylor was employed as a teacher at the East Glacier Elementary School during the 2014-2015 school year. She taught a mixed-grade class that included some eighth-grade students. Taylor entered a sexual relationship with one of the boys, who was an eighth-grade student, and twice had intercourse with the victim. Investigators identified a second victim, also an eighth grade student, with whom Taylor committed a sexual act in 2012.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Blackfeet Multidisciplinary Team and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Former D.C. Apartment Manager Facing Federal Indictment for Allegedly Defrauding Her Employer by Submitting Fraudulent InvoicesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Lachann Alexis Green, age 36, of Laurel, Maryland, on federal wire fraud charges in connection with a scheme to embezzle money from her employer. The indictment was returned on November 4, 2019, and was unsealed at her initial appearance today.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the indictment, from October 2017 through December 2018, Green defrauded her employer, a business that managed residential apartment buildings in several states, including Maryland. Green was the general manager of Rhode Island Row, an apartment complex in Washington, D.C. that was managed by her employer. Her employer opened and maintained a business bank account to pay expenses for Rhode Island Row.
The indictment alleges that on October 4, 2017, Green registered a fraudulent shell business, “Executive Property Staffing” (“EPS”) with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (“SDAT”). EPS was a business purportedly located in Beltsville, Maryland. Although her employer required that employees report any financial interest they had in any firm that did business with the employer, as well as any conflict or potential conflict of interest, Green did not disclose her association with EPS to her employer. Green allegedly created and submitted or caused to be created and submitted fraudulent invoices in the name of EPS to her employer for staffing, cleaning, and maintenance work at Rhode Island Row that had not been done by EPS. After Green’s employer transferred money as payment for the fictitious invoices to a bank account Green had opened in EPS’s name, Green allegedly transferred the funds to bank accounts opened in her own name or used the funds for her own personal gain.
The EPS scheme was one of several that Green allegedly operated as general manager of Rhode Island Row. Green also allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices to her employer for expenses that she falsely claimed she had incurred in the course of her duties. In addition, she submitted fraudulent invoices in the name of another business owned and operated by a personal associate (“Individual 1”) in return for a kickback from Individual 1 of a portion of the proceeds. Finally, the indictment alleges that Green submitted or caused to be submitted fraudulent resident application information to her employer on behalf of two relatives so that the relatives could live at Rhode Island Row under fake names and under favorable lease terms.
If convicted, Green faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of wire fraud. At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan ordered that Green be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for November 7, 2019, at 3:30 p.m.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.
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Former Controller of Export, PA Company Stole Nearly $200K and Falsified Financial Statements to Conceal the FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Plum Boro resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of wire fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Victoria Mazur, 52, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Donetta Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Mazur was employed as a Controller for Gateway Packaging Corporation, which was located in Export, PA. From December 2012 until December 2017, she issued herself and her husband a total of approximately 189 fraudulent credit card refunds through the company’s point of sale terminal. The total loss from the fraudulent refunds was $190,829.01. The Court also was advised that Mazur fraudulently used the company’s credit cards for personal use for an additional loss of approximately $4,200.00. In order to conceal her fraud, Mazur supplied the owners with false financial statements that understated the company’s true sales figures.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2020 at 1:00 P.M. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction The law also provides for a fine of $250,000.00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Mazur to remain out of prison on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mazur.
Former Boy Scout Troop Leader Indicted on Charges of Trafficking Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A grand jury today returned an indictment that charges Milton Forsberg, 79, of the 800 block of West Charles Street, in Champaign, Ill., with trafficking child pornography. The indictment charges Forsberg with one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography.
Forsberg was previously arrested and charged in a criminal complaint on Oct. 16, 2019. Forsberg made his initial court appearance on Oct. 21, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana. Judge Long ordered that Forsberg remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Forsberg has been active in a local amateur radio club and has been involved with Boy Scouts for more than 40 years. In September 2019, the Champaign Police Department and the Illinois State Police received mandated notification of abuse from the Boy Scouts of America National Council to report that a California attorney represents a victim who alleges that Forsberg sexually abused him in Champaign in 1965.
The affidavit further alleges that when officers executed a search warrant of Forsberg’s home, they found numerous sexually explicit images at the foot of his bed, including some with prepubescent males, and that Forsberg attempted to conceal the photos with his cane when officers began their search. Officers recovered more than 100 images of minor males and a review of Forsberg’s computer showed that he had more than 30 open tabs to a Russian website that is known to law enforcement as a site used to share images of child pornography.
Anyone with additional information about Forsberg is encouraged to contact the Champaign Police Department at (217) 403-6900.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for receipt of child pornography is 20 years in prison; for possession of child pornography the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. Each of the counts includes a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Champaign Police Department and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Blackfeet Tribe’s chairman admits wire fraud in Head Start overtime schemeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – The former chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe today admitted charges in an overtime pay scheme in which persons who worked in the tribe’s Head Start program, including his wife, defrauded the child assistance program of $174,000, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Willie Sharp, 66, of Browning, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Sharp faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris set sentencing for March 3, 2020 and continued Sharp’s release.
The prosecution said in court records that Sharp authorized and approved overtime at the Blackfeet Head Start Program knowing that the overtime claims were false. The falsely claimed overtime pay totaled $174,000 in federal funds for more than 5,800 hours claimed over a 15-month period. Sharp’s wife, Denise Sharp, and four other co-defendants have been convicted and sentenced in the case.
When the fraud was uncovered, two different firms audited the Blackfeet Head Start program. Both audits questioned the overtime claims, identifying them as “beyond necessary and reasonable” and lacking any supporting documentation.
The Blackfeet Tribe did its own internal review, agreed it could not justify the overtime claims and repaid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $250,620.29 for disallowed costs and other expenses.
The investigation has resulted in the indictment and conviction of Denise Sharp, Theresa Calf Boss Ribs, Patrick Calf Boss Ribs, Carol Bird and Allen Shane Gross.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
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Florida Businessman Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted a Hillsboro Beach, Florida, businessman today for tax evasion, employment tax fraud, and other tax crimes, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Vincent Celentano owned and operated several businesses in Florida and Michigan, including WCIS Media LLC (WCIS), which advertised on behalf of health care providers and solicited accident victims for medical services and personal injury legal services. In 2013, Celentano allegedly used more than $360,000 from his businesses’ bank accounts to pay for personal expenses, including credit card payments and fuel and sundries for his yacht, “Ciao Bella,” and fraudulently caused the expenses to be recorded as business expenditures. That same year, Celentano also allegedly sold ownership interests in entities under his control to a third-party buyer for approximately $2.7 million, but demanded payment of his profits in a way that prevented accountants from accurately reporting income from the sale to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As alleged, despite earning gross income in excess of the filing threshold, Celentano willfully failed to file his individual income tax returns from 2013 through 2016.
In addition, the indictment further alleges that from October 2013 to February 2018, Celentano conspired with others to withhold payroll taxes from employees of his business, Integrated HCS Practice Management LLC, but not pay those withholdings to the IRS. The indictment charges that instead, the conspirators used the funds to cover the business’s operating expenses and their personal expenses. When the IRS made efforts to collect the payroll taxes due, Celentano and his coconspirators allegedly thwarted its efforts by using a nominee entity to pay employees, and making fraudulent representations to the IRS about who was responsible for paying the taxes. According to the indictment, Celentano willfully failed to pay over approximately $216,700 in payroll taxes that were owed.
If convicted, Celentano faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each tax evasion and conspiracy charge, three years in prison for each count of failure to pay over employment taxes, and a statutory maximum sentence of one year on each count of willful failure to file his own tax returns. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Federal Judge Convicts Owner of Dog Training and Handler School in San Antonio for Scheme to Defraud the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal judge convicted 47-year-old Bradley Lane Croft, owner of Universal K-9, Inc., of scheming 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.
Following a ten-day bench trial, Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra rendered his verdict this afternoon and 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.
“The FBI would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office, and our partner agencies IRS-CI and VA-OIG for their tireless efforts on this very important case. We would also like to recognize the outstanding contributions of the lead investigator for the FBI, who is a task force officer from the Texas Department of Public Safety and assigned to San Antonio FBI's Public Corruption and White Collar Crime Task Force. Our task forces are one of the FBI's greatest strengths; they leverage the resources and expertise of our partner agencies, enhancing our ability to protect our community from both criminal and national security threats,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Combs.
“Today’s guilty verdict was reached under the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and as a result of the extensive work of special agents of the VA Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the FBI,” stated VA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Ross. “These charges send a clear signal that any institution entrusted with the education of veterans will be held accountable for defrauding the GI Bill program.”
The government is also seeking the criminal forfeiture of alleged proceeds derived from the defendant’s illegal scheme including a 2017 American Eagle Motorhome, two late model pickup trucks, two jet skis, one trailer, approximately $138,000 in U.S. Currency and the real property located in the 15000 block of Tradesman in San Antonio.
On August 8, 2018, federal authorities executed a search warrant at Croft’s business in San Antonio. A total of 26 canines at the business were placed into the custody of the city’s Animal Care Services.
Croft, who was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following today’s verdict, 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 has yet to be scheduled.
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 Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the November 2019 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jamie Alberto Cuevas-Casanova. Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. Cuevas-Casanova, 54, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on December 30, 2009, from Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies
Crystal Lynne Clark. Aggravated Identity Theft (14 counts). Clark, 54, of Skiatook, is charged with aggravated identity theft for using other individuals’ identities while committing wire fraud. She allegedly used the individuals’ credit cards to make numerous purchases. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Skiatook Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Bryan Randall Daniel. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Daniel, 36, of Bartlesville, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun and associated ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bartlesville Police Department and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Derek Dean Darity. Bank Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon; Using, Carrying and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Darity, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with robbing an Arvest Bank with a firearm. He is charged with using, carrying and discharging a flare gun loaded with a 20-gauge shotgun shell during the robbery. He is further charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, namely the flare gun loaded with the shotgun shell. The Tulsa Police Department; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Florida Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.
Julio Cesar Gonzalez and Sochil Aguilar. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Gonzalez, 32, of Commerce, and Aguilar, 28, of Commerce, are charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
Kacey J. Hamilton. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hamilton, 28, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender when he moved to the Northern District of Oklahoma on or about Aug. 24, 2018. The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service are the investigative agencies.
Lisandro Herrera Dimas. Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. Herrera, 30, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on July 20, 2007, from El Paso, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Jose Ramirez-Garcia. Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. Ramirez-Garcia, 31, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on Jan. 11, 2007, from San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Bryan Michael Spidell. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender; Assimilated Crime of Breaking and Entering into a Dwelling (Misdemeanor). Spidell, 30, of Pryor, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender when he moved to and resided in Indian Country from Oct. 3 through Oct. 22, 2019. Spidell, a non-Indian, is also charged with breaking and entering into a dwelling of an Indian person. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Mayes Country Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department (Arizona), FBI and U.S. Marshals Service are the investigative agencies.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Zachary Cook, age 27, was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in January 2019, surveillance began of Cook’s residence after investigators received information that Cook was expecting to receive methamphetamine and heroin deliveries. Having previously been convicted of a felony, Cook had a valid search waiver on file. Officers approached Cook while he was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle owned by a visitor to his residence. Officers located approximately 29 grams of actual methamphetamine inside the car with Cook and further evidence of drug distribution inside Cook’s residence.
Cook was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2019 and entered a guilty plea in June 2019.
This case was investigated by the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.
Eight Members of Puerto Rican-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Charged and ArrestedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jacques Orsini-Martinez, a/k/a “Papi” (43, Puerto Rico), Juan Orsini-Martinez a/k/a “Tio Cano” (44, Atlanta), Jose Manuel Robles Negron a/k/a “Chelo” (25, Puerto Rico), Pedro Javier Hernandez Sosa a/k/a “Javi Carolina” (29, Puerto Rico), Jose Antonio Chinea Santos, (34, Puerto Rico), Raymond Jose De La Cruz, a/k/a “Sanky” (42, Clearwater), Briss Malone Warren (41, New Port Richey), and Luis Daniel Agosto-Morales (27, Tampa) with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, from at least September 2018 through August 2019, the individuals conspired to distribute cocaine throughout the Middle District of Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Baeza and Diego F. Novaes.
Downingtown Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Defrauding PennDOT Disadvantaged Business ProgramRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Stamatios “Tom” Kousisis, 62, of Downingtown, PA was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $17,500 fine by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for a multi-million dollar fraud he perpetrated against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Kousisis was found guilty of wire fraud and related charges after a 19-day jury trial in August 2018.
The defendant operated a scheme to secure lucrative PennDOT contracts worth more than $150 million utilizing a now-defunct certified disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE). A DBE is a business or firm that is at least 51% owned by one or more individuals who are members of historically disadvantaged groups: this can include women, racial minorities and disabled persons. The rules governing PennDOT contracts required that the defendant and his employer, Alpha-Liberty Joint Venture, use a legitimate, certified DBE to provide at least 6% of the value of the work -- in this case contracts to repair and renovate the Girard Point Bridge and Amtrak’s 30th Street Train Station, both in Philadelphia.
Instead of legitimately employing a DBE to meet contract requirements, the defendant engaged in a fraud scheme in which a company owned by an African-American woman was used as a front. The company was provided invoices showing that it had performed work on these projects, when in fact it did not provide any services of economic value. Further, to inflate the value of the “work” performed by the front company, the defendant funneled payments for materials used on out-of-state projects through the front company and submitted the resulting invoices to PennDOT under the false representation that they had been purchased for and used on the two projects.
“DBE rules exist to level the playing field for legitimate disadvantaged businesses, not for defendants like Kousisis to cynically manipulate to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Kousisis demonstrated a blatant disrespect for the law by defrauding the government contracting process, and therefore taxpayers, for his own benefit. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to uphold the rule of law and ensure a fair playing field for all.”
“In defrauding the government, Kousisis lined his pockets while stealing from a project designed to help provide a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded projects,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Division. “Today’s sentence sends the message that the FBI will work tirelessly to protect government programs from fraud, waste and abuse and to level the playing field for the disadvantaged.”
“The sentencing handed down in this case should serve as notice that unscrupulous, fraudulent activity within U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) DBE programs will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system,” said Douglas Shoemaker, Regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the DOT, Office of Inspector General. “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue to root out and hold individuals and businesses accountable when they misuse Federal funding program opportunities for personal gain.”
“We hope the results of this case send a clear message about the consequences of fraud, especially when the fraud occurs under the guise of helping disadvantaged businesses,” said Kevin Winters, Amtrak’s Inspector General. “Our office will vigorously investigate and help bring to justice those who engage in such fraudulent activity as we work to protect Amtrak funds and American taxpayers.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Amtrak – Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Shapiro and David E. Troyer.
Detroit man sentenced for multiple drug chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sean Bernard Williams, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 51 months incarceration for his role in a major drug distribution operation that spanned two states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williams, also known as “Spook,” age 46, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone,” 22 counts of “Distribution of Oxycodone,” five counts of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Oxycodone,” and one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base” in September 2019. Williams admitted to distributing the drugs from 2013 to 2017 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation. The Task Force consists of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, Morgantown Police Department, the Star City Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia University Police Department, the Granville Police Department, and the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Dark Web Narcotics Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Laundering More Than $19 MillionRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HUGH BRIAN HANEY pled guilty in Manhattan federal court today to money laundering charges, based on his attempt to launder the proceeds of a narcotics trafficking operation that HANEY ran on the Dark Web site known as “Silk Road.” U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff presided over the defendant’s guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Hugh Haney used Silk Road as a means to sell drugs to people all over the world. Then he laundered more than $19 million in profits through cryptocurrency. Peddling drugs on the Dark Web does not provide anonymity forever, as Hugh Haney can attest.”
As alleged in the underlying Complaint, Indictment and statements made in open court:
Silk Road was an online criminal marketplace designed to be outside the reach of law enforcement or governmental regulation. All transactions on Silk Road could be completed only through use of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. During its two-and-a-half years in operation, Silk Road was used by several thousand drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to well over 100,000 buyers, and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars deriving from these unlawful transactions. Law enforcement shut down Silk Road in or about October 2013.
One prominent narcotics vendor on Silk Road was called “Pharmville.” The operators of Pharmville supplied a dedicated community of individuals who often traded illicit narcotics. Pursuant to a judicially authorized warrant of HANEY’s house in Ohio in 2018, law enforcement agents found evidence that HANEY was a high-ranking member of Pharmville, involved in large-scale narcotics trafficking on Silk Road. Among the documents found on a computer in HANEY’s house was a document entitled “HBH DAILY TO DO LIST,” which, among other things, referred to Silk Road, Pharmville, and large-scale narcotics trafficking, including of the deadly opioid fentanyl.
In 2017 and 2018, HANEY transferred Bitcoins representing narcotics proceeds that he had earned through his control of Pharmville from Bitcoin addresses connected to Silk Road to an account HANEY controlled at a company involved in the exchange of Bitcoins and other digital currency (“Company-1”). In correspondence with Company-1, HANEY falsely claimed that he had legitimately earned these Bitcoins through cryptographically creating them and from fair transfers with others, while in reality the Bitcoin were derived from transfers from Silk Road. After HANEY transferred the Bitcoins to cash worth more than $19 million through Company-1, law enforcement seized the money pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant from a custodial account at a bank (“Bank-1”).
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HANEY, 61, of Ohio, was arrested July 18, 2019, and has been in federal custody since. HANEY pled guilty to one count of concealment money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of engaging in a financial transaction in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
HANEY is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on is February 12, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara M. La Morte and Samuel L. Raymond are in charge of the prosecutions.
Crime Gun Intelligence Center assists law enforcementRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that Larry Patton, 28, Indianapolis, Indiana, was indicted on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following an investigation conducted by the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).
“As part of the Attorney General’s top Department of Justice priorities, we will continue to utilize CGIC to identify and prosecute those individuals illegally in possession of firearms,” said Minkler.
Patton came to the attention of CGIC as a result of being a suspect in multiple shootings in Indianapolis. During the investigation of Patton, CGIC investigators did surveillance on Patton and learned that he was the subject of several outstanding Marion County felony warrants.
Investigators attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Patton in which he refused to stop. After wrecking his vehicle into three other vehicles, Patton exited his vehicle and fled on foot. As police chased Patton, Patton pulled a loaded Glock pistol from his waistband and threw the pistol down on an embankment. Police recovered the loaded pistol following the apprehension of Patton. The pistol had previously been reported stolen. Patton purchased the pistol from an unknown individual for $200 in December of 2018.
CGIC is an interagency collaboration focused on the immediate collection, management, and analysis of crime gun evidence in real time, in an effort to identify shooters, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent future violence. The primary outcome of CGIC is identifying armed violent offenders for investigation and prosecution.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).
“Through crime gun intelligence and solid investigative work by ATF and IPMD, Patton was brought into custody,” said Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division.
“IMPD investigators in the Crime Gun Intelligence Center work closely with the crime lab and our law enforcement partners to focus on violent individuals and the crime guns they utilize,” said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “The CGIC model allows us to more effectively hold accountable individuals like Mr. Patton who are disproportionately responsible for gun crimes in our city. Since January, these collaborative investigations have resulted in the removal of 293 violent individuals and 211 crime guns from our community.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence D. Hilton, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Patton faces up to 10 years in federal prison followed by 36 months’ of supervised release.
An Indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals committing violent crimes involving firearms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.3.
Columbia Man Indicted for Meth, Illegal Firearms After High-Speed Chase, Crash in OzarkRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man who crashed his vehicle in a high-speed chase has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.
Kenneth C. Fredenburg, 33, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Fredenburg on Oct. 24, 2019.
The federal indictment charges Fredenburg with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a Christian County, Missouri, sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Chrysler 300 driven by Fredenburg on Sept. 25, 2019. Fredenburg failed to stop, leading the deputy in a high-speed pursuit that reached 120 miles per hour until Fredenburg drove through a residential yard on Highway 65 in Ozark, Missouri, and crashed into a tree. Fredenburg ran from the vehicle; the deputy took a female passenger into custody.
The deputy searched Fredenburg’s vehicle and found approximately 72.9 grams of methamphetamine, numerous baggies, and a set of digital scales inside a black bag. In the door pocket of the front passenger door, the deputy found approximately 8.3 grams of methamphetamine. The deputy found a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat, a Taurus 9mm handgun on the driver’s side floorboard, and a tactical vest with multiple gun magazines on the back seat.
Law enforcement officers located Fredenburg in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 22, 2019, and he was placed under arrest.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Colombian National Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian national pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019, in federal court in Boston for his role in an international drug trafficking operation.
Henry Carrillo-Ramirez, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Carrillo is a Colombian national who was extradited from Colombia and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on April 26, 2019.
In addition to Carrillo, two co-defendants have been extradited from Colombia and one co-defendant has been extradited from Spain, all three of whom have pleaded guilty. A fifth co-defendant remains a fugitive.
Since 2013, Carrillo and at least four co-conspirators were involved in an organization that trafficked cocaine – sourced in Colombia – by boat via Venezuela to Spain, Puerto Rico, and other locations. The cocaine was sourced from the Catatumbo region of Colombia and transported to Isla Margarita, Venezuela. Thereafter, based upon an agreed-upon date, time, sea coordinates, and code word, small lanchas carrying the cocaine would meet a fishing vessel located offshore arranged by co-defendant Henry Carrillo Ramirez. The lanchas provided the code word, and the drugs were then transferred to the fishing vessel for transport to points in Europe and Caribbean.
In August 2014, Colombian National Police intercepted communications regarding a shipment of cocaine from South America to Europe involving Carrillo and others. On Aug. 25, 2014, an international law enforcement operation located and boarded the vessel shipping the drugs, and seized 960 kilos of cocaine.
In November 2014, an allied British vessel carrying U.S. Coast Guard officials interdicted a boat arranged by Carrillo and others destined for Puerto Rico that was approximately 30 nautical miles west of Montserrat. Once the vessel was stopped, the crew was observed jettisoning bales of cocaine, which were recovered and weighed 180 kilograms. The remaining bales were lost at sea.
In December 2014, the Spanish Guardia Civil boarded another vessel in international waters arranged by Carrillo and others, and seized an additional 728 kilos of cocaine.
In August 2015, U.S. investigators disabled a Yamaha power boat in the Farjardo coast area of Puerto Rico that was arranged by Carrillo and others. A search of the proximate area recovered 13 bales containing nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine.
In all, law enforcement seized approximately 1,688 kilos of cocaine from this drug trafficking organization.
The conspiracy and distribution charges each provide for a sentence of up to life in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Colombian National Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Portuguese Air Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda M. Ricci, Chief of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, is prosecuting the case.
Cleveland postal employee sentenced to nearly five years for theft of mail and access device fraudRead the Press Release
Jennifer Riccardi, 46, a former U.S. Postal Service employee who worked at the main mail processing center in Cleveland, was sentenced for her role in a scheme to steal from the U.S. mail and commit access device fraud. Judge John R. Adams sentenced Riccardi to 56 months of incarceration, three years of supervised release, and $89,102 in restitution. Her co-defendant and live-in boyfriend, Joseph Dennis, has already pleaded guilty for his role in this scheme and will be sentenced on January 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said: “This defendant is accused of stealing more than a thousand gift cards worth tens thousands of dollars, including birthday presents or other gifts people entrusted to the postal service for delivery to their family and loved ones. As we approach the holiday season, it is important to remind anyone who is thinking of stealing from the mail that they will be held accountable for their actions, just like any other criminal.”
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenneth F. Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, stated: “The vast majority of the 500,000 postal employees nationwide are hard-working, trust worthy individuals. However, when one of those employees choose to violate that trust and steal from the mail for personal gain, special agents with the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate and pursue federal prosecution when appropriate. When postal employees choose to steal from the mail, they risk their career, benefits, retirement, and possibly their freedom. To report theft of mail, or other postal employee crimes, contact special agents at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.”
In one night alone, Riccardi stole more than 100 apparent greeting cards. Among the stolen mail that was opened was a card from a mother to her daughter signed “Love you! Mom” and a card from an uncle and aunt wishing a “Happy 1st Birthday.”
According to the indictment:
Riccardi worked at the USPS Processing and Distribution Center at 2400 Orange Avenue in Cleveland. She stole cards, letters and other pieces of mail she believed contained gift cards, focusing primarily on brightly covered envelopes that appeared to contain greeting cards.
Riccardi concealed the mail she took from the mail stream in bags, her lunch box and other means. She transported the stolen mail to the residence she shared with Dennis during her mid-shift break or at the end of her shift.
Dennis and Riccardi sold at least 41 stolen gift cards and used stolen gift cards for purchases from Amazon, Kohl’s, Starbucks and other locations.
On December 11, 2017, Dennis and Riccardi possessed at their residence at least 108 pieces of stolen mail, $42,000 in cash, an automatic currency counter and 1,505 stolen gifts cards from approximately 230 merchants or vendors. Of those, 1,322 of the gift cards bore face values, which totaled approximately $47,000.
The conspiracy took place between December 2016 and December 11, 2017.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Cleveland Division of Police, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison and James Lewis.
Chelsea Man Arrested for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with bank robbery.
Edward Robert Rezendes, 66, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of bank robbery. Rezendes, who is currently on supervised release for an unrelated bank robbery, appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell and was ordered detained.
According to court documents, on Sept. 10, 2019, Rezendes robbed a branch of TD Bank in Chelsea, stealing approximately $3,760.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth G. Shine and Adam W. Deitch of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pled guilty to a drug crime announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Harold Battle, 49, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Meth is flooding our cities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Make no mistake -- the Mexican cartels know where we are and they are the ultimate suppliers to these managers of their drug businesses. We are working day in and day out with our partners in law enforcement to identify and prosecute the drug dealers selling meth on our streets. The victims are my family, friends and neighbors. To me, it’s personal. That’s why I have a sense of urgency to take the poison peddlers off our streets.”
Battle admitted that on October 31, 2017, he distributed 60 grams of methamphetamine to a person cooperating with law enforcement on Charleston’s East End. Officers with the Charleston Police Department stopped a vehicle for multiple traffic violations. During interactions with the driver of the vehicle, officers discovered 32.80 grams of methamphetamine on the driver. The driver told law enforcement he received the methamphetamine from a person they knew as Unk. He agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and ordered more methamphetamine from Battle. Battle arrived on the East End of Charleston and distributed 29.129 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $1,000 in United States Currency. Battle was arrested shortly after the drug deal.
Battle faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 10, 2020.
The Charleston Police Department and the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.
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Camden Woman Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted conspiring to distribute illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jasmin Velez, 26, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the inner workings of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2020.
Eight other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, and Naeem Sadler – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against 10 other defendants in this case remain pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Michael Huff Esq., Camden
California Man Arrested for Smuggling Alleged Cognitive Enhancement Drug into the United States from ChinaRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man was arrested today on charges of conspiring to smuggle tianeptine, a drug that claims to enhance mood and cognitive functioning, into the United States from China.
Ryan M. Stabile, 32, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy and two counts of introduction of misbranded drugs with intent to defraud and mislead. Stabile will make an initial appearance today in federal court in California and will be arraigned at a later date in federal court in Springfield.
As alleged in the indictment, Stabile smuggled tianeptine, a misbranded drug, from China into the United States and then resold the tianeptine to American consumers on the internet through his company, Supplements for Work. Stabile falsely represented that he was selling tianeptine for research purposes only, even though he sold tianeptine to individuals for personal use. Stabile, through his company, marketed tianeptine as a mood enhancer and claimed that it improved cognitive functioning.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year 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 Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bath Man Sentenced for Attempting to Have Sex with A 9 Year Old ChildRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that William C. Read, 34, of Bath, NY, who was convicted of the online enticement of a minor, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Read utilized a social media application in an attempt to meet a nine year-old child for sex. The defendant was intercepted by members of the New York State Police and Department of Homeland Security on October 1, 2018, while on his way to meet the child. Upon his arrest, Read was found to be in possession of condoms and candy, which he intended to give to the child. The defendant also possessed images of child pornography on a cell phone in his possession.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
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Alva Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Murder PlotRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – VERNON WAYNE BROCK, 70, of Alva, has pleaded guilty to hiring someone to commit murder, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
A federal grand jury indicted Brock on April 17, 2019, for using interstate commerce facilities to commit murder-for-hire during the first few days of April. According to an affidavit filed in the case, an individual from Kansas whom Brock was trying to hire to commit murder contacted the FBI and cooperated in the investigation. Law enforcement determined that Brock and the individual from Kansas were partners in Oklahoma vape shops and that Brock was upset with a former employee who refused to continue a sexual relationship with him. Brock wanted the individual from Kansas to arrange the murder of the former employee’s boyfriend in Oklahoma City in exchange for $5,000. He identified the boyfriend by sending a picture to the individual from Kansas and confirming "that’s the guy we want dead." Recorded conversations between Brock and the individual from Kansas included statements such as: "Are they going to thump her around a little bit? And do him? Cause that’s what I wanted."
FBI agents arrested Brock on the afternoon of April 3, with the assistance of the Woods County Sheriff’s Office, after Brock delivered a $5,000 check to the individual from Kansas at a café in Harper, Kansas. He has been in federal custody since that time.
Brock pleaded guilty this morning to the one-count indictment. He admitted he traveled in interstate commerce on April 1, 2019, and used facilities of interstate commerce—a cell phone and a pickup truck—with intent that murder be committed in exchange for payment.
At sentencing, Brock faces a potential penalty of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation–Oklahoma City Field Office, Woodward Resident Agency. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Altshuler and Jason Harley, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime. To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.