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11 December 2019
McLaughlin Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of a Person Incapable of ConsentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse of a Person Incapable of Consent.
Verl Janis, a/k/a “Bumpy”, age 38, was indicted on November 13, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on December 5, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of five years, and up to life, of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on September 1, 2019 Janis knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with an individual who was physically incapable of declining participation or communicating an unwillingness to engage in the sexual act.
The charge is merely an accusation and Janis is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Jasper is prosecuting the case.
Janis was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Man Who Stole His Brother’s Truck and Violated an Order of Protection by Forcing His Family to Travel Across State Lines with Him Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who abused his wife for years, eventually forcing her to leave Iowa with their children was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Frank Young, age 32, from Anamosa, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2019, guilty plea to interstate violation of a protection order, causing travel of a victim and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Evidence during the case established that between 2016 and 2018, Young engaged in repeated acts of domestic violence against his wife. Young was convicted of domestic abuse assault, trespass, burglary, and child endangerment, as well as multiple violations of the no contact order prohibiting Young from contacting his wife and children. In February 2018, and despite protection orders prohibiting Young from contacting his wife or children, Young stole his brother’s truck and forced his family to leave Iowa in the stolen vehicle. The State of Iowa issued an Amber alert and police arrested Young in Wichita, Kansas.
Young was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Young was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Williams noted that Young subjected his wife to a “reign of terror” and commented that it was hard to understand “the horror of what she lived through.”
Young is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Exploited and Missing Child Unit which is a task force composed of the State of Kansas D.C.F., the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wichita Police DepartmentCourt file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-0015.
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Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse.
“These crimes are vile and display the kind of manipulation and vindictiveness Quinton Myrick is capable of,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Production of child pornography is one of the most offensive and serious crimes in the entire criminal code; it involves a real-life child, real-life abuse, and causes incalculable and unknowable harm to victims.”
According to court documents, Quinton Thomas Myrick, 26, met an 11-year-old girl from Ohio online in December 2018. Myrick convinced the girl to produce child pornography and send it to him, and she complied. When Myrick suspected the 11-year-old was talking to other boys, he posted the child pornography on the girl’s social media account. Myrick also produced child pornography with a second minor victim, a 17-year-old girl. When Myrick became angry with her, Myrick also posted her videos on social media.
“HSI will continue to target sexual predators who use the internet to prey on young victims,” said Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Norfolk. “Let this case serve as a lesson to predators who think they can hide behind a screen name. If you target minors, we will target you for arrest.”
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; and Robert Porti, Deputy Chief of Franklin Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.
The Columbus Police Department provided significant assistance during this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-91.
Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Philadelphia Police Captain During Demonstration at Independence National Historical ParkRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Brian Glantz, 24, of Glenside, PA entered a plea of guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski to one count of simple assault arising from an incident in which he punched a Philadelphia Police Officer.
On November 17, 2018, a demonstration was held at Independence National Historic Park under a permit granted to a group identified as “We the People.” As National Park Service rangers and other law enforcement officers engaged in crowd control duties to disperse the crowd at the end of the rally, members of a counter-demonstration, including the defendant, pushed themselves against the officers and sought to physically confront the permitted group. During the confrontation, and while still on federal park property, officers sought to arrest Glantz, when he assaulted a Philadelphia Police Captain by punching him in the face. The defendant continued to resist the officers’ efforts to arrest him, kicking his legs and wrestling with the officers, until he was ultimately subdued and taken into custody.
“The right to peaceful demonstration is a dearly held freedom in our country, with the operative word being ‘peaceful,’” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “In order to safeguard that right, law enforcement officers are routinely called upon to monitor and provide security at large public gatherings. Punching a police officer when that officer is working to protect our freedoms is a vile and cowardly act. And when it happens on federal property, it is also a federal crime, and will be treated as such.”
The defendant faces a total maximum sentence of 1 year imprisonment, 5 years’ probation and $100,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the National Park Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
Little Eagle Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender was sentenced on December 4, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Arthur Taken Alive, Jr., age 52, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Taken Alive was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2019. He pled guilty on August 27, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on October 10, 2018, when Taken Alive got into an argument with the victim and assaulted her by placing his hand over her mouth, making it difficult for the victim to breath.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Jasper prosecuted the case.
Taken Alive was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Joint U.S-EU Statement Following the U.S.-EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial MeetingRead the Press Release
On December 11, the U.S.-EU Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs took place in Washington D.C. The United States of America was represented by Attorney General William P. Barr and Acting Secretary for Homeland Security Chad Wolf. The Ministerial – which is held twice a year -- aims to oversee transatlantic cooperation in the area of Justice and Home affairs and address common security threats.
The European Union was represented by the Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, as well as by Finnish Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, Finnish Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior Ilkka Salmi, Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, and Croatian Minister of Justice Dražen Bošnjaković, on behalf of the current and incoming Presidencies of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was also attended by Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, the Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS Christian Leffler, the Deputy Executive Director of Europol Jürgen Ebner, and the Vice President of Eurojust Klaus Meyer-Cabri.
As the EU begins a new political cycle, the United States and the EU reaffirmed their strong commitment to foster the Transatlantic Partnership and pursue their dialogue on Justice and Home Affairs, building on the existing operational cooperation and best-practice exchanges on matters of common interest.
Fighting terrorism in all its forms remains our top common priority. We concurred on the importance of continuing and expanding our efforts to identify and hold accountable all those who support or engage in terrorist activity, with a particular emphasis on the sharing of information gathered in zones of combat for use in criminal proceedings as admissible evidence. The importance of using this type of information to improve the security of our borders was also highlighted, especially in the context of returning foreign terrorist fighters. We welcomed achievements in this domain, in particular the U.S. efforts to share information on foreign terrorist fighters with EU Member States and Europol. We called for continued engagement and ongoing operational cooperation between relevant agencies, building on the conclusions of the meeting on these subjects held in Brussels on July 10. We further discussed various forms of violent extremism, including ethnically- and racially-motivated violent extremism, and we supported further expert exchanges to examine the international linkages among these groups.
The U.S.-EU agreement on Passenger Name Records (PNR) remains an important instrument for enhancing the security of our citizens. In that context, we look forward to the final report following the joint evaluation. We reaffirmed our shared interest in establishing ICAO standards to encourage rapid and effective implementation of UNSCR 2396 for the use of PNR to combat terrorist travel, with full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Together we acknowledge that threats to security take on increasingly different forms, challenging our collective resilience. We discussed means to enhance cooperation on countering hybrid threats -- including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, as well as explosives – and welcomed the U.S.-EU experts seminar on that issue held in Brussels in September 2019. We also recognized the challenges to security presented by drones. We further discussed challenges to cybersecurity and updated each other on our respective efforts to assess and address 5G security challenges, including those impacting the security of our supply chain. In particular, we discussed the need to work with industry to establish trusted markets for 5G and other telecommunications equipment and services. We will continue to keep each other informed of developments in this area and commit to approaching emerging technologies through a risk-informed perspective.
The United States and the European Union reaffirmed the importance of enhancing judicial cooperation in cyberspace, in particular with regard to cross-border access to electronic evidence. In this context, we welcome the negotiations for an U.S.-EU agreement facilitating access to e-evidence for the purpose of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. We agreed to review progress in the negotiations at the next Ministerial Meeting in 2020. Furthermore, we exchanged views on the ongoing negotiations for the Second Additional Protocol of the Budapest Convention and discussed the importance of making swift progress, in view of our joint and strong commitment to the Budapest Convention, which remains the instrument of choice for international cooperation on cybercrimes for both the EU and the United States.
We also acknowledged that the use of warrant-proof encryption by terrorists and other criminals – including those who engage in online child sexual exploitation – compromises the ability of law enforcement agencies to protect victims and the public at large. At the same time, encryption is an important technical measure to ensure cybersecurity and the exercise of fundamental rights, including privacy, which requires that any access to encrypted data be via legal procedures that protect privacy and security. Within this framework, we discussed the critical importance of working towards ensuring lawful access for law enforcement and other law enforcement authorities to digital evidence, including when encrypted or hosted on servers located in another jurisdiction.
We reiterated a common commitment to enhance the resilience of our electoral systems and to combat any form of interference in electoral processes. In this context we welcomed the outcome of the November 26 first experts’ meeting on resilience of electoral systems. The event brought together specialists from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss respective approaches and share best practices; we look forward to continuing dialogues on this issue.
Finally, we welcomed Poland’s designation for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which underscores the usefulness of the tripartite process and the encouraging progress made by four other Member States towards reciprocal visa free travel under our respective legal frameworks. We are committed to continue working together, in the appropriate frameworks, to support the remaining four EU Member States in their efforts towards designation in the Visa Waiver Program.
Reaffirming our joint commitment to advance together towards common solutions in all these areas, we agreed to meet again in the first half of 2020 in Croatia.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Kelvin Roy Thompson a/k/a “HOT” a/k/a “OLD SCHOOL,” 61, of Jackson, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to 75 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for distribution of actual methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Director John Dowdy with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
On or about January 19, 2018, in Jackson, Mississippi, Thompson sold methamphetamine to an individual for $200. The DEA lab confirmed the purchase to be 13.2 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with 98% purity.
On or about January 31, 2018, Thompson again sold methamphetamine in Jackson to an individual for $425. The DEA lab confirmed the purchase to be 26.9 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with 98% purity. Later that day, agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics executed a search warrant at the Jackson residence of Thompson and recovered multiple bags of methamphetamine, a bag of heroin, and 3 digital scales. Agents also recovered a loaded Marlin bolt action rifle and Smith & Wesson revolver.
The case was the result of an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jackson Police Department and the Ridgeland Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Jackson County Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Jackson County man pled guilty to a firearm offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. James Evans, 19, of Ravenswood, pled guilty to stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.
“Stolen firearms too often end up in the hands of those who commit violent crimes - risking law enforcement and the public,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “24 firearms - the potential for harm was significant. Great work by the Ravenswood Police Department and ATF.”
Evans admitted that on April 7, 2019, he and three other individuals broke into the Old and New Sports store located in Ravenswood and stole approximately 24 firearms. Rebecca Ann Sellers, 18, and Destiny Moore, 19, were also charged in the case. A juvenile was prosecuted in Jackson County Circuit Court. The trial for Sellers and Moore is set for January 27, 2020.
Evans faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 15, 2020.
The Ravenswood Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. United States District Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution.
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Indictment Charges 2 Men with Offenses Stemming from 2015 Shooting at New Haven RestaurantRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging TYTHRONE FORD, 26, of Bridgeport, and TREIZY LOPEZ, 23, of New Haven, with robbery and firearm offenses stemming from the attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant, during which an employee was shot, in April 2015.
This matter stems from a “cold case” investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. It is alleged that, on April 11, 2015, Ford and Lopez entered the Smokin’ Wings restaurant, located on Congress Avenue in New Haven, and demanded money at gunpoint. Lopez subsequently discharged a firearm, shooting a female employee in the stomach.
The indictment charges Ford and Lopez with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. In addition, Lopez is charged with carrying, using, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Ford is charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Ford was arrested yesterday and is detained. Lopez is currently incarcerated in state custody after being convicted of offenses related to a violent robbery in Bridgeport in April 2015.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Illegal Alien Indicted for Unlawful Reentry into the United States After Deportation and Illegal Possession of a Firearm Used in Fatal Shooting of His Minor ChildRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A man charged in state court with fatally shooting his minor son was indicted on federal charges of illegally re-entering the United States after removal and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.
According to the two-count federal indictment, on September 30, 2018, Argel Hernandez-Escobar, 32, was found to be unlawfully in the United States after deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. 1326(a), and unlawfully possessed a Romarm-Cugir, Model Mini Draco, 7.62X39mm caliber pistol as a prohibited person, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5). Hernandez-Escobar also has pending state charges in Shelby County Criminal Court for reckless homicide and aggravated child abuse.
If convicted, Hernandez-Escobar faces up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Border Enforcement Security Task Force, in conjunction with the Memphis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Hudson Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Northup, age 28, of Hudson, New York, pled guilty today to accessing a child pornography web site available only through an anonymous Internet network.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his plea, Northup admitted that in 2015, he accessed Playpen, an online forum through which registered users advertised, viewed, and distributed child pornography. Images and videos shared through the site were highly categorized according to victim age and gender, and type of sexual activity depicted.
Before the FBI seized the Playpen web site and shut it down, it was available only through an anonymous Internet network, which allowed users to access websites including Playpen without revealing their actual internet protocol address, geographic location, or other identifying information. Northup admitted that he logged into Playpen in order to access its child pornography content.
Northup faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on April 6, 2020. He also faces a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/
Heroin smuggler ordered to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 29-year-old Austin woman has been sentenced for smuggling heroin through the local port of entry, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lorena Garcia pleaded guilty May 8 to possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Garcia to serve a total of 72 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On Feb. 25, Garcia attempted to make entry into the United States from Mexico driving a Jeep Cherokee at the Brownsville Veterans International Bridge. Authorities referred the vehicle to secondary inspection where they discovered packages wrapped in black electrical tape in the vehicle’s firewall.
Law enforcement extracted a total of eight packages which all tested positive for the properties of heroin. The narcotics had a total weight of 7.04 kilograms and an approximate value of $253,440.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
Harrisburg Woman Charged with Credit Union TheftRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brooke Shaeffer, age 24, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with theft of funds on December 9, 2019.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the information alleges that in March 2017, Shaeffer stole approximately $19,599 from the Members 1st Federal Credit Union while employed as a teller.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
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 this offense is imprisonment for ten years, 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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Grand Jury Returns Three IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Brodhead Man Charged with Drug Crimes Involving Methamphetamine
Darrin Demrow, 43, Brodhead, Wisconsin, is charged with attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he attempted to possess methamphetamine on August 8, 2019, and that he possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on November 21, 2019.
If convicted, Demrow faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the charge of attempting to possess methamphetamine, and a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years on the charge of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Green County Sheriff’s Office, and Rock County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm & Ammunition
Collin C. Tubbs, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that he possessed a loaded .45 caliber handgun and ammunition on November 28, 2019.
If convicted, Tubbs faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the prosecution.
The indictment charging Tubbs has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Woman Charged with Escape
Roxie Boling, 37, Kansas City, Missouri, is charged with escape. The indictment alleges that on December 2, 2019, she escaped from the Rock Valley Community Programs Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, where she was in custody by virtue of a conviction for a felony offense.
If convicted, Boling faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge against her is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson is handling the prosecution.
Getaway Driver for Downtown Pittsburgh Bank Heist Sentenced to 3 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court on his conviction of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Mark Hammond, 55, who received a total of 36 months’ imprisonment followed by 36 months’ supervised release at both counts one and two of the Indictment, to run concurrently. In addition to the 36 months’ for the robbery, Hammond was sentenced to an additional 24 months’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently, as he was on supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction at the time of the offense.
According to information presented to the court, on January 10, 2018, Hammond served as the getaway driver for his codefendant, Alonzo Dunbar, who robbed the Huntington Bank located at 650 Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh of $1,678.00. The court was further informed that prior to the robbery, Hammond parked his vehicle on Smithfield Street and went into the bank to make change for $5.00, when, in reality, he was surveilling the bank. Hammond’s vehicle was identified in video surveillance footage, circling the area around the bank, stopping across from the bank, and leaving the bank following the robbery with Dunbar as a passenger. Hammond later received a portion of the proceeds from the robbery from Dunbar for his participation in the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hammond.
Georgia Men Sentenced for Check Cashing SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Two Georgia men have been sentenced to prison for creating counterfeit checks and then cashing them at banks in Saratoga and Warren Counties.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
Alphonso L. Howard, Jr., age 29, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and to pay $119,077.54 in restitution. Howard also forfeited $16,660 in cash that he possessed at the time of his arrest by New York State Police. Howard additionally faces a parole violation proceeding in Wisconsin, where he was previously convicted of participating in a prior, similar check cashing scheme.
Javonte J. Johnson, age 23, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced on December 5 to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and to pay $119,077.54 in restitution. Johnson also forfeited $2,391 in cash that he possessed at the time of his arrest by New York State Police. Johnson has additionally agreed to plead guilty to grand larceny charges in Jefferson County Court, New York, arising from a similar check cashing scheme he committed there.
Each man pled guilty in federal court to 1 count of conspiring to commit bank fraud and 1 count of aggravated identity theft.
They admitted that they defrauded financial institutions by intercepting and stealing checks sent through the U.S. Mail; using information from these legitimate checks to create counterfeit checks drawn on the same financial accounts as the stolen, legitimate checks; and then cashing and attempting to cash the counterfeit checks at financial institutions in Saratoga and Warren Counties.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police-Troop G, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett. Other agencies have assisted in the investigation and prosecution, including the District Attorney’s Offices in Jefferson, Saratoga and Warren Counties, the Glens Falls Police Department, the Burlington Police Department (Vt.), Vermont State Police, and the Stowe Police Department (Vt.).
GBK Gang Member Admits Selling Cocaine, Crack and Heroin in Pittsburgh’s West End NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of McKees Rocks, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine, and heroin, and a charge of distribution of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Monta Banks, age 29, pleaded guilty to four counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the Greenway Boy Killas (GBK) street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. On January 29, 2018, agents made a controlled purchase of heroin from Banks. The wiretap interceptions began shortly thereafter, in February 2018, and continued through June 2018. The investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, gang member Monta Banks and his co-conspirators distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin in and around the area of the Greenway Projects.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Monta Banks.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Four Oaks Man Found Guilty of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of A Firearm While Subject to Domestic Violence OrderRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, DWAYNE SHANNON REARDON, of Four Oaks, North Carolina, was convicted following a two-day trial before United States District Judge James C. Dever III. The jury found REARDON guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence order.
On February 21, 2018, officers with the Johnston County Sherriff’s Office responded to 114 Pine Tree Lane in Four Oaks, North Carolina, to arrest REARDON for violating a domestic violence protective order. When REARDON was searched in his backyard, officers found a bag of methamphetamine and a bag of cocaine in his pants pocket. Another bag of methamphetamine was seen in his truck, and a large amount of cash was found in the center console.
A search warrant was executed on REARDON’S house, where officers found a digital scale with methamphetamine residue, as well as other drug paraphernalia on his nightstand. Moreover, a handgun was found in an unscrewed vent beside REARDON’S bed.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Donald Pender and Felice Corpening represented the government.
Founder of the Blood Hound Brims Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LATIQUE JOHNSON, a/k/a “La Brim,” a/k/a “Straight 2 Business,” a/k/a “Breezy,” a/k/a “Boss Dog,” 39, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison in connection with his leadership of the Blood Hound Brims, a violent street and prison gang that operated in New York City and elsewhere, and his participation in narcotics trafficking and acts of violence, including two shootings in 2012. JOHNSON was convicted on March 27, 2019, following a five-week jury trial before Judge Gardephe, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Latique Johnson founded a notoriously violent and lawless gang from within the New York State prison system that grew to terrorize communities across New York City and New York State. As the founder and leader of the Blood Hound Brims, Johnson recruited members based on their violent reputations and willingness to follow his orders. Together with other members of the Blood Hound Brims, Johnson is responsible for several heinous acts of violence. Today’s lengthy sentence sends an important message to gang members who commit violent crimes that they will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents, the evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:
The Blood Hound Brims (“BHB”) were a criminal enterprise that operated principally in the greater New York area, from at least 2005 up to and including 2016. The BHB was a faction of the Bloods street gang, which operates nationwide, and is under the New York Blood Brim Army (“NYBBA”). The BHB operated within and around various locations in New York, including New York City, Westchester County, Elmira, and in Pennsylvania, as well as within and outside federal and state penal systems.
The BHB used a hierarchical structure that was organized, in part, by New York City borough, and that was maintained, in part, through the payment of dues. The founder and leader of the gang was LATIQUE JOHNSON, and other members and associates of the BHB referred to JOHNSON as the “Godfather.” The gang was divided into several “pedigrees,” each of which had its own leadership structure that was approved by JOHNSON. Leadership positions within the pedigrees included, among others, treasurers who collected dues from members of a particular pedigree, and individuals who performed security and disciplinary functions for the pedigree.
Members of the BHB had regular meetings, sometimes called “pow wows” or “9-11s,” at which members were required to pay dues. Some of the meetings were among members of a particular pedigree, and other meetings were for all members of the enterprise. Word of the meetings was disseminated via text message, word-of-mouth, and flyers. The BHB’s business, including rivalries with other gangs, shootings, the arrest of gang members, guns, and drugs, was regularly discussed at these meetings. “Kitty dues” – money that paid for commissary funds, lawyers, guns, and drugs, and that served as tribute to JOHNSON – were collected at these meetings. The BHB maintained its own rules and constitution that new members were required to learn. Members of the BHB also used code words and secret phrases to communicate with each other both while in prison and on the street in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.
One of the BHB’s principal objectives was to sell cocaine base – commonly known as “crack cocaine” – powder cocaine, and heroin, which members and associates of the BHB sold throughout the greater New York area and in Pennsylvania.
Members and associates of the BHB engaged in multiple acts of violence against rival gangs. These acts of violence included assaults and attempted murders, and were committed to protect the BHB’s drug territory, to retaliate against members of rival gangs who had encroached on the territory controlled by the BHB, and to otherwise promote the standing and reputation of the gang vis-à-vis rival gangs. These acts of violence also included assaults and attempted murders against members and associates of the BHB itself, as part of internal power struggles within the gang.
For example, on or about January 28, 2012, in the Bronx, New York, JOHNSON, aided and abetted by his co-defendant Donnell Murray, used an AK-47 assault rifle to fire into a fried chicken restaurant where rival gang members were gathered, injuring two individuals who survived the shooting. The violence continued in fall of 2012 when JOHNSON ordered the shooting of two other members of a rival gang, who survived.
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Donnell Murray, 39, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted following a jury trial of racketeering conspiracy, assault in aid of racketeering, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Murray was sentenced in November 2019 to 20 years in prison.
Brandon Green, 36, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted following a jury trial of racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Green is facing a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced in 2020.
David Cherry, 39, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted following a guilty plea to a firearms offense. Cherry faces a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and will be sentenced in 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution is being handled by the Violent and Organized Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Feinstein, Allison Nichols, Andrew Chan, and Abigail Kurland are in charge of the prosecution.
Former elementary school paraprofessional sentenced for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Adam Brent Nesbitt has been sentenced for possessing approximately 800 images, and approximately 600 videos, of child pornography, depicting mostly children under 12 years old. Prior to his arrest, Nesbitt was a paraprofessional at an elementary school in Sandy Springs, Georgia, working with special needs children.
“It is disturbing when we learn that a person entrusted to care for our children engages in this type of disgusting behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Tragically, possession of child pornography continues to victimize and abuse the children in the images every time they are disseminated.”
“It is disheartening to see yet another person in a position of public trust, especially someone who works with special needs children, peddle in child pornography,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We as a society expect more from those who care for our children than this and the law enforcement community is ready to vigorously uphold the law to protect the children of our community.”
“It is scary to think that someone like this could get a job this close to our children. I am very grateful for organizations like (NCMEC) who are able to identify these types of criminals so they can be removed from society,” said Polk County Police Chief Kenny Dodd.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Officials from Dropbox and Facebook notified the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in September 2018, when they discovered suspected child pornography stored in Nesbitt’s accounts. NCMEC then notified law enforcement authorities in Georgia. Eventually, Homeland Security Investigations, and Polk County, Georgia, Police Department investigators searched Nesbitt’s residence and Dropbox account. They seized approximately 800 images and 600 videos of child pornography on and within Nesbitt’s accounts.
Adam Brent Nesbitt, 41, of Rockmart, Georgia, has been sentenced to two years, nine months in prison, followed by ten years of supervised release. Nesbitt pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on August 8, 2019.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Polk County Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Walton Co. Probate Judge Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A former Associate Probate Judge and Family Law attorney in Walton County, Georgia was sentenced to prison for attempted online enticement of a minor, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. George Randolph “Randy” Jeffery, 59, of Monroe, Georgia was sentenced to 180 months in prison and ten years supervised release today by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal after pleading guilty on September 10, 2019 to one count attempted online enticement of a minor. Defendant Jeffery will have to register as a sex offender, and comply with all sex offender requirements, when he is released from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
In October 2018, the FBI was notified of a cyber-tip from the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) involving a possible juvenile female engaging in an online sexual relationship with an adult male based in Monroe, Georgia. Investigators discovered Jeffery communicated with an individual from February 2018 to August 2018 that he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, discussing various sexual acts in detail, her molestation by her father, as well as exchanging several nude photographs of the minor, plus an additional seven photos of others who appeared to be minors. Jeffery, who worked as an attorney practicing in the areas of child support, adoption and family law, sometimes communicated with the victim from the child support office located behind DFACS in Covington, Georgia and while he was at church. In actuality, Jeffery was unknowingly communicating with the girl’s father, who was contemporaneously molesting his daughter and posing as her online, sending pornographic images of her to Jeffery. A search warrant executed at Jeffery’s home recovered multiple electronic devices with numerous images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent minors and items portraying the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.
“I believe this multi-agency investigation ultimately stopped a deviant criminal, posing as a law-abiding Judge, from doing additional irreparable damage to innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Defendant Jeffery, who once swore to uphold the law, will experience the full weight of justice for his unconscionable crimes. I want to thank the GBI, LBI and the FBI for their excellent investigative work and partnership.”
“This case is particularly disturbing because it is an example that child predators come from all walks of life, even from a position in our justice system,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Now, instead of sitting behind a bench judging right from wrong, Jeffery will be sitting on the other side of the bench in a prison cell paying for what he did wrong.”
“One of the worst types of offenders we come in contact with are those that hold a position of trust in our community. This case proves once again there is no demographic for people who hurt children. When someone with whom we have placed our trust violates that trust in this manner, a child and a community are damaged,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). “The GBI and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to work diligently to ensure all people who seek to harm our children and our communities are found and stopped.”
The case was investigated by the GBI, LBI and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie Freeman prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Former Clymer School Teacher Going to Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Scott Aikens, 61 of Clymer, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 54 months in prison and five years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that in late June 2018, Homeland Security Investigations in Buffalo received information that a user, identified as "EJD," was active on the Thai based child pornography open website "Boyxzeed2.net.” Investigators traced the email address utilized by “EJD” to Scott Aikens.
On September 14, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on Route 474 in Clymer and interviewed Aikens, who admitted that he viewed child pornography and that child pornography would be found on his computer. Investigators seized the computer and other electronic devices, which were found to contain a total of 683 videos and 22 images of child pornography.
Some of the child pornography possessed by the defendant depicted prepubescent minors or minors less than 12 years of age, and some of the child pornography possessed by the defendant contained sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.
At the time of his arrest, Aikens was a school teacher with the Clymer Central School District.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Life Sentence for Plot to Kidnap Children and Murder ParentsRead the Press Release
Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA – A Florida man, who conspired with others in a failed attempt to kidnap five children and kill their parents, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg to a series of charges related to his conduct, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, announced today.
Frank Jesse Amnott, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit the offense of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to kill witnesses, and one count of brandishing, carrying, and using a firearm in commission of a federal crime of violence. The crime of conspiracy to kill witnesses carries a statuary sentence of mandatory life in prison.
“Although the facts of this case read like the script of a bad horror movie, the defendants’ murderous plot was real and it posed a grave risk to their intended victims,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “I appreciate the diligence of the FBI and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office in investigating this case and bringing these conspirators to justice.”
“If not for the quick thinking of a parent, and the immediate dispatch and response of a Rockingham County Sheriff's Office deputy this incident could have evolved into something much worse,” Special Agent in Charge Archey said today. “We are grateful for the partnership of the United States Attorney's Office (WDVA) and the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, and the assistance of our international partners regarding the work on this case.”
According to court documents, in 2014 Frank Amnott and his wife Jennifer Amnott befriended Valerie Perfect Hayes. Hayes consistently claimed to the Amnotts and others that she worked for the U.S. government and that her work included services for the intelligence community or some other clandestine capacity.
In July 2018, the Amnotts were living in Florida when they were contacted by Hayes, who was living with her boyfriend, Gary Blake Reburn, in Maryland. Hayes claimed to the Amnotts that three of her children had been kidnapped and were in the custody of two separate Mennonite families in Dayton, Virginia. Hayes asked the Amnotts for assistance in recovering these children, as well as two additional children. Hayes knew the Amnotts could not conceive their own children and promised that if they helped Hayes kidnap the children, then the Amnotts could keep one of the other children as their own.
Frank Amnott, Jennifer Amnott, Hayes, and Reburn devised a plan to travel from Maryland to Dayton, Va. to kidnap the children from these two homes. To effectuate the kidnapping, the conspirators planned to kill the parents. According to the plan, Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott would enter the first house and hold the parents at gunpoint. After the two children were secured by Hayes, Reburn and Amnott would execute the parents. Then, they would drive to the second house, force entry, and perform a similar execution. In planning to kill the parents at both houses, the conspirators sought to eliminate witnesses to the abductions. Afterwards, all of the children would be taken from Virginia to Maryland and the Amnotts would return to Florida with the child promised to them by Hayes.
All five children to be kidnapped were younger than eight years old. The conspirators were not family members to any of the children. Moreover, none of the conspirators had legal custody, nor did they have any colorable claim to legal custody – based on fact or law – over any of the children.
On the evening of July 29, 2018, the conspirators put their plan into action. Jennifer Amnott remained in Maryland watching Hayes’ other children, but remained in contact, receiving updates from Virginia. Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott waited until the evening, at which time they drove to the first house. There, Parents A and B, who are husband and wife, were preparing to retire for the evening while their two young children were already asleep.
Hayes approached the door, disguised in clothing to appear as a Mennonite. After Parent A opened the door, the group forced their way inside and held Parent A at gunpoint. With Parent A subdued, Hayes began to look for Parent B and the two children. Unbeknownst to Hayes, Reburn, and Amnott, when they forced their way into the home, Parent B had grabbed the cordless phone and ran outside of the house, hiding in a cornfield near the home. Parent B dialed 9-1-1 to report the incident and a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office was immediately dispatched.
Inside the home, Amnott and Reburn took Parent A – at gunpoint – to the basement, where they bound his wrists together behind his back. Reburn went upstairs as Amnott stayed and held Parent A at gunpoint.
Shortly after the 911 call, a deputy with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene and was met by Parent B, who had emerged from the cornfield. At the same time, Hayes, who was also outside the house and still disguised in Mennonite clothing, approached the deputy and falsely claimed to be a neighbor who was passing by and saw an armed man run inside the house. Parent B was confused and suspicious, as Hayes appeared to be the same woman who she saw at the front door and forced entry into her home. Reburn joined Hayes at the front of the house and the deputy told Parent B to go with Hayes and Reburn. At the deputy’s direction, Parent B entered a vehicle with Hayes and Reburn, who drove her to a nearby convenience store and dropped her off.
Meanwhile, the deputy entered the house and located the children, who were unharmed and still in their bedroom. The deputy proceeded to the basement where he encountered the defendant, Frank Amnott, holding Parent A at gunpoint in the basement. Amnott was taken into custody without incident.
Because their planned abduction and murders at the first house were thwarted by Parent B and law enforcement, the conspirators did not make their way to the second house as planned. Instead, Hayes and Reburn returned to Maryland where they re-joined Jennifer Amnott. In early August 2018, Hayes, Reburn, and Jennifer Amnott all fled the United States to the United Kingdom.
They have since been apprehended and are pending extradition to the United States.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Florida Man Arrested in St. Paul and Charged with Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a federal indictment charging RAIVON TREYSHAN BALENGER, 28, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. BALENGER will be arraigned on this charge before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright in U.S. District Court at a later date.
According to documents filed in court, on November 9, 2019, St. Paul police officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on Concordia Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, following a 911 call reporting a man pacing back and forth holding a gun with a green laser sight. During the 911 call, the caller reported that the man had fired a shot. When officers arrived they saw a man, later identified as BALENGER, standing alone next to the apartment building. BALENGER, who appeared to be hiding, began to run when one officer turned on his spotlight. The officers pursued and were able to apprehend BALENGER, who had in his back pocket a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a green laser sight attached to it. The firearm had been reported stolen from Oakdale, Minnesota. Because BALENGER has prior felony convictions in Ramsey County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime. This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
RAIVON TREYSHAN BALENGER, 28
Clearwater, Fla.
Charges:
- Felon in possession of a firearm, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fifteen Individuals Charged for Roles in Fraud and Bribery Scheme at Two South Florida VA HospitalsRead the Press Release
Fifteen South Florida residents have been charged by federal authorities in connection with a kickback and bribery scheme involving employees and vendors of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers located in West Palm Beach and Miami, Florida. Court filings allege that in exchange for cash bribes and kickback payments, medical center employees, using government credit cards, ordered medical and other hospital supplies through corrupt vendors. In some cases, the prices of the supplies were grossly inflated, while in other cases the orders were only partially fulfilled or not fulfilled at all.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida stated, “It is a very sad day when public employees are alleged to have violated their duty to provide honest services to the VA, a federal agency that furnishes critical medical services to our military veterans. These charges do not reflect the hard work and integrity of the hundreds of thousands of law abiding VA employees throughout the United States. Together, alongside our VA partners, we will continue to protect our federal programs, combat public corruption, and ensure that our veterans receive the care and quality services that they are owed.”
Michael Missal, Inspector General, and David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge at the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated, “VA OIG will vigorously investigate alleged instances when government employees unjustly enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from vendors for preferential treatment. The defendants’ actions, as alleged in the indictments and informations, breach the public trust, undermine the integrity of VA’s operations, and tarnish the important work that honest VA employees do every day in support of our nation’s veterans.”
West Palm Beach VA employees Clinton Purvis, 52, of West Palm Beach, Christopher Young, 44, of West Palm Beach, and Kenneth Scott, 59, of Riviera Beach, as well as former West Palm Beach VA employee Robert “Bob” Johnson, 62, of West Palm Beach, were charged in a single indictment with offenses that include conspiracy to commit health care fraud, substantive counts of health care fraud, and bribery. Miami VA Medical Center employees Waymon Melvon Woods, 58, of Miami, Don Anderson, 59, of Port St. Lucie, Jose Eugenio Cuervo, 53, of Miramar, Donnie Shatek Hawes, 35, of Cutler Bay, and Robert Lee James Harris, 44, of Miami Gardens, as well as former employee Eugene Campbell, 60, of Miami Gardens, were each charged in separate indictments with bribery offenses. VA supply vendors Jorge Flores, 45, of Delray Beach, Earron Starks, 49, of Hallandale Beach, Carlicha Starks, 40, of Hallandale Beach, and Robert Kozak, 73, of Boca Raton, have been charged in criminal informations with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Separately, Lisa M. Anderson, 48, of Delray Beach, has been charged with making false statements in connection with an application filed with the VA to have one of the vendor companies falsely designated as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.
According to the facts alleged in the indictments and criminal informations, the charged employees worked in logistics departments of the West Palm Beach and the Miami VA Medical Centers and were responsible for ensuring that medical and other hospital supplies were purchased and received. It is alleged that at the West Palm Beach VA, Purvis, Johnson, and Scott would place orders for supplies with the complicit vendors that were either fictitious or contained inflated quantities. The vendors would then invoice the VA for the fictitious or inflated orders. Purvis, Johnson, and Scott would authorize the payment of VA funds to the vendors, who would then kick-back a portion of the proceeds to Purvis, Johnson, and Scott. Purvis and Johnson paid a portion of those proceeds to Young, in exchange for his agreement to falsely enter the supplies as having been received in the VA computer system. At the Miami VA Medical Center, Campbell, Woods, Anderson, Cuervo, Hawes, and Harris each accepted cash bribe payments in exchange for placing orders for supplies with Flores’ and Earron and Claricha Starks’ companies. As a result of these schemes, the defendants caused the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to pay millions of dollars for inflated or unfulfilled purchase orders.
Indictments and criminal informations are charging instruments containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by Special Agents of VA OIG and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roger H. Stefin and Amanda Perwin.
In November of this year, the Justice Department announced the formation of the new Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) focusing on deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding. The PCSF is an interagency partnership, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and federal law enforcement partners.
To learn more about the PCSF or how to report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information concerning anticompetitive conduct involving federal taxpayer dollars is encouraged to contact the PCSF directly by emailing [email protected].
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man was sentenced December 4, 2019 to more than a year in federal prison for possessing a loaded handgun while being a felon, and on parole.
Ronald Warner, age 47, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 15, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence produced by the United States at the change of plea and sentencing hearings in this case, and the related case against Mr. Troy Cooke, showed that Cooke allowed felons, including Warner, regular access to guns and on one occasion gave Warner a gun as collateral on a debt. Warner, as a felon, could not lawfully possess the gun and Cooke and Warner both knew it. Warner’s firearm possession was discovered when Probation and Parole Officers conducted a search of Warner’s home and found the weapon hidden, loaded, and cocked.
Warner was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Warner was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a special assessment of $100. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cooke was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand on November 22, 2019. Cooke was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment and ordered to pay a special assessment of $100 for providing an employee, Warner, a firearm knowing that employee was a felon. He was fined $15,000. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Warner is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-4072.
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Federal Jury Finds Akron Man Guilty of Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal jury convicted an Akron, Ohio man yesterday after a day-long trial, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. The jury found Devon Alexander, 30, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm on August 16, 2018.
“An Akron felon with a gun in Charleston,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “This has become an all too common occurrence, particularly in Charleston and Huntington. Federal gun laws are straight-forward – persons convicted of felonies, whether they be federal or state offenses, are prohibited from possessing firearms. I applaud the work of the law enforcement agencies involved and my entire team for their work in securing this conviction.”
Alexander was previously indicted on a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm due to previous convictions for tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability in Summit County, Ohio. At trial, evidence revealed that during a search of a house in Charleston, police witnessed Alexander toss a Citadel 1911 semi-automatic handgun into the yard while attempting to flee.
Alexander faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced on March 5, 2020.
The investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Metro Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Stefan Hasselblad and Monica Coleman handled the prosecution.
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Federal Jury Convicts Lakeland Man Who Battered Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Felix Antequera Rivera, Jr. (33, Lakeland) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 10, 2020.
Rivera was indicted on July 11, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, in the late evening of June 15, 2018, officers from the Lakeland Police Department were patrolling an apartment complex when they observed Rivera, who appeared to have a large object concealed at his waistband. When the officers approached Rivera, he turned, walked in the opposite direction, and attempted to enter a friend’s apartment. Rivera then tried to slip out of a backpack that he was wearing and attempted to flee. A prolonged struggle involving Rivera and four police officers ensued, during which Rivera reached for a firearm in his pants, struck a police officer in the head with handcuffs, and grabbed at the officers’ firearms and tasers. Officers eventually seized from Rivera a Sig Sauer pistol that was loaded with 11 rounds.
At the time of the incident, Rivera was a convicted felon on probation, with a long and violent criminal history, including armed robbery with a firearm, felony battery, and aggravated assault with a deadly This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments Announced- extendedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the December 2019 Federal Grand Jury B extended.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Maria Isabel Gonzalez and Jorge Alberto Moreno. Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 1); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 2-9); Drug Conspiracy (Count 10); Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute (Count 11); Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Distribute (Count 12). (superseding) In this superseding indictment, three additional counts of distribution of methamphetamine have been added as well as possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Gonzalez, 49, of Commerce, is charged with maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using methamphetamine. Gonzalez is further charged with knowingly distributing methamphetamine on Aug. 23, 2018; she is charged with knowingly distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on Aug. 5, 2019; and she is charged with knowingly distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on Sept. 12, 2019. Gonzalez is also charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Sept. 16, 2019.
Moreno, 39, of Commerce, is charged with knowingly distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 21, 2019; he is also charged with knowingly distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 27, 2019; he is charged with knowingly distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on April 22, 2019; and he is also charged with knowingly distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Sept. 16, 2019. Moreno is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. Finally, both Gonzalez and Moreno are charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
Enrique Beltran Prado. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 3); Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony (Counts 4-41). (superseding) Prado, 32, of Commerce, is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine from October to November 2017. He is further charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on Dec. 20, 2017, and with knowingly maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using methamphetamine. In this superseding indictment Prado is also charged with using a telephone when committing, causing and facilitating the commission of a drug trafficking felony. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
Ellington Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SIMON HESSLER, 47, formerly of Ellington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to one count of production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2016 and November 2018, Hessler engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor female, and he used a used a cellular phone to produce images of the sexual abuse. The minor victim was under the age of 12 at the time of Hessler’s conduct. Hessler kept dozens of these images on a USB drive. Forensic analysis of the USB drive also revealed hundreds of other images and videos of suspected child pornography, including images depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct, and thousands of images of child erotica.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Hessler is also facing charges in two state jurisdictions. In the Hartford Judicial District, he is charged with commercial sex abuse of a minor under the age of 15, and attempt to commit sexual assault in the first degree. In the Tolland Judicial District, he is charged with four counts of risk of injury to a minor, and sex assault in the fourth degree. Under the terms of his federal plea agreement, Hessler will not argue for a sentence less than the statutory maximum of 30 years, to run concurrent with any sentence to be imposed in the state courts.
Hessler is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on March 4, 2020.
Hessler has been detained in state custody since November 13, 2018.
This matter is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Hartford and Tolland State Attorney’s Offices for their cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for False StatementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of False Statement was sentenced on December 11, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Paul Stands For, age 24, was sentenced to 12 days in federal prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Stands For was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. He pled guilty on September 17, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 18, 2019, where Stands For willfully and knowingly made a materially false statement to a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, by stating that a stolen handgun was his, when he in fact knew this statement was false. Stands For lied in order to obstruct an investigation into whether a convicted felon unlawfully possessed the stolen handgun.
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 its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Stands For was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
EPA and Justice Department Announce $245 Million Agreement for Cleanup at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund SiteRead the Press Release
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Justice, the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced a proposed consent decree that would require NCR Corp. to clean up and fund future response actions at a significant portion of the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. The consent decree also includes payments related to natural resource damages and past cleanup efforts at the site. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period.
“This agreement marks a milestone in efforts to clean up Superfund sites in the Great Lakes region, and especially to address the legacy of paper mill generated PCB contamination in the Kalamazoo River watershed,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under this settlement, cleanup and restoration efforts will be accelerated and that’s really good news for communities in the region and the environment.”
“This is a terrific settlement,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Bodine. “It not only ensures that responsible parties will continue to clean up contamination at the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, but also ensures that both past and future costs incurred by the EPA and the state will be recovered.”
“Today’s agreement is a big step towards cleaning up the Kalamazoo River,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp. “This Administration is committed to cleaning up and restoring contaminated sites so they can be put back to productive use in the community.”
“This settlement is an important step for the State and the federal government in cleaning up contamination in and near the Kalamazoo River,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “I look forward to continued cooperation with our federal partners on this site to benefit our communities – including the cities of Plainwell and Otsego, and the townships of Gun Plain, Otsego, and Trowbridge – and to protect public health, safety, and welfare.”
“This settlement represents substantial progress in the cleanup and restoration of the Kalamazoo River,” said Liesl Clark, Director of EGLE. “The agreement requires NCR Corporation to take specific cleanup actions to address PCB contamination in and near the Kalamazoo River that will protect the public health and the environment. It also provides funds for the selection of natural resource projects to restore natural resources and help compensate the public for lost recreational opportunities within this important Southwest Michigan watershed.”
This Superfund site has been listed on the EPA Administrator’s Emphasis List of Superfund sites targeted for immediate, intense action. Each site on the list has a short-term milestone to provide the basis for tracking the site’s progress.
The Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site is in Allegan and Kalamazoo counties and is divided into six segments, or operable units (OUs), that require cleanup. According to the settlement terms, NCR Corporation has agreed to spend approximately $135.7 million cleaning up three areas of OU 5. OU 5 includes 80 miles of the Kalamazoo River and three miles of Portage Creek. In addition, NCR will pay:
- $76.5 million to EPA for past and future costs in support of river cleanup activities;
- $27 million to natural resource trustees of the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council for natural resources damage assessment and claims; and
- $6 million to State of Michigan for past and future costs.
Historically, the Kalamazoo River was used as a power source for paper mills that were built along the river and a disposal site for the paper mills and the communities adjacent to the river. NCR arranged for disposal of carbonless copy paper contaminated with chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the site. In the early 1970’s, PCBs were identified as a problem in the Kalamazoo River. In 1990, in response to the nature and extent of PCB contamination, the site was added to the National Priorities List, which includes the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste releases. EPA, working along with EGLE, has cleaned up three of the six operable units, removed nearly 450,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from the site, cleaned up and restored seven miles of the Kalamazoo River and banks, and capped 82 acres worth of contaminated material.
To learn more about this site, visit http://www.epa.gov/superfund/allied-paper-kalamazoo.
To view the government’s complaint and the consent decree, go to https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Background
EPA established the Administrator’s Emphasis List in December 2017 in response to recommendations from EPA’s Superfund Task Force. The list is comprised of sites identified by Administrator Wheeler and the EPA regional offices that will benefit from the administrator’s immediate attention or action.
The list serves as a mechanism to address delays in the cleanup of significant Superfund sites by specifying milestones that will facilitate and accelerate a site’s cleanup progress. EPA will consider removing a site from the list once the milestone is achieved and the cleanup activities at that site are back on track. The list is updated quarterly with sites moving on and off the list as needed. Removal from the Administrator’s Emphasis List does not change the site’s status on the NPL.
EPA remains committed to addressing risks at all Superfund sites, not just those on the Administrator’s Emphasis List. EPA continues to accelerate progress at all Superfund sites across the country.
The updated Administrator’s Emphasis List is available on the agency’s website at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/administrators-emphasis-list.
EPA and Justice Department Announce $245 Million Agreement for Cleanup at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund SiteRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Justice, the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced a proposed consent decree that would require NCR Corp. to clean up and fund future response actions at a significant portion of the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site. The consent decree also includes payments related to natural resource damages and past cleanup efforts at the site. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period.
“This agreement marks a milestone in efforts to clean up Superfund sites in the Great Lakes region, and especially to address the legacy of paper mill generated PCB contamination in the Kalamazoo River watershed,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under this settlement, cleanup and restoration efforts will be accelerated and that’s really good news for communities in the region and the environment.”
“This is a terrific settlement,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Bodine. “It not only ensures that responsible parties will continue to clean up contamination at the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, but also ensures that both past and future costs incurred by the EPA and the state will be recovered.”
“Today’s agreement is a big step towards cleaning up the Kalamazoo River,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp. “This Administration is committed to cleaning up and restoring contaminated sites so they can be put back to productive use in the community.”
“This settlement is an important step for the State and the federal government in cleaning up contamination in and near the Kalamazoo River,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “I look forward to continued cooperation with our federal partners on this site to benefit our communities – including the cities of Plainwell and Otsego, and the townships of Gun Plain, Otsego, and Trowbridge – and to protect public health, safety, and welfare.”
“This settlement represents substantial progress in the cleanup and restoration of the Kalamazoo River,” said Liesl Clark, Director of EGLE. “The agreement requires NCR Corporation to take specific cleanup actions to address PCB contamination in and near the Kalamazoo River that will protect the public health and the environment. It also provides funds for the selection of natural resource projects to restore natural resources and help compensate the public for lost recreational opportunities within this important Southwest Michigan watershed.”
Since 2017, this Superfund site has been listed on the EPA Administrator’s Emphasis List of Superfund sites targeted for immediate, intense action. Each site on the list has a short-term milestone to provide the basis for tracking the site’s progress.
The Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site is in Allegan and Kalamazoo counties and is divided into six segments, or operable units (OUs), that require cleanup. According to the settlement terms, NCR Corporation has agreed to spend approximately $135.7 million cleaning up three areas of OU 5. OU 5 includes 80 miles of the Kalamazoo River and three miles of Portage Creek. In addition, NCR will pay:
* $76.5 million to EPA for past and future costs in support of river cleanup activities;
* $27 million to natural resource trustees of the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council for natural resources damage assessment and claims; and
* $6 million to State of Michigan for past and future costs.
Historically, the Kalamazoo River was used as a power source for paper mills that were built along the river and a disposal site for the paper mills and the communities adjacent to the river. NCR arranged for disposal of carbonless copy paper contaminated with chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the site. In the early 1970’s, PCBs were identified as a problem in the Kalamazoo River. In 1990, in response to the nature and extent of PCB contamination, the site was added to the National Priorities List, which includes the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste releases. EPA, working along with EGLE, has cleaned up three of the six operable units, removed nearly 450,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from the site, cleaned up and restored seven miles of the Kalamazoo River and banks, and capped 82 acres worth of contaminated material.
To learn more about this site, visit http://www.epa.gov/superfund/allied-paper-kalamazoo.
Background
EPA established the Administrator’s Emphasis List in December 2017 in response to recommendations from EPA’s Superfund Task Force. The list is comprised of sites identified by Administrator Wheeler and the EPA regional offices that will benefit from the administrator’s immediate attention or action.
The list serves as a mechanism to address delays in the cleanup of significant Superfund sites by specifying milestones that will facilitate and accelerate a site’s cleanup progress. EPA will consider removing a site from the list once the milestone is achieved and the cleanup activities at that site are back on track. The list is updated quarterly with sites moving on and off the list as needed. Removal from the Administrator’s Emphasis List does not change the site’s status on the NPL.
EPA remains committed to addressing risks at all Superfund sites, not just those on the Administrator’s Emphasis List. EPA continues to accelerate progress at all Superfund sites across the country.
The updated Administrator’s Emphasis List is available on the agency’s website at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/administrators-emphasis-list.
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Dodge County Strip Club Owner & Former Manager Charged with Federal OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that on December 10, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Michael C. Siegel (age 52) formerly of Clyman and currently of Fox Lake, Wisconsin, and Scott D. Hoeft (age 40) of Watertown, Wisconsin, for offenses related to the operation of the Hardware Store, a strip club located in Dodge County.
The indictment contains two counts. Count One alleges that between 2009 and 2018, Siegel (an owner of the club) and Hoeft (a former bartender and manager) conspired with each other and others to use facilities in interstate commerce to promote, manage, and carry on unlawful prostitution offenses, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 & 1952(a)(3). Count Two alleges that in April 2018 Siegel made false statements to law enforcement investigating human trafficking offenses, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
According to the indictment, the purpose of the conspiracy was to generate revenue for the Hardware Store by making the club’s lap dance and champagne rooms available for unlawful prostitution activity, including oral sex, full intercourse, and fetish activities. The indictment alleges that as a part of the conspiracy, Hoeft, Siegel, and others: (1) hired and employed dancers willing to perform sex acts, including women that they knew were working for pimps; (2) sent text messages in interstate commerce and used Facebook Messenger to communicate with dancers and pimps; and (3) allowed customers to use credit cards to pay for lap dances and champagne rooms and to obtain cash back to pay dancers directly for sex acts. The indictment also describes a series of acts by Siegel, Hoeft, and other designed to carry on the unlawful activity.
United States Attorney Krueger commented: “These charges send a warning to any business owner who works with a pimp to facilitate illegal prostitution. When a pimp is involved, women are often being trafficked by force, fraud, and coercion. The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting sex trafficking aggressively.”
Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Hughes, of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office, stated: “The collaborative efforts of the FBI working closely with our law enforcement partners makes it possible to bring offenders to justice who work with pimps who victimize women, often forced by violence into the unlawful act of prostitution.”
“I am thankful for the partnership with the federal government in developing this case regarding the human trafficking, prostitution, and other serious crimes. The charges brought against Siegel and Hoeft send a strong and clear message that we will not tolerate this criminal activity and we will use all resources available to us to hold offenders accountable,” said Dodge County Sheriff Dale J. Schmidt.
If convicted of Count One, Siegel and Hoeft would face up to 5 years in prison. If convicted of Count Two, Siegel would face up to 8 years in prison. Each count of conviction also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and a maximum term of 3 years of supervised release following any prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, Racine Police Department, United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Hartford Police Department, and Federal Deposition Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice –Division of Criminal Investigation, Watertown Police Department, Milwaukee Police Department and United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.
The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Richard G. Frohling for prosecution.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
A 42-year-old Dallas man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following a conviction for multiple terrorism charges, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a three-and-a-half day trial, Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim, a 42-year-old United States citizen, was convicted in May of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), one count of attempting to provide material support to an FTO, and six counts of making false statements involving international terrorism to federal authorities.
“Mr. Rahim embraced a warped ideology on social media, promoting violence against innocent people, including Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “The Justice Department is committed to combatting terror at home and abroad.”
“Rahim spread the violent message of ISIS online,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “He also attempted to travel to support ISIS and then lied to FBI when questioned about his activities. This sentence is the consequence of his criminal activities and a clear message to others who would consider following in his footsteps: don’t.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Rahim moderated a social media channel dedicated to recruiting fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a State Department designated terror group.
Mr. Rahim used Zello, a push-to-talk direct messaging application, to promote violence in ISIS’s name, prosecutors said.
Records showed he spent years on Zello’s “State of the Islamic Caliphate” channel, where he touted acts of terror under various monikers:
“Kill and do not consult anyone,” he said in July 2016. “Kill by any means, smash his head on the wall, spit in his face, burn -- I mean anything, anything – poison, anything.”
“Brothers! What are you waiting for?” he said a month later. “Mobilize and perform jihad for the cause of Allah…. Some of the brothers mobilized from this channel, they were amongst us.”
He even praised several terrorist attacks after the fact.
“I was happy for this act,” Rahim said after a truck barreled into a crowd of people in Nice, France, killing 86. “Those dogs.”
Mr. Rahim was arrested on March 5, 2017 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Amman, Jordan. Asked by agents if he had ever supported ISIS, advocated travel for the purposes of jihad, promoted violence on ISIS’s behalf, or encouraged anyone to kill infidels at the urging of ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnan, Mr. Rahim said “no.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Services, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Errin Martin and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle presided over the trial.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
A 42-year-old Dallas, Texas, man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following a conviction for multiple terrorism charges.
Following a three-and-a-half day trial, Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim, a 42-year-old United States citizen, was convicted in May of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), one count of attempting to provide material support to an FTO, and six counts of making false statements involving international terrorism to federal authorities.
“Rahim spread the violent message of ISIS online,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “He also attempted to travel to support ISIS and then lied to FBI when questioned about his activities. This sentence is the consequence of his criminal activities and a clear message to others who would consider following in his footsteps: don’t.”
“Mr. Rahim embraced a warped ideology on social media, promoting violence against innocent people, including Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “The Justice Department is committed to combatting terror at home and abroad.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Rahim moderated a social media channel dedicated to recruiting fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a State Department designated terror group.
Rahim used Zello, a push-to-talk direct messaging application, to promote violence in ISIS’s name, prosecutors said.
Records showed he spent years on Zello’s “State of the Islamic Caliphate” channel, where he touted acts of terror under various monikers:
“Kill and do not consult anyone,” he said in July 2016. “Kill by any means, smash his head on the wall, spit in his face, burn -- I mean anything, anything – poison, anything.”
“Brothers! What are you waiting for?” he said a month later. “Mobilize and perform jihad for the cause of Allah…. Some of the brothers mobilized from this channel, they were amongst us.”
He even praised several terrorist attacks after the fact.
“I was happy for this act,” Rahim said after a truck barreled into a crowd of people in Nice, France, killing 86. “Those dogs.”
Rahim was arrested on March 5, 2017, at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Amman, Jordan. Asked by agents if he had ever supported ISIS, advocated travel for the purposes of jihad, promoted violence on ISIS’s behalf, or encouraged anyone to kill infidels at the urging of ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnan, Rahim said “no.”
The FBI, the U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Services, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Errin Martin and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle presided over the trial.
Cooperstown Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Money Laundering, Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas K. Lagan, age 61, of Cooperstown, New York, and formerly of Slingerlands, New York, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, for money laundering and filing a false tax return in connection with the theft of approximately $11.8 million from estates for which he served as a fiduciary.
The announcement was made by:
- United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith;
- New York Attorney General Letitia James;
- James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and
- Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of IRS- Criminal Investigation.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Lagan to pay $7,707,450 in restitution, and to forfeit the following as proceeds of his crimes: 10 bank and brokerage accounts; an additional $255,000 already paid to the Government; three properties in Otsego County; a 2016 Mercedes Benz S550; a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sport; a 2015 Lexus RX450; and a 2015 Sea-Doo jet ski and accompanying trailer.
In a related case prosecuted by the New York Attorney General’s Office, Lagan pled guilty, in Albany County Court, to grand larceny in the first degree, and was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison. The federal and state terms of imprisonment will run concurrent to one another.
In pleading guilty, Lagan admitted that between November 2011 and February 2018, he conspired with Richard J. Sherwood to launder the proceeds of a scheme to defraud the estates of three sisters: Pauline Bruggeman, Anne Urban, and Julia Rentz.
Sherwood pled guilty in June 2018 to federal and state charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2019.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Fueled by insatiable greed, Thomas Lagan stole millions of dollars earmarked for churches and civic organizations. Lagan was trusted to carry out his victims’ charitable endeavors, but betrayed them after they died. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his despicable behavior and ensures that his crimes won't pay.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge James N. Hendricks stated: “Thomas Lagan chose to steal millions of dollars from estates meant for churches and charitable organizations. The FBI takes our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen stated: “Mr. Lagan failed to comply with some of the most basic taxpayer responsibilities. Even worse, his self-seeking actions have deprived charitable organizations of funds intended to serve individuals in need. IRS-CI, along with its law-enforcement partners, is committed to impartially enforcing our country’s tax laws. Today’s sentencing should serve as a deterrent to criminals looking to enrich themselves by stealing charitable contributions donated by well-intended citizens.”
Lagan was an investment advisor and attorney. Sherwood, an attorney who served as Guilderland Town Justice, practiced primarily in the area of trusts and estates.
Starting in 2006, they provided estate planning and related legal services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman, and to Pauline’s sister, Anne Urban, all of Niskayuna, New York. They were advising the Bruggemans when, in 2006, the Bruggemans signed wills directing that all their assets go to charities, churches and civic organizations, aside from bequests to Anne Urban and Julia Rentz, Pauline’s sisters.
Warren Bruggeman died in April 2009, and Pauline died in August 2011. At the time of her death, Pauline had personal and trust assets valued at approximately $20 million.
In pleading guilty, Lagan admitted that after Pauline Bruggeman’s death, he and Sherwood conspired to steal, and did steal, millions of dollars from her estate as well as from Anne Urban, who died in 2013. Their conspiracy came to include the diversion and transfer to themselves of several million dollars belonging to Julia Rentz, a resident of Ohio, who was suffering from dementia at the time of the thefts and died in 2013.
Lagan admitted that he and Sherwood stole $11,831,563, and that nearly $6.3 million was transferred outright to him.
Lagan admitted that he and Sherwood induced Anne Urban to create a trust whose purpose, unknown to her, was to allow them to transfer Bruggeman/Urban assets to themselves. Sherwood and Lagan also set up more than 10 bank accounts, and created a limited liability company (Empire Capital Trust, LLC), to first conceal the theft of the money and then transfer the money to themselves.
Lagan also admitted to filing false federal tax returns in 2013 and 2015. These returns were false because he did not report, as other income, millions of dollars that he received from the fraudulent scheme.
The federal case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam J. Katz and Alicia G. Suarez prosecuted the asset forfeiture aspects of the case.
The state case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Christopher Baynes and Matthew Peluso of the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Travis Hill. The Criminal Justice Division is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jose Maldonado. The investigation was led by Investigator Mark Spencer of the Attorney General’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Antoine Karam. The Investigations Bureau is led by Acting Chief John Reidy. Financial analysis was provided by Principal Auditor Investigator Meaghan Scotellaro of the Forensic Audit Section under the supervision of Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro and Chief Auditor Edward J. Keegan, Jr. Senior Analyst Sara Pogorzelski assisted in the investigation.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison on Federal Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor A. Brown, Jr., 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for his unlawful possession of a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, as well as his possession of distribution-level quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, Jessie K. Liu, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Chief Peter Newsham, Metropolitan Police Department announced.
The sentence followed a jury trial in September in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan. Due to two prior qualifying convictions – one for a crime of violence and one for a drug trafficking offense – Judge Hogan sentenced the defendant to enhanced sentencing penalties as a Career Offender.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 22, 2019, officers of MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team executed a search warrant at a rowhouse in the Petworth neighborhood. Inside of Brown’s bedroom, officers located a 9 millimeter pistol with an extended magazine in his night stand. Officers recovered fentanyl and cocaine base from on top of his bed and recovered various items used for drug distribution throughout Brown’s bedroom (including digital scales, ziplocks, a tray with residue, cutting agents, and razor blades). Officers also recovered more than $2,800 in U.S. currency from Brown’s person.
At the time of his arrest this spring, Brown was under supervision for a robbery charge to which he had pled guilty in Howard County, Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Fourth District Crime Suppression Team who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the fingerprint analysts from the D.C. Department of Forensic Science. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
California Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child was sentenced on December 10, 2019, to 30 years in federal prison.
David Vogelpohl, age 22, of Vista, California, received the sentence after a June 20, 2019, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Vogelpohl admitted that, in 2018, he persuaded, induced, or enticed a female under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions.
Vogelpohl was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vogelpohl was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and Vogelpohl must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Mason City Police Department, the North Platte, Nebraska, Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 18-3053.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and I-D TheftRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Ricky Butler, 43 of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryEllen Kresse and Jonathan Cantil, who handled the case, stated that between July 2013 and January 2014, the defendant conspired with others, including Randy Jarrett, Tamika Favors, Catherine Jarrett, Teria Baker, and Danielle Hamilton, fraudulently to obtain and use unauthorized access devices, namely credit cards, without the knowledge or authorization of the true account holders. Butler used the true account holder’s personal identifying information and account access information to contact financial institutions and have new or replacement credit cards issued to addresses in the Western District of New York and elsewhere. During the course of the scheme, Butler took over 59 credit card accounts. Those credit cards were used by the defendant and the other conspirators to make, and to attempt to make, purchases at Walmart stores and other retail establishments totaling nearly $1,084,000.
Throughout the scheme, the defendant controlled all credit cards, determined where all credit cards would be used to make purchases, and directed Tamika Favors, Teria Baker, Danielle Hamilton, and others to forge the signature of the name on each card to finalize purchases. Butler also maintained control of all gift cards purchased, directed all subsequent sales of the gift cards, and received the majority of the proceeds from the gift card sales.
All six defendants in this case have all been convicted.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin; and the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Lewis Robinson.
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Bridgeport Man Guilty of Crack and Cocaine Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found ROCKY SAMAS, also known as “Twin,” 48, of Bridgeport, guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The verdicts were returned this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer.
According to the evidence disclosed during the two-day trial, between August and October 2018, investigators conducted three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Samas in Bridgeport. On November 6, 2018, Samas was arrested on a federal criminal complaint. On that date, investigators searched his Bridgeport residence and seized approximately 80 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 200 grams of powder cocaine, approximately $14,000 in cash, and two digital scales.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2020, at which time Samas faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
Samas is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing.
Samas’ criminal history includes multiple drug convictions, including a federal conviction in 2005 for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of crack and powder cocaine. On September 21, 2005, he was sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment for those offenses. He was subsequently resentenced to 96 months of imprisonment, pursuant to changes in the federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses, and was released from federal prison in December 2011.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the Stamford and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria del Pilar Gonzalez, Hal Chen and Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national previously convicted of murder in state court, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegal reentry.
Walter Gomes DaSilva, 48, a Brazilian national illegally residing in New Bedford, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2020.
DaSilva was deported to Brazil in 1999 following a conviction for domestic assault and battery. Sometime after his removal, DaSilva illegally reentered the United States. In 2003, DaSilva was convicted of armed assault to murder in the Middlesex Superior Court and was sentenced to 8-10 years in prison. Upon completion of his sentence, DaSilva was placed into removal proceedings and on March 27, 2012, he was deported to Brazil.
Sometime after his 2012 removal, DaSilva again illegally reentered the United States. DaSilva was charged in 2016 in Bristol County with illegal possession of a firearm and the murder of his daughter. In 2018, DaSilva was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison.
In February 2019, DaSilva was charged in this case.
The charge of illegal reentry carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Marcos D. Charles, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boyle County Man Sentenced to 100 Years in Prision for Production of Child Pornography and Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Richard Eugene Derringer, 47, previously of Junction City, Kentucky, was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison, on Wednesday, before Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for the production of child pornography and distribution of methamphetamine.
In August 2019, Derringer was convicted by a jury of using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing child pornography; conspiracy to use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing child pornography; possession of child pornography; and distribution of methamphetamine. Derringer was acquitted of one count of attempted distribution of child pornography.
According to the evidence at trial, Jacquolyn Walls-Land, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, took videos of the minor female victim while Derringer sexually abused the victim. The sexual abuse, and recording of it, occurred on March 11, 2018. The evidence established that Derringer forced the minor victim to smoke methamphetamine with him, on multiple occasions, during an approximate 3-hour period while the sexual abuse occurred. Derringer even took hits of the methamphetamine himself and then exhaled into the minor victim’s mouth. The minor victim reported the sexual abuse and forced drug use to her mother, approximately 8 hours after the abuse ended, and the minor victim was taken to a local hospital, where she tested positive for methamphetamine.
Derringer’s co-defendant, Jacquolyn Walls-Land, will be sentenced on December 16, 2019. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison, and up to 30 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
“The production of child pornography is one of the most despicable crimes that law enforcement investigates and our Office prosecutes,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The facts of this case are particularly egregious and the defendant’s abuse of the victim certainly warrants the life sentence he received. It should present a clear message that we are committed to holding accountable those who commit acts of abuse and who manufacture child pornography. Because the victim showed remarkable bravery in reporting the crime, law enforcement was able to prevent the defendant from preying on others.”
United States Attorney Duncan; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Richard Sanders, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Marye and Mary Melton represented the United States.
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Boston Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for transporting a minor for prostitution.
Corey Smith, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 146 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2019, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution and two counts of transportation of an individual with intent to engage in prostitution.
Between January 2015 and March 2015, Smith transported a minor girl between Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut, with the intent that she would engage in prostitution. Smith also transported another woman from November 2014 to June 2015, between Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut with the intent that she would engage in prostitution, and used force and threats to coerce her to do so. Between January and February 2015, he transported a third woman between Massachusetts and Connecticut with the intent that she would also engage in prostitution.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.
Beaver County Man Admits Robbing PNC Bank in Cranberry TownshipRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of Patterson Township, (Beaver County) Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Michael Ryan Neppach, 40, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, on August 28, 2019, Neppach had robbed the PNC Bank at 20940 Route 19 in Cranberry Township of approximately $1,400.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cranberry Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Neppach.
Baltimore Man Facing Federal Charges Related to Two CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Michael Wedington, Jr., age 19, of Baltimore, Maryland, with conspiracy, taking a motor vehicle by threats or violence, and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in connection with two carjackings. The criminal complaint was returned on November 6, 2019, and was unsealed at Wedington’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today. At today’s initial appearance, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Wedington be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for December 18, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Armed criminals jeopardize lives and they must be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Police and prosecutors are working to identify armed criminals who deserve to be charged in federal court where, if convicted, you could be sentenced to more years in federal prison than you’ve been alive. And there is no parole—ever. Please put down the gun and save a life, maybe even your own.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Wedington allegedly participated in two carjackings that occurred on June 8 and June 10, 2019. In each instance, the victim was picking up tools as part of a transaction set up through a cellular phone-based application, “OfferUp,” which connects local buyers and sellers of various products. When the victims arrived at the designated meeting spot, they were then directed to a second location, where the victims were robbed and their vehicles taken.
As detailed in the affidavit, in the carjacking on June 8, 2019, the victim arrived in the area of Washington Boulevard and South Monroe Street in Baltimore and was then directed to the 2400 block of West Lexington Street. Upon arriving, the victim was waived down and approached by three men. At first the men appeared to load the victim’s Ford van with the purported tools they were purportedly selling. However, one suspect was armed with a handgun and allegedly forced the victim into the rear of his vehicle, then all three suspects also entered the vehicle. The suspects allegedly stole the victim’s wallet and cash, a driver’s license, debit card and his cellular phone. As they drove away, the affidavit alleges that one suspect placed a handgun in the victim’s mouth and demanded the PIN number to the victim’s debit card. The suspects drove to a gas station in Northwest Baltimore with the victim still in the van, and one of the suspects used the PIN number the victim had provided to obtain cash from an ATM. The victim escaped from the van in the area of the 7000 block of Park Heights Avenue and called the Baltimore Police Department to report the incident. The stolen vehicle was recovered five days later in that area of the 2700 block of Tivoly Avenue in Baltimore.
According to the affidavit, in the second carjacking on June 10, 2019, the victim was lured to the 2400 block of West Lexington Street through the OfferUp application by a user who was purportedly selling tools and equipment at this location. When the victim arrived, he was directed to the back alley behind West Fayette Street, where two suspects approached him—both armed with handguns. The two men allegedly took the victim’s wallet, containing over $1,000 in cash, the victim’s two cell phones, and the victim’s Toyota Sienna.
The affidavit alleges that both victims identified Wedington in a photo array, and Wedington’s fingerprint was recovered from the van stolen in the second carjacking, when it was located in Southwest Baltimore. On November 1, 2019, federal search warrant was executed at Wedington’s primary residence, which is located between the scenes of the two carjackings, and law enforcement recovered a Toyota car key, firearms, replica pellet guns, clothing, and cellular phones.
If convicted, Wedington faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to take a motor vehicle by threats or violence; a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for taking a motor vehicle by threats or violence; and a mandatory minimum of seven years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in federal prison for each of two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta, who is prosecuting the case.
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BISD VP indictedRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The vice president of the Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) Board of Trustees is now in custody on charges of conspiracy and corruption, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
A federal grand jury returned the eight-count indictment Dec. 10 against Sylvia P. Atkinson, 48, of Brownsville. It was unsealed as authorities took her into custody upon her arrival for a scheduled BISD meeting last night. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan today at 10 a.m.
The charges allege Atkinson was elected to the BISD Board Nov. 4, 2016, and appointed vice president in 2018. During her career in education, she has served as the superintendent of Socorro, Santa Rosa and Los Fresnos school districts, assistant superintendent of BISD and Rio Hondo ISD (RHISD) and is currently the executive director of High School Programs and Community Outreach at Texas Southmost College, according to the indictment.
The charges allege a long-running criminal scheme to solicit bribes from vendors seeking to obtain contracts with BISD and RHISD. The contracts would provide various goods and services to the school districts, including computer tablets, medical teleconferencing services and tutorial services, according to the indictment. In 2018, Atkinson also allegedly solicited and received a $10,000 bribe from an undercover agent related to a film crew’s potential use of BISD facilities for filming a purported Hollywood movie.
Atkinson is charged with one count each of conspiracy, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds as well as six counts of violation of the Travel Act. For the conspiracy and each Travel Act violation, she faces up the five years in prison, while the bribery charge carries a possible 10-year term of imprisonment, upon conviction.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jody Young and Robert S. Johnson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Attorney for Municipalities in Puerto Rico Convicted of BriberyRead the Press Release
A former attorney for three municipalities in Puerto Rico was convicted of bribery today.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Leff of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
Alejandro Carrasco, 63, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was convicted of four counts of bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 12, 2020.
According to the indictment and evidence introduced at trial, at various times between July 2009 and June 2012, Carrasco was an attorney providing legal services to the Puerto Rican Municipalities of Barceloneta, Rio Grande and Juncos. During that time, he accepted bribes, disguised as legal fees, from a contractor in exchange for assisting the contractor in obtaining contracts with the three municipalities. The evidence introduced at trial revealed that, in total, Carrasco was paid approximately $180,000 in bribes in exchange for helping the contractor obtain more than approximately $2.3 million in municipal contracts.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico indicted the case. Trial Attorneys James I. Pearce and Nicole R. Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) prosecuted the case. PIN Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn and former PIN Trial Attorney Charles R. Walsh assisted in the prosecution.
Appleton Man Indicted on Methamphetamine and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 10, 2019, a two-count federal indictment was issued against Kou Lee (age: 30) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Kou Lee possessed in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance and also possessed ammunition as a convicted felon, contrary to Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a), (b)(1)(A) and Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(g).
If convicted of the charges alleged, Lee faces at least a mandatory 10-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit and the United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Anderson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today, Keith Irwin, 33, Anderson, Ind., was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney III, in the federal courthouse in Indianapolis. Irwin was indicted and previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. "If you choose to illegally possess, manufacture, or alter firearms, you will be prosecuted federally, and to the full extent of the law," said Minkler. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime by prosecuting those individuals who choose to engage in violent crime and commit firearms offenses." On January 16, 2018, the Anderson Police Department received a tip that Irwin, a convicted felon, was maintaining a machine shop in his garage where he altered AK-47 rifles from semi-automatic to full automatic for eventual distribution. On January 17, 2018, Anderson Police Department detectives along with a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) and EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team executed a search warrant of the garage, where they saw an elaborate and well-equipped machine shop consisting of various lathes, presses, drills, and other heavy machines. During the search, officers seized 16
handguns, 20 rifles, 4 shotguns, approximately 53,383 rounds of ammunition in various calibers, and a body armor set. They also seized unfinished AR-15 type receives, unfinished AK-47 type receivers, and unfinished Uzi type receivers in various stages of manufacturing.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Indiana State Police, and the Anderson Police Department.
"The defendant not only illegally possessed firearms, he manufactured and sold them to others, putting the entire community at risk," stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson. "The combined investigative efforts of the Anderson Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and ATF hopefully ensures that the defendant will not be a threat to the community for quite some time."
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Abhishek S. Kambli, who prosecuted this case for the government, Irwin must serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to targeting the District’s most violent geographic areas for the adoption of reactive federal drug and firearm prosecutions. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.2.