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Thursday 17 October 2019
Former Hopi Indian Reservation Ranger Convicted in Arizona on Sexual Assault Charges and Destruction of EvidenceRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Arizona convicted Mackenzie Davis, 25, a former Ranger with the Hopi Resource Enforcement Services, of sexually assaulting a female arrestee in his custody and destroying evidence to cover up his crimes.
“Any law enforcement officer who uses his official authority to target and sexually assault a person in his custody will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Dreiband. “The Department of Justice commends the victim who came forward to report this reprehensible conduct, so that this officer’s crimes could see the light of day.”
“A sexual assault is doubly devastating to the victim when perpetrated by a law-enforcement officer whose only duty was to protect her from such harm,” said Michael Bailey, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “It’s also a breach of the community’s trust, and an affront to work of the earnest and honest officers who sacrifice daily on our behalf.”
“The FBI will not tolerate officials who abuse their authority and violate the very people they were sworn to protect,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office. “We too commend the victim who came forward to report this crime. The FBI will continue to work alongside our state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners to protect all of our communities and hold those who abuse their positions of power, accountable.”
Evidence presented at trial established that on Nov. 15, 2016, Davis arrested the victim for driving under the influence. During a nearly two-hour transport to a detention center, Davis pulled over onto the side of the road and sexually assaulted C.A. Another witness testified that he engaged in similar conduct with her five years prior, when he was not a law enforcement officer.
A jury found Davis guilty of violating C.A.’s civil rights, abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, and destruction of evidence.
The defendant was remanded into custody and sentencing is set for Feb. 24, 2020. The defendant faces up to 23 years imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Flagstaff Resident Agency of the Phoenix Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Broughton Marsh, and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Civil Rights Division.
Former High School Teacher Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Narraganset Regional High School math teacher was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for receipt and possession of child pornography.
Warren Anderson, 27, of Lowell and Harvard, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 45 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2019, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography.
As part of an investigation into the online trade of child pornography through the use of Kik messenger, Anderson was interviewed in August 2018 and admitted accessing sites on the dark web to obtain child pornography. Forensic analysis of his computers revealed that he had thousands of files of child pornography, and that he had used both Kik and a dark web-based messaging platform to discuss and trade child pornography.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Harvard and Templeton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Former Del Rio Sector U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
In San Antonio this afternoon, a former Del Rio Sector U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned to the Uvalde Station admitted to producing and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad, 37-year-old Vernon Lee Millican of Leakey, TX, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. By pleading guilty, Millican admitted that between April 2015 and June 2018, he used multiple devices to produce and possess images and videos of himself sexually assaulting a prepubescent minor; and, depicting the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Millican was arrested on January 31, 2019, after a federal search warrant was executed at his home. He has since remained in federal custody. Millican faces between 15 and 30 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on January 23, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio.
FBI agents, together with the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, investigated this case with assistance from the Real County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, 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.
Former Chief Operating Officer of Davis Bio-Pesticide Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Securities FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hector Absi, 51, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Absi is the former head of the sales department of Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (MBI), a company headquartered in Davis, California that produces “bio-based” pesticides. Absi also served as MBI’s Chief Operating Officer from January 2014 until his resignation in August 2014. MBI is a publicly traded company; its stock trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol “MBII.” As a publicly traded company, it is required to file quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In its reports, MBI stated that it recorded revenue in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
According to Absi’s plea agreement, in order to increase sales, Absi sold MBI products to customers with side agreements that offered “inventory protection” under which MBI agreed to either repurchase the product from the customer or continue the date by which the customer would need to make full payment for the product. Under GAAP, revenue from sales that include such agreements cannot be recognized on the company’s books at the time of the sales. Between March 2013 and July 2014, Absi conspired with at least one other MBI employee to misrepresent to MBI’s accounting department, its external auditors, and the investing public that MBI had made sales under such terms. By concealing the practice, Absi caused MBI to report a doubling of its revenue in 2013 in comparison to 2012. Absi also conspired to backdate the delivery of certain shipments of MBI’s products to enhance MBI’s reported revenues for the quarter. Absi received a performance-based bonus and exercised stock options during a time when MBI’s inflated revenue figures were being reported.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has also filed a civil complaint against Absi in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleging that Absi violated the Securities Act of 1933, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and federal rules issued under the Exchange Act, and seeking an injunction against Absi, disgorgement of wrongfully obtained benefits, and civil penalties.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Bickley is prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. is scheduled to sentence Absi on Feb. 20, 2020. Absi faces a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross loss or gain. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former Camden County Deputy Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former Camden County, Missouri, sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography.
Leonard Jerome Wilson, 40, formerly of Camdenton, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Wilson must surrender his peace officer license and enter guilty pleas in two related state cases.
Wilson was employed as a Camden County sheriff’s deputy at the time of the offenses. During an internal investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct and behavior while he was both on and off duty, deputies obtained a tablet and two cell phones used by Wilson. One cell phone contained a MicroSD card with 18 images of child pornography and 49 images of child erotica. All of the images were of infant, toddler, and prepubescent children.
Under federal statutes, Wilson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Five Members of a Large-Scale Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution Network IndictedRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Five members of a large-scale heroin and fentanyl distribution network have been indicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl; possession of heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute; and being a convicted felon in possession of handguns. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.
According to information presented in court, on September 19, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Decarlos Rodgers, 41, Darius Chalmers, 26, Entonyo Chalmers, 28, Louis Taylor, 35, and Blake Owens, 50, as part of a heroin and fentanyl trafficking scheme. In June, the Shelby County District Attorney's Office announced the indictment of 30 individuals for a large heroin and fentanyl organization. These five defendants were significant to that criminal organization. The organization used several different cell phones to take orders from customers who ordered heroin and fentanyl. The orders would then be filled, provided to the customer and exchanged the heroin and fentanyl for money.
Investigators with the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit were able to discover the methods of distribution, conduct surveillance to find out who the distributors were, and buy some of the drugs themselves to find out exactly what was being distributed. In each case, investigators discovered the substances being sold were a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.
According to other evidence presented in court, Owens bought heroin and fentanyl from the organization and then redistributed the drugs to his workers and construction crews who were working to open a new club in Memphis. Owens is the son of Danny Owens, a well-known Memphian once known as the "topless night club kingpin." In the 1990s, both Danny and Blake Owens served long prison sentences for their roles in gambling, prostitution, and money laundering crimes. Blake Owens served more than 15 years in federal prison for his role in the kidnapping and torture of an individual related to the gambling and nightclub business.
What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substance Act which is fifty times more potent than heroin and one hundred times more so than morphine. Fentanyl has undoubtedly contributed to the sharp increase in opioid deaths both nationally and locally. Because of the rise in deaths associated with the introduction of this narcotic into the drug market, the Department of Justice and this District have taken an aggressive approach in identifying distributors, especially those whose distribution results in death.
If convicted, Rodgers faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and up to life. Both Owens and Darius Chalmers face a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life. Entonyo Chalmers and Taylor face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Fentanyl is a deadly drug that destroys lives, and the substantial quantity of fentanyl possessed by the defendants for resale could have caused countless injuries and deaths. Under the new opioid strategy of this office and the Department of Justice, we will seek maximum sentencing penalties for any person distributing any amount of fentanyl in West Tennessee. If you are a drug dealer causing addiction, pain, and death for selfish personal gain, we will find you and hold you accountable."
The Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit investigated this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. This case is part of the Heroin Initiative in collaboration with the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Jury finds Jackson Man Guilty of Illegally Possessing a Firearm under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - Jonathan Beasley, 28, of Jackson, was found guilty today by a jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. The jury returned the verdict following a two-day trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III in Jackson.
On December 20, 2016, Beasley was convicted of felonious possession with intent to distribute marijuana in Hinds County and was sentenced to time served. On March 19, 2017, just three months after his conviction, Beasley was found with a firearm in his possession after wrecking his car at a gas station in Hinds County. During a subsequent law enforcement interview, Beasley admitted to possessing the gun and to purchasing the gun off the street.
Beasley will be sentenced by Chief Judge Jordan on January 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew W. Eichner and Theodore Cooperstein.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments Announced -extendedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the October 2019 Federal Grand Jury B extended.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Maria Gonzalez and Jorge Alberto Moreno. Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 1); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 2-7) Drug Conspiracy (Count 8). Gonzalez, 49, of Commerce, is charged with maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using methamphetamine. Gonzalez is also charged with knowingly distributing methamphetamine on Aug. 23, 2018; she is also charged with knowingly distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on Aug. 5, 2019; and she is charged with knowingly distributing methamphetamine on Sept. 12, 2019. Moreno, 38, of Commerce, is charged with knowingly distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 21, 2019; he is also charged with knowingly distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 27, 2019; and he is charged with knowingly distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on April 22, 2019. Finally, both Gonzalez and Moreno are charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
Enrique Beltran Prado. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Prado, 32, of Commerce, is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is further charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Finally, he is charged with knowingly maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using methamphetamine. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.
FCI Danbury Employee Who Smuggled Phones into Prison is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC WILLIAMS, 38, of Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to two years of probation for smuggling phones into the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury (FCI Danbury) where he was employed. Judge Bolden ordered Williams to perform 100 hours of community service while on probation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams worked in the Food Service Department at FCI Danbury. On July 9, 2017, Williams attempted to smuggle four mobile phones and an electric beard trimmer into the prison by hiding the items in his hat as he entered the facility through the staff entrance. When a corrections officer arrived at the staff entrance to screen Williams for admission into the facility, Williams abandoned the attempt and left his hat containing the contraband in the entrance area. When a supervisory officer found the hat and asked Williams if it belonged to him, Williams denied that it was his hat.
Williams was arrested on July 20, 2018. On July 1, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of providing contraband in prison.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with cooperation from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc H. Silverman and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Jamie Gillette, 53, of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Pursuant to a written plea agreement filed with the Court, Gillette waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to court records, from in or about 2011 through in or about 2015, Gillette devised a scheme to defraud, and to misappropriate without authority, money and property belonging to her employer, Bendable Bright Light, Inc. (“BBL”). Specifically, Gillette had access to BBL’s business bank account at Mountain West Bank, both as signor on the account and through the online payment portal. Using this access, Gillette issued checks from BBL’s account to her personal bank account at Navy Federal Credit Union, and made online payments from BBL’s account for personal expenses associated with her accounts, without the knowledge or authorization of BBL. On this occasion, and on multiple other occasions, Gillette acted with the intent to cheat or deceive BBL by misappropriating for her use money that belonged to BBL. The total amount of money that Gillette misappropriated will be determined at her sentencing hearing.
According to court records, on or about April 7, 2014, Gillette electronically signed and filed a Form 1040 federal income tax return for the calendar year 2013 that she knew contained false information as to a material matter. Specifically, on Line 22 “Total Income,” she reported that her taxable income for the calendar year 2013 was $8,003, when she knew that her taxable income was much greater.
According to court records, on August 30, 2017, law enforcement agents interviewed Gillette. She stated that she was a paid employee of BBL and earned approximately $65,000 per year. Gillette admitted that she did not pay taxes on all the income she received from BBL in 2011 through 2015.
For the wire fraud count, Gillette faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release.
For the false tax return count, Gillette faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a $100,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing for Gillette is set for January 15, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Coeur D’Alene.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
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El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve una Denuncia de Discriminación Relacionada con la Inmigración contra el Dueño de una Franquicia Nacional de Restaurantes con Sede en TexasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con MUY Brands LLC, un propietario y operador de aproximadamente 78 franquicias del restaurante Taco Bell en seis estados, con sede en San Antonio, Texas, y una empresa relacionada de gestión empresarial, MUY Consulting Inc. El acuerdo resuelve la investigación del Departamento sobre posibles contravenciones por parte de las empresas de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar a los residentes permanentes legales por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía cuando verificaron su autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
“Los empleadores no deben pedir que sus empleados entreguen documentos adicionales o diferentes a lo necesario para comprobar legalmente su autorización para trabajar por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía o de la nacionalidad de origen del trabajador,” dijo el Fiscal General Adjunto Eric Dreiband de la División de Derechos Civiles. “La División de Derechos Civiles se compromete con hacer cumplir la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad, y con erradicar la discriminación ilegal en el proceso de verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar para asegurar la igualdad de oportunidades de empleo.”
A raíz de la investigación, el Departamento concluyó que entre al menos julio de 2015 y marzo de 2017, MUY Brands y MUY Consulting exigieron documentos específicos de autorización para trabajar a todos los residentes permanentes legales que trabajaban en sus restaurantes Taco Bell, mientras que no impusieron un requisito similar a los ciudadanos estadounidenses. Por consiguiente, algunos residentes permanentes legales perdieron oportunidades de empleo a pesar de haber presentado documentación suficiente para comprobar su autorización para trabajar. Las leyes federales les permiten a todas las personas con autorización para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, que elijan cuáles documentos válidos y legalmente aceptables presentarán para demostrar su competencia para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA les prohíbe a los empleadores que soliciten más documentos de lo necesario o documentos distintos para comprobar la autorización para trabajar con fundamento en el estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen de los empleados.
Según los términos del acuerdo, las empresas pagarán una sanción civil de $175,000, establecerán un fondo de $50,000 para sueldos retroactivos, y estarán sujetas a los requisitos de monitoreo por parte del Departamento así como la entrega de informes. Asimismo, ciertos empleados tendrán que asistir a capacitaciones sobre los requisitos de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) tiene la responsabilidad de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe, entre otras cosas, la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y origen nacional en la contratación, despido o reclutamiento o en la recomendación de empleo por comisión; las prácticas documentales injustas; las represalias; y la intimidación.
Para mayor información sobre las maneras en que los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en el Formulario I-9 y procesos de E-Verify consulte este enlace. Para mayor información sobre las protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo conforme a las leyes de inmigración, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para las personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para las personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase en un seminario web gratis; envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visite los sitios web del IER en inglés y en español. Suscríbase a GovDelivery para recibir boletines de la IER.
Los postulantes o empleados que crean que han sido objeto de discriminación por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio u nacionalidad de origen en la contratación, despido o reclutamiento o en la recomendación de empleo por comisión; o discriminación en el proceso de verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 y E-Verify) con fundamento en su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio u origen nacional; o represalias, podrán presentar una denuncia o solicitar ayuda comunicándose con la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores.
Eighteenth Member of Massive Drug Conspiracy Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Elizabeth Kuc (47, North Fort Myers) guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin, and two counts of distributing controlled substances. Kuc faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of distributing controlled substances. Her sentencing hearing has been set for January 13, 2020.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, Kuc, who was known by various other names, including “Auntie,” was a dealer working for a large drug distribution ring operating for years in the Suncoast Estates neighborhood of North Fort Myers. The organization was headed and supplied by Tony Wilson, Jr. (also known as “Big Homie” and “Caine”) and occupied several houses and trailer homes in Suncoast Estates. Inside those residences, dealers worked side-by-side to distribute drugs to customers. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted dozens of undercover drug purchases from dealers at the drug houses. Agents also executed multiple search warrants resulting in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars, multiple firearms, and large quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. The evidence showed that the organization often generated more than $10,000 per day in sales. Kuc’s residence in Suncoast Estates was often used to manufacture and store the crack cocaine before it was distributed among the nearby houses.
Seventeen others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the drug ring:
Name Charge(s) Case StatusTony Wilson, Jr.
(31, Lehigh Acres)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; distribution of controlled substances; and firearms offenses
Pleaded guilty, faces up to life in federal prison.
Monique Moore
(47, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to life in federal prison.
Patrick Graham
(25, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Michael Perez
(38, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
James Estrella
(50, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Danielle Hallmon
(32, Pine Island)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Dorothy Rochford
(27, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Darniel Williams
(24, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Kenneth Tippins
(48, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Eileen Smith
(22, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Malik Timbers
(26, St. Petersburg)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Christopher Connor
(30, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
William Thomas
(26, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Tyrome Wright
(46, North Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Beard, II
(29, Labelle)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances
Pleaded guilty, faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
Michelle Gladys
(49, North Fort Myers)
Distribution of a controlled substance
Sentenced to 33 months in federal prison.
Samantha Badger
(23, North Fort Myers)
Distribution of a controlled substance
Sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Leeman and Trent Reichling.
East Bay Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Transporting A Minor Across State Lines to Prostitute in OaklandRead the Press Release
OAKLAND– Eugene Latrell McNeely, aka Sleepy, aka Slim Sleep da Mac, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for transporting a minor with intent to prostitute, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The Honorable James Donato, U.S. District Judge, handed down the sentence.
McNeely, 37, of Oakland, pleaded guilty to the charge on June 27, 2019. According to public filings, McNeely admitted that on October 3, 2015, he drove from Oakland to Salem, Oregon, picked up a 14-year old minor female that he had been communicating with by text message and through Facebook messenger, and drove her across state lines back to Oakland, California to work as one of his prostitutes. For approximately three months thereafter, the minor female worked as a prostitute and McNeely was her pimp. According to documents filed by the government, from October 2015 until January 2016, at least one other victim, not including the 14-year old, worked as a prostitute for the defendant, who was their pimp. Defendant forced the victims to work for him as prostitutes seven days a week, performing sex acts on strangers and then giving all of their earnings to the defendant. Both victims were raped, on separate occasions, while working for the defendant. The defendant regularly physically beat them, and he used guns to intimidate them and make them continue working for him. The defendant also gave one of the victims heroin, knowing that she was addicted, so that she would continue to prostitute for him.
On November 1, 2018, a federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment charging McNeely with one count of transportation of a minor for prostitution, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a); one count of sex trafficking of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a)(1), (b)(2), and (c); and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a)(1) and (b)(1). McNeely pleaded guilty to the first count. The remaining counts are pending.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Donato ordered McNeely to serve 15 years of supervised release. McNeely has been in federal custody since May of 2017 and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Shailika Kotiya are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.
Digital Advertising Business Owner and Operator Arrested for Defrauding Investors of over $5 MillionRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Nevada business owner and operator was arraigned in federal court today on charges related to a fraud scheme that allegedly defrauded from investors over $5 million, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting individuals who engage in acts of financial fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “The alleged scheme deceived more than 200 investors and caused a loss of more than $5 million.”
Robert Cortez Marshall, 39, was charged by a grand jury on October 16, 2019, in an indictment with five counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. He was arrested today and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, between approximately January 2014 and April 2015, Marshall owned and operated R.B.J. Generational Weatlth Management LLC d/b/a Adz on Wheelz. Marshall devised a scheme to defraud victims by inducing them to invest in Adz on Wheelz based on false representations and omissions, such as claims that Adz on Wheelz owned and operated a fleet of luxury vehicles that could be customized for digital advertising, that investors would receive a guaranteed weekly royalty payment, and that Adz on Wheelz had earned millions of dollars of commitments from advertisers. Instead, Marshall operated Adz on Wheelz almost entirely as a Ponzi scheme, using money solicited from new investors to make the “royalty payments” owed to prior investors. Marshall also transferred investor funds to other accounts under his control and used investor money for his own personal expenses. Through this scheme, Marshall defrauded more than 200 investors who invested a total of more than $5 million in Adz on Wheelz.
A jury trial has been scheduled for December 17, 2019. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 150 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of more than $10,000,000.
The charges are only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez is prosecuting the case.
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Department of Justice Prosecuted a Record-Breaking Number of Immigration-Related Cases in Fiscal Year 2019Read the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that in fiscal year 2019 (FY19), its U.S. Attorneys’ Offices prosecuted the highest number of immigration-related offenses since record keeping began more than 25 years ago. These numbers successfully reverse the trend in previous years of declining prosecutions for felony Illegal Reentry defendants, misdemeanor Improper Entry defendants and felony Alien Smuggling defendants.
“These record-breaking numbers are a testament to the dedication of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the nation, especially our Southwest border offices,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. “In addition to the usual workload of each case the Department prosecutes, this effort was made possible after our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices restored essential partnerships with national, state and local law-enforcement partners.”
The newly announced numbers show the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices charged 25,426 defendants with felony Illegal Reentry (8 U.S.C. §1326) in FY19, an increase of 8.5 percent from FY18.
80,866 defendants were charged with misdemeanor Improper Entry (8 U.S.C. §1325(a)), surpassing the record set just last year by 18.1 percent.
4,297 defendants were charged with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. §1324), an increase of 15.4 percent from FY18.
The increased prosecutions are part of the Department of Justice’s commitment to enforcing America’s laws to address the crisis at the border. This announcement comes one week after the Department of Justice announced its Executive Office for Immigration Review completed 275,000 cases in FY19, the second highest number of completed cases in the court’s history.
Daniel Oliver-Perez Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Ice OfficersRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, DANIEL OLIVER-PEREZ, 20, of Greenville, North Carolina pled guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and employees of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while they were attempting to execute an administrative arrest warrant against an individual known to the OLIVER-PEREZ (hereinafter “known person” or “KP”).
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Law enforcement officers – including ICE agents – all across the country perform a vital service to each of us as they enforce our criminal, civil and administrative laws. They must be allowed to do these jobs without interference and without the risk of harm. Federal prosecutors in this District stand ready to support our law enforcement partners at every level and will prosecute those who place their security and safety at risk.”
“ICE Deportation Officers conduct arrests according to federal law, as enacted by Congress. They are sworn law enforcement officers who carry out our nation’s immigration laws in support of public safety and the integrity of our immigration system. Impeding ICE Officers in the performance of their duties is dangerous and will not be tolerated, and ICE will continue to aggressively pursue criminal charges against such individuals,” said John Tsoukaris, Interim Director, Atlanta Field Office. “I would like to thank our partners in the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for supporting our officers and the critically important work they do on behalf of this great nation.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation that led to the federal charges against Mr. Oliver-Perez. It’s unacceptable for individuals to assault or obstruct federal law enforcement officers while they are enforcing our nation’s laws,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte.
On November 23, 2018, OLIVER-PEREZ accompanied the KP to the Department of Homeland Security - Citizenship and Immigration Services Application Support Center (ASC) in Morrisville, North Carolina. Once the KP and OLIVER-PEREZ joined a waiting line an ICE officer identified himself as an immigration officer and told KP he needed to come with the officer. The defendant then grabbed the KP by the jacket to preclude the ICE officers from detaining/arresting the KP.
The ICE Officer and another officer attempted to pull the OLIVER-PEREZ away from the KP while another officer attempted to arrest the KP. Due to the struggling of both the defendant and the KP, both they and the officers fell to the floor. An officer was able to handcuff the KP and two officers then began to remove the KP from the waiting area through the back door.
As the KP was being escorted out, the OLIVER-PEREZ again tried to get ahold of the KP. The Officer grabbed the defendant around the waist to prevent the defendant’s interference with the safe removal of the KP. OLIVER-PEREZ grabbed the Officer by the neck in a chokehold grip. The Officer instructed the defendant to let him go. After several seconds, the Officer was able to release himself from the defendant’s grip. During the altercation, the Officer sustained a cut on his hand and had difficulty breathing during the chokehold.
OLIVER-PEREZ then followed the officers who had removed the KP from the waiting area and had taken him to the ICE transport van. The assigned driver of the van was another ICE Officer who was sitting in the driver’s seat. The defendant gained access to the inside of van and hit this Officer on the head and chest area with his right hand while grabbing the steering wheel with his left hand. The Officer was able to turn his body, lean back, and kick OLIVER-PEREZ away from him. During the scuffle, the door to the van became unhinged and the Officer had to exit the vehicle in order to close it. The Officer was able to get back into the vehicle and shut the doors.
OLIVER-PEREZ then approached the first Officer who had now exited the ASC building. The defendant again attempted to physically confront the Officer and while doing so ripped the Officer’s shirt.
DOE Subcontractor Working at Bettis Lab in West Mifflin Admits Stealing $250K in Company FundsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of theft of government funds, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Robert Lazur, 30, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count beforeSenior or Chief United States District Judge William S. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Lazur was employed as a Logistics Coordinator for a subcontractor who was performing work at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, PA. The contract was funded by the United States Department of Energy. During his employment, Lazur used company credit cards and open purchase orders to make several hundred personal purchases. He then sold the majority of the items on eBay to convert the items to cash. Other items, however, he kept for his own personal use or gifted to his friends. The total loss was approximately $250,000.
Judgelast name of judge scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2020 at 10:00 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of 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(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Lazur to remain out of prison on a $25,000 bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Energy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lazur.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 130 Months for Multiple Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga.— A Columbus man with a prior felony conviction was sentenced to 130 months in prison after pleading guilty to three firearm charges, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Anthony Kimbrough, 24, of Columbus, Georgia previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Clay Land sentenced Mr. Kimbrough on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 to 130 months in federal prison for his crimes. After he is released from federal prison, Mr. Kimbrough will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“To all convicted felons: It is illegal for you to possess guns. Felons caught with guns and those who possess guns in furtherance of drug trafficking will be prosecuted in Middle Georgia, and the punishment is severe” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime in our communities, and removing guns from the hands of convicted criminals and drug traffickers is a common sense step toward achieving this goal. I want to thank the Columbus Police Department and the FBI for their work in this case.”
According to the signed plea agreement, Mr. Kimbrough was arrested in April and August 2018. During each encounter with law enforcement, the defendant was the passenger in a car stopped for a traffic violation. Mr. Kimbrough was found each time to be in possession of at least one gun (a 9mm FMK Patriot in April 2018 and a Glock 22 and a 9 mm pistol in August 2018), several different smaller amounts of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine, and drug distribution paraphernalia. At the time of his arrests, Mr. Kimbrough was on probation for a prior felony drug conviction in Muscogee County Superior Court. He admitted to possessing the Glock 22 and 9 mm pistol while trafficking drugs.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amelia G. Helmick prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Concord Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing SilencerRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Isaiah Goodwin, 42, of Concord, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Goodwin purchased the silencer on a website and received it at his home in Concord. The ATF seized it during a search of his residence. The silencer was not registered, as required, in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Goodwin is scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2020.
“Unregistered silencers can be used by criminals to commit violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will work closely with ATF to enforce federal law in order to protect the citizens of our community from potential harm."
“ATF will continue work with its federal, state and local partners to enforce federal firearm laws for the unregulated sale and possession of unregistered silencers, which in the wrong hands, pose a threat to public safety,” said Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national initiative undertaken by the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce gun crime in America through, among other things, community outreach and vigorous prosecution of firearms offenses.
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Charlestown Man Sentenced for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Charlestown man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing fentanyl out of a Chelsea apartment.
Cruz Villar, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three years in prison and five years of supervised release. In June 2019, Villar pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
On June 22, 2018, Villar was observed by law enforcement in a hand-to-hand sale of fentanyl to a customer in a parking lot in Dorchester. After the sale, agents recovered approximately 11 grams of fentanyl from the customer and approximately $1,446 in cash from Villar. A subsequent search of an apartment in Chelsea that Villar had been renting—but in which he had not been residing— resulted in the recovery of approximately 87.4 additional grams of fentanyl, along with components of a drug press, a digital scale, two blenders, bottles of a cutting agent, and packaging materials, including plastic wrap and plastic baggies. In addition, Villar made regular trips from the Chelsea apartment to an address in Mashpee in a manner consistent with the distribution of narcotics.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez‑Daple of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Browning man sentenced for assaulting womanRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Browning man who admitted hitting a woman in the face after their vehicle struck an ambulance on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 18 months of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Christopher Harwood Mason, 55, pleaded guilty in July to assault by striking, beating or wounding, a misdemeanor.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided.
The prosecution said in court records that on Dec. 30, 2018, the Blackfeet Emergency Medical Services personnel were on a call in Browning when their ambulance was struck from the rear by a vehicle driven by Mason. The EMS personnel saw Mason back up and park in his driveway. They then observed Mason exit the vehicle, go around to the passenger side and begin hitting the victim, a woman, in the face. Law enforcement photographed injuries and blood on the victim’s face. Mason was transported to the hospital for assessment of potential injuries from the crash. Mason admitted to Glacier County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement at the hospital that he had struck the victim in the face.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.
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Broward County Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Immigration Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Coral Springs business owner was sentenced to prison yesterday for a visa fraud immigration scheme. She attempted to obtain visas with false information for individuals from overseas.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Jenny Hernandez, 51, of Parkland, was sentenced to eighteen months in prison after previously pleading guilty to visa fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a) before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke (Case No. 19-cr-60134). A restitution hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2019.
According to the court record, including stipulated facts and statements made during hearings, Hernandez knowingly made false material statements in immigration documents, specifically Form I-140’s, Immigrant Petitions for Alien Workers. Hernandez owned and operated the Immigration Form Center, Inc. (IFC) in Coral Springs. The defendant stated in applications she filed with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) that individuals from overseas were to be employed at certain businesses as multinational executives or managers. However, these businesses never knew about these individuals and, furthermore, never made employment offers to them. Hernandez profited from these misrepresentations, by receiving between $14,200 to $50,900 from individual applicants. Hernandez also filed an application for an overseas individual to work at her bakery in Coral Springs, as a multinational executive or manager, when the individual was only selling jewelry inside the bakery. This individual paid $64,000 to the defendant.
All of these petitions were completed at IFC in Coral Springs and subsequently filed with USCIS. In addition to these documents, Hernandez filed additional documents accompanying the I-140 Petitions, including I-485 applications to adjust for permanent residency in the United States. All of these payments were deposited into business checking accounts primarily controlled by the defendant.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of HSI in this matter. She thanked the members of USCIS for their assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Bronx Narcotics Supplier Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute a Kilogram of Heroin in SchenectadyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka “Tego,” age 37, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to traffic a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
In pleading guilty, Rivera-Perez admitted to being a member of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018. Rivera-Perez was the organization’s supplier and, through a courier, regularly delivered hundreds of grams of heroin from the Bronx to Schenectady, receiving thousands of dollars in return. The heroin was then sold in personal-use amounts in and around Schenectady by other members of the organization.
Rivera-Perez was one of nine people indicted earlier this year as part of law enforcement’s dismantling of the heroin distribution ring. Six defendants, including Rivera-Perez, have pled guilty; the others are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rivera-Perez faces at least 10 years and up life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million when he is sentenced on February 18, 2020, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. 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 HSI, the New York State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Amsterdam Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Bronx Man Charged with 2011 MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging RANDY MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Rampage,” with the October 17, 2011, murder of Davon Jackson. MARTINEZ was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the Indictment, Randy Martinez exchanged gunfire with members of a rival gang, during which 16-year-old Davon Jackson was shot in the head and killed. On the eight-year anniversary of Jackson’s death, the defendant now faces prosecution for this terrible crime, thanks to the persistence of our partners at the NYPD.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated: “Today’s indictment comes eight years to the day after a 16-year-old was struck by gunfire and killed in the Bronx. The NYPD will never tolerate gangs and the violence that they are too often responsible for. I thank the detectives and our law enforcement partners for their tireless work in this case.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court[1]:
MARTINEZ was a member of the Young Gunnaz, a violent gang operating in the Bronx, New York, that engaged in narcotics trafficking and acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder. On October 17, 2011, MARTINEZ exchanged gunfire with members of a rival gang in the vicinity of 146th Street and Third Avenue in the Bronx, New York, during which Davon Jackson, 16, was shot in the head and killed.
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Martinez, 28, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, and one count of using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting the same, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer and Danielle R. Sassoon are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Brockton Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Second Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man affiliated with the Junior Kaos gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Dwayne Leaston-Brown, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2020. Leaston-Brown was arrested and charged in November 2018 and has been in custody since.
On Sept. 8, 2018, a Boston police officer encountered Leaston-Brown with a loaded firearm on his person near the corner of Fairway Street and Blue Hill Avenue in the Mattapan Square area of Boston. Federal law prohibits Leaston-Brown from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of a prior felony conviction. Leaston-Brown was previously convicted in federal court in November 2014 of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
British Shipping Company Sentenced for Role in Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A British shipping company pleaded guilty yesterday and was ordered to forfeit $175,000 for smuggling into the United States over 100 undeclared wildlife items, including items protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Keith Foster, 61, of Upperville, operated an antique store in Middleburg known as The Outpost. In December 2018, Foster and his business pleaded guilty to selling items that constituted or contained parts of endangered species and other wildlife illegally imported into the United States. According to court documents, Foster imported the wildlife items through a British shipping company, Thasi Limited, doing business as The British Shop (TBS). TBS employees in England helped Foster hide his wildlife imports from the Fish and Wildlife Service, which included items such as sea turtle shell, sawfish blades, crocodile skin bags, coral, and mounted birds of prey.
Between 2013 and 2018, TBS (on behalf of Foster) shipped from England to the United States at least 35 separate cargo shipments of merchandise for resale at The Outpost, which contained wildlife and wildlife parts of a market value that was more than $250,000 but less than $500,000. The wildlife within those shipments was not properly declared to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upon import. To conceal the existence of wildlife pieces in the shipments, such wildlife pieces were, at Foster's direction, often labeled by TBS employees in a generic manner that failed to signal the true nature of the items.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Edward Grace, Assistant Director of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-281.
Brewer Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A former Brewer resident pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to possessing images of child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, Joseph L. Messier, 55, possessed videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which he had purposefully sought out and received through the internet sometime between January 2018 and March 2018. These videos depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children under the age of 12.
Messier faces an enhanced sentence of 10–20 years in prison as a result of a prior sex offense conviction. He also faces a $250,000 fine and from five years to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated this case. The 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. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Boyd County Man Indicted for Robbing Bluegrass Community Federal Credit Union in AshlandRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Boyd County man was indicted Thursday on a charge of robbing the Bluegrass Community Federal Credit Union (BCFCU), located in Ashland, Kentucky.
Danny P. Chaffin, 37, of Boyd County, was charged with taking over $12,000 from BCFCU, a federally insured financial institution, on April 5, 2019. On Thursday, a grand jury in Lexington returned the single-count indictment charging Chaffin with violating 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), the federal bank robbery statute.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Todd Kelley, Chief of the Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the indictment. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Ashland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A date for Chaffin to appear in federal court has not yet been scheduled. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Bessemer Man Convicted with Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal jury convicted a Bessemer man, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Jay E. Town and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against ANTONIO DEMETRIUS ROGERS, 45, on October 16, 2019, after a single day of testimony before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
“Felons who possess firearms pose a threat to the safety and security of our community,” Town said. “It continues to be among my highest priorities to remove trigger pullers and felons with guns to federal court and federal prison. We have an abundance of bed-space complimented by an absence of parole.”
“ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers are the driving force to reduce the violent crime that plagues our neighborhoods. This sentencing illustrate the effective partnerships with law enforcement and the community,” Watson said.
Evidence at trial showed that the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) sought Rogers on a federal arrest warrant in August 2018. Agents with the GCRFTF went to two houses in Bessemer simultaneously the morning of August 23, 2018. One of the occupants of the house, where Rogers was located, answered the door and told law enforcement officers that Rogers was inside. After getting the other occupants out of the house, agents continued to call out to Rogers, telling him the police were there with an arrest warrant, and that he should come out. Rogers did not come out until an investigator broke the window of the back bedroom and saw Rogers. Rogers was then taken into custody. A deputy U.S. Marshal found a loaded revolver on the floor of the bedroom that Rogers had been in, and confirmed with the investigator, who broke the window, that Rogers had been standing where the revolver was found.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is ten years in prison.
Rogers has prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property, first degree; escape, first degree; and manslaughter.
ATF investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Geer and Brittney Bucak.
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Authorities seek human smuggler who illegally transported Chinese and other nationalsRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican national who resided in McAllen and Houston is now a fugitive from justice, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Humberto Ramirez-Santos was set to appear in Victoria federal court Oct. 2 to receive his sentence for a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. He did not show. Today, a federal grand jury indicted him on another charge of failure to appear and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 361-220-1800.
Ramirez-Santos pleaded guilty July 8 to his involvement in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens between October 2011 to July 2017. The alien smuggling organization facilitated the smuggling of illegal aliens from multiple countries including individuals from China, Russia, India, Brazil, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. Ages of those smuggled into the country ranged from toddlers to the elderly but were mostly comprised of young adults.
At the time of his plea, the court heard that smuggling trips were taken every week and the total number of aliens transported are incalculable.
The organization used various methods to facilitate the smuggling. Co-conspirators drove cars and trucks to locations south of Border Patrol (BP) checkpoints. There, they were guided through South Texas ranches to avoid detection. They also used Penske trucks and tractor trailers to smuggle illegal aliens through various checkpoints.
A particular tactic was to select a tractor trailer parked at a South Texas truck stop with a suitable temperature. They would then remove the seal and load the illegal aliens. Members of the organization would follow the vehicle to the next stop somewhere north of the checkpoint to later retrieve them. The drivers would be unaware of their human cargo and were potentially exposed to criminal liability. The aliens were then be transported in closed Penske trucks to Houston.
Ramirez-Santos provided aliens to be smuggled through his contacts in Mexico. He also trained the young members of the organization in how to do counter-surveillance and instructed younger family members in how to move aliens.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Asst. U.S. Attorney Honored with 2019 Neil J. Houston, Jr. AwardRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert, Deputy Criminal Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, has been awarded a 2019 Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Award by Justice Assistance.
Ms. Hebert is one of four 2019 Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Award recipients honored at the 38th annual awards presentation by Justice Assistance “for dedicated service and citizen contribution toward the justice profession and the public interest.”
The Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Award is named in memory of Neil J. Houston, Jr., a Cranston resident, who dedicated his career toward the betterment of the criminal justice system and assisting the individuals who pass through it. Prior to his untimely passing, Mr. Houston was the Director of the Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation in Massachusetts--which funds reforms of the criminal justice system, and the Frederick E. Weber Charities Corporation--a nonprofit organization that helps individuals in need.
Ms. Hebert joined the United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island in June of 2006, after having served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas – Midland/Odessa Division. During her Justice Department career, AUSA Hebert has investigated and prosecuted hundreds of defendants and conducted numerous jury trials. Notably, AUSA Hebert prosecuted wiretap cases, substantial fraud cases, and numerous child exploitation cases. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Hebert served for four years in the United States Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Waco, Texas, where she investigated and prosecuted civilians accused of committing offenses on Fort Hood.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman said, “Ms. Hebert’s award is so well-deserved and timely. Her dedicated service to the United States in the prosecution of criminal offenses, day in and day out, is, and continues to be, an inspiration not only to the Department of Justice, but also to all players in the justice profession and those serving the public interest.”
Also honored with a 2019 Neil J. Houston, Jr. Memorial Award are Joseph P. Ippolito, Jr., Magistrate, Rhode Island District Court; Lynette J. Labinger, Attorney-at-Law; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections’ Correctional Industries.
Justice Assistance also honored Noah J. Kilroy, Attorney-at-Law, by presenting him with the 2019 R. Kevin Horan Emerging Leader Award. The Emerging Leader Award is named for R. Kevin Horan, Attorney-at-Law, founding member of Justice Assistance’s Board of Directors and dedicated organization sponsor. Justice Assistance’s Emerging Leader Award recognizes a young professional who has demonstrated an enthusiasm and ability to impact his or her community in an effective and meaningful manner. This promising leader has the potential to effect positive, longstanding change in a complex and always changing society. The R. Kevin Horan Emerging Leader Award is not given out annually.
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Asheville Man Is Indicted for $13.5 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment against Hal H. Brown Jr., 69, of Asheville, N.C., charging him with securities fraud, wire fraud and transactional money laundering, for orchestrating a $13.7 million investment scheme, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from at least 2012 through September 2019, Brown fraudulently obtained more than $13.5 million from at least 23 victims, some of whom were at, or near, retirement age, by engaging in an investment scheme through his company Oodles Inc. and its various affiliates (collectively “OODLES”). As alleged in the indictment, to induce victims to invest their money, Brown falsely represented that OODLES owned hundreds of millions of dollars in intellectual property, namely family entertainment shows and movies. As part of the scheme, Brown repeatedly lied to victims about the imminent sale of those intellectual properties to various well-known media companies. To perpetuate the fraud, the indictment alleges that Brown developed marketing material seeking investments or loans for OODLES that claimed large returns on funds invested or lent to the company.
As alleged in the indictment, to convince victims the scheme was legitimate and to appease investors who sought an explanation about delays in payouts, Brown provided victims with a number of fraudulent and misleading statements and fictitious information, including fake bank statements and falsified company agreements, among others.
Brown used a substantial part of victim money on personal expenses unrelated to purported OODLES transactions, and to perpetuate the fraud by making payments to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors, commonly referred to as “Ponzi” payments.
The securities fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $5 million fine. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The transactional money laundering charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine of not more than twice the amount of criminally derived property in the transaction or $250,000.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Charlotte Field Office is leading the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Ryan and Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
In March 2019, Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the Office’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit: /usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Jamaal Abu Talib Hameen (59, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A jury had found Hameen guilty on March 1, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial and at the sentencing hearing, on February 7, 2018, Hameen was found to be in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol, when officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested him for trespassing at a local motel. At the time, Hameen had numerous prior felony convictions, including for aggravated assault, sale or delivery of cocaine, and sale or delivery of heroin. As a previously convicted felon, Hameen was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Frank Talbot.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
A Leader of Brooklyn Eight Trey Cowboy Crips Gang Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Rahmel Smith, a leader of the Eight Trey Cowboy Crips gang that operates in Flatbush, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, heroin and marijuana, and use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. When sentenced, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment. The guilty plea was entered before United States District Judge Allyne R. Ross.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant is now facing a significant prison sentence for endangering the Flatbush community not only by dealing dangerous drugs, but also by using firearms in connection with his gang’s drug trafficking,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will continue to working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to dismantle and eradicate violent street gangs like the Eight Trey Cowboy Crips.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on the case.
Between May 2018 and February 2019, Smith directed fellow gang members to sell crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana on a daily basis. As part of the government’s investigation, law enforcement agents and officers intercepted numerous telephone communications during which Smith discussed narcotics transactions with fellow gang members. Between May 10, 2018 and December 18, 2018, under the supervision of law enforcement, a confidential informant made 12 crack cocaine purchases from Smith in the total amount of approximately 280 grams.
As part of his plea agreement with the government, Smith will forfeit three firearms he used in furtherance of the gang’s drug trafficking, specifically, a .25 caliber Lorcin pistol, a Jimenez 9mm pistol and a Romarm Cugir rifle, commonly referred to as an AK-47.
Two co-defendant gang members, Michael Martin and Shakim Carr, pleaded guilty in May 2019 and October 2019, respectively, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, heroin and marijuana, and are awaiting sentencing.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Reid and Temidayo Aganga-Williams are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RAHMEL SMITH (also known as “Mello”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
SHAKIM CARR (also known as “Sha”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkMICHAEL MARTIN (also known as “Scooter”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-137 (ARR)
34 Individuals Sentenced on Federal Drug and Money Laundering Violations in Operation “Gangster’s Paradise”Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN –A total of 34 individuals have been sentenced after a two-year investigation known as Operation "Gangster’s Paradise" conducted by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force ("OCDETF"). Members of the drug trafficking organization have been sentenced to federal prison for drug and money laundering violations. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, in 2016, the Memphis Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA") began investigating a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in the Memphis area. This led to several multi-defendant indictments involving a variety of narcotics and money laundering charges. On today’s date, the final defendant was sentenced. Below is a list of those indicted, the charges for which they were convicted, and the sentences imposed:
Rafael Garza, 47, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Garza to 210 months.
Timothy Woods, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Woods to 120 months.
Juan Cisneros, 36, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on April 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Cisneros to 121 months; 5 years supervised release.
Alfredo Arambul, 37, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Arambul to 120 months followed by 3 years supervised release.
Carlos Lopez, 41, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Lopez to 46 months and 2 years supervised release.
Tiffany Harper, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on March 13, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Harper to time served, 24 months supervised release.
Anthony Hope, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 17, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Hope to 100 months; 3 years supervised release.
Corey Blair, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 19, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Blair to 46 months; 3 years supervised release.
Marcus Joyner, 35, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Joyner to 30 months; 2 years supervised release.
Ricky Dortch, 56, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Dortch to 15 months; 3 years supervised release.
Johnny Smith, 61, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on November 14, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr., sentenced Smith to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Wanda Amos, 44, conspiracy to commit money laundering, on February 15, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Amos to 24 months supervised release (probation).
Savino Juarez Cabrales, 46, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, on June 21, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Cabrales to 120 months; 5 years supervised release.
Marco Antonio Cruz, Jr., 30, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, on July 18, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Cruz to 51 months.
Jackie Arnold, 49, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering, on July 17, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Arnold to 180 months; 4 years supervised release.
Travis Bobo, 57, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, on February 25, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Bobo to 120 months; 5 years supervised release.
Joseph Brown, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on September 6, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Brown to 34 months; 3 years supervised release.
Timothy Brown, 39, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on April 2, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Brown to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
Dedrick Chism, 44, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on September 12, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Chism to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Foyice Clark, 62, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on July 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Clark to 57 months; 5 years supervised release.
Reginald Duncan, 48, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 10, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Duncan to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
Theotis Evans, 42, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on May 31, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Evans to 24 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rico Fason, 33, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on May 20, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Fason to 90 months; 4 years supervised release.
Antonio Goss, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, on February 4, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Goss to 120 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rodney Harper, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on September 7, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Harper to 33 months; 3 years supervised release.
Tangela Jackson, 50, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on February 22, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Jackson to 60 months; 4 years supervised release.
Lakata Johnson, 47, conspiracy to commit money laundering, sentenced on June 12, 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Johnson to 12 months, 1 day; 2 years supervised release.
Roderick Kelley, 44, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on August 5, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Kelley to 46 months; 4 years supervised release.
Tawana Rice, 42, conspiracy to commit money laundering, on June 18, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Rice to time served; 2 years supervised release.
Roy Rodgers, 54, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, on March 12, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Rodgers to 27 months; 3 years supervised release.
Rodney Taylor, 41, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, on August 21, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Taylor to 8 months; 3 years supervised release.
Shunta Thompson-Truehart, 40, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, on January 14, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced to Thompson-Truehart to 24 months; 4 years supervised release.
Barrett Young, 54, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, on October 17, 2019, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, sentenced Young to 18 months; 3 years supervised release.
John Robinson, 45, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, on October 3, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Robinson to 12 months; 3 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Use and trafficking of illegal drugs continues to destroy lives, families, and communities in Memphis, Shelby County, and across West Tennessee. The joint cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement in this OCDETF case demonstrates our ability and resolve to dismantle drug trafficking organizations, including those that distribute narcotics from locations across the country. These sentences send a clear message to those gangsters, drug dealers, and money launderers who distribute poison in the Western District of Tennessee: You cannot prey upon our citizens for your selfish personal gain with impunity; For you, there is no paradise – only a reckoning that ends in federal prison."
OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated these cases.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted these cases on behalf of the government.
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$3.1 Million Judgment Entered Against Five Rural Home Health Providers in Iowa and South DakotaRead the Press Release
On October 16, 2019, a federal court in Cedar Rapids entered a consent judgment for a total of $3,133,282.95 against five home health providers located in Iowa and South Dakota. The providers – Sergeant Bluff Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Red Oak Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Logan Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Elk Point Health Care #1 LLC (South Dakota); and Flandreau Healthcare 2, LLC (South Dakota) – provided home health services to Medicare beneficiaries.
In a complaint filed on October 2, 2019, the United States alleged that, between January 2012 and December 2015, the five companies submitted false claims to Medicare for therapy services. The complaint alleged the claims were false either because the services provided were not skilled or because the beneficiaries’ medical conditions did not justify the need for skilled therapy services. The United States further alleged that the companies received notifications that their claims for therapy services were inordinately high and that the companies failed to take adequate steps to address their billing procedures after receiving the notifications.
In a civil judgment filed in federal court in Cedar Rapids on October 16, 2019, judgment was entered against each entity as follows: Sergeant Bluff Healthcare, LLC ($1,245,149.01); Red Oak Healthcare, LLC ($228,333.42); Logan Healthcare, LLC ($775,373.15); Elk Point Healthcare #1, LLC ($788,484.69); and Flandreau Healthcare 2, LLC ($115,942.46). The entities are all affiliates of Welcov Healthcare, LLC, a Minnesota entity in the midst of assignment proceedings in Hennepin County (Minnesota) District Court.
The matter arose from an affirmative investigation. False Claims Act cases can also be brought under the qui tam provisions of the Act, which encourage whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any financial recovery.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys from three different United States Attorney’s Offices: Jacob Schunk, Northern District of Iowa (United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr.); Meghan Roche, District of South Dakota (United States Attorney Ron Parsons); and David Faith, II, Southern District of Iowa (United States Attorney Marc L. Krickbaum). The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General led the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cv-4066-LTS-KEM.
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Wednesday 16 October 2019
Wetzel County man admits to operating a drug houseRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – David M. Metz, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, has admitted to maintaining a house to sell drugs, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Metz, age 44, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Maintaining of a Drug-Involved Premises.” Metz admitted to having a house on Veteran’s Highway in New Martinsville for the purpose of distributing and using methamphetamine from July 2018 to June 2019.
Metz faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Westminster Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Selling Heroin That Led to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced today that Kayla Pagano, age 24, of Westminster, Colorado, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn to serve 77 months (6 years and 5 months) in federal prison for distribution of heroin and methamphetamine. Following her prison sentence, Pagano will serve 4 years of supervised release. She appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the hearing’s conclusion.
According to the facts contained in Pagano’s plea agreement, on May 31, 2018, an individual with the initials E.N., a woman named Ariel Walker and an individual with the initials C.T., drove to Westminster to buy heroin from Kayla Pagano. E.N. paid Walker approximately $80 to purchase the heroin and approximately $40 for arranging the drug deal. Walker then met with Pagano at a Circle K in Westminster where she sold Walker approximately .20 grams of heroin and approximately .20 grams of methamphetamine. E.N. used the heroin and then passed out. Police later found E.N.’s dead body dumped in an alley in Denver. The heroin which caused E.N.’s death was the heroin Walker purchased from Pagano outside the Circle K and then distributed to E.N. Walker has pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin resulting in death in criminal case number 18-cr-414-RBJ and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2019.
“I hope drug dealers are getting the message: when someone dies as a result of your conduct, you will be held accountable and you will do time in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.
“Today’s sentencing of Kayla Pagano illustrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating those that enable the heroin epidemic and the consequential tragedies resulting from this growing problem,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips. “We extend our gratitude to the Denver Police Department, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their invaluable investigatory and prosecutorial assistance in this case.”
This case was investigated by the Denver Police Department with assistance from the FBI Denver OCDETF Strike Force. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly.
Vance AFB Major Pleads Guilty to Kickbacks Involving Compounding PharmaciesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ROMEATRIUS MOSS, 39, a nurse and Air Force Major stationed at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, has pleaded guilty to criminal health care fraud in which she accepted kickbacks for referring TRICARE beneficiaries to pharmacies furnishing compounded drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to a felony information filed on September 30, 2019, Moss solicited and received $73,823.06 in return for referrals to compounding pharmacies involving individuals covered by TRICARE, which is a health insurance program for members of the U.S. military. Because of resulting cost increases and infringement on patient choice, it is a crime to solicit or receive payments for referrals to health care providers for an item or service that could be paid, in whole or in part, by a federal health care program.
Moss pleaded guilty on October 15 before U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick. She admitted that while she was employed in the medical unit at Vance AFB, she gave military members pre-printed prescription pads and induced them to ask their doctors for specific compounded drugs. Moss admitted she then sent the prescriptions or caused them to be sent to specific pharmacies. Moss admitted she was paid a kickback that was a percentage of the gross reimbursement the pharmacies received from TRICARE for filling the prescriptions.
At sentencing, Moss faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, in addition to up to three years of supervised release. As a result of her plea agreement, she will pay restitution to TRICARE in the amount of $622,459, the total amount of kickbacks she received in the referral scheme. She has also agreed to the criminal forfeiture of her residence in Enid, a 2016 Porsche Cayenne, and a 2000 Fleetwood Pace Arrow.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation–Oklahoma City Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Valley man sent to prison for lying on federal firearms formRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old Harlingen resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of lying on a firearm application at a local Wal-Mart, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). A Brownsville jury deliberated for 30 minutes before convicting Juan Sauceda following a one-day trial June 18, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed Sauceda an 18-month sentence to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the defense argued for probation as there was “no harm, no foul.” The court denied that request and imposed the federal prison term.
On Sept. 6, 2018, Sauceda attempted to purchase a 12-gauge pump shotgun at a Wal-Mart in Harlingen. As a part of the purchase, he was required to fill out ATF Form 4473 in order to complete a background check. He signed the form, attesting that he never had a felony conviction. However, the investigation revealed he had a conviction for two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Sauceda had stabbed two individuals in 2013 in a dispute in Custer County, Oklahoma.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Sauceda was too uneducated to understand the form when he made the false statement as to his criminal history. The jury was not persuaded and found him guilty as charged.
Sauceda was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Schorr Dinsdale and Israel Cano III prosecuted the case.
Upshur County residents indicted on drug and counterfeit chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Garry William Moran, II, and Johnna Dee Courtney, both of Buckhannon, West Virginia, were indicted today by a federal grand jury on methamphetamine and counterfeit charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Moran, age 39, and Courtney, age 38, were each indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Counterfeiting,” and one count of “Possession of Counterfeit Obligations.” Moran and Courtney are accused of distributing more than five grams of “crystal” methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” in May 2019 in Upshur County. They are also accused of making counterfeit money and having 95 counterfeit $100 bills in their possession.
Moran and Courtney each face at least five years and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the drug counts, and each face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the counterfeit counts. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and the United States Secret Service investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Announces $6.84 Million in Grants Received from the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – To close the 2019 Fiscal Year, the United States Department of Justice awarded twenty grants, amounting to nearly seven million dollars to support public safety and crime fighting initiatives throughout the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. Nine north Alabama counties (Calhoun, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Madison, St. Clair, and Tuscaloosa) will receive funding to enhance public safety services through various Department of Justice grants.
“The Department of Justice has again demonstrated its commitment to Alabama by providing much needed resources to local law enforcement and community partners in order to fight crime, reduce recidivism, and support the recovery of victims of crime,” Town said. “The harm that violent and drug crimes cause our communities, both urban and rural, is profound. This support will assist our local partners in remedying some of that damage by delivering justice to both victims and perpetrators.”
Eight cities (Anniston, Bessemer, Birmingham, Decatur, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa) alongside DeKalb and St. Clair counties are receiving funding through the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. Under the JAG program, the cities will receive a total amount of $1,534,680 to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based for their own state and local needs and conditions. JAG funds will be used to support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces, to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information enforcement, and programs aimed at reducing crime and/or enhancing public/officer safety.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office is receiving funding through the Office of Justice of Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and BJA’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant program. Under the SAKI grant, the District Attorney’s Office will receive $876,804 to support the Department’s criminal justice priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers and prosecutors by providing jurisdictions with resources to address sexual assault kits (SAKs) in their custody that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing with Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)-eligible DNA methodologies, and improving investigation and prosecution in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the testing process. The program also provides sites with resources to collect DNA samples from qualifying individuals who should have a sample in CODIS, but from whom a sample has never been collected or submitted to a laboratory for testing. In addition, SAKI will provide investigators with assistance on how to effectively question subjects, which could provide stronger investigative leads and build stronger prosecutorial cases, which in turn could help solve more crimes.
The Link of Cullman County, Inc. (The Link) is receiving funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and Community-Based Adult Reentry with Small or Rural Organizations Program. Under the Community Based Adult Reentry Grant, The Link will receive $500,000. The Link will use these funds to provide a comprehensive approach to adult reentry to identify transitional needs of the offender by providing case management, cognitive intervention, and follow-up measures.
City of Birmingham Police Department (BPD) is receiving funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Body Warn Camera Program. Under the Body Warn Camera Program, Birmingham Police Department will receive $276,000 to support the implementation of body-worn cameras. The intent of the program is to help BPD develop, implement, and assess the body warn camera as an additional tool in their comprehensive problem-solving approach to leverage the evidentiary value of digital footage; enhance officer and citizen safety, promote mutual trust and civility between officers and the public; and build community trust.
All of these grant monies are in addition to the Project Safe Neighborhoods programs currently underway across the Northern District, along with the DOJ funding, training, and technical assistance already being provided through the National Public Safety Partnership in the Cities of Birmingham, Anniston, and Oxford.
Announced last week, the Department of Justice awarded the National Children’s Advocacy Center three grants totaling $2,734,498.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan, Nova Southeastern University’s CREATE Program and Federal Task Force Host Human Trafficking SymposiumRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan, Nova Southeastern University’s Coalition for Research and Education Against Trafficking and Exploitation (CREATE) and the Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force hosted a symposium yesterday to raise public awareness about human trafficking. The free program provided advanced human trafficking training and resources to more than 380 individuals, including victim service providers, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, medical professionals, and members of the local community.
“Partnerships and collaboration are vital to our fight against human trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “We cannot rescue victims, provide services to survivors, or successfully prosecute traffickers without our expanded partnerships and ongoing collaboration.”
The Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Miami-Dade Police Department, and International Rescue Committee, works to increase public awareness, identify victims, ensure that survivors receive assistance, and prosecute traffickers. The Task Force is composed of federal agencies including, the FBI (specifically, its Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force), U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Department of Labor. Several other state and local law enforcement entities in South Florida are supportive task force members. Additionally, the Task Force collaborates with non-law enforcement entities, including the Florida Department of Children and Families, service providers, victim advocates, faith-based organizations, academic representatives and community members. Presently, the Task Force includes more than 300 non-law enforcement members. In addition, many of our northern partners support the West Palm Beach Human Trafficking Task Force, while the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, which covers Miami-Dad and Broward counties, has more than 400 members.
CREATE’s mission is to equip all members of the community – including private citizens, educators, current and future health care professionals and members of organizations – with the skills to identify victims of human trafficking, in order to increase reporting and referrals to appropriate health and social services.
Since being appointed as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2018, Ariana Fajardo Orshan has remained committed to expanding our partnerships to combat human trafficking, educating the public, and ensuring that the prosecution of human trafficking cases is a priority for the Office. She currently serves on the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Human Trafficking. Recently, she expanded the Special Prosecution’s Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Section has helped to oversee the district’s Human Trafficking and Project Safe Childhood Programs (PSC), and the Office’s Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) Program, while prosecuting cases involving victims of violent crimes (resulting in death or serious bodily injury), human trafficking, child exploitation, and other criminal offenses. As a native of Miami and concerned citizen, U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan is committed to raising public awareness and promoting community outreach – in order to help us all to combat human trafficking.
Since the beginning of 2019, the Task Force has participated in more than 100 human trafficking community outreach events. Audiences include grade school, university, and college students, teachers, professors, medical professionals, faith-based organizations, immigration and labor attorneys, federal, state, and local government employees, as well as hotel and motel employees. These efforts come in advance of Miami Super Bowl 54 in February. In preparation for the event, the Task Force will continue its efforts to expand partnerships, collaboration, training of state, local, and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors, and community outreach.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the entire Task Force is fully committed to utilizing a victim-centered approach to rescuing victims and aggressively prosecuting traffickers. From Fiscal Year 2013 through Fiscal Year 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted 72 offenders in 51 human trafficking cases, including labor and sex trafficking. These cases collectively involved the victimization of more than 80 survivors of human trafficking. For Fiscal Year 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida charged 12 human trafficking cases against 15 defendants in federal court, an increase from Fiscal Year 2018. Presently, 5 human trafficking cases are charged federally in Miami.
“We cannot do this work alone; we also rely on the members of our diverse community to continue to raise public awareness and report suspected trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “Sadly, despite the hard work of so many people in our community we continue to see human traffickers exploit children, adults, males, females, LGBTQ persons, drug addicts, foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. We encourage everyone to report human trafficking and help victims to come out of the shadows, where they can be seen and set free.”
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 CREATE visit www.nova.edu/create. 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.
To learn more about the nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative and local Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) visit https://www.justice.gov/psn, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/violence-reduction-partnerships.
U.S. Attorney Announces Multiple Charges Against Bronx Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CI”), announced today the arrest of LORENZO ALMANZAR for preparing fraudulent tax returns containing more than $400,000 in fraudulent deductions and making false statements to federal agents. ALMANZAR was presented in Manhattan federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Lorenzo Almanzar used his accounting skills to bilk the government of thousands of dollars. Almanzar now faces 30 counts of criminal tax charges, and the possibility of time behind bars.”
IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said: “Well-intentioned taxpayers can be victimized by tax return preparers who mislead people into taking credits or deductions they aren’t entitled to in order to increase their fee or burnish their reputation. As Almanzar learned today when he was arrested, there are serious consequences for allegedly defrauding his clients. IRS-CI special agents are committed to identifying and prosecuting unscrupulous tax return preparers.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court[1]:
From 2014 through 2017, ALMANZAR owned and operated a business called Future International Corp. (“Future”) in the Bronx, New York, which purported to offer tax preparation services. As alleged in the Complaint, ALMANZAR prepared fraudulent returns that fabricated and falsely overstated various items, including, among other things, medical expenses, charitable expenses, and unreimbursed employee business expenses. Additionally, ALMANZAR made false statements to federal agents during the course of their investigation into those fraudulent returns.
ALMANZAR prepared multiple fraudulent tax returns containing more than $400,000 in fraudulent deductions, which resulted in a tax loss of at least $57,000.
* * *
ALMANZAR, 63, of White Plains, New York, is charged with 30 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, and one count of making false statements to federal agents, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from IRS-CI. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Tulsa Woman Indicted for Mail Theft at Sheridan StationRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment in early October charging a Tulsa woman with stealing mail and destroying post office boxes at a U.S. Post Office station located in south Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. The indictment was unsealed today after Hillary Victoria Ginn, 42, was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspectors and she made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court.
Ginn allegedly stole mail or attempted to steal mail from mailboxes located in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sheridan Station on six different occasions from Aug. 18, 2019, through Sept. 22, 2019. Ginn is charged with six counts of Theft of Mail and Attempted Theft of Mail and six counts of Destruction of Letter Boxes and Mail.
“Maintaining the integrity of the mail is vital to commerce and communication throughout our country and beyond its borders,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Mail theft is often the first step in other serious crimes such as identity theft and fraud. These white collar crimes can be financially ruinous for victims. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office will always partner up to stop mail thieves.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division Inspector in Charge Thomas Noyes said, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our employees, customers and the U.S. Mail. The public depends on the sanctity of the mail, and theft of that mail is an attack on the trust the American public has placed in the mail system. Postal Inspectors investigate all reports of mail theft to identify and hold accountable those responsible. We value our partnerships with our local law enforcement partners in the Tulsa area and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph F. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
An Indictment is a formal statement of charges or alleged violations of law. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Members of “Head Shot Mafia” Drug Crew ArrestedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three members of a violent Brockton drug crew were arrested and charged in connection with operating a fentanyl delivery service. One member of the drug crew remains at large.
Placido Armando Pereira, 33; Natalio Miranda, 28; andDjoy Defrancesco, 23, all of Brockton, were arrested this morning and charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. The defendants were detained following an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. A fourth defendant, Jason Miranda, 24, of Taunton, remains at large.
As alleged in charging documents, law enforcement began investigating a violent Brockton-area drug crew that distributed large quantities of fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts. The drug crew, which refers to itself as “HSM,” for “Head Shot Mafia,” ran a fentanyl delivery service that encompassed all of Brockton as well as neighboring cities. Specifically, it is alleged that drug users/customers placed orders for fentanyl by contacting a cellphone maintained and shared by HSM crew members, and that HSM members worked together to deliver the fentanyl order. Beginning in September 2019, agents succeeded in introducing an undercover law enforcement officer to HSM, who made six purchases of fentanyl from members of the crew.
According to the criminal complaint and court records, the defendants have criminal records. In 2017, Pereira was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2010, Pereira was arrested on drug trafficking charges at Logan Airport as he returned to the U.S. from Cape Verde, and later sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Feb. 20, 2014, Pereira was the target of an assassination attempt in Brockton.
According to court documents, Natalio Miranda sold fentanyl to the undercover officer while on probation for a state drug trafficking offense. Furthermore, Defrancesco sold fentanyl to the undercover officer while on pre-trial release from a Plymouth Superior Court indictment charging him with trafficking in fentanyl, possession of a firearm, and possession of a high capacity feeding device, among other offenses.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Bridgewater State University Police Departments as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Statement of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
By Presidential Proclamation, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic violence is a heinous crime that terrorizes adults and children, destroys relationships, and shatters the home, which should be a place of safety, love, and respect. Across the country, domestic violence threatens – in the worst cases ends – lives. During this month of awareness, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to empowering survivors and ending this horrible, destructive, and life-threatening form of abuse. As a country, we must resolve to show zero tolerance for acts of domestic violence. This is a top priority for the Department of Justice. In Vermont, the zero tolerance policy is in full effect. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is doubling down on efforts to combat domestic violence in the Green Mountain State. We are working with our state and local law enforcement partners and community providers as never before to prevent and bring serious consequences to domestic abusers and to ensure victims and survivors are connected to support and empowerment networks. The reason: domestic violence is a problem in Vermont. In recent years, nearly half of Vermont’s homicides have arisen in the domestic context, and Vermont has outpaced the national average for instances of male perpetrators and female victims.
The first component of our renewed and invigorated campaign is outreach to state and local law enforcement. Roughly 40 percent of Vermont’s domestic violence homicides are committed with a gun. There is a collection of federal laws – many pertaining to firearms – that can be used to prevent domestic violence and bring justice to perpetrators. These federal crimes can very often be proven without the testimony of the victim, who, for obvious reasons, may be unready and reluctant to testify in a court proceeding against an abuser. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has created a comprehensive brochure listing and summarizing the federal statutes that may be charged in the domestic violence context. The brochure can be found on our website at /media/1025776/dl?inline. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is circulating this information to State’s Attorney’s Offices, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and to federal, state, local, and county law enforcement. The written information will be accompanied by in-person meetings.
The pertinent federal domestic violence laws can generally be grouped into two different categories. First, crimes under the Gun Control Act, particularly those proscribing prohibited persons – such as convicted felons, individuals previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, individuals subject to restraining orders, drug users, individuals previously adjudicated mentally defective, and others – from possessing firearms. It is also a federal crime to lie to a gun store about your prohibited person status in the course of buying a firearm. Second, the Violence Against Women Act contains a series of prohibitions relating to domestic violence, including laws against interstate travel to commit domestic violence or to violate a restraining order, cyberstalking, and interstate stalking. We are committed to ensuring we inform our state and local partners of these laws and maximize referral of these cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As with all issues of public safety, while we will make as many arrests as we can consistent with the interests of justice, we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. We are working closely with our partners in the prevention, education, and victim-survivor support communities to advance a comprehensive approach to ending domestic violence in Vermont. The Department of Justice recently awarded Vermont a Project Safe Neighborhoods grant. The Vermont Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force – comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement, and a community nonprofit partner – has elected to direct the grant monies toward combatting domestic violence in Vermont. The grant will be administered by the anti-domestic violence nonprofit organization, Circle, and we will encourage solicitations that seek to use the money for domestic violence prevention and education. In addition, along with its brochure describing relevant federal crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has created a short flyer summarizing the resources available to domestic violence victims and survivors in every county of Vermont. The flyer can be found on our website at /media/1025771/dl?inline.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recently worked closely with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office to support its successful application for a Domestic Violence Technical Assistance Grant from the Department of Justice Office of Violence against Women and the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Vermont is one of only a handful of locations in the country to receive this grant, and the only state to receive the grant on a statewide basis. Discussion amongst stakeholders is currently underway to determine how best to deploy the technical assistance grant.
Lastly, the U.S. Attorney was recently appointed to the Domestic Violence Working Group of the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. This group serves to advise the Attorney General and federal law enforcement nationwide as to how to effectively marshal federal resources to combat domestic violence.
As Vermonters and Americans, we must remain vigilant in our quest to end the horror of domestic violence and promote peace and safety in the home. While we must recognize and face head-on the existence and tragedy of domestic violence, we should also take heart in knowing that combatting and preventing this crime are top priorities of law enforcement at all levels, and that stakeholders are working closely across disciplines to bring a stop to it. We are working with urgency, because this is a matter of life and death.
Springfield federal firearms licensee sentenced for falsifying recordsRead the Press Release
DAYTON – The owner of a Springfield gun store whose falsified records showed he was selling guns to a deceased individual was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison.
James A. Mayhugh, Jr., 61, of Springfield, Ohio, falsified firearms sales records for more than 200 gun sales. Mayhugh lied in his records concerning the identity of the purchaser and then actually sold the firearms to unknown individuals on the black market. A least two of the 248 weapons were later discovered by law enforcement officers out of state while executing search warrants.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
Mayhugh owned and operated Jim’s Sports in Springfield. According to court documents, ATF Industry Operation Investigators (IOI) noticed unusual trends in Mayhugh’s sales records. Identical firearm sales to an identical group of individuals had been recorded between 2008 and 2018. Also, while federal law required the purported purchaser to personally complete and sign forms before acquiring a firearm, each document instead bore Mayhugh’s handwriting.
While further reviewing Mayhugh’s records, ATF IOIs discovered one customer had died in 2014, even though Mauhugh’s records reflected gun purchases as recently as early 2018. Other customers had actually purchased from Mayhugh on one occasion 15 to 20 years ago, but records showed repeated buys in recent years.
Subsequent to a court-authorized search, agents discovered documents reflecting more than 200 firearm sales to fictitious customers.
Mayhugh pleaded guilty in May to willfully violating federal requirements to provide the name, age and address of firearms purchasers.
Mayhugh also agreed to surrender his federal firearms license and no longer operates a business.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to distributing cocaine.
Samuel Diaz, a/k/a “Sammy,” 36, pleaded guilty to distributing approximately 50 grams of cocaine to a cooperating witness on March 24, 2015. Diaz also sold a firearm and ammunition to the cooperating witness on the same day.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 23, 2020.
The charge of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
South Korean National and Hundreds of Others Charged Worldwide in the Takedown of the Largest Darknet Child Pornography Website, Which was Funded by BitcoinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child sexual exploitation market by volume of content. The nine-count indictment was unsealed today along with a parallel civil forfeiture action. Son has also been charged and convicted in South Korea and is currently in custody serving his sentence in South Korea. An additional 337 site users residing in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington State and Washington, D.C. as well as the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Brazil and Australia have been arrested and charged.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Chief Don Fort of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa Erichs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
“Darknet sites that profit from the sexual exploitation of children are among the most vile and reprehensible forms of criminal behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This Administration will not allow child predators to use lawless online spaces as a shield. Today’s announcement demonstrates that the Department of Justice remains firmly committed to working closely with our partners in South Korea and around the world to rescue child victims and bring to justice the perpetrators of these abhorrent crimes.”
“Children around the world are safer because of the actions taken by U.S. and foreign law enforcement to prosecute this case and recover funds for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “We will continue to pursue such criminals on and off the darknet in the United States and abroad, to ensure they receive the punishment their terrible crimes deserve.”
“Through the sophisticated tracing of bitcoin transactions, IRS-CI special agents were able to determine the location of the Darknet server, identify the administrator of the website and ultimately track down the website server’s physical location in South Korea,” said IRS-CI Chief Don Fort. “This largescale criminal enterprise that endangered the safety of children around the world is no more. Regardless of the illicit scheme, and whether the proceeds are virtual or tangible, we will continue to work with our federal and international partners to track down these disgusting organizations and bring them to justice.”
“Children are our most vulnerable population, and crimes such as these are unthinkable,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa Erichs. “Sadly, advances in technology have enabled child predators to hide behind the dark web and cryptocurrency to further their criminal activity. However, today’s indictment sends a strong message to criminals that no matter how sophisticated the technology or how widespread the network, child exploitation will not be tolerated in the United States. Our entire justice system will stop at nothing to prevent these heinous crimes, safeguard our children, and bring justice to all.”
According to the indictment, on March 5, 2018, agents from the IRS-CI, HSI, National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, and Korean National Police in South Korea arrested Son and seized the server that he used to operate a Darknet market that exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for download by members of the site. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately eight terabytes of child sexual exploitation videos, which is one of the largest seizures of its kind. The images, which are currently being analyzed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), contained over 250,000 unique videos, and 45 percent of the videos currently analyzed contain new images that have not been previously known to exist.
Welcome To Video offered these videos for sale using the cryptocurrency bitcoin. Typically, sites of this kind give users a forum to trade in these depictions. This Darknet website is among the first of its kind to monetize child exploitation videos using bitcoin. In fact, the site itself boasted over one million downloads of child exploitation videos by users. Each user received a unique bitcoin address when the user created an account on the website. An analysis of the server revealed that the website had more than one million bitcoin addresses, signifying that the website had capacity for at least one million users.
The agencies have shared data from the seized server with law enforcement around the world to assist in identifying and prosecuting customers of the site. This has resulted in leads sent to 38 countries and yielded arrests of 337 subjects around the world. The operation has resulted in searches of residences and businesses of approximately 92 individuals in the United States. Notably, the operation is responsible for the rescue of at least 23 minor victims residing in the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom, who were being actively abused by the users of the site.
In the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area, the operation has led to the execution of five search warrants and eight arrests of individuals who both conspired with the administrator of the site and were themselves, users of the website. Two users of the Darknet market committed suicide subsequent to the execution of search warrants.
Amongst the sites users charged are:
•Charles Wunderlich, 34, of Hot Springs, California, was charged in the District of Columbia with conspiracy to distribute child pornography;
•Brian James LaPrath, 34, of San Diego, California, was arrested in the District of Columbia, for international money laundering; and was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release;
•Ernest Wagner, 70, of Federal Way, Washington, was arrested and charged in the District of Columbia with conspiracy to distribute child pornography;
•Vincent Galarzo, 28, of Glendale, New York, was arrested and charged in the District of Columbia with conspiracy to distribute child pornography;
•Michael Ezeagbor, 22, of Pflugerville, Texas, was arrested and charged in the District of Columbia with conspiracy to distribute child pornography;
•Nicholas Stengel, 45, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and money laundering and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release;
•Eryk Mark Chamberlin, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and is pending sentencing;
•Jairo Flores, 30, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in the District of Massachusetts to receipt and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to serve five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
•Billy Penaloza, 29, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in the District of Massachusetts to possession and receipt of child pornography. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2019;
•Michael Armstrong, 35, of Randolph, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in the District of Massachusetts, to receipt and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to serve five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a future date;
•Al Ramadhanu Soedomo, 28, of Lynn, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and was sentenced in the District of Massachusetts (Boston), to serve 12 months and one day followed by five years of supervised release;
•Phillip Sungmin Hong, 24, of Sharon, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in the District of Massachusetts (Boston), to receipt and possession of child pornography and is pending sentencing;
•Eliseo Arteaga Jr., 28, of Mesquite, Texas, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of Texas to possession of prepubescent child pornography. He is pending sentencing;
•Richard Nikolai Gratkowski, 40, of San Antonio, Texas, a former HSI special agent, was arrested in the Western District of Texas. Gratkowski pleaded guilty to the indictment charging one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of access with intent to view child pornography. Gratkowski was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution to seven victims and a $10,000 assessment;
•Paul Casey Whipple, 35, of Hondo, Texas, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, was arrested in the Western District of Texas, on charges of sexual exploitation of children/minors, production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. Whipple remains in custody awaiting trial in San Antonio;
•Michael Lawson, 36, of Midland, Georgia, was arrested in the Middle District of Georgia on charges of attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release following his plea to a superseding information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography;
•Kevin Christopher Eagan, 39, of Brookhaven, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in the Northern District of Georgia;
•Casey Santioius Head, 37, of Griffin, Georgia, was indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography;
•Andrew C. Chu, 28, of Garwood, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with receipt of child pornography. Those charges remain pending;
•Nader Hamdi Ahmed, 29 of Jersey City, New Jersey, was arrested in the District of New Jersey, for sexual exploitation or other abuse of children. Ahmed pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 1, 2019;
•Jeffrey Lee Harris, 32, of Pickens, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of South Carolina for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography;
•Laine Ormand Clark Jr., 27, of Conway, South Carolina, was arrested and charged in U.S. District Court in South Carolina Division for sexual possession of child pornography;
•Jack R. Dove III, 38, of Lakeland, Florida, was arrested in the Middle District of Florida for knowingly receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct;
•Michael Matthew White, 39, of Miami Beach, Florida, was arrested in the Southern District of Florida for coercion and enticement;
•Nikolas Bennion Bradshaw, 24, of Bountiful, Utah, was arrested in the State of Utah, and charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and was sentenced to time served with 91 days in jail followed by probation;
•Michael Don Gibbs, 37, of Holladay, Utah, was charged in the District of Utah with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography;
•Ammar Atef H. Alahdali, 22, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to receipt of child pornography and was sentenced to serve five years in prison and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution;
•Mark Lindsay Rohrer, 38, of West Hartford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in the District of Connecticut to receipt of child pornography and was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
•Eugene Edward Jung, 47, of San Francisco, California, was indicted in the Northern District of California on possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography;
•James Daosaeng, 25, of Springdale, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and was sentenced in the Western District of Arkansas (Fayetteville) to serve 97 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release;
•Alex Daniel Paxton, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, was arrested and indicted in Franklin County Ohio Court of Common Pleas for pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor;
•Don Edward Pannell, 32, of Harvey, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Louisiana for receipt of child pornography. He is pending sentencing;
•Ryan Thomas Carver, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama, was arrested and charged under Alabama State Law. He was charged federally in the Northern District of Alabama with possession of child pornography. His case is pending in Huntsville, Alabama;
•Andrew Buckley, 28, of the United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to 10 offences in the UK of possession and distribution of indecent images of children, possession of extreme and prohibited images and possession of a class A drug. He was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison for the distribution of indecent images and possession of class A drugs. Buckley is also subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order;
•Kyle Fox, 26, of the United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to 22 counts including rape, sexual assault, and sharing indecent images, and was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison; and
•Mohammed Almaker, 26, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was arrested in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), charged with KSA Law involving the endangerment of children. He is awaiting judicial proceedings in furtherance of criminal charges.
A forfeiture complaint was also unsealed today. The complaint alleges that law enforcement was able to trace payments of bitcoin to the Darknet site by following the flow of funds on the blockchain. The virtual currency accounts identified in the complaint were allegedly used by 24 individuals in five countries to fund the website and promote the exploitation of children. The forfeiture complaint seeks to recover these funds and, ultimately through the restoration process, return the illicit funds to victims of the crime.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The international investigations were led by the IRS-CI, HSI and the NCA. The Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom and the German Federal Criminal Police (the Bundeskriminalamt), provided assistance and coordinated with their parallel investigations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance.
The cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Lindsay Suttenberg, and Youli Lee, Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Diane Brashears, Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, and Records Examiner Chad Byron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Additional assistance has been provided by Deputy Chief Keith Becker and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and former U.S. Attorney’s Office Paralegal Specialists Toni Anne Donato and Ty Eaton.