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Friday 1 November 2019
Albuquerque man pleads guilty to brandishing a firearm during crime of violenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Donovan Young, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M, pleaded guilty this morning in federal court to a felony information charging him with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Young admitted brandishing a firearm while committing a carjacking on Nov. 2, 2018, in Albuquerque.
Court records reflect that officers of the Albuquerque Police Department and deputies of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office arrested Young on state charges on Nov. 2, 2018. Thereafter, on Nov. 5, 2018, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Young on a federal criminal complaint that charged him with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The criminal complaint charged Young with robbing the carjacking victim in the parking lot of a supermarket on Nov. 2, 2018. According to the complaint, Young took the victim’s keys, wallet, and cellphone by pointing an AK-type rifle at the victim and telling him that his belongings “aren’t worth your life.” After Young fled the scene in the victim’s pickup truck, officers located Young at a nearby gas station using a tracking feature for the victim’s phone. Young sped away when officers tried to arrest him, leading officers on a pursuit through residential neighborhoods reaching speeds more than 100 miles per hour. Officers arrested Young when he stopped his truck in a mound of dirt and recovered a rifle matching the victim’s description of the firearm used in the crime. The victim identified Young as the man who pointed the rifle at him at the supermarket.
A federal grand jury indicted Young on carjacking and firearms charges on Nov. 28, 2018.
In his plea agreement, Young admitted using a firearm to commit a carjacking offense in Bernalillo County on Nov. 2, 2018. Young also admitted threatening the victim, the owner of the vehicle, by pointing a firearm at the victim and demanding that the victim surrender the keys to his vehicle, his wallet and his phone. Young acknowledged that the victim complied with Young’s demands because he was intimidated by Young’s actions.
Young has been in federal custody since his arrest on the complaint, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Young faces a maximum statutory mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the Bernalillo County’s Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.
6 Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to International Sex Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, a/k/a “Chavito,” a/k/a “Cepillo,” pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter to sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, or coercion. Five additional defendants in this case – JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, a/k/a “Rogelio,” JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “Chegoya,” a/k/a “El Guero,” ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “El Flaco,” PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO – pled guilty to sex trafficking offenses last month before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “These defendants systematically preyed on innocent women and girls in Mexico, smuggled them into the United States, and forced them into prostitution – depriving them of their freedom and dignity. The devastation to these victims caused by the defendants is beyond comprehension. With the defendants’ guilty pleas, we seek to deliver justice for the victims, and to deter others from engaging in this reprehensible conduct.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment to which each defendant pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, a/k/a “Chavito,” a/k/a “Cepillo,” JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, a/k/a “Rogelio,” JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “Chegoya,” a/k/a “El Guero,” ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, a/k/a “El Flaco,” PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO, the defendants, are members of an international sex trafficking organization (the “STO”). Many of the members of the STO are related by blood, marriage and community.
Between at least in or about 2000 and 2016, members of the STO (the “Traffickers”) have used false promises, physical and sexual violence, threats of the same, lies, and coercion to force and coerce adult and minor women (the “Victims”) to work in prostitution in both Mexico and the United States.
In most cases, a Trafficker enticed a Victim – frequently a minor – in Mexico. The Trafficker then used multiple means to isolate the Victim from her family. In some cases, the Trafficker used romantic promises to induce the Victim to leave her family and live with him. In other cases, the Trafficker raped the Victim, making it difficult for her to return to her family due to the associated stigma of the rape. Once a Victim was separated from her family, the Trafficker frequently monitored her communications, kept her locked in an apartment, left her without food, and engaged in physical or sexual violence against the Victim. Traffickers often told Victims that the Traffickers owed a significant debt and that the Victim must work in prostitution to assist in repaying the debt. Traffickers typically began forcing the Victims to work in prostitution in Mexico. Victims were often required to see at least 20 to 40 customers per day. Traffickers monitored the number of clients a Victim saw by surveilling the Victim, communicating with brothel workers, and by counting the number of condoms provided to a Victim. Traffickers typically required the Victims to turn over all of the prostitution proceeds to the Traffickers.
After a Victim worked in prostitution in Mexico for some time, Traffickers typically arranged for the Victim to be smuggled into the United States. Members of the STO assisted one another in making smuggling arrangements. In many cases, multiple Traffickers and multiple Victims were smuggled into the United States together. In other cases, one Trafficker remained in Mexico while arranging for a Victim to be smuggled together with another Trafficker and other Victims.
Once in the United States, the members of the STO generally maintained their Victims at one of several shared apartments in New York City. Victims living in the same apartment were frequently forbidden to communicate with one another. Once in the United States, Traffickers continued to use physical and sexual violence, threats of the same, lies, and coercion to force the Victims to work in prostitution.
In most cases, the Trafficker or another member of the STO provided a Victim with contact information with which to find work. The Victims typically worked weeklong shifts either in a brothel, or in a “delivery service.” In a delivery service, the Victim was delivered to a customer’s home by a “driver.” These brothels and delivery services were located both within New York and in surrounding states, including but not limited to Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Generally, each customer paid $30-35 for 15 minutes of sex. Of that, half of the money typically went to the driver (in the case of a delivery service) or to the brothel. The other $15 went to the Victim, who was then typically forced to give all of the proceeds to the Trafficker. When a Trafficker was unavailable, a Victim might also give the proceeds to another member of the STO.
The Traffickers then frequently sent, or had their Victims send, some of the prostitution proceeds to Traffickers’ family members and associates in Mexico by wire transfer. Such transfers provided financial assistance to the Traffickers’ families and provided financial support to the Traffickers themselves if they returned to Mexico.
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EFRAIN GRANADOS-CORONA, 43, of Mexico, pled guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
JULIO SAINZ-FLORES, 37, of Mexico, pled guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
JUAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, 33, ALAN ROMERO-GRANADOS, 28, PEDRO ROJAS-ROMERO, 40, and EMILIO ROJAS-ROMERO, 37, all of Mexico, pled guilty to conspiring to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carter in early 2020.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline C. Kelly and Elinor L. Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution.
Thursday 31 October 2019
York Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Richard Tyler, age 34, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted on October 30, 2019, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Tyler possessed cocaine base and heroin with the intent to distribute in York County, on January 22, 2019. The indictment further alleges that he illegally possessed a firearm.
The case was investigated by the York City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 50 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Wood County Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County woman pled guilty to a drug trafficking offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Brooke Alexandria Kimble, 21, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is so powerful. So deadly. And this dealer’s deeds led to death,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Too many West Virginians have died as a result of fentanyl overdoses. Drug dealers must be held accountable. The peddlers of death must end the chaos and destruction they deliver to our people.”
Kimble admitted that on January 7 and 8, 2019 she distributed what she believed to be heroin to a police informant. Laboratory analysis later determined the substance was fentanyl. She further admitted that on January 5, 2019 she distributed what she believed to be heroin to Frederick Lawson who died later that day of fentanyl overdose. The transactions all occurred at her residence on Avery Street in Parkersburg.
Under the plea agreement, Kimble faces 10 to 15 years in prison when sentenced on January 23, 2020.
The Parkersburg Police Department and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution.
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Wood County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County man pled guilty to a federal gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Mark Matthew Smith, 29, of Parkersburg, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Smith admitted that he possessed a KAHR, .45 caliber pistol during a traffic stop on December 6, 2017 in Parkersburg. His possession of the firearm was illegal due to his having been convicted in the Circuit Court of Wood County of forgery in December 2011 and grand larceny in January 2012.
Smith faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on January 23, 2020.
The Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Woman Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Valentina Marinkovic, age 19, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty upon her plea of guilty on a count of bank fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Marinkovic was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $78,120.73.
According to documents in the case, on or about August 5, and continuing until on or about October 1, 2018, Marinkovic executed a scheme to defraud a federally insured financial institution. Law enforcement had been investigating several reports of skimming devices being placed on bank and credit union ATMS as well as gas station credit card readers at gas pumps. Skimming devices capture and store credit and debit card numbers of unsuspecting victims. The device is subsequently removed and the information from the skimming device is used to produce fraudulent credit/debit cards for unauthorized transactions.
In this case, a credit union was victimized by having to reimburse members for losses exceeding $78,000.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit along with the Elkhart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Speith.
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Whitesville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—A Whitesville man pled guilty to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Daniel C. Runion, 34, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Mike Stuart commended the investigation by the West Virginia State Police assisted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Runion admitted that he possessed a firearm in his residence on April 30, 2019, when a search warrant was executed in Whitesville. Runion was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a 2012 federal felony conviction for receipt of child pornography.
Runion is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2020, and faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin F. Scott and Erik S. Goes are handling the prosecution.
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Wausau Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marjean Seehafer, 54, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 18 months in federal prison for making false statements and representations in order to receive Social Security Disability benefits for which she was not eligible. Seehafer pleaded guilty to this charge on August 14, 2019.
Seehafer received monthly disability benefits from Social Security from 2016 through 2018, based on her false representation that she was unable to work due to her disability. During this same time, Seehafer was actually employed by various Wausau area companies, earning a salary. When initially confronted by Social Security officials, Seehafer claimed her identity was stolen and someone was working under her name. When investigators for the Social Security Administration contacted employers and obtained photographs of the employee, those photos matched Seehafer. Once confronted with the photographs, Seehafer admitted that she was working while also collecting disability payments from the government.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that a period of incarceration was warranted based on Seehafer’s long history of similar fraud and theft offenses for which terms of supervision or probation proved unsuccessful at stopping her pattern of conduct. In addition to the 18 months in federal prison, Judge Peterson ordered that Seehafer serve three years on supervised release and pay $28,112.50 in restitution to Social Security.
The charge against Marjean Seehafer was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson.
Waco Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Armed Bank Robberies in Temple and HewittRead the Press Release
In Waco today, a federal judge sentenced 25-year-old Dallas Scott Bohanan to life in federal prison for committing two armed bank robberies, one of which resulted in Bohanan firing his weapon at a police officer, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
On May 14, 2019, Bohanan pleaded guilty to three counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of bank robbery.
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright sentenced Bohanan to life imprisonment on each of the firearms charges to run concurrent with each other. Judge Albright also sentenced Bohanan to 97 months imprisonment on each of the bank robbery charges to run concurrent with each other, but consecutive to the life sentence previously mentioned.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Albright ordered that Bohanan pay a $250,000 fine and $12,130.46 in restitution.
“We will not tolerate attacks on police officers. I am proud of the work our prosecutors did to put this offender behind bars for life,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
By pleading guilty, Bohanan admitted to robbing the Temple Santa Fe Community Credit Union located on West Avenue A in Temple on November 23, 2016, and stealing approximately $4,550 cash. He also admitted to robbing the Pointwest Bank located on North Hewitt Drive in Hewitt on February 5, 2019, and stealing approximately $3,500 cash. Bohanan further admitted to discharging firearms during those two bank robberies as well as during a third bank robbery on November 15, 2016, at the Chase Bank on North New Road in Waco.
According to court records, as he exited the Pointwest Bank on February 5, 2019, Bohanan fired at least two rounds in the direction of a responding law enforcement officer. Bohanan left the scene in what authorities believe was the same vehicle used in the previous armed bank robberies. A vehicle chase ensued from Hewitt to Waco. During the pursuit, Bohanan allegedly fired two shotgun rounds at a chasing police vehicle. One of those rounds struck an officer in the arm. Bohanan ultimately lost control of his vehicle and crashed. He managed to leave the crash site on foot, but was later apprehended by Waco Police officers.
“The defendant's actions demonstrated a callous disregard for human life. The life sentence handed down today will prevent him from harming and victimizing our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Combs.
The FBI together with the Hewitt, Temple and Waco Police Departments investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Violent New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MILTON WESTLEY, also known as “Reese,” 21, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the New Haven Police Department’s Shooting Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating numerous unsolved shootings that had occurred in New Haven and Hamden. Ballistic examination of recovered cartridge cases determined that three firearms were used in 18 shootings committed in or around New Haven in 2016. The investigation revealed that the firearms were possessed by members and associates of the Goodrich Street Boys (“GSB”), a New Haven street gang, and that GSB members also were involved in a number of other shootings in 2016, many of them retaliatory against rival gang members.
On August 3, 2017, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Westley and five other GSB members with racketeering, attempted murder, firearm and narcotics trafficking offenses. The indictment alleged that, between September 2015 and May 2016, GSB members and associates were involved in six gang-related shootings that caused injuries to five individuals.
Westley previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and admitted that he and other GSB members conspired to kill an individual who they believed had been disrespectful to a GSB member. On May 27, 2016, GSB members ambushed the individual and his friend as the pair were walking on a busy street in New Haven. The individual, who survived the attack, identified Westley as an assailant. Westley first shot the victim in the stomach. After the victim collapsed to the ground, Westley stood over him and shot him in the head. Another GSB member shot the second victim in the hand as he attempted to shield his face.
The victim who was shot in the stomach and head continues to recover from his injuries. He was in a coma for several weeks and had to learn to walk and talk again.
This victim had been shot at by GSB members twice prior to May 27, 2016.
Another shooting incident occurred after GSB members believed that an individual had disrespected them over social media and GSB members sought to retaliate. In the early morning hours of January 23, 2016, GSB members fired multiple shots into the individual’s house in New Haven. Westley used his cell phone to record himself at the scene while shots were being fired and sent the video to other GSB members.
GSB members also shot at rival gang members on February 6, 2016, in a densely populated residential area; March 13, 2016, during a heavily attended St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown New Haven; and July 21, 2016, during which an innocent bystander was shot in the chest through her bedroom window.
GSB members also used social media to post pictures and videos of themselves with firearms, and used social media to threaten rivals, including individuals who might cooperate with law enforcement.
The investigation further revealed that Westley and other GSB members were involved in the acquisition and distribution of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
Westley has been detained since his arrest on August 9, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal law prohibits any retaliation against a federal witness. If persons retaliate against a federal witness “because of attendance at or testimony in a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense under this section shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in that case.” Because the maximum term charged in the case was life imprisonment, anyone who tampers with a federal witness in this case faces life imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Durham further noted that this prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF and the New Haven Police Department. The FBI, Hamden Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of this investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Peter D. Markle and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
U.S. Navy Commander and Lt. Commander Indicted in Connection with Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 31, 2019
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury in San Diego returned a superseding indictment today that charges U. S. Navy servicemembers Dr. Michael Villarroel, Paul Craig, and Christopher Toups with fraud, false claims and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The charges arise from a scheme where the defendants filed fraudulent claims to obtain unearned benefits from the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program (“TSGLI”).
According to the indictment, the TSGLI program is an insurance program that compensates servicemembers who suffer serious and debilitating injuries while on active duty. The program is funded by fees paid directly by individual service members and the Department of Defense. According to the superseding indictment, Dr. Michael Villarroel, a Commander in the U.S. Navy, was the medical doctor for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit One (“EOD ESU One”) from March 2010 through May 2013. In that capacity, Dr. Villarroel knowingly signed off on false and fraudulent TSGLI applications on behalf of multiple servicemembers that were part of or connected to EOD ESU One. Both Christopher Toups, a former Chief Petty Officer Construction Mechanic, and Paul Craig, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy, filed fraudulent TSLGI applications. To support their applications, each defendant submitted fabricated applications that included forged signatures and altered hospital records. According to the superseding indictment, Craig fraudulently collected $150,000 and Toups collected at least $100,000.
In addition to Christopher Toups, four other individuals were previously indicted in connection with this scheme. Three of those individuals – Richard Cote, Earnest Thompson, and Kelene Meyer – have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and as part of their plea, admitted that the conspirators defrauded the TSGLI program of nearly $2 million. According to the plea agreement, Meyer, a former nurse in the U.S. Navy, stated that Toups, Villarroel, and she received kickbacks for creating and filing the fraudulent TSGLI applications for other U.S. Navy servicemembers.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 18CR1674
Dr. Michael Villarroel Age: 47 Coronado, California
Paul Craig Age: 46 Austin, Texas
Christopher Toups Age: 42 Woodstock, GA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1: 18 U.S.C. § 1349, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Maximum Penalty 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution.
Counts 2-4: 18 U.S.C. § 1343, Wire Fraud; Maximum Penalty 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution
Counts 5-7: 18 U.S.C. § 287, Making a False Claim; Maximum Penalty 5 years in prison, $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Veteran Affairs for the Office of Inspector General
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Department of Justice Awards Grant Funds to Lackawanna County District Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney David J. Freed joined District Attorney Mark Powell today in announcing $900,000 in grant funding by the U.S. Department of Justice to the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office to facilitate the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program.
The award of $900,000 includes funds to support the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office to facilitate a Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP), which aims to reduce opioid abuse and the number of overdose fatalities, as well as to mitigate the impacts on crime victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives.
In 2016 the United States Congress, in recognition of the nationwide scope of the Heroin and Opioid Crisis, passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act – sweeping bipartisan legislation to fund everything from primary prevention efforts to access to recovery services to medication assisted treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “Today’s grant funds a project under the Comprehensive Opioid Site-based Program which is designed to take into account unique local circumstances while taking advantage of already existing partnerships. While strong anti-drug enforcement and public protection will always be an important part of our mission, we understand that prevention, treatment and harm reduction are essential to reducing overdoses and saving lives. We are proud to partner with our colleagues in Lackawanna County under the leadership of District Attorney Mark Powell and Judge Michael Barrasse.”
“This grant will enable us to establish a multi-agency Overdose Death Review Team, under the auspices of the District Attorney’s Office, to provide a thorough and comprehensive analysis of each and every overdose death in Lackawanna County,” said District Attorney Mark Powell. “It will enable us to prevent more overdoses and save more lives by taking an evidence-based approach to allocating our resources where they will be most effective.”
The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice – Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Office of Justice Programs.
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 justice system. 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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U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon to join Solicitors from the 7th, 8th, 10th, and 13th Judicial Circuits and Law Enforcement for a Press Conference Today in Greenville at 11:00 a.m.Read the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced that a press conference will be held today, Thursday, October 31, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., in the lobby of the Greenville County Courthouse, 305 East North Street, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601.
Represented at the press conference will be the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette, 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner, and 13th Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins, along with members of law enforcement.
WHEN: Thursday, October 31, 2019, at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Greenville County Courthouse
305 East North Street
Greenville, South Carolina 29601
NOTE: Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Lance Crick, 864-282-2105. All media must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). Members of the media wishing to attend the remarks should gather in the first floor lobby of the Courthouse at 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes in advance.
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U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon Joins Solicitors from the 7th, 8th, 10th, and 13th Judicial Circuits and Law Enforcement to Announce Coordinated, Analytics-Driven Partnership to Combat Violent Crime in South Carolina CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon launched a new partnership to address reducing violent crime in communities across South Carolina at a press conference this morning at the Greenville County Courthouse. U.S. Attorney Lydon was joined by 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette, 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner, and 13th Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins, along with numerous members of law enforcement.
In her remarks this morning, U.S. Attorney Lydon detailed the coordinated efforts that are already underway between state and federal prosecutors, who are working in close concert with local, state, and federal law enforcement. “Reducing violent crime in South Carolina is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office and law enforcement in general,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “One of the biggest surprises to me after taking office was coming to understand just how many shots are being fired on the streets of our communities. I think the public would be surprised, too. Because of advances in technology, we now often know just how many shots are being fired. It is alarming. The technology, however, and the analytics we now have, also better inform us of who is actually firing the shots. What we have learned is that roughly 80 to 90% of violent crime is committed by only 5 to 7% of offenders.”
“So today, with our law enforcement partners, and specifically the Solicitors of the 7th, 8th, 10th , and 13th Circuits, we want to send a message to our communities, and also to those 5 to 7% who would rob us of our security, that we are prioritizing prosecutions. The Solicitors face thousands of warrants a year, but, working together, we are going to focus on those offenders who pose the greatest threat to our safety.”
Lydon noted that, on the federal side, efforts have already begun by providing training on using objective data to identify and investigate the most violent offenders. Moving forward, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will regularly have joint meetings with law enforcement during which officials will use analytics and objective data to identify the worst offenders. The Solicitors have designated at least one prosecutor in each of their offices who will be in weekly contact with federal prosecutors and a team of law enforcement partners. Together, state and federal prosecutors will be focused on the same individuals and will determine whether each case will be prosecuted in state or federal court. Furthermore, the Solicitors are committed to having an Assistant Solicitor at the bond hearings of these most serious offenders and to moving to revoke bond on the top offenders when they re-offend.
The community will play an integral role in this partnership, Lydon remarked: “We will also have all stakeholders present at sentencing hearings, and the judge will be given the entire picture of the particular offender, including any information our office may have on the individual. Essentially, whether we are in state court or federal court, we are ‘all in’ on these top offenders.”
U.S. Attorney Lydon lifted up the work of state prosecutors as well. “I cannot thank these Solicitors enough. They face a much heavier docket than our office does. They have agreed, however, to prioritize these offenders and place a heightened focus on gun crimes and how they are charged. Some will actually hold gun court – a new designation where, by setting aside a day of court just for gun cases, they will spotlight the issue for the court and the community. Others are looking at enhanced charges when possible, instead of charging the routine misdemeanor unlawful carrying charge.”
“As their federal counterpart, our office pledges our support, our resources, and our statutes, where needed. We are much more effective when we tackle the problem together. We have always been privileged to work with them. Today, we advance a strategy of prioritized prosecutions that allow us to do it more effectively.”
The partnership announced today is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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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U.S. Attorney Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 31, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven 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.
Throughout the past two years, the Department of Justice has partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s 2018 Crime in the United States Report released this month, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, we are focused on the most dangerous criminals in our community – the ones with guns,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We’re making a real difference, but there is always more progress to be made. Our gun-related prosecutions are up nearly 54 percent this year, which means neighborhoods are safer as a result.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year in the Southern District of California (SDCA):
Enforcement Actions
The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program operates in the SDCA primarily as a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Using intelligence from both local and federal law enforcement, these two prosecutorial offices (the largest two in the region) work to determine which jurisdiction, state or federal, will be able to provide the most effective prosecution forum and ultimately the greatest impact for the community. In the past year, the PSN partnership has frequently caused the deployment of federal enforcement resources against violent offenders who might face a smaller sanction in state court. Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) or the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) often lead these investigations.
- Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2019, cases designated and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office under PSN rose almost 49 percent, from approximately 145 cases in 2018 to 214 cases in fiscal year 2019. Individual federal firearms prosecutions – a subset of the PSN program – rose almost 54 percent; from approximately 43 cases in 2018 to 66 cases in fiscal year 2019. Efforts to increase prosecutions for fiscal year 2020 are already underway. Among other initiatives, law enforcement is focusing on the prosecution of unlawful possession of firearms by people with domestic violence convictions and domestic violence restraining orders.
- The breadth of cases designated under PSN was also expanded between 2018 and 2019. Four recent examples highlight the diversity of the cases being brought for federal prosecution, all aimed at making SDCA safer:
- On October 17, 2019, Justin Alexander Roberts pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a series of armed robberies throughout San Diego County. See U.S. v. Roberts, 19-CR-740-AJB. In his plea agreement, Roberts admits that he used a firearm to rob a series of local businesses (known to local media as the “Burgundy Bandit” robbery series). Under the terms of the agreement, Roberts faces a minimum of 21 years in prison. Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2020.
- On August 5, 2019, Jose Hernandez, aka “Chapo,” a member of the Otay River Bottom Locos gang, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his aggravated role in a drug distribution conspiracy as well as his participation in an attempted armed robbery ordered by the Mexican Mafia. See U.S. v. Hernandez, et al, 18-CR-3424-LAB; 18-CR-4217-LAB. More information about the Hernandez case can be found here.
- On June 17, 2019, Obediah Breer, an Escondido resident and member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm. See U.S. v. Roberts, 18-CR-4624-LAB. After Breer was alleged to have brandished a firearm during a traffic encounter, state and federal prosecutors agreed that his case would be prosecuted federally. More information about the Breer case can be found here.
- Brandon Lockwood and Alex Woods were both sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to selling a stolen vehicle, selling methamphetamine, and trafficking firearms in Vista, California. See U.S. v. Lockwood, et. al., 18-CR-5575-AJB. The Lockwood case was one of three cases prosecuted federally as part of a 2018 undercover collaboration between ATF, the San Diego County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT), and the San Diego County District Attorney. See also 19-CR-1097-JM; 19-CR-1210-GPC.
Community Partnerships
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in the Southern District of California furthers PSN’s prevention mission by convening stakeholders, forging diverse partnerships, providing mentors, and using the following novel approaches to reduce violent crime:
- Because youth are often groomed and recruited by gangs before middle school, SDCA partnered with community groups as well as county health, local law enforcement and school officials to launch “Success Agents,” an innovative program that offers at-risk 4th graders at Porter Elementary mentors and wrap-around support from 4th through 8th grade. A USAO-led team meets weekly with Success Agents kids, providing interactive workshops to improve decision-making, foster relationships and academic achievement, and expand horizons.
- The SDCA USAO coordinates an eight-week Project Lead program in targeted elementary schools in neighborhoods particularly affected by gangs and violent crime. The team’s efforts significantly expanded youth education on decision-making and refusal skills, preparing more than 2,000 vulnerable fifth graders to make smart decisions when asked to join gangs, use drugs or alcohol, tag a building, or skip school. The program also builds strong relationships between students and state and federal law enforcement agents from many agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, ATF, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS, City Attorney’s Office and U.S. Probation.
- The USAO participates in the city’s creative Community Assistance Support Team (CAST), a stakeholder group designed to curb gang violence by partnering police with former gang and community members. Members work together immediately after shootings to prevent retaliation and escalation. Through CAST, USAO personnel meet regularly with police officers, Deputy Sheriffs, community activists, local pastors and community leaders to review violent incidents, discuss resources and needs, share information, and solve problems.
Improvements to Community Safety
- For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released earlier this month. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
- The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.
- In February 2018, it was widely reported that San Diego had achieved its lowest crime rate in the past 49 years. On September 26, 2018, local news outlets reported that San Diego had the lowest violent crime rate of America’s biggest cities last year. In May 2019, SANDAG reported that the 2018 violent crime rate (3.41) for the San Diego region remained unchanged from 2017 and was the fourth lowest in the past 39 years. The same report also detailed that the number of robberies and aggravated assaults with a firearm were both down from 2017 to 2018.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
In the Southern District of California, the PSN program is led by the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, by U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section also oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Human Trafficking and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Two Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Mail FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. –Jumaane Bakari Brisby, 46, of Madison, and Otis Lee Clark, Jr., 42, of Jackson, were sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
Brisby was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $234,467 in restitution. He pled guilty before Judge Lee on June 6, 2019.
Clark was sentenced to 36 months’ probation with a special condition of home confinement for a period of 3 months. Clark was also ordered to pay $25,000.00 in restitution. He pled guilty before Judge Lee on March 28, 2019.
Brisby and Clark conspired with each other to apply for fraudulent automobile loans at Magnolia Federal Credit Union in Hinds County, Mississippi. The conspiracy spanned from early March 2017 through October 2018. The fraudulent loan applications contained false information to include computer-generated numbers in lieu of their legitimate social security numbers and places of employment. Magnolia Federal Credit Union relied on the information provided in the automobile loan applications and processed loans in each of the defendants’ names.
The false representations caused Magnolia Federal Credit Union to mail checks in amounts from $25,000 to $55,000 to what was later determined to be a fictitious automobile dealership. The defendants never intended to purchase or take possession of the vehicles that were referenced in the fraudulent loans.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Two More Southern Missouri Residents Plead Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two more southern Missouri women pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Springfield, Missouri.
Cassidy R. Clayton, 24, of Springfield, and Ginger L. Huerta, also known as Ginger L. Gray, 39, of Halfway, Missouri, pleaded guilty today in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from Nov. 22, 2016, to Sept. 26, 2018. Clayton and Huerta each also pleaded guilty to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy.
By pleading guilty today, Clayton and Huerta admitted they received methamphetamine directly from the same source, whom they said transported approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine per week by vehicle from California to the Springfield area. Clayton and Huerta then distributed it to other mid-level dealers in the conspiracy. Clayton and Huerta also admitted they wired the proceeds of drug trafficking on to members of the drug-trafficking organization who resided in California and Mexico.
Clayton admitted that she received methamphetamine on approximately 10 occasions. On three of those occasions, she received a quarter pound, and the other times, she received less than four ounces. Clayton was arrested when she arrived at the location where law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant on Sept. 22, 2017. Inside Clayton’s purse, officers found .25 grams of methamphetamine inside a plastic bag, a glass methamphetamine pipe, three syringes loaded with an off-white liquid, and a loaded Kahr .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Huerta admitted that she delivered approximately a quarter pound of methamphetamine per week from July to December 2017. Huerta was arrested following a traffic stop on Dec. 5, 2017. Officers searched her vehicle and found a digital scale containing methamphetamine residue, a metal pipe with burnt marijuana, a small open corner bag with methamphetamine residue, a bag containing methamphetamine residue inside a sunglasses case, and two .38-caliber revolvers inside the glove compartment. The firearms were identified as a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver and a Taurus .38-caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number.
Clayton and Huerta are among seven defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case, including Lonnie J. Tinker, 33, and Laurie B. Holmes, 37, both of Springfield; Lloyd R. Bradley, 42, of Fordland, Missouri; Shelby R. Maupin, 31, of Ozark, Missouri; and Summerlee M. Barnett, also known as Summerlee M. Lacount, 33, of Salem, Missouri.
Under federal statutes, Clayton and Huerta are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Dade County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Oldham County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.
Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Immigration Fraud Scheme Stretching from Tampa to ChicagoRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Erika Paola Intriago (44, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a fraud scheme involving her posing as an immigration attorney to victims in Chicago and Tampa. Intriago faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Intriago portrayed herself as an immigration attorney and personal representative offering immigration-related services. She advertised her services on social media, targeting immigrants and immigrant families from Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, Intriago was not a licensed attorney in any state.
Victims retained and paid Intriago to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. To prove that she was acting on the victims’ behalf, Intriago sent fraudulent letters, emails, receipts, documents, and communications to her victims, fraudulently representing that these records were legitimate communications sent from agencies of the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In actuality, Intriago had either never filed the necessary immigration paperwork, had abandoned the immigration process, or the applications had already been denied without Intriago informing the victims. Intriago also threatened and intimidated victims who complained about her conduct by telling them that she would report their immigration status to U.S. immigration authorities, which Intriago claimed would result in the victims being deported.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Spanaway, WA man convicted of production and distribution of sexually explicit images of 11-year-old childRead the Press Release
Tacoma, Washington – A Spanaway, Washington man who made sexually explicit images of an 11-year-old child and traded the child’s underwear for more images of child rape, was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma of three federal charges. DONNIE BARNES, SR, 52, was convicted of production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography following a two-day jury trial. BARNES faces a mandatory minimum 15-year prison term when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on February 3, 2020.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, in February 2018, BARNES came to the attention of law enforcement when a police detective in Queensland, Australia noticed a suspicious file on a public photo-sharing website. The album showed close-up photos of a child’s genitals. In an undercover persona, the officer commented on the photos, and received emails the next day from BARNES describing the child in sexual terms, and revealing BARNES relationship to the child.
In early March 2018, agents with Homeland Security Investigations searched BARNES residence in Spanaway. When interviewed by law enforcement, BARNES admitted photographing the child while the child was asleep, and uploading the images to the internet. Additionally, BARNES told officers he had traded soiled underwear from the child for additional images of child rape to someone seeking such items via Craigslist. Those images were located on an electronic storage device in BARNES’ home.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15-year prison term, and up to thirty years in prison. Possession and distribution of child pornography are both punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Lyndsie Schmalz.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Second Nevada Gun Show Dealer Charged with Unlawful Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Brian Scheckla, 61, of Burney, charging him with unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Brian Scheckla traveled to gun shows to sell guns despite not having a license to sell guns. In 2018, ATF served Scheckla with a cease and desist letter, advising him that he was unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license. Nevertheless, Scheckla continued to travel to 20 gun shows a year to sell guns in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. A review of firearm purchase records for Scheckla revealed that Scheckla has been the initial purchaser of at least 10 firearms that have been recovered by law enforcement as part of criminal investigations in Manteca, Sacramento, Modesto, Vallejo, Elk Grove, Anderson, Ontario, and Rancho Cordova.
On Feb. 12, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Scheckla’s residence in Burney and seized over 200 firearms. On Oct. 17, Scheckla’s associate, Gary Osterhout was charged with unlawful dealing in firearms (2:19-cr-180-GEB). The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Scheckla faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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.
Research Scientist Admits Making False Statements in Connection with NIH GrantsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gerwin Schalk, age 48, of Albany, pled guilty today to making false statements on conflict of interest certifications he submitted in connection with National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro; and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Region (DHHS-OIG).
Schalk is a research scientist employed by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) in Albany, and serves as deputy director of the National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies.
In connection with applying for and receiving federal research grants, Schalk was required to disclose any financial conflicts of interests to DOH and its affiliate, Health Research, Inc. (“HRI”), or certify that no conflicts existed.
In pleading guilty, Schalk admitted that he knowingly and repeatedly lied about, and failed to disclose, payments he was receiving from a company whose products Schalk regularly purchased and used in connection with his research. Schalk admitted that the company paid him at least $70,000, from July 2013 to April 10, 2019, and that he signed at least 15 conflict of interest forms during that time, never once disclosing a payment from the company as he was required to do.
The company paying Schalk also billed HRI approximately $260,000 for sales of neurotechnology equipment to HRI, from 2012 through January 23, 2018, and was principally paid from federal grant money.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Gerwin Schalk specializes in cutting-edge neurology research, but he failed to honor some of his most basic obligations as a state employee and federal grant recipient. He lined his pockets with at least $70,000 in payments from a company whose products he used in his research, and then repeatedly lied about this brazen conflict of interest. His guilty plea demonstrates that even acclaimed researchers must follow the rules, and that we and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the integrity of federally funded research.”
“Dr. Schalk abused his high-profile state position by using public funds to purchase neurotechnololgy products from a company that was paying him a handsome sum on the side,” said New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro. “Through his elaborate scheme, he lied, failed to disclose conflicts of interest and ultimately broke the public’s trust. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District for working to ensure he will no longer be able to unscrupulously enrich himself.”
“By not disclosing payments totaling $70,000, Schalk failed to uphold the integrity of taxpayer-funded government research,” said Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge for DHHS-OIG’s New York Region. “We will continue working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to protect research supported by these critically needed funds.”’
Schalk faces up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine, when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Schalk has agreed to pay $70,000 in restitution: $49,000 payable to the State of New York and $21,000 payable to NIH. He has also agreed that within 60 days he will terminate his employment with the State of New York.
This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office and the DHHS Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Repeat offender convicted of being an armed drug dealer in Pioneer Square neighborhood of SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A repeat offender who was identified by Seattle police in a 2017 drug trafficking investigation was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of three federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. JONATHAN RUSHING, 40, was convicted following a three-day trial of possession of crack cocaine and MDMA with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. This is RUSHING’s fourth conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. RUSHING is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly on January 23, 2020.
RUSHING was identified during an investigation into a drug distribution ring operating in downtown Seattle on the evening of November 8, 2017. RUSHING was observed meeting with known members of the drug distribution group and then returning to the passenger side of a car he had parked near Pioneer Square. After sitting on the passenger side of the sedan near the glove box for about 20 minutes, RUSHING went to a bar in Pioneer Square. When RUSHING left the bar, uniformed Seattle Police officers approached RUSHING in order to identify him. RUSHING took off running, but was arrested a few blocks away. RUSHING had a Glock firearm in a holster inside his waistband. The Glock had a laser sight and flashlight attached. When authorities searched the car RUSHING was driving, they found dealer amounts of crack cocaine and MDMA hidden in a sock in the glove box.
After RUSHING was arrested that November night, he left the Seattle area and was a fugitive when the drug trafficking organization was indicted on February 13, 2018. RUSHING was ultimately arrested in February 2019, in Moreno Valley, California on a warrant from the U.S. Marshal Service. RUSHING fought with local officers who subdued him following a traffic stop.
RUSHING has an extensive criminal history, including a 1997 conviction in King County Superior Court for second-degree murder, when he shot and killed an individual in downtown Seattle during a drug transaction. He has King County convictions for illegally possessing firearms in 1996 and1997, and a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm from 2012. Rushing was arrested in this case only two months after completing his term of supervision from his 2012 federal conviction for firearm possession.
Because of the conviction for carrying of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense, RUSHING faces a mandatory five-year term to run consecutive to the sentence handed down for the drug and felon in possession conviction.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Vaughan, Tobias Tobler and Vince Lombardi.
Rappers "Benji Brothers" Indicted for Drug Possession and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Rasheme Bridges, aka “Bam” or “Benji Bam,” 19, of St. Louis, and Kelton Rucker, aka “Kellz” or “Benji Kellz,” 19, of St. Louis, were indicted today for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the Indictment, on January 31, 2018, Rasheme Bridges and Kelton Rucker conspired with each other to steal a quantity of marijuana from a subject in the Cardonelet neighborhood of south St. Louis City. Rasheme Bridges brandished a firearm during the marijuana theft and Kelton Rucker discharged a firearm.
If convicted, the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating this case.
Charges set forth in the Indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Ngoc Nguyen, 22, and Fendi Brooks, 26, both from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were sentenced today for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Nguyen to 63 months imprisonment and Brooks to 77 months imprisonment. Judge Gomez also sentenced both Nguyen and Brooks to five years of supervised release and 300 hours of community service.
According to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Cyril E. King Airport discovered 12 brick-like bundles of what appeared to be a white powdery substance smuggled into a suitcase Brooks had checked in under her name but that both Brooks and Nguyen claimed to share. Subsequent lab testing revealed that eleven of those bundles contained cocaine powder (approximately 10.9 kilograms), while one of the packages contained a kilogram of cocaine base (crack) (approximately 1.01 kilograms). Both Brooks and Nguyen had $1,300 in $100 bills on their persons.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
Philadelphia Woman Pleads Guilty to Charges of Child Enticement, Manufacturing of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Linda Paolini, 44, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to two counts of manufacturing and attempted manufacturing of child pornography, and one count of online enticement of a minor.
The charges arise out of a telephone tip received by the FBI about Paolini, who was pretending to be an underage girl for the purpose of luring underage boys online. The defendant communicated through Instagram with one particular boy, soliciting him for videos of himself masturbating. She and her victim exchanged over 50,000 Instagram messages over the course of a few months, including explicit and sexually charged chats.
“Paolini’s conduct is reprehensible, and her days of exploiting and victimizing 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. This case serves as a message to all adults who care for children: please monitor what they do online. And as always, we stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute these criminals.”
Paolini faces life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of at least 15 years, a mandatory term of at least 5 years but up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $750,000 fine, and $15,300 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Rinaldi.
Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Largest Health Care Fraud Case Ever in MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Thomas Edward Spell, Jr., 51, a pharmacy owner in Ridgeland, Mississippi, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for his involvement in a $243 million compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s (IRS CI) Atlanta Field Office, and Cynthia Bruce, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office.
“This defendant ripped off every single military service member, veteran and American taxpayer when he defrauded TRICARE. The special agents, DOJ trial attorneys, our AUSAs and other law enforcement partners who investigated and prosecuted this case are to be commended for their diligence and fortitude in bringing this criminal to justice. We will continue to be vigilant in detecting, arresting and prosecuting those who defraud government services that benefit our military and our veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
"Fraud against government funded health care systems like TRICARE not only costs taxpayers billions each year, but deprives funding for critical medical care and benefits for our current and former military members who bravely serve our country," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sutphin. "Schemes like these are a plague on the nation's health care systems. Individuals and organizations that participate in this type of fraud will continue to be high priority investigations for the FBI."
“Thomas Spell systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public,” said IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman III. “His desire for money, along with the power and material items it buys, drove him to perpetrate crimes against our healthcare system and prey upon many of the vulnerable in our society. Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of IRS-CI special agents, who worked side-by-side with other federal and state law enforcement officers to uncover these schemes, Spell will now face the consequences of his actions.”
“It saddens me that the desire for personal enrichment can lead individuals to commit egregious acts against DoD which jeopardize our ability to care for our military service members and their families," stated DCIS Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce. “Today’s sentencing represents the relentless commitment by DCIS, our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to fully investigate and bring to justice individuals who put our warfighters and healthcare system at risk.”
Spell’s case is part of the largest health care fraud scheme ever investigated and prosecuted in the State of Mississippi. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutions are continuing nationwide, including in states such as California, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Connecticut. Spell was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, who also ordered Spell to pay $243,550,503.00 in restitution. Spell previously pled guilty to a Criminal Information outlining his role in the scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving our nation’s military, veterans, and their respective family members.
From approximately December 2014 and January 2016, Spell owned and operated a pharmacy in Madison County, Mississippi, and several other pharmacies across the United States. During this time, Spell and other co-conspirators marketed compounded medications at his pharmacies. Rather than formulating compounded medications based on the individualized needs of patients, formulas were selected to maximize profit based upon reimbursements from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. The result was that TRICARE reimbursed Spell’s pharmacies on these fraudulent claims totaling over $243 million.
In order to further their scheme, Spell and his co-conspirators waived TRICARE’s requirement that a beneficiary make a copayment to receive medicine. Instead, Spell and his co-conspirators had their employees purchase prepaid debit cards and money orders to use towards a copayment for a beneficiary, with Spell and his co-conspirators reimbursing their employees. Additionally, Spell and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to marketers in order to obtain prescriptions for compounded medications from prescribers for beneficiaries who were covered by the most lucrative health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, irrespective of whether the compounded medications were medically necessary for the treatment of beneficiaries.
As a result of this fraudulent activity, Spell personally obtained over $29 million in proceeds from the illegal scheme. Spell used these proceeds to fund bank accounts and investment accounts in his name, in the name of family members, and in the name of various business entities. Spell also used these proceeds to lend money and to purchase vehicles, boats, and property.
Prior to Spell being charged by a Criminal Information, the United States seized approximately $26 million from Spell and the court ordered all assets and proceeds traceable to the fraud scheme forfeited by Spell.
This case has been designated as a related prosecution to cases charged in the Southern District of Mississippi. To date, a total of 20 people have been charged and 14 convicted in the compounding pharmacy scheme in the Southern District of Mississippi. The investigation is ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by AUSA Mary Helen Wall and U.S. Department of Justice trial attorneys Sara Porter and Jared Hasten.
Pawtucket Man Sentenced in International Scam Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island man who admitted to participating in a Jamaica-based telemarketing scam that primarily targeted and victimized elderly U.S. citizens was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 30 months in federal prison.
Shawn Whitfield, 49, of Pawtucket, R.I., admitted to receiving more than $109,000 in upfront payments from victims of the scam who were led to believe they had won cash or prizes in a lottery or sweepstakes. Some victims were told they had won as much as $82 million. Others were told they were in line to receive $5,000 a week for life. Mercedes Benz vehicles were among the valuable prizes some of the victims were told they had won.
In each instance, victims were told their winnings would not be released to them without upfront payment of taxes or fees. According to court documents, information presented to the Court by the Government, and by victims and family members who made or provided impact statements to the Court, individuals sent payments to Whitfield ranging between $212 and $50,000. Some individuals reported sending multiple payments after being instructed to do so by the scammers.
The majority of funds collected by Whitfield were transferred electronically to co-conspirators and others, most often to individuals in Jamaica.
“This defendant’s sentence provides him an opportunity to reflect on the financial and emotional turmoil he caused dozens of people, most of them elderly, when he and his cohorts stole their money,” said United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “My office, like Department of Justice offices across the country, is committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions like in this case, training and resources, victim services, and public awareness. Our prosecutors and advocates make themselves available to the community to discuss the warning signs of scams and steps to take to help ensure that they do not become a scammer’s next victim.”
United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) agents, assisted by members of the Pawtucket Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service, executed a court-authorized search of Shawn Whitfield’s residence on February 20, 2018. Simultaneously, Whitfield was arrested at his place of employment in Norwood, Mass., by USPIS agents.
Whitfield pleaded guilty on June 3, 2019, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud. At sentencing, today U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Whitfield to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. The Court ordered restitution be paid to the victims, the amount to be determined at a later date.
Whitfield’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton, Elder Justice Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. If you are a victim or know a victim of elder fraud, you can call 1-877-FTC-HELP or go to ftc.gov/complaint. For downloadable Elder Abuse Prevention resources and for information about community outreach programs in Rhode Island, visit the United States Attorney’s Office’s Elder Justice Initiative web page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/elder-justice
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Outlaws Motorcycle Club Regional President Arrested on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The regional president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club was arrested late yesterday and charged with illegal firearms possession.
Bruce Sartwell, a/k/a “Monster,” 48, of East Bridgewater, was charged in a criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered firearm. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Sartwell was detained pending a probable cause and detention hearing.
As alleged in charging documents, Sartwell is the Regional President of the Brockton/East Bridgewater Chapters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. According to records, Sartwell is a convicted felon, and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On Oct. 19, 2019, agents intercepted a package originating in China and addressed to Sartwell that was declared as a “Fuel Filter” but actually contained a firearm silencer. A review of importation records revealed that Sartwell had received approximately 65 shipments from Asia (over 55 of those from China), many of which were labeled as innocuous items that could have been more easily and cheaply purchased in the United States.
On Oct. 30, 2019, a search warrant executed at Sartwell’s residence resulted in the recovery of an AR-15 styled “ghost gun” – a firearm without any manufacturing or serial numbers – and firearm manufacturing tools and assembly parts including milling equipment, buffer spring, buffer tube, air-powered water dremel polish and a drill press. Two firearm silencers concealed in false bottom compartments, a guide for assembly and disassembly of an AR-15 rifle, 20 knives, a black powder handgun, a flare gun, and various ammunition compatible with the AR-15 styled rifle were also found. In the basement of the house, a floor-length mirror concealed the entrance to a hidden storage area that was found to contain a safe with silencer parts and a firearm assembly instruction book.
The charge of possession of an unregistered firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, New England Field Division made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Customs and Boarder Protection; Massachusetts State Police; East Bridgewater Police Department; Bristol County Sheriff’s Office; and the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit 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.
Orangevale Man Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Daniel Wayne Benner, 33, of Orangevale, charging him with distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Benner distributed child pornography between July 3-5, using the Kik Messenger app. Benner used a smartphone, the internet, and Kik messenger to distribute a video and still images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct to a person located in Arkansas.
According to the criminal complaint, Benner’s publicly accessible Facebook profile includes a picture of a “My Little Pony” costume with a caption reading, “Rainbow Dash is looking to come to your birthday party and she brings candy and music … contact me for quotes / She will travel anywhere in Sacramento County.” Benner stated that he and two friends were going to start a birthday party business but were unable to secure any customers.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Daniel Benner faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and potentially a lifetime of supervised release. 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Operation Dirty Bird Brings Down Texas Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas - U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced today that three search warrants were executed this morning in Dallas County, Texas in relation to a drug trafficking organization in the Eastern District of Texas.
While executing the search warrants, law enforcement officers seized six firearms; a large quantity of ammunition; more than 27 kilograms of suspected cocaine; suspected marijuana; approximately $200,000.00 in cash, jewelry, and luxury goods; five vehicles, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia and proceeds in addition to arresting two men facing federal drug and firearms charges.
The operation this morning was the result of a drug trafficking and money-laundering investigation that has already led to the seizure of $349,600 in cash that was being smuggled to Mexico, almost ten kilograms of cocaine that was being smuggled from Pittsburg, Texas, through Tennessee to North Carolina, and more than a quarter kilogram of methamphetamine in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
Three men have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin and with carrying a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking conspiracy. Jose Armando Rosales-Bernal, 27, of Dallas; Julio Villarreal, 35, of Mesquite, Texas; and Armando Moreno, Jr., 30, of Roma, Texas; were named in an indictment and a complaint. Rosales-Bernal and Villarreal were arrested this morning during the execution of search warrants in Dallas and Mesquite, Texas, and they will appear in the Dallas Division of the Northern District of Texas. Moreno was arrested on Oct. 29, 2019, in George West, Texas, after a traffic stop revealed $349,600 in cash hidden in secret compartments in the vehicle he was driving, and he will appear in the Corpus Christi Division of the Southern District of Texas.
Rodolfo Javier Falcon, Claudia Claribel Gardea, Jose Geraldo Ornelas-Pineda, and Gerardo Cabrera Ramirez were previously charged and arrested as a result of this investigation. Gardea and Ornelas-Pineda have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Falcon and Ramirez are awaiting trial. This case is pending in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
If convicted, Falcon, Rosales-Bernal, Ramirez, Villarreal, and Moreno, face a minimum of 10 years and as much as life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Mt. Pleasant office of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Division. In addition, the following agencies have played critical roles in this investigation: the Dallas office of Homeland Security Investigations; the Mesquite, Texas, Police Department SWAT team; the Texas National Guard; the Texas Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol Division and Aircraft Division; the George West, Texas, Police Department; and the 23rd Judicial Drug Task Force in Dickson, Tennessee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Navajo man from Shiprock pleads guilty to federal second degree murder chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Zachariah Stanley Joe, 28, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque to a second degree murder charge. Joe entered the guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement which the parties agree that Joe should be sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.
Joe was arrested and was charged with killing a Navajo man in Shiprock, which is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M., on Jan. 3, 2019, in a criminal complaint that was filed on Jan. 4, 2019.
During today’s proceedings, Joe pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second degree murder. In his plea agreement, Joe admitted that on Jan. 3, 2019, he killed the victim with malice aforethought. Joe admitted that, while he drinking alcohol, he got into a fight with the victim at a residence in Shiprock. After locking the victim and another man out of the residence, Joe admitted arming himself with a kitchen knife and going out of the residence where he stabbed the victim, who was unarmed, approximately ten times in his chest, side, and neck. The victim died shortly thereafter.
Joe has been in federal custody since his arrest, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing.
The Farmington office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Cowen is prosecuting the case.
Nashville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. October 31, 2019 – Kevin Mark Paul, 36, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Paul was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2018 after he was arrested by Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers on October 4, 2018. On this date, MNPD officers received information that Paul was wanted on outstanding warrants, then in a residence on Charlotte Pike and was also in possession of weapons. Officers went to the house and attempted to persuade Paul to surrender but were unsuccessful. Officers entered the house and located Paul in a back bedroom, laying on the floor between a bed and the wall. Paul refused the officer’s commands to show his hands and reached under the bed in an attempt to retrieve a 12-gauge shotgun before being subdued and arrested by the officers.
Evidence and testimony introduced during subsequent court proceedings showed that Paul is affiliated with the Aryan Nation and has a lengthy criminal record and prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault and aggravated burglaries. Paul pleaded guilty in May to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr., found that Paul’s criminal history qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal and subject to sentence enhancement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rob McGuire and Brooke Schiferle prosecuted the case.
# # # # #
Mother and Daughter Morrisville Residents Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl, Heroin, and Oxycodone; Ordered to Forfeit HouseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Esperanza Delarosa, 52, and her daughter Susan Mateo, 28, were both sentenced to prison terms for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone. Today, U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Delarosa to a 69-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. On October 4, 2019, Judge Reiss sentenced Mateo to a 6-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. The defendant agreed, and the Court ordered, that Mateo’s Morrisville house be forfeited to the government, as it was the proceeds of, and directly facilitated, the defendants’ unlawful distribution of controlled substances. In addition, the defendants agreed to forfeit a 2011 Ford Escape Limited, $8,626.26 seized from their bank accounts, and $3,258 of U.S. currency seized from Delarosa’s person.
According to Court documents, between October 2017 and January 23, 2018, Delarosa and Mateo conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone. Utilizing a confidential informant, law enforcement purchased suspected oxycodone and heroin from both defendants. In total, laboratory testing revealed the suspected oxycodone was in fact oxycodone, but the suspected heroin was laced with fentanyl. Law enforcement’s financial investigation revealed that defendant Delarosa utilized a bank account to facilitate her drug trafficking, requiring coconspirators to deposit funds in the bank account directly, rather than providing Delarosa with cash. Law enforcement’s financial investigation also revealed that on September 21, 2017, defendant Mateo paid a $10,000 cash deposit to a foreclosure auctioneer to secure the right to purchase a house located on Randolph Road in Morrisville. Defendant Delarosa subsequently paid an additional $75,000 in cash to conclude the purchase of the house. Both defendants have admitted the $85,000 in cash used to purchase the house was proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
At sentencing, Judge Reiss found that defendant Delarosa acted as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of the conspiracy, and that she committed the drug trafficking offense as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood. In explaining the sentence imposed, Judge Reiss observed that defendant Delarosa’s crime was not a crime of impulse, but rather one of significant planning and organization.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Morristown Police Department, the Stowe Police Department, the Lamoille County Sherriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the investigation of Delarosa and Mateo. Nolan added: “This case exemplifies how Vermont law enforcement at the federal, state, local and county level unites to fight drug trafficking, with the goals to save Vermont lives, strengthen communities, and bring consequences to those who sell lethal drugs for profit. We will be relentless in our collaboration and our pursuit of these goals. Those who would come to Vermont to sell poison should reconsider. Those who do will be targets of rigorous investigations and their conduct will be met with stiff consequences - including jail time and seizure of the ill-gotten assets they acquire with profits earned in the grim business of addiction.”
“DEA is committed to bring to justice anyone who distributes heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone in the state of Vermont,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Ms. Delarosa and Ms. Mateo accountable for their crimes, but serves as a warning that DEA and its local, state and federal law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to keep these highly addictive drugs off the streets of Vermont.”
“Lamoille County is very fortunate to have dedicated local law enforcement officers and deputies working together addressing drug trafficking in our community,” stated Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux. “It is our responsibility to investigate the mercenary individuals bringing in the poison that has killed so many of our family members throughout Vermont. We have been fortunate to have the unwavering support and leadership of U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan. Her staff have been amazing in this case. The Burlington Resident Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration has supported our efforts in the investigation and we appreciate their expertise. A special thank you to the men and women of the Morristown and Stowe Police Departments, as well as my deputies in Lamoille County.”
The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Spencer Willig. Delarosa was represented by David Williams, Esq., and Brooks McArthur, Esq. Mateo was represented by Maryanne Kampmann, Esq.
Monmouth County Man Charged with Making Threatening Communications and Calling in False Bomb ThreatsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey, was indicted today on charges that he made threatening telephone and email communications to elected state officials, judges, law enforcement officers, and attorneys, and phoned in false bomb threats to local and state government offices, a police department, two law firms and a commercial establishment, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Eric G. Hafner, 28, formerly of Monmouth County, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with nine counts of making threating communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. He was also charged with 18 counts of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Hafner was also charged with six counts of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device, each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
“As charged in the Indictment, the defendant embarked on a campaign of terror directed at judges, elected officials, and members of law enforcement in Monmouth County and elsewhere,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “He threatened to detonate bombs and kill and otherwise harm his victims, all in an effort to cause psychological harm to and extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. As a result of this federal prosecution, his serious crimes now face serious consequences.”
“Hafner’s actions were intended to – and in fact did – create fear to numerous citizens in the Monmouth County community,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said. “In addition, significant law enforcement resources were wasted in responding to these false bomb threats. Even though these threats were false, the fear and psychological trauma felt by the victims during these incidents were very real.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2016 and May 2018, while residing outside the United States, Hafner allegedly communicated threats to numerous individuals located in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The threatening communications targeted elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families, and included threats to injure and kill the victims. The defendant sought to extort $350,000 from some of his victims. Hafner also made false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment.
Hafner was originally charged with transmission of threatening communications in a one-count criminal complaint on Oct. 6, 2016, which remained under seal until his arrest in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Territory, on Sept. 27, 2019, where he had an initial appearance before Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona V. Manglona. Hafner had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court upon his arrival in the District of New Jersey on Oct. 23, 2019. At that time, Hafner was ordered detained without bail.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni; officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Shaun Golden; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; officers of the Bradley Beach Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Leonard A. Guida; officers of the Fairhaven Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Joseph McGovern; officers of the Aberdeen Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard A. Derechailo; officers of the Hazlet Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phillip Meehan; officers of the Shrewsbury Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert G. Turner; officers of the Red Bank Police Department, under the direction of Chief Darren McConnell; officers of the Freehold Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ernest Schriefer; officers of the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig R. Weber; officers of the Neptune Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief James M. Hunt, Jr.; officers of the Oceanport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael P. Kelly; officers of the Deal Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ronen Neuman; officers of the Manasquan Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Bauer; the U.S. Park Police; N.J. Transit Police; and West Orange Police Department, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican National Sentenced to over 30 Years for Southeast Texas KidnappingRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 22-year-old Mexican national living in Liberty, Texas, has been sentenced for federal kidnapping violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Juan Carlos Saucedo-Meza was found guilty by a jury on April 24, 2019 of kidnapping and was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison on Oct. 30, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, beginning on Aug. 24, and continuing into the early hours of Aug. 25, 2018, Saucedo-Meza kidnapped a woman from Liberty, Texas and transported her to Lake Charles, LA, against her will.
Saucedo-Meza stopped the vehicle in Jefferson County where the woman was raped and assaulted. The victim escaped Saucedo-Meza in Lake Charles, Louisiana when he stopped for gas. She then locked herself in a bathroom at the gas station and obtained a phone to call 911.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Judge Crone found that Saucedo-Meza’s sentencing range was 292 months to 365 months imprisonment, but elected to sentence him to 365 months imprisonment. The potential sentencing range which Saucedo-Meza faced was increased in the case because the court found that an obstruction of justice enhancement applied to sentencing. A recording of a conversation in a police interview room revealed that the defendant aided another woman, to whom he was married at the time, in attempting to contact the victim and offering her a truck and money if the victim requested authorities to dismiss the case. Saucedo-Meza was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 5, 2018 and charged with kidnapping.
A statement written by the victim was read during sentencing concluded, “The time of imprisonment that you receive will never be enough for the harm that you have caused me, but it brings a sort of comfort to know that you are no longer free.”
“This was a violent assault, and no doubt will affect the victim of this crime forever,” said United States Attorney Joe Brown. “The fact that the defendant tampered with a witness shows that the defendant had no remorse, will continue to engage in criminal conduct, and it attacks the criminal justice system.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Charles Police Department, and Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice and K. P. Kennedy Gates.
Metairie Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today that DAVID HUNTER (“HUNTER”), age 23, of Metairie, pled guilty on October 30, 2019 to possession of stolen firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j) (Count 1), and being a prohibited person under indictment in possession of firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 922(n) (Count 2).
According to court documents, in December of 2016, HUNTER stole a gun safe that contained various firearms from a residence in Tylertown, Mississippi. HUNTER then transported the firearms in interstate commerce to the Eastern District of Louisiana. HUNTER possessed and transported the firearms after having been charged in Orleans Parish of state offenses that were punishable by terms of imprisonment exceeding one year. Several firearms including a suppressor/silencer have not been recovered and are still missing. The unrecovered firearms are listed below:
Item Description
Make
Model
Caliber
Serial Number
Pistol
Walther
P38
9 millimeter
Unknown
Rifle
Winchester
1892
38-40
180289
Rifle
Rock River Arms
AR-15
.223
Unknown
Pistol
Magnum Research
Desert Eagle
.50
36200016
Suppressor/Silencer
Tactical Innovation, Inc.
TAC 16
.223
1691150
The court set sentencing in this matter for February 4, 2020. For Count 1, HUNTER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years and a $250,000 fine. For Count 2, HUNTER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a $250,000 fine. For each count, HUNTER faces up to three years supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 special assessment fee.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans is prosecuting the case.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brian Cade Humphreys, 46, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced last week to fourteen years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Humphreys was sentenced by U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. A federal grand jury indicted Humphreys on July 11, 2018.
According to court records, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Humphreys on four separate occasions. Humphreys has a lengthy criminal history that includes a prior crime of violence and a drug trafficking offense. Because of Humphreys’ lengthy criminal history, the court determined Humphreys to be a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. This resulted in Humphreys receiving a higher prison sentence.
This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Homeland Security; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Participating in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Cook, 48, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced today to seven and a half years in prison on four felony narcotics charges for his role in a conspiracy to traffic narcotics in Northeast, D.C. and Maryland. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cook was found guilty in July 2019, following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Cook was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, cocaine, and heroin, as well as standalone narcotics possession offenses. Judge Boasberg sentenced Cook to 90 months in prison to be followed by 48 months of supervised release.
As established at trial, on June 7, 2017, MPD received reliable information that Cook and his partner Cornelia Rice were trafficking narcotics in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Officers conducted surveillance of Rice, performed a stop on one of her vehicles, and recovered narcotics. During the stop, Rice asked an individual on the street to call “her mother,” to tell her that she had been arrested. Rice, in fact, called Cook. About six minutes after the call to Cook’s cellphone, with MPD officers surveilling Rice’s residence, Cook came to the front door and anxiously looked up and down the street outside of the apartment building. Immediately after Cook peered outside the door, Rice’s then 11-year-old son walked out the building with a backpack and headed down the street by himself. Officers ultimately stopped the child. Inside the backpack was a large quantity of narcotics, a pistol, and a large amount of U.S. currency. Officers then executed a search warrant at the apartment after finding Cook attempting to leave the location. In total, officers recovered approximately 50 grams of cocaine base, 270 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of heroin, 133 grams of marijuana, a .22 caliber pistol, $11,235.00, and extensive drug paraphernalia for the manufacturing and packaging of narcotics.
In a subsequent search of Cook’s Maryland residence following his arrest, law enforcement recovered extensive drug paraphernalia that contained drug residue, a commercial money counter, and an extensive amount of jewelry. At the time of the offense, Cook had multiple prior drug trafficking and firearms convictions. During the trial, in addition to MPD officers, officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office assisted and testified regarding the items recovered from Cook’s Maryland residence.
On July 3, 2019, Judge Boasberg sentenced Cook’s partner and coconspirator Rice to five years of in prison following her guilty plea to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of all of those involved in the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Paralegal Specialists Katie Thomas, Rommel Pachoca, and Teesha Tobias, and Legal Assistants Kate Abrey and Emma Atlas.
Man Sentenced to Year in Prison for Fraudulent PassportRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that William Guy, 51, formerly of Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William Peterson to one year in prison for fraudulently obtaining a passport. Guy pleaded guilty to this charge on August 22, 2019.
Guy was arrested in Austria in April 2018 on federal charges of fraudulently obtaining a passport, and on numerous state charges. At the time of his arrest, he had been a fugitive for more than seven years, and was on the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service’s most wanted list. Guy fought extradition from Austria for almost a year, before being surrendered to the United States.
In declining to give Guy credit for the time he served in Austria, Judge Peterson said he didn’t think it was so closely related to his federal charges that he should receive credit for it. Judge Peterson also said the reason Guy fled, to avoid prosecution on state criminal charges, was particularly aggravating.
In addition to the federal charge, Guy still faces charges of possessing child pornography, stalking resulting in bodily harm, false imprisonment, identity theft, victim intimidation, second degree sexual assault, kidnapping, bail jumping, and numerous other charges in Dane County Circuit Court.
The charge against Guy was the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service – Chicago Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI Legal Attaché – US Embassy Vienna, and the Madison Police Department. The prosecution of the federal case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance. The prosecution of the state charges has been handled by Assistant District Attorneys Matthew Moeser and William Brown.
Man Sentenced to 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Mauricio Ramirez, age 25, Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in this case, a confidential informant and an undercover agent made several controlled buys of heroin and cocaine from Mr. Dorrion Jefferson. Jefferson also agreed to deliver four ounces of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. On his way to deliver the methamphetamine to the undercover agent, Jefferson picked up Ramirez. Ramirez entered the vehicle carrying a bag. The vehicle was stopped by law enforcement on the way to the delivery. Officers located the bag inside the vehicle which contained over 100 grams of methamphetamine.
Due to his prior drug dealing convictions, Jefferson was deemed to be a career offender under the sentencing guidelines. Jefferson pled guilty and was sentenced in August to 204 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Indiana State Police with the assistance of the DHS Customs and Border Protection Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Louisiana Man Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Woman with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Terry Knope, age 46, was sentenced to 336 months imprisonment today in the Eastern District of Louisiana for conspiring with other members of his family to obtain forced, unpaid household labor and services from D.P., an adult woman with cognitive disabilities, for assaulting D.P. and violating her federal Fair Housing Act rights because of her disabilities, and for helping others manufacture methamphetamine on his property.
“The revolting, disgusting, and depraved criminal acts of the defendant and his co-conspirators have no place in our nation or in any civilized place,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This case should serve as a warning: human traffickers will be brought to justice and punished severely. The Department of Justice will continue to fight and prosecute all forms of human trafficking, and the Department’s Civil Rights Division will continue to seek justice for the most vulnerable in our society.”
“Today’s sentence concludes the prosecution of one most appalling acts of depravity this District has seen in recent memory. Terry Knope along with co-conspirators, Bridget Lambert and Raylaine Knope, participated in truly horrific crimes against one of the most susceptible members of our society. I hope that the conclusion of this case will bring a measure of justice and finality to the victim,” said Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “Our office, along with the Department of Justice, state and local investigative agencies are committed to seeking justice on behalf of all victims including vulnerable individuals such as D.P.”
“The sentence handed down today to Terry Knope is most fitting for his appalling actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan A. Vorndran of FBI New Orleans. “The conditions and torment the victim endured were simply unfathomable; no human deserves such treatment. Protecting the civil rights of all persons within the United States remains a cornerstone of the FBI’s mission.”
On May 20, Knope pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy, one count of violating D.P.’s federal Fair Housing Act rights, one count of a Hate Crime, and one count of misprision of a felony. At his plea hearing, Knope admitted that, between Aug. 13, 2015, and June 30, 2016, in Amite, Louisiana, he conspired with other family members to obtain D.P.’s uncompensated household labor and services through a number of means, including by force, threats of force, and physical restraint. Knope admitted that he forced D.P. to live in a locked backyard cage and to perform housework and yard work in exchange for food and water. He further admitted that he and his co-conspirators subjected D.P. to routine physical abuse, threats, and verbal and psychological abuse designed to ensure D.P.’s continued compliance with the family’s orders. As examples of this abuse, the defendant admitted that he once intentionally burned D.P. with a cigarette lighter while another family member held D.P. in place so she could not escape. Knope further admitted that, because of D.P.’s disability, he forced D.P. to live in the locked backyard cage and shot her with a B.B. gun at close range, and that he also helped others produce methamphetamine on his property.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Office in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office. The case has been prosecuted by Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant United States Attorney Julia Evans of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and by the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Louisiana Man Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Woman with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terry Knope, age 46, was sentenced to 336 months imprisonment today in the Eastern District of Louisiana for conspiring with other members of his family to obtain forced, unpaid household labor and services from D.P., an adult woman with cognitive disabilities, for assaulting D.P. and violating her federal Fair Housing Act rights because of her disabilities, and for helping others manufacture methamphetamine on his property.
“The revolting, disgusting, and depraved criminal acts of the defendant and his co-conspirators have no place in our nation or in any civilized place,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This case should serve as a warning: human traffickers will be brought to justice and punished severely. The Department of Justice will continue to fight and prosecute all forms of human trafficking, and the Department’s Civil Rights Division will continue to seek justice for the most vulnerable in our society.”
“Today’s sentence concludes the prosecution of one most appalling acts of depravity this District has seen in recent memory. Terry Knope along with co-conspirators, Bridget Lambert and Raylaine Knope, participated in truly horrific crimes against one of the most susceptible members of our society. I hope that the conclusion of this case will bring a measure of justice and finality to the victim,” said Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “Our office, along with the Department of Justice, state and local investigative agencies are committed to seeking justice on behalf of all victims including vulnerable individuals such as D.P.”
“The sentence handed down today to Terry Knope is most fitting for his appalling actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan A. Vorndran of FBI New Orleans. “The conditions and torment the victim endured were simply unfathomable; no human deserves such treatment. Protecting the civil rights of all persons within the United States remains a cornerstone of the FBI’s mission.”
On May 20, Knope pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy, one count of violating D.P.’s federal Fair Housing Act rights, one count of a Hate Crime, and one count of misprision of a felony. At his plea hearing, Knope admitted that, between Aug. 13, 2015, and June 30, 2016, in Amite, Louisiana, he conspired with other family members to obtain D.P.’s uncompensated household labor and services through a number of means, including by force, threats of force, and physical restraint. Knope admitted that he forced D.P. to live in a locked backyard cage and to perform housework and yard work in exchange for food and water. He further admitted that he and his co-conspirators subjected D.P. to routine physical abuse, threats, and verbal and psychological abuse designed to ensure D.P.’s continued compliance with the family’s orders. As examples of this abuse, the defendant admitted that he once intentionally burned D.P. with a cigarette lighter while another family member held D.P. in place so she could not escape. Knope further admitted that, because of D.P.’s disability, he forced D.P. to live in the locked backyard cage and shot her with a B.B. gun at close range, and that he also helped others produce methamphetamine on his property.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Office in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office. The case has been prosecuted by Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant United States Attorney Julia Evans of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and by the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office.
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Leader of $6.1 Million Medicaid Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tony Garrett Taylor, 39, formerly of Charlotte, N.C. and currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to health care fraud conspiracy and tax evasion, for his role in a scheme that defrauded the North Carolina Medicaid (Medicaid) of more than $6.1 million, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer presided over the plea hearing.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who oversees the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division (MID), joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to the bill of information and plea documents filed with the court, from June 2015 to December 2017, Tony Garrett Taylor conspired with his brother, Jerry Lewis Taylor, and others, and defrauded Medicaid of millions of dollars, by submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims for services that were never provided, and by submitting claims that misrepresented the services actually provided to Medicaid beneficiaries in order to receive greater reimbursement.
Court documents show that the brothers perpetuated the fraud through series of entities they owned and/or operated, which purported to provide outpatient behavioral health services to at-risk youth in North Carolina and elsewhere. Among the entities involved in the fraudulent scheme were Taylor Behavioral Health Center, LLC (TBHC) and Options Drive LLC, both located in Monroe, N.C.; Design for Change (DFC) located in Raleigh, N.C.; and SHG Consultants, Inc. (SHG), located in Gastonia, N.C. and elsewhere.
According to court documents, as the leader of the conspiracy, Tony Taylor was responsible for recruiting other co-conspirators to participate in the fraudulent scheme. He also obtained prospective patient lists that contained identifying information for Medicaid beneficiaries, some of which was used to perpetrate the fraud. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, Tony Taylor and Jerry Taylor and their co-conspirators received approximately $6.1 million in fraudulent reimbursement payments from Medicaid.
In addition to defrauding Medicaid, Tony Taylor also failed to file timely U.S. individual Income Tax Return Form 1040 for tax years 2015, 2106, and 2017, even though he received and deposited a total of over $4.1 million in fraudulent receipts from Medicaid into bank accounts he controlled. Tony Taylor also admitted to taking steps to willfully evade and defeat his income tax obligations for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017, by, among other things, diverting fraudulent receipts from Medicaid to nominee entities and individuals, and making personal expenditures from business entity accounts he controlled.
To date, four other defendants have been charged in connection with this conspiracy:
Jerry Lewis Taylor, 54, of Wingate, N.C. pleaded guilty on June 19, 2019, to health care fraud conspiracy and tax evasion. Together with Tony Taylor, he owned and/or operated entities that defrauded Medicaid. He is currently awaiting sentencings.
Ameera Ali, 40, of Columbus, Ohio, previously admitted to filing fraudulent reimbursement claims with Medicaid on behalf of companies owned and operated by Tony Taylor, Jerry Taylor and others. She pleaded guilty on April 22, 2019, to health care fraud conspiracy and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Devon Rambert-Hairston, 41, of Huntersville, N.C. and a licensed as a nurse practitioner, previously admitted to falsifying patient records used by Tony Taylor and Jerry Taylor to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicaid. Rambert-Hairston pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on April 16, 2019, and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Christine Yvette Knight., 50, of Clermont, Florida, allegedly prepared fraudulent treatment notes and billing spreadsheets for companies owned and operated by Tony Taylor and Jerry Taylor. She is charged with health care fraud conspiracy and is currently awaiting trial.
Tony Taylor was released on bond following the plea hearing. The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the actual gain, or both. A sentencing date for Tony Taylor has not been set yet.
The investigation was handled by MID. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dallas Kaplan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Rodgers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
The investigation and charges are the work of the Western District’s joint Health Care Fraud Task Force. The Task Force is multi-agency team of experienced federal and state investigators, working in conjunction with criminal and civil Assistant United States Attorneys, dedicated to identifying and prosecuting those who defraud the health care system, and reducing the potential for health care fraud in the future. The Task Force focuses on the coordination of cases, information sharing, identification of trends in health care fraud throughout the region, staffing of all whistle blower complaints, and the creation of investigative teams so that individual agencies may focus their unique areas of expertise on investigations. The Task Force builds upon existing partnerships between the agencies and its work reflects a heightened effort to reduce fraud and recover taxpayer dollars.
To report Medicaid fraud in North Carolina, call the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division at 919-881-2320
Large-Scale Counterfeit Fentanyl Pill Dealer Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Dion Gregory Fisher (33, formerly of Seminole) to 30 years in federal prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, and money laundering. Fisher was also ordered to forfeit several high-end vehicles, including an Aston Martin and Audi R8, and a forfeiture money order of nearly $800,000 was entered against him. A federal jury had found Fisher guilty on June 5, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Fisher and others, including co-defendant Christopher McKinney, manufactured and distributed hundreds of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone 30 mg pills that were made with fentanyl that Fisher had ordered from China. Fisher also ordered pill presses from China, some of which were seized by Homeland Security. He also purchased binding and cutting agents used in the manufacturing process.
Another co-defendant, Samuel Huffman, used the pill presses and materials supplied by Fisher to press fentanyl pills out of his automotive business in Pinellas Park. Huffman pleaded guilty to the fentanyl conspiracy on October 9, 2018, testified against Fisher at trial, and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison on June 24, 2019.
Fisher also stored fentanyl and fentanyl analogue in a work bay in Clearwater. In January and February 2018, large quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue were seized from these locations, as well as from Fisher’s residence in Seminole, and McKinney’s residence and work bay. More than three kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue were admitted into evidence during the trial. On July 2, 2018, Christopher McKinney pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and manufacture fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. McKinney forfeited $1.4 million in cash, two residences, and several high-end vehicles/motorcycle. McKinney testified against Fisher at trial, and was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison on June 28, 2019.
Fisher and McKinney sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills, mostly via the U.S. Mail, to Phil Morose in Boston. Morose then distributed the pills. Morose was charged with conspiring to distribute and manufacture fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. He pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced on July 8, 2019, to 10 years in federal prison. He is also currently facing money laundering charges in Boston.
In addition, Fisher laundered the proceeds from his fentanyl pill sales with Konrad Guzewicz, who owned and operated automotive and tire-and-rim companies in Pinellas County. Fisher purchased several high-end luxury vehicles, including an Aston Martin, a Bentley, a Maserati, a BMW, and an Audi R8, using fentanyl proceeds. Guzewicz also laundered fentanyl cash proceeds for Fisher. On four occasions, Fisher provided Guzewicz with $35,000 in cash that he had obtained from selling fentanyl pills, and Guzewicz, in turn, wrote Fisher a check for $30,000 from his business and personal accounts. Guzewicz pleaded guilty to money laundering charges on June 28, 2018, testified against Fisher at trial, and was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison on July 2, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Middle District of Florida Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, a Department of Justice program created to help combat the devastating opioid crisis that is ravaging families and communities across America and to prosecute individuals that are contributing to the opioid epidemic. The investigative agencies included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen, Maria Guzman, and Greg Pizzo.
Kentucky Correctional Officers Plead Guilty to Beating Handcuffed Detainee and Attempting to Cover up the AssaultRead the Press Release
David M. Schwartz, 48, and Donna K. Gentry, 55, former correctional officers at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC), pleaded guilty today to federal charges in connection with the assault of a detainee and a subsequent attempt to cover up that misconduct. A third officer, Devan Edwards, previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the detainee and failing to intervene to prevent Schwartz from assaulting him.
“Correctional officers are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of our nation and to ensure the safety of the inmates under their control,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “These defendants knowingly violated the constitutional rights of an inmate and then lied to cover it up, thereby abusing the powers that the public entrusted to them. The Department of Justice will continue to hold correctional officers accountable for their actions.”
“This Commonwealth is well-served by many dedicated and under appreciated corrections officers and deputy jailers; however taking that oath means something,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman for the Western District of Kentucky. “Those that view it as mere words and not a solemn vow to uphold the constitutional rights of Kentuckians will face federal prosecution.”
“Today’s guilty pleas confirm that FBI Louisville will pursue all aspects of excessive force incidents, including any attempts to obstruct an investigation into underlying conduct. Corrections officers have a critical public safety responsibility, and those who decide to cross the line and engage in criminal misconduct will be held accountable, “ said FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge James R. Brown, Jr.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, on April 18, 2018, Schwartz, while on duty as a correctional officer, punched a pretrial detainee, T.W., in the face while T.W. had his hands cuffed behind his back, and was pleading with Schwartz and posing no threat. Schwartz then wrote a false and misleading report, in which he intentionally omitted the fact that he had used force against T.W., and also wrote a citation charging T.W. with felony third-degree assault, in which he knowingly included false information about T.W.’s conduct.
On the same date, Gentry, who was then a sergeant, learned that Schwartz and Edwards had assaulted the detainee and that Edwards had accidentally turned on his body camera and recorded part of that assault. Gentry wrote and filed a false report, in which she included false statements and made material omissions about the excessive force used by Officers Schwartz and Edwards. She then directed Edwards to review her report and provide the same false account in his own report, changing the wording so that it would not be obvious that he had copied from her report.
Based on this misconduct, Schwartz pleaded guilty to one count of depriving T.W. of his right to be free from excessive force (resulting in bodily injury), and two counts of filing false reports. Gentry pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice for filing the false report and persuading another officer (Edwards) to file a false report. Schwartz faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 50 years, and Gentry faces a statutory maximum term of 20 years, but their actual sentences will be calculated with reference to the advisory federal sentencing guidelines.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Kentucky Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force which consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), LMPD, the Kentucky office of the Attorney General, and the Kentucky State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
KC Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling Heroin That Resulted in Overland Park Man's Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to selling heroin to an Overland Park, Kansas, man, which resulted in his overdose death.
Valeriece D. Ealom, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of distributing heroin.
By pleading guilty today, Ealom admitted that she sold heroin for $200 to a man identified in court documents as “J.B.” on June 19, 2016. She sold heroin to J.B. again the next day. At 6:45 p.m. on June 20, 2016, the deceased body of J.B. was discovered by his wife at their family home in Overland Park. In close proximity to J.B.’s body were two syringes (one containing heroin), a lighter, a spoon with heroin residue, tweezers with heroin residue, and an empty plastic baggie with heroin residue. An autopsy report later concluded J.B.’s cause of death was an accidental heroin overdose.
Ealom admitted that on June 20, 2016, she sold J.B. the heroin that resulted in his accidental overdose death.
Ealom was on supervised release at the time of the offense, after serving a 10-year sentence for distributing controlled substances.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Ealom will be sentenced to 15 years and six months in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who traveled from Minnesota to Iowa to have sex with minors was convicted by a jury on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Terrance Nordwall, age 50, of Faribault, Minnesota, was convicted of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The evidence at trial showed that, in March and April of 2019, Nordwall exchanged text messages with a man who he believed was a “pimp” with a 14-year-old girl and a 15‑year‑old girl available. The man was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Nordwall agreed to pay the pimp $200 for a half hour with the two girls, and he drove to the Cedar Rapids area, where he met law enforcement officers.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Nordwall remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Nordwall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, $15,300 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 19-57.
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Jury Convicts McNairy County Man of Bank Robberies, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – After a three-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted Gene Allen Howell, 38, of Selmer, Tennessee of two counts of aggravated bank robbery, two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on August 25, 2017, Howell robbed the Home Banking Company located in Finger, Tennessee using a handgun. He pointed the handgun at all three female employees and threated to kill them if they did not comply with his commands. Howell had stolen a utility vehicle from Selmer, which he rode to the bank and used thereafter to evade capture. The utility vehicle was later found abandoned in a wooded area.
On October 14, 2017 Howell attempted to rob The Peoples Bank located in Reagan, Tennessee using a .45 caliber pistol. He hid nearby, and attempted to accost two bank employees as they arrived for work, but they had just entered the secure tellers' area in the bank. Unable to gain access to the teller area, Howell fired the pistol at the head of one of the employees, but she was protected by bullet resistant glass.
Howell and his co-defendant, who served as the getaway driver, were arrested 10 days later in Alcorn County, Mississippi on drug charges. Law enforcement found in Howell's possession two pistols, including one used in the Reagan shooting, ammunition, and clothing worn during the robberies. The co-defendant testified against Howell at trial, and entered a guilty plea.
Howell has an extensive criminal history, including prior convictions for aggravated assault, theft, and drug charges. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years imprisonment on the firearms charges, which will run consecutively to a sentence of up to 25 years on the bank robbery charges. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2020, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Violent crime affects and endangers all communities in West Tennessee, both urban and rural. Howell’s brazen and disturbing armed robbery of two small community banks terrorized the rural community and inflicted fear and harm on multiple victims. Now he will have plenty of time in federal prison to suffer with the consequences of his recidivist criminal conduct, and the citizens of McNairy and Henderson Counties will be safer for it."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Henderson County Sheriff's Department, McNairy County Sheriff's Department, Chester County Sheriff's Department and Alcorn County, Mississippi Sheriff's Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Wilson and Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Jury Convicts Jacksonville Man for Possessing Child Sex Abuse Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Jason Ryan Fain (38, Jacksonville) guilty of possessing videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 9, 2017, an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) responded to a citizen complaint at a Jacksonville residence where Fain resided. The officer recovered a USB thumb drive belonging to Fain. A subsequent search of the thumb drive revealed 3,614 images and 7 videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children, together with “selfie”-type photos depicting Fain. On October 27, 2017, Fain was arrested in Youngstown by investigators from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview, Fain admitted that the thumb drive belonged to him and that it contained “hundreds” of pornographic images of children that he had obtained from the internet.
A forensic analysis conducted by the FBI confirmed that Fain’s thumb drive had accessed a particular file-sharing network on the internet. The device also contained a document that advocated the legalization of child pornography possession.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Demarkis Addison, 33, of Jackson, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
While a United States Marshals Task Force was searching for a wanted man on February 6, 2019, in Jackson, a man fitting the description was observed getting into a car at America’s Best Inn located on Interstate 55. As Task Force Officers approached the man to determine whether he was wanted by the United States Marshals, the man ran on foot and was observed tossing a handgun. Officers caught the individual, Demarkis Addison, and determined he was a convicted felon at the time he was observed by the Task Force with the handgun. Addison was previously convicted of five separate house burglaries between November 2004 and February 2013.
On May 15, 2019, Addison was charged in a federal indictment with possessing a firearm after having been convicted previously of a felony.
Addison will be sentenced on January 30, 2020, by Judge Lee, and faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If it is determined that Addison’s previous house burglary convictions qualify him as an armed career criminal, Addison must be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not less than 15 years and may be sentenced to imprisonment for life.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.