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5 December 2019
Seven Ohio men sentenced to prison for crimes related to sexually abusing children, creating child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The lead defendant in a network of men charged federally for crimes related to the sexual abuse of two 10-year-old children was sentenced in U.S. District Court today.
William G. Weekley, 35, of Newark, was sentenced to 480 months in prison for producing and distributing child pornography and attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The investigation began when Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations Special Agent/FBI Task Force Officer Larry McCoy communicated undercover with Weekley online. From that initial investigation into Weekley, investigators were able to discover the additional defendants.
According to court documents, the defendants made online contact with each other and others who shared, or whom they believed to share, their sexual interest in minors, incest and child pornography.
After making initial contact through Craigslist, Weekley communicated with each of the other defendants on an ongoing basis through text and various other apps, including Wickr.
Weekley had access to a female child (Jane Doe), who was approximately 10 to 11 years old during the offenses detailed. Weekley sexually abused Jane Doe and created images and videos of the molestation, which he shared with others, including some of the co-defendants.
“The sentence Weekley received today is substantial and just,” U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. “Weekley committed one of the worst crimes one human can inflict upon another, and this district is now a safer place with him in prison.”
Others charged in this and related cases include:
Name
Age
City of residence
Offense
Sentence imposed
Timothy F. Sullivan
51
Canal Winchester
coercion/enticement
138 months in prison, seven years supervised release
Franklin Eugene Perry
64
Columbus
coercion/enticement
288 months in prison, seven years supervised release
Brian S. Perkins
43
Mt. Vernon
activities related to child pornography material
138 months in prison, seven years supervised release
Grant D. Michalski
30
Columbus
activities related to child pornography material
100 months in prison, 10 years supervised release
Eric A. Zevely
35
Columbus
production of child pornography
250 months in prison, 15 years supervised release
Jordan I. Makowski
33
Greenville
activities related to child pornography material
132 months in prison, 15 years supervised release
Weekley and Perry discussed sexually abusing Jane Doe together, and made plans for Perry to join Weekley in the sexual abuse of Jane Doe. Perry encouraged Weekley to continue abusing the victim and did eventually sexually abuse the victim together with Weekley.
Investigators found that Weekley discussed various sexual topics with Zevely. Further investigation revealed that Zevely sexually abused a different 10-year-old victim, who was not Jane Doe, and then took and sent photographs of that abuse.
Weekley and Sullivan communicated when Weekley responded to Sullivan’s online classified ad titled, “I AM LOOKING TO PRIVATELY MEET AN INCEST FAMILY. Mom son brother sister.” Weekley detailed his abuse of Jane Doe to Sullivan, and Sullivan repeatedly requested to join in the abuse and received pictures of the abuse.
Weekley and Perkins communicated when Weekley responded to Perkin’s online classified ad titled, “Dirty emails.” Weekley described to Perkins how he abused Jane Doe, and Perkins requested and received photographs from Weekley of that abuse.
Weekley also responded to a Craigslist ad posted by Makowski, which was titled “Perv guy.” Further investigation was initiated based on Makowski’s statement to Weekley that his sexual interest was “Younger the better. 0-9.” That investigation revealed that Makowski sought out and traded child pornography involving infants.
Weekly and Michalski also connected following a Craigslist ad that Michalski posted and thereafter communicated about interests in sexual topics like “family, forced” and “K9 and more.” Michalski possessed more than 1400 child pornography images, some involving children as young as two years. He had also communicated with others online about sexually abusing children.
“The investigation and prosecution of these seven men show the tremendous work that can be accomplished through the collaboration of all of our law enforcement partners,” DeVillers added “For people who commit crimes like these, this case shows that we will do whatever it takes to find you, and, when you are found, we will punish you accordingly.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of BCI agents like Larry McCoy who wade through the muck every day to intercept these predators and prevent further exploitation of innocent children,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Monsters like these aren’t hiding in the bushes, they are infiltrating our homes through the internet - and all parents need to be vigilant against these online threats.”
“While no amount of prison time can undo the serious harm inflicted by this defendant, today’s sentence should send a clear message to those who engage in such heinous acts that they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Vance Callender, HSI special agent in charge for Michigan and Ohio.
DeVillers was joined by Joseph M. Deters, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Vance Callender, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler and other members of the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in announcing the sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in these cases.
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Scheme to Purchase New Cars Using Stolen Identities Results in Two-Year Prison Term for Belleville WomanRead the Press Release
Kyetia M. Hines, 36, of Belleville, Illinois, has been sentenced to two years in prison on her convictions for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced Steven D.
Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The charges arise from a scheme to purchase new automobiles using stolen identities of other individuals.In October 2018, Hines submitted an online credit application, under the name of an individual whose identity had been stolen, to Jansen Chevrolet in Germantown, Illinois. Then, on Nov. 1, 2018, Hines went to Jansen Chevrolet and purchased a new Chevy Malibu using that stolen identity. For purposes of obtaining financing to purchase the vehicle, Hines provided the dealership with fraudulent documents containing the stolen names. One such document was a fake temporary Illinois driver’s license bearing Hines’ picture and the stolen name.
Co-defendant Tamecia C. Buckley, 36, of Belleville, Illinois, has also pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. At her plea hearing, Buckley admitted that she also purchased a car from Jansen Chevrolet using a stolen identity. Buckley is set to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2020.
Both the charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud carry maximum sentences of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years of imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the FBI’s Springfield Division – Fairview Heights
Resident Agency, the Illinois Secretary of State Police, and the Germantown, Illinois, Police
Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.Investigators recovered both of the fraudulently purchased vehicles and returned them to Jansen
Chevrolet. Employees of Jansen Chevrolet cooperated and assisted law enforcement officials during the investigation.
Russian National Charged with Decade-Long Series of Hacking and Bank Fraud Offenses Resulting in Tens of Millions in Losses and Second Russian National Charged with Involvement in Deployment of “Bugat” MalwareRead the Press Release
The United States of America, through its Departments of Justice and State, and the United Kingdom, through its National Crime Agency (NCA), today announced the unsealing of criminal charges in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Lincoln, Nebraska, against Maksim V. Yakubets, aka online moniker, “aqua,” 32, of Moscow, Russia, related to two separate international computer hacking and bank fraud schemes spanning from May 2009 to the present. A second individual, Igor Turashev, 38, from Yoshkar-Ola, Russia, was also indicted in Pittsburgh for his role related to the “Bugat” malware conspiracy. The State Department, in partnership with the FBI, announced today a reward of up to $5 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Yakubets. This represents the largest such reward offer for a cyber criminal to date.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Kelly for the District of Nebraska, FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary James A. Walsh of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and Director Rob Jones of the Cyber Crime Unit at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) made the announcement.
“Maksim Yakubets allegedly has engaged in a decade-long cybercrime spree that deployed two of the most damaging pieces of financial malware ever used and resulted in tens of millions of dollars of losses to victims worldwide,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “These two cases demonstrate our commitment to unmasking the perpetrators behind the world’s most egregious cyberattacks. The assistance of our international partners, in particular the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, was crucial to our efforts to identify Yakubets and his co-conspirators.”
“For over a decade, Maksim Yakubets and Igor Turashev led one of the most sophisticated transnational cybercrime syndicates in the world,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “Deploying ‘Bugat’ malware, also known as ‘Cridex’ and ‘Dridex,’ these cybercriminals targeted individuals and companies in western Pennsylvania and across the globe in one of the most widespread malware campaigns we have ever encountered. International cybercriminals who target Pennsylvania citizens and companies are no different than any other criminal: they will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.”
“The Zeus scheme was one of the most outrageous cybercrimes in history,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly. “Our identification of Yakubets as the actor who used the moniker ‘aqua’ in that scheme, as alleged in the complaint unsealed today, is a prime example of how we will pursue cyber criminals to the ends of justice no matter how long it takes, by tracking their activity both online and off and working with our international partners to expose their crimes.”
“Today’s announcement involved a long running investigation of a sophisticated organized cybercrime syndicate,” said FBI Deputy Director Bowdich. “The charges highlight the persistence of the FBI and our partners to vigorously pursue those who desire to profit from innocent people through deception and theft. By calling out those who threaten American businesses and citizens, we expose criminals who hide behind devices and launch attacks that threaten our public safety and economic stability. The actions highlighted today, which represent a continuing trend of cyber-criminal activity emanating from Russian actors, were particularly damaging as they targeted U.S. entities across all sectors and walks of life. The FBI, with the assistance of private industry and our international and U.S. government partners, is sending a strong message that we will work together to investigate and hold all criminals accountable. Our memory is long and we will hold them accountable under the law, no matter where they attempt to hide.”
“Combatting cybercrime remains a top national security priority for to the United States,” said INL Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Walsh. “The announcements today represent a coordinated interagency effort to bring Maksim Yakubets to justice and to address cybercrime globally.”
“This is a landmark for the NCA, FBI and U.S. authorities and a day of reckoning for those who commit cybercrime,” said NCA Director Jones. “Following years of online pursuit, I am pleased to see the real world identity of Yakubets and his associate Turashev revealed. Yakubets and his associates have allegedly been responsible for losses and attempted losses totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not a victimless crime, those losses were once people’s life savings, now emptied from their bank accounts. Today the process of bringing Yakubets and his criminal associates to justice begins. This is not the end of our investigation, and we will continue to work closely with international partners to present a united front against criminality that threatens our prosperity and security.”
Yakubets and Turashev Indicted in Relation to “Bugat” Malware
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned a 10-count indictment, which was unsealed today, against Yakubets and Turashev, charging them with conspiracy, computer hacking, wire fraud, and bank fraud, in connection with the distribution of “Bugat,” a multifunction malware package designed to automate the theft of confidential personal and financial information, such as online banking credentials, from infected computers. Later versions of the malware were designed with the added function of assisting in the installation of ransomware.
According to the indictment, Bugat is a malware specifically crafted to defeat antivirus and other protective measures employed by victims. As the individuals behind Bugat improved the malware and added functionality, the name of the malware changed, at one point being called “Cridex,” and later “Dridex,” according to the indictment. Bugat malware was allegedly designed to automate the theft of confidential personal and financial information, such as online banking credentials, and facilitated the theft of confidential personal and financial information by a number of methods. For example, the indictment alleges that the Bugat malware allowed computer intruders to hijack a computer session and present a fake online banking webpage to trick a user into entering personal and financial information.
The indictment further alleges that Yakubets and Turashev used captured banking credentials to cause banks to make unauthorized electronic funds transfers from the victims’ bank accounts, without the knowledge or consent of the account holders. They then allegedly used persons, known as “money mules,” to receive stolen funds into their bank accounts, and then move the money to other accounts or withdraw the funds and transport the funds overseas as smuggled bulk cash. According to the indictment, they also used a powerful online tool known as a botnet in furtherance of the scheme.
Yakubets was the leader of the group of conspirators involved with the Bugat malware and botnet, according to the indictment. As the leader, he oversaw and managed the development, maintenance, distribution, and infection of Bugat as well as the financial theft and the use of money mules. Turashev allegedly handled a variety of functions for the Bugat conspiracy, including system administration, management of the internal control panel, and oversight of botnet operations.
According to the indictment, Yakubets and Turashev victimized multiple entities, including two banks, a school district, and four companies including a petroleum business, building materials supply company, vacuum and thin film deposition technology company and metal manufacturer in the Western District of Pennsylvania and a firearm manufacturer. The indictment alleges that these attacks resulted in the theft of millions of dollars, and occurred as recently as March 19, 2019.
Yakubets Charged in Relation to “Zeus” Malware
A criminal complaint was also unsealed in Lincoln today charging Yakubets with conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with the “Zeus” malware. Beginning in May 2009, Yakubets and multiple co-conspirators are alleged to have a long-running conspiracy to employ widespread computer intrusions, malicious software, and fraud to steal millions of dollars from numerous bank accounts in the United States and elsewhere. Yakubets and his co-conspirators allegedly infected thousands of business computers with malicious software that captured passwords, account numbers, and other information necessary to log into online banking accounts, and then used the captured information to steal money from victims’ bank accounts. As with Bugat, the actors involved with the Zeus scheme were alleged to have employed the use of money mules and a botnet.
Yakubets and his co-conspirators are alleged to have victimized 21 specific municipalities, banks, companies, and non-profit organizations in California, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington, identified in the complaint, including multiple entities in Nebraska and a religious congregation. According to the complaint, the deployment of the Zeus malware resulted overall in the attempted theft of an estimated $220 million USD, with actual losses of an estimated $70 million USD from victims’ bank accounts. According to the complaint, Yakubets’ role in the Zeus scheme was to provide money mules and their associated banking credentials in order to facilitate the movement of money, which was withdrawn from victim accounts by fraudulent means.
An individual charged as John Doe #2, also known as “aqua,” was indicted in District of Nebraska in case number 4:11-CR-3074. The indictment in that case charges that individual and others with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and multiple counts of bank fraud related to the Zeus scheme. As alleged, the complaint unsealed today associates use of the moniker “aqua” in the Zeus scheme to Yakubets.
In case number 4:11-CR-3074, two of the co-conspirators of “aqua,” Ukrainian nationals Yuriy Konovaleko and Yevhen Kulibaba, were extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States. Konovalenko and Kulibaba both pleaded guilty in 2015 to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and have completed prison sentences that were imposed. Konovalenko and Kulibaba were previously convicted in the United Kingdom, after an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service, for their role in laundering £3 million GBP on behalf of the group responsible for the Zeus malware.
State Department $5 million USD Reward
The U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on Yakubets. Cyber threats are a top national security threat to the United States, and the Department of State’s TOC Rewards Program is one of the many tools used by U.S. authorities to bring significant cybercriminals to justice. Congress established the TOC Rewards Program in 2013 to support law enforcement efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the program in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies.
In addition to NCA, the law enforcement actions taken related to these two prosecutions were assisted by the efforts of law enforcement counterparts from The Netherlands, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh and Omaha Field Offices led the investigations of Yakubets and Turashev with assistance by the FBI’s Major Cyber Crimes Unit and Global Operations and Targeting Unit. The prosecution in Pittsburgh is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shardul S. Desai of the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the prosecution in Lincoln is being handled by Senior Counsel William A. Hall, Jr., of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven A. Russell of the District of Nebraska. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance throughout the criminal investigations. The Department’s National Security Division also provided investigative assistance.
The details contained in the indictment, criminal complaint and related pleadings are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rochester Man Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl That Led to A DeathRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tyler Taylor, 28, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at 70 Texas Street in Rochester. During the search, officers recovered approximately 655 decks of fentanyl, materials consistent with the packaging of narcotics, and a firearm, among other contraband.
On May 3, 2018, Taylor sold fentanyl that led to the overdose death of an individual identified as S.M.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Heroin Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Shaiquan Moran-Stenson, 23, of Lewiston, Maine, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 13 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on July 8, 2019, Moran-Stenson, a three-time convicted felon, was found in possession of marijuana as well as a .22 caliber revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition following a traffic stop in Rochester’s Marketview Heights neighborhood. As a convicted felon, Moran-Stenson is prohibited from legally possessing firearms. This is the defendant’s fourth felony conviction – his second gun felony, and his third drug felony.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Violent Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Readout of U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr's Visit to MexicoRead the Press Release
Earlier today, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr traveled to Mexico. Together with U.S. Ambassador Christopher Landau, Attorney General Barr met with Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Minister of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Secretary of Defense Luis Crescencio Sandoval Gonzalez, Secretary of the Navy Admiral Jose Rafael Ojeda Duran, Security Minister Alfonso Durazo Montaño and Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero to continue strengthening their bilateral law enforcement cooperation. Attorney General Barr also accompanied Ambassador Landau in a visit to Mexico’s National Shrine, Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Attorney General Barr with Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon at the Mexican Foreign Ministry ahead of their bilateral meeting
Attorney General Barr and Mexican Government counterparts discussed a broad range of issues including their shared commitment to protecting the security and safety of the citizens of both the United States and Mexico from transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) as well as how our countries work together to combat drug, human, and arms trafficking. They talked about the importance of targeting illicit financial networks and disrupting the illicit movement of cash, weapons, and drugs, combatting corruption, and strengthening cooperation on bringing members of TCOs to justice.
Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Attorney General Barr and U.S. Ambassador Landau
Attorney General Barr thanked the Mexican government for a number of recent matters, including the arrests of individuals suspected in the Nov. 4 murder of nine U.S. citizens in Northern Mexico and Mexico’s partnership in combatting illegal immigration at our shared border.
Secretary of the Navy Admiral Jose Rafael Ojeda Duran, Security Minister Alfonso Durazo Montaño, Attorney General Barr and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon
The U.S. law enforcement relationship with Mexico is one of our most important partnerships to combat trans-border crime. Continued collaboration and successful joint law enforcement programs between the United States and Mexico on justice matters remain a priority for the U.S. Government. Attorney General Barr looks forward to further dialogue on these important matters. He will brief President Trump tomorrow on the trip and make recommendations for next steps.
US Ambassador Landau, Attorney General Barr, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Secretary of the Navy Admiral Jose Rafael Ojeda Duran and Security Minister Alfonso Durazo Montaño
Attorney General Barr signs the guest book at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Attorney General Barr receiving a gift from Monsignor Salvador Martinez Avila, the Rector of the Sanctuary of the Basilica.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Heroin and Oxycodone in AlbanyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric Soto, age 37, of Queens County, New York, pled guilty today to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute over 800 grams of heroin, as well as Oxycodone pills, in June 2018 in Albany County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, and Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division.
In pleading guilty, Soto admitted that in June 2018, he travelled from New York City to the Capital Region on three occasions for the purpose of distributing both heroin and Oxycodone at various locations in the Capital Region, including in Colonie, Guilderland and Watervliet. On June 22, 2018, Soto was arrested in the parking lot of the Crossgates Mall in possession of 583 grams of heroin and 99 Oxycodone pills, which he intended to sell. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Soto faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $5 million, when he is sentenced on June 11, 2020 by Senior United States District Judge Fredrick J. Scullin, Jr. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Police Departments of Colonie, Guilderland and Watervliet. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Portland Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for possessing child pornography and violating his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Joseph Holland, 33, to a total of 65 months in prison—51 months for possessing child pornography, and 14 months for violating the conditions of supervised release to which he was subject following a prior federal conviction. He pleaded guilty and admitted the supervised release violation on May 15, 2019.
According to court records, in January of this year, Holland was on supervised release after completing an 82-month sentence for drug and firearm offenses. Another individual on supervised release admitted to a U.S. Probation Officer that he had been using Holland’s cell phone, and that he had seen images of nudes that he thought could be minors on the phone. A review of Holland’s phone revealed numerous child pornography images.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.
Pensacola Jury Convicts Man for Federal Theft of Trade Secrets and Online Extortion of Local CompanyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy J. Smith, 42, of Mobile, Alabama, was found guilty by a federal jury late Tuesday evening in the United States District Court in Pensacola of charges of theft of trade secrets and interstate extortionate communications. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the
Northern District of Florida, announced the verdict today.During trial, the jury received evidence that Smith was a software engineer in Mobile, Alabama.
StrikeLines, the victim in the case, is a Pensacola based company that uses commercial side scan sonar equipment to locate fishing reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and sells the coordinates using an interactive map on their website. StrikeLines also provides public coordinates for free to those interested in finding valuable spots to fish in the Gulf.The evidence showed that, between April and November 2018, Smith obtained private information valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars from the local company by using sophisticated cyber techniques in order to gain the trade secrets and decrypt information of the company from its website. After hearing how Smith stole private sonar coordinates of reefs, the jury received testimony and exhibits showing how Smith then tried to extort the two owners of StrikeLines for more valuable fishing coordinates. During this entire time frame, the victims did not even know who
Smith was or why he was trying to harm them.U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes very seriously cyber crimes of all kinds, ranging from protecting our national security to the secrets of private companies. In our increasingly online society, cyber security is vital to all of us as we conduct Internet transactions and conversations so that we can be confident our identities and personal information are protected. Our office is pleased that the jury held the defendant to account for victimizing a small local business.”
The maximum penalties Smith now faces are up to 10 years in prison for the theft of trade secrets, and up to 2 years in prison for interstate extortionate communications. The sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2020, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney
David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case as he is the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property
Coordinator and National Security Cyber Specialist for the Northern District of Florida.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Passaic County Man Charged with Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man has been indicted on charges of distributing, receiving, and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of West Milford, New Jersey, is charged by indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on Dec. 4, 2019, with one count of distributing child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. Tiedeman was initially charged by complaint in April 2019.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman used the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing network to distribute more than 50 video files and 100 image files containing images of child sexual abuse. On April 1, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tiedeman’s home and found approximately 6,800 unique still images and 120 unique videos containing images of child sexual abuse.
The distribution and receipt charges each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah A. Sulkowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Michael A. Orozco Esq., Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
Oxnard Man Indicted for Stealing Mail Truck from Kern County Post OfficeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Ryan James Taylor, 34, of Oxnard, charging him with burglary of a U.S. Post Office, mail theft, and theft of government property, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2018, Taylor forcibly broke into the Mojave Post Office in Kern County and stole mail that had been deposited at the post office as well as a U.S. Mail Truck.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente Tennerelli and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the burglary and stolen mail charges, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the stolen mail truck charge. Any sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Owners of popular Thai restaurant group sentenced to prison for using “zapper” software to cheat on state and federal taxesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Kent, Washington, couple were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to prison terms for their use of a tax zapper software to hide cash sales and reduce the taxes owed at their chain of Thai restaurants, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. CHADILLADA LAPANGKURA, 40, was sentenced to six months in prison, and PORNCHAI CHAISEEHA, 42, was sentenced to four months in prison after pleading guilty in August 2019 to conspiracy to defraud the government by hiding more than $1 million in income. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “They came to this country, a land of opportunity… and then didn’t pay their taxes, and got rich.”
“Use of this ‘tax zapper’ software not only cheats on state and federal taxes, it gives a business an unfair advantage over competitors who play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “These cases are time intensive to investigate, and I commend federal and state investigators for their work. These defendants thought with a computer key stroke they could get away with this fraud. They were wrong.”
According to records filed in the case, CHAISEEHA and LAPANGKURA were part owners of the chain that has Thai restaurants in Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. Some of the restaurants operated under the name “Bai Tong,” and some were called “Noi.” The restaurants used a point-of-sale computer system that included a “cash suppression” or “Zapper” software program that modifies the sales records by removing cash sales from the business records. Between 2010 and 2016, the two had the “Zapper” software operating at their Redmond and Tukwila, Washington, restaurants and at their Bend, Oregon, restaurant. The restaurants earned $1,034,750 in cash income that was never reported on state or federal tax returns, resulting in an agreed tax loss of $299,806. The pair also used the unreported cash to pay employees under the table, avoiding state and federal employment taxes. Finally, some of the cash proceeds were siphoned off to bank accounts in Thailand, and the existence of those accounts was not reported on their income tax returns.
“Ms. Lapangkura and Mr. Chaiseeha’s actions cheated their fellow taxpayers and community members,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “IRS-Criminal Investigation stands behind the honest business owners and other taxpayers in the community that pay their fair share. Today, Ms. Lapangkura and Mr. Chaiseeha were held accountable for their shameful conduct.”
LAPANGKURA was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, and CHAISEEHA must pay a $7,500 fine. Both must perform 80 hours of community service during a two-year period of supervised release following their prison terms. Because the couple has young children, the prison terms will be staggered so that one parent remains with the children.
The defendants have paid $299,806 in state and federal taxes as part of the criminal case. The IRS may also assess other taxes, penalties, and interest through its civil processes.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
Over 60 Members of Latin Kings ChargedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The East Coast and Massachusetts leadership of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queen Nation (Latin Kings), including more than 60 members and associates, face federal charges.
This morning, over 500 federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested dozens of Latin Kings members and associates and executed 31 search warrants at 24 locations.
According to court documents, the Eastern Region of the Latin Kings encompasses local chapters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and various other states along the eastern seaboard from Maryland to Florida. There are 11 active Latin Kings Chapters operating in Massachusetts: D5K (Boston), Morton Street Bricks (Boston), New Bedford, Springfield, Lynn/Salem, Chelsea, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, Fitchburg and within the Department of Corrections.
Criminal activity in the Eastern Region is led by Michael Cecchetelli, a/k/a “King Merlin, 40, of Springfield, who holds the title of Supreme East Coast Regional Overseer. Cecchetelli is alleged to be the conduit between each of the Eastern Region states and the Latin Kings national leadership in Chicago. He developed a leadership approach to the gang which has become a model for other Latin Kings regions of the country.
The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary, and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the criminal organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and is motivated by a desire to further its influence and to protect its turf from rival gangs. This has fostered a culture of institutional violence and secrecy.
During the four-year investigation, law enforcement developed evidence that the Latin Kings trafficked drugs, conspired to murder more than 10 victims, and committed violent crimes including numerous incidents of robbery, shootings, stabbings and witness intimidation.
The RICO conspiracy charge provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Depending on the drug quantity, the drug trafficking conspiracy and distribution charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years, 40 years, or life, a minimum of three, four or five years of supervised release and fines of $1 million, $5 million and $10 million. The charge of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a sentence of up to 10 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force, Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Cannon and Philip Mallard of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Addendum
The following defendants have been charged:
Number Defendant Role1
Michael Cecchetelli, King Merlin
East Coast Team,
East Coast Overseer
2
Esther Ortiz, Queen India
Meriden, CT
East Coast Team,
East Coast Crown Council Chairwoman
3
Hector Manuel Vega, King Demon
Britian, CT
East Coast Team,
Crown Council Member, CT
4
Jorge Rodriguez, King G
State Team, Cacique
Enforcer (Former)
5
Michael Marrero, King Clumsy
State Team, Enforcer
Regional Officer (Former)
6
Francisco Lopez, King Cisco
Chelsea, Mass.
State Team, Treasurer/Secretary
7
Gregory Peguero-Colon, King Trece
Springfield, Mass.
State Team,
Crown Council Chairman
8
Juan Liberato, King Prodigy
Haverhill, Mass.
State Team, Inca (Former)
9
Angel Roldan, King Big-A and Nelty
Lowell, Mass.
State Team, Cacique (Former)
Enforcer (Former)
10
Frutuoso Barros, King Fruity
DOC, Supreme Regional Officer
11
Sandra Correa, Queen Dream
Peabody, Mass.
DOC, Secretary (Former)
12
Shaun Harrison Rev
DOC, Member
13
Vincent Dzierwinski, King Vice
DOC, Member
14
Wilson Peguero, King Dubb
Dorchester, Mass.
D5K, Inca
15
Alexis Peguero, King Lexi/Looney
Dorchester, Mass.
D5K, Cacique
16
Matthew Palacios, King Nene
D5K, Enforcer
17
Steven Familia-Valdez, King Haze
Mattapan, Mass.
D5K, Member
18
Dante Lara, King Nasty
Providence, RI
D5K, Member
19
Robert Lara, King Rizz
Chelsea, Mass.
D5K, Member
20
Angel Abymael Ortiz, King Abby
Randolph, Mass.
D5K, Member
21
Angel Rodriguez, King Ace
Dorchester, Mass.
D5K, Member
Crown Council Chairman for Boston
22
Alexis Velasquez, King Booboo
Dorchester, Mass.
MSB, Inca
23
Angel Calderon, King Bam
MSB,
(Former) State Team Head of Security
24
Oscar Pena, King O-Block
D5K, Member
25
Jose Rodriguez, King Stutter
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Inca
26
Orlando Santiago-Torres, King Landi
New Bedford, Cacique
27
Robert Avitabile a/k/a Bobby
New Bedford, Associate
28
Taliyah Barboza, Queen Taliyah
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
29
Josue Carrasquillo, King Playboy
Springfield, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
30
Michael Cotto, King Gordo
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, (Former) Regional Officer
31
Juan Figueroa, King Pun
Dorchester, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
32
Issac Felix-Rivera, King Izzy
New Bedford, Member
33
Kevin Guadalupe, King Milly
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
34
Shelton Johnson, King Shells
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
35
Tyson Jorge, King Music
New Bedford, Member
36
Emanuel Lopez-Velez, King Manny
New Bedford, Probationary Member
37
Luis Mendez, King Primo
New Bedford, Member, Incarcerated
38
Raekwan Paris, King D-Bo
New Bedford, Member
39
Jayco Reyes-Smith, King Javy
Former New Bedford Member, now in North Carolina
40
Luis Santiago, King Tiny
New Bedford, Member, Incarcerated
41
Roberto Vargas, King Royalty
New Bedford, Member
42
Jose Vasquez, King Fearless
New Bedford, Member
43
Natanel Velazquez, King Nael
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
44
Israel Rodriguez, King Imperial
Lynn, Mass.
North Shore, Inca
45
Alfred Nieves, King Alfy
Lowell, Mass.
Lowell, Inca
46
Marlon Rivera, King Pluto
Fitchburg, Member
D5K, Founder
47
Ines Lugo, Queen China
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Secretary
48
Jeremia Medina, King Sweepy
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Enforcer
49
Bienvenido Nunez, King Apache
Enfield, CT
State Team, Inca
50
Tanairy Ruiz, Queen Tanairy
New Bedford, Mass.
New Bedford, Member
51
Xavier Valentin-Soto, King X
New Bedford, Member
(Former) Cascique, Incarcerated
52
Joel Francisco, King Casper
Rhode Island, Member
53
Eric Thomas, King E
Rhode Island, Inca
54
Alvin Mojica, King Humble
Worcester, Inca
55
Sophia Velasquez
56
Dairon Rivera, King Mafia
Fitchburg, Member
57
Hector Adorno, King Gordo
Springfield, Member
58
Jesus Diaz, King Kiko
N. Shore, Member
59
Henry Caribe, King 40cal
N. Shore, Member
60
Jonathan Cassiano, King Legend
Springfield, Member
61
Antoine Goodson
Associate, gun supplier to gang
62
Derek Southworth
Associate, gun supplier to gang
Omaha Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Dale Clayton Gaver III, 31, to a 60-month term of imprisonment today. Gaver, of Omaha, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana. After completion of his prison term, Gaver will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
In early 2019, investigators determined that Gaver was distributing cocaine, marijuana, and tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) cartridges used in vaping devices. During the search of his residence, investigators seized quantities of cocaine and marijuana, as well as $44,202.00 stashed in various places throughout the house. The cash was ordered forfeited to the United States at sentencing.
Gaver was interviewed and admitted to receiving multi-ounce quantities of cocaine on multiple occasions, which he then distributed to customers within the Omaha metropolitan area.
The case was primarily investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Omaha Police Department.
Old Orchard Beach Woman Sentenced to Prison for Social Security Fraud and Theft of Public MoneyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: An Old Orchard Beach woman was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Kelly L. McCabe, 36, to 12 months and one day imprisonment and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $101,400 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA). She pleaded guilty on April 25, 2019.
According to court records, McCabe applied for Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) on behalf of her two daughters, who were found eligible to receive such benefits in 2006 and 2008, respectively. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled, or elderly. Beneficiaries who are unable to care for themselves may seek the appointment of a representative payee who is responsible for spending the beneficiary’s benefits on their day-to-day needs. McCabe was appointed representative payee for her two daughters.
In 2012, McCabe lost custody of her daughters and they were placed into the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. After losing custody, McCabe continued to collect her daughters’ SSI benefits until July 2017, by concealing from the SSA her daughters’ absence from her home and her personal use of their benefits. McCabe was also a recipient of SSI benefits and her use of her daughters’ benefits reduced her eligibility to receive SSI benefits, resulting in an additional loss to the benefit program.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and the Fraud, Investigation and Recovery Unit of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case.
Norwich Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL HALL, also known as “Slugz,” 30, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for distributing narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the FBI, Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Hall received cocaine from a co-conspirator and then sold cocaine and crack cocaine to his own customers.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Hall and 12 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses.
Hall has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2019. On August 14, he pleaded guilty to one count of using a telephone to facilitate a narcotics trafficking offense.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and Norwich, Town of Groton and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore Police Department and Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
North Carolina Resident Sentenced to 19.5 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI, FL - Willie Dishon Matthew Obadiah, 32, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom to 235 months in prison today for sex trafficking a minor.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Juan J. Perez, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) made the announcement.
According to the court record, including the factual proffer in support of the defendant’s guilty plea, in February 2019, Obadiah met the minor victim through Facebook, and communicated with her via Facebook Messenger and text messages. At the time, both Obadiah and the minor victim lived in North Carolina, where he was already prostituting women. Through his communications with the victim, Obadiah learned that she was a minor. In fact, he asked her to send a photograph of her identification card to him. When he saw her age on the photograph, he sent her a message stating that he wished she had a “fake id” instead. Obadiah continued to communicate with the minor victim online, and learned that she was a runaway. While she was on the run, Obadiah agreed to pick up the minor victim. Shortly thereafter, he began prostituting the minor victim at various hotels, initially in North Carolina and then in Miami. Obadiah told the minor victim how much to charge for sex acts, how to deal with customers or “johns,” and what rules to abide by. Obadiah posted advertisements online for the minor victim, to which customers responded. Obadiah drove the minor victim to South Florida after a few days, where he prostituted her at hotels in Miami. The minor victim ran away from Obadiah, who returned to North Carolina, where he continued to prostitute women. He was arrested on April 19, 2019 by the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department.
In rendering the sentence imposed, Judge Bloom considered the significant mental and physical trauma incurred by the minor victim as a result of Obadiah’s crime. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for February 28, 2020.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case in partnership with the Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Human Trafficking Squad, International Rescue Committee, and Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). FBI Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina assisted with the case.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI Miami Child Exploitation Task Force, MDPD, International Rescue Committee, DCF, and all those who assisted in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Singh Johannes prosecuted this case.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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.
New Orleans Man Pleads to Five Counts of ArsonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that ARCHIE MORRIS, age 42, of New Orleans, pled to five counts of arson on December 3, 2019, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 844(i).
According to court documents, MORRIS started five fires at an apartment located at 2260 North Prieur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. On or about April 2, 2018, at two different times of the day, MORRIS started fires at this apartment. Then, on or about April 7, 2018, MORRIS set fire to this same residence at three different times of the day.
For each count of arson, MORRIS faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum of twenty years, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment, per count. U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey set sentencing for March10, 2020.
U. S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Fire Department, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Shipping Heroin to PlattsburghRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith M. Moses, age 31, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 43 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Joseph Cronin, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division; and Plattsburgh City Police Chief Levi J. Ritter.
As part of his plea, Moses admitted that between December 1, 2017 and September 5, 2018, he supplied approximately 455 grams of heroin for distribution in Plattsburgh. On approximately 65 occasions, Moses sent heroin through the U.S. Mail from New Jersey to a co-conspirator in Plattsburgh. Each of these packages contained, on average, 4.6 grams of heroin. Additionally, Moses and Darcy D. Briggs transported larger supplies of heroin on at least three occasions from New Jersey to the co-conspirator in Ulster County, New York. Each of these packages contained, on average, 23 grams of heroin. On approximately 20 occasions, the co-conspirator travelled to New Jersey to meet with Moses and receive heroin. Each of these packages contained, on average, 4.6 grams of heroin. The co-conspirator distributed the heroin in the Plattsburgh area and returned a portion of the drug proceeds to Moses.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also sentenced Moses to serve a 3-year term of supervised release once out of prison.
Briggs was sentenced on August 30, 2019 to 21 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Plattsburgh City Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
Neopit Man Indicted for Firearm Offense on the Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 3, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Ryan M. Hill (age: 39) of Neopit, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The indictment charged Hill with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). If convicted, Hill faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about September 13, 2019, the defendant possessed a Jimenez Arms, Inc., 22-caliber semiautomatic handgun at a location within the Menominee Indian Reservation. At the time, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department investigated the case, which will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Nebraska Corporation Sentenced to 3 Years of Probation and Fined $35,000Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Wild Willy’s Fireworks, LLC (“Wild Willy’s”), a corporation with its principal office in Springfield, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court today in Omaha for Falsifying Records in a Federal Investigation. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Wild Willy’s to three years of probation and a $35,000 fine. Wild Willy’s, through its representative and owner, Dan Williams, pleaded guilty to the crime on August 21, 2019.
On January 17, 2017, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) inspector traveled to Wild Willy’s facility in Springfield to conduct a workplace inspection. Dan Williams was not present when the inspector arrived. The inspector was not permitted to enter the Wild Willy’s facility. Williams spoke with the inspector over the telephone and agreed that the inspector would return the next day on January 18, 2017. Williams then traveled to the facility and instructed employees to perform tasks in preparation for the inspection. Williams contacted a forklift operator trainer to conduct forklift training for individuals at Wild Willy’s.
When the forklift trainer arrived, Williams advised him that there was insufficient time to perform the forklift training. Williams instructed the trainer to complete certificates for four individuals stating that each of them received the forklift training. The trainer completed certificates for the four individuals. Each of the certificates were back dated to September 28, 2015. Although each of the certificates indicated that forklift training occurred on September 28, 2015, none of the individuals received forklift training on that date.
On January 18, 2017, an OSHA representative requested copies of the forklift training certificates. An employee of Wild Willy’s emailed OSHA copies of the falsified certificates. Each of the certificates falsely represented that the individuals listed received forklift training on September 28, 2015.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Navajo Man Sentenced to 36-Months for Federal Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Harry Jim, Jr., 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Fruitland, N.M., was sentenced on Dec. 3, 2019, in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 36 months of imprisonment for his conviction on an assault resulting in serious bodily injury charge. Jim will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Jim was arrested on July 13, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and remained in custody since his arrest. Jim was indicted on Nov. 28, 2018. According to the indictment, Jim assaulted a man resulting in serious bodily injury on or about July 7, 2018, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
Jim pleaded guilty to the indictment on June 13, 2019. In his plea agreement, Jim admitted that he operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and caused a crash on the Navajo Nation. The crash caused a man in another vehicle to suffer a broken femur and finger.
The case was investigated by the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Farmington office of the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle.
Multi-Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Mario Tiller, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Specifically, Tiller pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 19, 2018, Pittsburgh Police surveilled the intersection of Federal Street and Eloise Street following citizen complaints of open-air drug trafficking in the area. During their surveillance, they saw the defendant sell suspected drugs to multiple people. Upon arresting Tiller, police seized over three dozen individually knotted bags of crack, $109 in U.S. currency, a Glock 9 millimeter pistol with six rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition in the magazine, an additional magazine containing 6 rounds of ammunition, a ZTE smart phone, and a pistol holder. The gun had been reported stolen that same morning. The court was further advised that Tiller had previously been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison, including two convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, two convictions for terroristic threats, and one conviction for theft by unlawful taking. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000, 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. Tiller remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, along with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tiller. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mexican illegal behind bars for running meth trafficking ringRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Mexican foreign national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to prison for conspiracy and meth smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for less than three hours following a three-day trial before convicting Rogelio Rivera Benito aka Mecanico Sept. 10.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed Benito a 292-month sentence. Also sentenced today was Mexican national Genaro Pavon Pena, 32, who previously pleaded guilty for his role as a fellow-cook and stash house operator in the conspiracy and testified at Benito’s trial. He was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. Both are expected to face removal proceedings following their sentences.
Another defendant - Edwin Sanchez-Villa, 27, of Houston, also previously pleaded guilty for his role as a transporter in the conspiracy and will be sentenced Dec. 13.
During trial, the jury heard testimony that Benito operated stash houses in Houston between July 2016 and late 2017. They used the stash houses to produce and distribute meth for distribution in Houston.
Benito removed gasoline tanks from vehicles coming from Mexico containing liquid meth, later processed into crystalized meth for distribution. Authorities seized 27 kilograms of meth April 4, 2017, directly tied to a stash house belonging to Pena. Testimony demonstrated Benito delivered at least 25 kilograms of meth he produced at his residence to the Pena residence before the seizure.
Authorities made five seizures in the course of the investigation which involved 135 kilograms of meth. Pena testified that the organization moved at least 500 kilograms of meth during the course of the conspiracy.
Benito and Pena have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Gallagher and Abe Martinez are prosecuting the case.
Meriden Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin into WaterburyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SUNJI CRAMER, 40, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury and Naugatuck Police Departments. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that a Waterbury-based drug trafficking organization was receiving large quantities of heroin and cocaine from various suppliers and distributing narcotics in and around Waterbury. Intercepted communications indicated that Cramer supplied approximately 100 grams of heroin to Domingo Alves, also known as “Mingo,” of Waterbury, knowing that Alves intend to the distribute the drug.
On March 13, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Cramer, Alves and 27 other individuals with various offenses related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.
Cramer and numerous codefendants were arrested on March 21, 2019. On that date, investigators seized approximately 3,000 bags of heroin, 400 grams of cocaine, 350 grams of fentanyl/heroin mixed, 400 grams of heroin, 10 grams of crack, 20 pounds of marijuana, fentanyl patches, a one-kilogram press, four handguns, approximately $120,000 in cash and four vehicles.
Cramer has been detained since his arrest. On September 9, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin.
Alves pleaded guilty on November 20, 2019, and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, Waterbury Police Department and Naugatuck Police Department, with the critical assistance of the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Menominee Man Indicted for Aggravated Assault on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 3, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Kurtis L. Peters, Jr. (age: 22), formerly of Keshena, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The indictment charged Peters with Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(6). If convicted, Peters faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about June 26, 2018, the defendant operated a motor vehicle while under the influence on a state highway within the boundaries of the Menominee Indian Reservation. Peters allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash and resulting in serious injury to a female passenger.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Menominee Man Indicted for Aggravated Assault on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 3, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Frank J. Sackatook (age: 38) of Green Bay.
The indictment charged Sackatook with Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(6). If convicted, Sackatook faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about October 17, 2019, the defendant struck a woman with his fists and repeatedly kicked her in the head with steel-toed boots, causing her to sustain bleeding on the brain requiring surgical intervention.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Menominee Man Charged with Sex Offenses for Separate Incidents on the Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments against Peter S. Awonohopay (Age: 37), charging him with sexual assaults on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Awonohopay, an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, resided in Keshena, which is on the Reservation.
The first indictment, returned on November 19, 2019, charged Awonohopay with Abusive Sexual Contact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2244(b) and 1153(a). If convicted, Awonohopay faces a maximum of four years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; from five years to life on supervised release; and a $100 special assessment. According to the November 19, 2019, indictment, on or about June 17, 2019, Awonohopay engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact with a female.
The second indictment, returned on December 3, 2019, charged Awonohopay with two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2243(c) and 1153. If convicted of the offenses in this indictment, on each count Awonohopay faces mandatory minimum sentences of ten years and up to 30 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; from five years to life on supervised release; and a $100 special assessment. According to the December 3, 2019, indictment, on two occasions in 2018 Awonohopay engaged in sex acts with a minor female who had attained the age of 12 years but was not yet 16 years of age.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the cases, with assistance from Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center in Green Bay. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the cases.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent, and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700
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Manhattan Doctor Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court of Accepting Bribes and Kickbacks from A Pharmaceutical Company in Exchange for Prescribing Fentanyl DrugRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction in Manhattan federal court of GORDON FREEDMAN for participating in a scheme to receive bribes and kickbacks in the form of fees for sham educational programs (“Speaker Programs”) from Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (“Insys”) in exchange for prescribing millions of dollars’ worth of Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray manufactured by Insys, among other offenses. The jury convicted FREEDMAN today on three counts, following a three-week trial before the U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “Today’s conviction, in addition to the prior guilty pleas in this case of four other prominent Manhattan doctors, underscores that this Office will hold any physician accountable when that physician’s medical judgment is compromised by the corrupting influence of money. As a jury of his peers has now found, Dr. Gordon Freedman sold out his patients by prescribing a powerful and dangerous fentanyl opioid in exchange for bribes from the pharmaceutical company that manufactured that drug.”
As reflected in the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial:
Insys manufactured Subsys, a powerful painkiller approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The FDA approved Subsys only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients. Prescriptions of Subsys typically cost thousands of dollars each month, and Medicare and Medicaid, as well as commercial insurers, reimbursed prescriptions written by FREEDMAN.
In or about August 2012, Insys launched a “Speakers Bureau,” purportedly aimed at educating practitioners about Subsys. In reality, however, Insys used its Speakers Bureau to induce doctors to prescribe large volumes of Subsys by paying them Speaker Program fees. At each Speaker Program, speakers were supposed to conduct a slide presentation for other health care practitioners regarding Subsys. However, many of the Speaker Programs led by the speakers paid by Insys were predominantly social affairs where no educational presentation about Subsys occurred. Attendance sign-in sheets for the Speaker Programs were frequently forged by adding the names and signatures of health care practitioners who had not actually been present.
FREEDMAN was a doctor certified in pain management and anesthesiology who owned a private pain management office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. FREEDMAN, who was also an Associate Clinical Professor at a large hospital in Manhattan (“Hospital-1”), received approximately $308,600 in Speaker Program fees from Insys in exchange for prescribing large volumes of Subsys.
In March 2013, a Regional Sales Manager for Insys sent an email to FREEDMAN informing him that he would receive more Speaker Programs in the coming months because Insys wanted prescriptions of Subsys to increase, and urging FREEDMAN to put more patients on Subsys. FREEDMAN responded, in part, “Got it,” and significantly increased his Subsys prescriptions in the following months, during which he received approximately $33,600 in Speaker Program fees.
In 2014, FREEDMAN’s prescriptions of Subsys rose even further, and he was the fourth-highest prescriber of Subsys nationally in the final quarter of 2014, accounting for approximately $1,132,287 in overall net sales of Subsys in that quarter alone. During 2014, FREEDMAN was the highest-paid Insys Speaker in the nation, receiving approximately $143,000.
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FREEDMAN, 59, who resides in Mount Kisco, New York, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison, one count of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential 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. FREEDMAN is scheduled to appear for sentencing before Judge Wood on March 19, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the FBI, and thanked HHS OIG and the New York City Police Department for their participation in the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah Solowiejczyk, David Abramowicz, and Katherine Reilly are in charge of the prosecution.
Mandeville Nurse Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Alter or Falsify Records in A Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that SUZANNE C. MAY, age 61, of Mandeville, pled guilty on December 3, 2019 to conspiracy to alter or falsify records in connection with a federal investigation, namely, a Medicare audit of a hospice facility located in New Orleans, identified in court documents as Company 1.
According to court documents, MAY was a registered nurse in the State of Louisiana and served as the administrator of Company 1. In 2015, Medicare audited Company 1 and concluded that Company 1 did not have the proper patient documentation to justify Company 1’s level of billing for hospice services. As a result, Medicare reversed all the claims for hospice services under review in that audit, which amounted to $383,107.26. In connection with that audit, Medicare sent an education letter to MAY regarding what was required of Company 1 in order to bill for hospice services.
In August 2017, Medicare performed another audit of Company 1 and requested patient documentation for 99 beneficiaries for whom Company 1 submitted claims for purportedly providing hospice care services. MAY was in charge of gathering the documents requested by the August 2017 audit. After reviewing Company 1’s files for these beneficiaries, MAY understood that Company 1 did not have the required records to justify Company 1’s billings to Medicare for purported hospice care services for the claims under review.
According to court documents, between August 2017 and October 2017, MAY admitted that she and other employees of Company 1 altered and falsified patient records to hide the fact that Company 1 lacked required medical records to justify bills submitted to Medicare for purported hospice services for the beneficiaries at issue in the audit. MAY admitted that she knew that Company 1 employees added the initials of deceased beneficiaries to certain paperwork that Medicare had requested in the audit. MAY also admitted that she placed white-out on one patient record and created a false note on that record indicating she treated the patient as a nurse in November 2014. MAY caused the falsified patient records to be submitted to Medicare in response so Company 1 would pass the audit. Despite the falsifications, Medicare nonetheless determined that Company 1’s patient records were still largely deficient.
MAY faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervised release in addition to a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their work investigating the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh.
Man Pleads Guilty to Interfering with a Japan Airlines Flight CrewRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaclyn Stahl (619) 546-8456
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 5, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Wei Sing Goh, a Malaysian citizen, pleaded guilty in federal court this week to interfering with an airplane flight crew.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, Goh boarded Japan Airlines Flight JL66 in Narita, Japan and landed at the San Diego International Airport on August 13, 2019 at 11:56 am. Approximately one hour into the flight, Goh began consuming alcohol and became agitated and unruly.
During the flight Goh left his seat several times, disturbing passengers and flight crew members. He also refused to comply with flight crew members’ instructions. Goh shouted racial slurs and curse words, made inappropriate sexualized comments to a female flight crew member, and inappropriately touched a female flight crew member. At one point, Goh threw his drink at the man sitting behind him and struck the man in the head with a crumpled cup. After Goh was given several verbal warnings and a final written warning pursuant to Japan Airlines’ policy, he struck a flight crew member while other flight crew members, with the assistance of three passengers, attempted to subdue Goh.
Goh’s behavior interfered with the flight crew’s performance of their duties in several ways, including reducing the ability of the flight crew to perform safety checks and disrupting the normal meal service of the flight. The pilot and co-pilots had to communicate with the Japan Airlines Operation Center to discuss whether to divert the aircraft, which impeded the normal landing procedures for the plane.
“Crimes aboard aircraft put everyone in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We will do everything we can to prevent flight crew and travelers from becoming victims of physical violence, sexual assault, theft and other crimes that occur all too frequently at 35,000 feet. If you interfere with a flight crew, or commit a crime against a passenger, you are putting everyone at risk, and you are going to face consequences.”
“Safety on an airplane is important to all who fly,” said FBI SAC Scott Brunner. “A drunk, abusive passenger acting out against other passengers and the flight crew is not merely an inconvenience, but a serious threat to the safety of everyone on the flight. This sort of abusive and threatening behavior will not be tolerated and constitutes a federal crime that the FBI will investigate fully to protect the flying public. May this case serve as a warning to others.”
This case was investigated by the San Diego FBI Port of Entry Team and the U.S. Attorney's Office, with support from San Diego Harbor Police, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Other agencies supporting the FBI Port of Entry Team include the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, and San Diego Port Authority.
Goh is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia on March 2 at 9:00 am.
DEFENDANT Case No. 19-CR-3515-AJB
Wei Sing Goh Age: 20 Malaysia
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Interference with flight crew members and attendants, in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46504.
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Harbor Police
Customs and Border Protection
Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Marriage Fraud and Making a False Statement in an Immigration MatterRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that, EDWARD KUMI ANGUAH, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was convicted in federal court following a two-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. ANGUAH was convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, and making a false statement in an immigration matter.
The jury heard evidence that ANGUAH, a Sergeant in the U.S. Army conspired with foreign nationals to engage in fraudulent marriages with U.S. Army soldiers. By marrying the soldiers, the foreign nationals sought legal status in the United States to which they were not entitled. Additionally, ANGUAH filed a false statement with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of one of the foreign nationals.
ANGUAH faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Bragg, and the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office conducted this enforcement operation. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Diaz represented the government.
Lockport Man Going to Prison for Two Decades for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Oliver Kimmons, 52, of Lockport, NY, who was convicted of sex trafficking, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan A. Tokash, Douglas A.C. Penrose, and Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that over the course of three years, the defendant solicited and coerced young and opiate-addicted women to have sex with paying customers in exchange for drugs. Kimmons drove the victims to Western New York farms, dairies, and Indian reservations where they engaged in sex acts with paying customers. The defendant collected the money from customers and then “paid” his victims in heroin. Kimmons also had sex with the victims in exchange for drugs.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Sherriff’s Office and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Voutour; the Erie County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Steven Preisch; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Kevin Kelly.
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Local woman charged with embezzling thousands from her jobRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 67-year-old Houston resident is set to appear in federal court for her alleged role in an embezzlement scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The criminal information, filed Nov. 25, charges Beverly Davis with embezzlement and theft of Labor Union assets. She is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan today at 10 a.m.
The charges allege Davis was an employee of Communications Workers of America Local 6222 in Houston from 2010 to 2017. She allegedly used union funds to pay for personal expenses and other unauthorized charges. By the time she ceased doing so in 2017, she had embezzled union funds in the amount of $85,536.77, according to the allegations.
If convicted, Davis faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $10,000 maximum fine.
The U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Labor Management Standards conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
A criminal information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Leaders of Latin Kings Set Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Racketeering, Narcotics, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Dermot F. Shea, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), John B. Devito, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and Geraldine Hart, the Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department (“SCPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 17 defendants with committing various racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses in Manhattan and the Bronx. Ten of the defendants were arrested today and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses in Manhattan federal court. Three of the defendants are already in state custody and will be presented at a later date. Four defendants remain at large. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants in this case include high-ranking members of a violent set of the Latin Kings gang. They are alleged to have engaged in acts of violence, robberies, narcotics trafficking, and the use of firearms. Thanks to the efforts of our partners at the FBI, NYPD, ATF, and SCPD, the defendants now face federal charges for these very serious crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Rounding up these alleged gang members is more than just removing violent criminals from the streets they believe they control. They’re pushing and selling drugs that are killing thousands of people each year in our country, adding to the epidemic tearing apart families and communities. Our work today, and the work we will continue to do tomorrow on our FBI Metro Safe Streets Gang Task Force, is vital to combating the spread of these drugs, and crucial to saving people’s lives.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito said: “The defendants are alleged to have conspired on, threatened and committed numerous acts of violence to influence and control their members and enforce the territorial boundaries of their illegal narcotics operations. Thankfully through the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners this operation has been disrupted and dismantled. We will stand with all of our local, state and federal partners to see that these violent gangs are eradicated from our communities. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
SCPD Commissioner Geraldine Hart said: “More than a dozen alleged violent gang members are now off the streets thanks to the collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners. As alleged, these criminals have zero consideration for the well-being of anyone, inside or outside their gang, distributing narcotics and possessing firearms in an attempt to instill fear in our communities. We will continue to work together with our partner agencies to rid our communities of violent street gangs.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot F. Shea said: "Targeting and dismantling gangs and crews, and preventing the violence so often associated with their illegal activities, continues to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD. We continue to relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest, and build the strongest possible cases to hold to account anyone who involves themselves in such behavior."
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and statements made in court[1]:
CARMELO VELEZ, a/k/a “Jugg,” CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Taz,” LUIS SEPULVEDA, a/k/a “Red,” ANGEL LOPEZ, a/k/a “SB,” CHRISTOPHER LUM, a/k/a “Un,” EMMANUEL BONAFE, a/k/a “Eazy,” CHRISTOPHER NELSON, a/k/a “Hype,” JOSIAH VELAZQUEZ, a/k/a “Siah,” ALBERTO BORGES, a/k/a “AB,” JUAN HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Goldo,” HEINNER SOLIS, a/k/a “Juelz,” EZEQUIEL OSPINA, a/k/a “Izzy,” RAIMUNDO NIEVES, a/k/a “Dobule-R,” DEESHUNTEE STEVENS, a/k/a “Kay,” HECTOR BONAPARTE, a/k/a “June,” and MICHAEL GONZALEZ, a/k/a “Wisdom,” are members and associates of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Black Mob,” which operates in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. The Black Mob is a set, or “tribe,” of the nationwide Latin Kings gang. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.
VELEZ, 30, RODRIGUEZ, 34, SEPULVEDA, 27, LOPEZ, 34, LUM, 28, BONAFE, 27, NELSON, 28. VELAZQUEZ, 22, BORGES, 29, JUAN HERNANDEZ, 31, JESUS HERNANDEZ, 26, SOLIS, 25, and OSPINA, 23, are each charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
Those 13 defendants, as well as NIEVES, 46, STEVENS, 46, BONAPARTE, 37, and GONZALEZ, 33, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute: (i) one kilogram and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of heroin, (ii) 400 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, (iii) 280 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine, (iv) five kilograms and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine, (v) oxycodone, (vi) alprazolam, and (vii) marijuana, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
All of the defendants except GONZALEZ are also each charged with possessing, carrying, and using firearms in relation to, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
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The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, NYPD, ATF, and SCPD. Mr. Berman also thanked the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for its assistance in the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hobson and Elinor Tarlow are in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Lafourche Parish Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Ketamine Which Resulted in the Death of A Teenager Whose Body Was Found Floating in A Texas BayouRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that KACIE DOUCET, age 38, of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on December 4, 2019 to conspiring to distribute ketamine which resulted in the death of a Slidell, Louisiana teenager. The eighteen year old’s dead body was found floating in a Texas bayou.
As described in court documents, DOUCET, along with WILLIAM HARRISON FARRIS, age 39, and LEILANI ASPURIA, age 25, conspired to incapacitate the teenager with drugs so that he could be transported to law enforcement authorities in Texas. DOUCET, FARRIS, and ASPURIA, did so in the hope of receiving free drugs from two large scale Texas-based methamphetamine dealers. These dealers, a married couple, had told their New Orleans customers that they wanted the teenager so they would not lose the $6000 bond they had posted for him months earlier.
DOUCET faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a possible fine of $500,000, and at least 2 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing for DOUCET on April 8, 2020. FARRIS and ASPURIA pleaded guilty to the same charge.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Louisiana State Police, Houston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon S. Long and David Howard Sinkman are in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department announces more than $376 million in awards to promote public safetyRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – The Department of Justice and United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that the Department has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $1,403,842 will support public safety activities in the Southern District of Indiana. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to provide support to the city of Indianapolis through the Department’s Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program,” said Minkler. “This grant supports the Department’s criminal justice priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement and prosecutors.”
The following awards were made to organizations in the Southern District of Indiana:
City of Indianapolis - $1,403,842 (BJA National Sexual Assault Kit)
The BJA grant will provide resources to the city of Indianapolis to address sexual assault kits not submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing, improve investigation and prosecution in connection with evidence and cases, and provide sites with resources to collect DNA samples.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here: Public Safety Fact Sheet. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Over $13.3 Million Will Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in the Northern District of Florida
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement operations and to reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. The awards, made by the
Department’s Office of Justice Programs, include $13,363,425 to support public safety activities the Northern District of Florida.“Crime and violence hold families, friends, and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter- billion-dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in
929 state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.“The vast majority of law enforcement in our country is conducted at the local level, strongly supported by federal partners. This is especially true in the Northern District of Florida, where we have forged strong partnerships will local agencies, and these grants will strengthen efforts to protect law-abiding citizens across the district,” said Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The following awards were made to organizations in the Northern District of Florida:
Bay County Commission - $25,724
City of Gainesville - $106,527
City of Panama City - $22,911
City of Pensacola - $25,219
City of Tallahassee - $153,335
Escambia County - $114,870
Escambia County Commissioners - $168,516
Florida Department of Law Enforcement - 10,551,399
Institute for Intergovernmental Research, Tallahassee - $500,000 and $1,607,819
Okaloosa County - $39,716
Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office - $16,276
Wakulla County Sheriff's Office - $19,140
Walton County Sheriff's Office - $11,973
For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine
T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims, and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about
OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. More than $5 million will support public safety activities in Maryland.
“DOJ is able to partner with state and local law enforcement and communities that are working to improve public safety by providing grant funding and resources,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “These much needed grant funds will assist in our fight to reduce violent crime in Maryland, and will help fund programs to enhance crime prevention efforts in our local communities”
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
The following awards were made to organizations in the District of Maryland.
FY2019 Byrne JAG Program
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
2019-DJ-BX-0838
$154,218
Hagerstown Police Department Anti-Chronic & Violent Crime Initiative
City of Hagerstown
2019-DJ-BX-0449
$18,769
FY 2019 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program
Board of Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland
2019-DJ-BX-0297
$17,075
Law Enforcement Emergency Teleconference system and E-ticketing equipment
Cecil County Sheriffs Office
2019-DJ-BX-0512
$14,233
Enhancing Law Enforcement Services
City of Cambridge
2019-DJ-BX-0346
$11,835
Salisbury Police – Night Vision Monocular Units
Salisbury Police Department
2019-DJ-BX-0590
$24,347
FY2019 JAG - Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore, County of
2019-DJ-BX-0837
$321,731
Community Mobile Outreach Trailer
City of Annapolis
2019-DJ-BX-0920
$17,205
FY 2019 JAG Program
Howard County Maryland
2019-DJ-BX-0841
$57,349
FY 2019 JAG Program
Prince Georges County Government
2019-DJ-BX-0839
$199,889
JAG FY19 Less Lethal Project
City of Cumberland
2019-DJ-BX-0159
$12,278
2019 Frederick Technology and Equipment Grant
City of Frederick
2019-DJ-BX-0836
$43,220
Harford County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Equipment
Harford County Maryland
2019-DJ-BX-0843
$30,239
Baltimore City, Maryland JAG Round 15
City of Baltimore
2019-DJ-BX-0842
$859,773
FY 19 Local JAG
St. Marys County Government
2019-DJ-BX-0241
$16,762
Charles County's Officer Safety and Drug Court Support Program
Charles County Government
2019-DJ-BX-0840
$40,796
Edward Byrne Justice Memorial Assistance Grant
State of Maryland
2019-MU-BX-0019
$3,432,027
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Announces Landmark Money Mule InitiativeRead the Press Release
Federal, State, and International Law Enforcement Join Forces Against Transnational Schemes
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr and law enforcement partners today announced a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to halt money mule activity. Money mules assist fraud schemes by receiving money from victims, many of them elderly, and forwarding proceeds to foreign-based perpetrators. During the two-month initiative announced today, U.S. law enforcement disrupted mule networks that spanned from Hawaii to Florida and from Alaska to Maine. Actions were taken to halt the conduct of over 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules last year. The Department of Justice also tripled the number of criminal prosecutions brought against money mules as compared to last year’s initiative.
Attorney General Barr thanked the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch for coordinating the effort. The coordinators recruited a broad coalition of law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorneys General for the States of Indiana and Wyoming. The U.S. initiative coincided with the European Money Mule Action (EMMA), https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/public-awareness-and-prevention-guides/money-muling, a simultaneous global effort to halt money mule activity announced by Europol today.
U.S. federal and state law enforcement activity included the following:
- Actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 money mules, spanning over 85 federal districts.
- Actions addressed a variety of elder fraud scheme types, including grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, veteran and social security benefit redirection scams, and technical-support scams.
- Law enforcement interviewed more than 550 individuals and served over 500 warning letters on individuals who recently served as money mules for fraud schemes. The letters informed recipients that they could be prosecuted if they continue aiding and abetting fraud schemes.
- More than 30 individuals were criminally charged, in part, for their roles in receiving victim payments and providing the fraud proceeds to accomplices.
- Search warrants were executed to secure evidence from money mules who knowingly aided and abetted fraud schemes, including a number of transnational elder fraud schemes.
“Protecting our senior citizens from criminals who target them is one of the Trump Administration’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Money mules – wittingly and unwittingly – supply the lifeblood of transnational elder fraud schemes. This landmark initiative has significantly impaired certain ways criminals steal from its elderly victims. The Department of Justice and its federal, state, and international partners are committed to shutting down these despicable enterprises that exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”
“The Money Mule initiative highlights the importance of partnership to stop fraud schemes, and it sends a message to all who are engaged in money mule activity that they will be caught and prosecuted,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “I want to thank our state and local partners for all their efforts to protect the American people from these threats.”
As part of the money mule initiative, members of the Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force—which the Attorney General established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes—brought criminal cases alleging that defendants knowingly funneled fraud proceeds to perpetrators including:
- On Nov. 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced an indictment against Nnamdi MgBodile for his alleged role in a romance scam and business email compromise fraud;
- On Nov. 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced an indictment against alleged perpetrators of a veteran and social security benefit redirection scam, which involved extensive use of money mules; and
- On Nov. 14, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch announced the indictment of six individuals for an alleged mass mailing fraud scheme in which a co-conspirator was charged with knowingly receiving payments from elderly victims and supplying them to scheme leaders; and
Additional criminal cases were brought as part of the two-month money mule initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Arizona, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Southern District of New York, the District of Puerto Rico, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of Delaware, and the District of Rhode Island.
The above charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Since Congress passed the Mail Fraud Statute over 100 years ago, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has protected citizens from fraud schemes,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of easy money, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones making money. Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect the American public and ensure their confidence in the U.S. mail.”
Attorney General Barr thanked the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for its support of the money mule initiative. Financial analysis and data supplied by FinCEN allowed law enforcement to identify and prevent money mule activity and elder fraud schemes, as highlighted by a report FinCEN issued today. Attorney General Barr also expressed appreciation for financial institutions across the nation that identify suspicious activity and report it to FinCEN, enabling federal, state, and local law enforcement to take rapid action against ongoing schemes.
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 EAPPA. In October, the Department also partnered with the Oak Ridge Boys and AARP in issuing a public service announcement to raise awareness about the grave financial threat posed by elder fraud.
The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.
Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Jury Finds Known Gang Member Guilty on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A jury today found a known gang member in Wichita guilty on a federal firearm charge, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Emanuel E. Goines, Jr., 30, Wichita, Kan., was convicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
During, trial prosecutors presented evidence that the investigation began June 22, 2019, following the fatal shooting of Justin Green. Officers learned Goines was present at the homicide, along with Quantezz Butler, another known gang member. On June 25, 2019, Wichita police were looking for Butler to question him when they saw live video clips on social media showing four men in a Trailblazer who were attending the funeral of Freddy Trezvant, another known gang member. Officers tried to stop the Trailblazer, which pulled away. During a pursuit, Goines was seen jumping out of the car and running behind a house at 1528 N. Belmont. He appeared to be carrying a gun.
Police lost sight of Goines until they saw him walking hurriedly near 14th and Broadview, where they arrested him. They recovered a handgun from the backyard of 1528 N. Belmont.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 24, 2020. Goines could face up to 10 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the Wichita Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak for their work on the case.
Jury Convicts Raytown Man of Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal jury today of drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms.
Victor Rodriguez Kessel, 63, a Cuban national, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, attempting to manufacture crack cocaine, possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury also found that Kessel must forfeit his residence to the government.
On July 18, 2017, a federal postal inspector identified a suspicious parcel at the Kansas City, Missouri, Postal Processing and Distribution Center. The 15-ounce parcel was addressed to Kessel’s address, but under a different name. The return address in Tucson, Arizona, also did not correctly identify the sender of the parcel. A police canine alerted to the presence of illegal drugs inside the parcel.
Later the same day, law enforcement officers delivered the parcel to Kessel’s residence. Kessel, who had a loaded Glock 10mm pistol in his waistband, told officers he didn’t recognize the name on the parcel. Kessel gave consent to open the parcel, which contained approximately 274.23 grams of powder cocaine. After Kessel gave consent to search his residence, officers found a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver in the bedroom. Officers also found a purse that contained approximately 156.89 grams of powder cocaine. Officers found approximately 5.36 grams of crack cocaine in the living room and kitchen area, and approximately 304.74 grams of marijuana.
After Kessel withdrew his consent, officers obtained a search warrant for Kessel’s residence and additionally found approximately 3.4 grams of powder cocaine, 74 grams of crack cocaine, and 157.6 grams of marijuana. Officers found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun under the couch in the living room area. Approximately $5,000 was found in a black bag hidden behind the headboard in the master bedroom.
Officers also found approximately $75,000 in a locked shed in the backyard, which was designed to be a marijuana grow house.
In the course of the investigation, the inspector learned that a parcel containing $10,000 associated with Kessel’s address recently had been mailed to Tucson.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Kessel has a prior felony conviction for distributing crack cocaine, four prior felony convictions for burglary, three prior felony convictions for grand theft, and two prior felony convictions for carrying a concealed firearm.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately four and a half hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 2.
Under federal statutes, Kessel is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department,the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Joseph Gray Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Selling Heroin,Read the Press Release
Joseph P. Gray, Jr. was sentenced to 40 years in prison for leading a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, crack cocaine, and other drugs, as well as firearms offenses.
Gray had been charged in 22 counts of a 42-count drug conspiracy indictment, and pled guilty to all charges. The charges included a conspiracy to distributed controlled substances, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Judge John R. Adams sentenced Gray to 480 months of incarceration, followed by 10 years of supervised release. The Court found that that Gray was responsible for approximately 1.5 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl mixtures and almost a kilogram of crack that the DTO distributed.
Gray has 21 co-defendants. Twenty of them have also pled guilty, and most are still awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant, Ricky Jackson of Cleveland, Ohio, remains a fugitive.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said: “This defendant dealt death for profit and celebrated the overdose of people suffering from addiction.” “Every day of this four decade sentence was well-earned by Joseph Gray and this term of imprisonment sends a powerful message to anyone selling heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine: these Ohio neighborhoods belong to us, not you.”
“The DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to removing dangerous substances, and those who seek to profit from their distribution, from our communities,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “Mr. Gray will now have a considerable amount of time in prison to think about his unlawful behavior and his role in destroying the lives of countless Ohioans.”
Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer said: “The Euclid Police Department would like to thank our federal, state, county and local partners. I want to specifically recognize the DEA and our task force partnership with that organization. Law enforcement has an obligation to address the dysfunction, chaos and danger created by those who choose to traffic in drug and gun violence. The Euclid Police Department will continue to proactively address those who participate in illicit and violent activities which have an adverse and negative impact on our community. Euclid is a diverse community of good, hardworking and caring residents. We will continue to work with any individual, group or organization that shares the mission of making Euclid a safe and vibrant community for all.”
"The importance of collaboration and teamwork in law enforcement operations cannot be understated," said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams. "This particular investigation spanned multiple counties, cities and communities and would not have come together so comprehensively without the partnerships between the agencies ….”
According to court records and the evidence presented at the sentencing hearing:
Gray led a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that sold a variety of controlled substances, primarily heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine. The DTO concentrated on customers on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, including nearby suburbs like Euclid, Ohio, and locations in Lake County, Ohio.
A key part of the conspiracy was co-conspirators’ use of a single “Customer Phone” line that was available to all customers. Gray owned the Customer Phone, but handed it off to co-conspirators to use. By passing the Customer Phone from dealer to dealer, the DTO could operate at all hours, and that line was a reliable source for his customers, who never needed call any other number to buy drugs. As Gray told one customer on a recorded call, “my phone [is] twenty-four hours,” meaning that customers could call the phone 24 hours per day.
Gray built up a huge clientele with the Customer Phone, and the DTO used it to served hundreds of customers each day. Gray himself complained about dealing with so many customers in a recorded call with his girlfriend. He described how he spends his day as follows: “I sell f**king drugs and take people to Home Depot and get this and that,” and explained, “I interact with 100 people a day.” Even when Gray was arrested and police seized the Customer Phone, he would ensure that the line remained active. After he was arrested on January 8, 2019, he called his co-conspirators from jail and gave them instructions to purchase a new iPhone device, port over the number, and downloaded the contacts and other content and settings from the cloud.
Investigators also tapped another telephone line of Gray’s, on which they intercepted him discussing plans for obtaining more drug supply. In one call, Gray said heroin product they were selling—which actually contained fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue most of the time—“goes so fast. You gotta buy hundreds,” meaning a hundred grams at a time.
When purchasing new batches of heroin product, Gray had a system of using what he called “testers”—experienced heroin users who would try samples of a new batch before he bought it, and give him a rating on a scale from one to ten. The DTO often used a commercial property on Holmes Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio for “testing” and other trafficking activities.
Gray also specifically pursued heroin product that was strong enough to kill users. November 23, 2018, he called a co-conspirator and reported that he had a good supply—that he had “fire on deck”—as demonstrated by the fact that it had killed one of his customers. He described it as “casket” quality, and they discussed how to obtain more of that product. A few days later, Gray bragged to Ricky Jackson about the strength of his product, saying “I got the fire.” To demonstrate its quality, he explained, “This kid OD and s**t.”
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing also showed that Gray was supplying heroin product to a 23-year-old man from Willowick, Ohio when the man relapsed in a heroin addiction in early June 2018. The man then obtained a fatal dose of fentanyl and other drugs by calling the Customer Phone on June 7, 2018, and his family then found that he had died of a fentanyl overdose on June 8, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Euclid Police Department, and the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network, which includes the police departments of Lyndhurst, Highland Heights, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village and Richmond Heights. This case was investigated as part of the Cleveland Strike Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison and Brian S. Deckert.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking, money laundering and violent criminal organizations operating domestically and internationally. The principle mission of the OCDETF Program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering and violent criminal organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Jonesville Man Sentenced to 70 Months on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – David C. Joseph, United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, announced that Glen Arrington, 27, of Jonesville, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 2, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 70 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Arrington pleaded guilty to this charge on August 21, 2019.
On March 6, 2019, an investigator with the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious priority mail express package that contained approximately one pound of pure methamphetamine. A delivery of the package was successfully executed at the residence of Glen Arrington, where Arrington signed for and brought the package into his home. Immediately following the delivery of the package, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant and recovered the methamphetamine. Arrington admitted that the methamphetamine found in the package belonged to him and stated that he knew the package contained methamphetamine prior to receiving it. He intended to sell the methamphetamine for money.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Jacksonville man was sentenced today on one count of production of child pornography. United States District Court Judge James M. Moody sentenced Robert Franke III, 41, to 30 years in federal prison. Cody Hiland, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced today’s sentencing.
In August of 2017, the Jacksonville Police Department received information that Franke was sexually assaulting a 15-year-old female. The minor disclosed to the police that Franke had been touching her inappropriately and asking her to send him nude photographs of herself for approximately four years. Franke also sent pictures of his genitals to the minor and encouraged the minor to send sexually explicit photographs of her friends.
In an interview, Franke admitted to asking the minor female to send him nude photographs in exchange for different privileges. He also admitted to inappropriately touching the minor on several occasions. A forensic review of the minor female’s telephone revealed numerous sexually explicit conversations and nude images of the minor. The defendant also encouraged the minor to drink alcohol in an effort to “relax her.”
On October 3, 2017, Franke was charged in a five-count indictment with two counts of production of child pornography, one count of attempted production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography on May 8, 2019.
At the sentencing hearing, Moody sentenced the defendant to the statutory maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment, noting that the defendant’s behavior was outside the bounds of a typical child pornography case.
“This defendant took advantage of a young child for years, manipulating her into sending sexually explicit photos of herself,” said U.S. Attorney Hiland. “He received the longest sentence allowed by law, 30 years in prison, because of his abhorrent abuse of this child. This case demonstrates our office’s dedication to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on our children.”
In addition to the prison term, Franke was sentenced to ten years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the Arkansas State Police, the Jacksonville Police Department, and the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Allison W. Bragg.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Justice Department Announces More Than $376 Million in Awards to Promote Public SafetyRead the Press Release
WHEELING – The Department of Justice this week announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $350,520 will support public safety activities in the Northern District of West Virginia. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
“I was so pleased to see the grant announcements from the Department of Justice. Several of our local law enforcement agencies now have additional resources to protect our citizens. My office is proud to work with these recipients and all of our law enforcement on a daily basis. I know these additional funds will greatly help the work of these terrific law enforcement partners,” said Powell.
The following awards were made to organizations in the Northern District of West Virginia:
• City of Wheeling, Wheeling Police Department: $295,163
• City of Martinsburg, Martinsburg Police Department: $13,575
• City of Morgantown, Morgantown Police Department: $13,734
• Monongalia County, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office: $15,371
• Berkeley County Council, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office: $12,677Statewide, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation received $250,000, and the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services, Justice and Community Services received $1,191,487.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
Iowa Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Transporting and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa — On December 3, 2019, United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced Michael Adam Muth, age 32, formerly of Britt, Iowa, to 144 months in prison for transportation and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Muth was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term, pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, pay $24,000 in restitution, and comply with sex offender registry requirements.
On August 2, 2019, Muth pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The investigation began in September 2017 when the Urbandale Police Department received two Cyber Tip line Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating Muth’s email address had uploaded child pornography from an Urbandale address. Officers with the Urbandale Police Department executed a search warrant at the Urbandale address where Muth was residing at that time. Officers recovered child pornography on multiple devices belonging to Muth. Muth admitted to possessing child pornography, transporting it over the internet, and distributing it to a minor with the intent to persuade, induce, entice or coerce the minor to engage in an illegal activity.
This matter was investigated by the Urbandale Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Houma Man Sentenced for Heroin ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that MICHAEL C. CRAWFORD, JR., age 43, of Houma, was sentenced for distribution of heroin.
According to court documents, on January 20, 24, and 30, 2018, CRAWFORD distributed a quantity of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin. CRAWFORD pled guilty as charged.
Yesterday, Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle found that CRAWFORD was a career offender and sentenced CRAWFORD to 105 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses and André Jones are in charge of the prosecution.
Grape Street Crips Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Bystander and Related Drug-Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Grape Street Crips gang was sentenced today to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and other drug crimes, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Khalil Stafford, a/k/a “Stod,” a/k/a “Homicide,” 35, of Newark, was previously convicted following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. Stafford had been acquitted of the murder charge following a 2013 state jury trial in Essex County.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On June 19, 2010, during a family cookout on Garside Street in Newark, Stafford – a long-time member of the Grape Street Crips – confronted an individual about a drug debt. Stafford and several other gang-members left the cookout to retrieve firearms and later returned. They fired more than a dozen shots at the person whom Stafford originally confronted. A woman who was not involved in the dispute was standing on a nearby porch, and was shot and killed. Two other people were wounded and survived.
Stafford sold heroin and cocaine at the James Baxter Terrace housing complex from 2003 until it was demolished in 2009. After Baxter Terrace was torn down, Stafford continued to distribute heroin and cocaine at the Wynona Lipman public housing complex. In 2014, Stafford and a conspirator sold to DEA confidential informants nearly $20,000 worth of heroin in separate transactions.Stafford was charged – along with 13 other defendants –with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid racketeering, conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram of more of heroin. All 14 defendants have now been convicted.
Another 66 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation, and all have been convicted. These individuals include:
• Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” 41, of Newark, sentenced to life in prison; • Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welches,” 30, of Newark, sentenced to 45 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; • Tony Phillips, a/k/a “Blue,” 28, of Newark, sentenced to life in prison; • Ahmad Manley, a/k/a “Fresh,” 32, of Summit, New Jersey, sentenced to 35 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; • Rashan Washington, a/k/a “Shoota,” 31, of Newark, sentenced to 30 years in prison and ten years’ supervised release; • Justin Carnegie, a/k/a “Dew Hi,” 31, of Newark, sentenced to 25 years in prison and ten years’ supervised release; • Ahmed Singleton, a/k/a “Gangsta Mu,” 30, of Newark, sentenced to 19 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; • Eric Concepcion, a/k/a “Wax,” 33, of Newark, sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; • Hakeem Vanderhall, a/k/a “Keem,” 34, of Newark, sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; • Hanee Cureton, a/k/a “City,” 34, of Springfield, New Jersey, sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; and
• James Gutierrez, a/k/a “Bad News,” 27, of Newark, sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years’ supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, for their assistance with the investigation.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit within the Criminal Division in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, 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.
Defense counsel: John McMahon Esq., West Orange, New Jersey
GBK Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jaimon Woods, age 29, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the Greenway Boy Killas (GBK) street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. During the investigation, on December 7, 2017, GBK gang member Jaimon Woods was observed driving a gold BMW, with expired inspection and emissions stickers and windows tinted in excess of code, on Ohio River Boulevard in Avalon Borough, PA. An Avalon Borough police officer conducted a traffic stop, but Woods and the passenger of the vehicle both fled. The officer chased Woods and was able to apprehend him. The officer searched Woods’ gold BMW and recovered two firearms, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, and a Smith and Wesson 44 magnum revolver. Both guns were loaded and had been stolen. Woods’s fingerprint was found on the revolver. Because Woods had previously been convicted of felony offenses, he was prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne M. Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
In addition to the work of the Avalon Borough Police Department in conducting the traffic stop which led to the arrest of Woods, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency wiretap investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Jaimon Woods.
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.