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6 December 2019
Law Enforcement Arrest Eight Involved in Drug Trafficking Organization Operating in and Around Union CountyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Federal criminal complaints were unsealed today in federal court, following the arrest of eight individuals involved in a drug trafficking organization operating in and around Union County, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Agents and officers with the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE-ERO, the Monroe Police Department, the Union county Sheriff’s Office, and the Wadesboro Police Department executed the arrest warrants yesterday, during an early morning round-up.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints, the eight individuals arrested are members of the Garcia Family drug trafficking organization (DTO). Over the course of the investigation, which began in April 2019, the defendants operated as a drug conspiracy and allegedly trafficked narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, in Union County and surrounding areas. The complaints charge the eight defendants with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Those arrested and charged are:
- Elio Garcia Godinez, 30, of Monroe, N.C.
- Ivan Jardon Trujillo, 47, of Monroe, N.C.
- Ivan Trujillo Garcia, 21, of Monroe, N.C.
- Eleonel Castrejon Garcia, 23, of Monroe, N.C.
- Estefani Garcia Sandoval, 25, of Monroe, N.C.
- Luis David Bravo, 36, of Monroe, N.C.
- Miguel Benitez Castrejon, 39, of Monroe, N.C.
- Matilde Isaias Cruz Portillo, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia.
The defendants had their initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. Their next court appearance is scheduled for December 11, 2019.
The penalty associated with the drug conspiracy charge carries a minimum term of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The charges contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI, ATF, DEA, the Monroe Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to the federal charges. U.S. Attorney Murray also noted the assistance provided by ICE – Enforcement & Removal Operations and the Wadesboro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Lindahl of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Kentwood Resident Pleads Guilty to Role in Stealing Identities as Part of Nationwide Prostitution Scheme That Involved Drugging VictimsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DOMINIQUE ALAINA BERRY, age 30, a resident of Kentwood, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged on December 5, 2019 before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to a two-count bill of information that charged her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and interstate transportation and use of an interstate facility with intent to carry on unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 1343, 1344, and 1952(a)(3) (Count 1), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A (Count 2).
According to court documents, BERRY and R.S. met in about early 2013 and soon developed a romantic relationship. Thereafter, BERRY began working for an escort agency under R.S.’s supervision, often engaging in prostitution activities. BERRY and R.S. travelled nationally engaging in their prostitution scheme, the proceeds of which R.S. required BERRY to give to him. R.S. and BERRY often advertised on location-specific bulletin boards, social applications, and classified advertisement websites. BERRY often used the alias “Desiree Knowles.” When BERRY did not perform her role efficiently or effectively or otherwise failed to comply with R.S.’s direction, R.S. would threaten, slap, strike, beat, and choke BERRY.
Thereafter, BERRY and R.S.’s enterprise evolved into one that involved meeting individuals online who were interested in companionship, arranging face-to-face interactions with them, and incapacitating them by giving them illegal drugs and prescription medication with neuro-suppressive side effects, including anti-psychotic medications, which the victims unknowingly ingested. BERRY and R.S. would then steal the victims’ valuables.
Between at least November 2015 and September 2017, R.S. and BERRY implemented the scheme on not fewer than fifty (50) occasions throughout the United States, including in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. Court documents detail nine of the victims. BERRY and R.S. typically traveled in a white Mercedes Benz automobile. BERRY and R.S. were arrested at a hotel in Sandy Springs, Georgia, on September 13, 2017. When law enforcement authorities found BERRY at the hotel, she was bleeding from her nose, had a swollen lip and puncture consistent with her teeth biting through her lip, and black electrical tape around one of her arms.
Among the victims was S.A., a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, whom BERRY met through a social media application on about February 24, 2017. After exchanging text messages and phone calls, BERRY and S.A. agreed to meet at S.A.’s apartment. Thereafter, R.S. dropped BERRY off at S.A.’s apartment. While at S.A.’s apartment, BERRY placed drugs designed to incapacitate S.A., including multiple anti-psychotic medications, into S.A.’s beverages without his knowledge or authorization. After S.A. lost consciousness, BERRY told R.S. that S.A. was incapacitated. Thereafter, S.A.’s valuables, including his wallet, two cellular phones, his keys, and his 2012 Toyota Tacoma truck were stolen by R.S. and one or more co-conspirators. On February 25, 2017, BERRY and R.S. used S.A.’s debit card to make multiple purchases in the New Orleans area. Additionally, on February 25, 2017, detectives with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a wellness check at S.A.’s residence and found him to be deceased. Among its findings, toxicology tests found anti-psychotic medications in S.A.’s body and determined them to have contributed to his death.
If you believe you are a victim of these criminal activities, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324), and reference this case.
If convicted, BERRY faces a maximum term of seven (7) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment for each count. Sentencing before Judge Fallon has been scheduled for March 19, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, and Elizabeth Privitera, supervisor of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Staffing CompanyRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Onin Staffing LLC (Onin Staffing), a Birmingham, Alabama-based staffing company with locations in over a dozen states. The settlement resolves the Department’s investigation into whether the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against work-authorized, non-U.S. citizens in McAllen, Texas, because of their citizenship status when verifying their authorization to work in the United States.
“Employers must ensure that their employees are properly trained regarding the employment eligibility verification process so that they do not violate federal law by requiring additional, unnecessary work authorization documents based on a worker’s citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “We commend Onin Staffing for their commitment to ensuring that all future document requests will comply with the law.”
The Department’s investigation concluded that from at least May 2018 until at least May 2019, Onin Staffing employees in its McAllen, Texas, office required specific work authorization documents from all non-U.S. citizens, while not imposing a similar requirement on U.S. citizens. Federal law allows all work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship status, to choose which valid, legally acceptable documents to present to demonstrate their ability to work in the United States. The anti-discrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from requesting more or different documents than necessary to prove work authorization based on employees’ citizenship status or national origin.
Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay a civil penalty of $70,695, train certain employees on the requirements of the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. Additionally, to avoid discrimination in the future, the company must change features of the Form I-9 software it uses that do not comply with federal law.
The Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
More information on how employers can avoid discrimination in the Form I-9 and E-Verify processes is available here. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; or discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Jury Convicts Orlando Man for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Jonathan Bohn (35, Orlando), a/k/a “Jonah,” guilty of distributing a controlled substance that resulted in death. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 18, 2020.
Bohn was indicted on June 12, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on December 15, 2017, Bohn sold a 45-year-old Orlando resident a controlled substance that contained cocaine laced with fentanyl and heroin. After ingesting the narcotic, the victim’s daughter found the victim dead in their residence the next day. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s office subsequently determined that the victim’s cause of death was fentanyl and cocaine intoxication. At trial, the medical examiner testified that the amount of fentanyl found in the victim’s blood indicated that the victim had consumed a lethal dose of fentanyl.
“I would like to commend the efforts of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their hard work and dedication. This collaborative effort between the agencies aided in the successful prosecution in this case,” said Sheriff Mina. “This enforcement and interdiction sends a strong message to all of the drug dealers that they too can and will be investigated for any drug-induced homicides.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Substantial assistance was provided by the District Nine Office of the Medical Examiner located in Orlando, Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.
Jacksonville Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Injectable Painkillers by Substituting Saline for MedicationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Taniko Hampton (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , on multiple occasions in 2017 and 2018, while working as a nurse in Jacksonville-area hospitals, Hampton extracted the painkiller hydromorphone (also known as Dilaudid) from syringes in the hospitals’ inventories, replaced the drug with saline, and then returned the syringes for use by future patients. A review of hospital records showed that Hampton was obtaining drugs purportedly for patient use, but then returning them supposedly unused, at 10 times the rate of her nursing peers. Further, in at least one instance, Hampton obtained a Dilaudid syringe for a patient who was not assigned to her, and who had not complained of pain, before returning the syringe purportedly unused.When confronted by a supervisor, Hampton eventually admitted that she had been diverting drugs from patients for her personal use for months. She later told Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office detectives that she had been removing the Dilaudid from the syringes, replacing them with saline, and then returning the syringes to the hospital inventory. Hampton admitted that removing medicine from syringes and replacing it with saline could result in patients receiving injections that were not sterile and that lacked prescribed quantities of necessary medication, which could lead to increased risks of bodily injury and possibly death.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Dec. 2 was:
Justin Zane Gobert, 37, of Browning, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gobert faces a minimum mandatory 30 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Gobert was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. Pacer case reference. 19-81.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Dec. 4 was:
Shannon Marie O’Brien Murphy, 58, of St. Ignatius, on charges of wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Murphy faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Murphy was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-54.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Hartford Man with Lengthy Criminal History Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID FRANCIS, 41, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 28, 2019, a court-authorized search of a vehicle owned by Francis revealed a loaded Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm handgun. In a subsequent interview with investigators, Francis admitted that he had owned the firearm for approximately four years.
Francis’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug, robbery and firearm offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Francis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on February 28, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Francis is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Harlem man admits assault by strangling victimRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Harlem man admitted on Thursday to assaulting his dating partner by strangling her, causing substantial injury, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Allesandro Shalamar Foursouls, 27, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner. Foursouls faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for April 2, 2020. Foursouls was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said the assault occurred on April 13, 2019 at Foursouls’ grandmother’s home, where he lives. Foursouls and the victim, a dating partner, were drinking alcohol when Foursouls became angry with something she said. Foursouls told the victim, “I’ll kill you bitch,” and put his hands around her neck and squeezed until she lost consciousness. The victim was unable to escape until the next morning. She went to the Indian Health Service emergency room, where she was treated for pain and injuries to her throat. The victim told the medical staff that Foursouls had strangled her a day or two prior to her visit and that he had strangled her previously about a week earlier. The victim continued to experience pain from the assault and was treated again in May at Billings Clinic in Billings.
In August, law enforcement saw Foursouls and the victim together and the victim had a fresh black eye and bruising on her body. The victim told officers Foursouls had assaulted her again a day or two prior.
In an interview with an FBI agent, Foursouls admitted to squeezing the victim’s neck in the April assault. When asked why, he said, “Sometimes I will see red and it only lasts for maybe a minute and then I realize what I am doing and I stop.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.
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Georgia Man Masking as Purple Heart, Silver Star Recipient Pleads Guilty to Stolen ValorRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A discharged veteran of the military who reaped monetary benefits for faking a mental health condition triggered by a combat experience that did not occur, and who falsely claimed to have earned two of the highest honors bestowed for military service entered a guilty plea in federal court Wednesday for his crimes, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Gregg Ramsdell, 61, of Columbus, entered a guilty plea to one count of false statements and one count of violation of the Stolen Valor Act before U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Defendant Ramsdell is facing a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for false statements and a maximum one year in prison and a $250,000 fine for stolen valor. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23, 2020. There is no parole in the federal system.
Defendant Ramsdell admitted that he falsely claimed to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when he applied for disability payments from the Veteran’s Administration (VA) on September 7, 2014. Defendant Ramsdell wrote that he witnessed horrible atrocities during deployment in Afghanistan from October 2008 to March 2009. Among other stressors, he stated he had seen "men, women and children being executed. Women holding babies while detonating themselves. IED explosions causing severe bodily injuries and death. Retrieving body parts and bagging them. Having blood and body excrements being blown onto my uniform." He also falsely claimed that these experiences made him “unable to live a normal life.” As a result of Defendant Ramsdell’s false claims, the VA gave him added PTSD benefits retroactive to his military discharge date of June 1, 2014 totaling $76,000. In truth, Defendant Ramsdell was not in Afghanistan during that period of time that he claimed to witness the atrocities that supported his false PTSD claim, and he admitted to investigators that he lied about having PTSD. In addition, Defendant Ramsdell applied for and attained a coveted civilian position at U.S. Army Fort Benning in 2017, in part because his resume listed that he was both a Silver Star and Purple Heart with Cluster recipient. He never received these honors.
“Faking serious wartime injuries to gain undeserved benefit, and claiming valor where there is none, do a disservice to our brave veterans and service members who selflessly risk their lives protecting this country,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Fraud of this kind and theft of taxpayer money will not be tolerated, and we will continue to prosecute those who commit such crimes. I want to thank the FBI investigators assigned to this case for their excellent work.”
“Ramsdell’s actions are an insult to every veteran who has served our country, and in particular every veteran who suffered physical or mental trauma because of their honorable commitment and valor,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to seeking justice for anyone who lies about serving our country, and who illegally takes money from federal programs that help veterans who rightfully deserve it.”
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a crime for people to pass themselves off as war heroes in order to claim money, employment, property or other tangible benefits. The Silver Star medal is the third highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Army. The Purple Heart medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed in battle. An additional Oak Leaf Cluster is given to Army and Air Force service members to indicate being wounded in combat on more than one occasion.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin Hyde is prosecuting 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 D.C. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former D.C. government employee with a prior conviction for murder pleaded guilty today to distributing the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, as well as illegally possessing multiple firearms.
According to court documents, while employed at the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) in Southwest D.C., Darrell Marcellus Pope, 51, of Clinton, Maryland, sold fentanyl on multiple occasions in front of his office building. The DCRA is located within 1,000 feet of Amiden Bowen Elementary School.
Pope had a broad network of customers, including several who lived across the Potomac River in the Eastern District of Virginia. One of Pope’s customers, identified in court documents as A.D., regularly traveled from Woodbridge to buy heroin and fentanyl from Pope. On March 14, Pope sold drugs to A.D., who brought them back to Woodbridge. The drugs that Pope sold to A.D. ultimately caused the fatal overdose of a Lake Ridge woman.
Fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, is a Schedule II synthetic pain reliever that comes in the form of transdermal patches and lozenges. Fentanyl is also produced in clandestine labs both domestically and abroad. Illicitly produced fentanyl is often combined with heroin or other substances to increase potency or ad an opioid effect to an otherwise non-opioid drug. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioid-related deaths have increased dramatically since 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2018, 32,000 persons in the United States died from overdosing on synthetic opioids.
Pope pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and to being a felon in possession of firearms. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison when sentenced on March 20, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.
The Prince William County Police Department provided significant assistance with this case.
Pope’s co-conspirator, Ronald Maxwell Gorham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 29, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2020.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-355 (Pope) and 1:19-cr-320 (Gorham).
First of 37 Defendants Charged in Darccide/Smash 44 Gang Investigation Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of the Beltzhoover neighborhood in Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Amber Rogers, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Ms. Rogers is one of 37 defendants charged in the Indictment, and the first to enter a guilty plea.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation primarily targeting the Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, neighborhood gang, and its drug-trafficking activity, in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh. As part of this large-scale narcotics and firearms investigation, in February of 2019, the United States received authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through June of 2019.
Intercepted communications confirmed that Ms. Rogers was conspiring with others to distribute controlled substances, including heroin and fentanyl, in and around the South Side of Pittsburgh. Specifically, Ms. Rogers conducted narcotics transactions on behalf of other members of the conspiracy by obtaining the drugs from stash locations and distributing them to customers. The Court accepted Ms. Rogers’ guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 10 grams of heroin and fentanyl.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2020, at 10:30 am. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant. Rogers remains on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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.
Felon Sentenced for Possessing and Selling Fentanyl and FirearmsRead the Press Release
St. Louis –Joseph Reed, 21, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for the crimes of sale of fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Reed appeared today in front of United States District Judge John A. Ross.
According to court documents, in October 2018, law enforcement officers began an investigation into the distribution of fentanyl by Reed and his possession and sale of firearms in the St. Louis area. During the course of the investigation, Reed sold approximately 65 grams of fentanyl to an undercover police officer on six separate occasions. During two of those sales, Reed also sold a firearm to the undercover officer. Reed was eventually arrested on November 14, 2018. At the time of his arrest, Reed was armed with a .40 caliber firearm. Prior to 2018, Reed had been convicted of a felony crime and was prohibited from possessing a firearm, let alone selling one in connection with drug sales.
Reed pleaded guilty on August 28, 2019 to 10 counts – six counts of fentanyl distribution; three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
This sentence is the result of a joint investigation by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Thomas Mehan handled the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Black Mountain, N.C. Man for Communicating A Death Threat on TwitterRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville has convicted Joseph Cecil Vandevere, 53, of Black Mountain, N.C. for using social media to communicate interstate threats, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
“Using social media to communicate threats does not qualify as free speech,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “A threat is a threat, whether it’s communicated face-to-face, in writing, or online. My office will hold accountable those who use any online form of communication to transmit threats.”
“Social media allows you to share your views with the world in seconds, but it does not give you the right to threaten violence against others. The FBI stands ready to investigate whenever threatening language crosses the line to a crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Strong.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 13, 2018, Twitter user @DaDUTCHMAN5, later identified as Vandevere, used his social media account to send a message that contained a threat to injure an individual identified in court records as Q.R. In the message, Vandevere sent Q.R. a picture of a lynching accompanied by a death threat. According to trial evidence, FBI agents interviewed Vandevere on July 18, 2018, at which time he admitted to using social media under pseudonyms to send threatening messages. Trial evidence further established that Vandevere sent the death threat to Q.R. because he did not agree with Q.R.’s beliefs.
Vandevere was convicted of making a threatening communication to injure another person through interstate commerce, which carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the FBI for their investigation of this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case for the United States.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the December 2019 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Christopher V. Moses, Kay Speir, and Melisa D. Million. Drug Conspiracy; Distribution of Oxycodone, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Fentanyl, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Carisoprodol, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; Distribution of Hydrocodone, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Fentanyl and Hydrocodone Resulting in Death; Distribution of Clonazepam, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Morphine Sulfate, and Aiding and Abetting; Distribution of Oxycodone Resulting in Death; Distribution of Tramadol, and Aiding and Abetting; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. (superseding indictment). Moses, 66, Speir, 54, and Million, 49, were originally charged with drug conspiracy and aiding and abetting one another to illegally distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Carisoprodol, Clonazepam, Morphine Sulfate, Hydrocodone, and Tramadol. The defendants allegedly distributed the prescriptions from January 2010 to January 2018 at the Southside Medical Clinic in Tulsa, which is now closed. According to the indictment, Dr. Moses prescribed highly addictive and often abused opioids to his patients without valid medical purpose or for reasons outside of his scope of practice. The indictment alleges that Moses and Speir also illegally made pre-signed prescriptions for the medications available to patients when Moses was absent. The defendants are further charged with maintaining a drug involved premises.
In this superseding indictment, the defendants are also charged with the deaths of three patients resulting from the medically unnecessary prescriptions. On Feb. 9, 2017, a patient died of acute fentanyl toxicity. On March 7, 2016, a patient died as a result of acute morphine and oxycodone toxicity, and on Aug. 30, 2013, a patient died as a result of acute fentanyl and hydrocodone toxicity. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency
Jesus Castillo-Hernandez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castillo-Hernandez, 28, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Sept. 9, 2011, at or near Del Rio, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
James Clayton Cholewinski-Boyd. Abusive Sexual Contact in the Special Aircraft Jurisdiction of the United States. Cholewinski-Boyd, 32, of Murray, Utah, is charged with engaging in abusive sexual contact when he grabbed the victim in a sexually inappropriate way without her permission. Law enforcement officials with the FBI, Tulsa International Airport and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Air Marshals conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Hillary Victoria Ginn. Theft of Mail and Attempted Theft of Mail (6 counts); Destruction of Letter Boxes and Mail (6 counts); Financial Institution Fraud (1 count); and Possession of and Uttering a Forged Security (1 count) (superseding indictment). Additional charges were filed against Ginn, 42, of Tulsa. Previously, Ginn was charged with theft and attempted theft of mail and with destroying post office boxes at a U.S. Post Office station located in south Tulsa. Ginn is charged in the superseding indictment with two additional offenses: financial institution fraud and uttering forged securities. The additional counts allege Ginn caused five forged and stolen checks from other financial institutions to be deposited into an account at Western Sun Federal Credit Union in Broken Arrow. Before Ginn was able to withdraw any of the $34,000 worth of fraudulent funds from the account, Western Sun determined that the checks had been stolen and forged. The checks were originally taken from the post office boxes. The Tulsa Police Department, Broken Arrow Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are the investigative agencies.
Gil Herrera-Mejia. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Herrera-Mejia, 37, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported March 10, 2008, at or near Nogales, Arizona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Christopher Joseph Kiss. Felon in Possession of Firearm. Kiss, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Phoenix Arms, .25 auto caliber pistol. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigative agency.
Michael Jawan Lucas. Felon in possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Lucas, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Heckler & Koch (H&K) .45 caliber pistol and associated ammunition. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.
Elmer Orozco-Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Orozco-Perez, 35, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Jan. 11, 2007, at or near Atlanta, Georgia. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Jose Ruben Rodriguez-Parra. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez-Parra, 50, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported April 8, 2015, at or near Del Rio, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Luis Alfonso Ruvalcaba-Romo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ruvalcaba-Romo, 29, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Dec. 8, 2011, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
William Osmir Alvarado Salguero. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. William Osmir Alvarado Salguero, 30, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported June 3, 2008, at or near Harlingen, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Joshua Deron Smith. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Smith, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of HS Products (IM Metal) 9 mm caliber pistol and associated ammunition. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.
Simon Soto-Cruz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Soto-Cruz, 35, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Sept. 9, 2015, at or near Del Rio, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Victor Edwardo Trinidad. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Victor Edwardo Trinidad, 30, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Oct. 9, 2019, at or near Laredo, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) are the investigative agencies.
Amber Michelle Watson. Wire Fraud Conspiracy. Watson, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring with others to commit wire fraud from January 2017 to August 2019. Watson and her co-conspirators presented themselves to cashiers at various Walmart stores throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, pretending to be Walmart representatives. The conspirators allegedly presented false vouchers to cashiers bearing the designations of “Rapid Reload Cash Voucher,” “Prepaid Debit Cash Travel Voucher” and “Walmart Corporate Cash Travel Voucher.” Watson and her co-conspirators then requested that the cashiers credit Rapid Reload transaction cards in the amounts of approximately $500 each time. According to the indictment, the conspirators made purchases with the Rapid Reload cards and obtained cash. In total, it is alleged that Watson and her co-conspirators caused a loss of more than $100,000 to Walmart. The U.S. Secret Service is the investigative Agency.
Jacob Welch and Krystal Magee. Felon in Possession of Firearms; and Possession of Stolen Firearms. Welch, 29, of Ruston, Louisiana, is charged with being a felon in possession of an HS Produkt (IM Metal), 9 mm pistol; a Springfield Armory, .380 caliber pistol; an Israel Weapon IND-IWI, 9 mm pistol; an Anderson Manufacturing, 5.56 caliber rifle; and a Freedom Ordnance Manufacturing, 9 mm pistol. Also, Welch and Magee, 35, of Ruston, Louisiana, are both charged with being in possession of five stolen firearms.
Ericsson Agrees to Pay over $1 Billion to Resolve FCPA CaseRead the Press Release
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson or the Company), a multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has agreed to pay total penalties of more than $1 billion to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising out of the Company’s scheme to make and improperly record tens of millions of dollars in improper payments around the world. This includes a criminal penalty of over $520 million and approximately $540 million to be paid to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a related matter. An Ericsson subsidiary pleaded guilty today for its role in the scheme.
Ericsson entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the department in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Southern District of New York charging the Company with conspiracies to violate the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions of the FCPA. The Ericsson subsidiary, Ericsson Egypt Ltd, pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of New York to a one-count criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan of the Southern District of New York. Pursuant to its agreement with the department, Ericsson has committed to pay a total criminal penalty of $520,650,432 within 10 business days of the sentencing hearing, and has agreed to the imposition of an independent compliance monitor.
“Ericsson’s corrupt conduct involved high-level executives and spanned 17 years and at least five countries, all in a misguided effort to increase profits,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Such wrongdoing called for a strong response from law enforcement, and through a tenacious effort with our partners in the Southern District of New York, the SEC, and the IRS, today’s action not only holds Ericsson accountable for these schemes, but should deter other companies from engaging in similar criminal conduct.”
“Today, Swedish telecom giant Ericsson has admitted to a years-long campaign of corruption in five countries to solidify its grip on telecommunications business,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York. “Through slush funds, bribes, gifts, and graft, Ericsson conducted telecom business with the guiding principle that ‘money talks.’ Today’s guilty plea and surrender of over a billion dollars in combined penalties should communicate clearly to all corporate actors that doing business this way will not be tolerated.”
“Implementing strong compliance systems and internal controls are basic principles that international companies must follow to steer clear of illegal activity,” said Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Ericsson’s shortcomings in these areas made it easier for its executives and employees to pay bribes and falsify its books and records. We will continue to pursue cases such as these in order to preserve a global commerce system free of corruption.”
According to admissions by Ericsson, beginning in 2000 and continuing until 2016, the Company conspired with others to violate the FCPA by engaging in a longstanding scheme to pay bribes, to falsify books and records and to fail to implement reasonable internal accounting controls. Ericsson used third party agents and consultants to make bribe payments to government officials and/or to manage off-the-books slush funds. These agents were often engaged through sham contracts and paid pursuant to false invoices, and the payments to them were improperly accounted for in Ericsson’s books and records. The resolutions cover the Company’s criminal conduct in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Kuwait.
Between 2010 and 2014, Ericsson, via a subsidiary, made approximately $2.1 million in bribe payments to high-ranking government officials in Djibouti in order to obtain a contract with the state-owned telecommunications company valued at approximately €20.3 million to modernize the mobile networks system in Djibouti. In order to effectuate the scheme, an Ericsson subsidiary entered into a sham contract with a consulting company and approved fake invoices to conceal the bribe payments. Ericsson employees also completed a draft due diligence report that failed to disclose the spousal relationship between the owner of the consulting company and one of the high-ranking government officials.
In China, between 2000 and 2016, Ericsson subsidiaries caused tens of millions of dollars to be paid to various agents, consultants and service providers, a portion of which was used to fund a travel expense account in China that covered gifts, travel and entertainment for foreign officials, including customers from state-owned telecommunications companies. Ericsson used the travel expense account to win business with Chinese state-owned customers. In addition, between 2013 and 2016, Ericsson subsidiaries made payments of approximately $31.5 million to third party service providers pursuant to sham contracts for services that were never performed. The purpose of these payments was to allow Ericsson’s subsidiaries in China to continue to use and pay third party agents in China in contravention of Ericsson’s policies and procedures. Ericsson knowingly mischaracterized these payments and improperly recorded them in its books and records.
In Vietnam, between 2012 and 2015, Ericsson subsidiaries made approximately $4.8 million in payments to a consulting company in order to create off-the-books slush funds, associated with Ericsson’s customers in Vietnam, that were used to make payments to third parties who would not be able to pass Ericsson’s due diligence processes. Ericsson knowingly mischaracterized these payments and improperly recorded them in Ericsson’s books and records. Similarly, in Indonesia, between 2012 and 2015, an Ericsson subsidiary made approximately $45 million in payments to a consulting company in order to create off-the-books slush funds, and concealed the payments on Ericsson’s books and records.
In Kuwait, between 2011 and 2013, an Ericsson subsidiary promised a payment of approximately $450,000 to a consulting company at the request of a sales agent, and then entered into a sham contract with the consulting company and approved a fake invoice for services that were never performed in order to conceal the payment. The sales agent provided an Ericsson employee with inside information about a tender for the modernization of a state-owned telecommunications company’s radio access network in Kuwait. An Ericsson subsidiary was awarded the contract valued at approximately $182 million; Ericsson subsequently made the $450,000 payment to the consulting company and improperly recorded it in its books.
As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Ericsson has agreed to continue to cooperate with the department in any ongoing investigations and prosecutions relating to the conduct, including of individuals; to enhance its compliance program; and to retain an independent compliance monitor for three years.
The department reached this resolution with Ericsson based on a number of factors, including the Company’s failure to voluntarily disclose the conduct to the department and the nature and seriousness of the offense, which included FCPA violations in five countries and the involvement of high-level executives at the Company. Ericsson received partial credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included conducting a thorough internal investigation, making regular factual presentations to the department, voluntarily making foreign-based employees available for interviews in the United States, producing extensive documentation and disclosing some conduct of which the department was previously unaware.
Ericsson did not receive full credit for cooperation and remediation because it did not disclose allegations of corruption with respect to two relevant matters; it produced certain materials in an untimely manner; and it did not fully remediate, including by failing to take adequate disciplinary measures with respect to certain employees involved in the misconduct. The Company has been enhancing and committed to further enhance its compliance program and internal accounting controls. Accordingly, the total criminal penalty reflects a 15 percent reduction off the bottom of the applicable United States Sentencing Guidelines fine range.
In the related matter, Ericsson agreed to pay to the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling approximately $540 million.
The case is being investigated by IRS-CI. Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Gentin and Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Abramowicz of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
The department appreciates the significant cooperation provided by the SEC and law enforcement authorities in Sweden in this case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
Ericsson Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Billion to Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act CaseRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”), Brian A. Benczkowski, the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), and Don Fort, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Division, Internal Revenue Service (“IRS-CI”), announced today the filing of criminal charges against TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (“ERICSSON”), a multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Sweden, and its subsidiary ERICSSON EGYPT LTD. (“ERICSSON EGYPT”) for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) by bribing government officials, falsifying books and records, and failing to implement reasonable internal accounting controls. The resolutions cover criminal conduct in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Kuwait.
Mr. Berman also announced that in connection with the filed charges, ERICSSON EGYPT pled guilty today before United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan, and SDNY and DOJ entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”) with ERICSSON. Pursuant to the DPA, ERICSSON admitted to participating in the charged conspiracy. ERICSSON will pay a total criminal penalty of $520,650,432 to the United States, which includes a $9,520,000 criminal fine that ERICSSON agreed to pay on behalf of ERICSSON EGYPT. ERICSSON also agreed to implement rigorous internal controls, retain an independent compliance monitor for a term of three years, and cooperate fully with the Government in any ongoing investigations.
In related proceedings, ERICSSON reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Under the terms of its civil resolution with the SEC, ERICSSON agreed to pay $539,920,000 in disgorgement of profits and prejudgment interest, which, together with the criminal penalty paid to the United States, yields total criminal and regulatory penalties to be paid by ERICSSON of $1,060,570,432.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today Swedish telecom giant Ericsson has admitted to a years-long campaign of corruption in five countries to solidify its grip on telecommunications business. Through slush funds, bribes, gifts, and graft, Ericsson conducted telecom business with the guiding principle that ‘money talks.’ Today’s guilty plea and surrender of over a billion dollars in combined penalties should communicate clearly to all corporate actors that doing business this way will not be tolerated.”
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski said: “Ericsson’s corrupt conduct involved high-level executives and spanned 17 years and at least five countries, all in a misguided effort to increase profits. Such wrongdoing called for a strong response from law enforcement, and through a tenacious effort with our partners in the Southern District of New York, the SEC, and the IRS, today’s action not only holds Ericsson accountable for these schemes, but should deter other companies from engaging in similar criminal conduct.”
IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort said: “Implementing strong compliance systems and internal controls are basic principles that international companies must follow to steer clear of illegal activity. Ericsson’s shortcomings in these areas made it easier for its executives and employees to pay bribes and falsify its books and records. We will continue to pursue cases such as these in order to preserve a global commerce system free of corruption.”
According to the allegations contained in the criminal Informations, which were filed today in Manhattan federal court, the statement of facts set forth in the DPA, and other publicly available information:
From approximately 2000 to 2016, ERICSSON and ERICSSON EGYPT, through various executives, employees, and affiliated entities, used third-party agents and consultants to bribe foreign government officials and/or manage off-the-books slush funds in countries where it pursued contracts to conduct telecommunications business. The agents were often engaged through sham contracts and paid pursuant to false invoices, with those payments accounted for improperly in ERICSSON’s books and records.
In Djibouti, from approximately 2010 to 2014, ERICSSON, via subsidiaries, paid approximately $2.1 million in bribes to high-ranking government officials in order to obtain a contract valued at approximately €20.3 million. To conceal the bribe payments, an ERICSSON subsidiary entered into a sham contract with a consulting company and approved fake invoices to conceal the bribe payments, and ERICSSON employees completed a draft due diligence report that failed to disclose that the owner of the consulting company was married to a high-ranking official in Djibouti’s government.
In China, from approximately 2000 to 2016, ERICSSON, via subsidiaries, paid various agents, consultants, and service providers tens of millions of dollars, a portion of which was used to fund an expense account that covered gifts, travel, and entertainment for foreign officials. ERICSSON used the expense account to win business with Chinese state-owned customers. In addition, from approximately 2013 to 2016, ERICSSON subsidiaries paid third-party service providers approximately $31.5 million pursuant to sham contracts for services that were never performed. The payments were intended to allow ERICSSON’s subsidiaries to continue to use and pay third-party agents in China in contravention of ERICSSON’s policies and procedures. ERICSSON knowingly mischaracterized the payments and improperly recorded them in its books and records.
In Vietnam, from approximately 2012 to 2015, ERICSSON, via subsidiaries, paid a consulting company approximately $4.8 million in order to create off-the-books slush funds. The slush funds were then used to make payments to third parties who would not be able to pass ERICSSON’s due diligence processes. ERICSSON knowingly mischaracterized these payments, which were made pursuant to sham contracts for services that were never performed, and improperly recorded them in ERICSSON’s books and records.
In Indonesia, from approximately 2012 to 2015, ERICSON, via a subsidiary, paid a consulting company approximately $45 million in order to create off-the-books slush funds. ERICSSON took active steps to conceal the payments, which were made pursuant to sham contracts for services that were never performed.
In Kuwait, from approximately 2011 to 2013, ERICSSON, via a subsidiary, paid a consulting company approximately $450,000 at the request of a sales agent who had given ERICSSON inside information about the bidding process for a lucrative contract with a state-owned telecommunications company. ERICSSON made the payment after one of its subsidiaries was awarded the contract, which was valued at approximately $182 million. The payment was made pursuant to a sham contract for services that were never performed.
* * *
ERICSSON EGYPT was charged with, and pled guilty to, one count of conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. ERICSSON was charged in a two-count Information with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and one count of conspiracy to violate the internal-controls and books-and-records provisions of the FCPA.
Mr. Berman thanked the Fraud Section of the DOJ’s Criminal Division for its collaboration, and praised the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and law enforcement authorities in Sweden. He also thanked the SEC’s Division of Enforcement for its significant assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and the FCPA Unit of the Fraud Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Abramowicz and Won S. Shin, and Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Gentin and Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Robert Dvorak, age 29, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on August 21, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Dvorak to a 90-month (7.5 years) term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 4-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in April 2018, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents began investigating Dvorak for suspected drug trafficking. As part of the investigation, ATF executed a warrant to search Dvorak’s residence, seizing two pounds of heroin and twenty grams of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “Dvorak has been deservedly punished with prison time for distributing dangerous drugs in our community. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and our law enforcement partners will continue to work vigorously to investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in such conduct.”
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking Resulting in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Detroit man, Shannon D. Hixon, 43, was sentenced to life in federal prison on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, after previously being convicted of conspiring to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl, and distribution of fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.
Hixon was convicted at trial, in July 2019. According to the evidence, Hixon supplied thousands of Oxycodone 30 mg tablets to two individuals in Lexington, which were then transported to Morehead, Kentucky (Rowan County) and Salyersville, Kentucky (Magoffin County), and sold to local dealers and drug users. Additionally, the evidence established that Hixon had supplied heroin and fentanyl to a group of users in Lexington, which included supplying a lethal quantity of fentanyl that was distributed to K.F., an Army veteran in rehab, causing K.F.’s overdose death.
Hixon has a prior conviction for Trafficking in a Controlled Substance First Degree, imposed by the Fayette Circuit Court, in May 2004.
“The defendant, and other drug dealers who illegally distribute opioids, help fuel addictions and spread misery and death. Our Office has no greater priority than holding drug traffickers, particularly repeat offenders like the defendant, accountable for their criminal conduct. Because of his prior drug trafficking conviction, and because his drug dealing caused an overdose death, the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison,” said Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The sentence imposed should send a clear message – if you are of convicted of dealing drugs and causing a death you face a substantial punishment for your actions. We remain committed, along with our law enforcement partners, in pursuing these important cases to help vindicate the interests of the victims’ families and keep our communities safe.”
United States Attorney Duncan; Daniel Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; Chief Derrick Blevins, Morehead Police Department; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Morehead Police Department, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West.
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Denver Jury Finds Husband and Wife Guilty of Large-Scale Black Market Marijuana GrowRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that Huanyu Yan, age 54, and wife You Lan Xiang, age 50, both of Aurora, Colorado, were found guilty of marijuana cultivation following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore. Both defendants appeared at the trial free on bond. After the guilty verdicts were handed down both defendants were taken into custody and were remanded pending sentencing, which is scheduled for February 24, 2020.
According to court documents as well as evidence presented at trial, on October 10, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration, North Metro Task Force, and the Aurora Police Department executed a federal search warrant at 20050 East Doane Drive in Aurora, Colorado. A search of the house revealed a large-scale illicit marijuana grow operation in the basement of the house, with 878 marijuana plants. The basement also contained 9.72 pounds of finished marijuana product. According to testimony at trial, the yield of all the plants in the basement would have been enough to create approximately 150,000 marijuana joints. Both defendants were convicted of 1) conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants; 2) possessing with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants; and 3) using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. They now face mandatory minimum 5-year sentences.
“This is an important verdict for the people of Colorado, who’ve been overrun by black market marijuana,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “This verdict sends a strong signal to anyone growing black market marijuana in Colorado that they can’t hide.”
This case was investigated by the DEA, North Metro Task Force and the Aurora Police Department. The defendants were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Teitelbaum and Peter McNeilly.
Cocaine Supplier for Local Bloods Gang Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for supplying cocaine and other controlled substances to individuals in Virginia.
According to court documents, from 2015 until early 2019, Chad Stewart, 44, of Anaheim, supplied cocaine and other controlled substances to multiple drug distribution cells located in Northern Virginia. Most notably, Stewart supplied cocaine to associates and members of the Imperial Gansta Bloods, a criminal street gang. His customers would compile and return tens of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds to him, sometimes via shipments of bulk cash, and sometimes by hand carrying bulk cash to California and delivering it to Stewart in person. Stewart admitted to shipping nearly 150 kilograms of cocaine, along with at least one kilogram of heroin.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-208.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Possession of Methamphetamine in Tractor-Trailer Fuel TankRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ENRIQUE LARA, 37, of Chicago, Illinois, has been sentenced to fourteen years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute liquid methamphetamine concealed in the fuel tank of a tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
On the morning of October 22, 2018, a detective with the Norman Police Department’s Special Investigations Section, Criminal Interdiction Unit, noticed that a tractor-trailer parked at a Norman motel bore a U.S. Department of Transportation number inconsistent with that agency’s numbering system. When the detective asked the driver, Lara, for paperwork and his driver’s license, he noticed an odor of marijuana. The detective also became suspicious because the paperwork appeared to be fake and because Lara was inexplicably hauling pallets in a refrigerated trailer. Further checking revealed that the supposed shipper and receiver of the pallets had had no contact with Lara or his truck and that the trucking company had fired Lara in April.
With the consent of Lara and his passenger, JASMINE MORALES, 22, of McAllen, Texas, the detective took the tractor-trailer to the Norman city garage. During his inspection, he found that one of the gas tanks was full of a cloudy liquid with small crystals that tested positive for methamphetamine. According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, the fuel tank contained approximately 1,260 pounds—or approximately 150 gallons—of liquid methamphetamine, with an estimated value in the Oklahoma City area that could exceed $3,000,000.
The Drug Enforcement Administration responded to the scene immediately with a laboratory clean-up team and tested the liquid to confirm that it was methamphetamine. Lara and Morales were arrested and taken to Cleveland County Jail. Lara has remained in custody since that time.
A federal grand jury indicted Lara and Morales on November 7, 2018, for conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On March 4, 2019, Morales pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of misprision of a felony. She was sentenced on August 22, 2019, to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release.
Lara pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute on March 11, 2019. Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Lara to fourteen years in prison. At the end of his term, he must serve five years on supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the District 21 Drug Task Force, and the Norman Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma pursued this case with the assistance of, and in partnership with, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn and his office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson, David P. Petermann, and Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Chemist Sentenced for Illegally Abandoning Laboratory Full of Hazardous Chemicals in St. Clair CountyRead the Press Release
Lawrence D. Rutledge, 57, of Belleville, Illinois, has been sentenced to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,934.87 to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) for clean-up expenses associated with his illegal storage of hazardous waste in St. Clair County, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D.
Weinhoeft, announced today. Rutledge pleaded guilty to the charge in July.In 1997, Rutledge started a business called Advanced Asymmetrics, Inc., to synthesize specialty chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry. The business was located inside a commercial building at
109 South Kossuth Street in Millstadt, Illinois, in close proximity to a residential area and a senior living home. Over time, Rutledge accumulated numerous containers of chemicals and chemical waste at the Millstadt facility. Sometime around 2011, Rutledge stopped paying the county property taxes on the Millstadt facility, and over the next few years, the electrical service and the water service (both water supply and sewer) to the facility were shut off.In August 2015, employees of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“Illinois EPA”) and the
U.S. EPA entered the facility and discovered hundreds of containers with labels indicating the presence of acids, caustics, and other chemicals, as well as hazardous waste. Some of the metal containers had rusted, and crystallization had started to occur on metal surfaces. Some had even fallen over and broken open. Sodium cyanide, which is extremely toxic, was stored within one inch of a container containing acid, presenting the potential formation of cyanide gas. Investigators also discovered a container labelled as a shock-sensitive picric acid, which is highly explosive.“The defendant’s abandonment of hazardous chemicals created a highly dangerous situation,” said
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Illinois.
“Companies should take notice that EPA and our law enforcement partners will enforce our hazardous waste laws that protect our communities and the environment.”The investigation was conducted by the U.S. EPA – Criminal Investigation Division and the Illinois
EPA – Collinsville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan and U.S.
EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel David P. Mucha prosecuted the case.
Carolina Liquid Chemistries, Inc., Sentenced to Pay $50,000 for Developing and Marketing Drug Tests Without FDA ApprovalRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Carolina Liquid Chemistries, Inc. (CLC), was sentenced today to pay $50,000 for selling adulterated medical devices, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Special Agent in Charge Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles Field Office Lisa Malinowski. The sentence was handed down by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero. Magistrate Judge Spero also ordered CLC to serve a two-year period of probation during which time CLC will be required to develop and submit to the court an effective compliance and ethics program.
CLC, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Brea, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on September 3, 2019. According to the plea agreement, CLC admitted that it developed systems for testing human urine for drugs of abuse and then, from 2010 to 2014, marketed the systems, all without FDA approval.
“FDA's device approval requirements are designed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of devices used by Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Malinowski. “Today’s announcement serves as a reminder of the FDA’s continued focus on taking action against companies that put profits ahead of the public health.”
CLC admitted that it purchased devices, referred to as reagents, from a company in the Northern District of California, and that it purchased automated photometric chemistry analyzers from a Japanese company and a Chinese company. CLC admitted that it combined the reagents with the chemistry analyzers and then marketed the combined test system as a product for testing human urine for drugs of abuse. CLC acknowledged that such a test system required approval by the FDA before being marketed, and that, to obtain approval from the FDA, the sponsor of an application to the FDA for approval would need to demonstrate that there were specific medical indications for which these devise were useful and that the test systems could safely and effectively perform these analyses. CLC admitted it did not file for FDA approval for its system.
CLC was charged by an information on August 26, 2019. The company was charged with one count of marketing adulterated medical devices, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 331(a) and 333(a)(1). CLC pleaded guilty to that charge.
In addition to the $50,000 fine and the order to develop a compliance and ethics program, Magistrate Judge Spero’s sentence included additional terms that CLC must follow during the two-year probation period. Among the terms of probation CLC must follow are: (1) to refrain from committing another federal, state, or local crime; (2) to notify the court or probation officer immediately upon learning of any civil litigation, criminal prosecution, or administrative proceeding against the organization; and (3) to submit to unannounced examinations of its books and records by the probation officer or experts engaged by the court.
This case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District in California. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FDA-OCI with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
Canadian seafood wholesaler sentenced for illegally importing fish into U.S.Read the Press Release
Seattle – Seven Seas Fish Company, Ltd., of Richmond, B.C., Canada, and a company owner, JOHN HERAS, 78, of Delta, B.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to significant monetary fines and periods of probation for importation of previously refused food. The company and HERAS admit that, between October 2014 and August 2015, they imported more than 9,000 pounds of potentially adulterated fish into the U.S. The fish had previously been refused entry into the U.S., because the FDA judged samples of the fish too decomposed and putrid. At the sentencing hearing, Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler said, “this activity leads consumers to be concerned about food safety.”
“On two prior occasions, this company put its financial success over the food import regulations and the safety of consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “Now, with a third strike, it is appropriate that the company and its part-owner face a federal criminal conviction and its consequences.”
According to records filed in the case, in June 2014, Seven Seas purchased 12,100 pounds of frozen corvina, a white fish similar to sea bass. The fish was purchased for $36,375 from a seafood company in Mexico. Seven Seas attempted to have the fish imported into the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. However, when Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Safety Officers examined the fish, they determined that one-third of the samples from the shipment were more than 20 percent spoiled. The shipment was refused entry to the U.S. However, Seven Seas arranged for the fish to be lawfully shipped through the U.S. to its plant in Richmond, B.C., claiming that the product would be distributed in Canada.
After the fish arrived in B.C., HERAS cooked and ate some of the fish and claimed he found nothing wrong with it. Despite his knowledge that the fish had been refused entry to the U.S., HERAS encouraged others within Seven Seas to sell the fish to customers in Washington State and elsewhere. Some 9,020 pounds of the fish were imported into the U.S. without the required notice to the Secretary of Health and Human services.
The FDA has not found any illness linked to those who consumed the fish.
The company was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine within six months of today. For three years, the company will be on probation with increased scrutiny and surveillance of its imports into the U.S.
HERAS will pay a $2,000 fine and will be on probation for one year. The company claims he no longer has a leadership role at Seven Seas.
The company has a tarnished record regarding its compliance with import regulations. In 2008, Canadian salmon owned by the company was seized because it was sold in violation of Canadian law and the Lacey Act. The fish, worth nearly $100,000, had been caught by illegal gill netting. Just one year later, in 2009, Seven Seas was fined $50,000 for selling salmon without notifying regulators after the fish had been detained because it was found unfit for human consumption. The fish was sold for mink feed, but without the required notice to the agency that had issued the detainer.
The case was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigation, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Million Dollar Scheme Targeting Thousands of U.S. Servicemembers and VeteransRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Trorice Crawford, 32, of San Diego, California, admitted his role in an identity-theft and fraud scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer yesterday afternoon, Crawford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. By pleading guilty, Crawford admitted that from May 2017 to July 2019, he conspired with Robert Wayne Boling Jr. (a U.S. citizen), and others to steal money belonging to U.S. Servicemembers and veterans. By pleading guilty, Crawford admitted to recruiting at least 30 individuals (aka money mules) who provided their bank account information to receive funds stolen from military affiliated individuals. On average, each unauthorized transfer from a victim’s accounts ranged from between $8,000 to $13,000. Crawford kept a percentage of the withdrawn funds for himself and oversaw the transmission of the remaining amounts by means of international money remittance services to Boling and others in the Philippines.
Crawford faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing scheduled for 10:30am on March 5, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio.
In October, co-defendant Frederick Brown, age 38 of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with this scheme. Brown, a former civilian medical records administrator for the U.S. Army at the 65th Medical Brigade, Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, admitted that while logged into the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application, he illegally captured on his cell phone personal identifying information (PII) of thousands of military members, including names, social security numbers, DOD ID numbers, dates of birth, and contact information. Brown further admitted that he subsequently provided that stolen data to Boling so that Boling and others could exploit the information in various ways to access Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs benefits sites and steal millions of dollars.
As asserted in the federal grand jury indictment, Boling, together with his Philippines-based co-defendants Allan Albert Kerr (Australian citizen) and Jongmin Seok (South Korean citizen), specifically used the stolen information to compromise a Department of Defense portal designed to enable military members to access benefits information online. Once through the portal, the defendants are alleged to have accessed benefits information. Access to these detailed records enabled the defendants to steal or attempt to steal millions of dollars from military members’ bank accounts. The defendants also stole veterans’ benefits payments. Evidence of the defendants’ scheme was detected earlier this year, advancing the investigation that led to the indictment.
Boling, Kerr and Seok are charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Boling, Kerr and Seok are in custody in the Philippines awaiting transfer to the Western District of Texas. Brown remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing scheduled for Feb. 6, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio.
It is important to note that an indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are coordinating with the Department of Justice to notify and provide resources to the thousands of identified victims. Announcements also will follow regarding steps taken to secure military members’ information and benefits from theft and fraud.
The United States is represented by Trial Attorneys Ehren Reynolds and Yolanda McCray Jones of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Blackwell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. The matter was investigated by agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and counsel Matthew Freund, along with substantial investigative support from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Benefits Protection and Remediation Division. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Philippine law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Nevada, the Southern District of California, and the Eastern District of Virginia also provided assistance. Resources from the Department of Justice’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative and its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aided in the matter’s investigation and prosecution.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act. More information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice; information on the Servicemember and Veterans Initiative is at https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
Brownfield Doctor Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Prescribing Without Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
A Brownfield doctor who prescribed drugs without legitimate medical purpose was sentenced today to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution following an investigation by the DEA, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Dr. Dennis D. Tedford, a 59-year-old family medicine doctor, pleaded guilty in May to distributing or dispensing a Schedule IV controlled substance by a practitioner.
In plea papers, Dr. Tedford admitted that he intentionally dispensed alprazolam, a Schedule IV benzodiazepine, and carisoprodol, a Schedule IV muscle relaxer, to an individual identified as “R.M.” for reasons other than for a legitimate medical purpose and in the usual course of his professional practice.
“Texans expect their doctors to prescribe drugs only when they’re medically necessary,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “This defendant took advantage of his medical license to spread drugs throughout his community. We are grateful to the analysts and investigators who were able to identify his criminal behavior and put a stop to it.”
“A physician who is board certified in family practice should never prescribe pain medicine at the levels Dennis Tedford was prescribing, many for non-medical purposes,” said Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. “Addiction destroys people and families.
Dr. Tedford’s factual resume states that in January 2018, a source of information (SOI) at a pharmacy in Lubbock contacted the DEA to express concerns about Dr. Tedford’s prescribing practice. The SOI stated that Dr. Tedford prescribed high quantities of hydrocodone, as well as alprazolam and carisoprodol. According to the SOI, individuals were driving from Lubbock to Brownfield – located approximately 45 minutes southwest of Lubbock – to see Dr. Tedford and then returning to Lubbock to fill the prescriptions. The SOI said that Dr. Tedford’s patients would frequently ask for early refills.
In March 2018, DEA diversion investigators requested an analysis from the Texas Commissioned Online Prescription System (TXCOPSRX), comparing Dr. Tedford’s prescribing to all physicians located in Terry County (est. population 12,739) and Lubbock County (est. population 299,453) over a two year period. According to TXCOPSRX, Dr. Tedford ranked ninth for total number of prescriptions issued for hydrocodone in Lubbock and Terry Counties combined, having prescribed 524,777 doses of hydrocodone to 341 patients between March 2016 and March 2018. Dr. Tedford was ranked first in the total number of prescriptions issued for carisoprodol in Lubbock and Terry Counties combined, having prescribed 96,763 doses of carisoprodol during this time period to 102 patients.
The investigators knew that it was highly unusual for a family medicine physician that specializes in obstetrics and who is not registered with the State of Texas as a pain management clinic to be ranked this high for hydrocodone prescriptions.
They requested an second TXCOPSRX analysis of Dr. Tedford’s prescribing and learned that between January 2016 and December 2017, the top three controlled substance prescriptions written by Dr. Tedford were for hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam. Specifically, according to what was reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Dr. Tedford wrote prescriptions totaling 539,637 hydrocodone tablets, 96,519 carisoprodol tablets, and 33,955 alprazolam tablets in this two-year time period. Most notably, of the hydrocodone tablets prescribed by Dr. Tedford, approximately 98 percent of these tablets contained the highest two dosage strengths available (7.5 mg or 10 mg). Approximately 99.9 percent of the carisoprodol tablets contained the highest dosage strength (350 mg) available.
In July 2018, DEA requested that a doctor who is board certified in family medicine and a clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine review some of Dr. Tedford’s patient files to determine whether Dr. Tedford prescribed certain controlled substances for a legitimate medical purpose and in the usual course of his professional practice.
This medical expert reviewed patient files for a dozen of Dr. Tedford’s patients and found that, in 10 of those 12 cases, Dr. Tedford prescribed controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose, that his prescribing was far outside the usual course of legitimate professional medical practice, and that there were multiple departures from the Standard of Care.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag led the prosecution. United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix handed down the sentence.
Bronx Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 22 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Sajmir Alimehmeti, aka “Abdul Qawii,” 26, was sentenced to 22 years in prison based on convictions for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and attempting to fraudulently procure a U.S. passport to facilitate an act of international terrorism. Alimehmeti pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Alimehmeti was determined to support ISIS. He attempted to travel overseas to support the terrorist group, he assisted another person he believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter to prepare to purportedly travel to join ISIS, he lied on his passport application so he could get a clean passport to ease his efforts to travel overseas to join ISIS, and while in pretrial detention, he conspired with another terrorist to spread ISIS propaganda. With today’s sentence, he is being held accountable for his crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “The National Security Division will continue to work with our partners to identify, disrupt and hold accountable those who seek to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this case.”
“Bronx resident Sajmir Alimehmeti took the position of an adversary to the United States and its values. Alimehmeti’s contempt for the U.S. led him to travel overseas to support ISIS’s terror campaign, eventually purchasing military-type weapons and assisting another to get travel documents, equipment, and encryption technology to fight with ISIS in Syria,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York. “Even after his incarceration, Alimemehti continued his supportive conduct for ISIS by working with convicted Chelsea bomber Ahmad Khan Rahimi, to distribute ISIS propaganda in prison. I sincerely commend our law enforcement partners for their commitment to detecting and apprehending those who support the disruption of American life through brazen acts of terrorism.”
“Sajmir Alimehmeti was so committed to supporting and furthering the ISIS agenda, that when his multiple attempts to travel overseas raised enough red flags to deny him entry, he turned to assisting someone he thought shared his same objective. Unbeknownst to him, however, that someone was an undercover employee,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. “Today’s sentencing is a welcome end to this case, and another successful outcome for the many agents, detectives, and analysts on FBI’s JTTF in New York. Their work and our extensive partnerships are essential to keeping New York City and the nation safe.”
“Sajmir Alimehmeti betrayed the country he called home by trying to travel overseas to join ISIS, a brutal terrorist group at war with the United States,” said NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea. “When that failed, Alimehmeti deliberately assisted another individual he believed was traveling to join ISIS. At the same time, the investigation revealed he was acquiring tactical knives, handcuffs and equipment indicative of efforts to prepare for an attack here in New York City. This case is another example of the relentless efforts of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau to prevent terrorism before it occurs.”
As reflected in the criminal Complaint, Superseding Indictment, court filings, and statements during court proceedings:
In October 2014, Alimehmeti attempted to enter the United Kingdom but was denied entry after U.K. authorities found camouflage clothing and nunchucks in his luggage. About two months later, in December 2014, Alimehmeti was again denied entry into the United Kingdom, this time after U.K. authorities found that his cellphone contained images of ISIS flags. Further forensic examination of the contents of the cellphone and Alimehmeti’s laptop computer showed numerous indicia of Alimehmeti’s support for ISIS, including a photograph of Alimehmeti with an ISIS flag in the background, images of ISIS fighters in the Middle East, a photograph of Alimehmeti making a gesture of support for ISIS, various files relating to jihad and martyrdom, and an online messaging exchange in which Alimehmeti attempted to assist another ISIS supporter to travel to Syria to join ISIS, by providing contact information for an ISIS affiliate who could facilitate the travel.
After returning to the United States, Alimehmeti continued to support ISIS. Among other things, Alimehmeti displayed an ISIS flag in his apartment in the Bronx and, in the course of recorded meetings with undercover law enforcement employees, Alimehmeti played multiple pro-ISIS propaganda videos on his computer and his cellphone, including videos of ISIS fighters decapitating prisoners, and Alimehmeti also indicated that he was interested in radicalizing other individuals in the Bronx area. Alimehmeti also made repeated purchases of combat knives and other military-type equipment, including masks, handcuffs, a pocket chainsaw, a wire pocket saw, and a rucksack designed for tactical combat. Alimehmeti stockpiled such equipment at his apartment in the Bronx.
In October 2015, Alimehmeti applied for a U.S. passport, falsely claiming in the application that his previous passport had been lost. Alimehmeti later told an undercover law enforcement employee that his prior passport had not been lost and, instead, that he was applying for a new passport because he believed the rejection stamps in his existing passport resulting from his attempted entries into the United Kingdom would make it difficult to travel to ISIS territory.
In May 2016, Alimehmeti attempted to assist an individual who was purportedly traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with ISIS but who was actually an undercover law enforcement employee (the “UC”). On May 17, 2016, Alimehmeti met with the UC in Manhattan. Alimehmeti helped the UC locate stores so the UC could purchase supplies to use while traveling to, and fighting with, ISIS, including a cellphone, boots, a compass, a bag, and a flashlight, among other items. Alimehmeti then brought the UC to a hotel in Queens so the UC could purportedly meet with an individual who was preparing travel documents that the UC would use to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Alimehmeti gave the UC a piece of paper with his name and contact information, and asked the UC to provide that information to the purported document facilitator. Alimeheti explained that he wanted to travel to Syria and join ISIS, stating “I’m ready to . . . go with you man . . . you know I would. I’m done with this place.” After leaving the hotel in Queens, Alimeheti brought the UC to JFK Airport, via public transportation, so the UC could begin the purported journey to ISIS.
Following Alimehmeti’s arrest on the charges in this case in May 2016, the FBI executed a search of Alimehmeti’s Bronx apartment pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. The FBI found in the apartment, among other things, an ISIS flag that was displayed on a wall in the apartment.
In 2017, while Alimehmeti was incarcerated and awaiting trial, law enforcement learned that Alimehmeti had worked with Ahmad Khan Rahimi inside the prison to aggregate and distribute terrorist propaganda that was part of the evidence in their respective cases and produced to them during discovery. Rahimi was sentenced to life in prison, in February 2018, for planting a series of bombs in New York and New Jersey in September 2016. Law enforcement also intercepted a letter that Alimhemeti sent to Rahimi, after their propaganda-distribution scheme inside the jail was thwarted, in which Alimehmeti referred to himself as the “ISIS balla,” indicated that he had destroyed evidence of their propaganda distribution efforts, and expressed hope that both convicted terrorists would ultimately achieve so-called martyrdom through another act of terrorism.
In addition to the prison term, Alimehmeti was also sentenced to five years supervised release.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, the NYPD’s Intelligence Division, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Albania State Police, and the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command of London, United Kingdom.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and George D. Turner are in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Joseph Attias of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Bronx Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 22 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that SAJMIR ALIMEHMETI, a/k/a “Abdul Qawii,” was sentenced to 22 years in prison based on convictions for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), and for attempting to fraudulently procure a U.S. passport to facilitate an act of international terrorism. ALIMEHMETI pled guilty on February 21, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Bronx resident Sajmir Alimehmeti took the position of an adversary to the United States and its values. Alimehmeti’s contempt for the U.S. led him to travel overseas to support ISIS’s terror campaign, eventually purchasing military-type weapons and assisting another to get travel documents, equipment, and encryption technology to fight with ISIS in Syria. Even after his incarceration, Alimemehti continued his supportive conduct for ISIS by working with convicted Chelsea bomber Ahmad Khan Rahimi, to distribute ISIS propaganda in prison. I sincerely commend our law enforcement partners for their commitment to detecting and apprehending those who support the disruption of American life through brazen acts of terrorism.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said: “Alimehmeti was determined to support ISIS. He attempted to travel overseas to support the terrorist group, he assisted another person he believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter to prepare to purportedly travel to join ISIS, he lied on his passport application so he could get a clean passport to ease his efforts to travel overseas to join ISIS, and while in pretrial detention, he conspired with another terrorist to spread ISIS propaganda. With today’s sentence, he is being held accountable for his crimes. The National Security Division will continue to work with our partners to identify, disrupt and hold accountable those who seek to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this case.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Sajmir Alimehmeti was so committed to supporting and furthering the ISIS agenda, that when his multiple attempts to travel overseas raised enough red flags to deny him entry, he turned to assisting someone he thought shared his same objective. Unbeknownst to him, however, that someone was an undercover employee. Today’s sentencing is a welcome end to this case, and another successful outcome for the many agents, detectives, and analysts on FBI’s JTTF in New York. Their work and our extensive partnerships are essential to keeping New York City and the nation safe.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot F. Shea said: “Sajmir Alimehmeti betrayed the country he called home by trying to travel overseas to join ISIS, a brutal terrorist group at war with the United States. When that failed, Alimehmeti deliberately assisted another individual he believed was traveling to join ISIS. At the same time, the investigation revealed he was acquiring tactical knives, handcuffs and equipment indicative of efforts to prepare for an attack here in New York City. This case is another example of the relentless efforts of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau to prevent terrorism before it occurs.”
As reflected in the criminal Complaint, Superseding Indictment, court filings, and statements during court proceedings:
In October 2014, ALIMEHMETI attempted to enter the United Kingdom but was denied entry after U.K. authorities found camouflage clothing and nunchucks in his luggage. Approximately two months later, in December 2014, ALIMEHMETI was again denied entry into the United Kingdom, this time after U.K. authorities found that his cellphone contained images of ISIS flags. Further forensic examination of the contents of the cellphone and ALIMEHMETI’s laptop computer showed numerous indicia of ALIMEHMETI’s support for ISIS, including a photograph of ALIMEHMETI with an ISIS flag in the background, images of ISIS fighters in the Middle East, a photograph of ALIMEHMETI making a gesture of support for ISIS, various files relating to jihad and martyrdom, and an online messaging exchange in which ALIMEHMETI attempted to assist another ISIS supporter to travel to Syria to join ISIS by providing contact information for an ISIS affiliate who could facilitate the travel.
After returning to the United States, ALIMEHMETI continued to support ISIS. Among other things, ALIMEHMETI displayed an ISIS flag in his apartment in the Bronx and, in the course of recorded meetings with undercover law enforcement employees, ALIMEHMETI played multiple pro-ISIS propaganda videos on his computer and his cellphone, including videos of ISIS fighters decapitating prisoners, and ALIMEHMETI also indicated that he was interested in radicalizing other individuals in the Bronx area. ALIMEHMETI also made repeated purchases of combat knives and other military-type equipment, including masks, handcuffs, a pocket chainsaw, a wire pocket saw, and a rucksack designed for tactical combat. ALIMEHMETI stockpiled such equipment at his apartment in the Bronx.
In October 2015, ALIMEHMETI applied for a U.S. passport, falsely claiming in the application that his previous passport had been lost. ALIMEHMETI later told an undercover law enforcement employee that his prior passport had not been lost and, instead, that he was applying for a new passport because he believed the rejection stamps in his existing passport resulting from his attempted entries into the United Kingdom would make it difficult to travel to ISIS territory.
In May 2016, ALIMEHMETI attempted to assist an individual who was purportedly traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with ISIS but who was actually an undercover law enforcement employee (the “UC”). On May 17, 2016, ALIMEHMETI met with the UC in Manhattan. ALIMEHMETI helped the UC locate stores so the UC could purchase supplies to use while traveling to, and fighting with, ISIS, including a cellphone, boots, a compass, a bag, and a flashlight, among other items. ALIMEHMETI then brought the UC to a hotel in Queens so the UC could purportedly meet with an individual who was preparing travel documents that the UC would use to travel to Syria to join ISIS. ALIMEHMETI gave the UC a piece of paper with his name and contact information, and asked the UC to provide that information to the purported document facilitator. ALIMEHETI explained that he wanted to travel to Syria and join ISIS, stating “I’m ready to . . . go with you man . . . you know I would. I’m done with this place.” After leaving the hotel in Queens, ALIMEHETI brought the UC to JFK Airport, via public transportation, so the UC could begin the purported journey to ISIS.
Following ALIMEHMETI’s arrest on the charges in this case in May 2016, the FBI executed a search of ALIMEHMETI’s Bronx apartment pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. The FBI found in the apartment, among other things, an ISIS flag that was displayed on a wall in the apartment.
In 2017, while ALIMEHMETI was incarcerated and awaiting trial, law enforcement learned that ALIMEHMETI had worked with Ahmad Khan Rahimi inside the prison to aggregate and distribute terrorist propaganda that was part of the evidence in their respective cases and produced to them during discovery. Rahimi was sentenced to life in prison, in February 2018, for planting a series of bombs in New York and New Jersey in September 2016. Law enforcement also intercepted a letter that ALIMHEMETI sent to Rahimi, after their propaganda-distribution scheme inside the jail was thwarted, in which ALIMEHMETI referred to himself as the “ISIS balla,” indicated that he had destroyed evidence of their propaganda distribution efforts, and expressed hope that both convicted terrorists would ultimately achieve so-called martyrdom through another act of terrorism.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, ALIMEHMETI, 26, of the Bronx, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state and local agencies; the NYPD’s Intelligence Division; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; the Albania State Police; and the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command of London, United Kingdom. Mr. Berman also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and George D. Turner are in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Joseph Attias of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Brainerd Man Charged with Shooting and Killing 700 Pound Black Bear on the Red Lake Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a misdemeanor information charging BRETT JAMES STIMAC, 40, with wildlife trafficking and trespassing on Indian lands after shooting and killing a bear on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. STIMAC will make his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois in U.S. District Court at a later date.
According to the allegations in the information, on the evening of September 1, 2019, STIMAC, who is not an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, willfully, knowingly and without authorization or permission, entered the Red Lake Indian Reservation for the purposes of hunting a bear. Using a compound bow, STIMAC shot and killed a large American black bear near the Reservation’s garbage dump.
According to the allegations in the information, on September 2, 2019, STIMAC posed for photographs with the bear’s carcass and later shared the photographs on Facebook. Because of the bear’s large size, STIMAC was unable to move the bear from the Reservation, and instead removed the bear’s head and paws, and harvested a small portion of the meat. STIMAC left the remainder of the carcass on the Reservation.
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians does not permit non-Indians to hunt bear, a clan animal, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, due to the bear’s spiritual importance to the Band.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Red Lake Department of Public Safety, the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gina L. Allery and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
BRETT JAMES STIMAC, 40
Brainerd, Minn.
Charges:
- Lacey Act wildlife trafficking, 1 count
- Trespass on Indian lands, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Appleton Resident Sentenced to Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Yia Yang (age: 27) of Appleton, Wisconsin was sentenced on December 5, 2019, by the Honorable Judge William C. Griesbach for possessing with the intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine, contrary to 21 U.S.C. Section 841. Yang was also convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, contrary to 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c). Yang received a 101 month prison term on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 month prison term on the gun charge. Yang also was ordered to serve a five year term of supervised release following the prison term.
According to the plea agreements and other court documents, on May 9, 2018, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted a package destined for Yang’s residence in Appleton that had been mailed from Fresno, California. The package was searched and found to contain approximately 921 grams of methamphetamine. Yang arrived at his residence shortly after law enforcement made a controlled delivery of the package. Law enforcement arrested Yang, searched his car, and recovered a loaded Glock 27 Gen 4, 40 caliber handgun in the console. A search of the residence revealed additional firearms and approximately three pounds of marijuana.
In imposing sentence, Judge Griesbach stressed the dangerous combination of drugs and guns, the importance of deterring others from engaging in that type of conduct, and need to protect the community. Judge Griesbach also cited the need for a significant prison term because Yang committed these violations after being recently released from prison following a conviction in Calumet County for discharging a firearm towards a person.
This case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Group, Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Postal Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Roach.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Annapolis MS-13 Member Sentenced to 38 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy and for Discharging a Firearm Related to His MS-13 Gang ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, today to 38 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and for using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Office.
“MS-13 is terrorizing and preying upon entire communities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We need the community’s help to end the fear and violence. Please, if you have information about MS-13, call the FBI’s nationwide tipline at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713). Your identity will be protected.”
MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 often work together cooperatively as “Programs,” with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement. In Maryland and the surrounding area, these cliques include Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas (“HLS”), Parkview Locos Salvatrucha (“PVLS”), Normandie Locos Salvatrucha (“NLS” or “Normandie”), Sailors Locos Salvatrucha Westside (“SLSW” or “Sailors”), Langley Park Salvatrucha (“LPS”), Weedoms Locos Salvatrucha (“Weedoms”), and Cabanas Locos Salvatruchas (“Cabanas”). A person within the participating cliques is selected as the Program leader.
To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members and associates are expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who show disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13’s creed is based on one of its mottos, “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” which translates to, “kill, steal, rape, control.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
According to Cruz-Flores plea agreement, from about 2015 through 2017, he was a member and associate of the Hempstead clique of MS-13, and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. Specifically, Cruz-Flores admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis. In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Cruz-Flores and other MS-13 members/associates sold marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used for, among other purposes, the purchase of more narcotics, weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Cruz-Flores admitted that on March 11, 2016, he and other MS-13 members and associates planned and agreed to murder Victim-1, whom the gang suspected of being a rival gang member. Two MS-13 members/associates lured Victim-1 to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, and once Victim-1 arrived at the park, members of the gang struck Victim-1 in the head with a branch or stick. Cruz-Flores and the members and associates of MS-13, then stabbed Victim-1 repeatedly, killing Victim-1. While Cruz-Flores and other members of the gang stabbed Victim-1, Co-conspirator 1 and other MS-13 members/associates stood watch outside of the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police presence, so that the gang could complete the murder of Victim-1. During this time, Co-conspirator 1 communicated by phone and through text messages with Cruz-Flores and at least one other MS-13 member/associate inside the park, to let them know no one entered the park and they could complete the murder. After Victim-1 was killed, Cruz-Flores and other MS-13 members and associates involved in the murder buried Victim-1 in a shallow grave inside the park.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on October 23, 2016, Cruz-Flores and other MS-13 members met at Quiet Waters Park to discuss the plan to murder Victim 2, an unlicensed cab driver who was believed to be a member of a rival gang. At the meeting, each member of the conspiracy was assigned a task to complete the murder and dispose of the evidence. The group planned to use machetes, knives, and guns to kill the victim. Cruz-Flores and another co-conspirator each had a firearm and all the members of the conspiracy were aware that guns would be used in the murder.
Cruz-Flores admitted that he called Victim 2 using another member’s cell phone to arrange for an unlicensed taxi ride. Victim 2 arrived with another passenger, Victim 3. Cruz-Flores asked Victim 2 to drive to the area of the 700 block of Annapolis Neck Road in Annapolis. When they arrived, another MS-13 member approached the vehicle and pointed a gun at the victims and Cruz-Flores also produced a gun and pointed it at the victims. Victim 3 attempted to run away and Cruz-Flores shot Victim 3 in the leg, while another MS-13 member repeatedly attacked Victim 3 with a machete. Victim 2 also tried to run. Co-defendant Manuel Martinez-Aguilar and another MS-13 member took Victim 2’s vehicle and attempted unsuccessfully to run him over with the car. Two MS-13 members chased Victim 2 and repeatedly struck Victim 2 with a sharp instrument, causing stab wounds. The conspirators fled when they heard police sirens. Both victims were transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with life threatening injuries. Both victims survived but have permanent injuries as a result of the attack.
Co-defendants Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, a/k/a “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” age 20, and Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 22, both of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge. Martinez-Aguilar was subsequently sentenced to 24 years in federal prison. Co-defendant David Diaz-Alvarado, age 20, also of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with their MS-13 gang activities. A fourth co-defendant, Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, age 21, of Annapolis was convicted on October 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering after an 11-day jury trial. The final defendant is scheduled to go to trial next year. All of the defendants remain detained.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, ATF, Anne Arundel Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, and Anne Arundel State’s Attorney Office. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig, Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Mildenberg, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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35 Indicted Federally for Methamphetamine Conspiracies Directed from Prisons as Part of Larger InvestigationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – As a result of a year-long investigation targeting the drug-trafficking activities of the Southside Locos Gang and members of its leadership who are currently incarcerated, thirty-five individuals have been charged in federal indictments unsealed yesterday for drug trafficking offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. A number of these defendants have been charged with attempting to distribute multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as heroin, from sources in Mexico, coordinated by individuals in prison who were communicating on contraband cell phones. Additional individuals have been charged federally as a result of this investigation, and others will be subject to state prosecution. As of today, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers have arrested a majority of the defendants, a portion of which were already in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections or local jails.
United States Attorney Downing commented: "This investigation illustrates the threat that contraband cell phones in prisons pose. All levels of government have been working to reduce and ultimately eliminate this threat. For the time being, we will continue to pursue drug traffickers both on the streets and behind prison walls."
"The FBI continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners to combat illegal gang activity and drug trafficking throughout Oklahoma and in the state prison system," said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Division. "These arrests should remind those who prey on our communities, even while incarcerated, that the FBI and law enforcement will not tolerate your behavior and you will be brought to justice."
Two federal indictments were unsealed yesterday. According to one of those (No. CR-19-373-F), incarcerated members of the conspiracy, including Gonzalo Baeza, Jose Hernandez, Eduardo Rosales, Douglas Smart, and John Heavener, served as the organizational hub of illegal drug activity. They allegedly used cell phones to instruct couriers to store drugs for them in the couriers’ vehicles or homes and to deliver distribution quantities to buyers. They are also alleged to have used cell phones to direct third parties to collect and store proceeds of their drug trafficking. According to the indictment, Baeza and Rosales were trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine into the United States directly from their contacts in Mexico. Methamphetamine was allegedly stored at the home of Christian Baeza in Oklahoma City. The indictment explains that law enforcement uncovered the structure and details of the conspiracy through judicially authorized wiretaps on contraband cell phones being used in Oklahoma Department of Corrections penal institutions.
A second indictment unsealed yesterday (No. CR-19-372-F), also the result of wiretaps, describes a similar distribution network coordinated through contraband prison cell phones belonging to Ramon Dominquez, Douglas Smart, and Jose Hernandez. This conspiracy allegedly used the structure of the Southside Locos Gang to facilitate drug distribution by members and affiliates of the gang who were not incarcerated and who functioned as couriers. According to the indictment, some conspirators conducted “enforcement” work by committing acts of violence to collect drug debts, acquire new drugs, or protect assets. Conspirators stored methamphetamine and heroin at three residences in Oklahoma City.
Each of yesterday’s indictments charges one count of conspiracy, dozens of counts of distribution or possession with intent to distribute, multiple counts of using a communication facility to facilitate drug distribution, and one or more counts of maintaining drug-involved premises. Sharlene Cash is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. If found guilty of conspiracy, each defendant faces up to life in prison and a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years, as well as supervised release of up to life and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Convictions on counts charging distribution or possession with intent to distribute would carry maximum sentences of 20 years, 40 years, or life, depending on the drug amounts alleged in each count. Each count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug felony would carry a maximum sentence of four years. Conviction on the counts charging maintaining a drug-involved premises would carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. A finding of guilt on the firearm count would carry a mandatory term of imprisonment of five years, to be served in addition to any other imprisonment imposed.
Additional federal indictments in this investigation include CR-19-153-PRW, CR-19-183-PRW, CR-19-202-HE, and CR-19-203-G.
In addition to those previously arrested, officers from a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies executed a coordinated series of arrests and searches throughout Oklahoma City and Red Oak, Oklahoma, on the morning of December 5th. Including first responders, more than 100 personnel were involved in the operation. This takedown resulted in the arrest of 25 federal and state defendants. Some of the federal defendants were arraigned during the afternoon of December 5 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin.
Defendants Deany Nava, Ema Chavez, Hannah Shemberger, Jackie Knight, Jennifer Dawn Cuccaro, Rhiannon Faith Jones, Sharlene Cash, Shawn Lyons, and Willie Potter have not been apprehended and are considered fugitives.
Throughout the course of arresting defendants during various operations, law enforcement officers seized a total of more than 111 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately eight pounds of heroin, 216 grams of cocaine, 34 firearms, and approximately $200,000 in U.S. currency. Furthermore, coordination with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General, resulted in the seizure of approximately nine contraband cell phones and five dangerous weapons from incarcerated individuals associated with the charged conspiracies.
The following agencies assisted in bringing these defendants into custody and searching locations associated with them:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Field Office
- Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations
- Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
- Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General
- Oklahoma City Police Department
- Latimer County Sheriff’s Office
- Midwest City Police Department
- Moore Police Department
- University of Oklahoma Police Department
- Norman Police Department
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Field Office; the Oklahoma City Police Department; the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which coordinates the investigation and federal prosecution of the highest priority drug trafficking organizations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Harley and David McCrary.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public filings for more information.
12 Charged with Narcotics Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury recently returned a 13-count indictment against 12 individuals for drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. The defendants are:
Carlos Javier Felix Lopez, 42, of Fresno,
David Michael Marin, 61, of Fresno,
Angel Delgadillo Sr., 62, of Fresno,
Ronal Van Warsinger, 35, of Fresno,
Demar Edward Marshall, 32, of Fresno,
Quintin Brown, 45, of Fresno,
Kenneth Lorenzo Pratt, 28, of Seattle, Washington
Armando Acosta Toro, 62, of Fresno,
Rodrigo Savalza, 54, of Salinas,
Jose Guadalupe Bojorquez, 40, of Fresno,
Monica Gutierrez, 37, of Mendota,
Julio Cesar Moreno Garcia, 42, of Hesperia.
According to court documents, Lopez was a large-scale broker and distributor of controlled substances operating in the Fresno area. Lopez utilized a network of drug trafficking associates throughout California (including in Fresno County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Monterey County) and in Mexico to source, transport, and distribute controlled substances on his behalf.
Lopez conspired with two drug traffickers based in Mexicali, Mexico to supply him with kilogram quantities of narcotics for further distribution to his wholesale customers, including Marin, Toro, and Savalza, in Fresno County, Monterey County, and elsewhere. Lopez conspired with Gutierrez to store and distribute narcotics on his behalf in Fresno County and utilized Bojorquez to transport narcotics from Southern California to the Central Valley of California for further resale by Lopez. Moreno Garcia conspired with Lopez and one of the Mexican sources of supply to distribute narcotics to Gutierrez and Savalza.
Marin, a wholesale distributor of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and prescription pain pills (including oxycodone), obtained narcotics from a variety of sources, including Lopez, Delgadillo, and Toro, and distributed them to drug dealers based in Fresno, Washington and elsewhere. Marin conspired with Warsinger and Marshall to distribute cocaine in Fresno, and conspired with Brown, Pratt, and others to distribute prescription pills, including Oxycodone, in Washington and elsewhere.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fresno Police Department’s Major Narcotics Unit with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the United States Marshals Service, the California Department of Justice HIT Team, the Kings County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, the Salinas Police Department, and the El Monte Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of maximum sentences, including up to life in prison. Several of the defendants also face a range of mandatory-minimum sentences ranging from between five to 10 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
5 December 2019
“SCO” Gang Associate Admits Trafficking HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Allegheny County pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Justin Law, age 30, formerly of Wilkinsburg, PA, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock section of Pittsburgh. Law and other individuals were identified as members or associates of a neighborhood based street gang, self-titled "SCO", which illegally distributed controlled substances in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through May of 2019.
As to Law, the Court was informed that intercepted communications confirmed that Law was conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances. Law admitted, in conjunction with his guilty plea, that he is an associate of one of the main members of the conspiracy and of "SCO." The Court was further informed that Law was a fugitive from June 12, 2019, when law enforcement executed numerous federal arrest and search warrants, until October 3, 2019, when he was arrested by the United States Marshals Western District of Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force. Law accepted responsibility for the distribution of at least 100 but not less than 400 grams of heroin.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for Wells on May 11, 2020, at 9:00 AM. The law provides for a sentence of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Law remains detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies include the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.
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.
Waterbury Grocery Store Worker Sentenced to 33 Months for Defrauding Federal Food Stamp Fraud ProgramRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MUHAMMAD SHAHBAZ, 50, a citizen of Pakistan last residing in Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment for defrauding the federal food stamp program.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”) is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power. SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items. Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items. SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shahbaz worked at WB Trade Fair Grocery, located at 43 Willow Street in Waterbury. Shahbaz was related to the store owner and often worked shifts later in the day. In 2015 and 2016, Shahbaz and others illegally allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other ineligible items, including cigarettes, a tall glass bong and other items. Shahbaz charged the customers’ food stamp cards approximately double the value for these illegal transactions.
Given the stock of eligible food items at the store, the number of registers and the customer amenities, it is estimated that WB Trade Fair Grocery could lawfully redeem, at most, between $120,000 to $240,000 per year in food stamp benefits. However, during an approximately 18-month period in 2015 and 2016, food stamp redemptions at the store totaled approximately $3.2 million.
Judge Bryant ordered Shahbaz to pay approximately $1.5 million in restitution
Shahbaz was arrested on July 31, 2017. On June 14, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of food stamp fraud.
Shahbaz, who was released on bond, was remanded to custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Raul Carlos Monarca-Gonzalez, Tallat Mahmood and Tahir Shahzad, who all who worked at WB Trade Fair Grocery, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to their participation in this scheme. Monarca-Gonzalez and Mahmood were each sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment and restitution of approximately $1.5 million. Shahzad awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia King and Neeraj Patel.
Warwick Fugitive Arrested in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Warwick man convicted in June 2010 on federal drug and firearm charges and sentenced in September 2010 to 151 months in federal prison has been arrested by members of the United States Marshals Service San Diego Fugitive Task Force on a federal arrest warrant issued in Rhode Island for allegedly violating the terms of his federal supervised release.
It is alleged that on November 26, 2019, Derrick Watters, 42, assaulted his girlfriend and prevented her from using her cell phone to call police for assistance. A subsequent investigation by Warwick Police resulted in the seizure of a firearm and ammunition from the residence allegedly belonging to Watters. Watters fled the residence prior to the arrival of Warwick Police.
Members of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force and Warwick Police worked through the Thanksgiving holiday into this week and tracked Watters to Oceanside, CA. On Wednesday, members of the San Diego Fugitive Task Force apprehended Watters in Oceanside. He is being held at the Western Region Detention Center Facility in San Diego, CA.
Watters is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in San Diego later today.
Watters is charged by Warwick Police with domestic assault - strangulation, refusal to relinquish a telephone, simple assault, disorderly conduct, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Watters’ arrest is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, United States Marshal Wing Chau, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Rick Rathbun.
The Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force is co-led by the United States Marshal Service and the Rhode Island State Police, and includes members of the Warwick, Pawtucket, Coventry, Cranston, Providence, Portsmouth, Middletown, and East Providence Police Departments.
The matter of Watters allegedly violating the terms of his federal supervised is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
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Waco Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Waco, Texas, tax return preparer was sentenced to 27 months in prison today for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment and information provided to the court, Janell Lightner and her co-defendant Stacey Anderson conspired to defraud the United States by preparing false tax returns for clients of Anderson’s tax return preparation business, Anderson Professional Tax Services. Anderson operated the business out of her residence in Waco, but she and Lightner prepared tax returns for clients in Texas, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. From 2013 through 2014, Lightner assisted Anderson in preparing fraudulent returns that inflated deductions and claimed false education credits in order to increase client refunds. Lightner’s conduct caused a tax loss of more than $1.3 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright ordered Lightner to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $1,337,800.88. Anderson was previously sentenced on Oct. 9, 2019, and ordered to serve 87 months in prison and to pay more than $8 million in restitution to the United States.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and David Zisserson, who prosecuted the case. Mr. Zuckerman also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas (Waco Division) for their substantial assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Virginia Man Indicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced the indictment of Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, of Roanoke, Virginia, who has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Langhorne was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, on Nov. 15, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he has been ordered detained pending trial.
According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Langhorne has been a follower of ISIS since 2014 and has recently publicly reaffirmed his support for ISIS. Beginning in February 2019, Langhorne began communicating with an undercover employee (UCE) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS. Langhorne told the UCE about his plans to create and disseminate an instructional video on making a deadly explosive – triacetone triperoxide, also known as “TATP” – and sought the UCE’s assistance in creating the video. Langhorne told the UCE that, in order to ensure that the video was not removed from the internet by service providers, the video should include disclaimers advising that it was intended for educational purposes. However, Langhorne informed the UCE that his true purpose in making and distributing the video was to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP and use it for terrorism-related purposes in support of ISIS.
The FBI produced a video in accordance with Langhorne’s instructions, but – unbeknownst to Langhorne – it featured an inert chemical formula for TATP that would not produce an explosion. In November 2019, the UCE provided versions of the TATP video to Langhorne, and Langhorne distributed the video by uploading it to a video-sharing website.
An indictment is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. If convicted, Langhorne faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI, including agencies participating in the Northeast Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force. Investigative support was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Virginia Man Indicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – The Department of Justice announced the
indictment of Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, of Roanoke, Virginia, who has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Langhorne was arrested in Roanoke, Virginia, on Nov. 15, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he has been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Langhorne faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.According to an affidavit supporting the
criminal complaint , Langhorne has been a follower of ISIS since 2014 and has recently publicly reaffirmed his support for ISIS. Beginning in February 2019, Langhorne began communicating with an undercover employee (UCE) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS. Langhorne told the UCE about his plans to create and disseminate an instructional video on making a deadly explosive – triacetone triperoxide, also known as “TATP” – and sought the UCE’s assistance in creating the video. Langhorne told the UCE that, in order to ensure that the video was not removed from the internet by service providers, the video should include disclaimers advising that it was intended for educational purposes. However, Langhorne informed the UCE that his true purpose in making and distributing the video was to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP and use it for terrorism-related purposes in support of ISIS.The FBI produced a video in accordance with Langhorne’s instructions, but – unbeknownst to Langhorne – it featured an inert chemical formula for TATP that would not produce an explosion. In November 2019, the UCE provided versions of the TATP video to Langhorne, and Langhorne distributed the video by uploading it to a video-sharing website.
An indictment is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, including agencies participating in the Northeast Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force. Investigative support was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against West Point Staff Sergeant for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of PATRICK EDWIN GORYCHKA for distributing child pornography. GORYCHKA was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith McCarthy in White Plains federal court and released on bail.
According to the Complaint[1] filed yesterday in White Plains federal court:
In October 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) received information from an FBI Online Undercover Employee (“UC-1”) concerning UC-1’s communications with an individual using the Kik user name “epg84” (“User-1”) in a Kik chat room known to be frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. UC-1 identified himself as a 48-year-old uncle who had engaged in sex acts with his niece. User-1, who identified himself as “Eric G.,” asked UC-1 for photos of UC-1’s niece. UC-1 told User-1 that UC-1 had met a “pedo mom” (“UC-2”) in New York. UC-1 told User-1 that “she keeps kids of illegals while they work for a couple weeks” and “makes some $ on the side.” User-1 stated, “Omg that’s hot” and asked UC-1 to connect him to UC-2.
Thereafter, UC-2, going by the name “Jane,” and User-1 engaged in numerous communications from in or about October 31, 2019, through in or about November 16, 2019. During these communications, User-1 said he was interested in “preteens” and told UC-2, “I heard that you could potentially facilitate certain things.” User-1 said that he was interested in a “similar setup” as UC-1 and told UC-2, “I have money.”
On November 2, 2019, User-1 transmitted two links to Mega, a New Zealand-based cloud storage platform that permits users to store and share ESI, including images and videos. [2] Both links contained numerous images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit activity.
* * *
GORYCHKA, 37, of New Windsor, New York, is charged with one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the efforts of the FBI, West Point’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Town of New Windsor Police Department, in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] With respect to Mega, a user can send a link to a Mega cloud account to another person. Once the link to the Mega cloud account is transmitted, the person who clicks on the link to the cloud account can access, view, and download the files contained in that Mega cloud account.
Two Plead Guilty to Smuggling More Than $1 Million in to St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that Jose Ernesto Vazquez Colon and Abnel Belordo Colon pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle over $1 million into St. Thomas by boat.
According to court documents filed in the case, late in the evening of September 20, 2019 CBP Marine Unit agents noticed a boat traveling without navigational lights about three miles north of Savana Island. When CBP attempted to initiate a stop, the two individuals on the boat began throwing bags overboard, and these were later found to contain over $1 million in cash. After CBP agents disabled the boat’s motor they boarded and found, in addition to the two defendants, multiple dumbells with ropes attached. According to the affidavit filed in the case, these are often used to ensure that any contraband materials thrown overboard will sink to the bottom, so that they can be picked up later using GPS.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Sleeper and Nathan Brooks. The defendants will be sentenced at a later date.
Twelve Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Charged in Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Twelve defendants were indicted on narcotics trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum S. King. The indictment follows the arrest of several defendants on November 19, 2019, and the execution of search warrants at eleven locations, including ten residences in Sonoma County.
In addition to the arrests and execution of search warrants, law enforcement officials seized more than approximately 25 kilograms of methamphetamine over the course of the investigation.
Eleven of the 12 defendants named in the indictment originally were charged by complaint. According to the now-unsealed complaints, law enforcement agencies have been investigating the drug trafficking activities of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) headed by Eduardo Guzman, who was arrested on November 19, 2019. The complaints describe the controlled purchases of drugs from the conspirators by an undercover officer and an informant acting under law enforcement supervision and telephone communications intercepted pursuant to court orders. The complaints allege that law enforcement officials made seizures of drugs, including the seizure of approximately 11 ½ pounds of methamphetamine on October 15, 2019. According to the complaints, communications were intercepted revealing that customers ordered and received drugs from the DTO and sometimes complained about the quality and quantity of the drugs they had purchased.
The following defendants were charged in the indictment:
Defendant
Age/Residence
Charges
Maximum Penalties
EDUARDO GUZMAN TORRES,
a/k/a “Miguel” a/k/a “Mikey” a/k/a “Michael” a/k/a “Ramon Guzman-Jimenez” a/k/a “Fortino” a/k/a “Ramon Jimenez” a/k/a “Fabian Cisneros” a/k/a “Hernan Torres Garcia” a/k/a “Potes” a/k/a “Alex”
33 / Winton, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Counts 2-4, 6-9, 11-13, 17, 21-23)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
JUAN DIEGO GALLEGOS-MOYA
23 / Santa Rosa, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Counts 2-4, 6-7)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ERNESTO OCHOA
33 / Sacramento, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Counts 5, 14-15)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ALFREDO TAPIA SANDOVAL,
a/k/a “Fredi Tapia-Sandoval” a/k/a “Fredi”
20 / Windsor, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Counts 8-9, 11, 17)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
MARCOS ALVAREZ CORONA
20 / Sacramento, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Counts 10, 16, 18-19)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ANTONIO RAMIREZ-JIMENEZ
36 / Santa Rosa, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Count 20)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
JUAN CARLOS GUZMAN,
a/k/a “Jose Rosa-Perez”
30 / Winton, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Counts 21-22)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ANGEL RINCON-MENETA
27 / Winton, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Counts 21-23)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
MARIO LAST NAME UNKNOWN
Unknown / Unknown
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Count 23)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ADILENE RAMIREZ
27 / Keyes, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Count 24)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
ERICA LAGUNAS
36 / Stockton, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
Distribution of Controlled Substances (Count 24)
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Not less than 5 years imprisonment and up to life
$5 million
TERESA GUZMAN-RODRIGUEZ,
a/k/a “Mono” a/k/a “Monos”
38 / Winton, California
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (Count 1)
21 U.S.C. § 846
Not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life
$10 million fine
The indictment and complaints merely allege that crimes have been committed, and each defendant must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. These prosecutions are the result of investigations by the FBI in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, and Martinez Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, California Highway Patrol, California Counterdrug Task Force, Milpitas Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Offices of Marin, Contra Costa, and Merced Counties.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by member agencies of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Torrington Financial Advisor and Securities Broker Admits Misappropriating Client FundsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that LESTER BURROUGHS, 60, of Torrington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of wire fraud related to his misappropriation of approximately $575,000 from investment clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Burroughs was a registered securities broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Prior to November 2019, he was the owner of Burroughs Investment Group, a full-service financial consulting firm based in Torrington. Beginning in at least 2012 and continuing through 2019, Burroughs misrepresented to certain clients that their money would be invested in legitimate guaranteed investment contracts. Instead, he used his clients’ money to pay business expenses and other clients’ “guaranteed” investment returns.
Through this scheme, Burroughs defrauded three clients of a total of approximately $575,000.
When he is sentenced, Burroughs faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. As part of his plea, he has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $575,000 to the victims of his crime.
Burroughs is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not yet scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed related civil charges against Burroughs. (Securities and Exchange Commission v. Lester Burroughs, 3:19-cv-1913).
Three Men Charged with Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy, Agents Seize 14 Kilos of MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three men were charged in federal court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after federal agents seized 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Jose Alvarado, 26, Victor Gomez-Rendon, 28, and Enrique Antonio Herrera-Saucedo, 21, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri.
Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Alvarado, Gomez-Rendon, and Herrera-Saucedo participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Aug. 15 to Dec. 4, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Alvarado met with an undercover special agent on seven separate occasions and sold the undercover agent a total of approximately 925 grams of methamphetamine and 30 firearms. Alvarado agreed to sell a larger quantity of methamphetamine and more firearms, the affidavit says, telling the undercover agent that his supplier would be able to obtain 10 kilograms or more of methamphetamine.
On Dec. 4, Alvarado and the undercover agent met at a residence in the 2600 block of Cypress Avenue in Kansas City. Gomez-Rendon and Herrera-Saucedo arrived at the residence and delivered 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb Aponte, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Suspected Colombian cartel leader lands in US to answer international drug chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – An alleged ranking member of the Clan Del Golfo has been extradited to the United States to face numerous drug trafficking and money laundering charges, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Perrye K. Turner and DEA Acting SAC Steven S. Whipple.
Joaquin Guillermo David-Usuga aka “Guillermo,” 41, is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 2 p.m. today.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against him and others Aug. 16, 2018. Colombian authorities took him into custody in November 2018. He was extradited and landed in Houston yesterday
“Arrests like these are a direct result of what the president has reiterated we must do to immediately attack organizations that traffic narcotics and other criminality into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “Executive Order 13773 - Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking – prioritizes the need to increase cooperation and information sharing with foreign counterparts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations including drug cartels.”
David-Usuga is believed to be a ranking member of the Clan Del Golfo. The indictment alleges he is the cousin of Dairo Antonio Usuga David – the known supreme commander of the Clan Del Golfo and designated as one of DEA’s most wanted fugitives.
“David-Usugal is alleged to be the Clan del Golfo's chief drug trafficker and money launderer, but couldn’t escape the U.S. arm of justice. No one is untouchable, even in Clan del Golfo controlled-territory in rural Colombia,” said SAC Perrye K. Turner. “His arrest, and now extradition, fulfills the FBI and DOJ's permanent pledge to identify and disrupt the top suspected transnational criminal groups potentially threatening the health, safety and prosperity of the American people and its allies. Today's extradition is a result of the outstanding relationship and collaboration between FBI Houston, DEA and our international partners including the Colombian Army, Police and Prosecutor’s Office.”
“The arrest and extradition of David-Usuga is just another example of the highly effective cooperation between law enforcement in the United States and Colombia,” said Whipple. “DEA continues our global pursuit of suspected major drug traffickers who are believed to be profiting from the sale of dangerous drugs to our citizens and potentially threatening the security of our country.”
The indictment alleges David-Usuga was involved in the importation of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally and one count of international cocaine distribution.
David-Usuga was allegedly involved in an ongoing five-year conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Colombia to the United States. In May 2019, he and others participated in distributing approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia knowing it was to be imported into the United States, according to the allegations.
The Department of Justice designated Clan Del Golfo as one of the most serious transnational organized criminal organizations that threatens the United States.
The FBI and DEA led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. OCDETF’s principal mission is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in the extradition. The Justice Department also extends its gratitude to the government of Colombia for its cooperation and assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal Alaniz 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.Stoneham Man Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoneham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for drug trafficking involving fentanyl.
Alexis Baez, 52, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2019, Baez pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, fentanyl, two counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to court records, between February and April 2019, prior to Baez’s arrest, he engaged in six separate drug sales of fentanyl powder to an undercover law enforcement agent.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn, Stoneham, Milton, and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Possessing Fentanyl and a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Louis –Jeremy L. Dickerson, 25, of St. Louis County, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possessing fentanyl and a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Dickerson appeared today in front of United States District Judge John A. Ross.
According to court documents, Dickerson was involved in two separate instances where he possessed illegal drugs and firearms. On March 17, 2017, officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed Dickerson violate a stop sign. As the officers attempted to pull Dickerson’s vehicle over, he accelerated in an attempt to flee the officers, losing control of the vehicle and stroking cement barriers. He was taken into custody and had $1,086 in U.S. currency on his person. A 9mm semi-automatic pistol and plastic baggies with 124 clear capsules containing heroin were found in his vehicle.
On March 13, 2018, officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department identified a vehicle being driven by Dickerson that had been used to conduct illegal drug activity. Officers attempted to pull over the vehicle, but Dickerson drove in a reckless manner and collided with another vehicle which then went airborne into a third vehicle. Dickerson was arrested and had $1,968 in U.S. currency on his person. Search of the vehicle revealed a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and 173 clear capsules containing fentanyl.
These charges are a result of an investigation by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Steven Muchnick handled the case.
St. Croix Man Intercepted with Two Kilos Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine at Henry E. Rohlsen AirportRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Zion Hazel, 22, of St. Croix, pled guilty on December 4, 2019, in District Court to one count of Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
This federal offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of 5 to 40 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release for at least 4 years. Sentencing is set for April 3, 2020.
According to court documents, on April 12, 2018, Zion Hazel, along with co-defendant Don-Luke George, conspired to bring 2010 grams of cocaine (2.01 kilograms) into the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport with the intent to transport the cocaine to Miami via American Airlines flight #2227. Specifically, George, who was employed at the airport, smuggled four bricks of cocaine into the passenger waiting area of the airport, and delivered them to Hazel in the handicap stall of the men’s restroom. Hazel was a passenger on the outgoing American Airlines flight, but was intercepted with the cocaine prior to boarding his flight by Customs and Border Protection officers.
The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The cocaine was analyzed by the DEA Southeast Laboratory in Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
St. Croix Man Apprehended with 19 Kilos at St. Thomas Airport Sentenced to 51 Months for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Mikhail Munoz, 32, originally of St. Croix, was sentenced today for possessing with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Munoz to 51 months’ imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, during which he must complete 300 hours of community service.
According to court documents, on May 20, 2019, Munoz checked himself and a suitcase in for a flight bound from St. Thomas to Miami. When Munoz’s checked luggage passed through inspection with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), it set off an alarm, leading to the discovery of 18 "brick like" items, each of which was wrapped in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and vacuum-sealed. Each of the brick-like bundles contained a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine. Collectively, the bricks weighed approximately 19 kilograms.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the TSA, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
South Florida Man Sentenced to over Eleven Years in Prison in Connection with Torture and Kidnapping PlotRead the Press Release
Justin Boccio, 33, of Deerfield Beach, was sentenced today to more than 11 years in prison and ordered to pay $83k in restitution for his involvement in a torture and kidnapping plot. Boccio previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
According to court records, Boccio and co-defendant Serge Nkorina (“Nkorina”), along with others, plotted to kidnap and torture a victim in an attempt to obtain tens of thousands of dollars from him. To facilitate the kidnapping, on or about December 30, 2018, Nkorina and Boccio purchased supplies at a Home Depot in Broward County, Florida. On or about January 5, 2019, the two rented a van from Budget with Florida tag number GHPT19. Then, on January 14, 2019, Boccio entered the victim’s office and made false representations on paperwork inside of the victim’s office. Later that same day, January 14, 2019, Nkorina and Boccio intercepted the victim in a Walmart parking lot in Broward County, Florida. Nkorina and Boccio blindfolded the victim and forced the victim into the rental van. The kidnappers then transported their victim to a storage facility in Margate, Florida, in which they burned the victim’s hands with a blowtorch while threatening to kill him with a firearm and other weapons. The kidnappers demanded information about the victim’s home address, including access codes to the victim’s residence. On or about January 15, 2019, Nkorina visited the premises of the victim’s home while carrying a firearm. Ultimately, also on January 15, 2019, Nkorina and Boccio left the victim, with his hands and feet bound, in his vehicle, which they relocated to the parking lot of Cheetah Gentlemen’s Club in Broward County, Florida.
During today’s hearing U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga stated, “[Boccio] forgot his decency and his values when he participated in the torture of this innocent human being.” Judge Altonaga sentenced Boccio to a concurrent term of 135 months in prison, on each count of conviction, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. She also ordered that the defendant pay the victim $83,056.80 in restitution (Case No. 19-cr-20261).
Nkorina has not yet made his appearance in the South Florida case and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office in this matter. She thanked the Hallandale Beach Police Department for their assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa H. Miller in the Southern District of Florida.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.