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Friday 1 November 2019
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JORGE MEJIA-COLIN, age 28, a native of Mexico, pleaded guilty October 31, 2019 to a one-count bill of information charging him with illegal re-entry of a removed alien.
According to the court documents, MEJIA-COLIN was previously removed from the United States on September 30, 2008. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on July 24, 2019, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
MEJIA-COLIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 2 years, a fine of $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe set sentencing for December 12, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
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Merrillville Man Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –James Caffey, age 29, of Merrillville, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Theresa Springmann after being convicted during a 4-day trial in January 2019. He was convicted of conspiring to rob the United States Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Caffey was sentenced to 90 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5595.
According to documents in this case and evidence presented at trial, James Caffey conspired with Tanisha Banks and Leeroy Beck to rob the Tolleston Station Post Office in Gary, Indiana on August 3, 2017. Tanisha Banks, a Postal Service employee with experience working at the Tolleston Station, provided the logistics for the robbery while her boyfriend, James Caffey, handled transportation to and from the robbery. Together Banks and Caffey recruited the gunman, Leeroy Beck, who would actually carry out the robbery. At trial evidence was presented establishing that Caffey provided Beck with the handgun used during the robbery. After holding two employees at gun point, Leeroy Beck stole money and mail from the Postal Service. The cash was divided between the conspirators.
Tanisha Banks is scheduled for sentencing on November 5, 2019. Leeroy Beck was sentenced on May 14, 2019 to 96 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Berkowitz and Thomas McGrath.
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Marijuana Dealer Convicted in Wichita FallsRead the Press Release
In the first federal criminal trial in Wichita Falls in more than eight years, a drug dealer has been convicted of a marijuana conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Chad Anthony Ray, 31, of Wichita Falls, was indicted in July 2019 for conspiring to distribute marijuana along with six codefendants.
A jury convicted Mr. Ray late last week following a day-long trial before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who traveled from Fort Worth to Wichita Falls to preside over the proceedings.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Ray’s coconspirators shipped marijuana through the U.S. mail from Oregon to Wichita Falls. Over an 18-month period (March 2015 to September 2016), they shipped approximately 1,100 pounds of marijuana in 443 Priority Mail parcels to Wichita Falls and surrounding cities, including Henrietta and Iowa Park.
Other conspirators received the parcels of marijuana – shipped in Priority Mail boxes so that the defendants could track the packages – then repackaged it, sold it, and returned the proceeds to the suppliers in Oregon.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is adamant about prosecuting illicit substances shipped through the U.S. Mail to the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “We will not allow criminals to harm the community by exploiting the Postal Service.”
At trial, prosecutors showed that Mr. Ray personally received 29 packages of marijuana directly to his residence on Collins Avenue in Wichita Falls, collected money for marijuana sales, and tracked packages shipped to other addresses using the USPS tracking number.
He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Five of his codefendants – Randall Dizon, Jonathan Michael Fernandez, Jarrett Devon Grant, Ronald Vance Latimer, and Justin Kent Reed – pleaded guilty before trial. The sixth, Dustin Weaver, remains a fugitive.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Wichita Falls Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters and Joseph Magliolo prosecuted the case.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Settles Fraud Suit Against Ahern Painting Contractors for False Statements About Disadvantaged Business Participation on Federal Construction ProjectsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Douglas Shoemaker, regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“USDOT-OIG”), Margaret Garnett, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and Carolyn Pokorny, Inspector General of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA-OIG”), announced today that the United States has settled civil fraud claims against New York-area painting contractor AHERN PAINTING CONTRACTORS CO. (“AHERN”). The settlement resolves the United States’ allegations in a False Claims Act lawsuit that AHERN fraudulently obtained payments on two federally funded construction projects by misrepresenting compliance with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) rules, which require participation of businesses owned by women and minorities. Specifically, the United States alleged that AHERN misrepresented that co-defendant TOWER MAINTENANCE CORP. (“TOWER”), a certified DBE, was solely performing millions of dollars of work on the two projects when in fact much of that work was performed by co-defendant SPECTRUM PAINTING CORP. (“SPECTRUM”), a non-DBE. As part of the settlement approved by U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts, AHERN admits and accepts responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s complaint and agrees to pay $3 million to the United States. The case against defendants TOWER and SPECTRUM is ongoing.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Contractors who exploit the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program to unlawfully obtain millions of dollars in federal funding will be held to account. Today’s settlement reflects this Office’s commitment to root out fraud in federally funded contracts, so that legitimate minority- and women-owned businesses can participate in public construction projects.”
USDOT-OIG regional Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas Shoemaker said: “Today’s settlement is a positive step on the way to closing the chapter on this egregious fraud scheme involving federally funded contracts administered through the New York City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. While the damage to the integrity of DOT’s DBE program in this instance has been done, it only serves to strengthen our resolve in pursuing those whose greed prevents the legitimate participation of disadvantaged businesses in federal contracting on public transportation projects.”
DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said: “Today’s multimillion-dollar settlement demonstrates that law enforcement has its sights on exposing fraud by companies that exploit City and Federal programs aimed at increasing the participation of disadvantaged businesses in public construction projects. DOI and its partners will continue to protect the integrity and effectiveness of these programs with investigations that uncover and deter dishonest conduct.”
MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny said: “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise regulations enable honest competition in construction contracts by ensuring an equal and inclusive playing field for all. Today’s DBE fraud settlement highlights the commitment of the Office of the MTA Inspector General, along with all of our prosecutorial and investigative partners, towards prohibiting and rooting out discrimination.”
As alleged in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court on March 2, 2019, AHERN was a contractor on two federally funded steel painting projects to renovate the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza. Contracts for both projects required AHERN to hire DBEs to do a percentage of the work involved and adhere to the DBE regulations. Instead of hiring qualified DBEs to perform the allotted DBE work, AHERN allowed SPECTRUM and TOWER to use TOWER’s status as a DBE to take credit for millions of dollars of work performed, managed, and supervised by non-DBE SPECTRUM. To conceal this scheme, SPECTRUM employees repeatedly identified themselves as TOWER employees in documents that AHERN passed along to supervisors on the project. AHERN and TOWER repeatedly submitted false statements and records to NYC-DOT and MTA misrepresenting that TOWER alone did all of the work allocated to DBEs and that TOWER did not hire a subcontractor to perform any of that work.
As part of the settlement, AHERN admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for conduct alleged in the complaint as described below:
- Over the course of the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza projects, AHERN was aware of the following facts regarding the involvement of SPECTRUM, a non-DBE, in the projects:
- In March 2010, AHERN’s superintendent met with a TOWER manager and a SPECTRUM manager to do a walk-through of the Brooklyn Bridge worksite. AHERN’s superintendent understood that the SPECTRUM manager would assist TOWER in preparing the bid TOWER submitted for its work as a DBE subcontractor on the Brooklyn Bridge Project;
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- In documents that AHERN received from TOWER and then submitted to Skanska in 2010, TOWER identified the individual who AHERN knew to be a SPECTRUM manager as a “TOWER VP” or as a TOWER employee working on the Brooklyn Bridge Project. In documents AHERN received from TOWER and then submitted to the MTA in 2011, TOWER identified the individual AHERN knew to be a SPECTRUM manager as TOWER’s superintendent for the Queens Plaza Project;
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- Throughout the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, AHERN managers communicated directly with the SPECTRUM manager regarding the management and supervision of the projects, including scheduling and inspecting TOWER’s DBE work, ordering materials for TOWER’s DBE work, and payment for TOWER’s DBE work. An AHERN executive also communicated directly with SPECTRUM’s owner regarding the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects.
- AHERN recklessly disregarded facts showing that SPECTRUM managed and supervised TOWER’s DBE work on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects.
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- AHERN failed to seek clarification regarding the financial and other arrangements between TOWER and SPECTRUM or request a copy of any contract or agreement between TOWER and SPECTRUM regarding SPECTRUM’s role. If AHERN had done so, and TOWER had responded truthfully, AHERN would have learned that TOWER and SPECTRUM had entered into written agreements specifying that SPECTRUM would provide project management support and furnish equipment on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, that TOWER and SPECTRUM would split any profits from the TOWER DBE work on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queens Plaza Projects, and that in addition to the SPECTRUM manager, two other individuals AHERN believed to be TOWER managers were in fact employed by SPECTRUM.
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- AHERN failed to assess whether SPECTRUM’s actual involvement in the projects was substantial enough to jeopardize TOWER’s standing as a DBE performing a “commercially useful function” under the applicable DBE regulations.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the USDOT-OIG, DOI, and MTA-OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mónica P. Folch, Li Yu, and David J. Kennedy are in charge of this case.
Man from Ville Platte Sentenced for Killing Endangered Whooping CraneRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst sentenced Gilvin P. Aucoin Jr., 53, of Ville Platte Louisiana, to two years of probation, during which time he must complete 120 hours of community service related to environmental conservation and complete a hunter’s education course for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by shooting a whooping crane. Also, as part of the sentence, Aucoin’s hunting and fishing privileges have been suspended for the period of his probation.
According to information presented in court, Aucoin shot at and killed a whooping crane, an endangered species, in Evangeline Parish on July 24, 2018. Aucoin saw the bird while working on a farm and shot at the bird multiple times using his rifle with an attached scope. He ultimately killed the whooping crane, leaving the bird where it fell.
“Whooping crane poaching is an offense that will be investigated thoroughly by my office and law enforcement agents,” stated U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “Many state and federal resources have been dedicated to ensuring the survival and stability of the whooping crane population in Louisiana, which is an endangered species and a valuable part of our ecosystem. Those who kill or attempt to kill a whooping crane in the Western District of Louisiana will pay the consequences.”
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents cited Aucoin for the illegal shooting of the whooping crane on July 26, 2018.
The United States Fish & Wildlife Service and LDWF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
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Louisville Man Who Shot at LMPD Officer Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States District Judge David J. Hale has sentenced Elijah Eubanks to 119 months in federal prison to run concurrent with Jefferson County Circuit Court Case No 18-CR-1201, and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.
“The United States Attorney’s Office stands with our partners in the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in protecting law enforcement in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Shoot a peace officer, shoot at a peace officer, and we will seek to send you to prison for as long as the law allows.”
Eubanks, age 21, was charged by a Louisville federal Grand Jury on July 24, 2018, in a single count Indictment of being a felon in possession of a Ruger .357 caliber revolver. Eubanks pleaded guilty to the Indictment on September 16, 2019, in U.S. District Court.
The federal charge stemmed from a shooting involving a Louisville Metropolitan Police Officer on March 31, 2018. Eubanks fired at an officer who attempted to question him while he was in a vehicle with another person. Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine’s Office previously convicted Eubanks of attempted murder for this incident.
At the time of the March 31st shooting, Eubanks had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Wanton Endangerment I and one count of Criminal Mischief I in Jefferson Circuit Court on November 2016, as part of a pre-trial diversion agreement. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his guilty plea.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory and it was investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The state case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth Jones Brown, who secured a sentence of 15 years in state prison on August 22, 2018.
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 Kentucky. 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. Today’s sentencing is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative in the Western District of Kentucky.
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Laurel County Man Sentenced to 140 Months for Armed Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — Scott Patterson, 43, of Lily, Kentucky, was sentenced Friday to 140 months in federal prison, by United States District Court Judge Robert E. Wier, for conspiracy to traffic drugs and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Patterson pled guilty to the charges in June 2018. According to his plea agreement, Patterson was obtaining methamphetamine, Xanax, marijuana, and oxycodone and was working together with others to sell these drugs in Laurel, Whitley, and Clay Counties. Patterson also admitted to being armed during the course of his drug trafficking activities. Patterson’s involvement in drug trafficking ended on June 2018, when he was arrested after breaking into a residence while possessing a firearm, methamphetamine, Xanax pills, and about $6,000 in drug proceeds.
Patterson admitted in his plea agreement that he had been previously convicted to a felony offense related to the manufacture of methamphetamine in 2010.
Four others who participated in the conspiracy have previously pled guilty and been sentenced, including: Jake Messer (150 months), Josh Towe (121 months), Myra Vandenk (61 months), and Henry Hall (53 months). Messer, Towe, and Hall all possessed firearms in connection to their drug trafficking offenses. According to court documents, Hall’s residence was a target of a series of raids on July 4, 2018. Over $300,000 in drug proceeds from Xanax sales was seized from Hall.
The July 4, 2018 raids also included searches of the residence of Jeffrey Ghent and Ricky Melton, both of whom have also pled guilty and been sentenced as co-defendants of Patterson. From Ghent’s residence, law enforcement seized nearly 300 grams of high purity crystal methamphetamine and four firearms. From Melton’s residence, law enforcement seized methamphetamine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, Xanax, marijuana, over $27,000 in drug proceeds, and 22 firearms, 12 of which were loaded. In connection with these offenses, earlier this year, Ghent was sentenced to 110 months in prison and Melton was sentenced to 120 months.
Under federal law, each of these individuals must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence; and upon their release, they will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estavan, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Louisville Field Division; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of Kentucky State Police; Chris Fultz, Chief of Manchester Police Department; Patrick Robinson, Clay County Sheriff; Col. Rusty Hedrick, Chief of Corbin Police Department; and Roger W. Bird, Chief of Williamsburg Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, Kentucky State Police, the Manchester Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, the Corbin Police Department, and the Williamsburg Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated 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.
Kutztown Man Convicted at Trial on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that John Krasley, 51, of Kutztown, PA, was convicted at trial of distributing, transporting, receiving and accessing child pornography after a week-long trial in Easton, PA.
Between March of 2013 and June of 2018, the defendant used various websites to access and share password-protected child pornography files on an almost daily basis. On six separate occasions, Krasley granted access to folders containing child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers. In addition, using electronic surveillance, agents identified further instances of child pornography access and distribution. All of these incidents occurred using the password-protected internet connection at Krasley’s residence in Kutztown.
“Krasley’s years-long history of exploiting the victimization of children online are over,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Child sexual exploitation is appallingly pervasive, and exacerbated by the easy availability of digital media and communications. Further, the ability to hide this type of activity online can make these cases even more difficult to investigate and prosecute. As always, we stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute these criminals.”
“Child exploitation investigations continue to be one of HSI’s highest investigative priorities,” said Marlon Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Crimes against children impact all of us and have far reaching consequences. HSI will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to identify arrest and prosecute anyone who trades in this vile material.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Glenn.
Koreatown Man Arrested on Federal Charges that He Coerced Girls He Met Online into Sending Him Sexually Explicit SelfiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement this morning arrested a Los Angeles man on child sexual exploitation charges alleging that he met at least eight teenage girls on the internet and pressured them – sometimes by threatening suicide – into sending him sexually explicit images of themselves.
Francisco Sanchez, 30, of Koreatown, is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on an 11-count federal grand jury indictment in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Sanchez is charged in the indictment with seven counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and two counts of cyberstalking.
According to the indictment, between January 2014 and September 2016, Sanchez, posing as a teenage boy, contacted teenage girls online, using the pseudonym “Eddie Nash” to conceal his identity. He allegedly coerced some of them into producing sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves, sometimes by threatening suicide or threatening to post compromising pictures of the girls online.
In June 2016, Sanchez, while concealing his identity, allegedly sent a victim a text message and threatened to make her “internet famous” if she continued to ignore him. When the victim replied, “If you do that u will get arrested for child pornography,” Sanchez texted back, “so, but u will be famous” and “so be nice to me, i love u so much, i dont want to hurt u,” the indictment alleges.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a 15-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence. The charge of distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison. If convicted of all charges, Sanchez would face a statutory maximum sentence in excess of 200 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Damaris Diaz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Julia S. Choe of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Knox County Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – James Mills, of Barbourville, Kentucky, was sentenced Thursday to 121 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Robert E. Wier, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
James Mills pled guilty in July 2019. According to his plea agreement, Mills admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in Knox County, between December 2017 and September 2018. Mills also admitted, on one occasion, in July 2018, he distributed over 150 grams of high-purity methamphetamine.
Under federal law, James Mills must serve 85 percent of this prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release.
Travis Mills and Gretchen Delph have both pled guilty to charges connected to the same conspiracy. Mills will be sentenced on December 30, and Delph will be sentenced on December 9.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI; and Darrel Kilburn, Chief of the London Police Department, jointly made the announcement. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
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Jury convicts Conrad man of firearms violationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A jury convicted a Conrad man of illegal possession of a shotgun and ammunition on Thursday following a two-day trial, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The jury found Joseph William Webb, 27, guilty of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The trial began on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Feb. 13. Webb was released pending further proceedings.
Webb faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
“As a convicted felon, Mr. Webb’s unlawful possession of a shotgun posed a danger to our community. Offenders illegally possessing firearms will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paulette Stewart and Kalah Paisley and the rest of the prosecution team, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Great Falls Police Department for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Webb illegally possessed a shotgun and ammunition after having been convicted of a felony in California in September 2017. Webb was charged after a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle Webb was driving for speeding on Interstate 15 in Cascade County on Aug. 25, 2018. The trooper saw a shotgun in plain view in the back seat. The vehicle had been traveling 93 mph in a posted 80 mph zone. A MHP dispatcher checking Webb’s driving information advised the trooper that Webb was on probation out of California and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Webb told the trooper the firearm was in the vehicle when he bought it and that he had moved the shotgun from the trunk to the backseat. Webb consented to a search of the vehicle, and the trooper seized the firearm, a 16 gauge shotgun, along with 10 shotgun shells. The prosecution evidence showed that Webb knew he was a convicted felon on state supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paulette Stewart and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Highway Patrol and the Great Falls Police Department.
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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Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Killing A SawfishRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chad Ponce (38, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to killing an endangered species. Ponce faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and a $50,000 fine. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Sawfishes are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp teeth, arranged in a way that resembles a saw. They are among the largest fish, with some species reaching lengths of up to 17 feet. The fish are found in meaningful numbers only in the southeastern United States, primarily the southwest coast of Florida (smalltooth), and in Australia (largetooth). At one time, both species were found worldwide, throughout tropical and subtropical regions in coastal marine and estuarial waters, as well as freshwater rivers and lakes. In Florida, the smalltooth sawfish is dependent on estuarial mangrove waters on the southern and southwest borders of the state. It is there that they breed and give birth. The sawfish has been recognized as an endangered species since May 1, 2003.
Sawfish are generally harmless to humans, although they can inflict serious injury with their saws if threatened. The rostrum of the sawfish is used by the animal to locate and disable its prey, and is believed to carry sensory cells that assist it in orienting itself to time and location. The smalltooth sawfish cannot survive without its rostrum. On July 18, 2018, Ponce was seen removing the rostrum from a live 12-foot smalltooth sawfish with a power saw aboard his fishing vessel off the coast of Ponte Vedra, Florida.
This case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Florida Wildlife Commission. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.
Ithaca Man Facing Multiple Child Pornography ChargesRead 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 Michael J. Truesdail, 38, of Ithaca, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 27, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at the defendant’s Henry Street residence. A number of electronic items were seized including two computers, a hard drive, an SD card, and two thumb drives. A forensic analysis recovered more than 1600 images of child pornography and nine video files, some of which depict children engaged in sexual activity with other children and with adults.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Oct. 29 was:
Robert Earnest Frazier II, 44, of Laurel, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Frazier faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Frazier was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-128.
Anthony Pretty On Top, 34, of Lodge Grass, on charges of failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pretty On Top faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Pretty On Top was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-135.
Christina Nicole Deharo, 28, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and false statement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Deharo faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Deharo was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-127.
Appearing on Oct. 30 was:
Aljay Michael Bighair, 31, of Lame Deer, on charges of possession of a firearm not registered in National Firearms Registration. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bighair faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bighair was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-125.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Oct. 31 was:
Alonzo First Rider, 24, of Cut Bank, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth near an elementary school. If convicted of the most serious crime, First Rider faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and five years of supervised release. First Rider was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-56.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 31 was:
Bryan Berg, 35, of Spokane, WA, on charges of Lacey Act Violation: illegal transportation of grizzly bear claws and failure to report. If convicted of the most serious crime, Berg faces a maximum one year in prison, a $10,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Berg was released pending further proceedings. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-47.
Appearing on a criminal complaint for an initial appearance on Oct. 31 was:
Raymond Girhart Bouldin, 37, of Missoula, on charges of drug user in possession and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bouldin faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bouldin was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missoula Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-69.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Hot Springs Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Hot Springs, AR – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Berry Roland Bishop, age 67, was sentenced today to serve 60 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his conviction on one felony count of Bank Fraud. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court records, in 2011, Bishop was the president and sole owner of Alliance Insurance Group of Arkadelphia and the president of M&B Insurance Properties, Incorporated. An investigation by the FBI revealed that Bishop misrepresented his financial condition to induce Citizens Bank to extend him loans that would not have otherwise been authorized. Bishop also forged the signatures of his insurance agency clients to obtain loans from the Bank of Prescott without the authorization or permission of those clients. The fraudulent loans obtained by Bishop exceeded $3.5 million dollars.
To improve the cash flow of his business, Bishop misrepresented his financial condition to induce Citizens Bank to extend him loans. Bishop represented that M&B properties had no liabilities when, in fact, he was concealing an outstanding $150,000 mortgage and an outstanding $150,000 liability for the assignment of rents. Because Bishop misrepresented the liabilities and net value of M&B, he induced Citizens Bank to delay repayment of a $200,000 loan in 2017 and 2018. That loan has never been repaid.
Bishop also induced the Bank of Prescott to extend him loans. Bishop entered into loan agreements on his clients’ behalf without their knowledge or authorization by offering the value their insurance policies as collateral to the Bank of Prescott. In furtherance of this scheme, Bishop forged the signatures of his clients without their knowledge or authorization.
Bishop was named in an Information filed in December 2018, in the Western District of Arkansas, Hot Springs Division, and entered his guilty plea in December 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Wulff and Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Honduran Man Sexually Abused Child after Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – An illegal alien with a recent conviction for sexually abusing a child pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States.
According to court documents, in May 2015, Juan Carlos Gomez-Guevara, 31, a Honduran national, was deported at taxpayer expense after being found illegally in the United States. In March, he was arrested by the Norfolk Police Department and charged with contribute to delinquency of a minor and sexual assault of a child. In September 2019, Gomez-Guevara was convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court of carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years of age.
Gomez-Guevara pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on February 5. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-61.
Harrison County man admits to firearms violationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Given, Jr., of Lost Creek, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms violation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Given, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Machinegun.” Given admitted to having a machine gun in February 2019 in Harrison County.
Given faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarksburg Police Department, and the Bridgeport Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Harlan County Man Sentenced to 181 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Travis Napier, 26, of Harlan County, was sentenced Friday to 181 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Robert E. Wier, for charges related to armed methamphetamine trafficking.
According to Napier’s plea agreement, on three occasions between February and June of 2018, his vehicle was stopped and searched, and law enforcement discovered a box containing multiple ounces of methamphetamine. Napier admitted that on two of those occasions, the box also contained a firearm and ammunition. On the third stop, a firearm was found elsewhere in the vehicle, along with a hatchet, brass knuckles, and nun chucks. The investigation revealed that, for more than a year, Napier had been traveling to Louisville to obtain methamphetamine, and returning to sell it in Harlan County.
Napier’s co-conspirator, James Southard, was previously convicted and sentenced to 125 months in prison for his role in the offense.
Under federal law, Napier and Southard must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years following their release.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Dan Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of Kentucky State Police; Mike Smith, Knox County Sheriff; Leslie Smith, Harlan County Sheriff; and Winston Tye, Chief of the Barbourville Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
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Hammond Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that ADAM LUMPKIN, age 35, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, pled guilty on October 22, 2019, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
According to court documents, LUMPKIN possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Hammond, Louisiana, on December 14, 2018. LUMPKIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry set sentencing for LUMPKIN on January 28, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Hammond Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Paige O’Hale is in charge of the prosecution.
Fresno Man Arrested for Investment Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A Fresno man was arrested today at his home following an eight-count indictment by a federal grand jury for wire fraud, bank fraud, and evading payment of taxes, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Kenneth Shane Patterson, 42, convinced a Southern California small business owner to give him more than $1 million over approximately 31 months so Patterson could buy a skilled nursing facility in Pasadena. Patterson promised to then sell the facility to the business owner at well below market value. Patterson told the business owner that he needed the money to clear liens and pay other expenses so the deal would close. In reality, Patterson never pursued buying the facility and spent the money on other business ventures and personal expenses.
Court documents also state that, in addition to defrauding the business owner, Patterson defrauded Bank of America by writing two checks totaling $230,000 from Patterson’s business account at JPMorgan Chase to another of his business accounts at Bank of America. The Chase account’s balance at the time was less than $10,000. After writing the checks, Patterson quickly transferred and spent the deposited funds before Bank of America realized Patterson’s check had bounced. Bank of America sustained a loss of approximately $150,000.
According to the indictment, Patterson evaded paying federal income tax from tax years as far back as 2003 through various methods of evasion, including having no personal bank accounts, incurring expenses on accounts not in his name, and dealing in a high volume of cash.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente Tennerelli and David Gappa are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Patterson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the bank fraud charge, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud counts, and a maximum statutory penalty of five years and a $100,000 fine for the tax evasion count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Founder of “Closed Mouth Gang” Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon.
According to court documents, in February, Richmond Police encountered Gary Garrison, 25, trespassing in the Creighton Court area of Richmond. Officers were aware that Garrison was a felon and member of the “Closed Mouth Gang” (CMG), a gang based in Creighton Court. As officers approached in their patrol vehicle, they observed a bulge in Garrison’s jacket pocket as he tried to turn his body away from them. One of the officers exited the vehicle to approach Garrison when he began to flee. Officers made chase and apprehended Garrison, finding a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket. Following his arrest, Garrison admitted to having started CMG in 2016, and identified his brother, Gregory Garrison, as a member of the gang.
Approximately one week after Garrison was arrested, fellow gang members and brothers Todd Jones, Jr., and Tod’Quan Jones, shot an individual that they erroneously believed had alerted police to Garrison carrying the firearm. Prior to that shooting and while Garrison was in Richmond City Jail, Garrison called the Joneses and they discussed whether the shooting victim had caused Garrison’s arrest. While still on the phone call, the Joneses told Garrison that they were looking at the victim right then. Garrison encouraged the men to shoot the victim in retaliation for Garrison’s arrest.
During the sentencing, the Court found that Garrison founded CMG and that he condoned the Joneses’ shooting the victim.
The Jones brothers have each been found guilty in state court of malicious wounding and gang participation relative to the shooting. Gregory Garrison pleaded guilty to carjacking on August 2, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and William C. Smith, Interim Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-64.
Former Silver Spring Physician Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining over Half a Million Dollars of Her Deceased Mother’s Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Crystal Mebane McGinty, age 59, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for mail fraud and for theft of government property in connection with a scheme to obtain over $517,000 of her deceased mother’s social security and City of New York teachers’ retirement benefits. Judge Xinis also ordered McGinty to forfeit and pay restitution in the form of a money judgment of $517,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division.
“This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate criminals who lie, cheat, and steal to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled. Crystal McGinty will now serve two years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. She not only defrauded the Social Security Administration, but all law-abiding citizens, and I am hopeful that this sentence will deter others who may be tempted to do the same,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
According to her plea agreement, during the course of the fraud McGinty worked as a physician at practices in Maryland and Washington, D.C. McGinty’s mother died on June 17, 2005, and McGinty was listed as the informant on the death certificate.
McGinty admitted that from June 2005 through June 2018, she engaged in a scheme to commit mail fraud and theft of government property by spending her deceased mother’s Social Security Administration (SSA) retirement payments and Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRSCNY) pension payments. McGinty did not disclose and concealed her mother’s death from TRSCNY and the SSA, in part, by posing as her deceased mother, in order to continue receiving her mother’s retirement payments.
As detailed in the plea agreement, McGinty deposited her mother’s TRSCNY checks, which were mailed to McGinty’s home, into a joint checking acount. The checks bore McGinty’s signature and her mother’s signature. McGinty’s mother’s SSA payments were also deposited into that bank account. Further, TRSCNY records show that from 2012 to 2017, McGinty signed and submitted several proof-of-life forms to TRSCNY, including some in which she identified herself as her deceased mother’s physician, in order to continue to receive her mother’s retirement benefits. TRSCNY records also show that after they stopped mailing her mother’s pension checks, McGinty called TRSCNY on May 31, 2016, posing as her deceased mother and provided her deceased mother’s identifying information, in an effort to get the pension benefits reinstated.
Further, McGinty admitted that she routinely withdrew her deceased mother’s TRSCNY and SSA retirement benefits from the bank through cash withdrawals or by transferring the funds to her personal accounts each month. McGinty used the funds to pay for the mortgage and utility bills at her Silver Spring home, renewal of her medical license, department store purchases, tuition at a private high school in Washington, D.C., international and domestic travel, and a cruise vacation.
According to public records, the Maryland Board of Physicians suspended McGinty’s license on January 17, 2019, and McGinty permanently surrendered her license on April 23, 2019.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the SSA Office of Inspector General for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who prosecuted the case.
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Former Albany Attorney Sentenced to 68 Months for Defrauding Clients, Law FirmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Albert Hessberg III, age 64, a disbarred attorney residing in Slingerlands, New York, was sentenced today to 68 months in prison for stealing at least $2 million in the course of defrauding his former clients and law firm.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Hessberg worked for 37 years in the Albany office of the law firm now known as Barclay Damon LLP (“Barclay”), practicing in the area of trusts and estates. The Syracuse-based law firm terminated Hessberg for cause in March 2018.
Starting in 2006 and continuing until his termination, Hessberg defrauded Barclay and law firm clients, by: stealing at least $2,060,803 entrusted to him as fiduciary and trustee for his clients; stealing funds from one client to replenish the account of another client from whom he had previously stolen; billing clients and receiving payments for legal services he did not perform; and stealing payments for legal services that should have been made to Barclay.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Today’s sentence holds Albert Hessberg accountable for a 12-year crime spree and a staggering amount of betrayal by an attorney. Hessberg did not care about his clients, their heirs, or his oath to faithfully discharge his obligations as an attorney when he stole $2 million. Lawyers must be held to society’s highest standards, and we will not waver in our efforts to hold them accountable when they commit serious crimes.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge James N. Hendricks stated: “Albert Hessberg spent 12 years deliberately stealing from his clients and lying to their families. He showed a despicable disregard for the very oath he took as an attorney and now he's facing the consequences. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure this kind of malicious behavior is investigated and prosecuted.”
Hessberg pled guilty in May to 1 count each of wire fraud, mail fraud and filing a false tax return.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, and ordered Hessberg to pay $2,638,147.40 in restitution, and to forfeit $2,060,803.40 to the government. In sentencing Hessberg, she noted that he acted in a “ruthless and predatory fashion.”
In November 2018, the Appellate Division, Third Department suspended Hessberg from the practice of law, and followed with an order of disbarment in June 2019.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
East Bay Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Being Alien in Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Victor Covian-Perez was sentenced to 36 months in prison today for being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge.
Covian-Perez, 23, of Oakland, pleaded guilty to the firearm charge on July 18, 2019. According to his plea agreement, Covian-Perez admitted that on November 29, 2018, he possessed three firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition, including a semi-automatic Springfield Armory XD .45 caliber handgun and two Charter Arms .38 caliber revolvers. At the time, Covian-Perez was unlawfully and illegally in the United States and not eligible to possess a firearm or ammunition. Covian-Perez further admitted that the government could prove that he possessed and sold approximately fifteen additional firearms between June and November 2018 that he sold to persons whose possession of a firearm would be illegal. At sentencing, Judge Gonzalez Rogers assessed an enhancement against Covian-Perez for trafficking firearms and another enhancement for possessing between eight and twenty-four firearms.
On July 16, 2019, Covian-Perez was charged by superseding indictment with being an alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5). Covian-Perez pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered Covian-Perez to serve a three-year term of supervised release to begin at the conclusion of his prison term.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas R. Green is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Rodriguez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF.
DuBois, PA Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of DuBois, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to charges violating child pornography laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Darren J. Salgado, 34, pleaded guilty to the indictment before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on October 17, 2016, Salgado knowingly distributed pictures and/or videos in an individual computer graphic file depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Further, on June 28, 2017, Salgado possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for Apr. 2, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Salgado.
Drug Trafficker Convicted for Dealing PCP in North PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Hall, 45, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted of conspiracy to distribute PCP and other substantive drug charges following a trial which lasted a week and a half.
The defendant was a member of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) which sold the drug PCP in bulk on the streets of Philadelphia for at least six months in 2015. After a lengthy investigation, evidence presented at trial showed that the DTO utilized a property on North Broad Street, just blocks from Temple University, from which it ran a 24/7 operation using numerous distributors in the immediate vicinity.
The investigation and prosecution of this DTO dates back years. Members of the DTO were originally indicted in 2015 under the caption United States v. Nayeem Gordon, et al. Thereafter, the grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment with additional drug trafficking charges against a total of fourteen defendants in 2019. After most of those defendants pled guilty, defendant Hall was the lone member of the group to go to trial.
“Hall and other members of this drug organization pumped huge quantities of a highly toxic, hallucinogenic, and often deadly drug into our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Drug trafficking delivers destruction to our communities. As is evident by the many years spent prosecuting this case, our Office is determined to investigate and convict these criminals, and put them behind bars.”
Hall faces a significant sentence in excess of the mandatory minimum under federal sentencing guidelines.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys MaryTeresa Soltis and Anthony Wzorek.
Dominican National Sentenced for Role in Large-Scale Heroin Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization.
Mirelvy Vasquez, 29, a Dominican national who previously resided in Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised. Vasquez will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In July 2019, Vasquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin. Vasquez and 17 co-defendants were indicted on heroin conspiracy charges in August 2017.
Vasquez purchased large amounts of heroin, which he then distributed to various retail-level dealers in the Springfield area, from Alberto Marte, the leader of the Springfield-based drug trafficking organization. Vasquez admitted to purchasing between one and three kilograms of heroin from Marte on various occasions beginning in January 2016 and continuing through September 2016. Vasquez then repackaged his purchases into dosage units for further distribution.
Marte had direct contact with heroin supply sources in the Dominican Republic. On a monthly basis, members of the organization transported between eight and 20 kilograms of heroin to the Springfield area.
Marte and five other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; Chicopee Police Chief William Jebb; Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the cases.
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.
Dominican National Sentenced for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Alejandro Yoel Diaz Diaz, 28, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison. Diaz Diaz will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In August 2019, Diaz Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
On Aug. 1, 2017, Diaz Diaz applied for a Massachusetts identification card using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican born United States citizen. At the time of his arrest in April 2019, Diaz Diaz was on probation out of Lawrence District Court for distribution of heroin in the United States citizen’s identity. Diaz Diaz was identified, among other things, from a fingerprint match with a Dominican Republic identification document issued to him and bearing his photo.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to drug and identity theft charges.
Jonathan Francisco Bobadilla Rosa, 30, a Dominican national previously residing in Worcester, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, false representation of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
On Dec. 14, 2018, law enforcement seized approximately 138 grams of a substance containing both heroin and fentanyl from a backpack carried by Bobadilla Rosa. In addition, on Feb. 14, 2018, Bobadilla Rosa falsely represented that the Social Security number of another person belonged to him in an application for a Massachusetts identification card from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Bobadilla Rosa will be subject to deportation proceedings. 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 William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Abely and John Mulcahy of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON- Francis Bankins, 37, of the District, was sentenced to 80 months in prison yesterday for the unlawful possession of a firearm announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bankins was previously found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to 80 months in prison. Upon completion of hi prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 11, 2018, at approximately 5:05 P.M., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics Special Investigations Division (NSID) were in the area of 3101 Naylor Road, S.E., Washington, D.C., conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with heavily tinted windows. Bankins was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Officers approached the vehicle, spoke with Bankins, and asked him to exit the vehicle. Bankins repeatedly refused but eventually got out of the vehicle. As he exited the vehicle, an officer observed that the right front pocket of Bankins’ jacket was weighed down with what he believed to be a weapon. Recovered from Bankin’s jacket pocket was a .357 Magnum revolver with five rounds in the cylinder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham praised the work of the officers from MPD’s NSID Division. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who indicted and prosecuted the case, and Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, former Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, and Legal Assistant Emma Atlas.
Disbarred lawyer sentenced to 5 years in prison for wire fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former lawyer, who was disbarred following a 2003 fraudulent check scheme, and a federal fraud conviction, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. JOHN WILLIAM ALDERSON, 47, pleaded guilty in July 2019 following a three-year scheme to defraud a romantic partner and family members. ALDERSON has a 2003 federal conviction for wire fraud and Social Security fraud, which resulted in a 41-month prison term. At his sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “You have not demonstrated any respect for the law. You do this over and over and over.”
According to records filed in the case, in 2014 ALDERSON met his victim through an online dating website, and falsified much of the information he told the victim about his background. ALDERSON lied about his age, his educational background, his family’s wealth and failed to disclose his prior federal conviction for fraud. ALDERSON moved into his victim’s home in 2015 and gained access to the victim’s personally identifying information. Using that information, ALDERSON opened the credit card accounts and pretended to be the victim to dispute charges on the credit cards. One of the charges incurred on the cards was for ALDERSON to have plastic surgery at a Bellevue clinic. Those charges traveled interstate, constituting wire fraud. ALDERSON induced the victim to write him checks that were to be deposited in a joint investment account but instead were used by ALDERSON for his own expenses. ALDERSON forged letters and emails from various attorneys representing that ALDERSON was to receive a large financial settlement. Those representations were false. ALDERSON also used the identity of relatives living in Enumclaw to open an additional credit card account resulting in more than $38,000 in fraud. ALDERSON admits to a total fraud loss of more than $262,712.
Calling him a “financial predator,” prosecutors asked for a sentence at the high end of the guidelines range saying, “The fraud he admitted to in this case was elaborate, involving layer upon layer of deception…. Fraud is nothing new to Alderson. His conduct in this case is part of a pattern of fraud and criminality that stretches back over fifteen years.”
ALDERSON’s victims told the court that he is a “vindictive and unrepentant predator” who treated his crimes as “a thrilling game of fraud and deception,” and wielding his legal knowledge as a weapon to harm others. One called him a “charming chameleon who wants to derail the lives of others.”
Judge Jones agreed that the harm in this case went beyond the financial impact noting “the wrecking-ball effect” of what ALDERSON did, “betraying trust, integrity, compassion and love, with greed, lies, fraud and deceit.”
Judge Jones ordered ALDERSON to pay $141,482 in restitution to his victims.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion.
Department of Justice Awards More than $165 Million in Public Safety Funding to the State of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $165 million to support public safety efforts in the state of North Carolina. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.
“The Department of Justice is very pleased to provide these critical public safety resources not only to local law enforcement agencies throughout North Carolina, but also to state-level agencies for the benefit of all North Carolinians,” said Director Phil Keith of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. “This funding will secure schools and protect kids from crime and violence across the state, and help to combat the scourge of deadly drugs running rampant in our communities.”
“Helping to protect North Carolinians — and all Americans — is job number one for the Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan of the Office of Justice Programs. “I’m proud to make these resources available to the brave crime-fighters, compassionate service providers and dedicated criminal and juvenile justice professionals who work so hard, day in and day out, to safeguard the communities of this great state.”
Director Phil Keith made the announcement in Raleigh on Friday morning along with Governor Roy Cooper, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Director Bob Schurmeier. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety received approximately $2.9 million from the COPS Office for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was the only state-level agency to receive funding to improve school security through the 2019 COPS School Violence Prevention Program. Additional school safety funding was provided to both the North Carolina SBI and DPI through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for behavioral threat assessments and the enhancement of the North Carolina State School Safety Center.
“North Carolina law enforcement will be better able to keep our communities safe and stop drug traffickers with this vital funding,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Federal support for local expertise is the right way to fight the opioid epidemic and to protect our schools. These grants will go a long way in making sure North Carolinians live in safe communities.”
“Supporting law enforcement at every level and all across the State of North Carolina goes to the heart of the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. "And these grants provide much needed resources and funding to law enforcement agencies as they work to protect our communities from violence, drug trafficking and any others who threaten our safety and security.”
“The grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice represent a significant investment in support of law enforcement and public safety in North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Matt Martin. “We are particularly pleased that grants in the Middle District will support school safety programs, the fight against opioid addiction, and the coordinated efforts under way to reduce gun violence from Durham to Winston-Salem and Rockingham County to Cabarrus County. These are critical priorities of all three U.S. Attorneys; to borrow an apt adage: we are putting our money where our mouth is.”
“These grants will allow SBI agents across North Carolina to more effectively partner with our police departments and sheriff’s offices to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said SBI Director Bob Schurmeier. “Families in our state have suffered enormous pain and loss and we grieve with them. We will use these resources to go after the cartels, traffickers and dealers and bring them to justice. We are grateful to the COPS Office and the US Department of Justice for their support of North Carolina and the State Bureau of Investigation.”
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $165 Million in Public Safety Funding to the State of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, NC – The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $165 million to support public safety efforts in the state of North Carolina. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.
“The Department of Justice is very pleased to provide these critical public safety resources not only to local law enforcement agencies throughout North Carolina, but also to state-level agencies for the benefit of all North Carolinians,” said Director Phil Keith. “This funding will secure schools and protect kids from crime and violence across the state, and help to combat the scourge of deadly drugs running rampant in our communities.”
“Helping to protect North Carolinians—and all Americans—is job number one for the Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m proud to make these resources available to the brave crime-fighters, compassionate service providers and dedicated criminal and juvenile justice professionals who work so hard, day in and day out, to safeguard the communities of this great state.”
COPS Office Director Phil Keith made the announcement in Raleigh on Friday morning along with Governor Roy Cooper, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Matthew G.T. Martin, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Director Bob Schurmeier. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety received approximately $2.9 million from the COPS Office for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was the only state-level agency to receive funding to improve school security through the 2019 COPS School Violence Prevention Program. Additional school safety funding was provided to both the North Carolina SBI and DPI through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for behavioral threat assessments and the enhancement of the North Carolina State School Safety Center.
“North Carolina law enforcement will be better able to keep our communities safe and stop drug traffickers with this vital funding,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Federal support for local expertise is the right way to fight the opioid epidemic and to protect our schools. These grants will go a long way in making sure North Carolinians live in safe communities.”
“Supporting law enforcement at every level and all across the State of North Carolina goes to the heart of the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Mr. Higdon. And these grants provide much needed resources and funding to law enforcement agencies as they work to protect our communities from violence, drug trafficking and any others who threaten our safety and security.”
“The grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice represent a significant investment in support of law enforcement and public safety in North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Matt Martin. “We are particularly pleased that grants in the Middle District will support school safety programs, the fight against opioid addiction, and the coordinated efforts under way to reduce gun violence from Durham to Winston-Salem and Rockingham County to Cabarrus County. These are critical priorities of all three U.S. Attorneys; to borrow an apt adage: we are putting our money where our mouth is.”
“These grants will allow SBI agents across North Carolina to more effectively partner with our police departments and sheriff’s offices to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said SBI Director Bob Schurmeier. “Families in our state have suffered enormous pain and loss and we grieve with them. We will use these resources to go after the cartels, traffickers and dealers and bring them to justice. We are grateful to the COPS Office and the US Department of Justice for their support of North Carolina and the State Bureau of Investigation.”
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $165 Million in Public Safety Funding to the State of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, NC – The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $165 million to support public safety efforts in the state of North Carolina. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.
“The Department of Justice is very pleased to provide these critical public safety resources not only to local law enforcement agencies throughout North Carolina, but also to state-level agencies for the benefit of all North Carolinians,” said Director Phil Keith. “This funding will secure schools and protect kids from crime and violence across the state, and help to combat the scourge of deadly drugs running rampant in our communities.”
“Helping to protect North Carolinians—and all Americans—is job number one for the Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m proud to make these resources available to the brave crime-fighters, compassionate service providers and dedicated criminal and juvenile justice professionals who work so hard, day in and day out, to safeguard the communities of this great state.”
COPS Office Director Phil Keith made the announcement in Raleigh on Friday morning along with Governor Roy Cooper, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Matthew G.T. Martin, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Director Bob Schurmeier. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety received approximately $2.9 million from the COPS Office for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was the only statelevel agency to receive funding to improve school security through the 2019 COPS School Violence Prevention Program. Additional school safety funding was provided to both the North Carolina SBI and DPI through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for behavioral threat assessments and the enhancement of the North Carolina State School Safety Center.
“North Carolina law enforcement will be better able to keep our communities safe and stop drug traffickers with this vital funding,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Federal support for local expertise is the right way to fight the opioid epidemic and to protect our schools. These grants will go a long way in making sure North Carolinians live in safe communities.”
“Supporting law enforcement at every level and all across the State of North Carolina goes to the heart of the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Mr. Higdon. And these grants provide much needed resources and funding to law enforcement agencies as they work to protect our communities from violence, drug trafficking and any others who threaten our safety and security.”
“The grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice represent a significant investment in support of law enforcement and public safety in North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Matt Martin. “We are particularly pleased that grants in the Middle District will support school safety programs, the fight against opioid addiction, and the coordinated efforts under way to reduce gun violence from Durham to Winston-Salem and Rockingham County to Cabarrus County. These are critical priorities of all three U.S. Attorneys; to borrow an apt adage: we are putting our money where our mouth is.”
“These grants will allow SBI agents across North Carolina to more effectively partner with our police departments and sheriff’s offices to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said SBI Director Bob Schurmeier. “Families in our state have suffered enormous pain and loss and we grieve with them. We will use these resources to go after the cartels, traffickers and dealers and bring them to justice. We are grateful to the COPS Office and the US Department of Justice for their support of North Carolina and the State Bureau of Investigation.”
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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Denver Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
DENVER – U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Troy Andrew Lujan, age 37, of Lakewood, Colorado, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 105 months (nearly 9 years) in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. He will then serve five years on supervised release. Lujan appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded at the hearing’s conclusion. Denver FBI Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips joined in the announcement.
Lujan was convicted following a jury trial on May 14, 2019. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on October 24, 2017, a confidential informant met Lujan at his apartment in Lakewood to complete a planned drug transaction. The deal was audio and video recorded. Lujan sold the confidential informant a half an ounce of methamphetamine and a half an ounce of heroin for $950. In addition to that recorded transaction, evidence at trial also revealed Lujan was selling approximately an ounce a day of both methamphetamine and heroin out of his apartment and that he had approximately 20 regular customers. Lujan is a documented member of the East Side Oldies criminal street gang.
Defendant Lujan was indicted by a grand jury on November 15, 2018, and ordered detained pending trial on December 12, 2018.
“The defendant is a five-time felon who was peddling methamphetamine and heroin on the streets of Denver,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Spending nearly 9 years in federal prison will give him a long time to contemplate whether he should choose a different path.”
"The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing those who promote the sale of heroin and methamphetamine to our neighborhoods and children,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips. “Today’s sentencing of Troy Andrew Lujan should deter others who distribute illegal narcotics for personal gain."
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s OCDETF Strike Force. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Rajiv Mohan
David M. DeVillers sworn in as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – David M. DeVillers was sworn in today as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley administered the oath of office. President Trump nominated DeVillers for U.S. Attorney on Sept. 9, and the United States Senate approved his confirmation on Oct. 28.
DeVillers has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio since July 2002.
Prior to that, he was an Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor for a decade, trying dozens of felony trials that resulted in more than 30 murder prosecutions. DeVillers also served as Director of the Organized Crime/Gang Unit for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.
Since 2002, DeVillers’ work as a federal prosecutor has included leading numerous task forces involving the FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS and Columbus Division of Police in investigating and prosecuting organized crime.
In 2016, DeVillers helped lead the prosecution team that prosecuted the largest federal murder case in Ohio’s history, charging 20 members of the Short North Posse in a racketeering conspiracy involving 14 separate murders. After a two-and-half month trial, each defendant was convicted of all counts. An additional 18 gang members were convicted of drug and firearm crimes.
In 2004, DeVillers brought about a federal death sentence for Daryl Lawrence, for the murder of Officer Bryan Hurst of the Columbus Division of Police.
DeVillers served as a Prosecutor Advisor to the Iraqi High Tribunal during the trial of Saddam Hussein and other members of the former Iraqi Regime in 2006 and 2007. He had also worked on behalf of the Department of Justice in Iraq in 2004, when he investigated a foreign terrorist organization.
DeVillers continued his work overseas, most notably as the Department of Justice’s Resident Legal Advisor to the Republic of Georgia, living in the capital city of Tbilisi from 2010 to 2012 to combat transnational crime, corruption and international money laundering. DeVillers completed similar work for the Department in the Ukraine, Albania, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Romania.
Last year, DeVillers received the Mark Losey Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award from then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. DeVillers was awarded the J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award for the Nation’s Most Outstanding Assistant United States Attorney in 2008 and voted the Outstanding Assistant Prosecutor of the Year for 1999 by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association.
DeVillers received his B.A. from the State University of New York, Oswego, and his J.D. from Capital University.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, with a staff of 115, represents more than five million people in 48 of Ohio’s 88 counties. The Southern District of Ohio includes the metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.
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DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Results in 1,788 Pounds of Drugs Collected in the Northern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and John Scott, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Oklahoma, announced the results of the 18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event was created to help Americans dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs in order to help prevent addiction and overdose deaths.
Oklahomans living in Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties turned in 1,788 pounds of pharmaceuticals, vaping devices, and cartridges to 17 different sites within the District. In all of Oklahoma, the DEA, along with federal, state, local and tribal partners collected a total of 122 boxes weighing approximately 2,194 pounds. The DEA accepted the vaping devices and cartridges for the first time his year.
“DEA’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day saves lives. Preventive efforts, like disposing of unused prescriptions or restricting access to medications, help to protect our loved ones and friends,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am thankful to DEA Oklahoma for their hard work in setting up this event and to community members in northern Oklahoma who turned in their outdated and unused prescriptions.”
“It is no secret that Oklahoma’s youth who are abusing prescription drugs are getting these drugs primarily from their parents’ medicine cabinet or from a friend who most likely got the drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinet,” said John Scott, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Oklahoma. “The collection and destruction of over 2,000 pounds of potentially deadly drugs will no doubt help keep Oklahoma’s youth safer. It should be noted that if you happened to miss the nationwide takeback event, you can go to www.ok.gov/obndd and search for an Rx Disposal Box near you. These boxes are conveniently located all over the state of Oklahoma for individuals to dispose of their unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are concerning, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. In an effort to remind individuals to lock up or dispose of unwanted prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Shores created a Public Service Announcement providing tips for community members to protect loved ones, reminding them to “help save a life.” You can access the Public Service Announcement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87_ohtgOvfM.
During October’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, 5,000 partner law enforcement agencies operated 5,725 collection sites nationwide, including 140 Bureau of Indian Affairs sites. In the Northern District of Oklahoma, sites were operated by the DEA’s Tulsa Resident Office, Bartlesville Police and Fire Departments, Eastern Shawnee Tribal Police Department, Pryor Police Department, Tulsa Country Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Sapulpa Police Department, Quapaw Nation, Wyandotte Nation, Miami Nation, Miami Agency and the Pawhuska Police Department.
DEA began putting on Take Back Day events when the public had no other way to appropriately dispose of their leftover painkillers and other potentially dangerous drugs. These Take Back events have been extremely successful not only in getting unused drugs out of the house, but also in raising awareness of their link to addiction and overdose deaths. Since DEA launched this program over 10 years ago, law enforcement agencies, pharmacies and others have installed permanent prescription drug drop boxes on-site, making drug disposal even more convenient.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 26 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge couple has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking at least 26 firearms.
According to court documents, Cornelius Maurice King. Jr., 25, and Yeakain Yabu Koroma, 26, worked together to buy dozens of firearms and then resell them to third parties to turn a profit. In total, between January and June 2018, King and Koroma resold 26 firearms. Neither King nor Koroma were licensed to sell firearms.
Koroma pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of engaging in the dealing of firearms without a license and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 7, 2020. King pleaded guilty on October 18 to the same charge and will be sentenced on Jan. 31, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-315 and 1:19-cr-327.
Convicted Felon and Co-Defendant, Caught with Stolen Weapons, Plead Guilty to Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A felon with a conviction from the Middle District of Pennsylvania entered a guilty plea to an illegal firearms charge this week after being found with a stolen gun and other firearms in the Middle District of Georgia, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Anthony Rodriguez, 33, of Valdosta, Georgia, entered a guilty plea for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Court Judge Louis Sands on October 29, 2019. A co-defendant, Andrew Wilson Scott, 20, of Lake Park, Georgia entered a guilty plea to possession of stolen firearms before Judge Sands on October 28, 2019. Both defendants face a maximum ten years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years’ supervised release. Both defendants will be sentenced on January 16, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Albany. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lowndes County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call that a vehicle had run off I-75 on January 10, 2019. Mr. Rodriguez was found alone inside the vehicle. Officers observed marijuana in plain sight, and smelled its odor emanating from the vehicle. Mr. Rodriguez consented to a search, and the officers found four handguns, two of which were confirmed stolen from burglaries in Ware County, Georgia and Waycross, Georgia. Officers also recovered ammunition, as well as a dozen bags of marijuana and a quantity of methamphetamine. Mr. Rodriguez admitted he illegally possessed the guns and drugs. Mr. Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine on December 6, 2012 in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. It is illegal for convicted felons to possess firearms. During the course of the investigation, Defendant Scott admitted to hiding additional weapons in the trunk of his car that Mr. Scott said belonged to Mr. Rodriguez. Mr. Scott also admitted that he unsuccessfully attempted to sell the weapons. Two sawed-off shotguns were discovered in Mr. Scott’s vehicle, as well a 9mm pistol, confirmed stolen in a burglary in Ware County. Mr. Scott knew the weapons were stolen.
“It is a priority of our office to remove illegal firearms from the hands of convicted felons and other criminally minded individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Prosecuting convicted felons in possession of firearms remains at the forefront of our strategy to reduce violent crime in the Middle District of Georgia. I want to thank the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF for their excellent work in this case.”
The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Convicted Felon Indicted on Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Templeton man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on federal firearms offenses.
John Shaw, 30, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm not identified by serial number. Shaw was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in September 2019.
According to charging documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Shaw’s residence on Sept. 24, 2019, an AR-15 short-barreled rifle that did not bear a serial number, over 50 rounds of .22 Long Rifle caliber ammunition, 27 rounds of .357 Sig caliber ammunition, 10 expended brass cartridge cases, and one complete round of 30-06 ammunition were seized. Shaw was previously convicted in Winchendon District Court of breaking and entering in the night with intent to commit a felony and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Shaw was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The charges each provide 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 on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Ashburnham Police Chief Lorring Barrett, Jr.; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Hopkinton Police Chief Edward Lee made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is 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.
Chicago Duo Sentenced in HUD Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Sergio Garcia, Sr., 50, of Chicago, IL and Sergio Garcia, Jr., 30, of Lowell, IN were sentenced by US District Court Judge Philip Simon on their guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Garcia, Sr. was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $471,571.06 in restitution to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and $3,862 in restitution to other victims of his crime.
Garcia, Jr. was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $24,819.53 in restitution to HUD and $202.25 to other victims of his crime.
According to documents in the case, between January 1, 2011 and May 31, 2014, the Garcias conspired with others to engage in a scheme to defraud HUD and to obtain money and property by means of false pretenses, representations and promises. The scheme involved contracting with HUD to buy more than 87 homes in Indiana and Illinois and attempting to sell them for a profit the same day. The purchase contracts the conspirators provided to HUD stated that they or one of their businesses were purchasing the properties as investors and would pay with cash or use other financing not involving FHA. To support their claimed ability to pay for the homes, the conspirators mailed fraudulent letters purporting to show that they or their company had access to the funds needed to complete each purchase. Many of the letters purported to be written by a private venture capital business and falsely stated that the Garcias or their business held a line of credit of up to $500,000.00, when in fact, as the conspirators well knew: the letters were forged and counterfeited; the lines of credit referenced therein did not exist; and the signatures thereon were forged and unauthorized.
Once under contract to purchase homes from HUD, the conspirators advertised the homes for subsequent resale and placed their own “for sale” signs at the homes. When the conspirators could not find a subsequent purchaser to buy the homes, they allowed their purchase contracts with HUD to expire and filed false liens on the homes for the full purchase price, impeding HUD’s ability to sell the homes to others. In some instances, the conspirators demanded money from would-be subsequent purchasers to release the false liens on the HUD-owned homes.
“This sentencing serves as an example that when housing professionals defraud the system of rules sponsored by HUD, the HUD Office of Inspector General will continue to partner with both the U. S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to pursue those individuals to ensure the integrity of its federal housing programs.”
“If you attempt to defraud the system and violate public trust, we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will ensure you are held accountable for your illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall, FBI Indianapolis. “Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to others that the FBI and our partners will continue to pursue those who would seek to blatantly commit fraud.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the HUD Office of Inspector General. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
The former treasurer of a homeowner’s association who defrauded his neighbors out of $124,524.57 was sentenced October 31, 2019, to 18 months in federal prison.
Wayne P. Jones, age 55, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. In a plea agreement, Jones admitted that in November 2011, shortly after becoming the treasurer of his homeowners’ association, he opened a new bank account where he had sole access. Jones then deposited member dues and other income into the new account, and used the funds for his own purposes. Jones concealed his fraud by under reporting deposits and disbursements to the homeowners association.
Jones was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Jones was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $124,524.57 in restitution to the home owners association. He must also pay a fine of $7,500 and serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jones was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on November 14, 2019. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-4.
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California Man Sentenced for Sending Death Threats to Dozens of Professional and College AthletesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for sending death threats to at least 45 professional and collegiate athletes between July and December 2017.
Addison Choi, 23, of Fullerton, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $5,500. In July 2019, Choi pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another.
“The anonymity and ease of internet-based communications has led to a steady decline in civility and a steady increase in internet-based threats and harassment,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Choi is a perfect example, lobbing violent, racist threats at others who failed to meet his expectations. We will continue to prosecute those who use the Internet to threaten violence.”
“In the realm of social media, there were no firewalls to protect the famous from being burned by Addison Choi's vitriol and the keyboard he weaponized. His victims - sports heroes to many - were threatened with death by Choi for failing to perform to his expectations on their chosen fields of play, all while he lurked in anonymity,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today's sentence is meant to teach Choi a lesson, and send a message to others that the FBI takes all acts and threats of violence seriously.”
In 2017, Choi attended college in Wellesley where he played varsity soccer. He also gambled prolifically on sports, both professional and collegiate. When the players or teams that he bet on performed poorly, Choi used Instagram to send them death threats. For example, on July 27, 2017, Choi posted on one professional athlete’s Instagram account: “I will kill you and your family and f****** hang them on a tree you stupid ugly mother*****” and also “I hope you f****** die you stupid monkey n*****.” On the same day, Choi posted on another athlete’s Instagram account: “I’ll find your f****** family and skin them alive you stupid f***, I hope you never play again.”
Choi also posted threats on the accounts of athletes’ loved ones. In another instance, Choi posted on the Instagram page of a professional athlete’s girlfriend, “You stupid mother***** [name], you worthless f***. I will f****** kill you,” and “I will f****** kill [name] you dumb f****** bitch… leave that irrelevant stupid mother*****.”
Between July 2017 and December 2017, Choi posted threats to at least 45 different Instagram accounts, with multiple threats to each account and often multiple targets per threat.
U.S. Attorney Lelling and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott L. Garland, of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team, and Gregory J. Dorchak, of Lelling’s Civil Rights Unit, prosecuted the case.
Bronx Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Narcotics on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LUIS FERNANDEZ was sentenced to 151 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the “dark web,” and for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly stronger than heroin, and carfentanil is a fentanyl analogue that is approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl. FERNANDEZ was also ordered to forfeit $269,623 in narcotics proceeds. FERNANDEZ pled guilty on July 30, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Luis Fernandez and his co-defendant Richard Castro sold large quantities of fentanyl and carfentanil to hundreds of individuals across the country, including over the dark web. Today’s sentence should be another clear reminder that any short-term profits from drug dealing are not worth the long-term price.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information to which FERNANDEZ pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
From at least in or about November 2015 through March 2019, FERNANDEZ and his co-defendant Richard Castro[1] conspired to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and phenyl fentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl). For most of this period, the conspiracy dealt drugs over the dark web, using the monikers “Chemsusa”, “Chems_usa”, and “Chemical_usa.” Castro was an operator of these online monikers and the leader of this conspiracy. On one dark web marketplace, Dream Market, Castro boasted that he had completed more than 3,200 transactions on other dark web markets, including more than 1,800 on AlphaBay. The customer feedback for “Chemsusa” included, “Extremely potent and definitely the real Carf,” as well as “The Carfent is unbelievably well synthesized, keep up the amazing work.” In June 2018, Castro, using the “Chemsusa” moniker, informed customers that he was moving his business off of dark web marketplaces and would accept purchase requests for narcotics only via encrypted email. To learn the off-market email address, “Chems_usa” required willing customers to pay a fee. An undercover law enforcement officer paid this fee, obtained the encrypted email address, and placed orders with Castro. Castro’s customers paid him in Bitcoin.
FERNANDEZ managed the conspiracy’s stash house, packaged narcotics, and shipped the narcotics via U.S. mail from the New York City area to hundreds of individuals throughout the United States. For example, in early March 2019, FERNANDEZ was observed dropping several envelopes in a mailbox in Coney Island, New York; law enforcement seized and searched these envelopes, each of which contained carfentanil.
In mid-March 2019, law enforcement searched FERNANDEZ’s residence in the Bronx, New York. During this search, officers found, among other things, the following evidence in FERNANDEZ’s bedroom: (1) mailing labels similar to those found on packages connected to the conspiracy, (2) addresses of customers who had received packages from the conspiracy, and (3) approximately 78 grams of fentanyl analogues and 307.5 grams of u-47700 (an opioid analgesic that is approximately 7.5 times more potent than morphine). Law enforcement also recovered a fumigation mask and rubber gloves. In a different bedroom of FERNANDEZ’s residence, law enforcement recovered a Model R-73 handgun. Because FERNANDEZ had previously been convicted of a felony (stemming from his sale of cocaine), he was legally prohibited from possessing this handgun.
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In imposing sentence, the Court stated that the defendant played a “critical” role in the conspiracy and that he was responsible for “shipping death.”
In addition to his prison term, FERNANDEZ, 42, of the Bronx, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative work. Mr. Berman also thanked the Internal Revenue Service and the Orange County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office for their valuable assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Aline R. Flodr, and Ryan B. Finkel are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Castro pled guilty to money laundering and narcotics distribution conspiracy on July 25, 2019.
Bladen County Resident Sentenced for Conspiring to Launder over $1.2 Million in Criminal ProceedsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced MURRAY MCNEILL TODD, age 47, of Bladenboro, North Carolina to 87 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered TODD to pay restitution totaling $517,379.
TODD was named in a Criminal Information filed on March 5, 2019 charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering. On April 8, 2019, TODD pled guilty to that charge.
“This case is an example of the predators targeting senior citizens all across the country and here in the Eastern District of North Carolina.” Mr. Higdon said. Todd preyed upon our older citizens and stole more than a million dollars of the victims savings, their retirement, their future. Prosecuting those who defraud our senior citizens is a top priority for the U.S. Justice Department and for federal prosecutors here in the Eastern District,” said Higdon.
According to the charging instrument, statements made in court, and other public information, TODD conspired with one or more Africa-based scammers over a multi-year period to launder over $1.2 million in criminal proceeds. The proceeds originated from various Internet-enabled fraud schemes, including elder fraud, stolen identity tax refund fraud, and payroll diversion. For example, one elder fraud victim became acquainted with an individual who purported to be a U.S. soldier stationed abroad. The individual later requested financial assistance and fraudulently induced the victim into wiring funds to TODD. Investigators also identified a significant number of payroll checks that were diverted from employers across the country—particularly, hospital organizations—into TODD’s accounts or accounts under his control. The diversion typically resulted from the compromise of the victim’s network through phishing and computer intrusion techniques. Additionally, investigators observed an extensive pattern of unlawful deposit activity associated with intercepted federal and state tax refunds.
TODD used a variety of means and methods to receive and transfer criminal proceeds in furtherance of the conspiracy. Among other things, TODD conducted transfers to international recipients in Nigeria and elsewhere through his own accounts and those connected to a wider network of “money mules.” TODD also arranged the purchase of prepaid debit cards that were loaded with criminal funds. The funds, in turn, were wired overseas.
The FBI’s offices in Raleigh, North Carolina and Lexington, Kentucky conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig represented the government.
Biloxi Man with Multiple Felony Convictions Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Darrell Donnell McDonald, 39, of Biloxi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent-in-Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
McDonald will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on February 19, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On May 1, 2017, the Biloxi Police Department received a citizen complaint that McDonald had been visiting his small rental storage unit 5-10 times a day and criminal activity was suspected. Biloxi police responded to the complaint and noticed a strong odor of fresh marijuana emanating from the storage unit. Police also obtained a copy of McDonald’s rental agreement and, later that same day, McDonald was caught by Biloxi Police closing the door of the storage unit (with the keys in his hand) while marijuana odor emanated from the unit. A Biloxi Police narcotics canine team arrived, and the canine alerted outside the storage unit.
Pursuant to a state search warrant, the rental unit was searched and the following key items were found: approximately 316 grams of cocaine, approximately 1,758 grams of marijuana, approximately $4,563 in cash, a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun and other evidence of drug trafficking activity. Both the cocaine and the marijuana were tested by the Mississippi State Crime Lab in Harrison County. The pistol recovered by police, together with ammunition, was administratively forfeited through ATF processes, and the $4,563.00 was forfeited through state processes upon action by the Biloxi Police.
McDonald had a criminal history of multiple narcotics felony convictions and one firearm related felony conviction. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Biloxi Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.
Associate of Whittier Street Gang Sentenced to 15 Years for Racketeering Offenses, Including Attempted Murder of Police OfficerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A close associate of a Whittier street gang has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for committing a series of drug-related and violent acts, including the attempted murder of a Whittier Police officer during a narcotics transaction.
Frankie Vasquez, 40, of Carson, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.
Vasquez pleaded guilty on June 24 to conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR), conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and drug trafficking.
The charges against Vasquez are contained in an indictment that charges him and 50 other members and associates of the Canta Ranas organization, a wide-ranging criminal enterprise which operates primarily in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier under the control of a member of the Mexican Mafia. Vasquez is a member of the Carson-based Varrio Keystone street gang, but he admitted to being a key supplier of narcotics to the Canta Ranas organization.
The racketeering indictment, which was unsealed in June 2016 and superseded in October 2017 to add additional charges, alleges that an incarcerated member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang exerted control over the Canta Ranas street gang and other gangs, and that he received compensation in the form of “rent” or “taxes” generated by drug trafficking and other offenses committed in gang territory. When law enforcement authorities arrested Vasquez in this case in May 2018, they found in his possession a copy of the indictment, with certain sections highlighted.
In a plea agreement filed in federal court, Vasquez admitted being associated with the Canta Ranas Organization, which attempted to control its claimed territory by conspiring and actually committing “acts of violence, including assaults, murders, extortion, and acts of intimidation; engaging in narcotics trafficking, extortion, and robberies; and ‘taxing’ narcotics sales and other profitable illegal activity occurring within the territory.”
In addition to participating in the organization’s drug-trafficking business, Vasquez admitted he attempted to murder the undercover police officer, who Vasquez thought was trying to rob him during a drug deal. In fact, the undercover detective was conducting surveillance as part of a narcotics investigation.
Most of the defendants named in the federal RICO indictment have been convicted, either by guilty plea or trial. The lead defendant in the case, Jose Loza, was found guilty in August on a host of charges, including murder. Loza is facing a life prison term when he is sentenced on February 24.
The investigation into the Canta Ranas organization was called Operation “Frog Legs” and resulted in the seizure of narcotics and 51 firearms Operation Frog Legs was conducted by the Southern California Drug Task Force, which is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative. Participants on the Task Force include personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Whittier Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit.
The RICO case resulting from Operation Frog Legs is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Alexis Chen, Chief of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, & Racketeering Section (INMLR); Kathy Yu of the INMLR Section; and Victoria A. Degtyareva of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Ashburnham Man Indicted on Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ashburnham man was indicted yesterday in federal court in Worcester on federal firearms offenses.
Terrick Bishoff, 38, was indicted on one count each of unlawful possession or transfer of a machine gun, dealing in firearms without a license, and possession of a machinegun without a serial number. Bishoff was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Sept. 24, 2019.
As alleged in charging documents, Bishoff sold three firearms to an individual in Fitchburg between May 10 and July 24, 2019, including a machine gun without a serial number on May 15, 2019. In return for the machinegun, the individual paid Bishoff $2,500.
The charge of unlawful possession or transfer of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a machinegun without a serial number provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $10,000. 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; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Ashburnham Police Chief Lorring Barrett, Jr.; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Hopkinton Police Chief Edward Lee made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is 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.
Annapolis MS-13 Member Convicted After Trial of Federal Charges, Including Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” “El Pastor,” and “Gasper,” age 21, of Annapolis, Maryland, of murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in connection with his participation in the activities of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. The verdict was returned late on October 31, 2019.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations-Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Baltimore Field Division; Police Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
“The MS-13 gang uses violence, extortion, and intimidation to terrorize their communities, both here in the U.S. and abroad. The gang’s chilling motto is ‘mata, viola, controla,’ or ‘kill, rape, and control.’ This MS-13 member showed his allegiance to the gang through murder. Now he faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His conviction for murder, and our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to bring other gang members to justice, demonstrates our unflagging commitment to eliminate MS-13 and its campaign of wanton violence,” said United States Attorney Hur. “We will continue to root out and prosecute violent gang members to obtain justice for their victims.”
“This individual’s crime is yet another example of the terror and violence that criminal gangs like MS-13 inflict upon our communities,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert. “HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and dismantle these gangs to make our streets safer.”
MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and Frederick County, Maryland. In Maryland, MS-13 cliques often work cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement. These cliques include the Hempstead Locos Salvatrucha (HLS or Hempstead), Fulton Locos Salvatruchs (FLS or Fulton), and Langley Park Salvatrucha (LPS), among others. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
According to the evidence presented at his 9-day trial, from at least 2015 through 2017, Sandoval-Rodriguez was a member and associate of the Fulton clique. As a member of the MS-13 gang, Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in racketeering activities including drug trafficking, extortion, and murder.
The evidence at trial proved that Sandoval-Rodriguez and other MS-13 members and associates conspired to murder an individual whom they believed to be a rival gang member. Specifically, on March 11, 2016, Sandoval-Rodriguez lured the victim to a park in Annapolis, with the intent to murder the victim. Once the victim arrived at the park, members of the gang struck the victim on the head with a branch or stick. Sandoval-Rodriguez and the other members and associates of MS-13 then stabbed the victim repeatedly, killing the victim. The members and associates of MS-13 then buried the victim in a shallow grave in the park. Sandoval-Rodriguez and his co-conspirators murdered the victim in Annapolis, for the purpose of gaining entrance to, maintaining, and increasing their position in MS-13.
As a result of his conviction for murder in aid of racketeering, Sandoval-Rodriguez faces a mandatory life sentence. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has not yet scheduled sentencing.
Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, a/k/a “Little S,” age 22; Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 20; and David Diaz-Alvarado, age 21; all of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering enterprise. The other defendants are awaiting sentencing. All of the defendants are detained.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and AAG Benczkowski commended HSI, the ATF, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office. Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig, Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Mildenberg, a cross-designated Anne Arundel County Assistant State’s Attorney, who are prosecuting this case.
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Alleged Corruption at East St. Louis Non-Profit Leads to Three New Federal IndictmentsRead the Press Release
An ongoing federal investigation into corruption and self-dealing at an East St. Louis charity has
resulted in new charges being filed against three people. Leonard Johnson, 33, of St. Louis,
Missouri, Jeremy Turner, 31, of Dallas, Texas, and Tiffany Taylor, 37, of Maryville, Illinois, are
all under separate federal indictment for crimes associated with the Lessie Bates Davis
Neighborhood House (“Neighborhood House”), a non-profit organization in East St. Louis that
receives federal funds.The indictments come just two months after Christopher Coleman, the former executive director of
Neighborhood House, pleaded guilty to embezzling over $250,000 from the organization in 2016 and
2017. Coleman, 42, of Troy, Illinois, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2019, at the federal
courthouse in Benton, Illinois.Johnson and Turner are both charged with aiding and abetting Coleman’s embezzlement and making
false statements to law enforcement. Coleman allegedly directed the payment of Neighborhood House
funds to business entities controlled by the defendants – approximately $24,000 to Johnson under the business name “JCS Consulting” and over $40,000 to Turner under the
business name “Teach Me Technology, LLC.” According to the indictments, both men then used the
money they received to make cash payments back to Coleman. The indictments further allege that both
Johnson and Turner later lied to FBI and IRS agents about the existence of the kickbacks to
Coleman.Taylor is charged separately with making false statements to a federal agent. The indictment
against her alleges that from 2015 to 2018, Neighborhood House provided fiscal support services for
the administration of federal grant funds to a Cahokia School District after school program. During
that time, a significant number of Apple products – including Apple watches, iPads and MacBook Pro
laptop computers – were allegedly purchased by Neighborhood House and provided to people associated
with the after school program. The indictment alleges that Taylor, a grant manager and writer for
the Cahokia School District, lied to a federal agent by falsely denying that she had requested the Apple watches.Embezzling from an organization that receives federal funds is a felony offense, punishable by as
much as ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Making a false statement to a federal agent
carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation of these cases is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Public
Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the
Illinois State Police. The prosecutions are all being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman
R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern
Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.